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First modern human migrations out of Africa: as early as 270,000 B.C., certainly during 130,000 B.C. to 115,000 B.C.
Homo Neanderthalis: 240,000 B.C. - 40,000 B.C.
Homo Sapiens: 300,000 B.C. - present

Bronze Age: 3300 B.C. - 1200 B.C.
Iron Age: 1200 B.C. - 300 A.D.

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Prologue (Jaghra Til, Pran Chole)

298,655 years before Burn’s Sleep, 33rd Jaghut War
Setting: Jaghra Til

Jaghut ice-fields melted into a freshwater sea, at the time of the prologue a marshland and mudflats
Jaghra Til is the Imass name for the region
Fan Speculation. Tool mentioned the sea’s name near Raest’s barrow in GotM Chapter 14 and 16, Jhagra Til may have covered the Rhivi Plains and retreated into what is now Lake Azur

Pran Chole, Bonecaster of Cannig Tol’s clan (one of many) under the Kron’s command

At the moment the Imass are mortals, not yet immortalized
Bonecasters: shamans, magic-users, spiritwalkers, and can be recognized by their lack of weapons
Last seen in GotM Ch.11, in Kruppe’s dream which the Elder God K’rul had induced, where Tattersail’s soul shifted into Nightchill’s burnt corpse and kept animate by her Thyr warren and was shifted into a Rhivi woman’s womb, foreseen to be born as a T’lan Imass Bonecaster

Pran Chole looks at a scene of ay (larger ancestors of wolves) hunting ranag (ancient ox-like herd animals), all of which died long ago trapped in mud and petrified in clay
Cannig Tol stands next to Pran Chole and laments how the Imass have hunted other species to extinction: tenag (tusked herd animals) and angkor (forest wolves)

Cannig Tol compares the Imass to the scene before them, the Imass are the clay that traps and are shaped by the Jaghut that struggle and die underneath
Currently in pursuit of Jaghut, though less than 12 adults remain in Cannig Tol’s clan

Pran Chole senses a lone Bonecaster approaching

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Prologue (Jaghra Til, Pran Chole)

A Jaghut mother and her two children run away from the Cannig Tol clan

The Jaghut had a brief truce with the Imass and others to chain the Jaghut Tyrant Raest

An Imass Bonecaster appears, wearing a panther skin and shows signs of recently giving birth

Offers the Jaghut mother a bargain

The Imass carried the Jaghut children, following a river of lava formed from a fissure in the earth down the L’amath to a dome and tower, where red welt in the sky above is an opening to an unknown warren that the Imass guessed was Omtose Phellack because of the Jaghut tower nearby

Pran Chole and Cannig Tol confront the Jaghut mother, realizing her children are gone and the lone Bonecaster presence intentionally was hidden from them

With a gesture, Pran Chole kills the Jaghut mother with six fluted flint spears, ending the 33rd Jaghut War
The Imass travel by Tellann warren to stop the renegade Bonecaster

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Prologue (Morn, Kilava)

The Bonecaster veers into her Soletaken panther form as Pran Chole emerged in his arctic fox Soletaken form from a Tellann warren

Pran Chole tells her she fucked up real bad and reveals that this is the ancient K’Chain Che’malle city called Morn, the lava river flows to encase the dome as a barrow to seal a creature and used its soul to seal the red welt in the sky
Whatever was sealed away is now free, the children are in a nightmare of pain

The renegade Bonecaster is Kilava, Tool’s sister who betrayed and slaughtered their Tarad clan, formerly of the First Empire
Pran Chole decides to deal with the creature later as its still trapped under the stone and plans to attend the Ritual of Tellann, which Kilava thinks is insanity and doesn't take part in the ritual

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Prologue (Jacuruku, K’rul)

119,736 years before Burn’s Sleep (3 years after the Fall of the Crippled God)
Kallorian Empire. Over 50 years, the High King and mortal human asshole Kallor had enslaved 12 million people

Built on K’chain Che’malle ruins

A circle of mages, in desperation to end Kallor, parted the fabric of chaos and trapped a curious alien god from a remote realm

The summoning dragged the Fallen God from the sky, tearing his body to pieces, flesh raining onto Jacuruku shattering the continent, and killed the summoners (LOL)
Maggots infested the still living flesh, maturing into forms with broad black wings

The First Empire had risen, humans taking over the legacy of the T’lan Imass
Elder Gods K’rul, Draconus, and Sister of Cold Nights together confront Kallor seated on a throne upon burnt bones

Ardatha remains the only one left on the continent he hasn't conquered completely, though she pays tribute
In anticipation, Kallor had incinerated all his slaves into ash to spite the Elder Gods
The Elders Gods together curse Kallor with unending mortal life, unable to ascend to godhood (what dumbasses)
Kallor then reciprocates with his own curses

K’rul, Opener of Paths: to be forgotten by the world
Draconus, Tiam’s kin: what he creates will turn upon him
Sister of Cold Nights, middling sorcerous walking among mortals: unhuman hands to tear her apart on the battlefield and never know respite

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Prologue (Jacuruku, K’rul)

The Elder Gods helped K’rul cleanse the remains into a warren specifically to hold Kallor’s damage, and K’rul feels his worship fading, would become the Imperial Warren
Draconus talks about him almost done forging a sword
Sister of Cold Nights states she’ll be wary and the two advise she find a worthy companion
A one eyed white furred beast, more ancient than the Elder Gods, watch the exchange takes place and leaves to search for his mate and disappears into a warren of storm

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Book One:

The Spark and the Ashes

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Chapter 1 Scene 1 (Caravan Trail east of Darujhistan, Gruntle)

1164 Burn’s Sleep, two months after the events of Gardens of the Moon (Darujhistan Fete)

4th year of the Pannion Domin, Tellan Year of the Second Gathering

A caravan of merchants heading eastward towards Darujhistan are blocked by a river whose bridge was destroyed, possibly by Raest

Gruntle, Stonny Menackis, and Harllo are guards for the merchant Keruli
A servant, Emancipor Reese, approaches Gruntle saying his masters want to speak with him, Keruli gives permission as he's curious himself who the masters are

Approaching the carriage, Bauchelain walks towards them himself. Reese goes to play with his cat. Bauchelain and Gruntle walk towards the hills away from the caravan to talk

Bauchelain is aware of Keruli prying into his business, but lets him
Interested that Gruntle has been a caravan guard for over twenty years, and is literate
Bauchelain wears a chain hauberk and a sword at his side

They walk to join Korbal Broach at a crater (40 paces across, or 33yds/30m) that was where the Jaghut Tyrant’s barrow was

Bauchelain recounts the rumors about GotM events,
The spooky duo are foreigners that never heard of the Malazan Empire
Intends to explore the Jaghut barrow
Sees Moon’s Spawn a league away heading southeast, flying tilted due to damage sustained at Pale

Gruntle walks away as the spooky duo descends into the barrow

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Chapter 1 Scene 2 (Morn, Toc)

The white wolf, worshiped as a god by mortals, has been wandering the warrens of Chaos forever and found Toc laying there

The wolf sees an ancient memory “sufficient to close the spiral” and does something mysterious

Toc the Younger wakes up on a field of broken obsidian glass, last remembering Hairlock throwing him into a warren

The gut string from his bow being stretched tells Toc a long period of time had passed
Face disfigured and left eye lost to the rains of Moon’s Spawn

Toc walks towards large dome barrows that show signs of looting

Toc stands on the largest central barrow, 300 paces away (0.14miles, 0.22km) he saw a stone tower and a pulsing red welt in the sky
Left eye scar tissue itches in response to sorcery of the red welt
Toc realizes the barrows haven't been looted, what was buried had escaped
Walks towards the stone tower

40 paces away Toc stumbles over Tool waiting for the stone tower’s occupant to return

Tool last seen battling alongside Paran against the Finnest-creature of Raest’s power, defending the Azath until it matured enough to imprison the Finnest
Morn is 200 leagues (600 miles, 965 km) south of Darujhistan
Tool surveys the land and is willing to help Toc with materials and food

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Chapter 1 Scene 2 (Morn, Toc)

Lady Envy, the stone tower’s occupant, returns.

Tall, slim, long straight black hair, white telaba of Seven Cities fashion
Baaljagg, an ay that looks like a horse-sized shaggy wolf that's friendly to Tool

Tool admits the T’lan Imass had overhunted and responsible for starvation of ay, some ay had partaken in the Ritual

Garath, a dun-colored short haired muscular dog

Tool recognizes Lady Envy as one of two daughters of Draconus (the other being Spite), who forged the sword Dragnipur, which Anomander Rake had taken and used to slay Draconus
A masked-warrior, Seguleh, named Senu, emerges from the stone tower (which Envy identifies as Jaghut)

The Seguleh are a strict warrior-culture from a southern island. Edgy samurais

Within the Jaghut tower were the other Seguleh keeping watch, all posturing to challenge Tool but submits to Lady Envy’s denial of permission

Regardless, Senu attempts the challenge and immediately KO’d by the flat of Tool’s flint blade

Lady Envy assesses the Rent above Morn to be mechanical, the barrows have only been unearthed in the past decades. The K’Chain Che’malle Matron was the original soul sealing the rent. Once she extricated herself, she released her children and they all left
Toc bargains with Lady Envy for supplies for the trip back to the Malazan Empire in exchange for a future favor
Tool follows an ancient trail which converged on the Pannion Domin, same destination as Envy’s old traveling companions Anomander Rake and Caladan Brood

Convinces Lady Envy to join them on their trip north

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Chapter 2 Scene 1 (East Tahlyn Hills, Picker)

Bridgeburners Corporal Picker and Blend, posted in the hills to ward off smugglers, catch a old man sneaking among the rocks

Munug, an artisan and trader from Darujhistan travels to Pale

Corporal Picker purchases his most valuable piece, three ivory seamlessly interlocking torcs blessed at a newly erected temple of Treach, wrapped in his moulted fur for nine days and nights

Treach, the Tiger of Summer, a First Hero (ascendant in the era of the First Empire), Soletaken
Corporal Picker puts the torcs on her arm and Munug walks away

Blend slipped a pebble in Munug’s pack for Quick Ben to track

Munug sneaks off into a warren, into a land of stony plain with a sickly sky where awaits a ragged hide tent with sea-blue colored smoke billows above

The Crippled God, the Fallen One, sickly and coughing waits inside throwing seeds into a brazier
Munug delivers to him cards he crafted depicting images of flaws, imperfection, pain, anguish, loneliness. All which please the god, suffering is means to worship it

As payment, the god cures Munug of his tumors in his legs by making them dead (well, fuck man)

With these cards a new game is begun

An hour after sunset, Picker and Blend help the Black Moranth land their flying quorls and walk back to return to the rest of the Bridgeburners

QB chastises Picker for getting torcs blessed by an insane god who hasn't shifted out of Soletaken form for hundreds of years

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Chapter 2 Scene 2 (Burn, Quick Ben)

Quick Ben is a part of Whiskeyjack’s Second-in-Command duties: bureaucracy, communications networks to Pale, tithes and tariffs, and imposing control

QB is suspicious of this “outlawing”
Now a day away from Pale, Caladan Brood, the Tiste Andii, Ilgres Barghast, and the Rhivi are heading south to parley with the outlawed Malazan rebel army to unite against the Pannion Domin, a theocratic empire devouring cities one by one

QB frees his soul from his body to search for his tracking pebble

Finds himself in a warren unknown to him and enters the Crippled God’s tent, glowing red
Feeling threatened, QB accessed seven warrens at once though he has access to more

The Crippled God is chained to the earth, the flesh of the goddess Burn’s they stand on

QB unleashed his warrens onto the Crippled god, tent and hair burned, shoves fingers in tCG’s eye sockets and palm on his forehead slams tCG’s head down, and retrieved his tracking pebble
The Crippled God retaliated, pulling QB back towards him with sorcery, QB digs his fingers into the ground resisting the pull, and sees Burn bleed from it

QB is rescued by a giant hand reaching from the earth, pulling him down through layers of dirt and rocks, into a cavernous dome tunnel that is Burn’s body. White arcs, like ribs, hold up the roof. Diamond speckled clay creatures 15x the size of a man held up the roof

The giant with diamond-like eyes and child-like voice begs QB to help them, their Mother weakens and The Crippled God’s poison sloughs their clay flesh
Burn can only last tens of years more of this poison

QB leaves the pebble on the ground so he can return, his saviour dies in front on him, QB escapes via warren

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Chapter 2 Scene 3 (East Tahlyn Hills, Quick Ben)

Picker wakes up an unconscious QB

Picker’s never seen QB this scared
Picker helps strap QB onto a Black Moranth quorl and QB falls asleep on the flight

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Chapter 2 Scene 4 (Divide east of Pale, Paran)

Captain Ganoes Paran is managing the Divide, a pass between Darujhistan and Pale to collect taxes from traveling merchants

Almost ten thousand soldiers, outlawed by the Malazan Empire, look to the officer corps for reassurance

Paran is plagued by the Hound of Shadow blood, images of darkness, allured by the darkness and back into Dragnipur, Anomander Rake’s sword
Near sunset now, Paran walks up to a summit overlooking the Divide and speaks with Trotts

Trotts has recently become more talkative, about himself being a ‘Tale unspoken for too long’
Hedge comes to to relieve Trotts as sentry on the summit

Paran’s anxiety is acting up

Dismisses the Pannion Domin as zealous upstarts bound to implode
Believes the Malazan Empire will collapse itself
Reassures himself to believe in Tavore to save House Paran, despite Laseen’s Cull gripping their sister Felisin

Minor scene where Hedge and Trotts are being friendly

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Chapter 2 Scene 5 (Divide east of Pale, Paran)

At a trader post, Whiskeyjack & Mallet watch the 2nd Army soldiers (Onearm’s Host) load the Divide taxes and tolls onto the Black Moranth quorls as Paran approaches

Mallet states Whiskeyjack’s leg healed badly and still needs attention, WJ ignores

Injured when Raest dominated Mammot & attacked the Simtal estate, collapsing a pillar which crushed his leg
Bridgeburners 9th Squad: Sgt. Whiskeyjack, Corporal Kalam, Fiddler, Hedge, Mallet, Quick Ben, Sorry, Trotts
Bridgeburners 7th Squad: Sgt. Antsy, Picker, Blend, Detoran, Spindle

Since the split after the events of GotM, the remaining 9th Squad members are to join the 7th Squad
38 Bridgeburners are remaining and won’t be following Onearm’s Host, to be dealt another task
Whiskeyjack offered Captain Paran to lead other marine companies because Paran is at risk of being backstabbed by Bridgeburners known to hate noble-born officers

Regardless, Paran chooses to remain the Captain of the Bridgeburners

Detoran approaches and chooses to address Whiskeyjack, instead of Paran who is her immediate superior because she doesn’t acknowledge Paran yet

The Bridgeburners males him the target of resentment for Laseen outlawing them
Paran responds with having them hurry up preparations just to wait another bell (hour), which WJ respects
Paran interrupts Whiskeyjack in the middle of his sentence because he forgot that WJ is now his superior, which WJ urges him to remember so others follow in respect

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Chapter 2 Scene 5 (Divide east of Pale, Paran)

WJ and Mallet leave, and Paran is anguished over the Hound blood that flows in him and coming across the Rhivi child with Tattersail’s voice

Paran & Toc chased Lorn on the Rhivi Plain because he blamed her for Tattersail’s death, Hairlock ambushes them and banishes Toc, QB forces Cotillion to have the Hounds help fight off Hairlock, Paran provokes a fight with the Hounds, Rake descends to help Paran fight the Hounds, Paran touches Hound blood and enters Dragnipur, frees the slain Hounds and escapes as well. Promptly meets the Rhivi child with Tattersail’s soul

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Chapter 2 Scene 6 (Divide east of Pale, Whiskeyjack)

Whiskeyjack enters the trader post gatehouse and takes a moment enduring his injured leg pain
Mallet enters the gatehouse and states his Denul warren recoiled when quested in Paran’s direction, sick and dying from sorceries that needs Quick Ben’s attention

Whiskeyjack remains firm in having Paran command the Bridgeburners as their Captain
WJ also puts off Mallet healing his bad leg

Caladan Brood and his allies arrived at Pale, WJ prepares for the parley

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Chapter 3 Scene 1 (North of Pale, Mhybe)

A league away from Pale, the Mhybe looks at all the land the people of Pale had stolen and desecrated from the Rhivi people
The Mhybe had rejected men’s proposals during war and thus was an ideal vessel two host two shattered souls - one soul beyond death and the other held from death through ancient sorceries - and feed the child it created named Silverfox

‘Mhybe’ - Rhivi word for a container discarded after a singular use
The Mhybe is a young woman in her 20’s, but looks like an elderly woman

Korlat enters and discusses the child with the Mhybe

Kallor argues that the child is dangerous, Caladan remains neutral
Mhybe understands the child is the product of two Malazan souls, combined by a flesh and blood Imass bonecaster (Pran Chole) in the warren of the T’lan Imass, and is now both a Soletaken a flesh and blood bonecaster
The T’lan Imass used to march for the Malazan Empire (under Emperor Kellanved since he took control of the First Throne that immortalized the Imass) but not anymore with Laseen’s usurpation

The Mhybe thinks on the alliance with their former enemy as Caladan Brood is preparing for the parley
Silverfox, appearing approx. 10 years old, returns to her mother and Korlat, sad because she sensed the Rhivi spirits are in pain being severed from the former Rhivi lands

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Chapter 3 Scene 2 (North of Pale, Mhybe)

Silverfox says she will answer the Rhivi souls betrayed

States that former enemies (like the Genabackan natives and the Malazans) will hold onto their hatred of each other because of the comfort in familiar memories (racists being racists)
Korlat concedes that this experience is shared between everyone including the Imass and the Tiste Andii
Silverfox says to consider forgiveness, to know that it’s not freely given, and - emphatic towards Korlat - know when forgiveness must be denied

The women reach the place of the parley and Silverfox sense things about the Malazan arrivals

Dujek and Whiskeyjack, both who are hiding something but WJ feels more trustworthy. Korlat is attracted to WJ. Silverfox liking him as an uncle
Artanthos, standard-bearer and young aide holding the outlawry pennon, Silverfox feels a lingering sense of uncertainty about him
Twist, a Black Moranth, Silverfox senses him always laughing inside, filled with sorrow (well shit..), and notices his armor is badly damaged, right hand is missing four fingers

In response Caladan Brood and Kallor come to greet them, along with Outrider Hurlochel

Caladan Brood appears large, some Barghast blood and something else not quite human. First time meeting Dujek after battling with him for over 12 years on Genabackis
Kallor in his chain mail, who people assumed was kept alive by alchemies since he was a mortal man not ascended.

Kallor’s tactics and mastery of campaigns is valuable to Caladan Brood, but no soldiers are loyal to him

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Chapter 3 Scene 2 (North of Pale, Mhybe)

Silverfox senses that Artanthos had not used his name in a long time, that the prairie’s air had rejuvenated him, and that he’s (metaphorically) a chimera
Dujek and Caladan introduce to each other their representatives

The Crimson Guard have retreated to deal with internal matters and won’t be involved
Replacing the Crimson Guard are four Barghast clans, a [unnamed] mercenary company from the Free City ‘One Eye Cat’, and the Mott Irregulars who spent most of their time stealing supplies from the Malazans rather than fighting
The Darujhistan Council’s donations have fulfilled the Malazan’s resupply needs, with another delegation sent by Caladan Brood to Darujhistan

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Chapter 3 Scene 3 (Command Tent near Pale, Mhybe)

Walking towards the command tent at the center of the Tiste Andii encampment

The Mhybe senses that the Tiste Andii suffer from apathy and indifference incurred from lives spanning millennia. The Tiste Andii are as if a people waiting to die, fighting for a cause not their own, and letting their fellow kin lay where they die. The Rhivi have taken up the duty of retrieving their bodies and mourning them
Crone, Anomander Rake’s favoured servant, waits at the command tent and serves as a bridge between Rake and Brood’s confusing relationship

Crone annoys everyone before Silverfox studies Crone and says Crone’s kind was born in the rotting flesh of something before being interrupted

Crone gives a motherly warning that Silverfox’s knowledge has the potential of making her the deadliest threat among them and that both her and the Mhybe needs protectors

Inside the tent, WJ laughs at the large, two hundred pound, warped wooden table

The Bridgeburner sappers used it to play with the Deck of Dragons (Fiddler’s made up games) and in the middle of a battle the table was stolen. Caladan Brood says it was a donation from the Mott Irregulars and offers to give it back, which WJ declines
Silverfox calls WJ ‘Uncle Whiskeyjack’ and asks if the sappers cheat, WJ is now suspicious of her

Caladan calls Hurlochel to bring out a map of the Pannion Domin territories updated with findings of Crone’s Great Ravens

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Chapter 3 Scene 3 (Command Tent near Pale, Mhybe)

Three cities - Maurik, Setta, and Lest - have fallen and Capustan is the next
Capustan is vulnerable to the crossing at the River Catlin which Capustan won’t contest due to internal conflict

Capustan is ruled by Prince Jelarkan and The Masked Council, a coalition of High Priests
Kallor informs Capustan’s barracks is limited to 2,000 soldiers by law, and the High Priests bribe the best to join their own private companies tying up 3,000 more soldiers
Thus, Prince Jelarkan hired The Grey Swords, a mercenary company of 7,000 from Elingarth that charge double The Crimson Guard’s contract
The Masked Council passed a law preventing The Grey Swords from engaging outside the city, thus leaving the crossing vulnerable

Maurik’s ruler surrendered her Priests to the Pannion Seer who fed them to the Tenescowri

Tenescowri, the Pannion Seer’s fanatical peasant cannibal army of the Pannion Domin
In exchange, she was granted governorship, saved her citizens, and got a lot of money

The only other way to cross the River Catlin is the destroyed stone bridge (where the caravan trail is stuck), which the engineers could possibly replace
Septarch Kulpath leads the Capustan siege

The Pannion Domin has seven districts, each led by a Septarch, all of which follow Kulpath
Half of the total Beklites, regular infantry (50,000/100,000)
A division of Urdomen, elite heavy infantry

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Chapter 3 Scene 3 (Command Tent near Pale, Mhybe)

Dujek suggests using the Black Moranth to land Malazan soldiers in Capustan, Kallor retorts that the Malazan’s reputation would lead to betrayal, and WJ suggests making preliminary contact first

Silverfox giggles and is amused how thorough Dujek and WJ had schemed for this plan

Caladan concedes the majority of the Caladan and Dujek forces will march overland in plain sight for Septarch Kulpath to see and plan right into their hands

After Capustan, they plan to liberate Maurik, Setta, and List before converging on Coral

The Tiste Andii will be on Moon’s Spawn, fly towards the Pannion Domin, and disappear as to hide their sorceries until they know what the Pannion Domin’s sorceries are capable of

Silverfox says it won’t be enough, which is the final straw for Kallor

Kallor reveals the Mhybe is only 20 years old and the child is 6 months old, Silverflox feeding off of the Mhybe’s life force and that Silverfox should be killed

Silverfox is torn learning that she’s feeding off of her mother’s life
Kallor grabs Silverfox before letting go at Caladan Brood’s threat
The Mhybe is shamed that she froze and wasn’t able to defend her daughter

Whiskeyjack bitch slaps Kallor with his gauntleted hand, blood sprays on the table, Kallor falls on the ground, and Caladan Brood grabs Kallor’s wrists before Kallor could finish unsheathing his bastard sword forcing him to sheath it

Dujek throws his dirty shaving cloth at Kallor to clean up his bloody face

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Chapter 3 Scene 3 (Command Tent near Pale, Mhybe)

At WJ’s inquiry, Silverfox explains who she is

Born of both Nightchill’s charred body and essence preserved by Tattersail’s sealing spell (which Tattersail gifted to Bellurdan Skullcrusher after the Siege of Pale as they were mourning their fallen comrades together) and Tattersail dying in a T’lan Imass’s (Tool) projected Tellann warren

The Mhybe saw Artanthos flinch and wondered why

In the Tellann warren, a Bonecaster (Pran Chole), Elder God (K’rul), and a mortal soul (Kruppe) were present

Kallor laughs at K’rul wondering if he knew it was Nightchill

Silverfox was born in two places at once, among the Rhivi and in the Bonecaster’s hands in the Tellann warren
Silverfox’s future is tied to gathering the T’lan Imass once again, for her to command them all. Her birth had proclaimed the Gathering that every T’lan Imass has heard, and all who are able to come are coming.

The threat of Silverfox is revealed

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Chapter 3 Scene 4 (Command Tent near Pale, Whiskeyjack)

Whiskeyjack is shaken hating this world of schemes and politics

WJ remembers the Siege of Pale and blames Tayschrenn for the deaths of A’Karonys, Nightchill, Bellurdan Skullcrusher, and Tattersail
Glad that Tayschrenn left, but feels he’s still nearby
Only WJ and Dujek know that Dujek’s outlawing is a lie, even the Malazan soldiers thinks it’s real
Suspects Silverfox might already know the outlawing is a lie
Worried what Paran might do when he realizes that Silverfox is Tattersail reborn, and what happens when she becomes a fully grown woman
In the middle of an internal crisis, WJ has the hots for Korlat

Korlat asks for a private talk and he accepts

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Chapter 3 Scene 5 (Command Tent near Pale, Crone)

Crone is shaken by Silverfox’s inability to restrain her knowledge since she is still immature

The Great Raven were the maggots feasting the Crippled God’s flesh when he was first ripped from home and rained onto Jacuruku and claims to be honourable guardians of the Crippled
Claims to be benevolent when first convincing them the threat that the Pannion Domin poses
Anomander Rake is unaware of the Great Ravens origins

The Malazan Empire was able to conquer the Seven Cities continent when Kellanved still controlled the T’lan Imass with the First Throne

Genabackis was spared when Laseen usurped the Empire and lost control of the T’lan Imass
The Tiste Andii and Anomander Rake have yet to unleash their full potential
Caladan Brood is an ascendant with the warren of Tennes, Path of Land of the Sleeping Goddess Burn

His hammer able to shatter mountains, responsible for altering the mountainous peaks in northern Genabackis

The return of the T’lan Imass threatens the balance in the struggle for power again

Crone and the Great Ravens are aware of a secret at the core of the Pannion Domin, believes Silverfox will lead the T’lan Imass to that very place

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Chapter 3 Scene 6 (Command Tent near Pale, Mhybe)

The Mhybe realized Silverfox exposed herself because she needs allies, and the souls of Tattersail/Nightchill are calling to her old allies for help

The various Genabackis factions allied themselves in the coalition because of Dujek, and now they ally together to face the unknown enemy of the Pannion Domin

Dujek points out Logros T’lan Imass is the only army that the Malazan Empire commanded and asks where the other T’lan Imass are

The Logros T’lan Imass were tasked with defending the First Throne while the rest hunted the Jaghut
Kallor makes a remark and Silverfox reveals the ashes and bones of Jacuruku were swept into the warren now known as the Imperial Warren, this memory coming from Nightchill’s soul

From this you can assume Nightchill is the Sister of Cold Nights, which is why Kallor hates Silverfox so much and calls her bitch

The Jaghut had raised barriers of ice, dropping sea levels and creating mountain ranges, changing the landscape so much that entire species went extinct
Mortal Imass couldn’t cross these barriers, T’lan Imass traveling as dust were able to
To answer Dujek: the other T’lan Imass armies are either extinct or far away in inhospitable regions still hunting the Jaghut

Dujek says the Logros T’lan Imass disappeared into the Jhag Odhan for a bit (after Laseen’s usurpation), and returned destroyed
Silverfox only knows that every T’lan Imass is aware of the call for the Gathering, does not know at all if anyone will answer

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Chapter 3 Scene 7 (North of Pale, Mhybe)

The Mhybe, Silverfox, Korlat, and Whiskeyjack leave the tent

WJ asks Silverfox is she remembers QB, the Bridgeburners, Hairlock, Tayschrenn, and Paran
Tayschrenn had sparred with both Nightchill and Tattersail, no sense of loyalty of trust in him, though he is confusing
Silverfox looks forward to seeing Paran again and recalls meeting Paran on the Rhivi Plain (after he escaped Dragnipur)
Silverfox tells WJ to let Paran know she is here and is open to probing by QB and Mallet because she’s curious herself in what they discover from her

The Mhybe and Silverfox walk away to let Korlat and WJ be alone

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Chapter 3 Scene 8 (North of Pale, Whiskeyjack)

WJ laments that the parley was near success until Silverfox spoke up

Korlat acknowledges Silverfox possesses the knowledge of the T’lan Imass spanning millennia

The Fall of the Crippled God, the arrival of the Tiste Andii, the last flight of dragons into Starvald Demelain

The Tiste Andii and Rake already know the Great Ravens’ origins which Crone is ashamed of, and they are indifferent to it

The Great Ravens devoured the flesh of the Crippled God, and thus became devourers of sorcery. Crone is the First Born and has the most potential

Weird flirting
WJ recounts the events of how Tattersail died through Paran

They wonder what happened Bellurdan Skullcrusher is in all this

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Chapter 4 Scene 1 (Catlin River east of Darujhistan, Gruntle)

Gruntle makes a bet with Harllo and Stonny that Bauchelain’s carriage won’t make it across the river and it does, so Harllo and Stonny are carrying Keruli’s carriage through the river and mud
Gruntle sees Buke approach Bauchelain’s carriage to get hired as their new guard

Buke fell into a suicidal depression when he was drunk in an alley close to home as his family was killed in tenement fires, more deadly in Darujhistan with the gas that flows through the city and make it glow blue
Buke never drank alcohol again, taking up lone wolf contracts for poor merchants more likely to be attacked by thieves and bandits, choosing this way to die
Buke’s most recent contractor had attempted to cross the river against Buke’s advice and lost everything, doesn’t pay Buke despite Buke saving from drowning leaving Buke with nothing

Buke walks over to Gruntle and accepts his invitation to tea

Buke suspects Korbal Broach is a serial killer that murdered several people in the Gadrobi District in Darujhistan which stopped abruptly
Darujhistan Council hired Vorcan’s guild of assassins to stop the murders, but claimed to not have stopped the murderer
Gruntle knows Buke is going to die trying to kill Korbal Broach, so he urges him to wait until they send a message to Darujhistan

Stonny and Harllo come too late as Buke walks away and thanks Gruntle for the advice

Stonny bickers with the other two

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Chapter 4 Scene 2 (Pale, Quick Ben)

QB goes to ask questions of a Witch of Tennes who lives in a shack

QB repeatedly asks why the goddess Burn sleeps

QB describes the world as a ball of dung traveling through space around the sun, with the surface floating on a sea of molten rock. The land shakes, mountains erupt, and molten rock flows like blood when Burn stirs awake

Burn was a hatched egg in the dung riding the molten rock flows, she is the “queen of the hive” and all mortals are her soldiers and servants that serve her no matter what they do
If mortals destroy themselves, Burn can birth another brood and continue the cycle
“In the end the minds and senses of all that is alive define what is real
“Burn sleeps to dream”

Burn is fevered and QB says he needs help to excise the infection

QB gives the witch a pebble

The witch says she prefers the cold which QB thinks is strange and remembers

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Chapter 4 Scene 3 (Pale, Paran)

Paran walks up to QB standing by the Malazan HQ in Pale

QB admits to worrying about something and will tell Paran when he figures it out
QB tells Paran & them, Mallet, and Spindle need to go to meet up with Dujek and WJ in Caladan Brood’s camp

Paran is worried that the Malazan occupying Pale is idle since the outlawry cancelled the Malazan support expected to help take control of the city

The Malazan Empire has a systematic style of conquest, the army moves on as Malazan bureaucrats flow in for the peacekeeping teamsition, imposition of Malazan style civil government
Acquired control through imposing legal authority and infiltrating the black market and controlling it with the Claw

The guard for the Malazan HQ in Pale have been tense ever since the Hound attack on Paran and Tattersail
Paran meets up with the other Bridgeburners

Mallet senses a T’lan Imass presence that overpowers everything else at Brood’s encampment
Spindle, a sorcerer/sapper, bald and wear a shirt woven from his mother’s hair. The way he channels his warren freaks nearby animals out and make them do weird things like a cat running head first into a wall
QB has Spindle channel his warren to keep other people from getting near them as they exit the city of Pale and head to meet up with Dujek

The group reach the battlefield of the Siege of Pale, Paran remembers seeing the massacre scene at Itko Kan

Believes he inherited all of the sense of self-pity from his parents while his sister Tavore had none
Since the outlawry, no news from the Empire had come besides only rumors of rebellion on Seven Cities

The Whirlwind hasn't been unleashed at this point

Absolute trust in Tavore to take care of Felisin

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Chapter 4 Scene 3 (Brood’s Encampment, Paran)

The group reaches Brood’s encampment noticing no one stood guard

WJ stood and the command tent, says he'll talk with the Bridgeburners while Paran goes to talk with Dujek

Dujek tells Paran news about his family

Pran’s father passed away and his mother “elected to join him” soon after
Tavore salvaged what she could from House Paran and became the new Adjunct replacing the deceased Lorn
The Cull in Unta had noble born children raped and murdered, Laseen may have been ignorant of this unofficial order
Tavore had saved Felisin by sending her to the otataral mines until Unta calmed down and retrieved
Paran believes Tavore is perfect for the position because she prioritized her professional reputation and nothing else

Paran says children of House Paran are capable of anything

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Chapter 4 Scene 4 (North of Pale, Paran)

Paran leaves the encampment, stands over a barrow looking at the landscape as he thinks to himself

More than one philosopher has claimed that we ever remain children, far beneath the indurated layers that make up the armour of adulthood.
There are no gifts in suffering. Witness the Tiste Andii.

WJ approaches and says Silverfox found Paran when he disappeared after talking to Dujek

WJ reveals Silverfox is Tattersail reborn(with Nightchill), waiting to meet him along with the Mhybe, Quick Ben, and Spindle who exhausted themselves confirming Silverfox’s souls
Paran is worried to return to Tattersail who's in the body of a child
Paran immediately recognizes that Silverfox is a Soletaken, which was difficult even for QB to learn

More about Paran

QB senses Oponn has left Paran, Paran admits the blood of a Hound of Shadow has replaced it
Silverfox gave Paran the Rhivi name of Jen’isand Rul, the Wanderer within the Sword
Paran admits he freed two Hounds chained in Dragnipur and escaped
WJ urges him not to let any Tiste Andii know, Paran is the first to cheat the legend of Anomander Rake and Dragnipur, Rake would possibly be shook if he felt his infallible sword had been cheated

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Chapter 4 Scene 4 (North of Pale, Paran)

Paran refuses to meet Silverfox until he learns Kallor wants her killed (because of Nightchill and her power)

Caladan Brood is her chief protector because he needs the Rhivi and their bhederin
Korlat, and Tiste Andii, because of her friendship with the Mhybe
Anomander Rake’s position is unknown, will arrive the next day
Dujek waits for Paran to come and sway Tattersail’s soul to be dominant in Silverfox because Tattersail wouldn't betray them

WJ is miffed that Paran gives him an order to lead on, forgetting again WJ is the superior

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Chapter 4 Scene 5 (Brood’s Encampment)

Sgt. Antsy led his squad from the Divide east of Pale, to Brood’s encampment north of Pale
I thought ‘kraal’ was a fantasy animal. Wiki says “Kraal is an Afrikaans and Dutch word (also used in South African English) for an enclosure for cattle or other livestock, located within an African settlement or village surrounded by a fence of thorn-bush branches, a palisade, mud wall, or other fencing, roughly circular in form. It is similar to a boma in eastern or central Africa.”
The rest of Sgt. Antsy’s squad sneak into the command tent to steal their card table

Spindle casts silence on the tent and spits on it, Blend unties the tent fastenings to open up a flap, Detoran and Trotts stand guard
They all pick up the table and move it to an empty tent the Rhivi would use to collect Tiste Andii corpses prior to cremation

The other Bridgeburners crowd inside the Rhivi tent to start a game of cards using the Deck of Dragons, with Spindle as the dealer because he’s a sorcerer

Spindle senses possible corruption in the table and they turn the table upside down
On the underside of the table is an ochre-painted image of a figure with a dog-head on its chest
The image is a new card, Unaligned, and unable to be rubbed out because of wards on it
Trotts guesses it’s Rhivi, neither Rhivi nor Barghast play with cards so it could be neither
Spindle gathers paint and wood to make a card replica of the image

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Angel1802

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Chapter 4 Scene 6 (North of Pale, Paran)

Paran and Silverfox watch the sunrise together

Paran is conflicted with intimacy with a child and Nightchill’s soul also being within her

Silverfox says not to be afraid of the T’lan Imass, they gather for her benediction and need them to face the horrors of the Pannion Domin
Silverfox asks Paran’s knowledge of the Deck of dragons and gives Tattersail’s explanation of it

‘A kind of structure, imposed on power itself. Who created it? No-one knows… each card is a gate into a warren, and there were once many more cards than there are now. There may have been other Decks – there may well be other Decks ...'
Silverfox also ponders on the wording of the Deck itself. House of Dark, of Light, of Life, of Death, etc.
Finnest, T’lan Imass know it as ‘Hold of Ice’. Raest’s Finnest became a House of Azath in Darujhistan

In times of the Elder races, Houses and Holds were synonymous

Tremorlor is a Trellish word for ‘House of Life’
Deadhouse in Malaz City, House of Death

Silverfox reveals to Paran that Emperor Kellanved and Dancer had ascended to Shadowthrone and Cotillion, the give-away being their vengeful desire to destroy Laseen

Each Azath House has a gate to every warren
Though Shadowthrone and Cotillion went into Deadhouse, the House of Death’s throne is occupied by Hood, thus they occupied the empty throne in the House of Shadow. The House of Shadow were not in the Deck of Dragons while the throne was empty, and became a part of the Deck when Shadowthrone sat the throne
The House of Shadow used to be a Hold, doesn’t share hierarchical structure of other Houses, more bestial and wild

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Chapter 4 Scene 6 (North of Pale, Paran)

Silverfox continues explaining the Deck of Dragons

Unaligned are possibly failed aspects, imposition of chance or random forces. Both the Deck and the Azath are impositions of order, but need to be balanced with freedom or else is fragile
Anomander Rake is Knight of House of Dark, but doesn’t know where the House is. Possibly a Hold or something that came before,
‘A focus for the gate into Kurald Galain ... undiscovered, hidden, the First Wound, with a soul trapped in its maw, thus sealing it.'

