Karas Strem

The largest of the fourteen kingdoms of Doma, Karas Strem has been, since its inception following the Strife, the seat of Doma's High Kings.

The region was a place of considerable political power prior to the Strife, being the seat of the first High King of Doma, Stran of the Deep. During the Third Epoch, however, the claim to the title of high king came under question and the then king of Karas Strem, Isha Del, waged war across the continent in order to establish that claim.

The Strife constituted a thorough reshuffling of territories and positions, with Isha Del placing friends and valued allies in positions of power throughout the continent. The result was the fourteen kingdoms as they're known to this day, each sworn to serve the high king should they be called.

Naturally, Isha Del took the largest land for himself, building a sizeable fortress which became the kingdom's capital, Brueia (named for Isha Del's family). Interestingly, legend claims that the fortress was built on the site where Stran of the Deep would hold court and host gatherings and negotiations.

Karas Strem has remained the seat of the High Kings of Doma since the Strife, though there was some disagreement amongst the other kingdoms as to that claim during the events surrounding the Great Man cycle. This was resolved, however, by the time the Great Battle was fought.

The people of Karas Strem are noted, in general, for having pale eyes and hair, and being of sturdy build (some might say stocky, which makes the taller, more slender build of their royal family interesting). They tend to be a little paler than the rest of the waygar'i on the continent, hinting at a shared heritage with the fír suthr. However, it has been noted that Karas Strem covers territories that are quite southerly, and the kingdom as a whole tends to be prone to clouds and rain, and so the pale skin may simply be a function of the lack of sun rather than any deep connection to the people of the Southern Archipelago. The peoples of Gertrei, Finskel and Ish Ael are also paler than their counterparts in the other kingdoms, each being quite southerly and lacking in sunshine.

For the entirely of the Third Epoch, Karas Strem was all that stood between the continent and the Western Unknown and was the wall between Doma and the Darkness.