When Garen realizes that the man he exiled was outrageously benevolent

Laughing Fish··46 votes·3,894 views

The fact that Taric seemed to be thumbing his nose at his destiny as well as his country enraged Garen.


Returning to Demacia in shame, Taric was stripped of his rank and sentenced by Garen to endure “the Crown of Stone,” a ceremony that demanded a dishonored soldier ascend Mount Targon, known to all as a death sentence, as few mortals had ever survived the climb.


So sure, at first it seems like Taric simply cannot live up to the Demacian name. But then:

Taric slumped to his knees at the sight of Garen’s shattered body chained aloft as a warning. Between Taric and his friend stood the sum total of Noxus’s might. And yet still, without hesitation, Taric raised his shield and drove all before him. Claiming Garen from the gates, the young warrior marched toward Demacia, heavy with his burden, knowing full well that his return would ensure his execution.

Garen: https://img.buzzfeed.com/buzzfeed-static/static/2015-10/29/21/imagebuzz/webdr09/anigif_optimized-22559-1446170106-1.gif

69 Comments

Trylobyte41 votes

Garen was well aware of this. Imagine you have a kid in school who you know is incredibly smart, but they never do their assignments, sleep in class, and ignore major projects, but they still ace every test without effort. They have a terrible grade that you know could be so much better if they just applied themselves. But they don't. It's maddening to see this sort of behavior, and that's what Garen saw in Taric - Someone who could be as great a Demacian exemplar as himself, if only he focused his effort on the 'right' things. Garen gave him chance after chance. But finally Taric screwed up badly enough that Garen couldn't ignore it, so he gave Taric the most lenient punishment he could come up with (since, as the lore says, it's generally an excuse for people to go somewhere else and start a new life).

Laughing Fish37 votes

Hmm, an interesting point. Especially when you consider that much of Demacia's command disliked Taric unwillingness to obey orders, and thus forgiving his failure was not an option. Garen had to punish him, but not wanting to kill him simply exiled him. The punishment could be seen as mercy instead of vengeance. So Garen is still the greatest dude in Runeterra.

http://cdn.makeagif.com/media/9-27-2015/V4oSTF.gif

kile1473 votes

So Garen is still the greatest dancer in Runeterra.

FIFY

Toa Innodence2 votes

he may be getting a run for his money with Taric's new dance....

Blue Moon Wolf1 votes

well technically Taric resides in Targon now, since (I believe) his exile hasn't ended, even if he his the Aspect of the protector now. So...

http://24.media.tumblr.com/951489ef17aac9700d57022c63735b17/tumblr_n3ri3xFhYK1r6u4p9o4_500.gif

Toa Innodence1 votes

wait... since when is targon NOT on the planet of runterra? tf kinda bs you tryna pull?

Blue Moon Wolf1 votes

oh, misread it. I thought it said Demacia :p

Toa Innodence2 votes

if we're talking demacia, then ya, Garren is the fucking best.

Ralanr7 votes

The problem is that Taric failed to do his duty and was punished by the law of Demacia. Garen can't go against Demacia.

Laughing Fish7 votes

Oh, I am not saying Garen should have. Garen is fanatically loyal to Demacia, and would never question the will of Demacia even if it hurt someone he loved. It would be out of character if Garen hadn't punished Taric. I am just saying Taric is a very kind dude who would be willing to die to save Garen, even after his exile.

Ralanr7 votes

Oh, no doubt. Taric is the best kind of bro, one who always has your back.

Mistress Madoka2 votes

Assuming he's actually there to help

*Shots Fired

JusticePauldrons2 votes

Garen would never, ever, go against anything Demacia stands for!

Katarina: Gives the stare Garen : Guys...I gotta go....justice and stuff. * Runs off *

ForgottenLuck5 votes

I saw it more that Garen kinda helped Taric in a way in the form of banishing since even though it was a punishment he helped free him from his duty, might I remind you that the punishment means more to the people a form of looking for a new life in exile than to actually climb it, he probably was mad but did not want to forget his friend and fun time's with him, heck I see it as a good growth for Garen's character since he was always shown to be loyal to Demacia but, if we remember Fiora's Lore "Demacian law is notoriously harsh and unforgiving. Its justice allows no leeway" Taric probably should have been executed but I like to think Garen talked them to just Exile saving his friend while looking for what he truly loves

RaptorKarr2 votes

Getting a bit off Topic here but I just needed to ask.

If Riven had been left as a Demacian who was Exiled for helping Noxian refugees escape unjust Demacian persecution what would Garen make of that?

Laughing Fish1 votes

I am not 100% sure you are asking... Are you asking what Garen would think of Riven if was born Demacian, but was exiled from Demacia because she helped the Noxus?

