The personality and story suggested by this splash art alone is much more interesting than any of these character's actual, official in-game lores. I want to know how this motley crew met up and formed an alliance! I want to know how this Garen runs his ship! Who built that Malphite?!
Well along with the rest of the skins team concept artists I helped come up with the idea for this rag-tag team of high-seas rogues and as always we gave it a lot of thought, so I'd be happy to answer any questions! When doing skin concepts we always try to flesh out our alternate-reality lore, whether it's a world where more champs ended up in Bildgewater or one in which they all attend school together, because it helps the designs feel cohesive and resonant.
"How this motley crew met up and formed an alliance"
I think the clue here is in the name of Garen's skin. "Rogue Admiral" suggests that at one time he was an admiral, perhaps of a Demacian fleet, and that he has since abandoned that post to pursue more selfish interests. He probably stole a ship and set sail for Bildgewater where he then decided it was a Slaughtership Captain's life for him - enough to earn some decent coin but not attract the attention of anyone who might recognise him as a deserter. From there he assembled a crew with a few star characters; a corsair with a knack for harpooning and a pet bird that serves as a lookout for sea serpents, a sea hunter familiar with the seas around Bildgewater that swims as a living lure for the monsters of the deep (like in Waterworld!) and the newest addition, a hulking automaton that can handle the serpent carcasses and defend the crew at sea and in port dealings.
"How this Garen runs his ship"
You can see from the splash that these are some bad ass operators at the top of their game. You better believe they have their own private Bidgewater wharf, secret island base and probably know of a much dingier and more dangerous tavern than the one you go to.
Garen is clearly in charge at port and on the sea, with his years of experience and rippling abs no one short-changes him and no one second-guesses him. He's in this for the money and the privacy that comes with running your own Slaughter ship (which he does better than most), but he looks out for his crew because he knows they are more valuable than just their raw talent. He probably explains to them that he's just 'protecting his investment' but I think in every alternate world Garen has a heart of gold.
Quinn is probably the closest thing to a first mate on the ship. I think Garen trusts her intelligence and they're likely seen splitting a bottle of rum and swapping stories. She keeps the crew working hard as either she or Valor always has an eye on them, and when the time comes to harpoon a serpent she is the one that both literally and figuratively pulls the trigger. Being a lookout she's also probably entrusted with recruiting any promising candidates for their operation.
Aatrox was conceived as a character similar to Queequeg from Moby-Dick; a merman native to the region who has a remarkable ability to go fin to fin with the gigantic serpents and bring them to the surface. Many ships have harpoons and captains but Aatrox is a rare prize for the ship as he can dive deep and coax out rare and exotic serpents of enormous value - a fact that he uses to his advantage to avoid mundane duties in favour of star gazing and scrimshaw. I'm sure Garen isn't happy about it, but Aatrox has proven his loyalty many times by venturing off the boat and into Bildgewater to save his comrades.
"Who built that Malphite?!"
Malphite is a welcome addition to the crew, providing the incredible raw power needed to haul larger serpents and dissuade would-be assailants. He is a magical automaton who hates swabbing decks and is suspected of keeping a pet wharf rat somewhere in his hull. I'd say Garen, seeing an empty spot in his crew, stockpiled gold for a year to commission the construction of this awesome strong-arm. As for who built him? It's true that a certain bildgerat has tinkered with similar mechanisms but considering it was Riot Earp that did the concept, and that Riot Earp also illustrates all of Zigg's game mode designs it might have been another yordle inventor?
I'm really glad you are interested in knowing more. Skins 'lore' is nothing official but for our team it's really important and we talk about it all the time. When players notice little things we put in or really feel the story elements we weave into the designs it makes our day!
What I find really funny about this,is that there was someone who theorized about which champion was in the background of this splash art and everyone was like "dude thats just a ship". Turns out it was a ship AND a champion xD
Who built that Malphite?!
i dont know
The Ironside must always have a captain.
Why not make it a different dimension story?
Pirate Garen seems way too relaxed compared to our Garen.