Paran mentions ‘or a legion of souls’ referencing the souls chained to the wagon in Dragnipur believing the wagon to be the gate into Kurald Galain, the warren of Darkness

Silverfox reveals a new Unaligned card entered the Deck of Dragons, and believes Paran to be the Master of the Deck of Dragons

Silverfox guided in fashioning the card, not knowing if the Azath or some other force guided her
Senses the warrens are under attack, an army is being assembled with Paran a part of it, that all wars are one war

Paran had dreamed of a child within a wound, screaming

Paran runs away from the child, Silverfox says he should run towards it

Paran rejects being the Master of the Deck

Turns around and sees Whiskeyjack, Quick Ben, Mallet, and the Mhybe
QB offers to teach him how to read the Deck
Paran is depressed

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Chapter 5 Scene 1 (Lamatath Plain, Toc)

Two days and seven leagues later (33.8km or 21 miles)

Lady Envy, whose white dress still spotless despite travel, flirts with Toc who’s nervous about it
Envy says Tool’s flint sword is invested with sorcery to an appalling degree, indestructible, and can cut through wards

Garath and Baaljagg walk up, Tool appears with an antelope

Envy calls the Seguleh by their names - Senu, Mok, and Thurule - to set up camp

Tool lays out his materials: obsidian chunks, beach stones from the Jaghut tower, bone-reeds and a brace (straps) of dead seagulls

Like watching an artisan, Tool uses the beach stones to strike the obsidian into 3 long, thin obsidian blades as well as flakes of various sizes and uses the antelope horn to punch even smaller flakes from the larger flakes he made
Tool then creates tools for fletching: a backed blade, a thumbnail-sized scraper, crescent blade piece, and a drill
The antelope carcass provides hide for quiver and straps, gut for string

Toc: Per Malazan scholars, iron was discovered 500 years ago on Quon Tali, before that was bronze, before that was copper and tin, and before that was stone

Envy: Among Elder races, forging metals was already sophisticated such as Draconus’ Dragnipur
Toc: Investment of sorcery replaces technological advancement, bitter ideology Toc inherited from a High Priest

Envy takes a hot bath in the hide-leather tub the Seguleh set up

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Chapter 5 Scene 1 (Lamatath Plain, Toc)

Tool shows Toc the Younger how to make arrowheads

Anomander Rake, Caladan Brood, and the sorceress Queen of Dreams used to travel together
After some drama, Anomander Rake traveled with Lady Envy and the Soletaken Osric

Caladan Brood disappeared for centuries and reappeared with Burn’s hammer

After more drama, Osric disappeared leaving Anomander Rake and Lady Envy to travel together
Before the chaining of the Fallen One/Crippled God, Rake and Envy got into an argument and split

Rake was a part of the chaining, Envy was not

Toc is astonished how Lady Envy ensorcelled the Seguleh, fearsome warriors, into her slaves

Tool explains the Seguleh are a warrior caste, communicates only by asserting dominance through posturing and body language
The Seguleh ignore Toc because his unease conveys submission (LOL)
Mok has the mask with the twin marks, Toc guesses his rank is 3rd highest
Tool explains Senu was able to parry him with half-drawn blades before he got KO’d
Supposed legend of a Seguleh warrior with an unmarked mask
Toc wonders why the Seguleh are on the continent, Tool tells him to ask the youngest, Toc figures he can’t ask because he’s technically subordinate and tells Tool to do it

Tool immediately walks up to Senu (the youngest)

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Chapter 5 Scene 1 (Lamatath Plain, Toc)

Tool asks Senu why they’re here

In an archaic Darujhistan dialect, Senu responds that they’re as punitive army as unarmed Pannion priests invade the Seguleh homeland, disrupting their training
The Seguleh Blackmasks - First Level initiates - slaughter everyone who comes to the island
However, the Pannion Domin won’t stop sending their priests, thus the punitive army seeks to kill the person that keeps sending them to their island so it can stop
The Pannion Priests want to convert the Seguleh, the Seguleh don’t care, and the Priests warned of sending an army to the island
This makes the Seguleh happy and eager for that so they invite them to war, but are confused by the Pannion’s insult at the invitation

The Seguleh are now tired of talking and just want to kill them and be done with it

Senu is 14 years old, Eleventh Level initiate

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Chapter 5 Scene 2 (Lamatath Plain, Toc)

Lady Envy eats while wearing a midnight blue robe and hair tied in a single braid

Thurule suddenly attacks Tool with his twin swords and they disappear into the darkness beyond the cookfire
Senu continues tending to the cookfire as Mok watches

Lady Envy is amused by the fight and recounts of Anomander Rake’s ignorant visit to the Seguleh island centuries ago

Rake took human form and wore a mask as he walked through their city’s main street, bowing to no one
Rake spent only two bells (hours) on the island fighting before escaping into his warren out of exhaustion
Mok recognizes Rake as Blacksword and speaks
Mok states that the Seguleh demand Rake take his rightful position at 7th, after he defeated the then 7th position warrior, and claim the seven marked mask, claiming superiority as the 3rd

Tool returns dragging Thurule’s unconscious body

Mok refuses that Lady Envy heal Thurule magically, Lady Envy gets pissed and knocks him back with a flare of sorcery and chastises him to remember his place, and then promptly heals Thurule
Tool is satiated with the challenge, especially only using the flat of his blade which gets Mok’s attention

Lady Envy denies any more duels for the night and demands dinner to be set up, and flirts again with Toc

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Chapter 5 Scene 3 (Near Pale, Quick Ben)

Whiskeyjack, Quick Ben, and Mallet return to the battlefield of the Siege of Pale

Mallet says Paran’s flesh is tainted with ascendant blood and an ascendant place, but neither are causing his sickness
The blood and the places Paran’s visited Mallet describes as shoves deeper into a corridor. The more he tries to escape the metaphorical corridor, the more sick he becomes
Paran is nearly an ascendant, the tale of his traveling Dragnipur is frightening because it is unprecedented, and Paran’s link to the Hounds makes him unpredictable

Quick Ben suggests shoving him further down the corridor, of which they don’t know what’s at the end

Keeping Paran near Silverfox is one such way
The group wonder who Nightchill really is, a Malazan yet mysterious. Of Rashan, the human warren, Path of Darkness
Quick Ben remembers several Nightchill before even the Malazan Empire: First Age of the Nathilog Wars, Liberation of Karakarang on the Seven Cities continent 900 years ago, the Seti tribe’s expulsion from the Fenn region on Quon Tali 2000 years ago
QB decides not to talk about the Crippled God declaring war on everything

WJ orders to shove Paran when they can, QB to research Nightchill, Mallet to explain Paran’s situation to Spindle, and all three mages to always stay close to Paran

The group return to Brood’s camp

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Chapter 5 Scene 4 (Brood’s camp, Whiskeyjack)

WJ reaches Dujek’s tent, Artanthos takes WJ’s horse, and WJ heads inside
With drinks of ale, WJ and Dujek discuss

Moon’s Spawn might not be seen again until they reach Coral, unknown why Rake wants to even be involved against the Pannion Domin
Twist confirms the Black Moranth’s ability for stealthy resupply on the march to the Pannion Domin, and posts where they’ll be ready to attack
QB initiating communication with the mercenaries The Grey Swords in Capustan
Unease about Silverfox and the T’lan Imass

Kellanved showed constraint with the T’lan Imass besides the mess at Aren

The leave of the Crimson Guard is huge loss. Brood possibly needs them than they need him
WJ thinks they can annex half of Genabackis with the T’lan Imass as allies
The threat of Kallor against Silverfox, Caladan Brood with Burn’s hammer the one preventing him
Kallor had visited Dujek, persuasive enough to evaporate enmity towards him. Saying deserved WJ’s bitch slap

They continue to drinking, waiting on an emissary from Darujhistan

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Chapter 5 Scene 5 (Brood’s Tent, the Mhybe)

Caladan Brood is wondering is Kallor is right to kill Silverfox, pained to see the Mhybe dying before his eyes

The Mhybe explains that Silverfox is growing as fast as possible because she is unable to control or effectively use the millennia of memories and experience in her while she’s in an immature child’s body
The Mhybe guesses Kallor fears Silverfox’s ‘untempered power’ and Silverfox grows to alleviate his fears
The group is aware a secret is between Kallor and Silverfox, having to do with one of the souls in her

The Mhybe has searched what she can of the souls in Silverfox

Bellurdan Skullcrusher, the Theloman, is so faint he only exists as memory in Nightchill
Information and senses about Tattersail comforts the Mhybe
The Mhybe and Korlat learned that Nightchill was ambushed by Tayschrenn, whom Nightchill feels a seething anger towards for vengeance, flashes of darkness in Silverfox is attributed to Nightchill’s soul

The group also wants to support Tattersail in dominating Silverfox’s soul, and wants to have faith in Whiskeyjack and Paran

If Nightchill shows signs of domination, Caladan Brood has plans to more directly support Tattersail

The group leaves to meet with the Malazans

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Chapter 5 Scene 6 (Near Pale, the Mhybe)

The Malazans, the Genabackan army, and the emissary from Darujhistan arrive

Kruppe steps out of a decorated carriage and pretends to be the representative of Baruk
The Mhybe tells him she was in his dream, and Kruppe immediately understands the situation with the Mhybe and Silverfox
Caladan Brood asks what Elder God was present in the dream, Kruppe dances around the question
A second carriage arrives, Murillio yells at Kruppe, Councilor Coll and Councilor Estraysian D’arle step out and introduce themselves, apologize, and offer to send Kruppe away
Caladan Brood says they need Kruppe

‘Kruppe and the truth are lifelong partners, friend Coll! Indeed, wedded bliss – we only yesterday celebrated out fortieth anniversary, the mistress of veracity and I.’
Kruppe is at least 40 years old

Kruppe and Crone joke at each other

Kruppe says Crone should be a dog (Crone imitated a dog in GotM)

Caladan Brood loses patience and storms towards the encampment

A look from the Mhybe makes Whiskeyjack laugh and they all follow

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Chapter 5 Scene 7 (Brood’s Tent, Paran)

Paran reunites with Coll, remembering their meeting at the campfire

After Paran met Silverfox for the first time and Coll after being attacked by Lorn sustaining a thigh wound. Paran helped carry Coll back to Darujhistan

WJ serves drinks and explains that Paran’s squad stole the map table last night and so they're using a wagon bed as a makeshift table
Kruppe drinks ale and eats Rhivi sweetcakes

Estraysian D’arle begins the meeting by expressing difficulties in maintaining the supply routes to the armies, esp. with the stone bridge over the Catlin River destroyed (where Gruntle started)

Caladan Brood just wants to stay north of the river and march directly to Capustan
Coll and D’arle express difficulties in maintaining that particular overland route, relying on private enterprises

Kruppe explains each Council member have their own individual interests in mercantile companies, the loans given to the armies in exchange for purchasing supplies will be tied to specific Council members

Kruppe mentions Challice D’arle getting married to a hero of the fete
Internal politics and backdoor dealings have made things complicated

Thus Kruppe proposes the Trygalle Trade Guild

Darujhistan used them once to deliver funds to Dujek Onearm
The TTG doesn't bid on any contracts because they demand a ‘king’s ransom’ for accomplishing their missions monkatter how nightmarish the logistics
Coll calls Kruppe out for investing in TTG and Kruppe assures it's for everyone's interest

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Chapter 5 Scene 8 (Brood's Camp, Crone)

Crone leaves the tent and flies around after being bored of discussion of logistics

Acknowledges that Kruppe is hiding a brilliant mind
Senses magic from the Rhivi’s mortuary tent and heads over
Sneaks into the tent and under the map table which she recognizes

Spindle does a Deck reading

A new card for a new ascendant appears, currently dormant and passive, is the glue that holds everything together
Obelisk dominates, the dolmen of time is the core, first time in decades
Soldier of High House Death right hand to obelisk
Magi of Shadow, first time, great deception at work
Captain of High House Light holds out hope, Hood’s Herald (Death) shades it
Assassin of High House Shadow acquired a new face and they recognize Kalam

Spindle believes The Whirlwind has risen in Seven Cities
Crone sees the new card on the underside of the table staring back at her

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Chapter 5 Scene 9 (Brood’s Camp, the Mhybe)

The Mhybe sees Silverfox asleep while Kruppe explains the TTG contract and leaves the tent

Feels Silverfox is draining her at a faster rate, needs a break as she feels old age gripping her bones
Paran leaves the tent and asks her where someone would hide a map table, they walk together to the tent of Shrouds

The Mhybe says she's glad Tattersail is dominating Silverfox’s personality and asks Paran what's she like

Paran says that the Rhivi might think the Malazan was a relentless monster conquering city after city, but the Malazans were always poorly supplied, outnumbered, no familiarity with their surroundings, and being chewed by all sides
It was the mage cadres Tattersail was in and the Moranth that kept them alive
Mentions a schism among the Moranth occurred after the Gold suffered loss streak, only the Black’s alchemical munitions and the Blue on the over-sea routes to Seven Cities

Crone leaves the Shrouds tent and flies away frightened of Paran
Corporal Picker leaves the tent and is stunned to see Paran, saying they found the ‘purloined table’

Spindle recognizes Paran as the new card
Paran orders the four of them (Picker, Blend, Spindle, and Hedge) to return the table themselves

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Chapter 5 Scene 10 (Bridgeburner Camp, Paran)

A bell before sunrise, Paran heads to the Bridgeburner camp and sees Whiskeyjack saddling his horse

WJ got tired of Kruppe talking about the TTG and left
The TTG has been fully endorsed, satisfied with guarantees for overland supply route,
The meeting currently discussing the envoys attached: Kruppe and Coll

WJ informs that the Black Moranth will take the Bridgeburners to the Barghast Range

Trotts is to be detached from the company to contact the White Face barghast clan as the BB’s act as his escorts, not to be involved in Trotts’ negotiations
The Bridgeburners and White Face Clan are then to march to Capustan

Anomander Rake in dragon form has arrived and lands in the Tiste Andii camp

Paran sees a flickering silver aura around Rake
‘[Whiskeyjack could not see as I saw - he has not the blood for that.’

Whiskeyjack returns to Brood’s camp and offers to send Silverfox to Paran for a last goodbye

Paran declines, ‘her presence in my head is torture enough’

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Chapter 5 Scene 11 (Tiste Andii Camp, the Mhybe)

The camp assembles around Anomander Rake’s arrival, tension in the air

The Mhybe remembers the few times she's seen Rake previously

Kallor calls for Anomander Rake to slay Silverfox and not to listen to Korlat’s sentiment

Rake responds sentiment keeps him from slaying Kallor
Rake asks the Mhybe if she agrees that since nature is indifferent to justice, it's up to sentient beings to impose morality

Rake then understands the camp has been waiting for him to come and decide what to do with Silverfox

Caladan Brood and Korlat, Brood not tolerating Dragnipur unsheathed in his camp
Tension builds in silence, the Mhybe senses power emanating from Artanthos, his cape covering his body
Rake to Kallor, ‘It seems you stand alone’. ‘It was ever thus’
Whiskeyjack rides in on his horse, dismounts in front of Silverfox, and plants his sword between him and Rake

‘I stand here’

Rake sends a grainy grey wave past WJ and embrace Silverfox, probing to find out what she is

Silverfox violently dissipates Rake’s wave - Tattersail, Nightchill, and possibly even Bellurdan having a shared rage against Rake (Siege of Pale)

‘Well, I have never before had my hand slapped in such a fashion.’

Rake reaches for Dragnipur, Brood unclasps Burn’s hammer, WJ raises his sword, Kallor stands by Rake

Suddenly the Shrouds tent explodes, Kruppe hanging by his leg on the flying map table with pastries falling from him

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Chapter 5 Scene 12 (Bridgeburner Camp, Picker, Paran, Mhybe)

The Bridgeburners were preparing for the Black Moranth arrival as Paran suddenly vanishes

Picker is the only one to Witness and yells at Spindle to get Quick Ben because someone snatched Paran

Paran suddenly appeared in the middle of Rake, Brood, etc. with all their weapons drawn

Paran looks up to see the map table spinning in the air carrying Kruppe
Paran recognizes himself in the image painted in bright glowing colors
Paran immediately keels over in pain

The Mhybe sees Silverfox sends power to snap the map table’s legs, dropping Kruppe Into the Tiste Andii crowd

The painting faces Rake and Kallor, sorcery emanating and covering Paran below in silver chains

Quick Ben stands next to the Mhybe and says that's the biggest Deck card he's ever seen

QB steps forward with raised hands, calling attention to himself to retrieve Paran
QB says it’s not smart to act before knowing anything about what’s going on with Silverfox
Kruppe steps unknowingly between Paran and Rake and asks if the meeting was over

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Chapter 5 Scene 13 (Finnest House, Paran)

Paran finds himself in the T-intersection hallway in the Finnest House made completely of roots

He recognizes Rallick Nom and Vorcan slumbering against a bronze door
Raest, whose body is mangled, greets Paran as the guardian of the Azath House

Raest guides him into a circular chamber, down a spiral staircase

Raest answers that Paran that Rallick Nom and Vorcan are the only ones the House allowed into the House and whom Raest doesn’t care to wake up
Raest tells him Paran has been chosen as the Master of the Deck, Paran whines, Raest mocks him
The Azath needs a Master of the Deck because a war involving all entities. Houses, gods, mortals

Seven stories down Paran reaches a landing, Raest tells him to walk into the darkness

Three steps, Paran the darkness reveals a flagstone room. The root spiral staircase and Raest is gone
On the floor were carved images of the Deck of Dragons including lost Houses, forgotten Unaligned

Focusing on one card, Paran traveled into a scene in cold wind looking at a hut made of tusks holding up a fur-hide tent, inside a small hearth and skulls of various animals facing inward, appearing to be newly-abandoned

Twin thrones made of bones set on a dais of skulls more Imass than human
Paran recognizes it to be The Hold of the Beasts, long before the (T’lan Imass) First Throne and the Ritual of Tellann

Guesses the warren of Tellann was created in the Ritual, aspected of dust

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Chapter 5 Scene 13 (Finnest House, Paran)

One step back and Paran returned to the flagstone room

Paran looks at another card of Burn, the Sleeping Goddess, skin like earth and oceans
Noticed a dark welt, nauseating Paran, at the center a broken figure chained to Burn’s flesh, flowing poison from the chain’s into Burn
Paran sensed that Burn chose to sleep less than two thousand years ago to escape her flesh and battle the one who poisons her, making her entire spirit into a hammer capable of breaking anything, now in Caladan Brood’s hands

Breaking the Crippled God’s chains would unleash his vengeance and wipe all life from the world, which Burn is indifferent to and simply would begin anew

Caladan Brood denies Burn’s wishes

One step back and Paran stood next to Raest, weeping

Raest asks if it was a gift or a curse, Paran replies both
Raest asks if Paran weeps in joy or sorrow, Paran responds he wants to go home

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Chapter 5 Scene 14 (Tiste Andii Camp, Paran)

Paran wakes up in the clearing, realizing only moments passed

Silverfox put a hand on his shoulder. The Mhybe, Kruppe, and Quick Ben stood nearby
Silverfox had drew on power to pull Paran here
Paran feels that he and Silverfox are destined to arrive at the Second Gathering together, wonders who the twin thrones are for and where Silverfox will lead the T’lan Imass

Anomander Rake agrees with Quick Ben that acting now before know the nature of Silverfox’s powers is not smart

Tension is lifted and everyone sheathes their weapons
Kallor is ignored
Quick Ben offers to do something about the floating table, garners interests from Anomander Rake
QB requests Rake not to probe him, Rake relents

Kruppe asks if anyone’s hungry and everyone looks at him

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Chapter 5 Scene 15 (Tiste Andii Camp, Mhybe)

When no one’s looking, the Mhybe runs away, begs the Rhivi spirits to die, and falls hard onto the ground
Crone comes to her, genuinely cares and love her, and asks what she can do for the Mhybe

The Mhybe wants to die because she’s beginning to hate her daughter for taking her life and aging her body, feels helpless because she knows it must be done but as her cost

Korlat approaches and helps the Mhybe stand

The Mhybe wants to go back to her tent to kill herself
Korlat denies her, the Mhybe lashes out, and Korlat remains by her side

Crone sat atop a tent's ridgepole, wings hunched, eyes glittering wet. 'I am not immune to grief, you see, my dear – tell no-one you have seen me so weakened by love. How can I comfort you?'

'I do not accept your words, my love. And I shall find a way. This I swear.'

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Chapter 5 Scene 16 (Brood’s Tent)

Caladan Brood and Anomander Rake discuss as Quick Ben takes down the floating map table

Caladan Brood explains if Burn dies from the Crippled God’s poison, the poison would spread to all other warrens and kill sorcery, not shattering his chains would only delay the inevitable
1200 years of burden that Rake, Brood, and the Queen of Dreams agreed to

Rake laments that he and the Queen of Dreams had abandoned Caladan Brood for personal interests

Brood says Burn’s hammer may be out of his control because of the poison in her body

Rake believes the warren of Chaos is at the heart of the Pannion Domin, and the poison of the Crippled God might be chaos as well. Such a coincidence has to suggest a link
Brood says they do need help and spends the rest of the time talking about Silverfox

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Chapter 5 Scene 17 (Tiste Andii Camp, Whiskeyjack)

Paran looks sick, Quick Ben is in a sorcerous trance studying the map table

Kallor yells at Whiskeyjack, WJ ignores him
Paran says WJ should choose another captain, WJ remains adamant

QB returns and explains the map table is an Unaligned card

Funnily enough as the table was for playing with the Deck of Dragons, it became the card for the Master of the Deck
Paran is almost an ascendant as Jen’isand Rul, doesn't know why the name is linked yet
QB planned to study the card some more and then deliver it to Baruk the alchemist for safekeeping before heading into the Pannion Domin
Silverfox, instead, has the Rhivi carry the table saying Paran will need it to stay with him, fighting more than one enemy

Kallor walks up invited and threatens to sever QB from the souls within him

QB creates a hole underneath Kallor that he falls into
Everyone bails when they see Kallor climbing out

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Chapter 5 Scene 18 (Near Pale, Whiskeyjack)

Time has passed since Anomander Rake had arrived

It's been four days since the Black Moranth transported Captain Paran and the Bridgeburners to the Vision Mountains
Onearm’s Host, 10,000 soldiers, march out of Pale to join Caladan Brood’s army towards Capustan

Whiskeyjack knows QB is nervous

Silverfox has grown 5 years since they've met her. The Mhybe is almost completely drained and they fear the gathering of the T’lan Imass
QB is scared of Anomander Rake’s growing interest in him
The mercenary company The Grey Swords are playing with QB’s attempt at communication

WJ asks what QB is up to with all the strange things he's been doing

Visiting every temple and seer, burning money on Deck readers, sacrificing a goat atop a Rhivi barrow at dawn

‘All right, the goat thing stinks of desperation. I admit it. I got carried away.’

QB incidentally learned that something had snatched the Rhivi spirits from their barrows and now they're all empty

The conversation ends

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Chapter 6 Scene 1 (Saltoan, Gruntle)

Saltoan was one of the oldest and used to be a rich trade city until the river had diverted from the city four hundred years ago

The city is dirty and crumbling, its Horse Guard sent to join Caladan Brood’s army leaving the lawless city even more volatile
Saltoan has little traffic, diseased chickens and rats roam the streets

Gruntle’s group reach Saltoan and pass through the main gate

The main street becomes a path that buildings were built to make the path narrow and trap carriages, making them vulnerable to bandits and thieves which Stonny had advised against taking
Gruntle had previously slaughtered half a tenement block escaping from thieves

Keruli’s carriage managed to squeeze into a clearing as kids crowd and briefly follow them before disappearing

Further down the street Gruntle notices there's no traffic
Nektara, a ruffian the group knows, stands in front of them
Keruli had a prior arrangement to meet with Saltoan’s true rulers of its underworld and they accept Nektara and her gang as their escort through the city

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Chapter 6 Scene 2 (Saltoan Tavern, Gruntle)

The group smoke hookah at a bar, and Nektara plays with Stonny as Keruli takes center stage addressing the crime lords and ladies of Saltoan

Pannion Priests have infiltrated Saltoan sowing seeds of discord among its people
Slaughtering the priests does not stop the Pannion Domin
The Pannion Domin is a tyranny cruel to its own people
The Tenescowri, cannibals and rapists

Women rape men on the battlefield just as they die and take their seed, giving birth to the generation of followers, the Children of the Dead Seed

The divine protection, rights, and privileges the priests use to lure commoners are granted only to its original citizens, non-citizens are denied food and clean water and forced to join the Tenescowri

Essentially persuading the lower common people with lies of a better life under the Pannion Domin only to become their cannibal slave army

Keruli urges the crime lords and ladies to fight the Pannion Priests off by spreading the truth about their practices and exposing their lies

Gruntle rememberers being hired by Keruli in Darujhistan

Guesses that he's a priests, unknown to which god, remembers a new temple in Darujhistan dedicated to Treach, the Tiger of Summer

Gruntle and Harllo overheard something about murders over the four past nights

Gruntle believes its Korbal Broach

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Chapter 6 Scene 3 (Saltoan Tavern, Gruntle)

Gruntle, Stonny, and Harllo banter in the back room of the tavern until Keruli enters
Keruli finished his persuasion of Saltoan’s underworld to his side

‘War, alas, must be fought on more than one kind of battlefield.’

Revealed that Keruli and his guards are ultimately heading to Capustan

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Chapter 6 Scene 4 (Saltoan, Gruntle)

Gruntle, knowing that the first half of the travel to Capustan is most vulnerable to Saltoan bandits, stayed behind while Keruli, Stonny, and Harllo went ahead

Keeping watching for bandits that would pursue Keruli, Gruntle saw no one leave confirming that Keruli had been guaranteed safe passage by the crime lords

Gruntle departed, coming across bandit corpses three days old. Noticing that their bodies blackened and all thing metal had melted, but clothing and leather were untouched

Gruntle guesses these bandits had attacked Bauchelain and Korbal Broach, immediately defeated by sorcery
Gruntle catches up with Keruli and Harllo just as Stonny returns from scouting ahead
Stonny reports three White Face Barghast were ahead making camp, heading the same direction

Keruli wishes to invite the White Face Barghast with them to reach Capustan before the city becomes besieged by the Pannion Domin

If they're too late, Keruli is willing to sneak past the Pannion army into Capustan by himself
Stonny storms off, against the idea of inviting the Barghast

The Barghast approach wearing armor made of coins of various denominations and currencies

Hetan, Cafal, and Netok are siblings that have been looking for rumored demons stalking the plains for the past two to three months

‘I enjoy killing and riding men and little else’, Hetan growled

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Chapter 6 Scene 5 (To Capustan, Gruntle)

Gruntle and Hetan are the last ones awake for the night

Hetan describes the demons as having larging eagle talons on their legs, blades for arms, sunken pits for eyes, and smell of cremation urns as if from a barrow
The barghast shouldermen have seen the demons in their dreams
Hetan’s father the warchief had been chosen to deal with the demons, thus he sent his children to scout first

Hetan and Gruntle sleep together

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Chapter 6 Scene 6 (To Capustan, Gruntle)

Traveling on the road with the Barghast range to their north (left hand side)

Hetan explains that the barghast would bury trees, carved with shouldermen magic, upside down to anchor the spirits to the land, inner dark circle wards, and keep them from wandering

Sometimes a sticksnare spirit will send dreams to warn the barghast

Stonny traveled ahead almost out of sight, the barghast brothers flanking the carriage on each side

Barghast cover their bodies with grease, keeps the flies away

Stonny reports Bauchelain’s carriage ahead, damaged and laying on its side, the oxen grazing peacefully nearby

The group go to search: Hetan with a hook bladed sword, Cafal with his lance, Netok with his two handed axe
The ground was burned, a low mound and inverted tree appears like it was struck by lightning

Bauchelains carriage look like it was attacked by huge blades

Inside, a trunk was opened scattering stone slabs with arcane symbols etched on them. The other trunk spilled out an abomination of a knee-high human shaped mass of organs sewn together, an attempt of Necromancy

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Chapter 6 Scene 6 (To Capustan, Gruntle)

Bauchelain and Korbal Broach armed with leathers, black crossbows, and expended quivers, along with Emancipor Reese and Buke return to the carriage

Buke appeared aged and weary, avoided eye contact
Bauchelain remarks how interesting that there are barghast on other continents with the same name and practising identical customs
The spirit of a barghast shaman Bauchelain had encountered from the barrow told him the barghast used to be far more numerous, former accomplished seafarers, their culture and ancestor worship kept their people stagnant
The shaman had escaped the inner bindings of the barrow, but was trapped in a bundle of sticks, twine, and cloth

B+KB broke into a dark ward and released three undead creatures (Hetan’s undead) controlled remotely by another entity

Lost many necromantic servants (Barghast) fending themselves which angers Hetan

Gruntle and Hetan pull back to speak with Keruli

Keruli has suspicions to what the undead servants are, believes the Pannion Seer controls them and sends them to Saltoan, with more undead servants behind the group than ahead of them
Proposes allying with K+KB for another four days until they reach Capustan

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Chapter 6 Scene 6 (To Capustan, Gruntle)

Returning to talking with B+KB

The sticksnare friend tracks the undead servants, a league away from the group (3 miles, 4.8km)
Gruntle asks why they want to go to Capustan, Bauchelain says they’re natural wanderers, arrived on the west coast and simply want to reach the east coast
Gruntle suggests Elingarth to the south which stretches further east, though mostly bandit and pirate holdings

Gruntle approaches Buke and tells him he saw what was inside the carriage and that he needs to leave

Buke breaks his silence and is traumatized by K+KB’s demon summoning and necromancy, yet still not enough to defeat a single undead servant, further mortified by Emancipor Reese’s stories of his travels for three years
Emancipor Reese’s cat ran away

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Chapter 6 Scene 7 (To Capustan, Gruntle)

The group continues traveling together

Gruntle walks with Buke ahead of the group, tries talking him out of killing himself hanging out because they’re the same person
K+KB are exhausted repairing the carriage, Gruntle hopes Keruli is a priest that can help defend them

At sunset, the group settles down and makes camp

Keruli and K+KB are in their carriages, Harllo cooks before Hetan drags him away
Stonny is disgusted and gets rejected by Buke and Cafal before Netok agrees to sleep with her
Emancipor Reese speaks up, traveled with K+KB because it was either his wife or the K+KB’s travel posting and hasn’t regret his decision.
A loud yowl noise marks Reese’s cat coming back

Bauchelain emerges from his carriage with the sticksnare friend’s warning of the undead servants’ approach

Korbal Broach casts sorcerous light illuminating the camp as the people that were having sex come back

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Chapter 6 Scene 7 (To Capustan, Gruntle)

The group prepares for battle

Barghast perform a ritual: stabbing three lances into the ground, tying cord between them to hang feather and bone fetishes, each having a double-bladed axe, then picking their lance and then begin a chant
Keruli, wearing a water-shimmering cape, offers protection in a small range around him
Gruntle wears his twin cutlasses, Harllo his two-handed sword, Stonny her rapier and sticker

Gruntle tells Stonny to stay back, wtf are her weapons going to do

Keruli says his god is Elder, newly woken from thousands of years of sleep

Cuts his hand, blood dripping on the grass making the air smell of slaughter

The sticksnare friend appears as five pairs of giant steps are heard from the east

The barghast end their chanting, fog coiling at their feet and grows to cover all three in a fog cloud

Giant armored undead dinosaurs with swords for arms appear

Keruli recognizes them as K’Chain Che’Malle. These ones are specifically K’ell Hunters, firstborn of the K’Chain Che’Malle matron’s children whose arms had been replaced by swords
The Pannion Seer hesitate at the barghast sorcery before sending the five K’ell Hunters to attack

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Chapter 6 Scene 7 (To Capustan, Gruntle)

Three K’ell Hunters attack the barghast cloud, two attack K+KB

Three sorcery-invested lances from the cloud strike the lead K’ell Hunter, making sound like striking tree trunks, tearing the its flesh, shattering its neck, and making it collapse
K+KB covered their two K’ell Hunters in roiling black waves of sorcery, slashing them and splashing acid that disintegrates their flesh, greeting them in chain mail and long swords

A sixth K’ell Hunter with markings covering its skin and steel spikes on its spine, charged towards Keruli

Gruntle should-tackled Keruli out of the way and blocked a horizontal slash

Gruntle’s left wrist breaks and disarmed both cutlasses

Harllo blocks the K’ell Hunters second blade with his two handed sword and both blades shatter violently, the shards cutting up Harllo’s face and chest
The K’ell Hunter kicks Gruntle upward, slamming his head into its jaw
Gruntle falls breathlessly and is pinned by the K’ell Hunter’s talons, digging into his armor and chest, making him cough up blood
The K’ell Hunter is attacked and Gruntle is tossed into the air, crashing into the carriage.

Gruntle feels like he’s dying, hears someone screaming, opens his eyes to see nothing but darkness

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Angel1802

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Book Two:

Hearthstone

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Corporal Nobbs made a fucking 3D map of Capustan how cool is this shit

https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/model/6eb4d54dce9346e25c51247c33bb9fee/Capustan?hl=en

Check this link out to explore the 3D map model

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Chapter 7 Scene 1 (Capustan, Karnadas)

The Triumvirate:

Destriant (deh-stry-ant): mortal representative
Mortal Sword: mortal sword, manifestation of god’s own weapon and commander of the god’s army
Shield Anvil: mortal repository of the dead, mortal soul to assume the sorrow of the world on behalf of a god

Destriant Karnadas, wearing boar-maned cape, stands on a parapet of the Grey Sword barracks in the howling wind

The barracks were empty for almost a century until the Grey Swords arrived
Adjacent to the barracks is Prince Jelarkan’s Palace; an alien grey building that’s “chaotic confusion of planes, angles, overhangs, and seemingly pointless ledges”
Inside, Mortal Sword Brukhalian, Prince Jelarkan, and Masked Council representatives are in a meeting

Infuriating back and forth between proposals and rejections by the Masked Council resulting in inaction

The Grey Swords worship Fener, the Boar of Summer, a god of war

Can’t rely on their own Mask Council representative Rath’Fener
Heboric was an ex-High Priest of Fener

Rath’Fener proclaimed himself Fener’s Destriant, but Karnadas is the true Destriant
Brukhalian holds back Karnadas from revealing himself as Destriant until the time is right

Shield Anvil Itkovian approaches Karnadas and tells him the meeting is done and Brukhalian wants to see him

Blue chain surcoat, grey rain-cape, cuffed gauntlets slick and black from the rain
The Grey Swords anticipate the Pannion Domin crossed the Catlin River, Itkovian is to lead two wings (cavalry of fifteen soldiers each) to draw first blood

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Chapter 7 Scene 1 (Capustan, Karnadas)

Karnadas and Itkovian descend the tower spiral stairs and reach the Central Round

Brukhalian, long wavy black hair down to his waist, stands looking at the hearthfire

Brukhalian says that Rath’Trake believes demonic apparitions appeared west of the city (K’Chain Che’Malle)

Trake another name for Treach, Tiger of Summer, a god of war like Fener
Trake/Treach is a First Hero that recently claimed godhood

Itkovian leaves with his wing units
Brukhalian and Karnadas discuss the invitation for communication and decide to accept

With a gesture, Karnadas summons a small pulsing orb of light made in the Fener’s Reve language, suggesting the sender has intimate knowledge about Fener’s cult

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Chapter 7 Scene 1 (Capustan, Karnadas)

The orb shows an image of Quick Ben sitting in a tent

The sorcery QB made reflected the target’s faith if the recipient was a priest
Since Daru and Capan dialects are similar, they're able to understand each other
QB believed the message was received by the Mask Council, interested that it's someone else
Learning they're mercenaries, QB calls them over-priced sword hackers
Brukhalian takes offense and says that they number 7,000 and growing with 1,200 new acolytes. Many of whom are women since Capustan forbids women from war and also throw 2nd or 3rd born daughters into the street
Brukhalian explains the complicated situation about the struggle of power between Prince Jelarkan and the Masked Council
Karnadas is impressed QB knows so much about Fener’s cult
QB believes Caladan Brood would be happy to be in contact with a Mortal Sword
Brukhalian says there are 60,000 Pannions, QB says they have surprises to match
They agree to contact again two bells before dawn

Karnadas senses several souls, believes multiple mages were involved in the communication ritual rather this his initial hunch of ‘many souls within one’

Karnadas and Brukhalian already believe Capustan will fall regardless of what they do, but defend anyways

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Chapter 7 Scene 2 (To Capustan, Quick Ben)

Quick Ben believes the triumvirate titles are for show and they’re lying

Before the Deck of Dragons assigned Knight roles to Houses, Fener had his own cult. Titles of Destriant, Mortal Sword, Shield Anvil which haven’t been used in over a thousand years
QB believes they were fooled by their ‘accidental’ contact, but was surprised that the Grey Swords’ nature was pious faith

Whiskeyjack leaves to see Dujek and Caladan Brood

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Chapter 7 Scene 3 (Capustan, Itkovian)

Itkovian makes a stop at the cemetary across the barracks to study the city’s history

Ancient dried mud columns stand like a forest, each holding a corpse, surrounded by modern Daru cremation urns
Studying history, philosophy, and religion led to understanding motivation, tactics, and strategy
Continues leading his wing units through the South gate
Raining and about to be sun rise

Studying the city itself, each district was a Camp descended from individual tribal camps that settled by the Catlin River for trade, each path between the round camps were the city’s streets

The city’s architecture was unpainted, but the people of each camp wore bright colors celebrating their tribes
‘The beauty of Capustan lies in its people, not in its buildings…’
Jelarkan’s Palace and the barracks predated the tribal Camps, totally weird and alien

The wing units leave through the Main Gate, ride westward past the farms, into open prairies

14 leagues away, the sky cleared up and is sunny blue
A young unnamed female acolyte and only recruit comes along in the company to be trained
2 leagues more until the company found a trail of [K’Chain Che’malle] tracks striding with speed northwest this morning

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Chapter 7 Scene 3 (Near Capustan, Itkovian)

Following the tracks, the company reaches a rise looking over a basin

At the center, a K’ell Hunter stood looking at the company

The company approached and initiated combat

Archers shot arrows at the K’ell Hunter’s eye sockets and neck to no effect. No blood, not slowed
The K’ell Hunter charged forward, ignored their lance attacks, and sliced soldiers and horses with ease
The K’ell Hunter missed a bite attack against Itkovian, he backhand swings his sword against its armour
Itvokian’s horse collapsed, Itkovian mercy kills his horse, and they both fall to the ground and sees his horse’s hind hooves had been sliced off. The horse dies
The K’ell Hunter killed several other soldiers and horses
As the K’ell Hunter stepped towards Itkovian, lassos wrapped and yanked the Hunter’s neck and leg opposite directions, by four warhorses to each rope, making the creature fall and dislocating its leg and head. The K’ell Hunter dies

One archer on horseback grabs Itkovian’s arm and swings him back to sit on the horse

Four more K’Chain Che’Malle 400 paces away were running towards them

The archer and Itkovian’s horse freaks out and bucks Itkovian off

Itkovian lands at the feet of a T’lan Imass that spoke in Elin (language of Elingarth, southern Genabackis)
An army of T’lan Imass defeats the four undead K’ell Hunters, losing sixty T’lan Imass

The T’lan Imass introduces himself as Pran Chole, of the Kron T’lan Imass, come for the Gathering
Itkovian looks back at his unit and sees that 20/30 of his soldiers are dead

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Chapter 7 Scene 3 (Near Capustan, Itkovian)

Itkovian is worried that the engagement had broken the female recruit

Over 10,000 T’lan Imass standing organized in rank around them
Itkovian plans to lead 7 other men west as bait for the K’Chain Che’Malle, so the T’lan Imass who travel invisibly as dust can ambush them, while the recruit and another rider accompanied by a group of T’lan Imass return to Capustan
The recruit says she’s that decision is no mercy or compassion to her and Itkovian agrees to let her stay

‘Soldiers are issued armour for their flesh and bones, but they must fashion their own for their souls. Piece by piece.'

She looked down at the blood spattered across her uniform. 'It has begun.'

Itkovian was silent for a moment, studying the recruit at his side. 'The Capan are a foolish people, to deny freedom to their women. The truth of that is before me.'

She shrugged. 'I am not unique.'

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Chapter 7 Scene 3 (Near Capustan, Itkovian)

The female recruit joins the other soldiers

Itkovian orders a soldier, Sidlis, to return to the Destriant and Mortal Sword so that the T’lan Imass emissaries can speak to them in private

Kron gave Pran Chole orders to tell them that the K’ell Hunters are a K’Chain Che’Malle matriarch’s children, bred for fighting . The ones they fought are undead, escaped from the barrows at Morn under the command of a matriarch

Itkovian shares that the enemy to the south is the Pannion Domin ruled by a Seer, a mortal man
Pran Chole reveals that “Pannion” is a Jaghut word, a Jaghut name

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Chapter 7 Scene 4 (Lamatath Plain, Toc)

Toc studies Baaljagg, the ay companion (extinct wolf species) as Baaljagg looks back at him with one eye

Lady Envy, with Garath and Mok, travelled via warren to the city Callows to resupply and Toc suspects she's doing more than that
Tool went hunting and the other two Seguleh were in the distance by themselves

Toc thinks about what Dujek is doing and considers Onearm’s Host to be his family

Thinks it's too much of a coincidence that he appeared at Morn where a renegade T’lan Imass, Lady Envy, and Seguleh met and everyone just happens to be going north toward the Pannion Domin
Toc feels like he's being used and manipulated, seeing what happened to his friend Paran and Oponn

Toc asks Baaljagg where her family is and answer came in images seen in his blind, scarred eye

Ay hunting oxen, both trapped in a sinkhole, watching from the mud’s edge
Scenes of running away, hungry
An Elder God hooded in a black cloak touches her forehead and says that she is the last, and that he will bring her a lost spirit as a gift
Baaljagg enters a dreamworld of paradise for her ay
The gift of the spirit eventually came and emerged with Baaljagg
Baaljagg seeks ‘redress’

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Chapter 7 Scene 4 (Lamatath Plain, Toc)

Tool comes back with hares for food and Toc asks what Baaljagg wants from Tool

Tool responds with sorrow that it's an end to her loneliness that he's helpless to provide
Toc is proud of the dozen ugly arrows he's fletched from Tool’s teachings

Toc asks why he hasn't seen another living thing since they've been on the plain

Tool answers there are animals that avoid them, but no people around them
Guesses it's the Tellann warren that surrounds him (the magic deadening aura that Tattersail exploded in), which is getting weaker because something draws his life force (Silverfox)
A group of ay-tog, yellow furred wolves, follow them out of curiosity

At the mention of wolves, Toc looks to Baaljagg and says ‘Ancient memories’

Tool says 📣‘Memories of ice’📣 and senses Toc and Baaljagg’s souls bound together
Toc says he receives visions from Baaljagg through his blind eye

Tool asks how Toc’s eye was scarred and learns a piece of Moon’s Spawn struck him

Tool says stone and mentions Menhir is the Deck of Holds version of Obelisk
Gives Toc the name Aral Fayle, from the phrase ‘Chen’re oral lich’fayale’ (touched by stone)
Toc asks what Tool’s name means: ‘Onos’ means clanless, ‘T’ means broken, ‘ool’ means veined, ‘lan’ means flint. Altogether it means clanless, flawed flint

Tool reveals Tarad, leader of the Tarad clan, had misplaced trust in Tool, his Bonecaster sister defied the Ritual of Tellann and thus weakened the Logros T’lan Imass, and his two other brothers went north to hunt and became lost forever. Tool commits the greatest crime of his people by traveling alone

Toc says Tool is returning to the T’lan Imass at the Gathering to which Tool remains silent

Baaljagg pads next to them and Senu and Thurule are looking at Toc

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Chapter 7 Scene 5 (Treach’s Vision, Toc)

In mid-sentence to the Seguleh about cooking food, Toc receives visions from Treach/Trake

Toc see’s Treach’s view in the present time, torn up by four undead K’Chain Che'Malle that were walking away

Toc gains Treach’s memories, the legacy of the First Empire, a name taken from the original First Empire of the Imass

The T’lan Imass had slaughtered the First Empire on the Seven Cities continent
The First Empire had ‘torn a warren to pieces on that distant continent. Turned the eastlands into molten stone that cooled and became something that defied sorcery’ (otataral island)
Remembers survivors like Ryllandaras (White Jackal) and Messremb (bear)
A one eyed wolf watches from a distant ridgeline

Back to the present as Treach lay dying

A slim dark figure casts black water like sorcery that withered the undead K’Chain Che'Malle
Treach drags himself towards a hill and encounters a flesh Imass with panther fur on her shoulder

The woman and Treach converse in the language of the First Empire

The woman’s people had destroyed the First Empire (T’lan Imass)
Treach asks for death, which is a human thing to ask for, strange for Treach known to have become primal after being in his tiger Soletaken form for so long
‘An Elder God is active once again, perhaps the most ancient one of all. Subtle moves have been made. Select mortals have been chosen, and are being shaped.’

The Elder God judged that he has need for a god of war

Toc’s vision shifts from Treach to the one eyed figure watching Treach from a distance

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Chapter 7 Scene 6 (Lamatath Plain, Toc)

Senu slaps Toc awake from his vision, tells him what an odd time to fall asleep as food is ready

Tool and Baaljagg look to the north
Toc explains he had visions of seeing Treach die to the north of them

Tool recites ‘Chen’re oral lich’fayale’ (touched by stone), Menhir, heart of memory

Kilava Onass (the Imass Toc saw in Treach’s vision, is Tool’s sister, and the Imass in the Prologue) approaches

Reaches out to the ay, Baaljagg, and they cuddle for a bit
Recognizes it was Toc who she sensed watching her through one of Treach’s eyes
Asks who is this mortal, who Tool felt worthy for his stone weapons
Feels that an Elder God is manipulating her and Tool, meeting together like this
Both of them have heard the call for the Gathering, but doesn’t know who sends it. Kilava will not attend and is on Genabackis for personal reasons

An Elder God speaks in Toc’s mind [K’rul]

‘She seeks redress’
Warns that the children of the Pannion Seer are suffering and must be saved out of compassion
‘A man who dreams has shown me this, and indeed, you shall soon see for yourself. Such gifts…’
The Elder God is going to send Toc to the Seer’s embrace knowing Toc won’t forgive the Elder God

Tool says Kilava doesn’t know compassion, but tells her to go to the Gathering in hopes of reconnecting with their kin

The siblings have a rift between them, but Tool’s proposal sparks hope that their relationship in the future
Kilava leaves

Toc turns around to see Tool on his knees, appearing to be in sorrow

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Chapter 7 Scene 6 (Lamatath Plain, Toc)

Toc turns around to see Tool on his knees, appearing to be in sorrow

Toc says there were lies in Tool’s words
Senu and Thurule unsheathe their weapons and walk towards Toc for “insulting” Tool
Tool halts them, says he’s immune to insults even from a friend

Toc puts a hand on Tool’s shoulder and explains the blood-ties remain, the breaking of Tool from his kin had failed

Tool looks up at Toc
Toc extends his hand, Tool grabs it and Toc pulls him up

Senu calls them Stoneblade and Stonearrow and says dinner is ready

Toc has earned the Seguleh’s respect

Tool decides to tell Toc about how he’s only known two other mortal humans, and the tale of Adjunct Lorn’s fall

Toc jokes that he was going to spend the night tossing bones with Senu and Thurule
Senu snaps at Toc overstepping his bounds (LOL)

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Chapter 7 Scene 7 (Callows, Lady Envy)

Callows was a beautiful trader port city, a merchant’s paradise

Copper-sheathed domes, minarets, ornate balconies with hanging gardens overlooking the streets

Lady Envy and Garath arrive 10 days after the population of 30,000 had been slaughtered

Rivers of bloody mud sludge flows in the street gutters completely covering the cobblestone underneath
Pyres outside by the roads
Masts visible from the gates, motionless

Garath led Envy through an alley into a tiny house with crappy furniture and rotting food over the hearth

Envy kicked away the reed mats, unveiled her warren as she waves her hand over the floorboards
The boards dissolved into dust, a circular hole remains, the smell of dampy, salty air flows up

Garath hops down and Lady Envy warren-slows her fall down into a plain stone chamber of blood sacrifice to the Elder God K’rul

Lady Envy asks if Callows’ slaughter was the work of the Matron and her undead K’ell Hunters
K’rul says no, neither the K’Chain Che’malle nor the Pannion Domin

Callows was slain by murderers from the sea controlled by the Chained God (pirates?!)