RaptorKarr3 votes

Yup

Laughing Fish3 votes

Garen holds other Demacians to a very high standard. He defended Katarina from being killed by Demacians because she was granted protection by J4, and it would be dishonorable to kill her. And he exiled Taric, a friend of his, because he failed in his duty. If the treatment of Noxians was truly unjust, then Garen would do everything in his power to fix the situation, and would protect Riven if she did the same.

However, the treatment of Noxians would have to be pretty bad for it to be against Demacian law, as they are actively at war with each other, and often times just kill members of the Noxus.

RaptorKarr3 votes

Well the Demacian lore was never reveled all I know for a fact is that, the were Noxian refugees most likely trying to seek asylum in Demacia, Demacia was going to do something to them something Riven didn't agree with and said "No this wrong." and freed them then got kicked out.

Laughing Fish1 votes

Wait, is this actually from something, or are you making this event up?

RaptorKarr3 votes

No that was going to be Riven's Lore it changed at the last minute.

Laughing Fish3 votes

Well, Riven isn't exactly an honorable person, so if her and Garen disagreed it is a safe assumption she is wrong. I mean, she was slaughtering folks in Ionia (sure, she felt bad. But she kept doing it), and only decided to "seek atonement and a way to save the pure Noxian vision in which she believed" after she personally was harmed by the Noxus. Her morality only mattered when her own life was in danger, not when others lives were in danger.

RaptorKarr2 votes

Good Solders fallow bad orders all the time. Would Garen act any different if he was given similar orders?

Trylobyte3 votes

{quoted}

Good Solders fallow bad orders all the time. Would Garen act any different if he was given similar orders?

Straight disobey orders? No. Rules-lawyer the hell out of his orders until he's functionally disobeying them without actually doing so? In light of what we've seen with Taric's lore, I'd say 'probably.' I seem to recall there being incidents of him 'creatively interpreting' orders in prior lore, but I can't remember any specifics.

I'm also dubious about using unreleased lore as grounds for anything. We all remember Jayce's 'original' lore, right?

I'm glad to see someone else who realizes that Riven is not a nice, friendly, morally-upstanding person. Thanks, Laughing Fish!

RaptorKarr3 votes

WWII German solders, most were good men simply fallowing orders, Riven was a good solder simply fallowing orders, am I wrong? Riven may not be nice, but she's truer to herself then most other champions.

Laughing Fish3 votes

If comparing Riven to a Nazi is the best argument you can make for her morality, she might be even worse than I thought. There were plenty of Germans who refused to follow orders, or pretended to follow orders only to undermine the Nazis whenever possible (Schindler for example). The Germans who willingly carried out Nazi orders were most certainly guilty.

RaptorKarr3 votes

Or scared shtless

Laughing Fish2 votes

She carried out the orders of her superiors, terminating the remnants of a beaten and fractured enemy with extreme prejudice.

There was no mention of her making any effort to save the people of Ionia. She only stopped exterminating villages of people after her own life was nearly taken by the Noxus.

RaptorKarr3 votes

You think Riven gives a damn about whether or not she was killed? It was the WAY they tried killing her, Riven didn't expect to live that day, but she did.

Laughing Fish3 votes

You think Riven gives a damn about whether or not she was killed? It was the WAY they tried killing her, Riven didn't expect to live that day, but she did.

Evidently she does give a damn, as she changed her loyalty based on that event. Sure, it was the way they tried to kill her, but that still furthers my point that she is acting for selfish reasons, not because of a sense of honor.

RaptorKarr3 votes

Are you kidding me? If an Ionian solder had killed her in battle she would have died happily She believes in honorable combat two solders fighting until one ether yields or dies. Noxus posses no honor she refused to believe it at first though, it was her home she loved her home, but Noxus cares more about winning then they care about honor so Darkwill condemned not only Riven, but Fury and the Ionian's to a slow painful death of poison. That was the "back up" Noxus gave her if an event like that DOESN'T change a person then that person must be a monster. Though she may have hunted down and killed Darkwill and his entire platoon thus starting a war, i don't even think that's still canon though

RaptorKarr2 votes

Yes it was, i'v been playing League for a long time and know way too much about really old sht that no longer matters.

Laughing Fish2 votes

She believes in honorable combat two solders fighting until one ether yields or dies.

This is incorrect. She believes in glorious combat. Glory and honor are very different things. Had she actually been acting in a sense of honor, then she wouldn't have relentlessly and mercilessly exterminated entire villages of people in ionia, and only stop massacring people after she personally was hurt by the brutality. The fact remains she is a war criminal, and a war criminal who only had a change of heart after her own nation turned their backs on her.

