Isha Del

The illegitimate son of the King of Karas Strem, Isha Del came to the throne after a pox took the lives of the elderly king's legitimate children, and rendered him sterile. The son of a court follower, Isha Del's coronation was accompanied by several protests from the old king's bannermen. Nevertheless, with no others of the king's direct bloodline, Isha Del was crowned king of Karas Strem. He immediately set about replacing the nobles who were against his rule with bannermen more amenable to it via a series of 'hunting accidents' and other unexplained deaths (many thought to be poisoning).

Isha Del is credited with both bringing the kingdoms of Doma back under the banner of the High King of Doma, established at the end of the Second Epoch by Stran of the Deep. The conflict, known as the Strife, began when the kingdoms of Doma refused to answer the call by Isha Del, claiming his lineage was suspect.

Knowing he was unable to bring the other kingdoms in line without aid, he reached out to the High Cantor of the Church of the Sun, the largest and fastest growing cult on Doma. With the combined armies of Karas Strem and the Temple Guard, Isha Del waged a holy war that obliterated the kingdoms of Doma. The annexing of the entire continent was complete with the routing of the allied forces of the territory now known as the kingdom of Syvvarn at the Battle of Gerda's Ridge. With consultation of his favoured bannermen and the Church, who used the war to destroy all rival cults, Isha Del drew up new territories which formed the kingdoms of Doma as we know it to this day.

There was an attempt to expand the empire to the land in the east known as the Unknown. Even with the armies of the entire continent at his heels, Isha Del's attempt at conquest failed when his army clashed with the forest demons, who are variously described in reports of the time as giants made of stone and shadow or man-eating monsters of hideous design and covered in raised scars (or tattoos, depending on the source). He retreated from the Unknown, save for the western most edge, which became the Barony of Vis.

Of Isha Del's rule beyond the Strife, little is noted. His death is also shrouded in mystery, though there are several accounts that he was poisoned by his eldest son, who was himself killed from a festering wound acquired in a duel days before his coronation. Rule then fell to Isha's second son, Sascha, from whom all kings of Karas Strem can trace their lineage (as of the writing of this).