Lady Envy says she brought together unwitting servants as K’rul asked of her

Drains Envy’s energy to hold down the three Seguleh, keeping Mok the Third leagues away from Tool

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What Callows sort of looks like

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Chapter 7 Scene 7 (Callows, Lady Envy)

K’rul expected 300-400 Eleventh Level Seguleh. With the 2nd missing, K’rul was surprised the 1st (Seguleh leader) sent Mok the 3rd. K’rul only needs enough Seguleh to carve their way into the Pannion Seer’s throne room and fight a second front as the Malazan armies approach from the north
Lady Envy did not attend the first Chaining of the Crippled God and K’rul demands her to attend the second
K’rul shows her a vision that reveals the origin of warrens

Darkness, chaos, wild unfocused power. Order was savagely imposed.
Twin chambers to the heart: Kurald Galain, the Warren of Mother Dark & Starvald Demelain, the Warren of Dragons. The veins and arteries are warrens
Striding through warrens means to travel through K’rul’s flesh, to draw upon its power for sorvery is to draw K’rul’s own blood
The Crippled God poisoning the warrens is the reason why K’rul fears him
Anomander Rake, Draconus, Osric, and a few other entities know this truth about K’rul and the warrens

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Chapter 7 Scene 7 (Callows, Lady Envy)

K’rul explains the fallout of losing Dassem Ultor, First Sword of the Malazan Empire and Knight of High House Death (Hood), also known as Dessembrae

Broke away from High House Death when Hood had taken Dassem’s daughter during the Chaining of the Crippled God

Lady Envy is possibly to blame, with her absence Hood may have felt the need to take someone

Dassem’s fall possibly had led to the downfall of the Malazan Empire, the Throne of Shadow finding a new occupant, and other ‘domino effects’

Lady Envy agrees to help deal with the Pannion Domin, just one of the many threats from the Crippled God

K’rul warns that Toc’s scars makes his soul vulnerable to the Crippled God, and that something inside Toc is wild
Also warns not to use her warren near the Pannion Domin because K’rul’s blood is poisoned in that area

Lady Envy and Garath depart

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Chapter 7 Scene 8 (Near Capustan, Itkovian)

Itkovian and his men follow the trader road cautiously towards dark sorcery exploding in the hills ahead of them

Reaching the rise, they find two destroyed carriages with two survivors and T’lan Imass with 400-500 T’lan Ay already dispatching five K’ell Hunters

Itkovian speaks with Pran Chole

Pran Chole feels sorrow for involving the Ay in the Ritual of Tellann, believing it to be out of love now had cursed the animals to become empty husks
Itkovian believes even the dead have majesty, Pran Chole agrees about the T’lan Ay but not about the T’lan Imass

Itkovian approach the two surviving men

Revealed to be Bauchelain and Korbal Broach
Among the grievously wounded and dead are Gruntle, Stonny, Harllo, Hetan, Cafal, Netok, Buke, and Emancipor Reese

Bauchelain is fascinated by the undead T’lan Imass and T’lan Ay and ask permission to speak to them

Korbal Broach is sent flying from a backhanded slap from Pran Chole
Bauchelain apologizes for KB’s poor manners and asks if they hold grudges, Itkovian laughs inside thinking about their immortal war with the Jaghut

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Chapter 7 Scene 9 (Near Capustan, Itkovian)

Bauchelain used sorcery to meld the flesh of the K’Chain Che’Malle towards repairing their damaged carriages, giving them a horrific aesthetic gray pebbled skin and bone

The T’lan Ay are harnessed to pull the carriages

Itkovian asks Pran Chole’s assessment of the two sorcerers

The eunuch (KB) is insane, plying the chaos on the edge of Hood’s (Death) warren
Bauchelain is much more dangerous, being a summoner of formidable power
The injured are all dreaming, being protected, and are impressed by the Grey Sword’s ability to heal them
Itkovian explains Destriant Karnadas is of High Denul which the Grey Swords can draw upon

The Grey Swords, T’lan Imass, and caravan survivors start heading towards Capustan

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Chapter 7 Scene 10 (Capustan, Karnadas)

Karnadas feels exhausted, sensing power drawn from his Denul warren and is concerned about Itkovian and his soldiers
Prince Jelarkan, 22 years old but looks aged 40 due to stress, bald with moles scattered on his pate

The Masked Council refuses to budge, believing the Gidrath (the Masked Council’s own army) are sufficient to hold the Pannion Domin back at several strong points around Capustan
Asks Brukhalian to find him leverage against the Masked Council and leaves past two huge doors

Karnadas and Brukhalian are concerned that the cautious Itkovian still sustained so much damage

Itkovian’s messenger Sidlis arrives to Caputstan with the T’lan Imass emmissaries and meets them

Bek Okhan (snow bear), Bendal Home (white wolf), Okral Lorn (plainsbear) of the Kron T’lan Imass

Sidlis is dismissed

Bendal Home reports that Itkovian had fought with K’Chain Che'Malle and are now returning to Capustan

The T’lan Imass came to answer the Second Gathering, Kron commanded his T’lan Imass to seek allies in Capistan to investigate the undead K'Chain Che'Malle and Pannion whom they suspect to be non-human
Karnadas says he saw the Pannion Seer himself as human
Bendal Home announces Itkovian will return with six T’lan Ay in his party, which Brukhalian and Karnadas believe can be used as the leverage Prince Jelarkan ordered them to obtain

The T'lan Imass depart as dust

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Chapter 7 Scene 11 (Capustan, Brukhalian)

In the dark two hours before sunrise, Brukhalian contemplates in his room lit by a lantern

Thinks about the meeting with Quick Ben and Caladan Brood
Believes the other side is “holding back” relief of Capustan is not their primary goal, that Brood’s army will be late because they're work down after years of fighting with the Malazan Empire
Thinks about at what point can they consider the Grey Swords contract to Prince Jelarkan to be a failure

Gethol, a Jaghut wearing gaunt armor and is Herald of High House Death, appears via a gray smeared warren portal

Insulted that Brukhalian doesn't care to hear how Gethol became Hood’s servant, which he claims to deserve an epic poem
Fener is about to become the first casualty in the war against the Crippled God, who seeks the annihilation of all rivals, and offers Hood’s warren to rescue the Grey Swords in exchange for their allegiance
Brukhalian responds to Gethol’s insult of Fener by slashing Gethol’s face with his broadsword
Gethol summons dual gold-shimmering longswords
The T’lan Imass appear behind Brukhalian in their Soletaken forms (snow bear, white wolf, plainsbear)
Someone from Hood’s warren forcibly pulls Gethol back and he disappears

The T’lan Imass are impressed Brukhalian defies the lord of death and departs
Brukhalian goes to the hearth, reignites the extinguished dead ashes into flames, but sees nothing from his god Fener

‘I am Hood’s Herald - do you dare challenge a servant of the lord of death?’

The T’lan Imass’s dessicated lips peeled back. ‘Why would we hesitate, Jaghut? Now ask your lord, does he dare challenge us?’

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Chapter 7 Scene 11 (Capustan, Gruntle)

Gruntle wakes up in pain, finds himself in the Grey Swords compound in Capustan
Stonny stands next to him and grieves for Harllo and Netok, then leaves
The female recruit enters Gruntle’s tooms and says the Grey Swords had avenged them against the demons
Keruli enters, but Gruntle tells him to go away

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Chapter 8 Scene 1 (Warrens, Gethol)

In Hood’s warren, Gethol climbs hills of bone

Hood had removed Gethol from his position of Herald

Gethol opens another warren and enters Omtose Phellack

Bathed in blue-green light, Gethol sensed Omtose Phellack was dying from the assaults by the T’lan

Gethol encounters a fissure in the ice, giving off warm breaths of decay, creating bruises and dark veins in the ice that surrounds the fissure

Walking past at first, Gethol turns around and enters the fissure and meets the Crippled God in his tent

The Crippled God offers Gethol the position of Herald in his new House of Chains

Gethol was present at the first Chaining
The Crippled God speaks to Gethol’s failure to Hood, and to Gethol’s brother Gothos
The House of Chains would welcome personal ambition, independent thought, acts of vengeance
The maker of the Deck of Dragons is dead and no one controls the deck, evidenced by the recent revival of the House of Shadows (under Shadowthrone and Cotillion)
The House of Chains will inevitably amass legions of followers from the pain and suffering of the mortal realm

Gethol takes on the position of Herald

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Chapter 8 Scene 2 (Encampment, Whiskeyjack)

Murillio, Kruppe, Quick Ben, and Coll play a game of tossing knucklebones (dice) on the card table

Everyone's frustrated that Kruppe wins every round
Quick Ben silently opens warrens to gain insight on Kruppe, Kurppe wails and begs Quick Ben to stop
Coll calls Kruppe a slippery eel, Kruppe wipes his forehead and wrings oily water on table, Whiskeyjack barks out laughter at the illusion and tells them to give up

Korlat enter the tent saying Rake wants to talk to him

Whiskeyjack gets up with his injured right leg and Korlat escorts him to Rake’s tent before leaving
Rake’s small tent is the same as every other Tiste Andii tent, positioned randomly somewhere in the middle

Inside Rake has two chairs and two goblets with a carafe of wine

Rake is impressed by how fulfilling mortal lives can be despite its brevity, how moments and chance contacts can have a profound effect
Rake’s instincts tells him who he can trust, citing Ganoes Paran as an example and their meeting as Paran faced near death from the Hounds of Shadow

Whiskeyjack asks about Rake’s curiosity over Quick Ben and indulges him

Adaephon Delat was one of 12 mages that protected one of the Seven Holy Protectors in Seven Cities
Dassem Ultor and his First Sword army, as well as other mages like Bellurdan, Nightchill, Tayschrenn, A’Karonys (and others misc. Tesormalandis and Stumpy) eliminated the Holy Protector and his armies
Dujek ordered Whiskeyjack and his men to chase the fleeing mage cadre, with Kalam Mekhar, a recent Claw recruit, as their guide

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Chapter 8 Scene 3 (Raraku Flashback, Whiskeyjack)

Kalam Mekhar led Whiskeyjack and seventy other soldiers through the Holy Desert Raraku, a place of power

The soldiers were the remainders of various squads destroyed after three years of siege on Seven Cities
They found a corpse of one of the mages, looking like she's been dead a hundred years

A soldier laughs and Whiskeyjack calls him out to step forward

Whiskeyjack names him Fiddler, seeing him carry a broken fiddle he's yet to learn playing, wearing the helmet of the Holy Protector that Dassem Ultor killed
Fiddler tells him he's got a bad hunch about the chase, Hedge tells WJ that Fiddler has uncanny hunches that should really be trusted and hold weight

Following the trail, the found corpses of mages one after the other

The soldiers make camp, Kalam brews tea that would help retain fluids
WJ knows Kalam was a private assassin for a Holy Falah (Protector?) before he became a Clawleader
WJ wonders why the mages continue to escape on foot rather than vanish through their warrens

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Chapter 8 Scene 3 (Raraku Flashback, Whiskeyjack)

The eleven corpses they've found

Kebharla, a scholar and delver of mysteries
Two unnamed wizards
Renisha, sorcerer of High Meanas (human warren of shadow and illusions)
Keluger, Septime (never explained meaning) Priest of D’riss (human warren of earth)
Narkal, warrior-mage of Fener, aspirant to be his Mortal Sword
Ullan, Soletaken Priestess of Soliel (Lady of Health)
Se’alahd Crool, Jhag half-blood who was able to fend against Dassem Ultor and had a sword blessed by an unknown ascendant
Etra, mistress of the Rashan warrens (human warren of darkness)
Birith’erah, mage of Serc and could summon storms (human warren of the sky)
Gellid, witch of Tennes (human warren of fire)

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Chapter 8 Scene 3 (Raraku Flashback, Whiskeyjack)

Enduring the hostile environment had tempered all those that had made the rigorous journey of crossing the entire Raraku desert all the way to the border to G’danisban

Adaephon Delat looked exhausted and ragged, aghast that the Malazans actually chased him across the entire desert and to see what they’ve become
Fiddler and Hedge flanks Kalam Mekhar with crossbows
WJ already aware Kalam and Adaephon Delat were working together, but continued to pursue Delat out of curiosity of the bargain he made to become the vessel for the souls of the eleven mages

Adaephon Delat ends the illusion of looking ragged, his true appearance looking healthy and fit

Delat and Kalam were only looking to survive and hoped the desert Raraku would kill the Malazans
Instead the journey through Raraku had made the Malazans, as well as Kalam and Adaephon Delat, stronger
Delat and Kalam choose to follow Whiskeyjack

Immediately, the soldiers engaged in their first battle as the Bridgeburners, taking the rebel stronghold G’danisban four hundred warriors strong in a single night

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'Commander, your soldiers . . .'

'What of them?'

'They are more . . . and less. No longer what they once were. Raraku, sir, has burned the bridges of their pasts, one and all – it's all gone.' [Quick Ben] met Whiskeyjack's eyes in wonder. 'And they are yours. Heart and soul. They are yours.'

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Chapter 8 Scene 4 (Rake’s Tent, Whiskeyjack)

Anomander Rake is impressed that Quick Ben was able to soul shift eleven souls into his body and is surprised WJ told him this despite QB not wanting Rake to probe his soul

WJ feels that he can trust Rake thus revealing QB’s secret
Rake was impressed that WJ stood to defend Silverfox without hesitation, WJ was impressed that Rake was able to restrain himself (from attacking Silverfox with Dragnipur during his tense arrival to the encampment)
They both agree that trying to understand the mystery of Kruppe would only lead to defeat
WJ says QB will join Paran and the rest of the Bridgeburners (to the Barghast Range)

Whiskeyjack and Rake shake hands, Rake looks forward to sharing his own stories

Rake agrees to leave QB and Silverfox alone, will keep Kallor in check

Whiskeyjack leaves and can’t believe he made a new friend

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Chapter 8 Scene 5 (Rake’s Tent, Rake)

Watching Whiskeyjack limp away outside the tent, Crone warns Rake the immortal about making friends with short-lived mortals

Another heartbreak on top of the tragic lives Rake and the Tiste Andii endure
‘One can find previous value in brevity’
Rake tells Crone to basically piss off, find and eat carrion, and bring Kallor to him when she’s full
Crone flies off

Rake calls for Korlat and tells her that he’ll be leaving for a short time needing ‘Silannah’s comfort’

Korlat’s in charge and is tasked to protect Silverfox, which makes Korlat happy
Also to keep watchful eyes on Kallor, and to unleash the full power of the 1100 Tiste Andii on him if he makes a mistake
Korlat is surprised, since only 40 Tiste Andii were enough to destroy the Crippled God’s nascent realm at the first Chaining, all the Tiste Andii unleashing Kurald Galain would destroy the continent
Rake believes it’s only just a precaution against Kallor, advises restraint, and goes back into the tent

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Chapter 8 Scene 6 (Dreams, the Mhybe)

The Mhybe dreams of a tundra and realizes this was where she was brought to give birth to Silverfox, Tellann warren

The Mhybe is in her young body and feels it is torture to remind her what should have been
Ancestors to the bhederin animals walk nearby, the Mhybe looks down and notices footsteps of eight or nine people
The Mhybe call on the Rhivi spirits by name to end her life, to no response

The Mhybe wakes up and steps outside her tent into the morning light to see Kruppe walk toward her

Kruppe gives her a box containing copper ornaments: wristlets, anklets, arm torcs, necklets
The ornaments were excavated from ancient Rhivi chambers found in the gaseous caverns of Darujhistan
Each ornament laid on an altar dedicated to each individual Rhivi spirit that the Mhybe had named in her dream
The Rhivi believed in copper’s healing quality, Kruppe believes it would sooth her pain and aches

Kruppe leaves, with the saying that Faith and Dreams are twins

‘Kruppe sees the pain of your twisted bones, my dear, and he grieves’

‘The rigours of delivery have left Kruppe exhausted and famished! Said box trembled these all too civilized appendages.’

She smiled. ‘The rigours of delivery, Kruppe? I could tell you a thing or two.’

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Chapter 8 Scene 7 (Near the Barghast Range, Picker)

The Black Moranth dropped The Bridgeburners off at the foot of the Barghast range and Corporal Picker watches the quorls fly away

Corporal Picker and Sergeant Antsy banter
Captain Paran walks up and orders Sergeant Antsy and his squad to be Quick Ben’s escort, who will be arriving late
Antsy dicks around and yells at his squad nearby and others: Hedge, Spindle, Mallet, Detoran, Blend

Blend sneaks up on Antsy and reveals what she eavesdropped from Trotts and Paran

Trotts used to be a high rank in his own tribe and are looking to use that to seek an alliance with the powerful White Face barghast clan against the Pannion Domin
Trotts is going to engage in a 1v1 combat, if he wins they all live if he loses they all die
The squad shuffles to go help Trotts
Spindle realizes Trotts is why the spirits near them are agitated

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Chapter 8 Scene 8 (Near the Barghast Range, Paran)

Trotts tells Paran that Blend hears everything to Paran’s surprise and isupset Trotts didn't mention it earlier

Paran orders Twistto fly overhead on his quorl and scout despite Twist understanding the spirits already told the Barghast that the Malazans are coming

Paran looks out at his men and laments the lives of soldiers unable to live peacefully after years of discipline in the horrors of war
The Bridgeburners begin marching towards the White Face clan

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Chapter 8 Scene 9 (Warrens, Quick Ben)

Quick Ben traveled through various warren feeling the poisonous influence of the Crippled God as the armies are approaching the Pannion Domin’s territory
Shifts into Hood’s warren. Cold, clay ground with a colorless sky and oily haze making it feel like he's walking through a tunnel

Encounters glyphs carved into the ground that may be wards or bindings which QB carefully avoids stepping on, the glyphs become more crowded the farther QB walks
Encounters a sinkhole filled with painted pebbles, offerings in prayer by temples to Hood

Encounters Talamandas, of the First Hearth of the Knotted Clan (barghast), who was dragged from his barrow by necromancers (Bauchelain and KB), and trapped here by the ward and binding glyphs on the ground

Soul shifted into a body made of twigs and an acorn for a head
Talamandas reveals the barghast were Imass that failed to arrive to the Ritual of Tellann in time and thus were not immortalized
Pursuit of the Jaghut forced them to become seafaring hunters in dugout canoes (oldest boats archeologists have found dating 8,000 years to the Neolithic Stone Age)
‘Wherever land proved generous enough to grant us a berth, we buried our dugouts - for ever. From this was born the custom of the trees on our barrows - though none of my kin remembers. It has been so long…’

Talamandas wishes to free the First Families - spirits worshiped by the living clans of barghast

Ancient bindings preserved the spirits (had good intentions), but kept them from ascending into gods
The barghast are dying from stagnation, lacking the true guidance from their ancestors

Quick Ben red worms native to Setta that feed on salt, turning the clay ground into sand destroying the glyphs that bind the spirits

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‘Tell me, Talamandas,’ Quick Ben asked with veiled eyes, ‘is survival a right, or a privilege?’

‘The latter, mortal. The latter. And it must be earned.I wish for the chance. For all my people, I wish for the chance.’

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Chapter 9 Scene 1 (Lamatath Plain, Toc)

Toc ruins Lady Envy’s attempt at making small talk, and Lady Envy goes off to talk to Tool

The mountains marking the border of the Pannion Domin is in view, at the base is the city Bastion
Mok has a kiss mark on his mask (he either doesn’t know it’s there and the other Seguleh haven’t told him)

Lady Envy comes back to Toc and talks about who the T’lan Imass used to worship, the afterlife, and Hood’s gate

Hood’s festivities involved swarming flies, blood-covered acolytes, cackling crows, faces stained with cremation ashes
Lady Envy found out Tool apparently doesn’t know if there are any Jaghut still alive in the world
Lady Envy thinks the next step for the T’lan Imass is a second Ritual of Gathering to end their immortality

‘And not a single spirit waiting to embrace all those weary, so very weary souls…’

Toc hopes Lady Envy is wrong because Tool is his friend (d’aww ❤️)

Tool turns his head to look at Toc then turns away

Lady Envy says the summoner of the second Gathering is among the Malazan army, to converge on the Pannion Domin and crush the empire

‘The crushing of an empire is never easy. I should know, having crushed a few in my time.’
Lady Envy plans to simply carve their way through the Pannion Domin

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Chapter 9 Scene 1 (Lamatath Plain, Toc)

An undead K’ell Hunter appears

Toc remembers Trake’s death in his vision he had days ago
Tool nods his head at the three Seguleh, swords readied, to take care of the K’ell Hunter
Senu and Thurule sever the K’ell Hunter’s shoulder joints as they run past it
Mok deftly decapitates the K’ell Hunter with his swords, jumping out of the way of it falling to the ground

Toc babbles nervously, and stops when Lady Envy says it’s unattractive

Lady Envy walks to examine the corpse

Tool is impressed by Mok, saying even he isn’t able to do that

Tool’s ‘arrogance’ is shook from Mok’s skill, an ‘unfamiliar sensation’
Tool is compelled to immediately challenge Mok
Lady Envy sees Tool coming and with a sorcerous wave of her hand knocks Mok unconscious
Tool demands she wake him up, she denies him and walks away

Toc says ‘What a lovely woman’, with a heart stopping smile she turned and says ‘Why, thank you!’

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Chapter 9 Scene 3 (Lamatath Plain, Toc)

Senu and Thurule carry Mok on an improvised travois
Crossing the ridge the scenery changed from the barren Lamatath Plains to green pastures

A hamlet of abandoned farmhouses, cairns, flagstone byways overgrown with grass, all set by a river
Rain clouds approach, the air grows cold

Toc suggests their group is too obtrusive looking

In response, Tool makes himself disappear by turning into dust

Toc asks what happens when Tool turns himself into dust, ‘I simply return to what I was meant to be, had the Ritual not taken place’

Lady Envy pets Baaljagg and makes the ay shrink to the size of Garath the dog
Lady Envy motes the yellow wolves still follow them, and joke about shrinking the Seguleh into kid-sized

The group continue towards the hamlet to see how they react

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Chapter 9 Scene 3 (Hamlet, Toc)

Starts raining, the group sees abandoned buildings like the inn, smithy, tithe-collector office, and other tenements

The only well-kept building is temple stone structure, wooden doors under an arch, and a large pyramid with scaled with polished copper
Lady Envy knows the priest inside the temple is aware of them and has manipulated his ‘questing senses’ to perceive her the way she wants
Lady Envy puts her arm around Toc’s waist and pulls him closer as they walk to the temple

An emaciated, pale-skinned man with grey eyes and all hair on his body shaved greets them at the door and invites them in. This is the temple’s monk

Inside the door, the compound is lined on each side with corpses of villagers who built the temple hanging from large hooks that pierce through just under their breast bone. Eyes gouged out, rainwater dripping down their hair. The air in the compound is moist and has the stench of decay
The man says the villagers had been delivered, this was their reward

The group continue walking towards the copper pyramid, seeing a tall portal entrance marked by four massive stones, a single lintel stone overhead, and a menhir on both sides

Slabs of thin rose quartzite placed randomly on the pyramid as skylights and windows. Inside the light passing through the rose quartzite gave the interior a red filter

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Chapter 9 Scene 3 (Pannion Pyramid, Toc)

Inside the temple, Seerdomin Kahlt waits at the other side with a low table.

Bald, angled beard that showed scars caused by a cheek-guarded, bridged helm smashed into with a mace. Wears black-wrought armor. A double-bladed long-handled axe lay to his left behind him
Lady Envy introduces herself as Lady Islah’Dracon and her companions by name

Seerdomin Kahlt is surprisingly well-spoken and hospitable, even offering a Gredfallen ale, bhederin meat, and a healer for Mok who he assumed was injured

Adamant that the villagers were rewarded, and that only criminals are executed
The temple is one of 70 that mark the Pannion Domin’s borders, the responsibility of regulation and protection going to the most faithful
Lady Envy tests the meat by tossing a slice to Garath who eats it up, Seerdomin Kahlt is gravely insulted, restraint shown in his twitching hands
Seerdomin Kahlt ask about the masked men, Lady Envy answers they’re the Seguleh, Kahlt recognizes they’re the island people who killed all their priests and arrogantly asked for a declaration of war and an invasion fleet. Ten thousand Seerdomin have been planned to invade them and assumes they came to ask forgiveness
Before Lady Envy could bluntly say the Seguleh came to kill the Pannion Seer, Toc cuts in and says they were sent to deliver a message to the Pannion Seer in person

Seerdomin Kahlt closes the conversation with sleeping chambers being ready for them, picks up his axe, and leaves

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Chapter 9 Scene 3 (Pannion Pyramid, Toc)

As the group feasts and dines on the food offered to them, Lady Envy jokes to Toc that they’ll also be given their reward, the Seguleh will be escorted out, Garath and Baaljagg would be butchered, and they’ll bleed out before the rising sun in the morning

Lady Envy ponders over how language can mask brutality while the Seguleh, with their masks and rarely speaking, are more direct and honest than most people ever can be

Finishing their meals, the monk escorts them to the sleeping chambers

The sleeping chambers included high cots, a lantern on a shelf, and another room for communal bathing filled with clean, flowing water
As Lady Envy sings in the bath, Toc lays on the cot wondering how he could sleep

Toc wakes up in the dark by a curdling scream, realizing he was sorcerously put to sleep

Sounds of claws moving, stones crashing, bones snapping surrounded the sleeping chambers outside
Baaljagg, back to normal size, tossed a body crashing through the wooden door
Following Baaljagg, the temple halls are in ruin with broken furniture, corpses, and blood splayed everywhere
Garath appears, looking even larger than Baaljagg, blood on his fur
In the bathing chamber, candles lined the pool filled with blood and four corpses looking as if they were boiled alive which Toc pukes at the sight
Sounds of Garath continues his rampage through the temple

Lady Envy appears at the door in spotless white nightclothes, raven hair tied up

She tells him Senu and Thurule should be finished dealing with the 20 Seerdomin in the temple and to meet up with everyone in the compound

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Chapter 9 Scene 4 (Pannion Pyramid, Toc)

Entering the compound, the Seguleh were removing the villager corpses and replacing the Seerdomin onto the hooks

Lady Envy witnessed Thurule easily parrying all of Seerdomin’s axe attacks and killed him with a single thrust through his chest, as Thurule placed Kahlt’s body on a hook
Toc has a panic attack over what the Pannion Seer will do to them

'Lady, I'm no Seguleh. I'm not an ay on the edge of ascendancy. I'm not a T'lan Imass. I'm not a dog that can stare eye-to-level-eye with a Hound of Shadow! And I'm not a witch who can boil men alive with a snap of her fingers!'

Lady Envy takes offense at being called a witch, took his face by her hands with the sensation of dissolving his cheek muscles, before letting go decided she prefers him to be free rather than mind-controlled before smiling at him and walking away
Toc is frightened at what the kiss would have done

And poets write of the chains of love. Hah! What they write figuratively she embodies literally. If desire could have a goddess…

Tool appears from dust just to tell them K’ell Hunters are converging on them before disappearing into dust again

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Chapter 9 Scene 4 (Pannion Domin territory, Toc)

After leaving the hamlet, the group encounters a crossroads with two menhirs with arcane hieroglyphs on them

Lady Envy identifies the language as Imari, the language of the seafaring people of the Genostel Archipelago half a world away. The menhir functions as road signs pointing to Kel Tor and Bastion
Surmises the Pannion Domin territory used to be a Genostelian colony
The Pannions used to be barbaric hill peoples and herders, rivals to the Daru and Gadrobi tribes, until they were conquered
The K’ell Hunters are still days away, the group will reach Bastion by dusk the next day

Continuing onto the road, Toc sees the skeletons of cattle and sheep, leftovers from predators eating the abandoned livestock

Toc wonders how the expanding Pannion Domin empire is expanding if they lack the countryside producing food supplies
Toc believes he’s as good as dead so he thinks about things other than his own survival
Toc asks what Lady Envy is doing here, she reiterates Tool saying the secret to the Morn Rent lies in the Pannion Domin, Toc believes Lady Envy is manipulating everyone for something else
Lady Envy clarifies she has no control of Tool, Garath, or Baaljagg, the Seguleh are traveling the same way so coercing them is not needed, and pulls some control over Toc by simply being a woman
Lady Envy is high key flirting with Toc, but he doesn’t believe anything she says
Lady Eny is frustrated that Toc is being coy just like Anomander Rake, and then Toc starts playing with her

Toc reveals he was born on a ship, his mother was Cartheron Crust’s sister (former Malazan Navy Admiral and High Fist of Aren before Pormqual)

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Speculated location of the Genostel Archipelago

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Chapter 9 Scene 5 (Bastion, Toc)

The group reaches Bastion, the city is smoking and in ashes after having been razed to the ground

Bones of humans and animals were visible piled against the inner walls

Three pale, clean-shaved priests in robes waited greet the group at Bastion’s center square and offer guidance to increase the likeliness of surviving the ‘Embrasure’s violent... afterbirth’

The Embrasure came to Bastion before, 14 years ago when the Seer returned from the Mountain, speaking Words of Truth. The monk is wracked with emotion, a second continues the speech
A caravan from Elingarth were killed, a woman raped a man as he was dying, and the First Child of the Dead Seed, named Anaster, was born and after this second Embrasure will lead his own Tenescowri army north to Capustan

Toc sees Lady Envy grow pale from disgust for the first time

The Tenescowri appear and surround the streets around them, Anaster on a sickly horse points at them and shrieks

‘Alas, our protection is insufficient. Prepare for your reward, strangers!’ (And they fucking dip LOL)

Lady Envy raises her arms to turn both Garath and Baaljagg into enormous beasts who draw first blood from the Tenescowri

Senu shouts to awaken Mok and he and Thurule rush towards the mob
Lady Envy relents, Mok wakes and throws himself up immediately ready to fight (LOL)

Toc goes full stupid and decides to ‘embrace the Faith’ so he can join the mob heading towards Capustan so he can rejoin the Malazan Army, even asking Lady to not kill all the Tenescowri

Lady Envy, who can obviously obliterate the entire Tenescowri army by herself, becomes frustrated (like all of us readers) and goes berserk on the mob

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Chapter 10 Scene 1 (Capustan, Gruntle)

Gruntle has been a miserable drunk for six days because of Harllo’s death

Stonny slaps him awake before she storms off
Buke walks in as Stonny lifts him and tries to sober him up with a wet cloth

Says he was Harllo’s friend too, that Gruntle isn't the same as him when he gave up
The Septarch and Pannion army crossed the river and will soon attack the blockhouses on the killing fields

Buke finally picks Gruntle up, where he pukes and his mind is cleared

Buke helps Gruntle walk downstairs into the city

Old Daru, Temple District. Gruntle found the only shitty room in the only shitty alley in all of Capustan to hide in. Opulence and gardened temples is only one street away, the rest of the city is beautiful
Stonny took Gruntle’s weapons and paid all his debts
The few citizens walking outside were slow and contemplatively, a whole city anticipating violence
K+KB have settled in an abandoned estate
Buke sought Gruntle today originally because the Gidrath Watch (Masked Council soldiers) found a disemboweled corpse near the estate, Korbal Broach’s doing
Buke does not want to report K+KB to the city guards or prince because he believes they're capable of destroying Capustan themselves
Instead, Buke wants Gruntle to help him interrupt KB’s murders as much as possible until the Pannion army arrives so that K+KB can deal with them
They agree not to tell Stonny or she’d die going after KB herself

Buke takes Gruntle to a healer priest to help with his hangover

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Chapter 10 Scene 2 (Capustan, Itkovian)

In the morning, Itkovian stood on the walls looking out to the approaching Pannion Army

Septarch Kulpath leading 10 legions of Beklites (red-gold, peaked helmed infantry) around 50,000 soldiers, 8,000 Urdomen (elite heavy infantry), Betaklites (medium infantry), 3 Betrullid Wings, a Desandi division (sappers and engineers), Scalandi skirmishers. Grand total of 80,000 Pannion soldiers
Behind the army from the river to the coast stretched a mass of humanity, the Tenescowri cannibal peasant army, numbering 100,000+, arriving by barges every hour
Prince Jelarkan’s Capanthall soldiers next to Itkovian paled at the sight of then

Now afternoon, Itkovian stands at the barracks gate waiting on Brukhalian, Karnadas, and the two barghast

Hetan requested an audience with the Masked Council, and is also adamant in breaking Itkovian’s vow of celibacy
The group walks towards the Masked Council, passing strong points organized throughout the city that would direct the incoming wave of enemies straight into an enfilade

Brukhalian shares that 80 K’ell Hunters plan to attack from the north, the 14,000 Tlan Imass along with T’lan Ay will take care of them, but don’t care to fight the Pannion Army

The T’lan Imass’s priority is the Gathering, whose summoner is with Brood’s army six weeks away
Septarch Kulpath plans to take Capustan in one night
Setta, larger and more unified than Capustan, was expected to last one week and stretched their siege to three weeks against half the number of Tenescowri and less experienced Beklites and Urdomens that Capustan now faces

Hetan says the White Face barghast clan number 70,000, but will not fight for Capustan

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Rough visualization of 100,000 people

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Chapter 10 Scene 3 (Capustan, Itkovian)

Council Hall, massive chamber with a dome ceiling adorned with gold-leaf images of robed figures, bright ceramic geometric tiles of various sizes and shapes laid on the floor with no real pattern, a central disc of worn polished granite, three wooden tiers are opposite the entrance, the third tier hosting the 14 Masked Priests and behind them 14 doors guarded by 14 Gidrath soldiers. The chamber lit by torches around the walls

Each priest wore a carved masked, hinged to allow malleable expressions. The masks are creepy and uncanny

Brukhalian steps forward to introduce Hetan and Cafal and the White Face clan, intending to leave the chamber but asked by Rath’Dessembrae to stay, and Brukhalian requests to distance himself because Hetan’s petition is unknown

Brukhalian stands next to Karnadas by the entrance

Hetan steps forward and begins her speech, interrupted by Rath’D’rek who’s annoyed that she’s appeared before making the same claims with the same speech and denied every time

Cafal chants sorcery and the air swirls around the two of them, the Gidrath reach for their weapons
Itkovian steps forward to stop the Gidrath to point out that Cafal is summoning the barghast spirits

Itkovian explains to Brukhalian that the barghast claim the land underneath Capustan is barghast land
Hetan claims that the first Capan and Daru tribes had settled on the barrow grounds of the barghast

The White Face’s request is formal recognition of ownership to the land and the right to make pilgrimage
Rath’Hood and Rath’Shadowthrone mock Hetan
Rath’Queen of Dreams is the first to understand, then Rath’Burn, Rath’Hood, and Rath’Shadowthrone
Hetan threatens to kill everyone in the chamber if the barghast are denied
Rath’Oponn demands what the others know, Rath’Shadowthrone explains the barghast want the relics

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Chapter 10 Scene 3 (Capustan, Itkovian)

Hetan claims that the first Capan and Daru tribes had settled on the barrow grounds of the barghast

The White Face’s request is formal recognition of ownership to the land and the right to make pilgrimage
Rath’Hood and Rath’Shadowthrone mock Hetan
Rath’Queen of Dreams is the first to understand, then Rath’Burn, Rath’Hood, and Rath’Shadowthrone
Hetan threatens to kill everyone in the chamber if the barghast are denied
Rath’Oponn demands what the others know, Rath’Shadowthrone explains the barghast want the relics
Rath’Beru asks how they’re supposed to do that if every household in Capustan owns some type of barghast urn for decoration
Rath’Shadowthrone says Rath’Queen of Dreams knows that someone had gathered them all up and placed all the relics in one spot

Itkovian noticed Hetan was trembling and Karnadas focusing on Rath’Fener

Itkovian thinks that the White Face leader Humbrall Taur (Hetan’s father) is guessing that the remains of the barghast founding families and spirit-gods lay underneath Capustan, and that’s what he needs to unite the barghast clans: The Barghast gambit

Rath’Queen of Dreams grants her requests and nods to her Gidrath captain to prepare something

Rath’Queen of Dreams requests Brukhalian to step forward in the meantime
Members of the Masked Council admit now that Capustan is doomed
Itkovian’s trooped were witnessed returning with ancient wolves

A line of unarmoured Gidrath soldiers walked into the chamber carrying picks began digging up the chamber’s ceramic tiles as Rath’Queen of Dreams and Brukhalian continued to talk

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Chapter 10 Scene 3 (Capustan, Itkovian)

Rath’Queen of Dreams demands what Prince Jelarkan is doing with these ancient beasts

Brukhalian keeps saying he can’t speak for his employer and Rath’Queen of Dreams sends for the prince
Rath’Queen of Dreams also inquires about the mages that Itkovian brought to Capustan

She guesses the undead wolves are their pets and is astonished they petitioned the Council for Rights to Renovation, buying property in Capustan which faces imminent annihilation

The Gidrath dig up the wooden trusses in the foundations and begin pulling up slabs of rock revealing darkness into a subterranean chamber

Cafal completes his chant and says the spirits are all here

As the excavation reveals a large millstone, Rath’Fener approaches Karnadas and says he had fasted four days to quest out and reach Fener’s warren and has learned that Trake had been killed by Pannion minions to the south of them

Yet, Rath’Trake is still healthy and seems joyful
Karnadas wants to unseat Rath’Fener as a fake, but Brukhalian denies him because Capustan is not their home

The subterranean cavern, about six feet tall or less, reveals nine dugout canoes

Karnadas senses the sorcery preserving them for tens of thousands of years is expiring
This is also the goal of Talamandas
In each dugout were bodies, a total of 60, wrapped in red-stained sailcloths, no signs of dessication (drying)
The dugout canoes and bodies not destroyed during the construction of Capustan were collected in the subterranean chamber ot of respect

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Chapter 10 Scene 3 (Capustan, Itkovian)

The subterranean cavern, about six feet tall or less, reveals nine dugout canoes

Karnadas senses the sorcery preserving them for tens of thousands of years is expiring
Talamandas also sought these dugout canoes to free the First Families and give guidance to the barghast
In each dugout were bodies, a total of 60, wrapped in red-stained sailcloths, no signs of dessication (drying)
The dugout canoes and bodies not destroyed during the construction of Capustan were collected in the subterranean chamber out of respect
Rath’Queen of Dream shares that Capustan scholars didn’t believe the bodies were Barghast because the bodies were larger, more similar to Toblakai. She personally believes the Barghast, Toblakai, and Trell descended from the same species, with the Barghast more human than the other two

Cafal tells Itkovian he doesn’t know how they’ll bring the bodies of his spirit-gods home yet, but pride fills him and will never be afraid again

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Chapter 10 Scene 4 (Capustan, Gruntle)

As Stonny left the practice circle at the Grey Sword barracks after sparring with the female Grey Sword’s recruit, she tells Gruntle to apologize the Keruli, not to her, because he saved them

Gruntle, Stonny, Buke, and Emancipor Reese were all dead, but Keruli the priest pulled their souls into an Elder God’s warren, Stonny remembers a wolf guarding over her
Stonny pledges herself to the Elder God because he seeks friends over mindless worshipers
With food and help from Karnadas, the priest whom Buke brought him to, Gruntle’s hangover headache faded
The two leave the compound

Stonny took Gruntle through the cemeteries, around the Tur’al Concourse, and into the same ghetto quarter where Gruntle came from

Keruli’s shack was modest and cheap where a family committed suicide a week prior, enough spilled blood to sanctify the shack into an Elder God’s temple
Stonny notes all doors in Capustan open outward, and are bigger than the inside frame making door-by-door invasions more difficult for the Pannions
The two walk through the reception chamber into a main chamber with Keruli sitting next to a central firepit

Keruli had saved the souls of the family and created a dream world for them to be in peace, Stonny is in awe of him

Gruntle apologizes to Keruli
Keruli tells him to give Keruli his small clay bird to Buke, who is to crush into powder, mix with water, boiled, then drink to aid his stomach problems and other benefits, including finding his quarry and allies
Keruli politely tells Stonny it’s a private matter (hunting Korbal Broach) and that he has something else for her to do

Gruntle leaves, and Keruli tells Stonny she should stay close to Gruntle because something is about to find him

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Chapter 10 Scene 5 (Capustan, Itkovian)

In the subterranean cavern, Hetan knelt before one of the dugouts

Itkovian examined the scenes of battle in the carvings against a singular enemy
Cafal explained them as T’isten’ur, Grey Skinned demons that lived in shadows, tall, lithe with angular faces and almond shaped eyes, enemies of the Founding Spirits
The Founding Spirits drove the T’isten’ur from the Blue Wastes, the oceans and Barghast birth realm, into the Forest of Shadows on another continent to southeast
Itkovian recognize them as kin to the Tiste Andii, the Tiste Edur. The glottal stop (‘) implying past tense similar to T’lan. Elingarth also have stories of a similar continent with forest of giant firs, spruces, and redwoods with its people lying in its shadows
The Moranth speak the holy tongue of the Barghast shouldermen, claim kinship to the Barghast and call the Barghast are their fallen kin, embraced the alchemies and traded secrets with the T’isten’ur
Cafal also says Itkovian can’t escape from Hetan banging him

Hetan stands up and says removing the Founding Spirits must wait and to cover the chamber with slabs again

Denies Rath’Shadowthrone that the Barghast will come save Capustan, and the Barghast return to the barracks
Brukhalian tells Itkovian to go find out how she plans to remove the Founding Spirits through any means necessary (i.e. banging Hetan) and tells Karnadas to contact Quick ben again

Rath’Trake approaches, asks them who do they truly battle, who has found the need for two Lords of Summer (Trake and Fener), why Fener felt the need for a Destriant (knowing it’s Karnadas which is still secret), and offers assistance in rooting out Rath’Fener their enemy
Brukhalian and Karnadas continue their conversation, Itkovian returns to the barracks following the Barghast

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Chapter 11 Scene 1 (Near the Barghast Range, Picker)

The Bridgeburners laugh at Spindle rolling on the ground to put out the fire caught on his hairshirt as Picker doused it with a water skin

Picker lists off how insane each and every one of them are, Treach’s torcs possibly bothering her
Hedge makes fun of Detoran having a rogue bhederin bull stalking her and she beats him with his mace
Picker thinks how they’re half-baked versions of the 9th Squad, Sgt. Antsy & Sgt. Whiskeyjack, mage Spindle and mage Quick Ben, Corporal Picker and Corporal Kalam, though Detoran and Trotts could be equals
The Bridgeburners are waiting on Paran and Quick Ben who marched towards the White Face Barghast

The Bridgeburners feel broken after feeling betrayed at the Siege of Pale

Blend thinks outlawing Dujek as a renegade is trick to parley with Caladan Brood and the Tiste Andii
Suspects the new standard-bearer Artanthos is a high ranking Claw. They’re all still under the Malazan Empire’s bidding

Mallet’s come back after healing Hedge and says accessing his Denul warren is difficult, like it’s poisoned. Same thing could be troubling Spindle and Quick Ben

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Chapter 11 Scene 2 (Near the Barghast Range, Quick Ben)

Quick Ben spent half a day clawing his way back out of Hood’s warren, clawing at stained energy and having a bitter taste in his mouth into the cold night air

Hood’s warren was the least poisoned, accessing his other warrens would’ve killed him and QB is frightened as a mage who can’t use his magic

Especially since he was supposed to be Trott’s back up if things went wrong with the White Face

Senses that the Pannion Seer is just a pawn of the Crippled God who found a way to open the Warren of Chaos

Quick Ben starts walking back to the Bridgeburners

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Chapter 11 Scene 3 (Barghast Camp, Paran)

The Bridgeburners are among the Barghast tribes as they have a nightly festivities

White Face, Senan, Gilk, Ahkrata, Barahn, etc. tribes are present in the valley
100,000 Barghast had answered Humbrall Taur’s call and Trott’s challenge
Some rival Barghast are dueling each other, Barghast women pull Bridgeburners, both men and women, into their tents

Twist approaches Paran, Paran notice the Barghast don’t like him

Twist says the hatred is from ancient false memories and says Humbrall Taur has chosen his youngest, unblooded son to face Trotts’s challenge
Trotts’s tattoos on his body describe his lineage to the Founding Families of the Barghast, his blood the purest of the clans and must make challenge to affirm his status

Paran is bothered by visions of the Finnest House and the Hold of the Beasts, and empty antlered throne of the T’lan Imass, that he sees when he sleeps

Paran also notices Twist’s dangling arm, deadened by a necromantic grasp of a Rhivi spirit that will spread to his heart and kill him unless he finds a god’s healing touch to save him
Twist is concerned for Paran, but doesn’t pry further
Paran asks Twist for a favor which he’s happy to help with

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Chapter 11 Scene 4 (Barghast Camp, Paran)

