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Jahamaraj Jah was the second-highest-ranking priest of the Shadar religion in Taglios when the Black Company arrives there in Shadow Games. He became an early ally of the Company, but his subsequent political machinations were typical of the Taglian priests in the Books of the South.

Jah's personal patron was Khadi, the Shadar avatar of Kina. He was impressive for a Taglian, six feet and two hundred pounds, half a foot taller than average and much more massive. He was quite handsome and his skin was fairer than most (a desirable trait from the Taglian perspective).

Shadow Games[]

When the Black Company first arrived in Taglios, Jah's daughter was suffering from appendicitis, which was incurable in those parts. Croaker, the Company's Captain and a very experienced physician, performed an appendectomy in exchange for Jah's loyalty. In return, Jah informed Croaker that the head of the Shadar religion, Ghojarindi Ghoj, was sending assassins (cultists from the Children of Hada) to kill Croaker. Croaker used Frogface to spot the 6 assassins, and they were captured. The Nar impaled all six of them to send a very public message to anyone else who would seek to do the Company harm. When Ghojarindi Ghoj fled westward, Croaker had him assassinated (presumably by One-Eye) in "a sudden, dramatic surfeit of boils", causing Jahamaraj Jah to inherit the position of chief priest of the Shadar in Taglios.

Jah then took an active role in the Shadowmaster wars and commanded the mounted auxiliaries. He and the other head priests were encouraged to form armies to fight against the Shadowmasters' forces, which were preparing to assault Taglios from across the Main. Jah, along with Lady and her cavalry force, assaulted and defeated the Shadowlanders at Numa, one of the lesser fords. Exhausted but effective, he and his roughly 700 cavalry then rode toward Ghoja, where, at the Battle of Ghoja Ford they "sliced through the chaos behind the enemy line like the fabled hot knife through butter". Once Ghoja was over, Croaker conscripted most of Jah's forces into the Taglian legions to replace loses suffered by his legions.

Outside Dejagore, he and his cavalry abandoned the field while the outcome of the critical battle was in question.

Dreams of Steel[]

After the Taglian forces were defeated at the Battle of Dejagore, Jahamaraj Jah quickly retreated north to Ghoja Ford with what forces he was able to gather in an attempt to concentrate power. Dressing and conducting himself as if he were royalty, he led an inept band of troops at the ford for a time. Meanwhile, Lady began spreading the rumor – which was quite possibly true – that Jah's cowardice cost Taglios the battle outside the walls of Dejagore.

Jah was ultimately assassinated by Lady, who used her strangling rumel and her new Deceiver allies Narayan Singh and Sindhu as arm-holders. As Lady had not yet perfected the neck-snapping technique of a veteran Stranger, Jah's strangulation was slow and required immense effort from all three of his killers. Like Ghojarindi Ghoj before him, Jah joined a long line of Taglian cult leaders who made themselves enemies of the Black Company with grim results.

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