Khaasar Avisteer III

Once handsome, now frail, with a white beard dyed at the edges with henna out of habit and ink-stained fingers from fifty years of writing poetry. Wears the plain robes of a scholar and the ruby of the Khaasareem. Doubled the House of Learning, kept the peace with Kaishon, broke the Third Crusade, and wrote the best verse in the Zarvani language, all while fathering seven sons who are going to tear his realm apart. He knows it. He has spent his last strength trying to arrange it otherwise and failed. Courteous to servants, brilliant in conversation, honest to a fault. Saintly in his way, tragic in his ending. Has perhaps a year.

Ties

• Prince Faasheer — eldest son
• Prince Durkaad — fourth son and favorite
• Grand Vizier Tartal-i Kebidaan — his Grand Vizier