At dawn, the Bridgeburners and Barghast made a circle around Trotts and Humbrall Taur’s champion

Ahkrata Tribe: nose plugs, lone braids, armor made of pillaged Moranth armor. Enemies of the Ilgres clan who travel with Caladan Brood. Smallest tribe
Barahn Clan: bronze brigandine armor, hair spiked like porcupine quills, whose warchief wants to challenge Humbrall Taur for control
Gilk: hair cut into stiff narrow wedges, tortoise shell armor, stout height, looking like heavy infantry
Senan: Humbrall Taur’s warriors who wore armor made of coins of various denominations (like Hetan and Cafal)

Humbrall Taur himself wore the skins of human heads

Tensions between the tribes did not guarantee Trott’s affirmation even if he wins

Trotts wore standard issue Malazan marine armour

Studded boiled leather with iron bands over the shoulders and hips
Half-helm with bridge guard and cheek plates, chain camail protecting the sides and back of the neck
Left arm strapped a round shield, with a spike, iron-banded cestus on his hand
Right hand held a straight, blunt-tipped straightsword

The unnamed son of Humbrall Taur appeared, wearing only leathers and a short hook-knife. Scrawny little thing
Corporal Aimless approached Paran to tell them the Bridgeburners prepared Moranth munitions incase things go wrong

Paran tells him to put them away, Corporal Aimless says some of the Bridgeburners will do whatever they want and say to Hood with Paran
Paran points out Aimless was sent as the witless messenger to get killed, Aimless makes sure Paran knows he’s neutral and warns that he broke the last Captain’s neck who attacked him
Paran sends him off with the message to wait for his signal

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Chapter 11 Scene 4 (Barghast Camp, Paran)

Humbrall Taur whispered to the fighters in the ring and once he stepped out and swung his mace, the duel began

Trotts held a stance feet planted with his shield up and sword arm half-extended as the unnamed son danced around him
The unnamed son attacked first, Trotts counters with a shield charge and knocks him to the ground
The unnamed son continued dancing around Trotts as Trotts held firm to the methodical steps of Malazan infantry drills, showing that he is a true soldier of the Empire
The unnamed son aimed for Trotts’ right knee, was blocked and dodged Trott’s broadsword slash, swiped uselessly against Trotts’ toe cap and was shield bashed in the face
As he took the shield bash, the unnamed son caught Trotts’ left arm joint and hook tore through him
Trotts severed the unnamed son’s right hand at the wrist
The unnamed son crushed Trott’s throat with a left arm punch as Trott’s slashed and disemboweled the warrior ending in a draw
Mulch, a minor healer of the Eleventh Squad, ran to Trotts holding up a flickblade

The circle broke as the Barghast were confused what to do, the Bridgeburners held up Moranth munitions ready to throw

Humbrall Taur’s Senan clan restablished order and Paran ordered to stand down
Humbrall Taur spoke to Paran, suggests to kill one or two of them to command respect and to wait for the spirits to determine their fates

Mulch stabilized Trotts with a hollow bone as an improvised tracheostomy tube, mundane means now that the warrens are inaccessible, a trick he learned in the 6th Army (disbanded after the Siege of Pale)

Paran orders Corporal Aimless to guard Trotts from the other Barghast
Mulch sees Twist in the distance carrying Mallet and realized Paran was prepared

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Chapter 11 Scene 5 (Near Barghast Range, Picker)

The Bridgeburners are four leagues away from the Barghast camp

Quick Ben looks sickly and exhausted, says he's fine because the Barghast spirits are dense in the area and they're resisting the Crippled God’s poison

Picker and QB banters about Antsy

The Bridgeburners are tense not knowing the results of Trotts’s challenge
Hedge with his swollen jaw looks back at Detoran with vengeance
Blend is in the shadows nowhere to be seen
Antsy talks to himself

Quick Ben is abruptly pulled into the earth by hands and arms wrapping around him

The Barghast spirits pulled QB into another warren
Picker stops the rest of the Bridgeburners from pulling or digging QB up, Antsy murmurs about how useless mages are

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Chapter 11 Scene 6 (The First Landing, Quick Ben)

Quick Ben is pulled into a warren of swamp, with insects and frogs flicking everywhere

Barghast, more a mix of Imass and Toblakai and wearing sealskins with spears of bone, approach QB with Talamandas greeting him
They are in the First Landing, where the Barghast who did not survive the voyage go
The warchiefs, however, are imprisoned in Capustan where Humbrall Taur’s child (Hetan) found them
The Barghast tribes are stuck in comfort and reject the ancient spirits, only accepting new spirits whose powers are weak
Humbrall Taur understands the Barghast’s vulnerability to the Pannion Domin and sought out the ancient spirits to come impose unification

Quick Ben calls in the favor, for freeing Talamandas, he wishes Talamandas to help save Trotts by channeling Barghast sorcery through Mallet and ensure Trotts takes place among the high council of Barghast

If Trotts doesn't survive, the Bridgeburners would be killed and the Barghast face civil war

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Chapter 11 Scene 7 (Barghast Camp, Paran, Mallet, Aimless)

Immediately return to the scene of Mulch stabilizing Trotts as Twist and Mallet descend on the quorl

The surrounding Barghast harass the Bridgeburners
Twist agrees to return to Sgt. Antsy’s squad to leave the hostility of the Barghast

Mallet warns that accessing the warrens to save Trotts will kill Mallet, but he does so without hesitation

Paran is in awe of these soldiers

Mallet opens his warren, his sanity being torn apart. Draws on the core of his life to save Trotts’s throat

Mallet is then pulled into the First Landing where the ancient Barghast spirits carved a path to him at a high cost and offer their power to him
In the physical world, Mallet has his hands on Trotts's throat, in Mallet’s mind he walked on a carpet of ancient Barghast spirit corpses

Trotts is saved, Mallet with open wounds on his arms says he didn't pay the cost to save Trotts

Paran is shook that he ordered Mallet to die for him

Mulch reports that Trotts will survive and Mallet has superficial wounds that Mulch can attend to
Paran lashes out at Mulch to leave, then becomes resolved to have Trotts claim his place

Corporal Aimless and Mulch banter, gain respect for their new Captain Paran

They both see Sgt. Antsy’s squad approach
Aimless makes fun of how useless mages are

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Chapter 11 Scene 8 (Barghast Camp, Paran)

In Humbrall Taur’s tent, Paran demands Trotts take position in the council with the 38 Bridgeburners as his tribe
Humbrall Taur sees through Paran, that neither Paran or Trotts really want command, and Paran will have to concede power to Trotts

Gives advice to Paran and shares ale with him anyways
Humbrall Taur will announce Trotts as warchief on another day
The Barghast have been losing its people to Capustan whose traders have persuaded them towards a different way of life
Humbrall Taur will not march to Capustan against the Pannion Domin, only 8 of 27 Barghast chieves stand with him
The Barahn, Ahkrata, and Gilk clans still see the Malazans as a threat, saying they're necromancers who are allied with the Moranth and look to conquer them after conquering the northern continent

Paran leaves to find Picker who reports Quick Ben was pulled into a Barghast warren and has remained unconscious ever since he returned

Sgt. Antsy’s squad set up their tents
Mallet, Blend, and Trotts approach
Mallet said he feels weird, receiving help from Barghast Spirits who put his soul back together with different arms and different legs
Paran asks what can Mallet do to wake QB up faster, Mallet promptly slaps QB awake
QB grins and says they all owe him, Mallet dismisses it as his ego

Quick Ben says he can change Humbrall Taur’s mind about Capustan and brings Mallet, Paran, Trotts, and Twist who knows more than he let's on to Humbrall Taur’s tent

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Chapter 11 Scene 9 (Barghast Camp, Picker)

Sunset, the Barghast camp returns to dueling and banging

Picker and Blend banter as Antsy bangs a Barahn maiden and Detoran bangs a Gilk lad
The two think Trotts lacks Detoran’s meanness and that she would've easily killed the challenger
The fact that the Bridgeburners might get killed anyway broke the discipline of the other unnamed Bridgeburner soldiers
Picker’s Trake torcs are burning up again
They both feel spirits around them and Blend walks off

Spindle appears and is worried that all the Bridgeburners are drunk and won't be able to defend themselves tomorrow

Picker tells him to relax, go have fun with a girl, and take off his hairshirt
Spindle is horrified asking what Mother would think and is punched by an invisible hand that left knuckle imprints on his head

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Chapter 11 Scene 10 (Barghast Camp, Paran)

Paran and Quick Ben step out of the tent

The Barghast spirits left Mallet’s body and rejoined their younger spirit kin
The forgotten First Landing warren will be remembered, the last will not be rejected by the Barghast anymore
The Barghast shouldermen will wake and feel the spirits have returned, and will understand it is time to set the Founding Spirits, the true gods of the Barghast, free from Capustan
The Barghast spirits also have embraced Twist and the Moranth people as kin

Paran and Quick Ben go to show Trotts the ropes of leadership and discipline his soldiers

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Chapter 12 Scene 1 (Outlook, Toc)

Three weeks since Toc had embraced the Tenescowri, Anaster’s mon has reached Outlook

Giant condors 2x the size of Great Ravens fly above them
Toc feels an ancient fire that whispers of wolves padding in the darkness in his scarred eye
Earned recognition from Anaster, who granted him a horse to ride along his lieutenants
The Tenescowri waited upon the Pannion Seer to appear on the balcony of Outlook’s central tower and shriek his blessing upon them

Toc looks upon the fortress of Outlook with its battlements, enfilading walls, gatehouses, and trenches

Tox believes the fortress was hastily constructed out of fear
Toc antagonizes the Seer in his head, thinking the Seer should be afraid of Lady Envy’s anger and sorcery, of the giant wolves, the punitive army of three Seguleh, and the T’lan Imass

Toc is emaciated from starvation refusing to eat human flesh and became mute

His ribs shown through his skin, teeth loose, joints ached
Toc doesn't understand why Anaster granted him lieutenancy, he has nothing to offer but silence at Anaster’s meetings

Toc saw Anaster, yellow-stained eyes (like jaundice), lanky black hair, alabaster skin, full red lips

Toc fears his mother the most, with her demonic eyes and was the first to rape a dying man, screaming wedding vows and wailing death as she did it

Toc remembers when Anaster sent his army to murder a village who defied the Pannion’s Embrace

Toc couldn't help but remember the Tenescowri were normal people with normal lives poisoned by the Pannion Seer’s words, which had a feeling of familial memories

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Chapter 12 Scene 1 (Outlook, Toc)

An Urdo commander, two Seerdomin, a troop of 21 Urdomen, and a K’ell Hunter emerge from Outlook’s ramp
Anaster speaks to his people, only in rasping whispers due to a birth defect

Septarch Ultentha of Coral was called to the Seer, Anaster’s army might not reach the Siege of Coral in time to partake and thus remain starving
The Pannion Seer thus gifts an Urdo commander and his troops to escort Anaster’s army to feast on what's left of Coral
The Pannion Seer also requests to see Toc, who they name the Defter, recognizing his scarred wolf eye transforming throughout their journey, and takes away Toc’s stone and obsidian weapons

Toc is grateful he doesn't have to witness the rape and cannibalism at Coral

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Chapter 12 Scene 2 (Outlook, Toc)

Toc surveyed Outlook’s construction again, sneering to himself how none of it nor the thousands sent to stop Lady Envy os a match for her sorcery

Toc does not regret leaving Lady Envy, still believing he wouldn't have survived if he stayed with him

Toc is escorted by the Urdo commander up the huge ramp littered with m bones, through an enormous gate, and is allowed to enter the Seer’s tower alone

The tower’s main chamber was a large empty floor, the ceiling had a chaotic maze of buttresses, spans, arches, and false arches, at the center a bronze circular staircase that loosely spun in circles
The second floor was a torture chamber with human skins stretched on the walls
Ascending higher, Toc’s mind feels as if he's experiencing eternity

The Pannion Seer greets Toc at the top and gives him foul energy which gives Toc strength

The Seer is an ancient dessicated corpse with two flaring eyes and a mouth that doesn't move as he speaks
Toc's wolf eye sees a man-shaped ghost controlling the corpse
Toc admits he is Malazan, gives his true name, and says he is without friends denying association with the forces from the south (Lady Envy etc.)
The Seer is surprised that Toc’s wolf eye can see through his deception the ghost that even sorcerers could not see
Knowing Toc has yet to eat human flesh, the Seer conjures meat in front of Toc, telling him to eat slowly as to not have his shrunken stomach puke it all out, and only reveals after that the meat is venison

The Seer’s corpse stands up and walks to look out the window

Toc senses sorcery of cold, ice, and ancient memories surrounding the Seer

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Chapter 12 Scene 3 (Vision, Toc)

Through the wolf’s eye, Toc can see Lady Envy, Tool, and Garath

Tool’s skeletal body is heavily damaged, Tool senses Jaghut sorcery
Lady Envy ponders if there was ever an alliance between the K’Chain Che'Malle and the Jaghut in the past, Tool says never

The group moves towards the mountains thickened with a mantle of ‘thickened green-veined white…’

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Chapter 12 Scene 4 (The Seer’s Tower, Toc)

Toc comes back to his senses and sees the Jaghut in the Seer’s body, tall, thin, green tinted, hairless,

Roots wrapped around the Jaghut’s legs into the floor twisting with pain and ecstasy
The Jaghut draws on Omtose Phellack and another sorcery

The Seer says he's disappointed in Toc, that he sensed Toc using the wolf’s eye, the beast god within Toc readying its rebirth, and that the Beast Throne is vacant

The Seer shrieks like a child throwing a tantrum that Toc lied
Uses sorcery to have the wrapped iron bands around Toc crush his bones and lift Toc in the air

The Seer sends him into the crushing embrace of an insane K’Chain Che’Malle

About twenty other bodies in various stages of composition also lie in the reptile’s embrace
The Seer uses his sorcery to heal Toc so that the reptile’s embrace can crush Toc’s bones in perpetuity
The Seer had been in her embrace until the K’Chain Che'Malle tossed him away for becoming foul and poisonous

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Chapter 13 Epigraph

Just some demographic information about Onearm’s Host I found interesting

At the time of the Pannion Wars
Included companies from Seven Cities, Falar, Malaz Island
Veterans from the Wickan Wars (Coltaine’s Rebellion on the Quon Tali continent before the Wickans joined the Malazan Empire), Aren Uprising (on both sides), Blackdog Forest, and Mott Wood

10,000 soldiers

4,912 were women, about 5,088 were men
1,266 under the age of 25
8,012 between the age of 25 to 35
721 over the age of 35

Grey surcoats, colorless standards

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Chapter 13 Scene 1 (To Capustan, the Mhybe)

Traveling through tall grass prairies

Fly swarms harassed only the Malazan soldiers, the Rhivi made grease from lemon grass seeds that repelled the flies when smeared on their faces. The Rhivi, bhederin herds, and Brood’s men used the grease. The Tiste Andii were unaffected

The Rhivi watches the soldiers marching from a wagon

She asks herself if the armies would follow their leaders into the Abyss: Brood’s army probably would not, the Tiste Andii would follow Rake anywhere, the Malazan soldiers would also
Feels shame as a mother who didn't protect her daughter when Rake first appeared and nearly attacked Silverfox
Silverfox is now a grown woman

Whiskeyjack approached, the Mhybe described his hands like a mason’s

Korlat told WJ the Mhybe is wracked with nightmare’s, WJ asks what she sees so he could help in any way
The Mhybe sees the visages of Hood and death, beyond lies the true Abyss only holding pain and despair
WJ says her dreams are manifestations of her own fears and projecting a punishment on what she thinks is her life’s failure
The Mhybe tells him to go away, but WJ’s wisdom sinks in

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Chapter 13 Scene 2 (To Capustan, Whiskeyjack)

Whiskeyjack returns to Dujek walking with Korlat and Kruppe

Korlat asks how the Mhybe’s doing, says Silverfox feels bitter and isolates herself because of her mother abandoning her

WJ concerned about the the unknown ahead of him, not know the status of either the Bridgeburners at the Barghast Range or Capustan

His leg still aches and the warrens are impassable because of the poisons

The armies are currently waiting on resupplies from the Trygalle Trade Guild who are late
WJ asks Korlat where Silverfox is and snaps at her, then apologizes and walks off to find her
Kruppe goes on a tangent, Dujek calls him fat, Kruppe takes offense for the first time and goes off on him calling them soldiers uncivilized dirty savages

Korlat is surprised that someone is capable of making Kruppe upset and Dujek is amused

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Chapter 13 Scene 3 (To Capustan, Whiskeyjack)

Whiskeyjack on horseback paused to wait for the rearguard to catch up while watching the columns of Rhivi walk past

Parallel to the armies ⅓ league north was the bhederin herds, with Rhivi traveling back and forth between the armies and the herds
The Malazan companies in the rearguard reach Whiskeyjack

WJ talks with a pair Malazan soldiers, unnamed sisters, who volunteered to the rearguard to protect Silverfox, still loyal to Tattersail and claim her as their cadre mage

WJ pulls up his sleeve to show a bite scar from his own sister when she was 5 and he was 16
When she was 12 she claimed to run off to marry a king and was never seen again

WJ trotts up next to Silverfox, making sure she heard his conservation with the sisters to show how some of her fellow Malazans are still loyal to her

Silverfox says that they're alike in that thousands of people are loyal to them and they feel responsibility towards them

Abruptly, the Trygalle Trade Guild appears through a warren engulfed in black fire and flowing on a river of blood

The first wagon crashes and disappears, as numerous shareholders and burnt corpses fall off
Four other wagons arrive safely covered in a cloud of protective sorcery, and a last vehicle the size of a house on iron wheels pulled by thirty horses buffed by sorcery
Silverfox recognizes the river of blood belonging to K’rul. K’rul, and thus the warrens, are wounded and bleeding

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Chapter 13 Scene 3 (To Capustan, Whiskeyjack)

WJ approaches the large wagon and greets an exhausted female merchant, Haradas

On another wagon was the ripped off arm of a demon with three talons and two thumbs still moving. The hand found the wheel of the wagon, crushing the wheel in its grip out of reflex
Haradas explains the demons were frightened and wanted to ride with the Trygalle Trade Guild to leave them them away from the nightmares of the warren
A troop of riders come to escort Haradas so she can rest and have her second in command give report

Looking out, WJ sees that the plains for 200 paces are blanketed with blood

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Chapter 13 Scene 4 (To Capustan, Kallor)

Kallor, sitting on an ironwood throne in his tent

Huffs the fumed of a century candle, streaked with the fragments of a rare sea worm, reinvigorating his body
Mulls over the events in the Prologue, says the Sister of Cold Nights has succumbed to his curse, K’rul soon to die as well

Gethol appears via warren, with open lacerations on his face showing bone

On behalf of the Crippled God as his Herald, Gethol offers the position of High King to Kallor
The ‘poisons’ in the warrens allow servants of the Crippled God to travel freely in them
The Crippled God chained to the long dead warrens to Burn’s flesh casts the House of Chains into the world, indirectly influencing those who would take up its titles, though the title of High King must be taken up by free will
Kallor says Gethol’s brother Gothos must be laughing at him, Gethol says he doesn't mind knowing where Gothos is (guardian/prisoner of the Deadhouse in Malaz City)
In exchange for revealing the location of Moon’s Spawn, the Crippled God will grant Kallor a moment of vulnerability for Silverfox

Gethol leaves, Kallor keeps mulling

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Chapter 13 Scene 5 (To Capustan, Whiskeyjack)

Whiskeyjack steps outside the command tent into the night air

Korlat comes from behind and places her hand on his shoulder

Korlat shares all the concerns WJ has: the Bridgeburners, Silverfox, the Mhybe, the warrens poisoned, Capustan, Paran, Trotts, Quick Ben

WJ asks why does she care
WJ remembers the Malazan battles against the Tiste Andii in Blackdog Forest
The Malazans honored the corpses of Tiste Andii fallen in battle the Malazan way

Dishonourably discharged any soldiers caught looting Tiste Andii corpses
The corpses held nothing of value, only colored strips of cloth and smooth pebbles

The Malazan campaign against the Tiste Andii became more civilized with unspoken protocols between the two factions

The Tiste Andii accepted and treated prisoners well, treated the wounded, never pursued retreating armies
All of it ended at the Siege of Pale

Korlat wants WJ to be her lover

Tiste Andii rarely have children, only out of boredom, and don't even date each other
Rsre for the Tiste Andii to leave the darkness (Kurald Galain) into the mortal world to escape from something she doesn't explicitly say
Whiskeyjack empties out his coinpurse to show her a knot of multi colored cloth strips and a polished pebble
Korlat takes her hand with the knot and takes the both of them to her tent

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Chapter 13 Scene 6 (Dream, the Mhybe)

The Mhybe dreams, finding herself on a cliff before an Abyss of negative emotions

Winds wrap around her legs and yank her down into free fall
An undead dragon snatches her and flies into the sky, letting her see the herds below her and a land she traveled before in her dreams, the Mhybe feels exhilarated to fly
The undead dragon drops her off gently on the ground and flies away

The Mhybe finds herself in her young body and feels tortured

The Rhivi spirits tell her that the undead dragon was a T’lan Imass Bonecaster come to answer her daughter’s, Silverfox, summons
The Rhivi spirits greet the Mhybe with words from Kruppe not willing to abandon the Mhybe

The Mhybe wakes up enraged, feeling hatred towards everyone

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Book Three:

Capustan

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Chapter 14 Scene 1 (Capustan, Gruntle)

Gruntle spends his days at an inn on Daru street, watching visitors to Capustan trapped in the city, others living their last days to the fullest with whores, watching a cat sleep in the trusses of the inn, and a mouse run into the kitchen

The Pannion army has surrounded Capustan for five days, have yet to do anything

Buke enters the inn to find Gruntle

Buke has felt wonderful from Keruli’s drink and informed the local Camp elders about Korbal Broach’s murders and convinced them to not report to Prince Jelarkan and go along with his plan to thwart KB’s murders until the Pannions reach them
Stonny joins Buke’s brigade
Gruntle asks Buke who’s the next elder he's going to work with (Ulden) and tell Buke to piss off

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Chapter 14 Scene 2 (Grey Swords’ Barracks, Itkovian)

Itkovian watches Hetan and Cafal meditate with a brazier between them, on a rug in the center of the barracks

Brukhalian ordered Itkovian to find out how the Barghast plan to escape (by sexing Hetan))

As Itkovian was about to walk over to Hetan, Prince Jelarkan walks up to him

The Prince is sad and bitter than he's in the dark even by the mercenaries he hired

Itkovian informs the Prince about everything:

The T’lan Imass already eliminated the K’Chain Che'Malle threat to the north but will go no further because the Second Gathering is priority above all else
Kron feels threatened by the Pannion Seer, assuming the Seer is Jaghut, and potentially is waiting for the gathering for more T’lan Imass allies to face the Pannion Domin
The summoner of the T’lan Imass travel with Caladan Brood and Malazan armies that come to relieve Capustan, but are five weeks away and will be far too late
The Grey Swords can no longer contact the Malazans because of the poisoned warrens

The Prince wants to attempt to evacuate Capustan’s citizens westward towards the relief army, but the Grey Swords have concluded no matter what they do they are doomed, they only remain in Capustan out of their own sense of honor

The prince walks away

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Chapter 14 Scene 2 (Grey Swords’ Barracks, Itkovian)

Hetan and Cafal throw a shoulder bone of a deer into the fire, casting a ritual of divination reading the cracks made in the bone as if they were a map to find wild herds for their tribal hunters

Hetan and Cafal are shouldermen, revealing the names of the shamans quite literal
Hetan and Cafal speak to eachother, and to spirits Itkovian can't see

When the ritual is complete, Itkovian walks towards Hetan hinting that he's more willing to have sex with her

Hetan sees right through him and challenges him to see if he can get information from her as she stretches and shows off her body
Itkovian runs away, repressing his feelings like Frollo from the Hunchback of Notre Dame
Wonders if gods care about religious sacrifice, if they laugh at them for self-imposed restrictions, or if they are angry at them for not embracing everything wonderful about life [just insert the quote]

Itkovian makes his way to the roof and finds Karnadas and seeks guidance on their faith

Karnadas points out his vows were made in dialogue to himself, and not to Fener
Itkovian realizing this says his words invite ‘a carnal flood’ aka fucking his brains out
Karnadas bursts out laughing thinking it might end his emo phase

Itkovian noticed movements among the Pannions, the Siege of Capustan begins

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Chapter 14 Scene 3 (Capustan, Gruntle)

Gruntle finds his way to the Ulden camp where he finds Buke and tells him the Pannions are moving

Buke and the Camps have success thwarted Korbal Broach’s nightly hunts, but now have Bauchelain’s attention

Gruntle and Buke’s conversation is cut short when they hear the thunder of the approaching Pannion’s march

Gruntle runs to search for Stonny who volunteered to be at Port Road Gate where most of the action would be (east)
In the streets, Gruntle watches a wave fifty balls of fire catapulted and rained down on Capustan
A second wave of fireballs hail and struck the Ulden camp, Gruntle dodging out of the way

Gruntle bruised and half-deaf sees Buke pull an unconscious woman from the house

Gruntle heads eastward to Port Road Gate (Fort Road on the Capustan map for some reason)

Gruntle reaches Port Road Gate, sees its blocked with piles of bodies, and Grey Swords soldiers running up the guard towers

Squads of Grey Swords ran past Gruntle and took position at the piles of bodies
Gruntle pulls aside a random Grey Sword soldier, surprised that she's Capan (that a native would join a foreign mercenary company) and that they have the audacity to sortie (attacks made by a defending army), and asks her questions she doesn't have answers to
The Grey Swords pause their attacks to allow Lestari (refugee soldiers from the fallen city of Lest) troops to enter with their wounded

Scalandi skirmishers (enemy Pannion group wearing leather shirts, helms, and wicker shields) threw themselves at Lestari heavy infantry defense line, the line breaks and the Scalandi caught and dragged the retreating soldiers outside of the gate

The Grey Swords reformed the defense line and took down two waves of Scalandi skirmishers with crossbows and swords
The Grey Swords split the line to allow Capanthall archers to make shots at the waves of Scalandi

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Chapter 14 Scene 3 (Capustan, Gruntle)

From the left block tower, Capanthall soldiers and Stonny ran out with her leather armor torn, rapier snapped with human gore on it as well as on her main gauche (parrying dagger) on her off hand

Stonny yelled at Gruntle to come over, told him about how the Pannions came over the walls and struggled to tell him about killing a Seerdomin, Gruntle realizing the Seerdomin had raped her
Stonny pushed herself onto Gruntle and cried on his shoulder, Gruntle picked her up and took her to his tenement to wash up and take the time she needs to rest
A rage builds inside Gruntle

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Gidrath Soldiers

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Chapter 14 Scene 4 (Grey Sword Barracks, Itkovian)

Itkovian stood on the barracks walls giving commands and watching the Pannions attack

The T’lan Imass’ slaughter of the K’Chain Che'Malle added days Capustan’s ability to defend and threw off Septarch Kulpath’s plan, but the T'lan Imass would help no more
Main attacks at the Port Road Gate (east) and south gates, feints at the north and west gates
The Gidrath soldiers (Masked Council soldiers) held the East Watch redoubt (fortification with no flanking defenses) miraculously and valiantly
Catapults had attempted to strike at Itkovian on the walls but none had been accurate
Itkovian gave counterattack orders as the Desandi (sappers) and slaughtered them
Pannion soldiers that breached the gates via battering rams were slaughtered immediately by Grey Sword and Capanthall archers, the interior of the gate becoming a dead man zone

Capustan was victorious on the first day, but Itkovian turned around to see the city on fire and in ruins

Destriant Karnadas returns and uses sorcery, despite the poison, to reinvigorate Itkovian
Brukhalian and reporting to the Masked Council in the Thrall of the day’s siege, Hetan and Cafal also taking up residence in the Thrall and have not yet revealed how the ancient bones would be extricated

Itkovian prepares his men for the overnight siege

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Chapter 14 Scene 5 (Thrall, Karnadas)

Chapter 14 Scene 6 (Gruntle’s Tenement, Gruntle)

Karnadas rode on horseback through Tura’l Concourse and the Temple District to the Thrall, passing the three squads of Gidrath defending the main entrance

Karnadas followed a strange, lone robed figure into the Great Hall and learned it was Keruli
Keruli asks Brukhalian to yield the floor and addresses the Masked Council
Keruli states the Masked Council are woefully inadequate representations of their gods and has come to demand his title as Rath’K’rul, and that one of the Masked Priests will betray them all

Gruntle takes care of Stonny in his tenement

Stonny can feel the rage inside Gruntle and tells him he's the best fighter she's ever seen and that he should be out there fighting
Gruntle departs

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Gidrath Soldiers

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Chapter 14 Scene 7 (Grey Sword Barracks, Itkovian)

The East, North, and South Gates have been breached, Itkovian hives rapid fire orders to defend and retake the Gates

Itkovian sees that Prince Jelarkan’s alien fortress palace is impervious to any and all siege attacks, remains unscathed
A Grey Sword Trimaster (leader of three wings of Grey Sword soldiers) comes to confirm his orders to retake the East Watch redoubt, rescue its survivors, and destroy the siege weapons amidst the chaos

A young female messenger reports a civilian had rallied the Capanthall Guard and caravan guards to slaughter the Urdomen and Seerdomin shock troops (troops that lead attacks and expects to have heavy losses) and have successfully retaken the North Gate, presently heading to retake the Lektar House from an Urdomen company

Itkovian orders a wing to assist the civilian militia
Itkovian and the Trimaster notice the messenger’s wearing a helmet too big for her and tells her to get a new one
Itkovian recognized the woman and is proud of her (the female recruit that's been with Itkovian since he first left to investigate the K'Chain Che'Malle)

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Chapter 14 Scene 8 (Thrall, Karnadas)

Chapter 14 Scene 9 (Lestari House, Gruntle)

Karnadas looks to Rath’Fener who he suspects is the traitor and sees Rath’Fener is horrified
Hetan asks if his Elder God can really help then, Keruli/Rath’K’rul says yes and not to wake Cafal who still is in slumber meditating

Gruntle reaches the Lestari House with a dozen Capanthall soldiers and a Lestari sergeant that became his second-in-command

Lestari House is the home to the D’Arle family, established also in the city of Lest and Darujhistan
The house became a strongpoint for defenders with a thick bronze door and carved demon heads that gushed boiling water onto attackers

Gruntle’s troop dealt with 15 Urdomen and then immediately killed Scalandi skirmishers attacking the Lestari House
The Lestari sergeant sees the Thrall building glowing in protective sorcery (Cafal’s ritual)
Six Capanthall soldiers holding the Lestari House reports the Grey Swords have retaken the North Gate
West Gate has fallen, Gruntle figures hierarchy there collapsed and thus promotes the Lestari sergeant to lieutenant and the other Capanthall soldiers to sergeants and orders them to rally the West Gate soldiers to retake West Gate

Gruntle heads out first, the rest of the soldiers follow

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Gidrath Soldiers

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Chapter 14 Scene 10 (Grey Sword Barracks, Itkovian)

Night, two hours before dawn

Brukhalian returns from the Thrall, takes Itkovian’s reserve soldiers and heads to Jelarkan’s Concourse at the South Gate
West Gate fell, potentially could lead to the western half of the city being lost to the Pannions

Capanthall and Grey Sword soldiers seemed to have lost, suddenly reappeared and pushed back the Pannions with Capustan’s fate in their hands (thanks to Gruntle)

Karnadas returns to heal the wounded despite the poison in the Denul warren

A messenger from the West Gate, with a scarred face and eye, returns. As Karnadas heals his wounds the messenger, apologizes for being late and gives his reports

A Camps had been slaughtered including the children
Jehbar Tower (#12) was surrounded and the situation looked dire, the messenger was about to return to Itkovian when [Gruntle’s] troops appeared and he joined them in defending the West
[Gruntle] convinced another Camp to fight as he held the corpse of a child half eaten by a Pannion
Using the child’s bloody yellow tunic as a standard to rally a Camp, his troop, and the West Gate soldiers whose Trimaster was killed and whose hierarchy had fallen
Jehbar Tower was destroyed, but [Gruntle’s] troop saved 20 more Capanthall soldiers
The messenger was then given permission to leave and report back to his superior, Itkovian
Gruntle then surprised a Beklite company coming to reinforce a company that they didn't know was already slaughtered by Gruntle's troops and and West Gate was held

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Gidrath Soldiers

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Chapter 14 Scene 10 (Grey Sword Barracks, Itkovian)

Another messenger reports a third sortie successfully rescued Gidrath soldiers at East Watch redoubt (#19)
Itkovian gives orders to open and shelter citizens in tunnels, against the Masked Council’s permission who are busy dealing with the Barghast and merchant who became a new priest

Itkovian realized the merchant/priest’s caravan guard captain held twin cutlasses like the hero at West Gate
Karnadas mentions he had healed the same caravan guard from s really bad hangover the day before (thanks to Buke’s help)
Itkovian sends messengers to Brukhalian and Gruntle

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Chapter 14 Scene 11 (Capustan, Gruntle)

Gruntle and his troop finishes up killing all the Pannions outside the West gate and the surrounding shanty town with the child's bloody tunic flying high

Gruntle’s toop was 50-60 soldiers, about the same he had the last night
The Pannions assemble Betaklites, Urdomen, and Betrullid wings outside, Gruntle believes however that the Tenescowri will be sent first
Gruntle has his Lestari lieutenant assemble the troops to strip and don the Pannion’s leather armors before withdrawing

Gruntle and his troop return to West Gate greeted by Grey Swords

A female officer offers grindstones to sharpen their weapons and calls Gruntle’s cutlasses tusks
Instead, Gruntle calls them tiger-claws which frustrates her
Gruntle says he wants his soldiers to sharpen their blades enough to be able to shave with them, the Lestari lieutenant laughs because most of the troop is women

Itkovian pretending to be his own messenger reports to Gruntle that Anaster assembled his army to the east, and that the Grey Swords have tunnels prepared and supplies to support 20,000 Capustan citizens and last two weeks

Itkovian offers supplies, Gruntle says to deliver them to his own tenement and figures Stonny would still be there
The Lestari lieutenant comes and tells Gruntle to sharpen his tiger claws which makes Itkovian turn his head

Itkovian is unsettled that Gruntle resembles the spirit Treach more than Fener and rides away on horseback

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Gidrath Soldiers

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Chapter 14 Scene 12 (Bauchelain’s Estate, Buke)

Buke assisted civilians into the Grey Swords’ shelter tunnels before approaching the fireball-destroyed gate of the necromancer’s estate

Marble, or Malefic, second to Rath’Shadowthrone stormed out of the estate and swears vengeance on the necromancers for insulting him, ignoring Buke’s polite advice to not mess with the necromancers

Knowing Buke will die here and before being able to step back, Bauchelain greets Buke at the door

Buke reports Bauchelain’s property tax exemption writ was denied by the Daru Civic Authorities, though it shouldn't matter since there's no one to collect taxes any more
Urdomen corpses lay in the courtyard, Bauchelain says Korbal Broach is excited to recruit them
Bauchelain looks forward to meeting Anaster, the First Child of the Dead Seed, and for Korbal Broach to do an autopsy on him when they kill him
The Urdomen are revived as zombies, Bauchelain grants Buke command of them to guard the estate

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Chapter 14 Scene 12 (Bauchelain’s Estate, Buke)

Emancipor Reese runs out holding his cat to put his hands on the Urdomens’ chest looking for an open wound not there, yelling that Korbal Broach had sewn all their hearts into a bloody mess on the kitchen table

Bauchelain explains that they know Buke and Emancipor Reese have been interfering with KB’s activities and KB had to adjust his modus operandi (MO, a term used for serial killers)
Asks that they stop further interruption and for Buke to not use the sorcery Keruli gave him saying they don't like company in their soletaken forms
Emancipor Reese stepped close to yell quietly at Buke as Bauchelain walks into the estate

The shrieks of the Tenescowri are heard and Buke sees two rooks (crows) on the roof and realizes that the spooky duo plan to find Anaster immediately
Buke veers into a sparrowhawk, which Keruli blessed him with, and follows the spooky duo as Reese pities him

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Chapter 14 Scene 13 (Capustan Sky, Buke)

Buke flew high above the spooky duo as they went to the east gate

Buke saw the 300,000+ mob of Tenescowri, feeling that they will devour the world

The spooky duo made the first attack with black waves with sickly purple streams raining down on the Tenescowri by the hundreds and opened portals to summon demons to wreak havoc

Their attacks converged on Anaster, sitting on a roan (white or brown fur mixed with white) horse and was met with retaliation that hammered and battered them
The spooky duo are forced to retreat
Anaster is untouched, the Tenescowri leaped to devour the dead Tenescowri around Anaster

Buke quickly returned to the estate, veered to human form, and made himself look busy by positioning the Urdomen zombies

The spooky duo return, veer into their human forms, bloodied and singed
Bauchelain says their tactics needs to be refined, which made Buke bark a laugh, which made Bauchelain freeze before wishing Buke a good day and heading inside
Korbal Broach unclasped his cape and stomped on it out of frustration

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Chapter 15 Scene 1 (To Capustan, Whiskeyjack)

Whiskeyjack stopped on a mesa to look ahead and went down to the dry riverbed to follow two Dujek’s scouts and a dozen Rhivi exploring the corpses of ten demons (K’ell Hunters)

The Rhivi reports that ancient wolves from the winter winds of the north (T'lan Ay) had hunted these demons that had come from barrows from Morn to the south

Korlat, Silverfox, and Kruppe, who’s struggling with his mule, approached

Silverfox and Korlat identifies the demons and wolves as K’ell Hunters and T’lan Ay
Kruppe senses everyone's tension sensing something coming

T’lan Ay from from dust, surrounding them in thousands on all sides and all looking at Silverfox who proclaims them as escort

Whiskeyjack realizes Silverfox doesn't need them after all and wonders what if Nightchill takes control destroys the Malazans out of vengeance, and wonders if Kallor had been right

Before Korlat leaves to report to her superiors, Silverfox asks about how her mother is doing

The Mhybe is unable to walk and is being cared for by Coll and Murillio
Silverfox won't visit her, and knows the T’lan Ay would scare her, and thus asks Korlat to have a few of the Tiste Andii stand guard for her

Kruppe tells Silverfox he is satisfied and has enough faith for both of them

Whiskeyjack feels lost in all the mysteries (how do you feel mr. reader?) and wonders how the Bridgeburners are doing

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Chapter 15 Scene 1 (To Capustan, Whiskeyjack)

The rest of the armies catch up

Kallor rode on one side as Dujek, Brood, Outrider Hurlochel, Artanthos, Trygalle merchant mage Haradas, and Korlat walked together

Kallor lectures on the K’Chain Che'Malle civilization

Barrows and constructs of the K’Chain Che'Malle could be found on every continent
The Matron is similar to a queen bee to its bee colonies, the matron is the mother to all of its group, had vast sorcerous power to rival Elder Gods, and commanded groups the size of modern cities
Through deciphering the ancient barrows and constructs in Kallor’s Empire, a bunch of Matrons came together for an unknown ambition and resurrected a primitive version of the K'Chain Che'Malle called the Short-Tails

Short-Tails had stubby tails making them less agile and stand up taller

The Short-Tails refused to surrender or merge their magic with the Matrons and led to civil war and the destruction of the K'Chain Che'Malle race
At the Rent at Morn, a Matron had attempted to assert order to a gate of Chaos during the civil war

Silverfox chimes in and says the undead K'Chain Che'Malle Matron is being used by the Pannion Seer

The group realizes the Pannion Seer has an ally
To their relief, Kallor says the Matron can't breed without a living male and thus every kill leads to their end
Silverfox reveals the T'lan Imass have killed many K'Chain Che'Malle already

WJ noticed Silverfox stands like Tattersail with her hands over her belly (Tattersail was a thicc momma)

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Chapter 15 Scene 1 (To Capustan, Whiskeyjack)

Silverfox reveals the T'lan Imass want to commit genocide against the Jaghut and fight against the K’Chain Che'Malle: ultimately is to sacrifice themselves to end tyranny, compassion for the world

The T'lan Imass were servants under Jaghut Tyrants, rebelled when they realized who their gods truly were
T'lan Imass also had allied with Jaghut who also wanted to end the tyranny of the Jaghut tyrants

Though through generations of distrust and betrayal, the T'lan Imass decided to no longer trust the Jaghut and to end all Jaghut so that another tyrant would exist again

Before the tyranny of the Jaghut, the K'Chain Che'Malle reigned tyranny over the Jaghut and thus the T’lan Imass seek to destroy them as well

Kallor calls it all a lie, a feint, Haradas speaks up and says Silverfox isn't lying, but isn't saying everything either

She asks why a Matron, already powerful in sorcery, seek to harness Chaos a second time after being destroyed, the same Chaos that's currently poisoning the warrens and threatening her own power

WJ realizes a third party is involved (The Crippled God) and Silverfox won't fight against him because even she says it's asking too much of her and the T’lan Imass
Kruppe rambles about offering a piece of info and never gets to it, which pisses off Caladan Brood

Kruppe keeps taunting Brood until he loses his temper and swings Burn’s Hammer onto the ground at Kruppe’s feet
The earth rippled and fell apart, creating landslides down towards the valley and a fissure along the valley opens up
WJ is buried and bruised underneath dirt and rocks, looks up to see the mesa obliterated yet Kruppe remains standing on an island of his own
WJ barks a laugh and stops when he hears Korlat crying out, seeing blood seep out from the fissure
WJ realizes Kruppe taunted Brood to use his hammer and show that Burn is poisoned and bleeding

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Chapter 15 Scene 2 (To Capustan, the Mhybe)

The Mhybe is shook awake from Caladan Brood’s earthquake, hearing the herder’s calming the bhederin herds and preventing a stampede

The Mhybe dreamed of the tundra landscape, strangers chasing her as she ran, a dragon saved her

Murillio and Coll check up on the Mhybe and she pretends to be sleeping

Murillio reminisces about his wild nights and pities the Mhybe for never being able to experience youth
Talk about how Kruppe survived being attacked by Caladan and no one was hurt, though Caladan Brood nearly was attacked in retaliation by Kruppe’s strange mule, which sleep walks

Mid mental breakdown she makes a joke
‘Sleeps. Dreams of being a horse, no doubt. Magnificent, tall, fierce…’

The Mhybe feels discarded since Silverfox won't visit her

Murillio and Coll talk about their wild youthful nights, Murillio pities the Mhybe that she'll know hsve that

Coll mentions that the Mhybe’s copper ornaments glows when she sleeps (Kruppe’s gifts to comfort her dreams) and realizes that she's been awake and listening to them the whole time
The two become silent, the Mhybe is bitter and cares not for their pity because she pities herself the most

The Mhybe falls asleep and dreams of running through an ochre wasteland

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Chapter 15 Scene 3 (To Capustan, Whiskeyjack)

Whiskeyjack pours ale for two as Dujek enters the tent super pissed

Dujek is livid that they learned that they're involved in a war against the Crippled God when they've only signed up for putting down the Pannion Domin, whom they assumed was just another mortal empire
Whiskeyjack reminds him that they're also the manipulators, concerning the outlawing to ally themselves with Brood and Rake

Whiskeyjack says the one person he believes and trusts is Kruppe

Kruppe was able to manipulate Caladan Brood into using his hammer to show Burn’s poisoned body and put Kallor in his place
WJ believes Kruppe also manipulated everything concerning Darujhistan, how Silverfox was born from Malazan souls in a Rhivi body loyal to Caladan Brood, and would be a leader of the T’lan Imass (a hell of a web to weave)
Believes Kruppe is allied with an Elder God, and their manipulations are not evil, but compassionate
Believes Kruppe to be the most intelligent mortal man, whom the gods would seek for advice

