Editing Ruthar

{{character
|spouse=[[Jayla]]
|children=[[Relis]], [[Ivanar]]{{book ref|sa4|50}}
|relatives=[[Elit]]
|ancestors=[[Sadees]]{{book ref|sa3|19}}
|abilities={{tag+|Shardbearer}}
|titles={{tag+|Highprince|Alethkar}} <small>(formerly)</small>
|residence=Urithiru
|nation=Alethkar
|world=Roshar
|universe=[[Cosmere]]
|first appeared=[[The Way of Kings]]
}}
{{update|sa4}}
{{quote
|If you spend your life knocking people down, you eventually find they won't stand up for you.
|[[Wit]] to Ruthar{{book ref|sa4|50}}
}}
'''Ruthar''' is a former [[highprince]] of [[Alethkar]] on [[Roshar]].{{book ref|sa4|50}} His [[Ruthar princedom|princedom]] is on Alethkar's western border.{{map ref|Alethkar}} His colors are red and light blue.{{book ref|sa3|46}}

== Appearance and Personality ==
Ruthar is brawny and blue-eyed with a short black beard around his mouth.{{book ref|sa1|18}}{{book ref|sa2|38}} His dark slicked hair and burly arms give him an oily look.{{book ref|sa2|38}} Despite his high political and military rank, he dresses very informally.{{book ref|sa3|46}}

Ruthar is aggressive, abusive, and willing to contradict those with higher authority openly. He has an inflated opinion of his own military sense, as he has never served as a soldier.{{book ref|sa4|50}}

== Attributes and Abilities ==
Ruthar has a [[Shardblade]] and is proficient in its use.{{book ref|sa2|67}} In his younger years, he had somewhat of a talent for dueling, though not on the same level as [[Dalinar]] or [[Aladar]].{{book ref|sa2|53}}

== History ==
Ruthar gained his position as highprince sometime before [[Gavilar]] united Alethkar. He was already married to [[Jayla Ruthar|Jayla]] and had his son [[Relis]] by 1145, when he fought on Gavilar's side against [[Kalanor]] and [[Gallam]], the latter of whom he killed to gain both [[Shardblade]] and [[Shardplate]] for Relis.{{book ref|sa3|26}}

=== The War of Reckoning ===
After Gavilar's assassination and the subsequent swearing of the [[Vengeance Pact]], Ruthar and the other highprinces accompanied King [[Elhokar]] to the [[Shattered Plains]]. He and the others began to resent [[Dalinar]] for his easy access to and influence over the king.{{book ref|sa1|18}} Sadeas used this to inflame the other highprinces against Dalinar{{book ref|sa2|5}} and succeeded in enticing Ruthar into joining his plots to undermine Dalinar.{{book ref|sa2|29}}

As the Alethi went on plateau runs and fought skirmishes with the [[Parshendi]] over [[chasmfiend]] [[gemheart]]s, Ruthar and [[Roion]] teamed up on one particular run. [[Adolin]], on Dalinar's suggestion, accompanied them to lend them the power of another [[Shardbearer]] as a gesture of friendship, though Ruthar ended up blaming Adolin's and [[Jakamav]]'s "stunt" for the loss of the gemheart.{{book ref|sa2|26}} Sadeas also wanted to team up with Ruthar to use the excursion as an opportunity to scheme with the man,{{book ref|sa2|29}} and by the time of [[Shallan]]'s arrival to the warcamps, Ruthar and [[Aladar]] were solidly his allies.{{book ref|sa2|36}}

{{sidequote
|Give it up, Ruthar. She's too young for you. Though with you involved, I’m sure it '''would''' be brief.
|[[Sebarial]] about [[Shallan]]{{book ref|sa2|38}}
|side=right|size=300px
}}
Ruthar balked at Elhokar's restrictions on the warcamps and, in a meeting with all the highprinces and the king, took the lead in vocalizing Sadeas' arguments and trying to persuade the neutral highprinces to join them. He also tried to hoodwink Shallan into accepting his hospitality, but she in turn manipulated [[Sebarial]] into accepting her into his household as Sebarial embarrassed Ruthar in front of the group.{{book ref|sa2|38}}

As Adolin turned to dueling in order to win Shards from the other highprinces, he focused on taking Shards away from Sadeas, Ruthar, and Aladar. Ruthar lost his first set of Plate when Adolin defeated Ruthar's nephew [[Elit]]; this angered Relis enough that he confronted Adolin, who unwittingly agreed to a full disadvantaged duel.{{book ref|sa2|53}} Relis and his allies lost to Adolin, [[Renarin]], and [[Kaladin]],{{book ref|sa2|57}} resulting in Ruthar losing all of his Shards save for his own Blade.{{book ref|sa2|67}} After Relis' defeat, a shamed Ruthar sent his son back to Alethkar.{{book ref|sa2|66}} Sadeas, seeking another way to undermine Dalinar after Ruthar's and Aladar's loss of so many Shards, released annotated copies of [[Dalinar's visions]] at one of Elhokar's feasts.{{book ref|sa2|67}} Ruthar refused to join Dalinar on his expedition to [[Stormseat]] that culminated in the [[Battle of Narak]], the end of the [[War of Reckoning]], and the discovery of [[Urithiru]].{{book ref|sa2|76}} He did, however, move into Urithiru when Dalinar called for the warcamps to migrate to the tower.{{book ref|sa3|2}}

=== True Desolation ===
Ruthar continued to attend policy and strategy meetings in Urithiru after Sadeas' murder, though he remained hostile to Dalinar and took pleasure in provoking Aladar, who had switched sides to become Dalinar's ally.{{book ref|sa3|27}} Because he didn't have the sense to avoid engaging in a verbal spar with [[Jasnah]] at one of the meetings of monarchs, Dalinar had a leap of intuition that allowed the coalition to meet [[Odium]]'s forces at [[Thaylen City]] instead of at [[Jah Keved]], where they previously thought Odium would attack.{{book ref|sa3|107}}

After the coalition's victory in the [[Battle of Thaylen Field]] and their efforts throughout the subsequent year, Ruthar accompanied the Alethi army as they marched on [[Emul]]. He was the only highprince to do so, as he was the least trusted by the Kholins, and Dalinar had sent the others out to oversee different operations.{{book ref|sa4|27}}{{book ref|sa4|50}}

{{sidequote
|We '''deserve''' the judgments of the Almighty, after giving the throne to a godless wh—
|Ruthar about [[Jasnah]]{{book ref|sa4|50}}
|side=left|size=300px
}}
Jasnah, aware of Ruthar's continuing hostility, carefully laid out a trap for him so he would disgrace himself. She made sure he saw her giving suggestions and discussing strategy with the [[Dieno|Mink]]; having been forbidden from partaking in the war planning that day, he grew steadily more frustrated until he snapped and loudly declared his dissatisfaction with having an atheist woman leading the country and partaking in masculine arts. Jasnah directed [[Wit]] to insult him until Ruthar demanded a trial by combat. Though Dalinar reminded him that he risked forfeiting his title and lands if he killed Wit, Ruthar was insistent; Wit instead chose to elect a champion to fight for him and gave the opportunity to Jasnah. Ruthar, outraged at Jasnah's audacity, refused to fight and dropped his sword, so Jasnah stabbed him through the neck. Renarin quickly healed Ruthar, who was then stripped of his title and replaced as highprince by his son Relis.{{book ref|sa4|50}}

== Notes ==
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[[Category: Family names]]