Rìveń2 votes

She stopped because she realized what was happening to Noxus and fighting for a corrupted Noxus was not what she wanted, not just because of what happened to her, but because of what happened to everyone in Coeur Valley that horrible day.

RaptorKarr2 votes

Riven was more then glad to die at the hands of the Ionians a Glorious Death, an Honorable Death, but no they were killed along with the rest of Fury company after they were bombed, and you're acting like that is only specific for Riven do you honestly believe anyone would forgive such an act? Her world crumbled around her that day, the Noxus she thought she fought for didn't exist she just had to walk though hell to see it.

Laughing Fish2 votes

She stopped because she realized what was happening to Noxus and fighting for a corrupted Noxus was not what she wanted, not just because of what happened to her, but because of what happened to everyone in Coeur Valley that horrible day.

She says that is why, but the massacring of Ionian villages was not enough to change her mind. It was only when the brutality happened to her that she cared enough to change.

Laughing Fish2 votes

{quoted}

Riven was more then glad to die at the hands of the Ionians a Glorious Death, an Honorable Death, but no they were killed along with the rest of Fury company after they were bombed, and you're acting like that is only specific for Riven do you honestly believe anyone would forgive such an act? Her world crumbled around her that day, the Noxus she thought she fought for didn't exist she just had to walk though hell to see it.

And she was also willing to slaughter defenseless people, but when her people were slaughtered with the same brutality she decided the Noxus was wrong. She had seen that level of brutality before and done nothing, it was only when it happened to her that she changed. She is not a moral person, she just has psychological scaring.

RaptorKarr2 votes

And she regrets her actions they haunt her everyday, every hour, every minute and every god damn second she continues to live, and if she was as bad as you claim her to be ether Yasuo or Riven would be dead by now, Yasuo does not wish to kill her and Riven does not wish to kill him.

Laughing Fish2 votes

What the.. Yasuo is a man of honor now too? He abandoned his post which resulted in the death of an elder, he " raised his sword against the school and fought his way free", and he killed his own brother rather then be arrested.

RaptorKarr2 votes

He turned himself in ready to face judgement, fought his way free because he was being accused of a crime he did not commit and killed his brother because his brother would have killed him.

Laughing Fish2 votes

{quoted}

He turned himself in ready to face judgement, fought his way free because he was being accused of a crime he did not commit and killed his brother because his brother would have killed him.

Lol, not even Yasuo thinks Yasuo has honor.

My honor left a long time ago.

Laughing Fish3 votes

Exactly. Garen is fanatically loyal to an ideal, and would hold up that ideal whether others, even superior officers, agreed with him or not. Riven is loyal to her own feeling of superiority, and when she no longer felt Superior as a member of the Noxus she because a "hero" of the people, so that she could feel morally superior once again. I am not saying I don't like the character (quite the contrary, she is a fascinating character indeed), but she is not a good person.

RaptorKarr3 votes

She could not save any members of her company... she watched in horror as they all died a dishonorable death at the hands of Singed and his bio-weaponry.

Riven's image of the Noxian virtues include honor and power. The current state of Noxus is that of chaos with all of the Generals struggling for power and influence, and the Black Rose operating behind the scenes.

Riven loves Noxus... but she wants to fight on her terms now, for Noxus - her vision / memory of the Noxus that she loved and remembered.

An honorable warrior understands that displays of force, power, and skill is necessary during combat situations. When to use that power, and with a good reason / cause.

That is Riven, not a heartless murderer

Laughing Fish2 votes

She entered battles without any trace of doubt in her mind: no ethical pause, no fear of death

Riven's perfect Noxus is not one of peace. She wants a warring Noxus, wants a Noxus that brutally slaughters their enemies. She just didn't like Noxians killing other Noxians. While she did not find the Ionian invasion glorious, there is no mention of her even questioning her beliefs until other factions within the Noxus betrayed their own and began bombarding the area with Noxians still in it. Only when she personally was hurt by the Noxus did she decide their methods were wrong.

Laughing Fish4 votes

Nobody is saying Demacia is perfect. There are bad Demacians (Look at Fiora for example. She is a selfish and violent person). But A: Being killed on the streets for disobedience is hardly better than being killed at the gallows. The Noxus doesn't really have freedom unless you are exceptionally strong. and B: This conversation was about Garen vs Riven, and Garen has a moral system based around justice that he would stand by to the death. Riven on the other hand has a moral system based around violence and glory that she modifies when her life is in danger.

Rìveń3 votes

Well maybe that's what happens to you if you grow up in a city-state such as Noxus, the corruption slowly gets to you.

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