Relis Ruthar
| Relis Ruthar | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Abilities | Shardbearer (formerly) | ||||||||||
| Titles | Highprince of Alethkar | ||||||||||
| Homeworld | Roshar | ||||||||||
| Universe | Cosmere | ||||||||||
| First Appeared | Words of Radiance | ||||||||||
““You win this bout, you take every Shard my family owns. What’s stronger? Your fear or your greed?”
“My pride,” Relis said. “No contest, Adolin.”
”
Highprince Relis Ruthar is a Shardbearer and a highprince of Alethkar on Roshar.[3] He is the eldest of former Highprince Ruthar's sons.[4]
Appearance and Personality[edit]
Relis has a wide, notably flat face with a squashed nose. He enjoys wearing flamboyant clothing.[2]
Abilities[edit]
Relis is an accomplished duelist, winning the title of champion at the warcamps.[2] He has a complete set of Shardplate and Shardblade, colored deep black. He prefers to use Vinestance while fighting, a stance which is known to be slow and steady with quick lunges.[5]
History[edit]
“If you’re afraid, you don’t have to duel me alone. ”
—Adolin to Relis[4]
During the time of the Vengeance Pact in the warcamps, Relis defeated Epinar to become the dueling champion and subsequently avoided fighting any important duels for about half a year.[2] He refused to duel Adolin when Dalinar finally allowed him to begin dueling as part of his tactic to weaken the other Highprinces by taking away their Shards. Feeling protective of his cousin Elit, he became angry when Adolin then convinced Elit to duel him and made insulting remarks regarding Dalinar's sanity.[2] After Adolin defeated Elit, Relis confronted Adolin and tried to get the fight invalidated. Adolin responded by enticing Relis to duel him himself, suggesting that he could win back Elit's Shardplate. Relis initially resisted, but finally agreed when Adolin offered to fight him and "whomever" he brought at the same time. Highjudge Istow witnessed the agreement, binding Adolin to the duel with the six Kholin Shards (including the Plate Adolin had just won from Elit) on the line.[4]
“What is it? What is it! No, I didn't kill you!”
Two days later, Relis brought three others to the duel: Elit, Abrobadar and Jakamav.[5] Relis viewed the duel as punishment for Adolin rather than a matter of honor, but things turned against him when first Renarin and then Kaladin joined the fight. He made the mistake of underestimating Kaladin, who was armed with only a spear and wearing no armor, as a threat. First, Kaladin drew Relis away from Adolin and the others and weakened his Shardplate with a Stormlight-reinforced kick. Kaladin defeated Elit while Relis rejoined the fight against Adolin, but he soon distracted Relis and Jakamav again long enough for Adolin to defeat Abrodabar. Near the end of the duel, when Relis saw that Adolin had managed to time his Plate locking up with getting an incapacitating hold on Jakamav, he ran for Renarin. Kaladin caught up to him in time for Relis to swing at him instead, but he caught Relis's blade between his bare hands; the resulting screaming from the blade was enough to make Relis retreat from the arena in forfeit.[6]
After the fight, Relis's father was embarrassed enough to send him back to Alethkar.[7] There, he fought against the Voidbringers as they encroached northward into Alethkar. He attempted to rally the rest of the troops in the country, but they were forced back towards Herdaz.[8]
At an unknown point, Relis and his brother Ivanar confided in Wit about their father's physical abuse.[3] After his father forfeited his title and lands, Relis became Highprince Ruthar. Despite Relis's former antagonism towards the Kholins, he showed willingness to cooperate with them as a highprince.[9]