Thranduil, King of the Woodland Realm
Thranduil rules over a people under threat. His subjects may dance and feast in the forest, forgetting the Shadow that hangs over them, but Thranduil cannot allow himself to forget. He knows first-hand the suffering and sorrow inflicted by the Enemy, as he went to war with Gil-galad and his father, and saw many Elves and Men die in battle. Together with the secret havens of Rivendell and Lorien and the western realm of Lindon, his is one of the
last Elvish kingdoms left in Middle-earth. He is a stern, imperious king, unforgiving to his enemies, but kind and wise and fatherly to his people. He is a brave general, and strong. The Woodland Realm would be terribly weakened should he be wounded or slain, for it is the Elvenking’s magic that keeps its paths clear and the Shadow at bay.
Thranduil can be met at his halls in Mirkwood, or feasting or hunting in the woods. Greet him with courtesy and give him all the respect due a king, and he will treat a visitor fairly. If a visitor breaks his law (even unwittingly), scorns his court or challenges his authority, then, well, Thranduil has many cells in his dungeons. The Woodland Realm is his kingdom and he is the master there. Any visitor, even an Elf-lord of the West, must acknowledge Thranduil’s lordly status within Mirkwood.
Thranduil listens to petitions at court or at feasts, but such requests must go through proper channels. One does not just walk up and bend the Elvenking’s ear about some petty request — you have to make an appointment, and offer a suitable gift, and follow all the correct forms of address. He has a grudge against Dwarves, and considers most Men to be greedy, grasping trespassers. He respects only those who have proven themselves brave enemies of the Shadow.
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