The Malazan Fallen discussion

Mark these three, they are all that give shape, all that lie beneath the surface of the world, these three, they are the bones of history. Sister of Cold Nights! Betrayal greets your dawn! You chose to trust the knife, even as it found your heart. Draconus, Blood of Tiam! Darkness was made to embrace your soul, and these chains that now hold you, they are of your own fashioning. K'rul, yours was the path the Sleeping Goddess chose, a thousand and more years ago, and she sleeps still, even as you awaken – the time has come, Ancient One, to once more walk among the mortals, and make of your grief, the sweetest gift.
Anomandaris
Fisher Kel Tath

And we meet Buke, the caravan guard with a death wish, intent on going down in a blaze of glory for whatever worthy cause to atone for his being drunk while his wife burned.
He has set his sights on the Necromancers Bauchelain and Korbal Broach. He is convinced that Korbal Broach is responsible for a string of unsolved murders in Darujhistan.

Quick Ben consults a witch in Pale to try and find a solution to the infection or curse that is assailing Burn and we learn a couple of things

‘It’s said the earth shakes and molten rock pours out like blood when Burn stirs towards wakefulness.’
‘So it is said.’
‘And that destruction would be visited upon all life were she to awaken.’
‘So it is said.’

So waking Burn up would be very bad

‘She was the egg within the dung. Hatched long ago. Her mind rides the hidden rivers beneath our feet. She is the pain of existence.

‘Why does Burn sleep?’
‘She sleeps ... to dream.’

What does she dream? Existence? I can't remember this part.


And Check out Spindle. A mage who wears his mothers hair as a shirt. And never washes it. And it stinks like it too.

‘Wash it? Mother never washed her hair when she was alive – why should I start now? It’ll lose its lustre—’
‘Lustre? Oh, you mean fifty years of sweat and rancid lard—’


We also learn that their was an unofficial order to kill every noble born child under marrying age. Tavore couldn't be seen to be showing favouritism when it came to Felisin

‘Even as the new Adjunct, Tavore’s powers were limited. She could not be seen to reveal any particular . . . favouritism – or so I choose to read her intentions...’

Paran still sees it as ambition before family.

Paran closed his eyes. Adjunct Tavore. Well, sister, you knew your own ambition. ‘Felisin?’
‘The Otataral Mines, Captain. Not a life sentence, you can be sure of that. Once the fires cool in Unta, she will no doubt be quietly retrieved—’
‘Only if Tavore judges it to be without risk to her reputation—’


And Paran and Silverfox eventually meet up

Through this we learn something of the Azath, Houses/Holds, and the Deck of Dragons. They are all linked.

My belief – Tattersail’s belief – is that each card is a gate into a warren...

Long ago, among the Elder races, a Hold was synonymous with a House in its meaning and common usage, and indeed, synonymous with Warren.

‘You believe the Houses of the Azath and the Houses of the Deck are one and the same.’
‘Yes. Or linked, somehow.

So each of the Azath houses correspond to a house in the Deck of Dragons - and the Deck itself is a kind of gateway into the warrens and there are more decks as well

So Finnest House corresponds to the Ice warren of The jaghut. Tremorlor represents High House Life. Deadhouse is High House Death.


‘Think of the word “Finnest”. Its meaning, as the T’lan Imass know it, is “Hold of Ice”. Long ago, among the Elder races, a Hold was synonymous with a House in its meaning and common usage, and indeed, synonymous with Warren. Where resides a Jaghut’s wellspring of power? In a Finnest.’ She paused again, searching Paran’s eyes. ‘Tremorlor is Trellish for “House of Life”.’
Firmest . . . as in Firmest House, in Darujhistan ... a House of the Azath.


Paran then asks

‘Wait! Kellanved and Dancer went into Deadhouse – why didn’t they take that aspect – the aspect of the House of Death?’

‘I’ve thought about that myself, and have arrived at one possibility. The realm of Death was already occupied, Paran. The King of High House Death is Hood. I believe now that each Azath is home to every gate, a way into every warren. Gain entry to the House, and you may ... choose. Kellanved and Dancer found an empty House, an empty throne, and upon taking their places as Shadow’s rulers, the House of Shadow appeared, and became part of the Deck of Dragons. Do you see?’

And now there is a new card in the deck.

‘Paran, something has happened – to the Deck of Dragons. A new card has arrived. Unaligned, yet, I think, dominant. The Deck has never possessed a ... master.’ She faced him. ‘I now believe it has one. You.’

Paran Ganoes is now master of the Deck. In passing through Dragnipur he became special

‘Jen’isand Rul.’
‘It translates as “the Wanderer within the Sword”. It means, she says, that you have done something no other creature has ever done – mortal or ascendant – and that something has set you apart.


