King of the Thorns and Roots

*"Do you dare defy the Thorn King?"*

**―Arghean Thorne**

King of the Thorns and Roots is a title held by the rulers of the Blackroot Vale and Lamedon, and holding all the lands between the White Mountains and Dol Amroth. It is an old title, created by the first King Thorne, Alzheron I. The current Thorn King, Arghean, does not govern all his lands - only the noble's castles, and only a few of them. He lets the towns govern themselves, leaving most of the towns in his realm dangerous and lawless. The title is still used, however the current holder is more like a lord.

## Jurisdiction

The Kings of the Thorns and Roots rule all of the Blackroot Vale and Lamedon, including the lands between Dol Amroth and the White Mountains - at the moment, these include Rivershine, Kingsrun, Thorntree, Ashemark, Castlewood, and several other fortresses. The King completely rules these lands, however the small towns such as Rivershine are largely ruled by the peasants, making them dangerous and unruly.

## Known Holders

The known holders of the title King of the Thorns and Roots (Or the Thorn King) are as follows:

* Alzheron I Thorne, known as the Bleeding Thorn. Founder of the house and conquerer of the Vale and Lamedon.
* Alzherix II Thorne, known as the Wild Thorn. Briefly conquered Dol Amroth before being slain in the sacking of Thorntree by the Prince of Dol Amroth.
* Alzhorigon I Thorne, known as the King Who Lost The Vale. Lost his life in a duel to the death with Nikolai Khareen, who subsequently named himself the king.
* Nikolai I Khareen, the Thorncutter. Slew Alzhorigon Thorne in single combat before usurping the kingdom. Slain in cold blood by his bodyguard, Manfred Balimund.
* Manfred I Balimund, the Kingslayer. Usurped the king after murdering his liege lord Nikolai. Captured and exiled by Gawaine Thorne.
* Gawaine II Thorne, known as the Good. Led a prosperous, if short reign, beginning with his victory over Manfred Balimund. Forged an alliance with Pinnath Gelin, and establishing trade with them.
* Astraea I Thorne, known as the Flaming Thorn. Known for her fiery temper, cheerful spirit, and extreme beauty.
* James I Bloodthorne, known as the Wicked. Widely believed to be mad, James frequently executed civilians and high lords for no reason except his own amusement. Slain by Alzheron II.
* Alzheron II Thorne, the Iron Knight. Widely thought to be the Bleeding Thorn reborn. Conquered the entirety of South Gondor, but was only King of South Gondor for a fortnight before dying in his sleep for an unknown reason. Some say assassination.
* Erik V Thorne, known as Erik the Last. After his father, Alzheron, died, his vast kingdom dissolved practically overnight, his vassals taking their own titles and refusing to answer to the King. Erik spent all of his seven year reign attempting to keep his kingdom together and failing horribly.
* Arghean VI Thorne, the Evil. Notoriously the cruelest king since James, while not really being a king at all. He clings to the title, but holds no real authority. His son Aemon is a drunk, his son Aerenon is insane, and his daughter Arissa, while sweet and kind, is the lady wife of Lord Zane Ro'Meave and not expected to rule.