Va-Toran was a precursor and was the last emperor of Karath-din, succeeding his father, Va-Taraq. While Va-Taraq was considered a great leader, members of the burocracy believed Va-Toran to be an incapable leader. They believed him to be selfish and more interested in money than anything else. Following the death of Va-Taraq and the beginning of the quakes, he locked the great colosseum of Karath-din for a year and a day in mourning, but others, such as Secretary of Protocol Weitan, believed he had some hidden agenda, and somehow planned to make money off of it. Others, such as Master Ruitan, felt that Va-Toran was endangering the city and its residents by ignoring the true meaning of the quakes and refusing to evacuate the city.