Set apart by who?

My hand was guided in fashioning the card that is you—’
‘What card?’
She did not answer, continued as if she had not heard him. ‘Was it the Azath that guided me? Or some other unknown force? I do not know. Jen’isand Rul, the Wanderer within the Sword.’ She met his eyes. ‘You are a new Unaligned, Ganoes Paran. Birthed by accident or by some purpose the need of which only the Azath know. You must find the answer for your own creation, you must find the purpose behind what you have become.’

Anyway, we know who created the new image on Fiddler and Hedges "cheat" table. Imagine the hide of the Malazan marines. Stealing a card table from Caladan Brood's tent, while he is still in it. That takes some stones. Fener's hairy balls!

Some hairy balls, and it backfired on them!

Maggie wrote: "Some hairy balls, and it backfired on them!"

Spindle's "cone of silence" spell must have contained his smell as well?

Did the witch call Ben by another name as he was leaving/giving her a bead? Or was that him talking to the witch?

I don't have my book handy to copy the quote.

Wait, who painted the underside of the table? Silverfox?

And how did I miss Brood was there when they took the table? Sigh. I need to read more closely.

And where is everyone? Has all the participation puttered out on the third book?

I think everybody's busy eating Easter eggs and chillaxing or away on Easter Holiday.


Rob wrote: "Did the witch call Ben by another name as he was leaving/giving her a bead? Or was that him talking to the witch?

I don't have my book handy to copy the quote."

Ben Adaephon Delat is Quick Ben's real name. It gets mentioned a few times in Gardens of the Moon. Quick Ben is a lot...quicker to say. When he's talking to the demon Pearl in the first book

'What is your name, Wizard?'
He hesitated, then said, 'Ben Adaephon Delat.'
'You are supposed to be dead,' Pearl said. 'Your name is so marked on the scrolls of those High Mages who fell to the Empire in Seven Cities.'

Shadowthrone/Kellanved recognises him at the end of their first meeting

'It is you! Delat! You shape-shifting bastard!'


Rob wrote: "Wait, who painted the underside of the table? Silverfox?

And how did I miss Brood was there when they took the table? Sigh. I need to read more closely."

It's a little cryptic but

‘Nonsense, Tatter— Silverfox. Not me. You are wrong. You must be—’
‘I am not. My hand was guided in fashioning the card that is you—’
‘What card?’

I take it that "the card" is the table which itself has a Deck of Dragons embedded between its two layers. The Marines were using it to cheat. A person with a bit of "talent" for reading would feel a reaction when playing with a real Deck of Dragons on top - reacting somehow with the embedded deck. The new "card" painted on messed up the "tensions" and the Bridgeburner card cheats ending up doing their own backsides. So they intend to "fix" the problem by copying the "new" card.


So we know why they were desperate to get get their hands on the table - Fiddler and Hedge made the table while fighting the Mott Irregulars in Mott's Wood. It fell into enemy hands who then donated it to Brood as furniture. We learn all that in the previous chapter - but we don't learn it's "special" money spinning purpose till this chapter.
So the Bridgeburners are keen enough to brave Brood's tent

Picker gave him a nod and the mage, wrapped in his foul-smelling hairshirt with its equally foul hood thrown over his head, turned to face the tied-down entrance flap. He made a series of hand gestures, paused, then spat at the canvas. There was no sound as the spit struck the flap. He swung a grin to Picker, then bowed before the entrance in invitation.
Hedge nudged the corporal and rolled his eyes.
There were two rooms within, she knew, and the warlord was sleeping in the back one.

Sorry Rob. Been away. I'm looking to jump back in on this week's chapters. I don't know about you but I find it hard to comment on and ask questions on a chapter when I've read ahead into future chapters unless I take copious notes and my notes from last week were anything but.

Yeah. No worries. Just a bit surprised at the lack of discussion.

The few times I've read ahead, I've had to skim over the chapters to be able to comment without spoilers.

I'll probably be reading ahead next week then taking a break to read The Wise Man's Fear

The poem at the start: "K'rul, yours was the path the Sleeping Goddess chose, a thousand and more years ago, and she sleeps still, even as you awaken – the time has come, Ancient One, to once more walk among the mortals, and make of your grief, the sweetest gift."
I hope that means we're going to see K'rul a bit more!
Not yet this chapter though...

Knowing what we know from Deadhouse Gates it was a bit painful to see Paran thinking that "Tavore will take care of Felisin"
She did take care, but probably not the way he's thinking about it.

