Taric

Taric is the Aspect of the Protector, wielding incredible power as Runeterra's guardian of life, love, and beauty. Shamed by a dereliction of duty and exiled from his homeland Demacia, Taric ascended Mount Targon to find redemption, only to discover a higher calling among the stars. Imbued with the might of ancient Targon, the Shield of Valoran now stands ever vigilant against the insidious corruption of the Void.

Real name: Taric Alias(es): The Shield of Valoran, The Protector, Aspect of the Protector, Oathbreaker Species: Aspect Host (formerly Human) Age: 26-31 years old Place of origin: Demacia Current residence: Mount Targon, Targon

For the noble defenders of Demacia, daily life is the very model of focused, selfless dedication to the ideals of king and country. Called upon to continue his family’s long tradition of military service, Taric never dreamed of shirking that responsibility—though he would not limit or define exactly whom and what he would protect.

The young warrior trained hard, and possessed great martial skill. Even so, in his scant hours of free time, he would find other ways to serve his homeland. He volunteered with the Illuminators, tending the sick or helping rebuild homes damaged by flooding. He lent his creative talents, such as they were, to the stonemasons and craftsmen who raised monuments to the glory of the Winged Protector and the lofty ideals it embodied.

A work of art. A stranger’s life. These were the things that made Demacia worth fighting for. Taric saw every one of them as beautiful, fragile, and worthy of saving.

Fortunately, his disarming manner and innate warmth allowed him to brush aside any criticism from his fellow soldiers or commanding officers. He rose modestly through the ranks, and even fought beside a young Garen Crownguard.

Ironically, it was Taric’s steady rise that would bring about his eventual downfall—at least as far as Demacia was concerned.

Elevated to the prestigious Dauntless Vanguard, he was suddenly held to a far higher standard of conduct. No more would he be allowed to roam the forests looking for glimpses of some rare animal, neglect combat drills to sit in a tavern and listen to a bard’s simple ballad, or skip line inspections to ride out and observe the silver cloak of night settling across the hinterlands. Taric began to feel at odds with himself, and soon attracted attention as an insubordinate.

Garen urged him to shape up and do his duty. He could see Taric had the potential to become one of Valoran’s greatest heroes—and yet he seemed to be thumbing his nose at destiny as well as his country.

To keep him from demotion, Taric was seconded to serve the Sword-Captain of the Vanguard, though neither of them was particularly happy about it. However, when the older man was slain in battle along with the rest of his personal retinue, Taric was found to have abandoned his post… and rumor had it that he had been spotted wandering the cloisters of some forgotten ruined temple nearby.

Nothing more could be said. A dozen warriors were dead, and Taric faced the executioner’s block for it.

However, seeking mercy for his friend, Garen intervened. As the Sword-Captain’s successor, he sentenced Taric to endure “the Crown of Stone”—in accordance with Demacia’s most ancient traditions, he would be sent to climb Mount Targon, a trial that few had ever survived.

Though the Crown of Stone usually allowed the dishonored to simply flee Demacia and start a new life in exile, Taric took the first ship heading south, and swore to actually atone for what he had done.

The climb nearly claimed him, body and soul, numerous times. But Taric pushed past the pain, the ghosts of his dead comrades, and other tests inflicted upon him by the mountain. As he approached the summit, he was beset by a wave of new visions of loss and destruction…

He witnessed the great Alabaster Library set aflame… and still he dashed into the inferno to retrieve the heavenly poetries of Tung. He screamed in anguish as the Frostguard ran the last dreamstag into the Howling Abyss… and then leapt over the precipice himself in a desperate attempt to save it. At the gates of the Immortal Bastion, Taric slumped to his knees when he saw Garen’s broken body swinging from a gibbet… before raising his shield, and charging headlong into the waiting hordes of Noxus.

When the visions finally faded, Taric found himself at the very pinnacle of the mountain, and he was not alone. Before him stood something wearing the shape of a man, though its almost crystalline features blazed with the light of the stars themselves, and its voice was a thousand whispers that cut through Taric like a blade.

It spoke truths he had somehow always known. It spoke of the mantle for which he had unwittingly been preparing his entire life, with every decision and deed that had brought him here, now, to Targon.

And he would stand as the Shield of Valoran in great wars yet to come.

Reborn as the Aspect of the Protector, gifted with power and purpose unimaginable to most mortals, Taric has gladly accepted this new calling—as the steadfast guardian of an entire world.

Appearance: He is tall and muscular, exuding both strength and grace. His long, flowing hair—a rich chestnut or auburn hue. He has a deep v-neck in his brown and blue tunic. One of his hands has a brown glove, while his other arm is bare. There are four crystals floating above his head.

Personality: Taric is the assigned protector of the entire planet and all that resides on it. He is willing to wade right through two armies to defend a flower, simply because it is the last of its kind. Likewise, Taric climbed Mount Targon seeking redemption for failing his men, and even his new role as the Aspect of Protection has hints of making amends.

