Karl only knows of his life from the past few Years. When he awoke upon the constant and shifting sands of Heruin with the storms that plague it and bristling with heat. His right arm completely overtaken by the Demon Levathainvel when he awoke, this being the only thing he remembers from the day before.
A pact was made, the Devil tells him. A Pact that he would be the eternal host of the Demon, and his freedom from Iron-hold would be ensured with Ten years of freedom before the beast overtakes him. Karl trusts not the words of the beast and, regardless of their validity, has tried various attempts at removing it that have all failed. The end of the ten year period is almost up, and the beast struggles now to take control.