Rashad

Rashad is the Sultan of Zahar, Chandra's husband, and a nemesis of the party. Suave and manipulative, his schemes for power seem to know no bounds. Though he sometimes plays the role of the self-indulgent bon vivant, to others he seems like an austere religious zealot...truly a man with a face for every occasion.

Rise to Power

On the night of his birthday celebration, Rashad's father and older brother were poisoned, dying in sudden agony. As next in line for the throne, Rashad immediately became the new sultan. A group of allegedly treasonous cooks were swiftly convicted and executed, but many immediately suspected Rashad. Privately, the Cult of Horak claims responsibility for the poisoning, though whether they acted on their own schemes or were comissioned by Rashad is unknown.
The suddenness of this transition caused an immediate rift within the Janissary order, with some paladins defying Rashad and others insisting on his legitimacy. The result was the Zahari Civil War, a brief but bloody conflict in which Rashad's side ultimately emerged victorious. There followed a swift consolodation of power, including the closure of the temples of Sherazan, the purging of dissenters from the Royal Observatory  and the placement of Horaki cultists into most major positions of authority.

Desert Dominance

Under Rashad, the city of Zahar has become a playground for the few and a prison for the many, while the outer territories languish in neglect. The sultan continues to work closely with the Horaki cultists, with mixed success. He mobilized academics and soldiers to comb the desert for the missing Codex of Nephotep, but it was destroyed by the party. He instructed the cultists to locate and murder Saka, his brother's secret son and the only possible rival to his royal claim...but the half-genie prince has so far eluded every assassin.
Since becoming sultan, Rashad has taken many wives, including the half-elf Chandra. After she escaped from his harem, facilitated by Bohl, Rashad plastered the city in wanted posters offering a fabulous bounty for the return of "the missing jewel in his crown."
After a series of failures, Rashad's current schemes are obscure. When staying with the Waziri Clan, the party learned from a loose-lipped merchant that the sultan is currently planning a party of immense proportions, rivaled in recent memory only by his wedding to Chandra.

Alignment

Lawful (?) Evil

Parents

Kumar XIV

Belief/Deity

Horak, the Scarab

Ruled Locations

• Zahar - City