Loved the part where the Bridgeburners are stealing their table back! Those guys are amazing :)

I hope we'll learn more about K'rul too, and Elder Gods and Goddesses in general, and how they are different from the younger deities.

Closer to home, I bet we haven't seen the last of the oldest witch of Tennes. It can't be a small accomplishment to tell Ben Adaephon Delat something he doesn't know! I'm mildly surprised myself that the Malazan world has plate tectonics.

Tennes is Caladan Brood's warren too, according to Crone in chapter 3, though I'm sure he was using D'riss magic in Gardens of the Moon. I guess I wouldn't put it past him to have multiple warrens. In any case, both are associated with the earth, so I expect he'll have something to do with Burn eventually.

I wonder who the witch Quick Ben was meeting with is? I bet she'll appear again.

And what, is Paran now part of the deck?! Poor fella, it doesn't get any easier for him.

Kat wrote: "And what, is Paran now part of the deck?! Poor fella, it doesn't get any easier for him."

He's the master of the deck. What that means becomes more clear as the book goes on. I think that also makes him part of it, but he's special.

Master, part of... doesn't make a difference to me yet, but I'm sure I will discover more as I move along. It's an interesting turn of events though!

Kat wrote: "Master, part of... doesn't make a difference to me yet, but I'm sure I will discover more as I move along. It's an interesting turn of events though!"

Yeah, it will get less confusing after a while. From GotM we know that the Deck is not only a passive tool for readings, the gods can actively meddle through it.
Imagine what someone might do, who's the master of that?

He is the puppeteer. I imagine he can steer those that are part of the deck, which makes him very powerful.

So each of the Azath houses correspond to a house in the Deck of Dragons - and the Deck itself is a kind of gateway into the warrens and there are more decks as well

So Finnest House corresponds to the Ice warren of The jaghut. Tremorlor represents High House Life. Deadhouse is High House Death

Finnest is in daru, Tremolor was in rakaru, deadhouse was in unta correct ?.Also why do we need some guardian for the house ?

Where resides a Jaghut’s wellspring of power? In a Finnest

So it means that finnest controls the jaghut warren so in turn it controls the power of jaghut.So by this assumption each azath is a controller of a warren.

‘I’ve thought about that myself, and have arrived at one possibility. The realm of Death was already occupied, Paran. The King of High House Death is Hood. I believe now that each Azath is home to every gate, a way into every warren. Gain entry to the House, and you may ... choose. Kellanved and Dancer found an empty House, an empty throne, and upon taking their places as Shadow’s rulers, the House of Shadow appeared, and became part of the Deck of Dragons. Do you see?’

So which azath controls the house of shadows ?

Sumant wrote: "So it means that finnest controls the jaghut warren so in turn it controls the power of jaghut.So by this assumption each azath is a controller of a warren."

I'm not sure it means they control a particular warren or even that each warren must have one. But I think each Azath house is aspected to a particular warren - and I don't think we've seen one aspected to Shadow as yet

I'm not sure it means they control a particular warren or even that each warren must have one. But I think each Azath house is aspected to a particular warren - and I don't think we've seen one aspected to Shadow as yet

So this means that whenever you ascend from a azath, the azath shows you different paths i.e the houses of azath and from that you choose which one you want.Also each azath is aspected to warren.Also what azath does is control the power as was mentioned in DG so that when that power starts spinning out of control it can trap that power.

The Azath will try and lock down any creature or manifestation of magic that it deems to be potentially dangerous to life. Also, in DG the Azath House Tremorlor is acting as an anchor for the shattered warren around Raraku - stopping it from wandering loose. And we also learn that Icarium damaging an Azath in the process of trying to free Gothos also damaged a warren - as well as his mind/memories.
So yeah - the Azath are linked to the warrens but we are getting a lot of speculation as to HOW they are related.

I am really loving memories of ice :)

Sumant wrote: "Finnest is in daru, Tremolor was in rakaru, deadhouse was in unta correct ?"

The Deadhouse was in Malaz City. But yeah, each House does seem to have its own Azath, and I'm as curious as anyone to find out whether that includes Shadow.

I totally missed that a Deck of Dragons was in the table Hedge and the others stole back from Brood. So somehow the cards in the table correspond to the deck they play with and that's how they cheat? And Paran being a card in the deck now messed it all up?

Now that Paran is master of the deck, I wonder what the remifcations will be.

Dara wrote: "So somehow the cards in the table correspond to the deck they play with and that's how they cheat? And Paran being a card in the deck now messed it all up?"

Yes :) - The deck in the table creates a resonance in the deck of cards that those sensitive to the deck can use to cheat. Paran being in the table but not in the deck messes things up for the cheat.

Ah cool. I'm gonna imagine them like magical magnets.