Dhera Sangto

General Dhera Sangto (a.k.a. The Black Knight)

A member of the Tsalk religion, General Dhera Sangto believed that all forms of magic other than those practiced by the clergy stem from evil. As a result of this, she terrorized the new colonies of Diamondheart, slaughtering thousands during The Tenth Flare. For her actions, she is remembered by most as one of the most infamous villains in history. To those who still follow the Tsalk religion, however, she is remembered as a hero who justly punished those who aimed to do her family harm.
It was also due to her relentless pursuit of its colonies that Diamondheart sent military and political officials to the major continent. After defeating Dhera, the officials turned on the colonies, claiming that she would not have been able to defeat them had they not sinned by allowing their women to wear clothes and work in professions unbecoming. This prompted a request for more oversight, which the colonies fought, eventually becoming the @[Saas Revolution](militaryConflict:86bb3b15-37ba-413b-bc4e-9920351e2be0.

History

Dhera Sangto was born in Linakra in 1522. Her father was a well-respected military man and her mother was a member of the Tsalk clergy. Dhera's mother taught both Dhera and her twin brother, Anrik, to read using holy texts and epic poetry. Both Dhera and Anrik fell in love with the stories and were known to quote these texts on the battlefield. By the time she was nine, her father began to add to to their education by having them read of honored generals and battles. Soon, they were memorizing strategy and tactics alongside the holy verses.
They used this in the practice of physical skills, first taught to them by their father, and then more formally, when they joined the military together at age 14. They both excelled, quickly rising in the ranks. When Anrik was appointed general at age 17, Dhera, who likely could have commanded her own battalion, joined his ranks so she would not be separated from him. Assigned to fight dragons in the north, they fought off and on for the next two years until a group of colonists from Diamondheart managed to ambush and kill Anrik. Furious at the death of her brother, Dhera took up his banner and drove back her enemies. She then launched a campaign into the colonies, wreaking havoc on every town she encountered. Her soldiers would search the town and bring all of the citizens to one place, where Dhera would offer anyone full citizenship in the kingdom of Linakra, if they would denounce magic and convert to the Tsalk religion. Those who agreed were spared. Those who refused were killed immediately. Usually they were decapitated or run through with a sword, but they were sometimes killed in more horrific ways if Dhera felt it would make a statement. In one town, when a family refused to come out of their house, she commanded her soldiers to bar the doors and burn the house. She soon became a symbol of fear for the colonists, who recognized her by her garb--all black, aside from the green scarf she wrapped her hair in. Many people, however, especially women, converted without coercion, as Linakra offered equal rights to both men and women, as opposed to Diamondheart's very patriarchal society.
She continued this campaign for three years, until she was overpowered by the military forces of Nefrale, led by Light wizard  wizard Zakarya Letterman. Though most of her battalion was decimated, she escaped, and continued her campaign off and on to the south, spreading Linakra's power over much of the major continent, until she herself was finally captured and killed in 1571.

Life

1522 1571 49 years old

Eyes

dark brown

Hair

black, half-way down back, thick, worn under a green scarf

Height

5'6"