Emperor Trandis was the last ruler of the Ursanian Empire, and a part of the backstory to Might and Magic IX.
When Trandis reigned, the mage Verhoffin had lived in this tower near the center of the Empire for about 200 years, still claiming his independence from the nation surrounding him. In 10 B.C. the Emperor sent the assassin Nazrim to get rid of the troublesome spellcaster. Nazrim spent ten years preparing for this task, but when he struck, the attempt failed. Full of anger, Verhoffin climbed to the top of his tower and unleashed his power on the Empire, wreaking havoc and destroying land for thousands of miles. The surviving cities were ripped apart by earthquakes, and the land surrounding his tower was torn asunder, creating what was later known as the Verhoffin Sea. The scattered survivors named the event the Great Cataclysm.
Trandis ruled what was left of his Empire for another thirteen years, until he was slain by his illegitimate son, Jevar the Bastard. With his death, the Empire was dissolved.