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|image=Alive_Tien.png
|parents=[[Lirin]], [[Hesina]]
|siblings=[[Kaladin]], [[Oroden]]
|born={{Rosharan date|1155}}{{book ref|sa1|44}}<!-- Tien is 13 when he is recruited to Amaram's army, five years before the events of tWoK, which is set in 1173-->
|died={{Rosharan date|1168}}{{book ref|sa1|46}}
|profession=
|birthplace=Hearthstone
|nation=Alethkar
|world=Roshar
|books=[[The Stormlight Archive]]
}}{{spoilers
'''Tien''' is the second son of [[Lirin]] and [[Hesina]] and brother to [[Kaladin]] and [[Oroden]].{{book ref|sa1|16}}{{
== Appearance and Personality ==
{{theory}}
He has a mix of unruly brown and black hair, and is small for his age.{{book ref|sa1|16}}{{book ref|sa1|44}} He has a slight build and round cheeks that are often flush
Tien
Tien is an excitable person and always seems to find beauty in things that others would consider mundane.{{book ref|sa1|16}} He is an optimist and tries to please those around him as well as brighten their day.{{book ref|sa1|44}} He shares similar traits with [[Shallan Davar]], a fellow [[Lightweaver]], both of whom are artistically talented and work to raise the spirits of those around them.{{book ref|sa1|44}}{{book ref|sa3|121}} He was also a fellow proto-Lightweaver and had begun to attract a [[cryptic]] before he died.{{wob ref|date=2018-5-26|10278|MisCon 2018}} In a letter to Shallan, [[Mraize]] indicates that the [[Skybreakers]] were aware of a proto-radiant in [[Amaram]]'s army of whom had been killed. It is unclear as to whether this refers to Tien or another member of the army.{{book ref|sa3|40}}
<gallery>▼
File: Dead Tien.png | An image of [[Kaladin]] holding Tien's body by [[User: beneathsilverstars]]▼
File: Tien's death.jpg | An image of Tien's death by [[User: Exmakina]]▼
File: Kaladin and Tien.jpg | Young [[Kaladin]] and Tien by [[User:Botanicaxu]] ▼
</gallery>▼
== History ==
===Childhood ===
As a young boy, Tien often spent time with his brother [[Kaladin]]. The pair were friends with [[Laral]], the daughter of Brightlord [[Wistiow]] and also spent time around the other children in the town; when he was eight, he and his brother hung out with [[Jam]], one of the other boys in the town. Jam’s father had been teaching him how to use a quarterstaff and the other children of the town were intrigued to find out what he had learnt. Tien’s father, [[Lirin]], did not approve of his sons spending time with the older children in the town, particularly if it interfered with Kaladin’s duties as surgeon’s assistant.{{book ref|sa1|10}}{{book ref|sa1|16}}
Tien often played with Kaladin and Laral, climbing rocks and searching the area for wildlife. On the day of Wistiow’s death, Tien spent time collecting rocks and looking for [[lurg]]’s with his two friends. He presented his brother with one of the rocks he had found; a weathered stone that contained a hidden pattern of colored strata. Tien showed his older brother how the pattern would reveal itself when water was applied to the rock face. Kaladin attempted to return the stone to Tien, however, his brother insisted that he keep it. Tien often found rocks that he would pass along to Kaladin, in the hopes that they would help to lift his mood.{{book ref|sa1|16}}
They began looking for lurgs, quickly finding one amongst the boulders. After Laral joined them, they dissolved the lurg's cocoon to watch it jump around, looking for food. When the creature settled down to respin its cocoon, Kaladin manipulated it onto a rock so that it could be moved around without being further disturbed. He gave the the lurg to Tien, who then moved off to search for more of the amphibians. While he searched, Tien’s brother and Laral moved down the hill to speak with some of the other children in the town and a fight broke out. After the other boys had left, Tien gifted his brother another stone that he had found while lung hunting.{{book ref|sa1|16}}
===Roshone===