Taric channels celestial power through both his body and weapon, each ability enhancing the strength of his strikes. His mastery over starlight allows him to heal nearby allies, the potency building with each empowered blow he delivers. Through his Bastion, he forms a protective link with an ally, bolstering their defenses and sharing the effects of his magic between them. He can summon a concentrated beam of starlight to strike and stun enemies, leaving them vulnerable. At his peak, Taric calls upon cosmic energy itself, enveloping his allies in radiance that renders them invulnerable for a brief but decisive moment.

Runeterra (meaning magic earth) is a plane of existence composed of the physical realm: an oblate spheroid planet and the Spirit Realm. The currently known continents the planet comprises are Valoran, Shurima and the Camavoran Continent. It also boasts several large bodies of water, such as the currently known 18 Seas (like the Conqueror's Sea and the Guardian's Sea), and 2 Oceans with several archipelagos and islands around them (like Ionia, the Serpent Isles, and the Shadow Isles). The planet orbits around a G-type star while a natural satellite moon orbits around the planet. Runeterra's sun and moon also even mirrored equivalents in the spirit realm. Composed of both the material and spirit realms, Runeterra is all that separates the celestial powers of creation from the abyssal threat of all undoing. This is a magical world unlike any other--inhabited by peoples both fierce and wondrous.

Centuries ago, magical artifacts called the 'World Runes' were rediscovered. Over the following decades, knowledge of the Runes began to spread as more were unearthed. The world's brightest minds studied the ancient glyphs, attempting to determine the powers they possessed. Few could even begin to understand the importance of their origins, or the sheer power held within them. Some surmised that the Runes were integral to the creation of Runeterra itself. The first use of these mysterious artifacts proved catastrophic, as they reshaped the landscape of entire nations. Mistrust quickly grew as those who knew of the Runes imagined such “Makers' Might” being used as a weapon. Conflicts related to these magical artifacts began to occur, known as the Rune Wars.

Open warfare raged across Runeterra. The first horrors of the Rune Wars sparked fear and aggression among those who now realized the power at their command. Ryze and his master, Tyrus, had sought out to lock away every World Rune beyond the reach of man for the protection of Runeterra. Some complied with their pleas, others dismissed them due to their new found powers and influence. After an incident with Tyrus, Ryze later on continued his journey alone in gathering all Runic artifacts so as to prevent another Rune War from starting and possibly destroying the world.

Runeterra has a large number of sapient species. These sapient species can range from being able to use primitive tools to one's advantage to god-like feats like forging literal stars. Some sentient species are monster-like and aggressive while others less aggressive or tame. While most sentient species are animals, there are instances of plant based sentient species. Most known instances of non-sentient species are found with plants. As rich and diverse as Runeterra is, not all species are well documented. From the Shuriman Jungles to the magic wilds of the Ionian Archipelago, known only by names or by visuals, these numerous species are an enigma.

The Vastaya are a chimeric race of Runeterra that are the weaker magical descendants from enlightened mortals that took the power of the spirit realm into themselves known as the Vastayashai'rei. From the ferocious, bestial power of Rengar to the foxlike allure of Ahri, vastaya can look considerably different from one another, but they all share animal and human characteristics.

Mount Targon is the mightiest peak in Runeterra, a towering peak of sun-baked rock amid a range of summits unmatched in scale anywhere else in the world. Located far from civilization, Mount Targon is utterly remote and all but impossible to reach save by the most determined seeker. Many legends cling to Mount Targon, and, like any place of myth, it is a beacon to dreamers, madmen and questors of adventure. Some of these brave souls attempt to scale the impossible mountain, perhaps seeking wisdom or enlightenment, perhaps chasing glory or some soul-deep yearning to witness its summit. The ascent is all but impossible, and those hardy few who somehow survive to reach the top almost never speak of what they have seen. Some return with a haunted, empty look in their eyes, others changed beyond all recognition, imbued by an Aspect of unearthly, inhuman power with a destiny few mortals can comprehend.

A strong, lawful kingdom with a prestigious military history, Demacia’s people have always valued the ideals of justice, honor, and duty most highly, and are fiercely proud of their cultural heritage. But in spite of these lofty principles, this largely self-sufficient nation has grown more insular and isolationist in recent centuries.

Now, Demacia is a kingdom in turmoil. The capital, the Great City of Demacia, was founded as a refuge from sorcery after the nightmare of the Rune Wars, and built upon the riddle of petricite—a peculiar white stone that dampens magical energy. It is from here that the royal family has long seen to the defense of the outlying towns and villages, farmland, forests, and mountains rich with mineral resources.

However, following the sudden death of King Jarvan III, the other noble families have not yet approved the succession of his sole heir, young Prince Jarvan, to the throne. Those who dwell beyond the heavily guarded borders are increasingly viewed with suspicion, and many former allies have begun to look elsewhere for protection, in these uncertain times. Some dare to whisper that the golden age of Demacia has passed, and unless its people are willing to adapt to a changing world—something many believe they are simply incapable of doing—the kingdom’s decline may be inevitable. And all the petricite in the land will not protect Demacia from itself.