Jargal, the leader of the clan, was a tall, heavyset man for a Kuruk, and a sturdy horse was required to carry his weight. In his younger years he was a champion wrestler and broke the backs of lesser challengers. Now he commanded others to do his killing.

The many warring tribes of the Tal Kheer were finally united under Jargal’s leadership, a struggle which had taken him a lifetime to achieve. It came by strength of arms, cunning in battle, guile in politics, and outright deceit when needed. He murdered his own blood uncle who took him in as a child and seized control of the immediate clan as a springboard to greater achievements.