When Tien was eleven years old, the governance of Hearthstone was taken over by Brightlord [[Roshone]]. On the day of Roshone’s arrival, Tien was waiting for his family in the square, having saved them places near the water barrels. Despite Tien’s father’s attempts to welcome the new citylord, the initial introduction of Roshone went poorly.{{book ref|sa1|25}}
Roshone's animosity towards Tien's father, led him to target the family, cutting off their means of income and pushing them towards poverty. Much of Roshone's grudge against Lirin stemed from his inheritance of the late Brightlord Wisitow's [[spheres#currency|wealth]].{{book ref|sa1|31}}
Eighteen months after the arrival of Roshone, Tien’s father met with the Brightlord. [[Hesina]] was tasked with distracting her two sons, to keep them away from the meeting. Tien had found a new rock, that he shared with his mother and brother while the three prepared the evening meal. He found the rock fascinating as it changed color when viewed from different angles. Hesina, suggested that the change was caused by the spren of the rock and the three spoke further about spren and souls. Tien disagreed with his mother, explaining that he thought the change was caused by light instead of spren. During the conversation, Kaladin snuck away to join his father at Roshone’s manor. After the dinner, Lirin admitted to Kaladin that the sphere’s had been stolen, and requested that Kaladin did not inform his brother of what he had learnt.{{book ref|sa1|37}}
Life for the family continued to get worse after Tien’s father had been unable to save the life of Roshone’s son, [[Rillir]]. When Rillir was brought to Lirin after being attacked by a [[whitespine]], Tien was pulled away from the surgery room by his mother, due to his aversion to blood.{{book ref|sa1|41}}
===The Weeping===
{{quote
| It’s not as bad as it seems, Kaladin... Things are never as bad as they seem. You’ll see.
| Tien to Kaladin{{book ref|sa1|44}}}}
Six months later, Tien found his brother on the roof of their house. Knowing Kaladin often struggled during the [[Weeping]], Tien did what he could to support his brother, sitting with him and giving him an intricately carving of a horse.{{book ref|sa1|44}} Unable to work as a surgeon’s assistant, Tien had been taken on by the town’s carpenter, [[Ral]]. Tien had a natural talent for carving, however often got distracted, to the displeasure of his master. Ral often got frustrated at Tien, though did admit that the boy had a talent for woodcarving.{{book ref|sa1|44}}
Hesina joins her sons after a time, and they discussed the family’s situation. Despite their predicament, Tien liked living in Hearthstone and did not wish to move with Kaladin to [[Kharbranth]], though he was excited at the opportunities presented to his brother. During the conversation, Kaladin realised that though his father had begun to spend Wistiow’s spheres, he did so to deceive Roshone, and make him believe their situation was worse than it seemed.{{book ref|sa1|44}}
Lirin found his family on the roof and they relocated to the town square to greet Highmarshal [[Amaram]], who had been passing through the region. While he visited Roshone, Amaram engaged in recruiting several members of the town to his army. When not enough men volunteered, Tien, along with four other men, were pressed into the army to expand its ranks. Unlike his father or brother, Tien was not immune from enlistment due to his profession.{{book ref|sa1|44}} Lirin attempted to prevent Tien’s recruitment, however was stopped by the Highmarshal before he could cause a scene. Amaram promised to make the boy a messenger to keep him out of danger and away from the fighting.{{book ref|sa1|44}}
The thought of joining the army terrified Tien. Unable to let the matter lie, Kaladin offered to take his brother’s place, however Roshone was insistent. Kaladin enlisted along side his brother, in the hopes of keeping him safe and they both moved away from [[Hearthstone]].{{book ref|sa1|44}}
===The Army===
{{quote
| Gotta do what you can to stay alive, son. Turn a liability into an advantage whenever you can. Remember that, if you live.