Hired the Trygalle Trade Guild because they were the only ones capable of supplying them, found the copper ornaments of the First Rhivi for the Mhybe, is the only one Silverfox talks to since Paran left, and now stands willingly in the Crippled God’s way

Quick Ben is the thread that allows the armies to challenge the Crippled God directly

Artanthos enters the tent to report Twist is approaching (finally bringing news of Parans’ squad)

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Chapter 15 Scene 4 (Dreams, the Mhybe)

The Mhybe dreams of running away from a pack of eight wolves

She collapses on a hilltop, the wolves circle, feeling the breath on the back of her neck she screams and wakes up

The Mhybe finds that the army had stopped for the night, Korlat approaches with stew that Coll made

The Mhybe wants to be left alone and die, but Korlat remains to eat with her
Two female Makazan marines who guard Silverfox (the same two that told Whiskeyjack that they know Silverfox is Tattersail) visit the Mhybe to tell her how her daughter is doing and the Mhybe is grateful for them
Korlat says Kruppe acts as Silverfox’s uncle, the Mhybe recounts how Tattersail was reborn through Kruppe and K’rul, and they conspire against her

The Mhybe throws the bowl away out of anger and it hits Murillio standing nearby

The Mhybe asks why her daughter doesn't come visit her and Korlat says Silverfox didn't want the Mhybe to know but tells her anyways believes it's the right thing to do: Silverfox is now protected by wolves and won't send them to protect the Mhybe
It was a huge fucking mistake and Mhybe freaks out and now truly believes her daughter will kill her

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Chapter 15 Scene 5 (Whiskeyjack’s tent, Whiskeyjack)

Korlat, face scratched by the Mhybe, enters angrily into Whiskeyjack’s tent and demands to know his secrets

WJ wants to comfort her but stays back knowing she won't accept it just yet
WJ says he has none, the female marines are volunteers and figured Korlat would know more about Silverfox and the Mhybe’s relationship than he does
When she realizes he trusts her, she relents and demands he clean up her scratches

She reveals that everyone (Brood, Tiste Andii, Kallor, etc.) thought the Malazans were just mindless soldiers but now they are the backbone that supports all the armies together

WJ says they are indeed soldiers and brittle ones at that

Korlat wonders if Nightchill and Bellurdan are winning inside Silverfox sending the nightmares out of indiscriminate anger

WJ says he hasn't seen signs of Tattersail losing, Korlat pokes a finger into his belly accusing him again of secrets, he reassures the two female marines would have reported something different (kind of wish English had gender inflections for words like French and Spanish do at this point)
Korlat wonders how lucky she is to have someone like WJ, WJ pulls her closer as he fears losing her

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Chapter 15 Scene 6 (Camp, Kruppe)

With the mule following “hiding in the shadows”, Kruppe approaches the two female marines and offer them Nathi black-cakes he got from the Mott Irregulars camp

The two remember how they'd throw the same cakes when they ran out of arrows when they were enemies in Nathilog

Kruppe expresses his admiration for them guarding Silverfox and says if he was Whiskeyjack he'd be comforted

The two marines believe that Whiskeyjack should've been the next Malazan Emperor if Laseen wasn't in the way, which is why Laseen demoted him to sergeant and sent him to another continent (Genabackis)
They believe Whiskeyjack relented to Laseen because he knew there would be endless civil war that would destroy the Malazan Empire if he challenged to take the throne

Kruppe is happy with their conversation and leaves
The two marines banter for a bit
Kruppe approaches Coll and Murillio and says great acts of mercy are coming to the Mhybe, but she is not ready yet and must continue the spiritual journey inside her [dreams] and that he trusts the marines guarding Silverfox

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Chapter 15 Scene 7 (Brood's tent, Crone)

Crone flies towards Brood’s tent

From above she sees the effects of Burn’s hammer: a new range of mountains erected in the center of the Catlin plain and the blood seeping from the earth, the Crippled God making her blood his own

Crone reports to Brood that Rake has successfully hidden Moon’s Spawn in place

The Great Ravens witnessed the first battles of Capustan and are convinced that the city will fall
Reveals the Seer is at war to the South which surprises Caladan Brood and the Pannion armies retreat towards Outlook (where the Seer is)
Omtose Phellack sorcery unleashed rivers, walls, and storms of ice, Rake and Brood had suspicions that the Seer was Jaghut
Crone was unable to confirm is the Pannion Seer remains in Outlook Because of condors that patrol above the city serving the Seer

Crone asks for food, Caladan Brood only offers leftover meat from the refuse pit and chases her away

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Chapter 16 Scene 1 (Capustan, Itkovian)

Capustan drowned in mobs of Tenescowri
Itkovian and three Manes of Grey Sword soldiers surrounding him are trapped in the cemetery, cut off from the Grey Swords barracks

Corpses piled against the barracks gates as more Tenescowri climb them to be stabbed by Grey Sword pikes
Women raped the dying men on the field

The Tenescowri rush the Grey Swords until Itkovian and his horse were the only ones that remained

The Tenescowri attacked with cleavers, hatchets, and knives
Itkovian decapitates one, slices through one’s lower spine, slides his sword along one’s ribcage as he tried to climb the horse from behind Itkovian, and slashes at numerous others
Itkovian's horse kicked, stomped and caved in numerous ribcages and skulls, and even biting and crunching on numerous heads
As the Tenescowri passed pikes among each other, Itkovian surged his horse forward to break from the mob
A pike stabs into Itkovians back along the lower rib and spine, a hatchet buried into his left clavicle, and a fisher’s knife cuts into his left knee underside
Itkovian reaches a cleared street
12 Grey Swords, all Capan born, emerge from the mob of Tenescowri

Brukhalian and Karnadas arrive to help repel the mob away from Itkovian

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Gidrath Soldiers

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Chapter 16 Scene 2 (Capustan, Gruntle)

Gruntle and his team now a hundred people fighting up a Daru tenement building

Blood stains seeped into Gruntle’s skin in the pattern of a tiger’s stripes
The Lestari lieutenant and Stonny fight with him
Gruntle's team became more skilled the more they fought around him, they eventually stopped making rallying cries or noise because they already had the confidence and courage to stay as a unit and not run away in fear

Gruntle's group a moment to rest, the bottom floors are clogged with corpses chest high and Tenescowri couldn't come in

The Lestari lieutenant sees Gruntles stripes and cutlasses and calls him Trake’s Mortal Sword
The group loses 20 people every floor from battling, they gather food rations and collect armor pieces from the enemy corpses, and continue going up the tower

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Chapter 16 Scene 3 (Grey Swords Barracks, Brukhalian)

Brukhalian on horseback watches Itkovian taken to triage to care for his wounds

Karnadas using the Denul warren despite it’s poison destroy his body, bruises appear all over as his blood vessels deteriorate and Brukhalian knows he'll be dead in the morning

The Capan female recruit appears with a message that Rath’Fener invoked Fener’s Reve and demands the Grey Swords come to his aid

Brukhalian immediately knows Rath’Fener has betrayed them, using the words of his god to ambush the Grey Swords as there was no reason the recruit should've been able to cross Capustan unharmed to deliver the message from the Thrall protected by sorcery
Even so, Brukhalian marches with his 400 Grey Swords to their deaths, to make Rath'Fener’s crime real for Itkovian to deliver punishment, orders the Capan recruit to remain in the barracks

The streets are clear, bodies litter the streets, and the city is on fire

Halfway towards the Thrall, they become surrounded by 1500 Pannions and Septarch Kulpath
They fight

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Chapter 16 Scene 4 (Grey Sword Barracks, Itkovian)

Itkovian wakes up and has a vision, watches the Grey Swords slaughtered by the Pannions

Itkovian wields his flaming holy sword and bronze plated shield
Pikes impale him and lift him off his feet
A double blades axe severs Brukhalian’s left arm at the shoulder, shield falling away
Short blades disemboweled Brukhalian, intestines pulled out
Another axes crashes and splits Brukhalians head
Brukhalians sits dead on his knees held up by pikes and arrows
Hood personally comes to look upon Brukhalian
The Pannions withdraw

Itkovian senses Rath’Fener also witnessing the vision with satisfactions and swears vengeance

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Gidrath Soldiers

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Chapter 16 Scene 5 (Capustan Sky, Buke)

Buke in his Keruli-gifted, Soltaken form of a sparrowhawk watches Capustan

The Pannions gave up assaulting Bauchelain’s estate as his sorcery relentlessly charred the Pannions into dust and Korbal Broach’s necromantic army grows further
Roving squads of Pannions search for Capustan citizens and are frustrated to find none (since they were evacuated into the tunnels the Grey Swords had made)

Buke sees Gruntle’s tenement, the only building not in fire when everything else was

Buke approaches and sees the bottom three stories are completely packed with corpses that block all the windows, a mass of flesh that bleeds, the entire enement flooded with blood and bile streaming through cracks down its walls

On the roof Buke sees a dozen figures on the roof make shelter and raises a standard of the child’s bloodstained yellow tunic

Gruntle looks down on the city, barbed in shadows and holding cutlasses gleaming like bone

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Chapter 16 Scene 6 (Grey Swords Triage, Itkovian)

Itkovian looks around the room to see corpses, surgeons sleeping from exhaustion, the Capan messenger by the door, and Karnadas holding his hand

Karnadas is a withered body, skin sunken into his eyes and joints, bruised, and icy cold to the touch yet still alive
Karnadas didn't heal Itkovian completely, but just enough

The Capan messenger reports 137 soldiers remain, of that 96 of them are recruits

Itkovian calls for an armourer to create a brace for his knee
The Capan messenger requests punishment, feeling guilty for sending Brukhalian and the other to their deaths
Itkovian then recognizes her as the recruit that went with him when they fought the K’ell Hunters
Itkovian comforts her weeping, saying a Brukhalian knew the betrayal and purposely kept her with Itkovian

Itkovian readies everyone to depart towards Prince Jelarkan's Palace

There are only two horses, one to Itkovians and Brukhalian’s horse that he left behind and now given to the Capan recruit who now rides at his side

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Chapter 16 Scene 7 (Prince Jelarkan’s Palace, Itkovian)

Day 3 into the siege, Itkovian laments this is the most they could do of the six weeks they needed for Brood’s armies to come

The palace gates were shattered, but there were no corpses or guards between them
A female runner reports that the Tenescowri are feasting and partying in the main hall
Itkovian positions squads around all the entrances surrounding the palace and they proceed forward
Entering the antechamber, they open the doors into the Palace main hall

In the main hall, well-fed Tenescowri feast upon a skinned and limbless body cooking over a bonfire of broken furniture

Prince Jelarkan's skin is stretched and hangs on two pikes crossed like an X
Anaster, First Child of the Dead Seed, sits on the throne with his mother scrambling to his side
Forty hulking Seerdomin appear from a doorway behind the throne

Anaster greets him, figures Capustan's citizens are missing because they're hiding underneath the city

Itkovian senses that only despair is inside Anaster which makes Anaster freak the fuck out, climbing onto the throne and touching his dagger which burns his hand
The female Capan Captain (unnamed) presents Itkovian as the Shield Anvil

‘A mortal soul, to assume the sorrow of the world’

Anaster shrieks and denies Itkovian, running away with the other well fed Tenescowri out the back

The Seerdomin march forward, all but 6 of them die by crossbow fire, and the rest are easily slain
Itkovian lets Anaster escape and orders Prince Jelarkan’s skin to be taken down and to hold a memorial for him

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Gidrath Soldiers

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Chapter 17 Scene 1 (Outlook, Toc)

The K'Chain Che'Malle matron held Toc in a crushing embrace against her pebbled skin, exuding acrid oil

Toc had visions as wolves hunting a quarry, not to feed but to deliver something. When the figure collapsed it vanished and the wolves howled. Shares the same dream space as the Mhybe
The Mateon would crush his bones and held him even tighter if Toc screamed, whenever Toc pissed or shit the Mateon would hold him away to not dirty herself, and then lick Toc clean

The Pannion Seer visits Toc’s mind to taunt him that Toc’s companions are trapped in ice (Lady Envy and co.)

Time has passed, Brood’s army is now a week away from Capustan
The Seer abruptly stops and is upset that Lady Envy and co. have reached Outlook’s gates
The Seer plans to bring himself, Toc, and the Matron somewhere else

Toc sees a vision through Baaljagg, she and Garath are attacking Outlook that's been turned into a snowy, winter environment

Seerdomin are slain, Baaljagg decapitates a K’ell Hunter with just its jaws, Tool swiftly dismembers another K’ell Hunter

Toc calls Tool brother in this vision

Garath is wounded and barks at Baaljagg to stay away

The vision ends as the Seer transports them through the Omtose Phellack warren

The Seer panics and Toc realizes Lady Envy infiltrated and is now assaulting Omtose Phellack
Toc blacks out from the Matron tightening her grip

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Chapter 17 Scene 2 (Outside Capustan, Paran)

Capustan now lies before the Malazan and Brood armies, roaring in fire despite the rains

Paran believes the outcome would've been different if the Crimson Guard had been hired over the Grey Swords, and if the Barghast knew how to rush rather than take their time

Trotts approaches, the shouldermen affirm that Hetan and Cafal are alive and that their ancestral bones are protected by powerful sorcery

Warchief Humbrall Taur sends clans to seize the Pannions floating bridges and barges, other clans will seize the main supply camp between the ports and the city, while the remaining clans head to Capustan
This would separate the rival clans and stop the dozens of duels that halted and delayed the march to Capustan

Paran has had stomach pain, vomiting bile and blood. (Either from stomach ulcers or from the poisoned warrens as Master of the Deck?) and eager to rescue the city

Trotts has been given permission to lead the Bridgeburners first into Capustan

Paran is relieved that Trotts is now warchief and leader of the Bridgeburner, with Paran as second-in-command

However, Trotts now attends the war council and Paran does not

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Chapter 17 Scene 3 (Capustan Outskirts, Paran)

For the third time in the past week, Paran senses Silverfox attempting to reach out to him and feels their bond may have gotten stronger

Paran flinches away, and doesn't want to reveal his secrets to her

The Bridgeburners take cover as they reach the Pannion camps

Spindle senses how many there are and figure a lot of them are ill with dysentery because the camps are a mess and the Pannion officers suck
Spindle, both a mage and a sapper, gets his sappers to ready their Moranth Munitions to assault to unguarded gates into the city
Paran feels Silverfox’s reach again and his stomach pain acting up, realizing this is his first real military battle ever (holy shit really?)

The battle begins with munitions detonated and the Bridgeburners surge forward to slaughter the Pannion camp

The thousand corpses at the gate stir awake and Paran realizes they were just sleeping
The sappers throw cussers (heavy impact) at the mobs, Paran barely has time to drop and cover his ears as everyone is tossed back by the explosions’ impact that knocks the air out of Paran’s lungs
Paran is hit with a pelvic piece of flesh and stands up, deafened and confused due to a concussion
Mallet puts Paran’s sword back into his hand and pushes him forward
Paran feels ill, sense of vengeance leaving him as he realizes the Bridgeburners are a match for the Pannions in their brtality

Trotts grabs Hedge pissed about the short warning of cussers, Spindle stops Trotts from throwing Hedge who has a bag full of munitions

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Chapter 17 Scene 3 (Capustan, Paran)

The Bridgeburners enter the north of the city and head towards the Thrall

Inside had corpses, bones both charred and stripped of meat everywhere, Paran reassesses the Grey Swords’ capability
The Bridgeburners are forced to climb a hill of corpses to continue up the street as hundreds of Tenescowri quietly approach them from behind, which they ignore
At the top of the hill, they realize the hill of corpses was a siege ramp trying to reach the roof of the tenement block where Gruntle’s group defends
Gruntle greets them at the top, & see every one of them has tiger stripes marked across their face
The group lowers ladders for them to climb up into the shanty town established on the roof

Gruntle walks towards Picker whose ivory torcs of Treach have been giving her more and more pain and gladly gives it to him

Gruntle reveals Treach is dead, now ascended to godhood and renamed Trake
Gruntle dons the three ivory torcs, Paran senses a bestial sprite awakens within him, though complementary and not dominating over Gruntle’s natural quality of leadership

Gruntle says its all to protect a dying woman, pierced by a blade

Mallet strides to her tent and with the help of Barghast spirits who protect him and sacrifice themselves to access the Denul warren, the tent expelled by a wave of force as Mallet heals the injured woman

Trotts to Gruntle: ‘No such thing as too late’
Antsy: ‘Hello, Capustan. The Bridgeburners have arrived.’

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Chapter 17 Scene 4 (Gruntle’s Tenement Roof, Picker)

The White Face clans annihilates Septarch Kulpath’s reinforcements coming from barges on the Catlin River
Picker stands on the rooftop, which Hedge warns is full of cracks in the foundation, watches as Humbrall Taur leads the White Face Barghast into Capustan and drive the Pannions away
Twist was sent to make contact with Dujek and Brood to report since Quick Ben and Spindle are unable to communicate since the warrens are poisoned

Picker of all people guessed right that the warrens have been taken over and are used by the poisoners
Picker also notices that Paran is sick

Stonny walks up to Picker, whose black hair has somehow become red

Blend told Stonny about Picker delivering Gruntle the torcs, Stonny asks about that
Stonny sees Gruntle as a changed person and is unsettled that Gruntle belongs to Trake, since she's sworn herself to Keruli’s god
Picker tries to rationalize with her that gods also work together for a mutual benefit while keeping everyone else in the dark

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Chapter 17 Scene 4 (Gruntle’s Tenement Roof, Picker)

With that thought Picker becomes suspicious of Paran’s secrets and calls out to Paran and asks how’s Silverfox

Paran is visibly anxious by her questions and reports Humbrall Taur is taking care of the Pannions while Dujek and Brood are 3 leagues away
Antsy takes the lead and antagonizes Paran, asking how they're all risking their lives not knowing anything while Paran knows that info meaning he's maintained contact with the armies the whole time
Antsy reaches for his sword intending to attack/kill Paran, Gruntle sees this and stands up, Picker yells at Antsy to think what Silverfox would do to him if he attacked Paran
Paran responds by turning his back to Antsy waiting for him to do it

Mallet intervenes and turns the situation around

Explains Silverfox has been reaching out to him, but he's pushed her away
Paran’s not just keeping the Bridgeburners in the dark, he's isolating himself from everyone especially since he has ‘holes burned through his gut’ and tells them to be ashamed of themselves
Picker feels guilty, sympathizing that she was also not thinking straight when she was in pain from the torcs

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Chapter 17 Scene 5 (Gruntle's Tenement Roof, Paran)

Paran is deaf to the conversation behind him, pressured by Silverfox’s presence, and waits for Antsy to kill him

Senses that Dujek and Brood are not fighting, and that the presence isn't Tattersail, but Nightchill
Sees a vision in a dark cave with a stone etched card of the Deck, showing Obelisk, leaning Jade monolith
The vision changes and Paran witnesses Fener’s hoof descend over the Seven Cities desert when Baudin had put Heboric’s stump to his chest tattoos and dragged Fener to the mortal world, and understands that Fener will be dead

Paran feels that he's being manipulated by Elder Gods and gets angry

Calls out to Nightchill and her friends have made a mistake choosing him to be Master of the Deck because he's no longer anyone’s puppet to control
“I've been a god’s puppet before. But i cut those strings, and if you want details, then go ask Opinn. I walked into a cursed sword to do it, and I swear, I'll do it again- with far less mercy in my heart- if I get so much as a whiff of manipulation from you.’
Paran threatens Nightchill that if she manipulates him, Gruntle, Stonny, or any other wounded person he has compassion for then he'll use the Hound of Shadow blood in him and summon the two Hounds he helped escape into the Warren of Darkness

Nightchill responds, and you can really assume that she is the Elder God Sister of Cold Nights in the Prologue here

Her brother’s (Draconus) sword has more secrets, that Rake will try to take Paran back, that the Elder God’s struggle is bigger and deadlier than Paran knows
Paran calls Nightchill a ‘patronizing bitch’ which triggers her because Kallor calls her that

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Chapter 17 Scene 5 (Gruntle's Tenement Roof, Paran)

Nightchill believes ignorance is mercy to the mortals

Pran demands that if he's to be the Master of the Deck then he has to know everything
Nightchill names Draconus and K’rul as her brothers, Draconus can only act indirectly inside Dragnipur
Paran realizes the prisoner who pulled him out of the wagon’s way saving him from being crushed and talked with inside Dragnipur is Draconus (GotM Ch. 15-4)
Paran wants to go back, Nightchill calls him Jen’isand Rul, the name the Rhivi gave him
Instead, Nightchill wants Paran to shatter Dragnipur so Draconus can be freed, which also frees the other mad souls inside Dragnipur but Nightchill believes Draconus will deal with them

Also says there's no rush to free Draconus just yet

Nightchill claims the Elder Gods are not cruel as Paran believes, only has vengeance for one who cursed them (Kallor, but she doesn't say his name)
The Elder God's won't harm Tattersail whose attention is elsewhere, they have faith in her

Paran wakes up, only a dozen heartbeats have past, and Paran immediately orders Trotts to have them head towards the Thrall, and also Gruntle to come with them. Is unaware why the Bridgeburners avoid eye contact

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Chapter 17 Scene 6 (Prince Jelarkan’s Palace, Itkovian)

Itkovian climbs the palace tower (approx. 24 stories going off of the 339 steps), and reaches an open platform where columns hold up a peaked roof of copper tiles

Itkovian watched the Barghast annihilate the Pannions in the fields and rivers, also entering Capustan and force the Pannions to retreat
The Capan recruit, finally named Velbara, is no longer a recruit to Itkovian and now a true soldier of the Grey Swords
Itkovian decides they've spent enough time defending Prince Jelarkan's Palace in his honor and now it's time to move onto the Thrall, which should be without opposition with the Barghast chasing away the Pannions
Sees the last surviving Gidrath outside the Thrall (Masked Council soldiers) by the East Tower Redoubt and notices they're sworn to Hood

Itkovian feels especially empty, incomplete, as if awaiting renewal

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Chapter 17 Scene 7 (Capustan, Itkovian)

Itkovian and his 112 soldiers in fighring condition, 17 dead soldiers carried to the wall, leave the palace and head to the Thrall

There were 137 to start, seems like 8 soldiers still alive but no longer able to fight
Prince Jelarkan's skin was sewn back into his devoured body (wtf why) and placed to rest on the throne
The Grey Swords depart in silence, no words given
The group had to climb through a ramp of corpses the Pannions piled during their assault of the Palace
The path was clear, but they're mentally scarred from the death in the city

Barghast warriors find them and show respect to the Grey Swords in their own abrasive way and are honored to travel with them towards the Thrall

They encounter Gruntle’s tenement building, horrified by the sight of it
The Barghast also passed by Bauchelain’s estate earlier and creeped out by the undead army and necromancy
Itkovian seeks to be the redemption of Capustan and pleads to Fener because he can't embrace his own sorrow

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Chapter 17 Scene 7 (Capustan Square, Itkovian)

At the square where Brukhalian died, Itkovian, Velbara, and the Capan Captain meet with the other Barghast, Gruntle's group, and the Malazans

Itkovian recognizes Gruntle, sees his stripes and tiger eyes, and understands that he's the Mortal Sword of Trake, the cult of Fener has been replaced in the pantheon’s position of war
The Masked Council emerged from Thrall’s Gate, led by Rath’Trake and Keruli hauling Rath’Fener

Itkovian, Gruntle, and Paran meet at the center

Paran informs Itkovian that Fener is dead. Pauses when he sees Humbrall Taur and insists that he go inside first to not witness the conversation, but fails since Taur wants to see the shitshow about to go down
Itkovian asks for a moment and walks past Gruntle and Paran to invoke Fener’s Reve on Rath’Fener for betrayal
Rath’Fener insists only a Mortal Sword can invoke the Reve, Gruntle gladly offers to invoke for him
The Capan Captain, named Norul, grabs Rath’Fener from the Masked Council and pins him down in front of Itkovian
Itkovian acknowledges Fener is dead and tells Rath’Fener to hope wherever he goes they will have mercy on them
Itkovian draws his sword, which smokes out of the sheath, and cuts off Rath’Fener’s wrists, hands disappeared
Itkovian uses the back if the sword to cauterize the stumps of Rath’Fener’s wrists until he was unconscious

Pretty much how Heboric lost his hands and was excommunicated

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Chapter 17 Scene 7 (Capustan Square, Itkovian)

Paran and Rath'Trake offer Itkovian and the Grey Swords to become part of Trake’s new warriors

Itkovian rejects it saying he's not yet done
Rath’Fener screams, dark tattoos of alien script claim his body, popping blisters spewing yellow liquid, and boiling the fat under his skin
Paran grabs Itkovian and tries to stop him, Itkovian orders Captain Norul to have Paran let go of him or be slain and Paran let's go

Rath’Fener tries to crawl away, Itkovian grabs him in his arms and embraces him and absorbs his pain

Itkovian sees Rath’Fener’s life before his eyes and understands how the politics of rule had corrupted Rath'fener’s faith and duty
Instead of Fener who would receive the severed hands, and unknown entity with other desires is present, and Itkovian denies the hands to that presence
Itkovian in the denial is wracked with pain and senses the alien presence of immense power, not malign but a storm of confusion and anguish that wanted to create something beautiful from the severed hands
Itkovian senses ‘horror and grief’ in the alien presence and decides, fuck it why not, he’ll assume the alien presence’s pain too
Embracing the alien tore at Itkovian’s soul and he gained knowledge about the suffering of gods in serving its mortals
The alien presence pulls itself away from Itkovian, which saved Itkovian’s soul, but it left Itkovian’s soul wide open to embrace all the souls of Capustan
Itkovian accepts the pain and assumes all of the souls’ trauma and anguish so that they may be at peace to pass into Hood’s gate, the Abyss, or wherever their souls chose to go

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Chapter 17 Scene 7 (Capustan Square, Itkovian)

On the surface, Paran watches Itkovian falls to his knees as Rath’Fener’s corpse rots and crumble into dust in his arms

Itkovian unstrapped his helmet revealing hair covering his face
Itkovian stops breathing, Paran grabs Itkovian’s shoulders and calls for Mallet
Itkovian wakes up and says Paran had returned him to the mortal realm
Paran says he feels that the air around them has been cleansed (from Itkovian assuming Capustan's sorrows)

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Chapter 17 Scene 8 (Capustan Square, Gruntle)

Gruntle watches Paran, Itkovian, and Mallet talk

Only now does he become aware of what he's become with the tiger eyes and stripes and gained the enhanced senses and instincts of a tiger
Horrified that he's Trake’ Mortal Sword, the feelings of cold violence inside him
The soldiers around him are Sworn to him and Trake, except Stonny sworn to Keruli’s Elder God

Gruntle looks at Stonny, lewd thoughts, glad that she's not sworn to Trake, and winks at her

Says he feels like he just woke up and recounts everything that happened during the Siege of Capustan as if he was possessed
Stonny is relieved that Gruntle is back to normal, fearing that he was lost to her
They banter and flirt, Gruntle reveals to Stonny that Keruli blessed Buke with the sparrowhawk Soletaken form

Rath’Trake interrupts the conversation, chokes when Gruntle calls Trake ‘the Whiskered One’

Gruntle says he'd scrub the stripes off if he could, adamant that he's just a caravan guard, and calls being the master a war a hobby
Paran laughs at that, that the glory of humans is to confuse gods, and tells Gruntle to keep playing by his own rules
Gruntle asks how’s the Shield Anvil, Itkovian says he's okay, Stonny says that's a lie, Itkovian grabs Mallets shoulder to stand up

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Chapter 17 Scene 9 (Capustan Square, Picker)

The Bridgeburners stage away from the Square as all the leaders in the Square talk
Picker calls out to Blend, Blend recaps everything that happened

Itkovian cleared up personal business (embracing Rath’Fener and the alien presence) which tore him apart
Paran, not Mallet, saved Itkovian’s life when he shook him and brought him back
Blend now has respect for Paran, believing he'll protect the Bridgeburners even at his own peril
Perceived that Gruntle is now awake and himself again

Humbrall Taur raising his axe leads the Barghast to the Thrall to meet their gods

Trotts follows, Blend and Picker express confidence that Captain Paran is a better and capable leader
They plan to confront Antsy and Detoran to get them to follow Paran, partly to atone for calling him out before

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Chapter 17 Scene 10 (Capustan Sky, Buke)

Sparrowhawk form Buke watches the Barghast chase the retreating Pannions westward

Starting from the north, the Barghast have also begun efforts to clean the city starting by clearing out the piles of corpses
Watched Humbrall Taur approach the Thrall

Buke has determined that he'll remain in sparrowhawk form forever and won't come any closer to Capustan

The death and scenes of dead wives, mothers, children, and burned buildings remind him of how his family died
‘There was pain in the gifts of the Elder Gods. But sometimes, there was mercy.’
Thus ends Buke’s tale

P.S. when the author wrote ‘the raptor drew no closer’, raptor is officially defined as ‘bird of prey’ referencing Buke the sparrowhawk and not a K'Chain Che'Malle that you'd normally expect when reading this line

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Chapter 18 Epigraph

Interesting information here

Barghast gods, primordial in aspect emerging from the Hold of the Beast, most ancient realm of the lost Elder Deck (the predecessor to the Deck of Dragons)
Possessors of secrets in the bestial shadow of humanity
The gods must be frightened that one of their own, Fener, was abandoned into the mortal realm and a First Hero had replaced him (Treach to Trake), and that the Crippled God has returned in dire malice to corrupt the warrens for vengeance' and dominance

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Chapter 18 Scene 1 (Barghast Camp outside Capustan, Quick Ben)

Quick Ben wakes up, late afternoon, in his wool underwear in a tent with Talamandas sitting on a backpack in front of him, rain patters on the tent

As he gets dressed, Talamandas recaps the events while he was asleep (who says Erikson doesnt have info dumps?)
Quick Ben was rambling in his sleep, the Barghast gods were impressed by his knowledge and have taken a liking to Quick Ben, believing he is a match for the Crippled God
Thus, using Talamadas’s stick body as a shield, the Barghast gods bless Quick Ben with a way to use and travel the poisoned warrens to oppose the Crippled God
QB sensed others opposing the Crippled God: Talamandas reveals the last surviving Elder Gods who have been cursed

Talamandas flips out when QB reveals his own knowlege that the warrens are K’rul’s blood

The Barghast gods will push the Barghast to fight the Pannions until they are completely eliminated
QB and Talamandas find somewhere private to enter a warren

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Chapter 18 Scene 2 (West of Capustan, Whiskeyjack)

Two leagues west of Capustan the Malazan armies engage the fleeing Pannions

Whiskeyjack’s heavy infantry distracted Pannion archers making space for Dujek’s heavy cavalry to flank the Pannion’s right side
Dujek’s Host employed a tactic where they charge with javelins, and use their swords when they're a dozen paces away
Following Dassem Ultor’s doctrine if set battles involving shield-locked lines and squares and four-squad wedges of 35-40 soldiers to throw a defending army into chaos in delaying communication and fleeing
The west battles conclude

A Saltoan messenger reports to Whiskeyjack

The Ilgres Barghast, Rhivi, Tiste Andii, and Brood army now owns the south region
A Rhivi slingstone headshotted Septarch Kulpath killing him (he was never on screen)
Whiskeyjack tells the messenger to report 200,000 Tenescowri camp half a league to the east, but both WJ and Dujek don't want to outright slaughter them out of pity

Korlat appears via warren to summon Whiskeyjack to Dujek’s command tent

WJ gives command to a reluctant Captain Barack
Korlat makes fun of WJ for nearly putting his arm around her and they enter the warren

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Chapter 18 Scene 3 (Dujek’s Command Tent, Whiskeyjack)

Korlat and WJ travel through Kurald Galain. Void of light, motionless, temperature same as body temp

Korlat feels the poison of the Crippled God, trust Rake enough that he'll act when the time is right

Arrive at Dujek’s tent, WJ flirts with Korlat until Quick Ben in apparition form makes fun of him
Quick Ben reports his situation, the situation of the Bridgeburners in Capustan, and the Barghast situation of joining the armies when they all head south

Shares the story of Anaster skinning Prince Jelarkan and feasting on his flesh in his own banquet hall
Whiskeyjack still determined not to slaughter them and bring them under Malazan military law, with consideration to Capustan and Grey Sword’s desire for vengeance
Quick Ben’s apparition form ends and disappears

Korlat and Whiskeyjack argue about the Tenescowri’s fate

It would be difficult to slaughter or imprison 200,000, thus take the Tenescowri’s leader like Anaster and the Seer, and treat the peasant army and the Pannion Army as victims
Whiskeyjack explains that the army’s aren't judge and executioner, they're only to occupy until the enemy can administer their own reconstruction
Korlat traps Whiskeyjack into lying that it isn't a Malazan war, thus a rift grows between them
Korlat leaves and WJ’s inner monologue reveals Laseen planted a person in WJ’s army to hold a knife to their throat

Dujek enters and says Brood knows about the false outlawry, thus the alliance between the armies are in trouble

Standard-bearer Artanthos appears, Brood has summoned them for a counsel

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Chapter 18 Scene 4 (Near Capustan, the Mhybe)

The Mhybe continues to dream escaping from wolves and waking in the wagon

Compares the wagon to Nathii coffins
A Rhivi women mentally handicapped from a bhederin kick to the head, and is usually tasked with tidying corpses, is brushing the Mhybe’s hair, the Mhybe is deeply insulted
Ponders on how the wolves are Silverfox’s hunger for the Mhybe, a ritual was never performed to separate mother and child thus Silverfox continues to draw on the Mhybe’s life
The Mhybe begs the spirits for death, only having poison and spite left in her soul

The hair comb snags and the Mhybe’s head is painfully pulled back, locking gazes with the Rhivi woman

The Mhybe a child in an old woman’s body, the Rhivi woman a child-like kind in a woman’s body

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Chapter 18 Scene 5 (Near Capustan, Kruppe)

Kruppe and Silverfox drink tea by a hearth a dozen paces away from the Mhybe’s wagon

Coll and Murillio are gambling with the Trygalle Trade Guild people, banned Kruppe

Kruppe states the Battle of Capustan is over

Only the 200,000 peasants remain, the Barghast have liberated Capustan, and Brood has called for a council
Silverfox has the Second Gathering to do, but feels an urge to delay that to go to the council
Silverfox doesn't know if the urge comes from Tattersail who she trusts, or Nightchill who she's afraid of
Silverfox trusts Kruppe who convinces her to attend Brood’s counsel

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Chapter 18 Scene 6 (Brood’s Tent, Korlat)

Anomander Rake enters via warren. Brood, Korlat, and Kallor are present

Brood is impatient, Rake leisurely pours wine
Korlat announces that the alliance is in peril due to the Malazan’s false outlawry
Rake already knows that Dujek and WJ act under Empress Laseen, even deceiving their own soldiers
Kallor is a little shit the whole time

Rake is in favor of the Malazans

Crone can only report praise for the Malazans being professional, perfunctory, and relentless
The Pannion Domin is just another empire to liberate its people from its horrors
Genabaris and Nathilog are examples of Malazan rule improving cities from backwater swamps to cities that rival Darujhistan in 15 years
The horror the Malazans presents are common everyday problems, the oppression is the imposition of law that Rake judges as the least repressive of any empire he's known
Whiskeyjack and Dujek have the burden of soldiers to simply follow orders

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‘The truth is simple - to me at least. Brood, you and I, we have fought the Malazans as liberators in truth. Asking no coin, no land. Our motives are even clear to us - imagine how they must seem to the Empress? Inexplicable. We appear to be bound to lofty ideals, to nearly outrageous notions of self-sacrifice. We are her enemy, and I don't think she even knows why.’

‘We cannot be controlled. The truth laid bare is we fight for our own freedom. No borders for Moon’s Spawn. No world-spanning peace that would make warlords and generals and mercenary companies obsolete. We fight against the imposition of order and the mailed fist that must hide behind it, because we're not the ones wielding that fist.’

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Chapter 18 Scene 6 (Brood’s Tent, Korlat)

Rake makes so much sense that Korlat feels guilty for not trusting Whiskeyjack, Brood can't argue, and even Kallor can't retort and changes the subject

The cities Setta, Lest, and Maurik lay between Capustan and Coral
Since Setta is out of the way, Kallor proposes splitting the army to take Setta and Lest at the same time and rendezvous at Maurik

Whiskeyjack, Dujek, and Artanthos enters. Apologizes for being late because they received reports of the Tenescowri peasant army heading straight for them

Anomander Rake simply replies ‘I mean to scare them witless, in person’
No one responds (LOL), Brood breaks the silence by rummaging in his trunk for more drinking cups
Whiskeyjack and Dujek look like they're about to die from anxiety,, Brood is having fun drawing out then awkwardness, and Korlat loses patience and promptly moves the conversation forward concerning the next three cities
Whiskeyjack proposes the Malazans taking Setta and Brood’s armies taking Lest, with the Black Moranth as their means of communication
Whiskeyjack also reports the White Face Barghast is joining the campaign, as well as the possible addition of Silverfox and her T’lan Imass

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Chapter 18 Scene 6 (Brood’s Tent, Korlat)

Brood ends the meeting prematurely, seeing the need to wait for the Barghast leader, Humbrall Taur), and Silverfox to join the counsel before moving forward

Rake shares that the Great Ravens report that at Outlook the Seer has used Omtose Phellack sorcery against a T’lan Imass, a she-wolf, and a very large dog. The Seer has fled by warren to the city of Coral (Tool, Baaljagg, and Garath)
WJ and Dujek guess it's a T’lan Imass Bonecaster to get so far
Rake clarifies that the T’lan Imass wields a sword and thus not a Bonecaster (since Bonecasters are recognized for not carrying weapons), the she-wolf is an Ay, and the dog rivals a Hound of Shadow
Coral will be the final place of battle against the Seer himself

The meeting ends

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Chapter 18 Scene 7 (Outside Brood’s Tent, Silverfox)

30 steps from Brood’s tent, Silverfox changes her minds and decides not to attend the counsel

Silverfox feels the need to attend to the T’lan Imass and the Second Gathering imminent, out of sight from anyone else
Kruppe convinces Silverfox for him to witness the Second Gathering, ready with a horse and his mule prepared
Kruppe assures that no one will witness the ritual through the mule’s eyes and that it’s capacity to sleep is boundless

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Chapter 18 Scene 8 (Near Capustan, Whiskeyjack)

From the tent, Anomander Rake invites Whiskeyjack to walk with him, up a ridge within view of the Catlin River

Starry night sky above, moths are in the air
Rake inquires about WJ’s bad leg and offers Brood’s proficiency in the healing Denul warren, WJ stubbornly rejects it
Rake asks about Quick Ben, glad to know he's safe and in Capustan since the warrens are poisoned, even Kurald Galain is poisoned
Whiskeyjack says he knows (implying Korlat took him) and Rake is happy Korlat found love
Rake reveals they already know about the false outlawry and that he had calmed Brood and Kallor before WJ and Dujek came to the meeting
Brood and Rake need Quick Ben, Humbrall Taur with the White Face Barghast, Silverfox with the T’lan Imass, and Ganoes Paran
Rake knows Paran is Master of the Deck and wants him to dent the Crippled God’s House of Chains from joining the Deck of Dragons, and thus its legitimacy and foundation to rebuild himself

Whiskeyjack thought the House of Shadow was new to the Deck, Rake explains it always present just dormant until Shadowthrone and Cotillion came to occupy it

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Chapter 18 Scene 8 (Near Capustan, Whiskeyjack)

Whiskeyjack said Rake and other brought him down before, Rake says it was costly and needed Fener to be there

Rake reveals to WJ that Fener was torn from the pantheon and now walks the mortal earth (still alive)
A former Malazan priest of Fener (Heboric) was wrongly sentenced to a Reve
As WJ said, the Malazan Empire discourages cults in the Reve, and Heboric had investigated that Surly had failed to assassinate Emperor Kellanved and Dancer, thus the Claw orchestrated the unjust Reve
Heboric’s hands were transported to Fener through the Reve, but they were poison to him. Fener couldn't touch the hands nor could he expel them from his warren, thus he tattooed Heboric to seal its power
Fener planned to wait for Heboric to die, his soul would come to Fener, Fener would right the wrongs, and Heboric would become Fener’s vengeful spirit to bring justice to the corrupt Fener priests, the Claw, and the Empress
Instead, Heboric came in contact with something forged in the Chaos Warren (the jade statue) which unsealed the tattoos unleashing the power in Heboric’s severed hands expelling Fener from his warren into the mortal world
Treach then ascended to take the mantle of the Lord of Summer, with fewer followers than Fener
The Elder Gods, K’rul and his kin (Sister of Cold Nights and Draconus), foreseen it all

Whiskeyjack warns that Pran doesn't take orders well but will try his best to persuade him
The conversation ends with drinking more ale

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Chapter 18 Scene 9 (Capustan, Quick Ben)

Quick Ben finds a private spot to open the Shadow warren and cloak himself in Shadow, Talamandas climbs up to his shoulder

Needs the practice after not using warrens for so long sue to the poison and to test Talamandas’ capabilities to repel the poison

They pass Bauchelain’s estate and QB comes to take a closer look

Figures he either need’s Hood’s warren or Aral Gamelon, warren of demons where demons like the Galayn or Korvalahrai live in, also the preferred warren to summon demons by the Empire
Quick Ben and Talamandas sense that all the souls in Capustan are at peace (Itkovian’s duty as Shield Anvil), giving hope to Capustan’s future
Using Hood’s Warren of Death, QB walks past Korbal Broach’s undead guards undetected

At the door was a Sirinth demon, toad-skinned, fanged, bulky sized bigger than a bull

QB layers the Aral Gamelon warren over Hood’s warren and they both land in the realm, where it's hot and bright

The undead guards see QB while he's not covered by Hood’s warren

The Sirinth demon is stopped by its collar chained to a binding circle in the estate
QB offers a deal to free the demon
QB recognizes the script as High Korelri (hinting Bauchelain’s origins), scratches a character with his thumbnail, and frees the Sirinth demon
QB dodges the demon’s lunge back into Hood’s warren, now surrounded by the undead guards who no longer see QB

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Chapter 18 Scene 9 (Bauchelain’s Estate, Quick Ben)

QB and Talamandas enter the estate, QB uses the D’riss Warren of Stone to stealth

Stone can be traversed easily enough, resistance similar to water, but mortar was sticky like spider’s web and the walls were thin making QB walk sideways
QB’s vision in the D’riss warren was limited, the rooms were visible, furniture was grainy grey, and living flesh glowed

‘Stone knows blood, but cannot hold it. Stone yearns for life, yet can only mimic it’ - words from an Unta mason and sculptor centuries ago

QB finds Bauchelain reading while sitting on a divan (fancy sofa chair), Emancipor Reese stoking the fireplace, and a crow pacing back and forth

Reese asks about the intruder, Bauchelain doesn't believe the visitor is malign and waits to welcome him
QB decides to appear, Bauchelain asks Reese to get flowery wine
QB praises the cleverness of his bindings, Bauchelain says he never frees his demons because they're tools and because release would weaken his geas (Irish word folklore for curse)
Reese appears with wine even though he doesn't know what flowery is, Bauchelain lists example flowers QB recognizes as poisonous
Bauchelain realizes Reese took blood for Korbal Broach’s collection, recognizing it as virgin’s blood because it tastes woody (deflower joke ha ha Erikson)

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Chapter 18 Scene 10 (Thrall, Paran)

Paran sits alone on a bench in the Thrall staring at the dugout canoes whose corpses had been ceremoniously removed by the Barghast

Paran’s stomachache flares and he understands that his role as Master of the Deck is as adjudicator asserting structure and law to the players, and his pain/illness is his rejection and anxiety of that responsibility
The Bridgeburners were partying with the Gidrath (Masked Council soldiers) and the Masked Council slept
Paran noticed Gruntle went to go bang Hetan, to Stonny’s disgust
Itkovian had returned to the Grey Sword Barracks, beginning repairs and planning to retrieve Capustan refugees from the Grey Swords tunnels, the responsibility of resurrecting Capustan now on the Grey Swords
Paran feels power of the Deck growing inside him, anxiety that he's to be its Master with profound consequences
Fears how much the Elder Gods (Nightchill, Draconus, K’rul) had orchestrated everything including Fener’s fall and Treach’s rise

