Ruthar

Ruthar
Family Spouse Jayla Children Relis, Ivanar Relatives Elit Ancestors Sadees
Abilities	Shardbearer
Titles	Highprince of Alethkar
Residence	Urithiru
Nationality	Alethi
Homeworld	Roshar
Universe	Cosmere

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“If you spend your life knocking people down, you eventually find they won't stand up for you. ”

—Wit to Ruthar

Ruthar is a former highprince of Alethkar on Roshar. His princedom is on Alethkar's western border. His colors are red and light blue.

Appearance and Personality

Ruthar is brawny and blue-eyed with a short black beard around his mouth. His dark slicked hair and burly arms give him an oily look. Despite his high political and military rank, he dresses very informally.

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.

Attributes and Abilities

Ruthar has a Shardblade and is proficient in its use. In his younger years, he had somewhat of a talent for dueling, though not on the same level as Dalinar or Aladar.

History

Ruthar gained his position as highprince sometime before Gavilar united Alethkar. He was already married to 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.

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. Torol Sadeas used this to inflame the other highprinces against Dalinar and succeeded in enticing Ruthar into joining his plots to undermine Dalinar.

As the Alethi went on plateau runs and fought skirmishes with the Parshendi over chasmfiend gemhearts, 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. Sadeas also wanted to team up with Ruthar to use the excursion as an opportunity to scheme with the man, and by the time of Shallan's arrival to the warcamps, Ruthar and Aladar were solidly his allies.

“Give it up, Ruthar. She's too young for you. Though with you involved, I’m sure it would be brief.”

—Sebarial about Shallan

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.

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. Relis and his allies lost to Adolin, Renarin, and Kaladin, resulting in Ruthar losing all of his Shards save for his own Blade. After Relis' defeat, a shamed Ruthar sent his son back to Alethkar. 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. 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. He did, however, move into Urithiru when Dalinar called for the warcamps to migrate to the tower.

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. 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.

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.

“We deserve the judgments of the Almighty, after giving the throne to a godless wh—”

—Ruthar about Jasnah

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 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.

Notes

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