| Varth talking to Kaladin about Tien{{book ref|sa1|67}}}}
Tien and Kaladin were separated after being drafted, despite Kaladin's belief that they were meant to assigned to the same squad. Kaladin searched for his brother after their separation, enlisting the help of his squad leader [[Tukks]], who eventually located Tien in squad seven. While in squad seven, Tien was given rudimentary training with a spear, and then shifted into a deep reserve unit. Tien hoped that he would be able to travel to the [[Shattered Plains]] to join the King's army.{{book ref|sa1|4}}{{book ref|sa3|91}}
Less than four months after being drafted, Tien was killed during battle against Brightlord [[Hallaw]]. During the encounter, he was assigned to [[Sheler]]’s company under the squad leader [[Varth]] along with two other undertrained messenger boys. Unable to use the boys effectively in combat, Varth positioned the three at the front of the lines, to act as a distraction for the enemy. He saw the three messengers as liabilities due to their lack of training. Tien and the two other messengers were killed by an enemy lighteyes, after Varth pulled his squad pulled back, leaving the three of them exposed to the enemy.{{book ref|sa1|47}}{{book ref|sa1|67}}
Kaladin, who had been looking for his brother during the battle, arrived moments before Tien was struck down and killed. He lay on the battlefield with his brother’s corpse for hours, not returning to camp until long after the battle had ended. Tien’s parents received notice of his death from Kaladin, shortly after the incident.{{book ref|sa1|67}}
==Relationships==
===Kaladin===
{{quote
Tien is almost always able to lift his brothers mood and helps Kaladin during his bouts of depression.{{book ref|sa1|16}} He often gifts Kaladin rocks, as a way to try and help him feel better.{{book ref|sa1|16}} Despite Kaladin’s requests of his brother, Tien always calls him by his full name instead of by his childhood nickname of Kal.{{book ref|sa1|16}}▼
| How is it you can always smile?... It’s dreadful outside, your master treats you like crem, and your family is slowly being strangled by the citylord. And yet you smile. How, Tien? And why is it that you make me want to smile too?
| Kaladin about Tien{{book ref|sa1|44}}}}
▲Tien is almost always able to lift his
Tien and Kaladin often spend time together as children and
Tien's death greatly affected Kaladin, for which he still feels immense guilt and anger over.{{book ref|sa1|14}} After his brothers death, Kaladin began to recruit young boys to his army unit, who had been put in similar positions to Tien, in the hopes of saving them.{{book ref|sa3|112}} He also threw himself into training to distract himself from his brothers death, until he was eventually pulled out of his single mindedness by [[Tarah]].{{book ref|sa1|63}} He continued to carry around Tien's rocks while in the army, though rarely brought them out, and mistook others to be his brother both before and after he was made a slave.{{book ref|sa1|47}}{{book ref|sa1|9}}
Unable to face his parents and his broken promises, Kaladin intended to re-enlist at the end of his four year tour,{{book ref|sa1|47}} and continued to carry his guilt after being forced into slavery.{{book ref|sa1|2}} After [[Amaram]]'s betrayal, Kaladin began blaming the Brightlord, along with himself, for breaking the promises he had made.{{book ref|sa3|120}} Even after being freed from slavery, Kaladin still refused to contact his parents because of his brothers death.{{book ref|sa3|6}}
▲<gallery>
▲File: Dead Tien.png | An image of [[Kaladin]] holding Tien's body by [[User: beneathsilverstars]]
▲File: Tien's death.jpg | An image of Tien's death by [[User: Exmakina]]
▲File: Kaladin and Tien.jpg | Young [[Kaladin]] and Tien by [[User:Botanicaxu]]
▲</gallery>
==Trivia==
There was no specific inspiration for the relationship between Kaladin and Tien; instead it grew naturally out of Kaladin's characterisation.{{wob ref|8232|Oathbringer Release Party|2017-11-13}} Brandon has also said he has a preference away from family relationships that cause isolation, as he finds the dynamics within family's interesting and important to readers.{{wob ref|5066|Reddit: Stormlight Three Update #5|2016-11-18}}
▲Tien and Kaladin often spend time together as children and once joked about dropping lurgs into their fathers bath.{{book ref|sa1|16}} During their childhoods, they would also often wrestle for fun.{{book ref|sa1|16}}
== Notes ==
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{{Stormlight}}
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