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Chapter 18 Scene 10 (Thrall, Paran)

Paran hears Cafal’s coin armor clinking as he digs through the dugout canoes

Cafal calls Paran ‘The One Who Blesses’, gives the idea that Paran is capable of relieving Itkovian’s burden
Paran learns that the Barghast hate saying yes to anything, better to ask a question that would answer the opposite, ‘no’
Cafal shows Paran secret compartments hidden underneath the carved battle scenes in the dugout canoes

Cafal pulls out a pristine long scimitar looking things made with skill the Barghast have long forgotten
Cafal plans to give the weapons to children who will have to learn themselves how to wield such weapons

Cafal reveals that the Barghast will become seafarers again, and that Humbrall Taur asks Paran to bless their gods
Paran doesn't have an answer yet, Cafal respects Paran’s wisdom in his hesitation

Cafal tells Paran to be careful of the Masked Council who see Paran as their rival, who haven't acknowledged Keruli as K’rul’s High Priest, and to expect Keruli come to ask his blessing. All of which gives Paran anxiety

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Chapter 18 Scene 11 (Bauchelain's Estate,Quick Ben)

Emancipor Reese brings actual wine this time as Quick Ben and Bauchelain discuss magic

Demonic summoning is the rarest and most difficult of necromancy
Death-aspected, drawing from power on the border between Hood’s warren (Death) and Chaos
The threat of annihilation in the assertion of absolute control over another is why demonic summoning is death-aspected
Bauchelain feels only slight poison when he draws from the Chaos warren, Korbal Broach feels more of it when he uses Hood’s warren
Bauchelain doesn't find it yet to prioritize the poisoner
Bauchelain is gratefully amused by QB’s company, as someone who says he can beat gods at their own games

Korbal Broach, perched on the mantle in his Soletaken crow form, is deeply confused by QB as a person, and thus attempts to veer out of the crow form and attacks Quick Ben

Quick Ben retaliates with a wave of six warrens woven together that pins Korbal Broach in his half veered form (half human half crow) and detonates blowing a hole in the wall
Bauchelain amicably offers more wine as he expresses his own interest in obsessively satisfying his own curiosity in Quick Ben’s ability to use six warrens, unperturbed by the poison and advised he should've held at least half of his power back
Quick Ben replies he did and strikes Bauchelain with another wave of six warrens, names the Crippled God as the one poisoning the warrens

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Chapter 18 Scene 11 (Bauchelain's Estate, Quick Ben)

Emancipor Reese goes on a rant wishing that someone would kill his masters because they're insane
Talamandas waits for Quick Ben at the soor and sees the undead guards, who fell over because Korbal Broach’s necromancy faded when he was knocked out, are starting to move again
Quick Ben and Talamandas leave

Bauchelain wakes up, Emancipor Reese had dragged both masters into the garden and extinguished the fires in the estate

Bauchelain feels uncertain and wonders i they have a flaw but takes back his question
Offers Reese a bonus but Reese declines

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Chapter 18 Scene 12 (Capustan, Quick Ben)

Night,Quick Ben heads towards the Thrall, at the square the street leading to the Thrall is full of Barghast guarding it, with tarps hanging between buildings that turns the street into a tunnel
Quick Ben, who's nearly exhausted, wants to sneak past the Barghast via warren to test if he can draw on Talamandas’s power and see if it’s an option during an emergency

Not using D’riss, Path of Stone, again because the stones are soaked with blood from the battle
Instead uses Serc to see and ride the warm rising currents into the sky

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Chapter 18 Scene 12 (Capustan, Quick Ben)

When drawing Talamandas’s power, Quick Ben learns that he’s drawing on Hood’s power, deducing that Talamandas is now the Magi of High House Death and the Barghast gods have let their servants become servants to Hood

While drawing Hood’s power, Quick Ben threatens to drag Hood into the world like what happened to Feber
Hood responds, he wants Quick Ben to convince the Master of the Deck to deny the House of Chains

Poliel, Mistress of Pestilence, seeks to become Consort to the King
A Herald has been recruited (Gethol)
An ancient warrior seeks to become Reaver
A Mortal Sword has been found on a distant land
Mowri, the Lady of Beggars, Slaves, Serfs has taken the title of Cripple, Leper, Fool - the equivalent of the positions Spinner, Mason, Soldier

Hood says no answers or solutions will be found in the Pannion Domin, who are the heart of an altogether different take
Quick Ben trusts that Paran sees the situation much better and dispassionately than everyone else
Quick Ben warns that the young Barghast gods and Treach’s Mortal Sword have given souls to Hood and expect their agreements to be honor or expect the same consequence as Dassem Ultor losing his daughter to Hood
Quick Ben then demands for Hood to give Quick Ben power to fly to the Thrall and withdraw his hold on Talamandas, ready to give QB power when he needs it

Talamandas wakes up, unaware of the entire exchange with Hood, and they fly to the Thrall

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Chapter 18 Scene 13 (Thrall, Paran)

Paran left the Barghast to excavate their swords and sit at the front door of the Thrall looking at the night sky

The empty corridors of the Thrall remind Paran of the empty estate of his family. His parents dead, Felisin chained in the mining pits, Tavore as the new Adjunct
Knows that Tavore has plans to free Felisin, but will not do it personally and Felisin will be a scarred woman and should expect to face the consequences for it

Gruntle steps out of the doors, satisfied after sex with Hetan and accepts Paran’s offer to sit next to him on the stairs

Gruntle jokes about how Treach chose wrong in making someone who hates fighting and isn't a soldier his Mortal Sword and that he'd just be another refugee hiding in the tunnels if Harllo and Stonny were both okay

Gruntle asks why the Malazans had joined their war and why fighting’s so important to them

To men like Whiskeyjack and Dujek, it's everything their lives had created, in shaping history and maps
Soldiers fight because it's the only thing they're good at, and will always undermine their commanders
Luckily the Malazan Empire had a tradition of appointing competent commanders, until the noble class had corrupted the Empire. Paran could've been Fist by now if he played by their games
Empress Laseen knew the threat of the nobles and tried to Cull them in Unta (Deadhouse Gates) but was too late
Laseen outlawed Dujek because she was forced too out of circumstance
Gruntle warns that even though Gruntle's not going to do anything, Paran speaks too freely

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Chapter 18 Scene 13 (Thrall, Paran)

Paran goes further and tells him that all the gods are demanding that Paran deny the Crippled God’s House of Chains, and yet Paran deep inside wants to give the House of Chains his blessing

Gruntle compares their situation
‘And what did you say to me earlier? Better a man who hates war to serve the God of War than oe who lists for it. Thus, why not a man who knows nothing of the Deck of Dragons to adjudicate it rather than a lifelong practitioner’
Treach recoiled internally at Paran’s words, but Gruntle thought it was perfectly reasonable. Legitimizing the House of Chains would make The Crippled God play by their rules, instead of being outside wreaking havoc

Paran and Gruntle bond over not listening to the gods and possibly suffer the consequences of it together

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Chapter 18 Scene 14 (Thrall, Quick Ben)

Quick Ben rides the cool air currents down to Paran and Gruntle, Talamandas hiding himself

Gruntle feels anger by the smell of death on QB, but holds back because of his gratitude to the Bridgeburners
QB reports Whiskeyjack's message that Brood wants to parley with all the relevant commanders like Humbrall Taur, Gruntle, and Grey Swords (in preparation to march to Outlook and face the Seer)
QB wants to talk privately to Paran, but Paran openly admits that he hasn't decided on what to do with the House of Chains and will not appreciate any pressure
Quick Ben reassures him that they're the same person, when someone else tells them to do something they'll just do the complete opposite which makes Gruntle laugh.

Paran was feeling pain and sick not because he was rejecting the powers as Master of the Deck, but because he was denying his own feelings which he should listen to from now on. Whiskeyjack would've said the same

The three of them bond over going against the gods’ wishes

QB tells Hood that the House of Chains will be blessed and the gods will just have to accept it
The gods had set the rules for mortals for far too long, and now it's the mortals who will set the rules for the gods

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Chapter 18 Scene 15 (Capustan, Itkovian)

Morning, Itkovian helps the refugees exit the Grey Sword shelter tunnels

The Masked Council will retain authority to restart life in Capustan
From 7,000+ to 319 Grey Swords, more women than men, stand as Capustan’s defenders and raise its morale
Without Fener, the company would just be mercenaries working for coin when Itkovian needed fanatics
Trake’s army revolved around Gruntle, two other gods of war were to the north, Hetan had once called Itkovian a wolf
Itkovian calls to Velbara to get Captain Norul

Itkovian leads Velbara and Norul to a Barghast camp into a tent of Elder women

The Elder women assess them
‘Togctha and Farand, the lover lost to each other for eternity, the winter hearts that howl in the deep fastnesses of Laederon and beyond’
Itkovian wanted Velbara to be the Mortal Sword, but the Mortal Sword has already been found
‘Too much caring is in her hands’, thus Velbara becomes the Destriant and Norul becomes the Shield Anvil

Itkovian reveals that the Grey Swords will now be sworn to Togg and Fanderay, the Wolves of Winter, and tasks them to search recruit fanatics among the Tenescowri and follow the armies to face the Pannion Domin

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Chapter 19 Scene 1 (Catlin Plain, Kruppe)

Morning, Silverfox and Kruppe had left from Brood’s camp for the Second Gathering

They notice Silverfox’s female Malazan duo guardians continue to follow her and decides to let them
T’lan Ay appear by the thousands
They climb up a slope to a flat-topped hill between two dry riverbeds and the Malazan duo approach closer
A sea of dust rose from the ground surrounding their hill and formed the T’lan Imass in their tens of thousands, all looking up at Silverfox
‘When frozen between life and death, in the glacial in-between, what can exist of mortal feeling? Not even an echo. Only 📣memories of ice📣, of ice and no more than that. Gods below… such sorrow…’

Pran Chole, of the Kron T’lan Imass, approaches and introduces himself as present with K’rul during her birth

Silverfox asks if he is her father and accuses him of abandoning her for the sake of war
Okral Lorn steps forward and presents all the Bonecasters of the Kron T’lan Imass, Kron himself is also present
Okral Lorn tells he’s none of them give a shit that she’s having daddy issues, and that Pran Chole isn’t her father but accepts her anger anyways

Silverfox was born in the Tellann Warren unveiled by Onos T’oolan, whose power of Tellann is twisted by what he seeks (which he leaves vague) and who will be attending Silverfox late

Ay Estos, of the Logros T’lan Imass (tasked by Kellanved to defend the First Throne and the only T’lan Imass group known to the Malazan Empire), steps forward

Logros could only send two Bonecasters to attend the Second Gathering because the Logros currently pursue renegade T’lan Imass who have broken from the Vow

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Chapter 19 Scene 1 (Catlin Plain, Kruppe)

Ay Estos, of the Logros T’lan Imass (tasked by Kellanved to defend the First Throne and the only T’lan Imass group known to the Malazan Empire), steps forward

Logros could only send two Bonecasters to attend the Second Gathering because the Logros currently pursue renegade T’lan Imass who have broken from the Vow
Hentos Ilm with five other T’lan Imass were the Logros hunting party that encountered Heboric, Kulp, Felisin, Stormy, Gesler, and Truth on the Silanda in the Nascent (DG Ch. 9 Scene 4)

Olar Ethil, the other Logros Bonecaster, is introduced as the first Bonecaster, and Eleint (dragon) the First Soletaken, undead twin to Tiam who spawned all dragons

The First Throne was found and occupied by Kellanved, who still remains on the First Throne because he didn’t die, only ascended to become Shadowthrone
Kellanved had ordered Logros to find other T’lan Imass, thus Olar Ethil was tasked to search for the remaining T’lan Imass armies from the First Gathering: Ifayle, Kerluhm, Bentract, and Orshan

Olar Ethil only found four clans of Bentract on Jacuruku trapped in the Warren of Chaos, the rest of the armies may or may not be extinct

When Kellanved “died”, Laseen had to rule by herself. The Logros were divided among themselves on what to do. The Logros disappeared to hunt Jaghut in the Jhag Odhan as a short-lived distraction, eventually some Logros clans returned to the Malazan Empire
The renegade T’lan Imass are unrelated to the Malazan Empire schism, and were found to be using the Warren of Chaos

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Chapter 19 Scene 1 (Catlin Plain, Kruppe)

Awkward silence as the T’lan Imass wait for Silverfox’s command

The only pure blood Jaghut, that isn’t hiding behind a god or in an Azath House, known to the Logros is the Pannion Seer, they don’t know how the Seer is controlling undead K’Chain Che’Malle

Silverfox asks what they’ll do when the Seer is slain

Kruppe interrupts to ask Pran Chole and Olar Ethil questions to get direct answers: there are Jaghut that remain but cannot be found and the T’lan Imass want an official end to the war
Silverfox perceives her purpose to end tyranny for all of eternity

Kruppe understands the T’lan Imass and reveal that the T’lan Imass had already won their war, and they wish for oblivion

Even if a new Jaghut Tyrant emerges, like Raest, the world has grown that even mere ascendants like Rake are enough to end those Jaghut Tyrants

Tyrants will continue to rise, but they are no longer Jaghut. They are human

For hundreds of thousands of years, the T’lan Imass had existed for one sole purpose rendered pointless, irrelevant, a farce and now exist without honor. Weary beyond comprehension
The renegade T’lan Imass are only a product of prolonged existence, more T’lan Imass will break their Vow
An attempt was made with Kellanved but failed, thus Silverfox was created to end the T’lan Imass

Silverfox feels victimized because she is the first flesh and blood Bonecaster in 300,000 years only to be abandoned by her people, finding nowhere else to belong neither Malazan nor Rhivi

All tens of thousands of T’lan Imass bow their heads, Olar Ethil speaking one last plea to release them
Silverfox responds, ‘No’

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Chapter 19 Scene 2 (Near Capustan, Whiskeyjack)

Korlat and Whiskeyjack flirt before being charged by Tenescowri, Women of the Dead Seed, and Anaster

Anomander Rake in Eleint form descends grabbing Anaster in his talons, but Anaster somebow damages and forces Rake to toss him away down into the mob
Rake then breathes Kurald Galain down like a fire breathe, splitting the mob in half in his first flight
Rake lands, veers into Tiste Andii form, and uses Dragnipur on the WotDS who are the only ones that challenge him
Whiskeyjack rides to stop him because he doesn't feel that it's right to eternally trap those souls in Dragnipur when their only crime is madness
Instead, Whiskeyjack takes it upon himself to execute the rest of the WotDS

After he's done, WJ realizes Dujek and the Malazan army had witnessed WJ slay all these women and feels guilt

Rake is heartbroken wishing he was the one to bear the burden instead of Whiskeyjack, but didn't want to fight WJ either. That because he cared about Whiskeyjack he ended up hurting him instead

Rake senses Anaster is captured Anaster and offers to walk with Whiskeyjack to attend to him, yielding judgment to others ‘in proper military fashion’

Their bonds as friends deepens

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Chapter 19 Scene 3 (Near Capustan, Whiskeyjack)

Korlat is in tears for Whiskeyjack and they yearned for each other but they had to deal with Anaster first

WJ notices one eye is scarred
Whiskeyjack apologizes for killing his mother, Anaster isn't sorry because his mother was insane and everyone will become as cursed as those they kill
Rake shockingly and uncharacteristically snaps at Anaster for saying hurtful words to WJ
When looking at Rake, Anaster lost his composure and begged to be killed
In that moment, Korlat and Rake sensed fear, a darkness that's ‘virulent cousin to Kurald Galain’ and figure presenting him to Itkovian for judgment as Shield Anvil would be more appropriate than immediate death
Anaster tries to steal a knife, but fails. Collapses and is wracked by heaving sobs
Dujek, Brood, Kallor, and Artanthos arrive as the Tiste Andii drag Anaster away

Whiskeyjack pulls his horse next to Dujek

Dujek wished WJ waited so that they could've put Anaster through Malazan procedures to diffuse responsibility of judging the WotDS so Whiskeyjack didn't have to bear the burden alone
WJ denies sharing it with Dujek who’s struggling to let WJ suffer alone

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Chapter 19 Scene 3 (Near Capustan, Whiskeyjack)

Korlat comes to them and reveals what she saw in the darkness of Anaster’s soul

Anaster was motivated by self-loathing, couldn't bear leading an army and watching them starve, so he felt it was a mercy to lead them all to death. Anaster wanted to die at the hands of his surviving victims, seeking eternal damnation
Dujek leaves to give them time alone
Korlat tried to comfort Whiskeyjack that the WotDS were dangerous, accessing the Warren of Chaos and capable of surviving Rake’s assault
Whiskeyjack's perspective on war changed, losing their humanity as they take other people lives no matter the reason behind it and afraid that his soldiers witnessed him committing murder
Korlat snaps at him demanding that he not underestimate them, that they all sympathize with Whiskeyjack everytime they are faced with having to take another's life, feeling shame would only insult those soldiers

WJ says Dujek is displeased and has no intention of taking his place

Korlat says he already has, Empress Laseen didn't make Whiskeyjack High Fist because she knew she couldn't handle WJ and she's using his sense of honor against him
WJ then realizes Laseen didn't want to kill the Bridgeburners at the Siege of Pale, she wanted to kill only him
‘Hood’s marble balls on an anvil.’

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Chapter 19 Scene 4 (Near Capustan, Coll)

Coll walks towards the Mhybe’s wagons and catches Murillio sitting on the back of a Rhivi wagon

Murillio reports endless nightmares and Coll reports what just happened with the Tenescowri along with survivors escaping towards Capustan
Kruppe, Silverfox, and the two female guardian marines are missing, the Mhybe left behind and forgotten by everyone else
Murillio and Coll plot to help the Mhybe escape, waiting until they reach Capustan to find someone who could ease the Mhybe’s suffering until she eventually dies
They both miss Rallick Nom, Coll believes he's still alive
Knowing it might mean financial ruin, Coll believes it's a fair exchange to be in debt if only to ease the Mhybe’s suffering, Murillio might not believe the same but does it anyways

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Chapter 19 Scene 5 (Dreams, the Mhybe)

The Mhybe continues to run away from wolves in her dreams

Cuts her cheeck on an antler stuck in the crotch of a colossal tree
Finds and enters a cave that appears out of place not belonging to the landscape

Inside she meets Toc the Younger imprisoned in madness who berates the Mhybe thinking she's the Seer

Toc sees a wolf’s eye that knows a winter more true than Omtose Phellack ice sorcery
Toc mentions someone who would wait at the Omtose Phellack gate to deny the Jaghut, a lost person whom Toc is helping find himself and grow more aware
The K’Chain Che'Malle has memories of being mother to brood that betrayed her, thought she could use her adoptive son’s power (Pannion Seer) to resurrect her dead children and rebuild their city, yet fails and falls deeper into insanity

Howls of wolves wakes up the Mhybe

Nearby Coll and Murillio see the cut on her cheek, considered not self harm because of her physical weakness, considers that her nightmares are real, and are more determined to take her away when they reach Capustan

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Chapter 20 Scene 1 (Coral, Toc)

A Seerdomin, native to Outlook, held Toc’s arm as they stood on the cliff looking out to the waters

The Pannion Seer granted this time away from the Matron’s embrace took look upon the city of Coral as a gift since her perceived Coral to be impenetrable

Maurik, Setta, and Lest would have no sustenance for the armies to the north, scorched earth policy
Raging waters and Omtose Phellack sorcery were obstacles to Lady Envy and Tool to the south

The Seerdomin wrapped his cloak around Toc’s mangled, atrophied body and told him about Coral and himself

There were tribal “cat-men” whose sole job was to climb and travel the nets on Coral’s impractical harbor to help anchor shops, and now lay as corpses caught in those nets
The Seerdomin’s father was a fisherman who would leave for weeks at a time during the summer, and one summer he came back to his family who embraced the faith. Mother and sisters to the Tenescowri as Women of the Dead Seed and concubines, sons to the armies and trained as Seerdomin. The father didn't anchor his boat and sailed away never to return

Toc internally apologizes to Lady Envy, misses her (why tf didn't you just stay with her then, dumbass)

Toc says the wolf spirit (Togg) waits inside him, as the she-wolf spirit (Fanderay) inside Baaljagg comes

Toc’s alotted time runs out and is kindly escorted back to the Matron

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Chapter 20 Scene 2 (Capustan, Itkovian)

Itkovian and Captain Norul watches Hedge and the Malazan sappers proceeding with controlled demolition of unrecoverable buildings

The cleansing of Capustan began with cleaning up the rubble and digging up corpses from the wreckage
In three hours a parley outside the east gate will begin, including the Masked Council, Brood, Dujek, Humbrall Taur, and Norul
Itkovian has stepped back to be advisor to Norul who now commands the Grey Swords, Velbara currently is managing the internment camps for the refugee Tenescowri to rescue them from Capustan mobs and spending all their money buying food from the White Face clans to feed the Tenescowri in hopes to recruit them into the Grey Swords

Reaching the west gate they find Gruntle and Stonny and they walk together to the parley

On the Catlin Plains, they join with Humbrall Taur, Hetan, and Cafal who are unhappy that the Masked Council are in power because Prince Jelarkan had no designated heir (rivalry due to Capustan merchants stealing away Barghast youth for the city life)

A carriage carrying Keruli, Rath’Hood, Rath’Burn, and Rath’Shadowthrone pull up, bicker with Stonny, and head out

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Chapter 20 Scene 3 (Capustan, Picker)

Picker takes a break from digging up rubble, watches Paran and Quick Ben get ready to head over to the parley

Blend appears with water, reports what she's eavesdropped
Rath’Shadowthrone acolytes plan vengeance on the necromancers (for turning Marble/Malefic away)
The Masked Council and the Grey Swords buys food from the White Face Clan to feed the Capustan citizens and the Tenescowri, respectively
The Grey Swords lost their god and went to Barghast witches to switch gods to Togg and Fanderay, and plan to recruit the Tenescowri

Paran and Quick Ben pull up to ask where Spindle is, Blend promptly disappears

Picker reports that a Prince Arard emerged from the shelter tunnels and demanded to see a representative of Dujek
Antsy, Spindle, and Detoran went to see him which would end in disaster
Paran orders Picker to grab them and send them to the Thrall to wait for the real representatives of Dujek
Paran and QB leaves

Blend comes out of hiding and hides again as two black cloaked figures (Bauchelain and Korbal Broach) ask sternly but politely where they could find a clothing shop

Picker punches Bauchelain in the face and Blend knocks Korbal Broach out from behind
Reese approaches meekly and claim the two as Picker and Blend head off

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Chapter 20 Scene 4 (Near Capustan, Paran)

Paran sees the Grey Swords’ internment camps and feels the tension between them and Capustan’s citizens
As Paran and QB head towards the parley, Paran sensed Silverfox has stopped reaching out to him, guessed the Second Gathering happened, and that they were going to show up any second

Paran warns that they shouldn't try to predict Silverfox any longer on account of Tattersail, she's a true Bonecaster now

Silverfox, Kruppe, and the two Malazan marines approach

Silverfox snaps at Quick Ben and Kruppe threatening Nightchill’s anger
They proceed tensely to the parley

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Chapter 20 Scene 5 (Near Capustan, Itkovian)

A tent was raised on top of a steep hill for the parley

Hetan calls out to flirt with Itkovian but becomes frustrated by his depressing mood and walks off
Too steep for carriages, the Masked Council representatives are made fun of for struggling to hike it
Gruntle and Stonny banter before hiking up with Humbrall Taur, Hetan, and Cafal

Itkovian doesn’t want to look like an officer anymore so he doffs his gauntlet and drops his rank brooch to the ground

Azra Jael, a Malazan soldier steps up and they have a very pleasant exchange of armor, in which Itkovian receives a helm of Aren steel and Napan camail
Itkovian asks Azra if he thinks it’d be okay if he attended the parley as a mere spectator, truly believing he doesn’t belong there even though Azra points out everyone would be honored to have him
Azra kindly tells him a way to reach the back of the parley tent
Itkovian is impressed by the Malazans and in hindsight wished they were able to hold longer until the Malazans came
Itkovian sees a symbol of the Trygalle Trade Guild and feels proud of their success, since they’re both from Elingarth

Itkovian reaches the parley tent and walks to the side by the water casks, everyone turns to look at him

Caladan Brood approaches Itkovian proudly and is happy to have the ‘Defender of Capustan’ there
Itkovian’s inferiority complex/impostor syndrome instead feels that the title is mocking him for failing
Though Brood tried lightly to convince Itkovian that it’s an honor to have him, he drops the issue seeing that nothing can get through to Itkovian

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Chapter 20 Scene 5 (Parley, Itkovian)

At the table: Keruli, Rath’Shadowthrone, Rath’Hood, Rath’Burn, Gruntle, Artanthos, Whiskeyjack, Dujek, Brood, Kallor, Norul, Stonny, Cafal, Hetan, Humbrall Taur

The Masked Council complain that this should’ve been at the Thrall, Stonny points out there’s literally no floor
Keruli praises the wine and then asks why the Tiste Andii aren’t here
Brood asks why should a representative of Capustan be interested in their campaign southwards instead of rebuilding his city
Keruli slyly convinces Brood to reveal Rake and the Tiste Andii have plans with Moon’s Spawn, but nothing else
Keruli also points out how the pantheon is shook and weighs heavily on the table

Brood carries the burden of Burn’s hammer, the Grey Swords have changed gods, Gruntle is a new god’s Mortal Sword, and the Barghast gods have been revived to unknown potential
The Malazans are the only ones unaspected to any god

Kallor and Keruli bicker, before Kallor realizes and reveals the Keruli is the Elder God, K’rul, himself

Keruli’s power is severely limited and had to learn to adapt, apologize to Gruntle that he was not powerful enough to keep Harllo alive
Rath’Shadowthrone tries to pick a fight that an immortal Elder God can’t sit the council, which makes Whiskeyjack bark a laugh, and loses to Stonny and Gruntle

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Chapter 20 Scene 5 (Parley, Itkovian)

Brood brings the conversation back to the campaign
Cafal presents the plan of splitting the armies to simultaneously take Setta and Lest, then converge at Maurik

The Malazans and White Face Clan will be together, because the Barghast likes the Malazans, but do not like the Tenescowri
Brood’s Army and the Grey Swords will be together because Brood can tolerate the Tenescowri

Brood asks Norul, the new Shield Anvil, if the Tenescowri are worth it
‘We are all worthwhile, sir, once we assume the burden of forgiveness and the effort of absolution’ which gives Itkovian both pride and pain as if the words were also directed at him because he lost his faith

Rath’Burn presses Caladan Brood for not using Burn’s hammer to end all civilization on the world, letting Burn die along with all life in the world, and demands that Brood give the hammer to her (Rath’Burn is a High Priestess)

Brood offers the hammer to her, Rath’Burn walks around the table and grabs it. As soon as Brood lets go, the hammer falls into the earth causing an earthquake and shattering Rath’Burn’s wrists

Dujek sends Artanthos to find a healer

Burn gave Brood the two options to either (1) destroy all civilization and save Burn, or (2) spare all civilization eventually destroying Burn and all civilization anyways. Brood’s hesitation revealed a third option, (3) have faith that Brood can find a way save everyone

Artanthos appears with a Malazan healer, but Brood chooses to heal Rath’Burn himself as mercy because it's not her fault that she didn't know, though even K’rul thinks that’s too generous
Itkovian sees that Brood’s use of High Denul is unaffected by the poison, unlike Karnadas

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Chapter 20 Scene 5 (Parley, Itkovian)

K’rul stands up and sees that Paran had arrived with QB, Kruppe, and Silverfox

QB and K’rul have a silent exchange, with invisible Talamandas weighing QB’s left shoulder

Brood sent Korlat to find Silverfox, Silverfox tricked her by having her T’lan Ay distract Korlat and escort her to the parley separately, also confirms the Second Gathering is done

The T’lan Imass will join the campaign to deal with the K'Chain Che'Malle and kill the Jaghut Seer because that's the purpose of the T’lan Imass
Dujek corrects her, saying that a T’lan Imass (Tool) helped free the Jaghut Tyrant Raest from his barrow
Silverfox admits that she doesn't why but at least the Tyrant is now dead
Paran speaks up and corrects Silverfox, saying he met Raest alive and well. K’rul elaborates that Raest in the Finnest Azath House, the Malazans intended Raest to weaken Anomander Rake but they ended up never meeting each other (clarifying GotM’s plot)
Dujek states Silverfox wants to claim a position of detachment when everything she does affects everyone else (i.e. Silverfox is being a total bitch)
Silverfox is bitchy by challenging anyone to stand between her and the Seer

Itkovian’s attention is gravitated toward Kruppe, who’s presence is so important he even has a relationship with an Elder God, as if he was a prodigious student that surpassed his teacher

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Chapter 20 Scene 5 (Parley, Itkovian)

Brood pushes the conversation forward and tenderly holds Rath’Burn and walks her gently back to her seat

Silverfox leaves the parley because the rest is of no interest to her
Whiskeyjack, Paran, and QB have also left
Norul keeps looking at Ikovian with a look of sorrow and pity which makes Itkovian feel like a distraction, so he leaves

At the back of the tent he finds WJ, QB, Paran, and Korlat who’s just arrived

Itkovian locked gazes with Korlat and felt the extreme sorrow and loss in her soul, yet has no right to embrace and assume those feelings from her as Shield Anvil
Paran introduces everyone to Itkovian, Whiskeyjack offers ale, itkovian and Korlat apologize to each other

As they head towards the Malazan camp, QB expresses his surprise at Silverfox

Itkovian sensed that Silverfox had done a great wrong but she feels nothing
Paran thinks Nightchill is dominating and Bellurdan’s soul isn't present at all
Itkovian is confused about why they're mentioning three names surrounding Silverfox and reveals that there is no war inside Silverfox’s soul. Nightchill and Tattersail are in agreement and is calm inside

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Chapter 20 Scene 5 (Near Capustan, Itkovian)

Kruppe chases to catch up

Kruppe rambles and eventually tells the story of two wolves (Togg and Fanderay), older than even the Elder Gods, that had been split up when the Crippled God descended to the world and split them
Kruppe rambles about the souls in Silverfox

A spirit of hard edges to keep the other spirits on track despite the pain they endure
A spirit to clasp the hurt if abandonment until it can find the proper answer
A spirit of love, compassion and being witless
A spirit possessing the power to achieve necessary reparation to old wounds, the seed-child/daughter of Pran Chole whose name they should already know

Everyone leaves Kruppe behind to go drink

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Chapter 20 Scene 6 (Near Capustan, Silverfox)

Silverfox, the two marines, Haradas, and Norul gather in what Silverfox calls a fell gathering of women

Silverfox says that in Rhivi culture gender roles are reversed, the men gossip while the women are promiscuous

Haradas requests of of Silverfox for the use of Tellann for the Trygalle Trade Guild due to the poisoned warrens

Silverfox grants permission but warns renegade T’lan Imass pose a dangerous risk
Haradas says the TTG already have found access to Tellann but did not use it out of respect

Silverfox is impressed, even Malazan High Mages were unable to penetrate Tellann

Haradas then introduces Shield Anvil Norul

Silverfox admits ignorance that Togg and Fanderay have found each other because she doesn't care about them
Norul demands that Silverfox return the T’lan Ay to Togg and Fanderay, stating the Ay only participated out of love for the Imass
Silverfox frantically denies her, stating she needs them for a something she swore to herself
Norul warns that Silverfox risks a war with Togg and Fanderay

Hetan barges in with wine bladders as big and sweet as Silverfox's breasts and gossip, happy to hear that Itkovian is free from his vows she she could bed him

Hetan also expresses interest in Kruppe
Hetan shouts for Silverfox to get away from all the old dead people and it's time for her to pop her cherry
Norul backs down from the demand and sits down to drink

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Chapter 20 Scene 7 (Near Capustan, Coll)

Coll and Murillio prepare the Mhybe’s wagon with food purchased from the White Face Clan and two horses purchased from a Mott Irregular that eats his own lice
The two struggle to tame the horse until one of them escapes and runs off
They cut their losses and go to join with the march to Capustan

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Chapter 20 Scene 8 (Near Coral, Lady Envy)

At a shoreline with waves crashing against ice, Lady Envy looks on

The three Seguleh grease their weapons, Baaljagg and Garath not letting anyone near them
Lady Envy wish Tool was a T’lan Whale or T’lan Elephant so it'd be easier to at least follow him

Lady Envy and Mok banter

Mok views the Seguleh’s priority of individual ambitions makes them superior to other civilizations and empires that step on the helpless and hide behind their armies while claiming authority
Lady Envy had pillaged the Queen of Disease Poliel’s warren to plague their enemies, incidentally infecting Garath
Mok demands her to do something and heal him, Envy rants before going over to cleansing
Garath’s still pissed at Envy and then walks off after Mok calms him down

An island appears, Mok recognizing the floating city belonging to the Meckros that would attempt to raid the Seguleh Isle when they passed by

Baaljagg followed by Garath and then the rest of the group traverse from ice floe to ice floe into the city
The city appears to be abandoned and the Seguleh explore the city to loot any supplies they can find

Lady Envy approaches a T’lan Imass, impaled by three swords, in another house

Lanas Tog, of the Kerluhmn T’lan Imass, seeks to attend the Second Gathering to report that 29,824 Kerluhmn and 22,200 Ifayle had T’lan Imass have been destroyed after 8 months of battle and lost a war against a human enemy on the continent of Assail

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Book Four:

Memories of Ice

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Chapter 21 Scene 1 (Capustan, Paran)

Paran watches the Bridgeburners departing, as the last, from Capustan from the East Watch Redoubt
Silverfox rides her horse up to Paran to ask if he knew where her mother is

The T'lan are unhappy with Silverfox and she already sent them ahead
Paran surmises that Coll and Murillio have taken the Mhybe into the city find someone who could either help the Mhybe or grant her a dignified end

Does not consider it kidnapping because he accuses Silverfox of abandoning her mother

Silverfox insists the Mhybe has been hunted in her dreams and that she stays closer to her mother than anyone realizes and asserts that she will not abandon her
Paran and Silverfox argue and officially break up, Paran admitting what they had was brief and that he was a young inexperienced man pining for someone older and had their own share of love and loss

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Chapter 21 Scene 2 (Catlin River, Itkovian)

Itkovian watches from a hilltop Brood’s army loading the Pannion barges with supplies while salvaging any others
Itkovian encounters two of the best characters in the series, Ormulogun of Li Heng and his olive green toad Gumble who serves as his critic

Kellanved had appointed artists to every army for historical record and perhaps vanity
Ormulogun remained with the outlawed army to record the outlawry and mostly because he had nowhere else to go and no means to return to the Malazan Empire (can assume he has no clue about the outlawry being false like the rest of the Malazan soldiers)
Itkovian walks away forgetting to even look at the painting

Itkovian then recalled how the march south is organized

To Lest directly south four days away, Itkovian would follow Caladan Brood, seconded by Korlat and Kallor, with the Grey Swords whose Shield Anvil would equal Brood’s rank, Gruntle and his followers, Tiste Andii, Rhivi, Ilgres Barghast, a Saltoan cavalry, and a handful of lesser mercenary companies from Northern Genabackis.

Itkovian considers their organization confusing and ephemeral, likely a product of a temporary alliance among free city states

To Setta, southwest, would be the Malazans, the White Face Barghast, and the Black Moranth. A hierarchy that Itkovian approves and would have asserted himself

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Chapter 21 Scene 2 (Catlin River, Itkovian)

Whiskeyjack tells Ormulogun to pack up and approaches Itkovian to ask if he knew where Silverfox is

Ormulogun apparently has completed 800 paintings since Pale
The two marines approach to report that they tried following Silverfox but lost her when she rode into the hills and disappeared without a trace
Whiskeyjack apologizes the marines’ over familiarity with Itkovian, though Itkovian happily welcomes being treated without the reverence everyone else gives him
Whiskeyjack and Itkovian shakes gauntleted hands in a significant gesture of peace, WJ wishing Itkovian would ride with him to get to know him better
When asked if the Elin people (of Elingarth) were like him, Itkovian responds he is not unique
‘Then ‘ware the Empress the day her legions assail your homelands’ borders’

Itkovian is happy to have made a friend, but couldn't help but feel they'll never see each other again

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Chapter 21 Scene 3 (Catlin River, Quick Ben)

Kruppe imposes himself on Quick Ben as Talamandas yells at QB about the residue of sorcery around them

QB and Kruppe engage in nebulous conversation, Kruppe hinting that he's aware of the invisible presence on QB’s left shoulder
The two marines approach asking if Whiskeyjack or Ormulogun passed yet
They all banter together until Whiskeyjack shows up

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Chapter 21 Scene 4 (Capustan, Coll)

Night, Coll and Murillio had searched for priests all day only to find seven empty temples, all of whom must've flocked to the Thrall for authority since the royal seat was unoccupied
Korbal Broach veers out of his Soletaken form and ambushes Murillio and Coll intending to take the Mhybe, standing on top of the wagon

Murillio is knocked to the ground and falls unconscious
KB’s black sorcery floods the streets and engulfs Coll

The Knight of High House Death appears to defend Coll

Wearing Gidrath armor and dual wielding two long swords, one strangely curved, of which his hands can't let go
The Knight says his master demands KB and Bauchelain to release the undead guards and leave Capustan, and that the master has plans for the spooky duo
Korbal Broach veers into crow form and flies away

The Knight says the Temple of Hood are to protect and have prepared residences for the Mhybe

The Knight asks Coll if the Knight is dead, troubled by Kb’s words that Hood keeps his lifeless body here, and also being unable to sleep as the ‘dead do not sleep’
The Knight only remembers that he's not from the continent, that he stood in fires fighting to protect a child and possibly had failed her
Coll hopes he doesn't remember believing his life had been tragic and recognizing his skin as Malazan

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Chapter 21 Scene 4 (Catlin River, Itkovian)

Itkovian crosses the Catlin River on a barge with Gruntle and his troops, Stonny, the Rhivi, their dogs and livestock
The land before them was empty, devoid of life

Gruntle how they're going to fight the remaining Pannion armies, aware there are three such armies like the ones that assaulted Capustan and six other Septarchs on the level of Septarch Kulpath
Itkovian observes that the Tenescowri had been forced to stop food production and forced into cannibalism, intended to feed the soldiers for an empire that either never intended to sustain itself in the first place or expand infinitely with a hollow core
Itkovian guesses that Setta, Lest, and Maurik are all empty making their march entirely pointless

Underlying tensions may also be the reason for splitting the armies

All defense may be concentrated on Coral, Brood and Dujek plan to make the Siege of Coral as swift as possible in one overwhelming charge

Stonny yells at them to get moving before the barge sinks and dirties her clothes special ordered from Darujhistan that the Trygalle Trade Guild delivered, colored after a green poisonous snake and white trim after the white paralt spider

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Chapter 21 Scene 5 (To Setta, Picker)

Night, Picker and Blend the last ones awake

Detoran and Hedge have been hate-smashing every night, with Detoran as the dom
They recall that they weren't as they used to be

Whiskeyjack was a commander, Mallet led a healer’s cadre
Spindle was Captain of sappers for three days until one sapper stepped on a cusser, making Dassem Ultor split up the sapper units

Paran approaches and lets them know the Black Moranth scouted ahead and found Setta to be devoid of life, though they'll continue marching to Setta for unsaid reasons

Paran promotes Picker from Corporal to Lieutenant to be Paran’s second in command of the Bridgeburners
Paran emphasizes that Picker needs to keep the Bridgeburners together and leaves

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Chapter 21 Scene 6 (To Setta, Whiskeyjack)

Whiskeyjack enters Dujek’s tent and wakes him up to discuss

They ominously talk about how they'll be losing Paran and Quick Ben in their plans
The division of forces keeps Brood unaware of their plans
They planned to have Brood, Rake, and the Elder Gods deal with the Crippled God, not Quick Ben or Paran
Laseen inverted the command structure so the right people would be at ground level when Shadowthrone and Cotillion made their move

The rest of the Bridgeburners are still left in the dark, QB sent Kalam to see the Laseen so Laseen could convince him in person

Laseen told Kalam about how Tayschrenn was only supposed to kill the Cotillion-possessed girl that aimed to kill Laseen, the false outlawry, that only Dujek and Tayschrenn knows, Tayschrenn is Dujek’s ‘shaved knuckle in the hole’, that Dujek needed allies to face the Pannion Domin, that Kellanved and Dancer needed to be gone for the good of the Empire, and Seven Cities would be answered in kind
Didn't know the Elder Gods would get involved, didn't know the Pannion Domin was related to the Crippled God
That Picker and Quick Ben were able to catch the Crippled God’s warren near Pale was either luck or Laseen’s tactical positioning
Tayschrenn was grooming Tattersail to become Master of the Deck, when she died the residual effect went to the person closest to Tattersail spiritually
Bellurdan was the only thick-witted player, his attack on Tattersail is one if the worst foul-ups in Malazan history
Attempting to buy more time for Brood not to use Burn’s hammer by having the Malazans challenge the Crippled God themselves

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Chapter 21 Scene 6 (To Setta, Whiskeyjack)

The Bridgeburners dying at Pale was an accident, Tayschrenn thought the tunnels were the safest place for the Bridgeburners and didn't think the tunnels would collapse

Tayschrenn believed he could take down Moon’s Spawn and force Rake out into the open
Didn't know Nightschill was the Elder God Sister of Cold Nights and used Bellurdan for her research and plans about getting close to Rake’s sword Dragnipur
A’karonys came to Tayschrenn with suspicions about Nightchill, Nightchill killed A’karonys during the Siege, Tayschrenn retaliated against Nightchill
Laseen did not order the T’lan Imass to slaughter Aren, was the first hint that Kellanved wasn't dead and he was using the T’lan Imass as vengeance against Laseen and her control of the Empire
Dujek had to face Tayschrenn after the Siege of Pale to get information out of him

Whiskeyjack plans to retire, pretend to die like Cartheron Crust, Urko Crust, and Dassem Ultor. Track down Duiker to get answers from him
Tayschrenn wants a proper moment to apologize to Whiskeyjack for what happened to the Bridgeburners

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Chapter 21 Scene 7 (Whiskeyjack’s Tent, Whiskeyjack)

Whiskeyjack finds Korlat waiting outside his tent and they head inside

Korlat tried to follow Silverfox but failed, was escorted back by Silverfox’s T’lan Ay
The T’lan Imass are empty inside, but Korlat sensed eternal sorrow in the T’lan Ay, a reflection of herself
Crone returned

Whiskeyjack thinks about how everyone knows that Setta, Lest, and Maurik are empty, but everyone continues marching because they all have secrets to hide

Quick Ben and Paran were sent ahead as a play for power

Whiskeyjack tells Korlat he belongs to her and no one else, Korlat knows it's his way of apologizing for some things to come

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Chapter 21 Scene 8 (To Setta, Paran)

Quick Ben returns from contracting the Trygalle Trade Guild to deliver supplies and munitions to Fiddler in Seven Cities because they know he's in trouble and tells Paran about it

Dujek had found the Trygalle Trade Guild’s in Darujhistan to deliver supplies to the armies during the march to Darujhistan
In DG, the Trygalle Trade Guild used Hood’s warren to make their first delivery from Dujek to Coltaine when Coltaine was in Sanimon and gave him food supplies and a the smoky bottle on a chain Quick Ben created that was supposed to be given to Coltaine but Duiker kept it instead (Ch. 19 Scene 9)
The TTG made the second delivery when Fiddler was already inside Tremorlor and knocked on the Azath House’s door (Ch. 20 Scene 2)

Kruppe overhears and approaches, offers help by dropping a smoky glass ball that breaks and summons alchemist Baruk’s bhokaral

Quick Ben gladly accepts Baruk’s help for the rebellion in Seven Cities
The bhokaral says ‘Baruk! Master! Raraku! Azath! Great! Danger! Azath! Icarium! More! Coltaine! Admire! Honour! Allies! Yes! Yes?’

