The Lost Woods came away the victor of the war. In a stunning upset, Selena was defeated and forced to retreat back into the desert. She used Ikana Canyon to attack the Lost Woods, starting the event known as the First Domain War. The first stage of her plan was to conquer the other new domains of the day - The Forsaken Fortress and The Lost Woods - and create a unified domain force. Ikana Canyon, now considered a domain, grew in strength for nine years before Selena put her plans in motion to prepare for her assault against Khuffie. The population grew even further as rebels of the day joined Selena's cause to fight against the Alliance. The bodies of ex-mercenaries, Desert warriors, and travellers were also added to Ikana's growing army.
Former Sages, such as Rhiannon, were also resurrected. The Ikana were not the only bodies to resurface out of the sand and dirt, as the Innagos Desert had seen extensive fighting in prior centuries. Selena won the support of the resurrected Ikana by using fear tactics - stating that if they did not fight, Khuffie would come into the desert and destroy the ruins of their original home. Ikana's ancient warriors then became rebels fighting against the reign of Emperor Khuffie. The people of Ikana were given new life, but they were then forced to obey Selena's orders or face a return to the world of the dead.
Seeking to create an army, Selena used her powers to resurrect the dead warriors beneath the sand. She stumbled upon the ancient castle of the Ikana and made it into her new headquarters. In the year 9 BDW, after The Desert of Mystery and the other domains of the era had been destroyed by The Legends Alliance, Selena Nadir was banished to the Innagos Desert. The Desert of Mystery then occupied the territory of the ancient Ikana and took control of their now empty castle. Refusing to surrender to their conquerers, the Ikana were either killed in battle or took their own lives. The Kingdom of Ikana went to war with The Desert of Mystery, a rapidly expanding domain situated to Ikana's west, around the year 455 BDW. Their capital was an impressive castle situated near the canyon's wide, curving river. Ikana was ruled by a single royal family, with the last monarch being Igos du Ikana. The ancient people of Ikana maintained one tamed sand serpent as the guardian of their home, and it was capable of causing massive destruction when unleashed upon incoming enemies. Their sacred animal was the giant sand serpent, and summer festivals were thrown in its honor. They were skilled at locating hidden sources of water and hunting the elusive, deadly creatures of the sands. The people of Ikana Canyon were experts at desert survival and, unlike most other civilizations of the region, could subsist without having to raid passing supply convoys or travellers. First mentioned in the year 935 BDW, the Ikana spent their first years as a tribe of desert nomads before taking up permanent residence in their signature canyon. Ancient Ikana did not have much contact with the outside world and, as a result, was seldom mentioned in history books.