Varatesh

Varatesh was a Khamorth outlaw and for a short time nominally Royal Khagan of Pardraya.

He was originally a noble in a real clan, but killed his brother in an argument (according to his own account his brother drew knife first but this is never ascertained). As a result he was banished from his clan and became an outlaw, becoming involved in a string of nasty incidents, word of which he is never able to outrun. An outcast, he forms a "clan" of outlaws that exist in mockery of the true Khamorth clans.

By the time of the arrival of the Videssian embassy on the steppe Varatesh is a servant of Avshar. He often expresses exasperation at the stupidity and boorishness of his followers, but successfully kills one of them when he is challenged.

He kidnaps Viridovix with the help of a gas that induces a deep enchanted sleep on those who breath it in, but Viridovix escapes before he can be taken back to Avshar.

Varatesh suffers Avshar's rebuke, and witnesses Avshar remove his mantlings, revealing his skeletal face. Varatesh whimpers in fear at this revelation.

Varatesh fights in the battle between the outlaws and the Khamorth's allied clans. Avshar's sorcery defeats the allies, and Varatesh becomes Royal Khagan, with all Khamorth clans formally paying him obedience and tribute. In the aftermath of the battle Varatesh oversees the blinding of the majority of the prisoners, with fifty of them left with only one eye so they can guide the others across the steppe.

Varatesh is wracked with guilt over the treatment of the prisoners, and participates in the battle against the Arshaum, who march into Pardraya on their way to Yezd.

The outlaws are broken by a rain of frogs conjured by the Arshaum shamans, and Varatesh himself is slain by Batbaian, the son of Targitaus of the Wolves. His last words are that his brother attacked him first in the fight that led to his banishment.