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Chapter 21 Scene 8 (To Setta, Paran)

Velbara approaches and requests to speak to Paran in horseback

15 steps away, Velbars requests for the Grey Swords to place the prisoner Anaster into their custody
The Malazans won't allow torture no matter what the crime
Velbara explains Itkovian is to embrace Anaster and take his pain from him, which terrifies Anaster because he only knows pain in his soul and fears the void
Paran grants the Destriant’s request with his blessing, which startles Velbara because he's the Master of the Deck and she's a new Destriant to the wolf gods
Velbara even advises him to exercise caution in the future

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Chapter 22 Scene 1 (Coral, Toc)

Toc lays on the floor as Seerdomin and Septarch Ultentha lowkey pleas with the Pannion Seer to not send him back to the Matron’s embrace or he will die

Toc’s ribcaged crumpled around his lungs, labored breathing, no longer able to walk
Toc forgets who he is, can sense Togg’s wolf spirit inside him suffering with Toc
Tragic that he walked with Baaljagg while both wolf-spirits were dormant and unaware of each other

Septarch Ultentha reports that trenches have been completed, unable to scout the forests west of Coral

Forced to camp at the flats, the Pannions will ambush from hidden positions, and assault with Mage Cadres on the walls and the Winged Ones (vultures) from above
The vultures have kept Crone and the Great Ravens from observing the Pannion’s preparations
The vultures have scouted and confirmed they are aware Setta, Lest, and Maurik are empty, but are confused why the armies continue marching

The Seer wants Brood, his hammer, the Malazans destroyed, the Barghast gods begging him, and to have Itkovian be Toc’s replacement for the Matron’s embrace

The Tenescowri are rotten and diseased, the Seer saw in his dreams that Poliel, Queen of Disease, has blessed his warriors

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Chapter 22 Scene 1 (Coral, Toc)

Toc remembers his name and that he is Malazan, begins laughing which makes everyone stop and look at him

Toc taunts the Seer that the Malazans are coming and that the Matron fears them
The Seer says that the Matron only fears the Tiste Andii, in Moon Spawn
The Seer read from Gothos’ Folly that Moon Spawn is the last floating fortresses the K'Chain Nah’ruk, Short Tails, had constructed to fight against the K'Chain Che'Malle, Long Tails. Moon Spawn had drifted north and frozen in Jaghut winter for millennia until rediscovered by the Tiste Andii
Believes Rake is unaware of Moon’s Spawn’s full potential and that his vultures says it's missing

The Seer taunts Toc further before sending him back to the Matron

Seerdomin secretly defies the Seer’s orders and plans to set Toc down beyond her reach, and to bring food, sater, and blankets
The Seer won't find out because he's too busy to bother checking on either of them
Toc offers compassion by worrying that Seerdomin will be devoured and he's sorry to hear Seerdomin say he already has
Seerdomin is tearfully grateful that Toc feels compassion for him

Toc asks if the seas are still frozen, Seerdomin answers the seas are not but still the waters are like a storm

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Chapter 22 Scene 2 (To Coral, Lady Envy)

The Meckros city floats westwards towards Coral, currently 20 least away
Lady Envy is bored of wandering through the city and accesses her warren to float to Lanas Tog to talk to her

Learns that Lanas Tog does not immediately recognize Onos T’oolan’s name, but only remembers seeing him once at the First Gathering
Tool had been the only one to speak out against the Ritual, if Lanas Tog meets Tool she will tell him he was right
Lady Envy warns Lanas Tog not to fight Mok if he seeks a challenge, Lanas Tog responds she has no reason too
Lady Envy leaves because she's bored and belatedly realizes Lanas Tog made a weird joke

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Chapter 22 Scene 3 (Near Lest, Korlat)

Brood, Korlat, Kallor, the Rhivi, etc. have almost reached The city Lest which is in view
Crone arrives to frantically warn that the vultures have used sorcery to keep them from seeing the Pannion Domin’s preparations and to find Rake and Moon’s Spawn which she can't find

Brood asks her of the Malazans, she reports all they do is march, which is all they can do
Kallor tries to start shit, saying the Malazans are hiding something because they're marching faster than intended

Korlat is distracted by thoughts of Whiskeyjack

She could easily access Kurald Galain and contact Rake and the Tiste Andii anytime she wants, but she doesn't care enough to
Remembers love at first sight when she first laid eyes on him
Even worse that Rake, who took thousands of years to call Caladan Brood a friend, Rake considers Whiskeyjack a friend after only a few nights together

Brood reaches Lest, a long time has passed since the city was conquered and destroyed

Crone pesters with questions about why the Rhivi, Silverfox, Gruntle’s legion, etc. lag so far behind, no one bothers to answer her

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Chapter 22 Scene 4 (To Lest, Itkovian)

Itkovian rides with Gruntle and Stonny as they watch Grey Swords deliver a message to Norul and Velbara

Gruntle and Stonny banter until Stonny rides off in frustration
Gruntle hates anything remotely about military procedures or training, Itkovian believes it's lucky the Lestari lieutenant took up responsibility to train the 100 warriors in Trake’s Legion
Stonny comes back with news that the Grey Swords report Bauchelain and Korbal Broach’s wagon nearby

Gruntle immediately rides off with Itkovian behind, finding the carriage carrying K'Chain Che'Malle bones and flesh on a flatbed

They find Emancipor Reese with his head wrapped in cloth because he broke his teeth on an olive pit (which are poisonous btw)
Bauchelain appears irritated why the carriage stopped
When asked about Buke, Bauchelain tasks them to tell him he's fired (which confirms that they didn't kill Buke)
Itkovian expresses concern over Emancipor’s broken tooth, Bauchelain is grateful that he's now aware and has Korbal Broach prepare for surgery

Gruntle laughs at Itkovian for not understanding why Emancipor hates him now

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Chapter 22 Scene 5 (Hood’s Temple, Coll)

Five days since they came to Hood’s Temple, and now Coll and Murillio had waited three hours for the Knights of Death making preparations for the Mhybe

The Mhybe sleeps in a room for a priest
Food and water was stored in a room full of broken wine bottles
The wine scent would make Coll remember his days as a drunk and remembered that Lady Simtal had tricked him into thinking she was pregnant

Coll asks Murillio if Lady Simtal was ever pregnant

Murillio had kept it secret, Rallick Nom (their assassin friend) had kept an eye on Lady Simtal and there was a period immediately after she had stolen Coll’s noble estates etc. where she was hidden from the public
Murillio believes that Lady Simtal had sent the child away to use as a trump card and claim any noble as its parent

Murillio kept it secret from Coll because he knew that despite being reinstated as Councilman for the past couple months, is still liable to fall into his drunk ways

Instead of claiming the child, Murillio plants the idea that Coll could be a hidden benefactor to the child, secretly sponsoring the child’s education etc.

The Knight of Death announces the preparations are complete and the bring the Mhybe

Coll and Murillio find that he had carved a sarcophagus in the floor

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Chapter 22 Scene 6 (Dreams, the Mhybe)

The Mhybe is in a dusty wasteland, the wolves are gone

In the distance a figure covered the horizon
A cage of ribs pointed towards the sky, scarred, and had malignant growths, calcifications, porous modes, and cracks
Skin stretched between each rib thin enough to show pulsing blood vessels like lightning
The Mhybe asked if it held her heart

The Mhybe wanted to flee, but the objects presence demanded it stay

The dust beneath her turns to glass, the Mhybe begins to slide towards the object where the ribs became legs and the skin became webs

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Chapter 23 Scene 1 (Near Setta, Picker)

Setta is in sight of the Malazans
Picker and Paran wait for the Bridgeburners to return from scouting Setta, Quick Ben warned that the Seer’s condors are watching them

Bridgeburner mages named for the first time: Bluepearl, Shank, Toes
Blend returns first before having to go back to retrieve the rest of the Bridgeburners who are lost, cause she's being a smartass
Picker is impressed that Paran can see through Blend’s bullshit

Quick Ben appears and says Twist’s second in command is worried about Twist’s infection (from a Rhivi spirit’s necromantic grasp that happened off-screen in Ch. 11) reaching up to his shoulder and causing him a lot of pain, only has a few weeks to live
Sgt. Antsy arrives, but drinks and grooms himself before saying anything (disrespect) which pissed Paran off and snaps at him to report

Antsy reports the city is empty except feast piles of human corpses in the squares and and guano (poop) on the towers in Setta which were a sign the vultures were there, no sight of the Great Ravens
Paran plans to skip Maurik and head directly to Coral with only the Bridgeburners
Antsy mentions they're undersupplied because a crate of munitions is missing (which QB sent to Fiddler), the sappers are upset and want to resupply at Maurik
Picker tells Antsy to man up and deal with it
Paran orders them to get ready to set out

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Chapter 23 Scene 1 (Near Setta, Paran)

Twist walks up to Paran and asks if he blessed the Barghast gods (since the Moranth and the Barghast are related)

Paran says the Barghast haven't asked yet but acknowledges their place in the pantheon
Twists knows he'll die soon and is curious what'll happen to his soul, doesn't care what the Barghast shouldermen have to say

Twist explains that when the Barghast came to Moranth Wood, they found the Tiste Edur, ‘Children of the Shattered Warren’ where they lived in a fragment of Kurald Emurlahn, the true face of Shadow (Quick Ben noted Kurald Emurlahn had been inaccessible until 1154)

The few Tiste Edur died off, but shaped the Moranth to who they are now
The Barghast believe the Moranth’s greatest crime was not killing the Tiste Edur
Paran responds’ the heart of wisdom is tolerance’ which makes Twist feel proud

Twist responds ‘The Malazan Empire is a wise empire. I think that is rare, and precious. And So I wish it - and you - well.’ then leaves to find Dujek

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Chapter 23 Scene 2 (To Setta, Kruppe)

Kruppe struggle with his mule as Barghast children run alongside him
Hetan appears and tries to ask Kruppe if he's noticed that the lands around them are empty, they've seen no trace of other people

Kruppe dodges the question to flirt with Hetan
Hetan picks Kruppe up by his cloak and says she will cripple him when they have sex and teaches him how to ride his mule like a horse because the mule thinks it is one

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Chapter 23 Scene 3 (To Setta, Whiskeyjack)

Sunset, Whiskeyjack denies the two female marines to rejoin their companies and stay with Whiskeyjack instead

Artanthos appears and asks if Dasssem’s style of command giving soldiers permission to think/question/argue comes back to bite Whiskeyjack in the ass
WJ says that's what makes the Malazans the best army in the world, Artanthos walks off

Whiskeyjack walks past marines, who don't salute or acknowledge Whiskeyjack as he passes (lol), and into Dujek’s tent

Dujek says his bodyguards outside are all Untan, not actually apart of Dujek's army, and they're exhausted
Whiskeyjack notices Dujek has a shortsword next to Dujek’s backpack

Dujek reports that the Whirlwind Rebellion is ravaging Seven Cities, the new Adjunct (Tavore) will be too late to save the Malazans there

The only two commanders that know Seven Cities is Dujek and Whiskeyjack and the only seasoned army Laseen has left is on Genabackis
Dujek knows Whiskeyjack is more important and expects to be the one that’s sacrificed on Genabackis, while Whiskeyjack is expected to lead Dujek’s army to Seven Cities after the Pannion War is done
Whiskeyjack rejects that, plans to disappear with Korlat and live peacefully somewhere remote
Dujek gives in, he’ll keep WJ’s secret and will lead the army to Seven Cities if he even survives

They share one last meal together as friends

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Chapter 23 Scene 4 (Near Coral, Paran)

The Black Moranth had been positioned at the Vision Mountains for months finding a way into Coral safely

Black Moranth scouts spotted the Bridgeburners and picked them all up to fly them towards their camp

The quorls all together change directions and land the Bridgeburners by the shore where a Tiste Edur corpse had floated to

They at first thought Serc, Path of the Sky, was used to kill him

QB describes a Serc spell that bursts the victims from the inside either by violently altering pressure or removing entirely

The Moranth officer states the opposite, the man died from external pressure and senses no magic involved

Quick Ben theorizes someone using Ruse, the Path of the Sea, had pushed the Tiste Edur into a warren directly into waters of high pressure killing him

Ruse is the most difficult warren to master, there is no true High Mage of Ruse in the Malazan Empire
Paran feels like the Tiste Edur was murdered by a fellow Tiste Edur
Quick Ben continues with this line of thinking: in the seas, shadows swim → Kurald Emurlahn, warren of the Tiste Edur, Elder Shadow, is lost to mortals
Meanas, Path of Shadow and where Shadowthrone, Cotillion, and the Hounds are, would be a gateway to Kurald Emurlahn
Paran compares Shadowthrone, Cotillion, and the Hounds in Meanas as the gatekeepers to Kurald Emurhlahn
Quick Ben thinks the Tiste Edur are becoming active again, possibly awakened the true Throne of Shadow, and will pay a visit to Shadowthrone

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Chapter 23 Scene 4 (The Flagstone Room, Paran)

Parsn has an idea and walks twenty steps away to be alone

Paran transports himself to the flagstone room to seek the Deck of Holds

In Ch. 5, Paran was forcibly teleported to the Brood Take scene where the card table had Paran’s image carved in it and sent him to the Finnest House where Raest led him down to the flagstone room
In the flagstone room, Paran had entered the Hold of Beasts

The flagstone room transported Paran to a wet stone chamber with vines crawling through the windows. The floor was carpeted with dead leaves. The air smelled like the sea, Paran hears seagulls and waves outside
In front of Paran was the Throne of Shadow, carved from a single piece of crimson wood, shadows emanating from it like smoke
Paran senses that he is in a fragment of Kurald Emurlahn somewhere in the mortal world, and the Tiste Edur are crossing the seas in search of this throne

The Throne of Shadow of Drift Avalii talks to Paran

Calls him Hound, not Hound. Blood and not blood. Master and mortal
The throne is on a wandering, a fleeing aisle
The souls of the children, the Edur, are corrupted and poisoned, wants Paran to protect it
Paran asks if this is Drift Avalii, an island west of Quon Tali in which the Tiste Andii lived and sworn to protect
The throne says Anomander Rake’s children are gone, sacrificing their own lives to lead the Tiste Edur away from the throne and are begging for Rake’s help

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‘The Edur have sworn to destroy Mother Dark. You must warn him! Poisoned souls, led by the one who has been slain a hundred times, oh ‘ware this new Emperor of the Edur, this Tyrant of Pain, this Deliverer of Midnight Tides!’

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Chapter 23 Scene 4 (Dragnipur, Paran)

Paran pulls himself out, keeps staggering back, and reaches out to Anomander Rake

Instead finds himself in Dragnipur and calls out to find Draconus
Paran tells Draconus he spoke to Nightchill (about destroying Dragnipur to release Draconus) and says he hasn't made a decision yet

Draconus explains the situation has become dire and Rake is too merciful to wield Dragnipur

Dragnipur needs to constantly be fed with souls, as the souls chained to the wagon die, fall from exhaustion, become crushed by it's wheels, and adds more burden to the wagon
Paran looks behind the wagon and sees Chaos itself, a storm of power, hunger, lost memories, rendered souls, malice, desire, almost self aware with hundreds of thousands of eyes focused on the wagon

Darkness has ever warred with Chaos

Mother Dark weakened from relenting to the Coming of Light and to the Birth of Shadow, creating an imbalance until Chaos approached the Gate to Kurald Galain
Chaos seeks the souls in the wagon to breach Kurald Galain (whose gate is also in the wagon)
Draconus forged Dragnipur because he thought Mother Dark was too weak to help herself, not acknowledging her children, and withdrawn deep into her own realm where no one could find her
Draconus realizes making Dragnipur was a mistake
Before the Houses were the Holds, before the Holds was a predictable and cyclical migration (not wandering like Draconus initially thought), destroying Dragnipur would release the Gate to Kurald Galain back to its migration
Rake claims souls to buy time for fleeing Chaos until Dragnipur can be shattered

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Chapter 23 Scene 4 (Dragnipur, Paran)

Chaos is able to act in its own defense and alter its nature, Draconus learns that Order can do that as well in the form of the Azath and the Deck of Dragons

The Houses takes souls and binds them in place beyond the grasp of Chaos
The eternal war between Dark and Chaos may soon come to end

Paran wants to speak to Rake but is unable to reach him

Draconus presents the idea that Rake is not carrying Dragnipur at the moment

Byrys, a demon Draconus slayed with Dragnipur long ago, collapses and Draconus picks him up on his shoulder

The two engage in an endless, circular conversation about who summoned Byrys

Seeking into High House Dark, Paran is hit with a flash, then oblivion

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Chapter 23 Scene 5 (Tent, Paran)

Midday, Paran wakes up in a tent being attended by Mallet’s healing

Quick Ben had found Paran laying feverish and flew him by quorl asap
Paran calls for Quick Ben

Quick Ben comes and reports four condors are patrolling looking for them

Paran says they're looking for Moon’s Spawn and Rake, but they won't because Rake, Moon’s Spawn, and Tiste Andii are gone

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Chapter 23 Scene 6 (To Maurik, Kruppe)

Kruppe rants about how horrific Setta looked, while also saying something interesting…

‘When, oh, when will darkness come? When will merciful darkness fall, Kruppe reiterates, so that blessed blindness enwreathes proper selves, thus permitting inspiration to flash and thus reveal the deceit of deceits, the sleightest of sleight of hands, thenon-illusion of illusions’
Hetan grumbles because sex with her made Kruppe lose his voice for only two days
Kruppe continues rambling and slowly get the sense Kruppe is a closet submissive

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Chapter 23 Scene 7 (Coral Bay, Picker)

The Bridgeburners have reached Coral’s Bay, Ortnal’s Cut within view (where those cat-men harbor people climb ropes and dock ships), hiding in the forests
Paran has a meeting with the mages QB, Spindle, Bluepearl, Shank, and Toes

Bluepearl is a bald Napan that brags about his knowledge of Ruse
Shank is proud of his Seti heritage (a tribal people completely assimilated to city life) wearing tribal clothing made by a theater company and fetishes. No one knows his warren because his rituals are longer than battles
Toes claims a botched necromantic ritual made him sensitive to ghosts, so he cuts toes off and sews them on his uniform so that the ghosts would lose their balance and can't follow him. Claims to be a necromancer

Mallet and Picker talk, unable to discern what they're planning

Mallet has a feeling Quick Ben and Paran have a second secret plan unrelated to Dujek’s orders
Trott’s creepy smiles also means somethings up
Blend returns and says Paran caught her and sent her back to get everyone ready

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Chapter 23 Scene 8 (To Maurik, Itkovian)

Itkovian spends his time with Gruntle and Stonny because he enjoys their company, the stories they share, and that they don't treat him like a holy person, “appalling irreverence”

Sometimes visits the Grey Swords but let's them grow and become their own mercenary company. Feels sad because he misses his own Grey Swords, but also proud that they have found their stride and acclimating the Tenescowri into the mercenary training

Gruntle comes and says Itkovian looks sad

Gruntle and Stonny are reminded of Buke, Itkovian mentions he offered to take Buke’s pain but was denied
Gruntle hints that he likes Stonny ‘I lost Harllo. I nearly lost you’
Since Itkovian lost his god, he still carries the thousands of Capan souls with him
Can't pass them to Shield Anvil Norul because it would destroy her soul
Itkovian believes he'll eventually find a way to redeem them

Stonny gets annoyed that she doesn't have any normal friends and calls out to a soldier approaching them freaking him out

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Lol

‘Come closer, and how by the Abyss did you come by such a huge nose?’

The man wilted, hesitated.

‘Stonny!’ Gruntle admonished. He addressed the rider, ‘This woman is rude and miserable to everyone, soldier.’

‘I wasn't being rude!’ she exclaimed. ‘Big noses are like big hands, that's all… ‘

No-one spoke.

Slowly, the stranger’s long, narrow face deepened to crimson.

‘Welcome sir,’ Itkovian said.

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Chapter 23 Scene 8 (To Maurik, Itkovian)

The man is High Marshall Straw of the Mott Irregulars, he asks them why Brood’s in a rush even though Maurik is empty

Gruntle guesses it's because the Malazans are marching faster than expected, the alliance between the armies is shaky
Straw reveals the Mott Irregulars has spies among the Malazan army
The Black Moranth have been flying the Malazans away, half the army and Dujek have been flown
Whiskeyjack leads the ground army, four thousand soldiers, and are at Maurik River making barges to float the rest of the way

The Mott Irregulars haven't said anything to Brood because they're scared that they forgot if Brood ordered them to follow him or go away, all the way back from Blackdog Forest Unsure if Brood is even aware they're here.

Kallor has also been telling the Mott Irregulars to go away and that they shouldn't be there
They miss the trees and are eyeing a table that sounds like the big card table in Ch. 5

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Chapter 23 Scene 8 (To Maurik, Itkovian)

Gruntle and Stonny convinces Straw to stay because there's a forest by Coral Bay

Straw is happy because when the Mott Irregulars fet restless, they dull and nick their blades so that killing things would be messier, dance around a fire, and go out looking for something to kill at night (holy shit…) and have spotted a wagon nearby (Bauchelain's) that they could take it out on
They're aware they're necromancers, which the (23) Bole Brothers especially hate due to one squatting on their land causing trouble in the past
Straw leaves to go back to his people

Stonny thinks no point in telling Brood because they'll reach Maurik first anyways, just means the war will end two weeks sooner
Itkovian wonders what he's doing and what he wants, since he doesn't care about the Pannion Seer who will reject his embrace anyways, starts to think maybe he is finally done

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Chapter 23 Scene 9 (Maurik River, Whiskeyjack)

Whiskeyjack, Hetan, and Humbrall Taur are on a barge floating downriver

Hetan is nauseous
Humbrall Taur teases his daughter that Kruppe’s insatiable appetite has defeated her
Whiskeyjack enjoys talking to Humbrall Taur and wonders why he's making good friends lately

A day away from Maurik

Aware there are Mott Irregulars among the Malazan army that reported to Brood about their movements
Whiskeyjack explains to Taur that the Malazans had created the Mott Irregulars by accident
Woodcutters and farmers, Dujek didn't want renegades disrupting Malazan supply lines so he sent the Bridgeburners to hunt them down
A year and a half later, the Bridgeburners and the Gold Moranth had their asses kicked and just pulled out
Brood was impressed and took them into his army

Humbrall Taur calls the Malazan army strange and wonders if they will march to the White Face Barghast Range

The Malazan Empire wouldn't invade the Barghast because they've already been treated with and respect them
Envoys would arrive offering borders and trade, if declined they'll leave never to be seen again
The Malazan’s Empire ultimate goal is to unify and through unification get rich. Not selfish about getting rich, either
‘Diversity is worth celebrating Humbrall Taur, for it is the birthplace of wisdom, one of Duiker’s quotes

Humbrall Taur makes Hetan realize she might be pregnant

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Chapter 23 Scene 10 (Maurik, Korlat)

Korlat wanders Maurik’s abandoned streets and warehouses as the rest of the army skips it entirely

A seastorm covered the streets in sand, seaweeds cover the rooftops
Crone flies above the armies, deeply shaken because she can't make contact with Rake or Moon’s Spawn

Korlat wanted to be alone to think about her future with Whiskeyjack, possibly leaving the Tiste Andii until the end of WJ’s lifespan

If Rake did die, then Korlat would command the dozen Tiste Andii still with Brood and release them to let them act on their free will
Rake had unified the Tiste Andii by the strength of his personality, fighting for numerous causes connected by a theme which none of the Tiste Andii can understand and even seem random
Korlat then second guesses herself, maybe Anomander Rake is also lost, that to fight for the sake of others giving them a reason to exist may actually be for something far less noble
Despair is the nemesis of the Tiste Andii, dying on the battlefield because they wanted their lives to end
Korlat realizes the centuries Rake had avoided her questions and taken her anger was his mercy to spare her from the ugly truth that Rake is just doing what he can to keep his people from killing themselves
Korlat decides if she took up command that she'd be like Rake and not release them like she initially thought she would, and that she can't leave them for Whiskeyjack, he would have to join her people or split up

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Chapter 23 Scene 10 (Maurik, Korlat)

Brood, Kallor, Outrider Hurlochel, and Orfantal are on a platform on the outskirts of Maurik, watching the Malazan’s 20 sorcery-constructed barges (with Whiskeyjack) float with the Great Ravens flying above them

Korlat and Orfantal talk in their language, Kallor yells at them to speak common, Brood ends their bickering
Humbrall Taur, Hetan, and Whiskeyjack disembark in front of the platform

Hetan slaps away Orfantal’s offer to help

Brood asks where the rest of the Malazans are, WJ answers Dujek split the army so not all of the army traveled by river, the other half travels by Black Moranth

Brood accuses the Malazans of deceit, deviating from the established plan
Whiskeyjack retorts with Rake and Moon’s Spawn disappearance, Brood says that’s for the good of the war and not to gain advantage over the Malazans
Dujek leads 6,000 Malazans to help the Paran and the Bridgeburners scout and interfere with Pannion preparations
QB can access his sorcery to face the Pannion sorcerers, and the Black Moranth have their munitions to fight the condors. Even so, the Malazans know they’re not enough to take Coral by themselves

Korlat, on behalf of the Tiste Andii, sides with Whiskeyjack to make a 5 day quick march to Coral to help Dujek, while Kallor argues to let the Malazans die and march at an 8 day pace so they’re well rested

Regardless, Whiskeyjack and the Malazans will quickmarch to Coral and arrive first
Korlat and the Tiste Andii will also join the quickmarch
Kallor continues to taunt everyone, including Brood. Assumed Brood will march at a normal pace

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‘Mother Dark, but these mortals live!’

This is totally going to be my own rambling perspective on humans in the world. Why in a world of gods, ascendants, Soletaken, D’iver’s, undead skeletons with a one track mind on genocide, Elder Races like giant dinosaurs with swords for fucking arms, etc. are puny little humans with their short lifespans the one that dominate the world?

Because immortals are complacent. For centuries or millennia there is not much innovation or motivation to evolve. The Tiste Andii are immortal and just want to die because they lived for too long and experienced so much tragedy. They’ve been doing the same thing they’ve always done for thousands of years because there’s no rush, they’re not going to die.

Humans, on the other hand, live life on the fast track. Some live for hundreds of years like Tattersail, but mostly the normal lifespan of 60-100 years. It’s their ambition, greed, and lust that pushes them to make the most out of their short lives. Korlat’s all hot and bothered by WJ in the last scene because he gambled his life to secure a gambit against Caladan Brood and Kallor into a situation where the Malazans would arrive at Maurik before they did, and immediately looked to Korlat with ‘Love and relief, tenderness ... and raw anticipation.’ On the edge of being losing his life and the next thing he does is flirting with her giving her the smouldering eyes.

And humans breed like rabbits. Generations upon generations of humans trying to conquer the domain of an immortal will inevitably win because the new generations of humans would arrive better prepared than the last generation, and with new vigor, new blood. Like insects, no matter how many humans the immortals kill there will always be more that come back to replace them.

I would assume this is why humans dominate other fantasy worlds as well. Dwarves are one-minded digging for treasures in their mountains. Elves fuck off to drink tea and being bougie. Halflings/hobbits just farm and smoke tobacco. Orcs just want to smash shit. Etc. Of course there’s more depth and complexity in all those races, but not on the level of humans.

And humans are the only ones lustful enough to fuck anything outside their race and give birth to the half-orc, half-elf races.

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Chapter 23 Scene 11 (River Maurik, Gruntle)

Gruntle and Itkovian reach River Maurik

Brood’s army is camping while Whiskeyjack’s army had already departed 15 hours past, Gruntle wonders why they travel at different paces
The Malazan barges link together to create a bridge for the 2,600 bhederin to cross, delaying Gruntle and Itkovian’s passage

While waiting, Gruntle meets Mott Irregulars High Marshall Sty

Sty is impressed by the Malazan’s skill with wood and reveals Whiskeyjack apprenticed as a mason before becoming a soldier
Sty waits and takes his opportunity to sucker punch a Rhivi herder to steal bhederin dung, which the Mott Irregulars want for some reason
Gruntle jokes that the herder fell like a sack of sung which makes Itkovian smile

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Chapter 23 Scene 12 (To Coral, Whiskeyjack)

Two days away from Coral, heavy rains cause the roads to turn to mud, sinking wagons and making it difficult for the Malazan army of 4,000 to march

Whiskeyjack wonders if a god is intervening
Wonders why he hasn't been contacted. by Quick Ben yet who should've reached Coral a long time ago

Korlat took over command of the 12 remaining Tiste Andii in Rake’s absence

Korlat has the Tiste Andii explore their Kurald Galain warren to expel the Crippled God’s poison and make Kurald Galain safe to use in time for the war
Whiskeyjack feels confident that Rake is still alive and will be present for the battle
If Caladan Brood and the 50,000 White Face Barghast joined Whiskeyjack’s quick march, it might have been enough to intimidate the Pannion Seer to withdraw
Instead, 4,000 exhausted and dirty Malazan soldiers and less than 2,000 of Humbrall Taur’s Barghast, Ilgres Barghast, and the 12 Tiste Andii would only encourage the Pannion Seer

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Chapter 23 Scene 13 (To Coral, Kallor)

Kallor rides past crowds of Great Ravens and Outrider Hurlochel into Caladan Brood’s command tent

Kallor notices the streams of water carrying odd-coloured silt, flowing uphill and recognize the T’lan Imass traveling as mud
Brood and Kallor admit they made the mistake, that they should’ve joined Whiskeyjack’s quickmarch and not let Dujek’s army be destroyed
Kallor suggests they can start marching faster and save a day, and also offers to ride ahead to join Whiskeyjack and Korlat claiming he has more experience than any of them

‘I have walked this land when the T’lan Imass were but children. I have commanded armies a hundred thousand strong. I have spread the fire of my wrath across entire continents, and sat alone upon tall thrones. Do you grasp the meaning of this?’

‘Yes. You never learn, Kallor.’

Kallor asserts he has never been defeated, Brood retorts if he ever faced the greatest warriors in history: Anomander Rake, Dassem Ultor, Graymane, The Seguleh First

Brood gives Kallor permission to ride ahead
Kallor leaves the tent with a sinister smile

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Chapter 23 Scene 14 (On Meckros Island To Coral, Lady Envy)

The Meckros Island has reached a shore, a distance less than four days travel away from Coral

Lady Envy contemplate cursing the sibling deities Nerruse, Lady of Calm Seas and Fair Winds, and Beru, Lord of Storms
Senu, Thurule, and Mok made their way to shore first towards the forest of cedars

Lanas Tog finds four day old tracks of 20-50 mortals heading eastwards towards Coral, hunted by a tiger that gave up its pursuit

Baalgjagg still has a javelin in her shoulder but won’t let Lady Envy near her, Garath looks strong and healthy
Lady Envy asks if Tool traveled this way, Lanas Tog doesn’t know

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Chapter 23 Scene 15 (Coral Bay, Paran)

The Bridgeburners discover a Pannion command tunnel with a map of the tunnels, weapons, food, water, and fortifications like it was meant to be a Septarch’s headquarters

Quick Ben believe the Pannions already know they’re there and sent soldiers on their way
Paran orders Spindle to rig the tunnels with cussers and burners to collapse it and give the Pannions false hope
A company of Pannions might already know they’re there and the rest of of the Bridgeburners will give themselves away to give time to Dujek’s arrival

To deal with the Pannion Seer, mage Shank prepares a ritual spell loaned to him by Bluepearl while Spindle holds a sharper munition just incase

Paran orders Toes to go outfit soldiers without munitions or spells with longbows, arrows, and pikes

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Chapter 23 Scene 16 (Coral Bay, Paran)

An hour and a half later Quick Ben and Shank cast a spell together as the they watch Pannions including the sorcerer on the trail below them

Quick Ben has 6 twigs set in the soft earth in front of him
Twenty steps behind him, Shank has a pebble-ringed ritual circle and 6 twigs from the same branch as QB’s, set in piles of moss, surrounding a bladder filled with water
Shank’s twigs sweat with beads of condensation
QB taps the third twig in front of him, shaking one of Shank’s twigs
Shanks completes his ritual chanting and the bladder of water suddenly empties
The Pannion sorcerer falls over, water spilling out from his mouth and nose, drowning
Four sharpers are thrown at the Pannions, triggering more buried sharpers and crackers that collapse the trees on top of them
Hedge, Spindle, and 3 other sappers runs down the slope throwing more munitions at them, igniting the lantern oil they slathered on the trees that fell down
All of the trail and the Pannions are on fire
Picker and her squads used bows to catch the Pannions that avoided the traps

Paran looks over to QB, whose eyes were closed, and sees Talamandas on his shoulder for only a second and believes it must’ve been his own imagination

The fires burn out, unable to spread due to the rain
Paran feels anguish, that the Moranth and the Malazans will suffer in Hood’s realm for such slaughter
Mallet reports Dujek’s finally arrived, flown in by the Black Moranth

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Chapter 24 Scene 1 (Hood’s Temple in Capustan, Coll)

At the stables, Rath’Shadowthrone appears from the shadows next to Coll, surprising him, as they both stand and watch Rath’Togg and Rath’Fanderay approach the temple

Rath’ST’s is freaked out by the Knight of Death and his questions reveal Rath’Hood never visits the temple
Rath’Togg and Rath’Fanderay are treated as bookends in the council, never saying a word, and are lovers that have never touched each other
Coll punches Rath’ST’s jaw knocking him unconscious so he doesn’t follow him into the temple

Coll walks into the sepulchre where a cot lays in the burial pit meant for the Mhybe, though Murillio and Coll remain stubborn is not placing the Mhybe inside

The Knight of Death, Rath’Togg, and Rath’Fanderay just stand around silently
Murillio sits on a corner of Hood’s altar

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Chapter 24 Scene 2 (North of Coral, Picker)

A trader road winds through a forest and opens into a two hundred step wide killing field that narrows into a stone bridge over a dry moat, towards the sheeted bronze gate of Capustan

Septarch and 25k-30k Pannions ranked at the killing field facing Dujek’s military entrenchments
The trenches have too many straight lines, no way to enfilade the enemy

Picker and Antsy discuss what the Seer could be thinking

The Malazan’s successfully sabotaged the Pannion’s ambush and eliminated a company, he’s holding the condors back guessing they’re not the main force and should be dealt with before reinforcements arrive

Picker and Antsy hear the Pannions on the killing field mobilizing, making their move

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Chapter 24 Scene 3 (North of Coral, Quick Ben)

Quick Ben calls Spindle, Toes, Shanks, and Bluepearl to snap out of being scared, get their shit together, and dismisses them
Dujek, Paran, and Blend approach

Dujek doesn’t want to send Quick Ben out, who’s too important to die, but has no choice
Paran assigns the Bridgeburners to guard QB
The entrenchments are lined with munitions to destroy them

Paran proposes to make a temporary retreat, which would keep QB’s promise to Burn and planning with Paran
Dujek proposes to take out the 10,000 Beklites, 10-12 mages, and a Septarch at the cost of sacrificing the Bridgeburners would result in more lives saved, easier for Whiskeyjack’s army to fight and QB supports this as a soldier and as being tactically superior

Blend offers to give QB a small stone charm that makes it harder to find the wearer, that she bought from a Pan’potsun merchant.

QB tells her to keep it and to return to Picker’s squad
QB remarks to himself that the stone is mundane, Blend’s unaware that she has raw and pure talent to disappear

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Chapter 24, Scene 4 (North of Coral, Picker)

Picker and Blend hide in brushes watching Quick Ben engage battle in the open with Pannion sorcerers and sorcery enchanted soldiers march uphill towards Dujek’s entrenchments

Picker doesn't have faith in QB because she's never seen him use sorcery in the years she's known him

Eight demons appear and cause chaos in the crowd, Blend is able to sense they're illusions

The Seerdomin cast grey sorcery that snakes and roots the demons, QB shaping them to appear to be defeated

The enemies believing the illusions to be real gives them power, so the illusions were able to kill some of the Pannions and destroying the legion’s order

The Seerdomin counterattacks with explosive sorcery that rolled up the slope and crashed into QB’s area

An illusion of an axe-wielding Seerdomin wizard riding a horse joins the Pannion group
The axe is thrown and turns into a twisting black wraith that pierced through the counterattack-Seerdomin’s chest up, exploded through his skull and brains, and clutched the Seerdomin’s glowing soul as it ran zig-zag to disappear in the forest
The illusion-Seerdomin rides his horse to stomp and crush another Seerdomin under its hooves
A sorcerous attack aims at the illusion-Seerdomin, which the illusion-Seerdomin opens a tear in reality and vanishes into it

The Pannions disperse on either sides of the hillside, surrounding the Malazans

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Chapter 24 Scene 5 (North of Coral, Paran)

Paran sees Quick Ben appear via warren, leather armor scorched and smoking from grey fires around his feet

A marine climbs uphill to report to Paran that the Pannions are coming through the trees and Dujek is sending troops to help hold the line

Paran sees QB hunched over hidden under swirling shadows

Red hot boulders writhed and wriggled to the surface, water in the soil boiling off, Paran senses three warrens being used
A Pannion legion with cloaks of protective sorcery marched uphill, Pannion mages cast rolling waves of sorcery at QB and Paran
As Paran yells to take cover and the sorcery is moments from hitting him, a flare of shadows engulf the enemy sorcery and covered the hill
Three explosions occur, and the warren disappears
QB casts more shadows that flowed downslope, leading into a landslide that buries the Pannion legion in dirt, rocks, and trees

On the other flank of the entrenchments, Malazans had thrown sharpers at another Pannion legion and slaughtered by volleys of assault crossbows
An enemy condor breathed miasmic grey fire sorcery upon the Malazans

Thirty Black Moranth riding quorls try to intercept the condor in midair with crossbows
The condor unleashed grey lightning obliterating the crossbow bolts and upon the Black Moranth, exploding their armor and flesh

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Chapter 24 Scene 5 (North of Coral, Paran)

Quick Ben demands Paran draw a card of the condor with his finger

Paran draws a crude image of a card of a condor in the dirt
Quick Ben punches the card and the condor falls out of the sky
QB picks up Paran and they run towards the condor through a field of smouldering armor and flesh of Malazan corpses
The Pannions fought through the first trench and are engaged with Dujek’s heavy infantry

A Seerdomin cast grey sorcery against QB and Paran

QB opens a warren to surround them in water mitigating the sorcerous attack
Catching his breath on the wet floor, Paran sees QB bleeding from his ears, nose, and mouth and both their armor’s had split at every joint and seam

The giant black mass of the condor moved in the trees ahead of them, with sorcerous tendrils coming from it

As Paran ran towards it with his pig sticker knife, QB’s wraith rushed at the condor and died from a sorcerous flash
Paran drove his knife down the condor’s spine, the condor slashed at Paran’s right temple with his beak and big a piece of his right ear off

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Chapter 24 Scene 5 (North of Coral, Paran)

‘Awareness fragmented to an explosion of bestial rage, rising within him-’

The form of a Hound, shaped by Shadow, Kurald Emurlahn, enveloped Paran

QB sensed that Paran was not Soletaken, but rather two creatures man and beast woven together
The Hound bit into the condor’s shoulder, the condor’s wings flailed breaking a tree and pinning himself in it
The Hound crunched the condor’s neck killing it, the Hound’s form flickers and vanishes

QB watches Paran’s mangled body roll away and stand up, skin hanging off the bone on the right side of his face and his upper half of his right ear bitten clean off, no awareness in his eyes, not knowing what just happened

QB takes Paran to a healer

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Chapter 24 Scene 6 (North of Coral, Picker)

After half an hour of fighting, Picker made her way through the trees to look at the result of QB’s landslide, thinking it more believable if he had help of a dozen High Mages, or a god

Remembers there were condors in the sky and only one had attacked the Malazans, doesn’t know where the rest went
Drops down for Blend to spook her and they go find the others

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Chapter 24 Scene 7 (Trenches, Paran)

Paran wakes up in darkness, feeling that his face had been stitched up and bandages around his ear

Mallet comes and tells him they’re in the trenches (the Pannion command tunnel they discovered and using for themselves) and he came to make Paran look prettier by Dujek’s orders
Paran tells him to go heal others instead, that he’ll keep his scars and leaves to find the main chamber with Dujek and QB

Outside the main chamber, Paran sees Dujek’s Untan guards who haven’t faced any battle yet

Dujek reports the Pannions had retreated even though they could’ve kept pushing, guesses it’s because Whiskeyjack and Brood are almost there
Unable to communicate through Black Moranth messengers or QB’s exhausted sorcery, Dujek plans to assemble the Malazans and go into Coral
The Black Moranth will take Paran and the Bridgeburners as close to Coral’s keep as possible so they could knock a hole in its walls

All of Dujek’s armies will provide reinforcements in waves

‘First in, last out’

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Chapter 24 Scene 8 (To Coral, Korlat)

Two hours before sunrise, Korlat talked to Kallor who apologized on his and Brood’s behalf and offers his sword and tactics, and returns to Whiskeyjack (also assume that he told them Brood’s now rushing to Coral)

Coral is in view, they had seen flashes of the Pannion and Malazan battles on the way
Orfantal will veer into his Soletaken eleint form to aid Dujek, Korlat will veer and fly above
Korlat hasn’t made contact with Rake yet and it concerns her

As they turned around, they were unable to witness only 12 seconds later the Black Moranth flying Paran and the Bridgeburners into the city

A half-dozen heartbeats, within which Oponn’s coin spun…

A single, lazy turn…

From Lady (good fortune) to Lord (bad luck)

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Chapter 24 Scene 9 (Coral, Paran)

The Black Moranth flew them low, through the city streets, above feast pile bonfires, not a living soul to be seen

The keep of raw rock, carved into the mountainside, roof were lined with gargoyles, and movement showed they were condors
The Black Moranth immediately dipped to drop the soldiers into dark alleys and flew back into the air
Hedge plans to get hooks on the roof and shoot the condors down with crossbows and explosive quarrels

The Bridgeburners head to the keep

Picker halts the soldiers when she spots Urdomen guards which they leave alone
The sappers get excited over how to topple a corner tower over
Paran wants QB to take them, Antsy, Spindle, Detoran, Mallet, and Trotts to the roof via warren to distract the condors from both Dujek’s incoming army and the Bridgeburners
QB tells Spindle that the Pannion Seer had stuffed chaos-aspected demons into normal condors creating those abominations and get ready to blow them up (Spindle’s sorcery makes animals go crazy)

Picker and her soldiers are ready with hooks and ropes

Toes uses his necromancy to find the ghosts of patrolling soldiers who died falling off the wall, and uses their desire to return to where they last remember on the wall to carry the hooks and Toes up the wall for them

Hood’s apparently fought back hard against the Crippled God’s poison allowing for Toes’ necromancy

At the top, Toes placed all six hooks and the crossbowmen begin climbing up unnoticed by the slumbering condors

Picker frantically gets Paran’s attention towards 15+ K’Chain Che’Malle marching out the keep’s gate to the North wall in Dujek’s direction

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Chapter 24 Scene 9 (Coral, Paran)

Picker takes her squad and sharpers to distract the K’Chain Che’Malle through the city streets

Paran takes Quick Ben and Antsy’s squad to the roof for the condor demons
Hedge and the sappers will blow up the corner tower
Before leaving, Picker tells Paran that the Bridgeburners trust Paran as their Captain for awhile now

Quick Ben opens Kurald Galain, reaching the roofs

A dozen of the condor demons explode splaying blood and flesh everywhere
Spindle opened his warrens, causing the mortal condors to war inside the demons for dominance
Crossbow quarrels strike the demons
The corner tower falls towards the street as Picker used the sharpers against the K’Chain Che’Malle
The condor demons fly away from Spindle’s sorcery, regaining control of the bodies

Paran and his team starts running away

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Chapter 24 Scene 10 (West Wall of Coral, Tool)

Tool’s form takes shape from the dust

Tool could easily sneak into the city as dust, but Tool is angry

But the Pannion Seer had taken Aral Fayle. Toc the Younger. A mortal man ... who had called Tool friend.

