He is addicted to Skooma, and his brother, J'zhar, took him on an expedition, led by Sulla Trebatius, in order to try to "...bring him down slowly." The expedition also consisted of Sulla's bodyguard Umana, Valie (a thief and mage from Windhelm), Endrast (locally renowned explorer), and Yag gra-Gortwog (an Orc warrior and labor foreman). However, they were forced inside the ruin by a storm. J'darr began to go into withdrawal, and the other party members believed him responsible for the disappearance of the mage, Valie. As written in J'zhar's journal: