How does the League of Legends interact with Valoran?
I have a lot of questions regarding how the League of Legends interacts in the world it exists in, based off published Riot lore, and hopefully I can get some help.
It's pretty basic knowledge that the League was created to resolve political disputes because the Rune Wars were tearing the world apart. The League draws champions from basically every avenue available, even going so far as to summon champions from other worlds (Taric, Kayle, Malphite), imprison deadly beings (Nocturne, Brand, Cho'Gath, Renekton), foster terrorists, assassins and other beings that cannot exist in polite society (Syndra, Talon, Malzahar), and negotiate with champions to provide a mutually beneficial relationship – the League provides a service, usually magical, for the champion (Ahri, Maokai, Morgana). Champions join the League in order to gain influence, cash, skills for either personal means (Caitlyn, Sivir, Ashe, Evelynn, Miss Fortune) or for secret missions that require access to the Institute of War (Xerath, Nautilus, Vayne). Most other champions fight for (or against) their city-state or cause of choice.
We also know that the League is ubiquitous in the world. Orianna Reveck dreamed of becoming a champion as a young woman, going so far as to participate in training courses. It's noted that it was the champions of the League that fascinated her, not the prestige or the concept. Orianna's father was a 'famed inventor' (Orianna teaser image), a craftsman of some sort, but he wasn't a noble– yet he was able to enrol his daughter in a training course with an approximation of a Summoner's Rift lane and tower. When Nautilus climbed onto the shores of Bilgewater, sailors pointed him towards the Institute of War. When Lulu found herself unwelcome in Bandle City, she was able to find the League quite easily.
We also know that champions (and other notable figures) in Valoran are watched and cheered on by the populace. When Lux was working as a stealth agent for Demacia, her exploits were cheered on by the Demacian populace, and she earned goodwill “with Noxians and Ionians alike”. Katarina and Darius are both cited as symbols of Noxian pride and strength. As mentioned earlier, Orianna Reveck was fascinated by the champions of the League of Legends. Champions are public figures. People also, obviously, watch matches for political reasons.
So how do people watch these matches? Do they go to arenas and crowd into the stands? That seems unlikely when each of the stages take place in one, unchanging spot. Are there screens displaying what's happening – basically, television technology? Is the answer basically “a wizard did it” - summoners are opening visual portals or something similar? Wouldn't that go against the whole restriction of magic thing that the League was created to prevent?
Or are people reading the results of these matches? If so, who's distributing this information? Summoners are literate (the existence of the Journal of Justice). We know that at Demacians are educated enough at the very least enough to be fully literate. (“They were both quotes from The Measured Tread, the handbook that any self-respecting Demacian could recite on command.” “[...] reciting the Justice Pledge along her fellow recruits.” -Lux's Champion Judgement) We also know that wherever Orianna died, that was news reported in a newspaper. It's also fair to assume that Yordles are educated far beyond the norm compared to other city-states (Rumble, Heimerdinger, Ziggs are all scientific masterminds).
But would a Noxian be literate? Noxus is home to some pretty brutal slums, where Talon, Darius and Draven all grew up – when you're focused on eating and finding some way to earn money to survive (the military for Darius, assassinations for Talon), how educated are you? Do you even know what's going on in the League, except that it exists? Like, would you be able to go “Oh yeah Noxus was kicked out of the southern provinces of Ionia by a League match.” off the top of your head?
Thanks for reading this and hopefully I can puzzle this out.