He strode forward, hide-wrapped feet kicking through scattered bones.

The time had come for the First Sword of the T'lan Imass to announce himself.

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Chapter 24 Scene 11 (Coral, Dujek)

Dujek leads the second wave of his soldiers into Coral’s streets, watching the explosions at Paran’s location hearing the breach into the keep being made

Dujek leads the soldiers to the keep
Grey rolling Pannion sorcery of three condors obliterated the third wave of Black Moranth delivering Dujek’s soldiers

A thousand Black Moranth, their quorls, and five companies of Dujek’s army are dead

The second and fourth flights of Black Moranth battle the three condors, hundreds died in killing the condors

Dujek changes his plans, instead of going for the keep they’re to find defensible buildings

A messenger comes to report Pannion legions and K’Chain Che’Malle fill the streets from the North Gate to the Keep
Dujek sends the messenger to order Twist to have his heavy units make a suicidal pass east of Dujek’s position

Sunrise, the fifth and sixth flights of Black Moranth complete delivering all of Dujek’s armies into the city

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Chapter 24 Scene 12 (Coral Keep, Paran)

The condor demons fly above as Paran’s team hide against a parapet overlooking the harbor, hidden by QB’s sorcery

The keep shook, an unknown second breach was made on the harbor side that was not made by munitions

In the distance, six condors were flying towards Black Moranth dropping cusser munitions onto the city streets killing Pannion legions, and possibly some of Picker’s team

The condors kill about 20 Black Moranth

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Chapter 24 Scene 13 (Coral Streets, Picker)

Picker and her team watches a cusser obliterate a K’Chain Che’Malle

16 able soldiers, 3 wounded, and 3 nearly dead remain of Picker’s team
All the sharpers used up, doing nothing to the K’Chain Che’Malle
Picker’s team tried to fight one of them, resulting in a huge loss

A K’Chain Che’Malle appears and Picker’s begins to run

The wall next to the KCCM explodes, another chopped up KCCM appears with its head hanging by a tendon, missing an arm and a foot, collapses dead
Tool appears to face the standing KCCM, cutting its leg by the knee, its arm, and cleaved his flint sword from shoulder through the chest and hip down to the cobble floor in a spray of sparks

Tool continues walking towards the keep, Paran’s team follows behind

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Chapter 24 Scene 14 (Coral outskirts, Korlat)

The Malazans, Whiskeyjack, Korlat, Kallor, and Artanthos reach Coral, witnessing the battles above the city

They realized Dujek is trapped in Coral, and the Malazan armies exhausted themselves only to be helpless
Orfantal, second in power only to Rake in his eleint form, would defend Dujek’s entrenchments against the condors
Coral’s North Gate opened, releasing 800+ K’Chain Che’Malle
Brood’s half a day away, Grey Swords two hours behind Brood, Gruntle’s legion has gone missing
20 condors patrol above the keep

Whiskeyjack finds it funny Kruppe is demanding white face paint from Hetan

Korlat states the Tiste Andii will be at the front confronting the KCCM, Kallor advises they need all of them to fully unveil Kurald Galain
The two female marines rush to Whiskeyjack to say they found Silverfox

Silverfox approaches from the east walking towards Artanthos, who’s wearing a fur-lined cloak

Dust of T’lan Imass engulf the killing field where the KCCM are

Korlat is blindsided by Kallor’s attack, rough blade knocking her head to the ground and paralyzing her with chaotic sorcery

Kallor charged at Silverfox surrounded by grey magic
Silverfox shouts for the T’lan Ay to defend her, to no avail
Whiskeyjack parries Kallor’s two-handed slash and pushes Kallor back
WJ thrusts his longsword, but putting two much weight on his injured leg causes his femur to fracture and pierce through his leather thigh armor
Kallor thrusts his giant sword through WJ’s lungs and heart, Whiskeyjack dies

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Chapter 24 Scene 14 (Coral outskirts, Korlat)

The two female marines retaliate with their crossbows

Chaotic magic disintegrates the quarrels that hit him
Kallor disembowels and decapitates the first marine before she hit the ground
The second marine rushed and thrust her sword towards Kallor’s face, Kallor side-steps and severs her right arm

She buries her pig sticker in Kallor’s stomach, Kallor slashed through her throat killing her

Kallor calls for the Crippled God to heal him

Kallor is hit by two waves of golden, sunfire sorcery and then disappears into a miasmic warren

Korlat is released by the paralysis, but remains weak

Silverfox rushes to her side and accuses Tayschrenn, who Nightchill’s memory knew was hiding as Artanthos, of delaying help
Korlat sees that Kallor had inflicted a mortal wound on Tayschrenn splitting his face, a miracle he survived at all, and tells Silverfox to thank Tayschrenn for saving their lives

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Chapter 24 Scene 15 (To Coral, Itkovian)

Two hours before sunrise, Gruntle senses something very wrong and that betrayal has happened and wakes Itkovian and Stonny up

Shield Anvil Norul decided to lead to the Grey Swords to support Whiskeyjack and rode on through the night

Gruntle and his legion meld together into the form of a giant tiger and runs past Brood’s camp to the killing field before Coral

Itkovian and Stonny rides their horses ragged until they halted, the horses collapsed and died as they reached the killing field
Itkovian felt sick to his stomach, which became worse the closer he came to Coral

Gruntle, his legion, Stonny, and Itkovian halt as they see the Malazans broken and mourning Whiskeyjack’s death
Itkovian felt horror, loss, and sorrow and walked past everyone down the slope to the killing field where the T’lan Imass turn to face him

The truth. Which I have known. Within me. Hidden, now revealed. I am not yet done.

Not yet done.

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Chapter 24 Scene 16 (North of Coral, Gruntle)

Trake’s murderous and predatory instincts filled Gruntle and his legion, but they held back

Orfantal appeared via warren, Brood walked up next to Gruntle
Stonny looked down at Whiskeyjack and the two female marines’ corpses as well as Korlat weakened by chaotic sorcery and Silverfox at her side crying
Kruppe appeared between Hetan and Cafal, and Hetan caught Kruppe as he fell unconscious

Gruntle looked down and found Itkovian stopping twenty steps before the T’lan Imass

Silverfox cried out but it was too late
Kneeling before him, Itkovian had come to embrace the T’lan Imass

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Chapter 25 Scene 1 (Capustan’s Temple of Hood, Coll)

K’rul enters the chamber, the Knight of Death greets him, and walks towards the Mhybe

Coll and Murillio stood in K’rul’s way
Hood, speaking through the Knight of Death, calls mortals audacious which K’rul calls their most admirable gift
K’rul states he has come to grant the Mhybe salvation, unexpected events happened to the south, and it is the time for her to dream for real

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Chapter 25 Scene 2 (North of Coral, Silverfox)

The T’lan Imass was gone from Silverfox’s soul, Kallor’s attack made Silverfox realize the T’lan Ay also abandoned her

She thought how betrayal how killed Tattersail, Bellurdan Skullcrusher, Whiskeyjack, and the two female marines who watched her for so long

The Grey Swords, Gruntle’s legion, and Malazans readied themselves to face the K’Chain Che’Malle

Caladan Brood used High Denul to heal the chaotic energy from Korlat
Orfantal seethed inside, ready to unleash his eleint form

Silverfox feared the K’Chain Che’Malle, the demon condors, and the Seer would kill them all

Thus, Silverfox opened the Warren of Tellann and vanished

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Chapter 25 Scene 3 (Dreams, the Mhybe)

The Mhybe again questions her role as mother if the child was born out of pity and with purpose, not as a natural child

The Mhybe believes the mass of ribs before her imprisoned the tortured soul (Toc in the Matron’s embrace)
The Mhybe senses the beast, the man waits for her and resolves to save Toc and the beast inside him, crawls towards him
Silverfox may have forsaken the Mhybe, but the Mhybe would not forsake Toc

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Chapter 25 Scene 4 (North of Coral, Itkovian)

Memories of the T’lan Imass flooded Itkovian’s mind, how Tellann had turned them into husks, how Silverfox had denied them oblivion

Itkovian embraced all of their painful memories, destroying him
Pran Chole calls out to Itkovian, to lead his soul for the sake of the Grey Swords
Itkovian reached out and clasps Pran Chole’s forearm

- friend to Onrack of the Logros, I last saw him kneeling amidst the corpses of his clan. All slain in the street, yet the Solteaken were finally broken. Ah, at such a cost-

- oh, heart laid at his feet, dear Legana Breed (Deadhouse Gates). So clever, sharpest of wit, oh how he made me laugh -

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Chapter 25 Scene 5 (Dreamscape, the Mhybe, Itkovian, Silverfox)

The Mhybe walked over lichen, crumbling under her feet, towards the cage of ribs

The massive shadow inside called out to her
The earth moved and air became hot around her
The Mhybe pushed with her arm and rolled onto her back to stare at something

Pran Chole asks of Itkovian to shed the T’lan Imass memories to feed the barren dreamscape he’s walking through

Storm clouds and crimson lightning covered the sky above the Mhybe

📣Memories of ice📣 hailed down upon the dream scape, inflicting pain upon the Mhybe
Kruppe appears to grant aid to the Mhybe, shielding her from the hail and dragging her forward

It’s revealed that Silverfox had been crafting a dreamworld with K’rul and Kruppe

A world where the Mhybe was young, a pace of healing for the T’lan Imass’s souls
A gift of love now lost to the misguided courage of the mortals around her

The sky heaved above her and Silverfox looks up

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Chapter 25 Scene 6 (Coral Keep, Toc)

Togg thrashed in the prison of his own cage of ribs, crying out to his lover and kin

The memories and emotions of ice of the T’lan Imass hailed and melted upon the rib cage

Toc wakes up in the Keep’s chamber, the Matron’s talons clawing towards Toc but held back by chains

The Seer carries an egg, his Finnest, chanting and draining grey sorcery from the Matron
The Seer whispers ‘We shall return’ and vanishes taking the Matron with him

Tool breaks into the chamber and puts his hand on Toc’s forehead

Toc’s unable to speak because he’s missing his tongue
Tool calls Toc his kin, young brother, and leaves the keep with him

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Chapter 25 Scene 7 (Coral, Picker)

Picker’s team runs towards Hedge’s breach as a K’Chain Che’Malle chases them

The team reaches a room full of rubble and finds Hedge’s team of sappers there
The Malazans push through Hedge’s breach as Hedge confronts the charging KCCM
Four steps before reaching Hedge, Hedge throws a cusser straight down onto the ground, killing the KCCM and Hedge, Hedge dies

Rubble impacts everyone in the room, Picker’s face blooded through her helm

A soldier, Buckland, drags Blend’s unconscious bloodied body into a corridor they take shelter in, rocks buried in her backside

Lady Envy and Baaljagg appears, asking for the Seguleh, Lanas Tog, and Toc the Younger

Lady Envy is elated that Tool is also present in the Keep
In exchange for assisting in rescuing Toc from the Seer, Lady Envy heals all of the Malazans

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Chapter 25 Scene 8 (Keep Roof, Paran)

Paran’s team is still hiding beside the parapet in QB’s warren hiding from the condors

They hear fighting under them inside the keep
Spindle figure the condors are busy with something else rather than trying to find Paran’s team

Paran’s team decides Paran and QB will stay on the roof while Mallet takes Spindle, Detoran, Trotts, and Antsy through the roof’s trap door into the keep

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Chapter 25 Scene 9 (Coral Streets, Dujek)

Dujek drags a wounded soldier through a doorway and drops him when he realizes he’s dead

Dujek’s army was able to fight equally with the Pannions, and expended all its munitions defeating two waves of K’Chain Che’Malle
The third wave of KCCM led to a slaughter of the Malazans, leaving Dujek alone in the streets

A Malazan soldier appears looking for Dujek

Twist led the final flight using the last of the munitions to bombard the KCCM in the city
The soldier escorts Dujek

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Chapter 25 Scene 10 (North of Coral, Gruntle)

Shield Anvil Norul asks if Gruntle can flank her as they enter Coral, Gruntle instead wants to lead the charge

Artanthos/Tayschrenn, with golden sorcery swirling him, commanded the Malazan soldiers to equip shield and pikes
A Malazan messenger rides to Gruntle and they plan together

Tayschrenn plans to rescue Dujek and needs Gruntle’s legion, the Grey Swords, to help the Tiste Andii, Orfantal, and Barghast face the KCCM while Tayschrenn deals with the Pannion sorcerers

Gruntle sees Brood finish healing Korlat, exhausted

Gruntle’s legion, realizing it’s some sort of reverse D’ivers veering, melds together again into the tiger form and attack the K’Chain Che’Malle

Treach/Trake’s especially angry since the KCCM killed him

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Chapter 25 Scene 11 (North of Coral, Korlat)

Kurald Galain numbing her emotions, Korlat and Brood stood watching over the killing field

Orfantal veered into eleint form and took flight
The tiger form of Gruntle’s legion supported by the Grey Swords slaughtered the KCCM, every time the tiger form took hits, human bodies instead of blood would spill out
Tayschrenn used High Telas, child warren of fire, Tellann, to cast a golden wave that rolled on the ground through KCCM and launched into the Pannion mages on top of Coral’s gate

Korlat recognizes it to be the same sorcery that assailed Moon’s Spawn at the Siege of Pale

Tayschrenn counters a grey wave of sorcery from the other Pannion mages and collapses from exhaustion, Malazan soldiers rushed to his side

Brood yells at Korlat to call for Rake to help, but Korlat thinks he’s dead

Kurald Galain darkness shrouded the Malazans below
Korlat veers into Soletaken form to save her brother who’s being attacked by the condors

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Chapter 25 Scene 12 (North of Coral, Brood)

The tides of battle turned for the worst as Gruntle’s Legion was dying, the KCCM turned their attention to slaughter the Grey Swords and the Barghast, and were headed towards the Malazans

Behind Brood, four Malazan soldiers lay Kruppe’s unconscious body on the ground
The tens of thousands of T’lan Imass still knelt frozen before Itkovian motionless body

Brood raises Burn’s hammer about to slam it into the earth, but freezes

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Chapter 25 Scene 13 (Coral Keep, Picker)

Picker’s team and Lady Envy follows Baaljagg’s lead to a stairway and to the sounds of fighting

Three sets of tracks in the blood included bony tracks, a female’s moccasin tracks, a man’s boot tracks
Lady Envy was about to share Togg and Fanderay’s search for each other through Baaljagg and Tog’s bodies before Panion soldiers arrive
Picker’s team faces the Pannions, and throws Blend down the stairs saying they’ll follow once they clean up the Seerdomin
Lady Envy asks if it’ll take long, Picker answers no as two Bridgeburners die in front of her

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Chapter 25 Scene 14 (Coral Keep, Mallet)

Detoran led Mallet, Spindle, Antsy, and Trotts through corridors of dead Pannions

The soldiers engage six Seerdomin
Detoran wields a shortsword in her left hand a broad sword in her right, Trotts began chanting and Antsy started shrieking
Mallet used his crossbow to clean up recovering Seerdomin

A few Seerdomin dead, Detoran had trouble with the last two

Detoran lunged with her broadsword and stuck the shortsword under the helm

The Seerdomin made a dying attack slicing off most of Detoran’s shoulder muscle

Two Seerdomin left, Detoran parried a thrown axe and stuck her fingers in one of their helm slits and popped his vertebrae
The last Seerdomin severed Detoran’s right arm at the mid-upper arm and buried his axe between her shoulder blades, pushing her face first into the wall
Detoran dies
The last Seerdomin was killed from Mallet’s quarrel through its armpit

Behind Mallet, Spindle came down with his pot helm ruined as Trotts held off twenty Seerdomin upstairs

Antsy lay on the floor dying from fighting against the Seerdomin
Seerdomin and Trotts fell down the stairs knocking Mallet with him, Trotts’s weapon stabbing into Mallet’s shoulder, and everyone falls to the bottom of the stairs

The soldiers recover, Mallet sees that Trott’s body is cut up more than mortally possible, Spindle looks for a new helm, and they pick up Antsy

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Chapter 25 Scene 15 (Coral Keep; Toc, the Mhybe, Brood, Kruppe)

Tool carried Toc’s body through the Keep and finds themselves in a torture chamber, the torture devices destroyed by Tool’s wrath

Mok the Third waits at the door, until Tool set Toc’s body down away from him
Tool asks Mok a favor to carry Toc out of the Keep once they finish
Tool and Mok duel

Togg’s spirit stirs inside Toc, feeling trapped in Toc’s mangled body

Toc sees a wooden beam with an end capped with bronze smeared with flesh and hair
Toc spending everything he has to stand up with his mangled body

Kruppe implores the Mhybe to touch and free the earth and the 📣memories of ice📣 raining down, the Mhybe raises her hand to touch the massive cage of ribs

Toc impales himself with the bronze-capped beam, breaking his cage, freeing Togg’s spirit and howls

Brood with Burn’s hammer raised, freezes at Togg’s howl

The T’lan Ay rose from the ground and slaughtered the K’Chain Che’Malle and pursued retreating KCCM

Thousands of Great Ravens appear as Orfantal and Korlat chase the fleeing condors

Kruppe held the Mhybe in his arms as Togg frees himself from the cage of ribs and howls, answered by the T’lan Ay

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Chapter 25 Scene 16 (Keep Roof, Paran)

Kurald Galain was spreading over the keep’s roof
30 steps away, Paran saw the Seer’s Jaghut body clouded in ice crystals holding an egg (Finnest), with the husk of the Matron guarded by two K’ell Hunters pursued by two Seguleh (Senu and Thurule)
Quick Ben and Paran ran to the edge of the roof to witness Moon’s Spawn rise from the frozen waters of Coral Bay

All of the Tiste Andii had fully unveiled Kurald Galain
Moon’s Spawn was fissured, a high cost to Rake’s gambit
Rake stands at the edge

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Chapter 25 Scene 17 (North of Coral; Itkovian, Brood)

Against their protests, Itkovian embraces the T’lan Imass’s pain with a welcoming smile

Brood witnessed Moon’s Spawn, shrouded in Kurald Galain darkness, unleashed waves of sorcery to slaughter the demon condors and leaned forward floating towards Coral Keep

Korlat and Orfantal flew towards Moon’s Spawn, seeing that it was dying
Moon’s Spawn floated towards the Seer holding the Matron’s Finnest (probably called that because it was stealing the Matron’s power)
Darkness that would never dissipate had come to Coral, Black Coral

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Chapter 25 Scene 18 (Coral Keep, Lady Envy)

Lady Envy didn’t act until she realized Picker was being fatalistic when she said it wouldn’t take long

With a simple gesture of her hand, she kills the remaining Seerdomin
Two Bridgeburners remain alive
Spindle, Mallet, Antsy, and Trotts finds their way to the group
Trotts smiles before he falls over and dies from his wounds

Lady Envy tells Mallet that he’s done using his warren and made a sardonic quip about Picker’s last comment costing them lives

Lady Envy tells them to gather, before realizing Kurald Galain is descending on them and instead makes them run down the stairs

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Chapter 25 Scene 19 (Coral Keep, Tool)

Before landing the killing blow, Kilava Onass in panther form knocks Mok away from Tool

Tool stops Kilava from killing Mok, Kilava is pissed that a mortal was able to defeat the First Sword of the T’lan Imass
Tool tells her to go to the Abyss (lmao go to hell) and that their time has passed, since Mok is only Third place among the Seguleh

Tool turns to see Toc impaled on the bronze capped wooden beam, Tool unable to hear Togg’s howls

Kilava says the howl fills the realm Silverfox had created, giving life to something new
Lanas Tog appears in the room and demands to find Silverfox
Baaljagg appears behind Lanas Tog and goes to Toc’s body

Kilava says they’ll find Silverfox through the Warren of Tellann and into the realm Silverfox created, where they converge

Kilava denies following Tool, as she seeks the Pannion Seer for redemption
Tool tells Kilava once she’s done to come find him
Tool and Lanas Tog vanish as dust

Kilava goes to Baaljagg who mourns for Toc’s tortured soul

Kilava says Toc’s soul rides Togg’s own spirit and opens a Warren of Tellan for Baaljagg to enter
Kilava leaves the chamber

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Chapter 25 Scene 20 (Coral Keep, Picker)

Blend, Picker, Mallet, Spindle, Antsy, Bluepearl, and Lady Envy enter the torture chamber

Lady Envy remarks she met Kilava Onass once and claims she’s rude
Lady Envy sees Mok’s unconscious body and Toc’s body impaled

Lady Envy wants their company to take revenge on the Seer before Kilava Onass does

The Malazans reject her demand and they go their separate ways

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Chapter 25 Scene 21 (Keep’s Roof, Paran)

Moon’s Spawn floats closer, the Seguleh are at a stalemate with the KCCM

‘I thought Rake would at least come down in person for this. Instead he’s elected something… uh, less subtle’

Kilava Onass’s panther form appears on the roof and heads towards the cowering Seer

Unable to stop her, QB tells Talamandas now’s the time to act and hammers Kilava away with a sorcerous attack

Moon’s Spawn dropped a man’s height to punching the apex through the Keep’s Roof and crushing the screaming KCCM Matron
Paran grabs Quick Ben’s raincape as QB tackles the Seer and opens a warren, Kilava jumping in at the last second, and they all disappear
Moon’s Spawn crushes the KCCM guards and buries itself in the keep

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Chapter 25 Scene 22 (Coral Streets, Gruntle)

Gruntle, three soldiers barely older than children, and two elderly were what was left of his legion

The Lestari lieutenant died in the killing field
The Grey Swords left to find Dujek, the Black Moranth continued its assault

Stonny appears and was surprised to find Mott Irregulars in the city
Moon’s Spawn and night covered the sky above Coral
Destriant Velbara appears and tells Gruntle they found Dujek and 800 surviving Malazan soldiers and will be gathering at the killing field outside Coral

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Chapter 25 Scene 23 (Coral, Korlat)

With the Pannion Seer gone, Orfantal and Korlat easily cleaned up the remaining demon condors
Four warships of the Malazan Imperial Navy could be seen at the edge of the ice floes of Coral Bay
Orfantal tell Korlat to descend with Crone, Brood, the Grey Swords, Barghast, and others so she can grieve for Whiskeyjack
Korlat veered back into Tiste Andii form where Caladan Brood was, Brood had the look of defeat after Crone gave report
High Marshall Stump of the Mott Irregulars walked up to Brood to ask about the order and then takes it back

Stump said they took care of the Pannion mages and asks for further orders
Brood looked confused and said he had no clue
Stump suggested they could go put out fires and Brood says go ahead
Brood thought he left the Mott Irregulars behind, and is perplexed that they were able to slay Pannion mages behind the KCCM

Korlat reports the Imperial Warships, Brood says Artanthos told him before he traveled via warren to the deck of the command ship to speak with the imperial delegation

Korlat explains the full unveiling of Kurald Galain meant a permanent manifestation, Coral now exists both in the mortal realm and the Tiste Andii realm
Brood leaves the negotiations up to Rake

Grieving over Whiskeyjack, Korlat wonders if this is how Mother Dark felt yearning after Light
Moon’s Spawn appeared overhead, it’s waters raining over Coral

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Chapter 25 Scene 24 (Dreamscape, Silverfox)

A group of <40 Rhivi approach Silverfox in the barren tundra
Silverfox had fashioned a world taking pieces of Tellann, the Rhivi’s memories, K’rul, Kruppe, and Burn’s flesh

Silverfox believed she has failed

The Elder Rhivi had found two thrones in a huts of bone and hide, surprising Silverfox

The Rhivi feels the dreamscape is too vast for them and happily accept whoever sits the thrones
Silverfox further feels that her gift had been stolen from her control, tells the Rhivi to find the Mhybe, and walks away

The Elder Rhivi calls to burn a ranag (ancient bhederin) shoulder blade bone to read the cracks and have it map them to the Mhybe

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Chapter 25 Scene 25 (Dreamscape, Toc)

Toc’s exhilarated riding Togg’s spirit in the barren tundra dreamscape

Spirits of Ay ran along with Togg
Fanderay had held the memories of the T’lan Ay within her dreams in which the Elder God K’rul breathed life into
The Dreamscape belongs to Fanderay which is why the two thrones exist
Baaljagg and Fanderay ran alongside each other towards Togg

Togg and Fanderay reunited, and have come to reclaim the Beast Thrones, the twin antlered throne of the Beast Hold

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Chapter 25 Scene 26 (Dreamscape, the Mhybe)

The Mhybe wakes up in Kruppe’s arms, Kruppe implores her to take Kruppe’s dream and not fear the wolves

Tens of thousands of ay appeared, the Rhivi people attend the beast thrones in the hide tent appear in front of her
The Rhivi reveal to the Mhybe that everyone involved: K’rul, Kruppe, Pran Chole, and Silverfox had created this world to apologize for the injustice upon the Mhybe as well as a place for the T’lan Imass and T’lan Ay
The Mhybe’s body, now resting in Hood’s Temple in Capustan, must be relinquished
Silverfox had made an agreement with Hood to deliver the souls of the T’lan Imass in exchange for this Dreamscape for the sake of the Mhybe

Though Silverfox believes losing the T’lan Imass may nullify the agreement

Kruppe believes Hood will still honor his agreement to Silverfox

The Mhybe returns the copper bracelets to the Elder Rhivi spirits
Togg claims the Mhybe as the mistress to the realm and ask permission to release Toc’s soul, which the Mhybe grants

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Chapter 25 Scene 27 (North of Coral, Itkovian)

Itkovian completes embracing the T’lan Imass’s pain and looks up at T’lan Imass in front of him and the darkness above them

The T’lan Imass asks why Itkovian blesses them so
Itkovian reveals he was born 30 years ago in the city of Erin, to the name of Otanthalian
To a hard, just father and a mother who only smiled when Itkovian left
Itkovian believes his mother was a prisoner of his father, and that he took something of her when he left
The T’lan Imass states his mother is free within him

‘We humans do not understand compassion. In each moment of our lives, we betray it. Aye, we know of its worth, yet in knowing we then attach to it a value, we guard the giving of it, believing it must be earned. T’lan Imass. Compassion is priceless in the truest sense of the word. It must be given freely. In abundance.

‘Why?’

‘Because I was the Shield Anvil. But now…

I am done.

And beneath the Moon’s torrential rain, he died.

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Chapter 25 Scene 28 (Dreamscape, Silverfox)

Lanas Tog, Tool, and the T’lan Ay stand before Silverfox

Tool demands that Silverfox free the T’lan Ay
Silverfox then releases the T’lan Ay from the Ritual, and they disappear
Tool says Lanas Tog would lead Silverfox back to the T’lan Imass to speak with them

Tool raises his flint sword and, as First Sword, drops it to the ground

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Chapter 25 Scene 29 (Capustan Hood’s Temple, Coll)

Knight of Hood states the time has come, K’rul is astonished about Hood’s generosity
Coll and Murillio believe she’s still alive and can’t bury her

'This is not a burial,' K'rul said to him. 'The Mhybe now sleeps, and will sleep for ever more. She sleeps, to dream. And within her dream, Murillio, lives an entire world.'

'Like Burn?' Coll asked.

The Elder God smiled in answer.

'Wait a moment!' Murillio snapped. 'Just how many sleeping old women are there?'

Coll wants to make sure the Mhybe’s body is comfortable with furs and blankets
Rath’Togg and Rath’Fanderay remove their masks, crying for joy that their gods have found each other

After a moment, Coll grunted. 'Let's get to work, Murillio. Then we can go home.'

'I still want to know about these old women dreaming up worlds like this!'

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Chapter 25 Scene 30 (Morn, Paran)

Paran, Quick Ben, the Seer, and Kilava appear at the Rent of Morn by the Jaghut Tower

Talamandas pins the Seer to the ground, cackling, Quick Ben holds the Finnest
Kilava Panther knocks Paran back before QB convinces her they’re not enemies
Kilava veersa into Imass form and says she’s come to enact vengeance on the Seer for torturing Tool’s friend Toc
Paran and QB can’t believe Hairlock threw Toc into the Chaos warren only to end up in the Seer’s lap

QB looks to the Seer and says his little sister’s soul is still in the Rent

Warrens heal themselves that way to they don’t bleed into other warrens
Wants to use the Finnest of the Matron’s power to replace the sister’s soul with the Matron’s
The Seer recognizes Kilava Onass and thinks she tricked them, even if his sister is freed they’ll be eternally hunted by the T’lan Imass
QB tells the Seer that he’s been used by the Crippled God to destroy all warrens and to be cruel to all life, not even Jaghut Tyrants are as malicious and destructive as the Seer

Paran’s relieved that the Seer’s insanity was not his own and that he can be redeemed

QB convinces the Seer that there’s a place for the Seer and his sister to live in peace and even act against the Crippled God
Paran tells QB to free him

Talamandas lets go of the Seer

'This other place,' he finally whispered, looking to Paran, 'is it far?'

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Chapter 25 Scene 31 (Morn, Paran)

The Jaghut child stumbled out of the warren folding her hands in her lap

QB and Talamandas hopes she doesn’t remember anything and will work on it
The Seer hesitates to go to his sister since he’s so much older now and that the Jaghut don’t have compassion for their own kin (notoriously solitary people), Paran replies that humans aren’t any better
The Seer apologizes for what he’s done to Toc
The Seer tells Kilava that she’s like him and has a long path to redemption, can’t forgive her yet, that they both have a lot to learn

The Seer walks towards his sister who opens his arms to him, still having and needing love from her kin

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Chapter 25 Scene 32 (Burn’s Warren, Paran)

Paran brings them to Burn’s warren and meets with the Witch of Tennes he met in Pale, using the pebble he left her to summon her (Ch. 4)

Diamond studded giants were seen everywhere holding up the ceiling, the infection too apparent
Paran asks if Talamandas is Barghast and senses more Hood’s presence in him than his new Barghast gods

The Witch of Tennes says Burn chose her to help take care of his sister and that the Seer is to use unveil Omtose Phellack to help fight the Crippled God’s infection and Burn will embrace him

The Seer unveils Omtose Phellack
The Witch of Tennes tells Kilava that none of her kin is to know of this final unveiling of Omtose Phellack, Kilava agrees

QB says Paran as Master of the Deck will bring them home and not leave a trail by fashioning a card in his mind

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Chapter 25 Scene 33 (North of Black Coral, Gruntle)

Whiskeyjack and the two female marines’ bodies were covered by rain capes, Korlat looks over them
Itkovian lay motionless on the side, the T’lan Imass were gone
Present were the Grey Swords, one-eyed Anaster who didn’t move, Brood, Humbrall Taur, Hetan, Cafal, Dujek and the Malazans, a Seerdomin representing the surrendered Pannion Domin

Rhivi entered the city with wagons to bury the dead
Artanthos/Tayschrenn appears via warren with the Imperial Malazan delegation including Ambassador Aragan recovering from a headache

The same Captain Aragan from DG Ch. 23 Scene 5 who Kalam and Minala pulled, who is also the same Staff Sergeant from GotM Ch. 1 Scene that recruited Sorry to the Malazan army

One of Gruntle’s soldiers wants to raise the Child’s Standard, Gruntle tells her to raise it among the fallen in the killing field within the darkness, never wants to see battle ever again
Brood tells Aragan negotiations have to wait until Anomander Rake comes, who’s expected shortly

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Chapter 25 Scene 34 (North of Black Coral, Toc)

Toc’s soul ran free, happy to not be tortured and suffering under the Seer
Toc wakes up in Anaster’s body, the scarred eye on the same side
Either Shield Anvil Norul or Destriant Velbara asks if Toc would leaves his gods
When he says no, she welcomes Toc as the Mortal Sword of Togg and Fanderay

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Chapter 25 Scene 35 (Tellann, Silverfox)

Lanas Tog leads Silverfox to a valley overlooking clans of T’lan Imass

Pran Chole appears
Silverfox offers to free the T’lan Imass from their vows like the T’lan Ay but Pran Chole rejects her
The T’lan Imass want to rescue Lanas Tog’s kin on the continent of Assail before are ended

Itkovian had changed the T’lan Imass

The T’lan Imass have been awakened, memories living in the world Silverfox created, an alternative to oblivion

Silverfox and the T’lan Imass’s story continues in the Ian Cameron Esslemont novel, Assail, which is actually the 6th and final novel of the Novels from the Malazan Empire series and takes place after book 10 of the main series, The Crippled God

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Chapter 25 Scene 36 (Coral Streets, Picker)

Picker watched the Rhivi gather the dead, the Bridgeburners collected in their own wagon

First in, last out. For the last time.

Lady Envy appears via warren and Anomander Rake appears from the darkness

Ency and Rake banter, Rake clearly annoyed by her
Envy tells Rake that Draconus is trying to escape Dragnipur
Rake is already aware of it, and already knows about Paran walking through Dragnipur and freeing two Hounds of Shadow into Kurald Galain
Nothing Rake can do until Draconus actually escapes the sword

Rake catches Picker before she leaves and wants to walk to the north gate together out of respect for the Malazans and Whiskeyjack

Rake, Picker, Blend, Mallet, Antsy, Spindle, and Bluepearl head north

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Chapter 25 Scene 37 (North of Coral, Gruntle)

Gruntle and Stonny stand at the hilltop wishing Harllo was still alive, funny seeing Moon’s Spawn so far away and now they're right under it
Korlat stood beside Whiskeyjack’s body, Brood, Dujek, and Tayschrenn approached her

Dujek knelt beside WJ’s body and asked what happened
Korlat said wJ faced Kallor’s betrayal, lied that his leg shattered after he died
Dujek knows it's not true, WJ was able to stand his ground sparring with Dassem Ultor

Dujek straightened. ‘I have lost a friend,’ he said.

For some reason, the raw simplicity of that statement struck through Gruntle's heart. He felt an answering stab of pain, of grief within him. Harllo… my friend. Itkovian.

Rake, Crone, and the Bridgeburners arrive

The remainders of Dujek’s army, Barghast, Rhivi, Tiste Andii, and Brood’s army came to honour the fallen
Mallet stood by WJ’s body to look at his wounds, Dujek held him and they knelt to the ground together
Korlat and Orfantal are ready to hunt Kallor, Rake says to leave him alive as he's earned Dragnipur

Rake calls to Dujek and Tayschrenn and asks to interr Whiskeyjack, the female marines, and the Bridgeburners in Moon’s Spawn to be sent out to sea and fall into the ocean

Picker replies they always wondered what Moon’s Spawn looked like inside

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Chapter 25 Scene 38 (North of Coral, Paran)

722 Mott Irregulars were packing up loot taken from Coral
The card table leaned on a tree, Paran, Quick Ben, and Kilava stepped out of it

High Marshall Jin Bole greets them and says thats a table not a door

Quick Ben laughs that they met the scariest mages/swamp warlocks ever faced, and that the Bole Brothers were the worst and rumor that there was a sister

Kilava gave a curt thanks and left immediately

Paran thinks about granting redemption and remembers how he dreamed of the Jaghut child back in Pale (MoI Ch. 4)

Quick Ben, Talamandas, and even Hood helped erase her memories and seeing the Pannion Seer as her uncle and not her brother

Paran feels Quick Ben’s ego bloated even more than a god’s

Omtose Phellack would halt the heat of the Crippled God’s poison
They stole the Seer from Rake to right an ancient wrong with Kilava present in the redemption, removing a huge threat from the continent of Genabackis, and gave a child her life back

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Chapter 25 Scene 39 (North of Coral, Gruntle)

The Tiste Andii interred the Malazan bodies and they watched Moon’s Spawn float towards the sea
Gruntle and Stony head down the slope to join the soldiers honouring Itkovian, placed in a modest casket

The Capan women of the Grey Swords, the Tenescowri recruits, and Anaster were present
Gruntle sensed Anaster was no longer hollow and became something like a rival

Destriant Velbara spoke for Itkovian’s burial

The Malazan soldier Azra Jael comes to return Itkovian’s helm that he traded with
Velbara said Itkovian would reject him, but would gladly return the Malazan’s own helm
All of Dujek’s army, Tiste Andii, Rhivi, Barghast, Black Moranth, Silverfox, and the T’lan Imass came to honour Itkovian
A T’lan Imass stepped up to Destriant Velbara holding a seashell on a leather thong

‘For the gift this mortal has given us, we shall each offer in turn. Together, they shall become his barrow, and it shall be unassailable. If you refuse us this, we will defy you.’

Gruntle sighed. Ah, Itkovian, it seems you have made yet more friends.

The T'lan Imass’s modest gifts like polished stones built the foundation of the barrow, the soldiers added sigils, diadems, rings, daggers, etc. that built a glittering barrow blessed with Tellann sorcery

Gruntle unclasps his torcs and adds them to the barrow

Sorry Treach, learn to to live with the loss.

We do.

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Chapter 25 Scene 40 (North of Coral, Paran)

Paran and QB felt it was too late to join the funeral procession

Paran thought he he used to attend funerals he didn't care frequently as a child and was not present for his mother or father’s, trusting his sister Tavore to ensure it was proper
The soldier's funeral was kept to minimal ceremony, everyone stood silent bound by shared grief

Quick Ben asks to draw Moon’s Spawn and Paran takes them to Moon’s Spawn’s throne room, QB casts a globe of light to illuminate the chamber

The throne was pushed aside to lay the blackwood sarcophagi of Whiskeyjack and the two memories, two either side were sarcophagi held upright for the Bridgeburners and Twist
QB sensed Rake himself had placed protective sorcerous wards in the chamber

Quick Ben named the soldiers

Hedge, Shank, Toes, Detoran, Aimless, Runter, Mulch, Buckland, Story, Liss, Dasalle, and more names up to 30 Bridgeburners
Paran and QB unable to step on the dais due to the wards
QB knows it was his leg, crushed by the marble pillar that fell back in Darujhistan
The soldiers have to be close to Mallet who’s on suicide watch for not healing WJ’s
QB placed a pebble in front of the dais incase he and Kalam want to visit them again

Paran and QB leave

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All right, it's probably far too late. But I bless you, one and all.

With that, he turned back, stepped through the portal

In the silent chamber, the light faded, the globe flickering, then finally vanishing.

But a new glow had come to the chamber. Faint, seeming to dance with the black web on the sarcophagi.

A dance of mystery.

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Chapter 25 Scene 41 (North of Coral, Gruntle)

Emancipor Reese drove the necromancer’s carriage up to the trader road by the killing field

Bauchelain steps of the carriage, looks to the eternally midnight city, and says this is a place he could call home
Gruntle says the Tiste Andii and Malazan presence in the city wouldn't tolerate Korbal Broach’s activities
Bauchelain lures KB with the dismembered K'Chain Che'Malle carcasses
Bauchelain says he received a letter from Jib Bole saying him and his brothers will pay him a visit and ask Gruntle if he has any proper etiquette or advice to hosting them
Gruntle says wear his best, and they continue their separate ways

The Grey Swords set up camp by the barrow now named Itkovian’s Gift

Tenescowri emerged from Black Coral and the woodlands, lured by Anaster’s rebirth and promise of salvation
Gruntle saw the Destriant and felt swirling healing sorcery trailing from her, the embrace of the Wolf’s Reve

Gruntle approached Anasterc but Toc-Anaster speaks up first

Toc-Anaster asks Gruntle what a Mortal Sword is, neither of them know
Toc-Anaster feels slightly relieved, says he was a Malazan scout, ‘temples were where the poor people paid to keep the priests’ wine cellar stocked’, feels like Itkovian and that mentioning his name breaks his heart
Gruntle shares he was happier being a miserable caravan guard
Toc-Anaster invites Gruntle over to drink ale, Gruntle offers to get Stonny, and they become friends

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Chapter 25 Scene 42 (North of Coral, Paran)

Quick Ben, Kruppe, and the Trygalle Trade Guild leaders argue over something
Picker apologizes to Paran and says Paran had found victory where they thought none existed

Paran says no-one could've done better than Picker who was able to leave with survivors
Dujek agrees with Paran’s statement and calls the Bridgeburners over

Dujek tells them there's half a wagon of back pay, full complement, to the Bridgeburners enough to buy each of them an estate and live peacefully for the rest of their lives

The Trygalle Trade Guild will take them back to Darujhistan
As far as Tayschrenn and (now Fist) Aragan knows the Bridgeburners all died in Coral’s keep
Their last mission is to find High Alchemist Baruk, take care of a man in his care, and walk away when they've done all they can
Also tells picker to get High Mage Quick Ben, promoted at Tayschrenn’s insistence

Dujek and Paran speak privately

Dujek is to take what's left of his army to reinforce Adjunct Tavore in Seven Cities
Offers Paran to join, which he predicted would reject, and says to go join his fellow Bridgeburners
They give their farewells to each other

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Chapter 25 Scene 43 (Grey Swords Camp, Toc-Anaster & Onos Toolan)

Toc-Anaster finds his cask of ale and a man approaches him

Early 20’s, scarred behind belief, heavy boned, long black hair with no fetishes or braids, soft brown eyes

‘I only sought to look upon you, to see that you were well. This pleases me. I will go, now, brother. Know that I hold you in my memory.’

The man leaves

Shield Anvil Norul approaches Toc-Anaster, but he gallops away with his cask

Kilava Onass waits for her brother, they head for the Barghast range to find blood colored flint to shape a sword and invest sorcery in it to prevent its shattering

The mortal Imass head north

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Chapter 25 Scene 44 (Coral Outskirts Forest, Lady Envy)

Mok wakes up, Lady Envy says Rake has banished them from Black Coral

Mok wants to face the Seventh (Anomander Rake), Lady Envy denies him saying the Tiste Andii would simply obliterate him with sorcery
Lady Envy then takes them to escort them home

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Chapter 25 Scene 45 (North of Coral, Hetan)

The White Face Barghast split up into clans and family bands
Hetan, Cafal, and Humbrall Taur walk together

Hetan spots the siblings Kilava and Tool, believes they're Barghast, and goes to greets them
Heran calls out to the male who names himself Onos Toolan, becomes infatuated, and says he looks like he hasn't had sex in awhile, Tool smiles and replies indeed

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Epilogue Scene 1 (Finnest House, Paran)

Paran barges into the Finnest House with his bag of money

Three weeks have past and Paran decided he's going to live in the Finnest House with Raest
Paran hasn't decided what to do with Rallick Nom or Vorcan still asleep on the threshold
Picker and Blend spent half their money buying K’rul’s Belfry and turning it into a tavern
Paran banters with Raest, who's clearly annoyed, before he leaves

Leaving the Finnest House, Paran gives a handful of silvers to a beggar on the street

The beggar says he needs a partner to retreive a cache of gold in the Tahlyn Mountains
Paran rejects since he doesn't need money and says to not stay there too long as the Hiuse doesn't welcome strangers
The beggars says he knows one House that does and wretchedly coughs
The beggar is Munug

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Epilogue Scene 2 (K'rul's Tavern, Picker)

Picker looked at Duiker, the Imperial Historian holding onto a piece of cloth with his lover’s name written on it

High Alchemist Baruk did everything he could to restore life to his destroyed body

K'rul's Bar was doing horrible

Paran, Spindle, Blend, Antsy, Mallet, Bluepearl, Murillio, Coll, and Kruppe were the only ones present

Baruk entered the bar, Kruppe greets him

Antsy pours Baruk a cup of mulled wine
Picker tries to get them to talk about Coral, none of them want to relieve their heartbreak again
Duiker speaks up and tells them the tale of The Chain of Dogs and Coltaine of the Crow Clan

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House of Chains

Hopefully will make guides for all the books, but currently not working on it

Update: I'm working on it very slowly.

4/7/21 39%

4/18/21 Complete!