The Malazan Fallen discussion

He rises bloodless from dust,
with dead eyes that are pits
twin reaches to eternal pain.
He is the lodestone
to the gathering clan,
made anew and dream-racked.
The standard a rotted hide,
the throne a bone cage, the king
a ghost from dark fields of battle.
And now the horn moans
on this grey clad dawn
drawing the disparate host
To war, to war,
and the charging frenzy
of unbidden memories of ice.

Lay of the First Sword
Irig Thann Delusa (b. 1091)

You wish me to strike heroic poses against the sunset, Lady Envy?

You have just got to like Toc the Younger.

Oh how I love Lady Envy and her mute entourage!

Tool's sword can cut through any ward

His stone sword alone is invested to an appalling degree – it cannot be broken, not even chipped, and it will cut through wards effortlessly. No warren can defend against it. I would not wager on any blade against it when in Tool’s hands. And the creature himself. He is a champion of sorts, isn’t he? Among the T’lan Imass, Tool is something unique.

There was a gathering of Ascendants including Rake that Chained the Fallen One

Anomander Rake and Lady Envy remained companions. It is said they parted – argumentatively – in the days before the ascendants gathered to chain the Fallen One. Rake joined in that effort. The lady did not.

In book one we have this quote

The Crippled God bred caution but not well enough, for the powers of the earth came to it in the end. Chained was the Crippled God, and so Chained was it destroyed. And upon this barren plain that imprisoned the Crippled God many gathered to the deed.

And the crippled God was chained to Burn's flesh

There, at the wound’s heart, a humped, kneeling, broken figure. Chained. Chained to Burn’s own flesh. From the figure, down the length of the chains, poison flowed into the Sleeping Goddess.

And is now pouring poison into her warren and through that warren into all the warrens

‘And if she dies?’
He shook his head. ‘I do not know. Her warren dies, surely, that at the least, even as it becomes the Crippled God’s pathway into every other warren ... then they all die.’
‘And with that, all sorcery.’
The warlord nodded, then drew a deep breath and straightened. ‘Would that be so bad a thing, do you think?’
Rake snorted. ‘You assume the destruction would end with that.


The Goddess Burn foreseeing the corruption of her body chose to sleep to escape that body and transfer her Essence into a single weapon, Caladan Broods Hammer - designed to break the Crippled God's chains from her body so she can heal.

Less than two thousand years ago, she chose to sleep. She sought to escape the prison of her own flesh, in order to do battle with the one who was killing that flesh. She – oh gods above and below! She made of herself a weapon! Her entire spirit, all its power, into a single forging ... a hammer, a hammer capable of breaking . . . breaking anything. And Burn then found a man to wield it...
Caladan Brood.

Caladan Brood however is delaying using that weapon. The problem is that breaking the Crippled God free would unleash a twisted vengeful god capable of destroying all life. Burn is actually ambivalent to that end - she's fine to just start again. Caladan Brood is not so keen on ending all life. Yet he can only delay the inevitable. If burn dies, all the warrens die and the crippled god is free anyway.

I know you now, Warlord. Not that I’ll reveal your dark secret – what would be the point in that? The choice is yours and yours alone. Kill us all, or the goddess you serve. Brood, I do not envy the curse of your privilege to choose. Oh, I do not, you poor bastard. Still, what is the price of a broken vow?

And Rake and Brood surmise that the Pannion Dommin threat is related to the crippled God somehow

‘This strides too close a path to the Crippled God for it to be accidental, Rake. The Chained One’s poison is that of Chaos, after all.’


And Raust tell Paran

The Jaghut bared his tusks. ‘A war has begun.’
Paran fought back a sudden shiver. ‘A war? Involving the Houses of the Azath?’
‘No entity will be spared, mortal. Not the Houses, not the gods. Not you, human, nor a single one of your short-lived, insignificant comrades.’
Paran grimaced. ‘I’ve enough wars to deal with as it is, Raest.’
‘They are all one.’

Dont you just love how Envy bosses them about.
Idle hands just won't do. Mok, you shall assemble the hide bath-tub. Set it on that hill over there.

To a third Warrior no less. One of the most feared fighters in the world, only two other warriors best him and he is making a bath for Envy.

What about Senu. He is only 14 and Tool says


'The young one who challenged me – Senu – was . . . good. Had I not anticipated him, had I not prevented him from fully drawing his swords, our duel might well have been a long one.
'Toc scowled. 'How could you tell how good he was when he didn't even get his swords clear of their scabbards?'
'He parried my attacks with them none the less.'
Toc's lone eye slowly widened. 'He parried you with half-drawn blades?'

A 14 year old up against someone who is 114,000 years old, has an unbreakable weapon and is full of sorcery.

We are beginning to learn just how good the Seguleh are.

And Paran is revealed as Master of the Deck and spirit travels to the Azath House in Darujhistan where he meets Raest - who appears somewhat content in his imprisonment. He also sees Rallick Nom and Vorcan lying in stasis on the floor. Raust could heal them but just couldn't be bothered

‘All very well, but can’t you awaken them?’
‘I have not tried.’
‘Why not?’
The Jaghut paused, glanced back up at the captain. ‘There has been no need.’

Paran learns that sa Master of the Deck he can travel freely at will anywhere.

I can travel at will, it seems. Into each and every card, of every Deck that ever existed. Amidst the surge of wonder and excitement he felt ran an undercurrent of terror. The Deck possessed a host of unpleasant places.

Paran also visits the Beast Hold, which we learn was the T'lan Imass' warren before they undertook the ritual that immortalised them. Paran also learn that the Tellan warren was born from that ritual

What then, is the Warren of Tellann that the T’lan Imass now use? Ah, that warren must have been born from the Ritual itself, a physical manifestation of their Vow of Immortality, perhaps. Aspected, not of life, nor even death. Aspected . . . of dust.

Good old Kruppe turns up and somehow ends up chairing the meeting of all the commanders. He also manages to grab the contract to supply the army right from under the noses of the Darujhistan Council.

And Rake turns up and Kallor immediately tries to get him to kill Silverfox - he almost succeeds until Kruppe ends up being dragged into the air by the table marking Paran as Master of the Deck and cool heads prevail.


So much in this chapter I could write all day...but it's Easter.

Lee wrote: "To a third Warrior no less. One of the most feared fighters in the world, only two other warriors best him and he is making a bath for Envy.

What about Senu. He is only 14"

And we also learn that Rake inadvertently stumbled onto this race and accidentally managed to become seventh! Rake doesn't look away. And they are still waiting for "Blacksword" to come claim his title

‘Rake said the last swordsman he faced wore a mask with seven symbols.’
Mok tilted his head. ‘That mask still awaits him. Blacksword holds the Seventh position. Mistress, we would have him claim it.’

and Lady Envy informs them

She turned on him, arms folded. ‘Oh, really! Do you know where that score of Seguleh souls ended up when he killed them ... including the Seventh? Chained within the sword Dragnipur, that’s where. For eternity. Do you truly wish to join them, Mok?’

Haven't got to that yet, but reading that last bit, I can completely see Envy standing there with her hands on her hips saying that to Mok.

We also learn, I think in this chapter, that Rake's sword acts as a kind of bandage on an elder warren. It needs lots of souls to keep its rift healed. From what I can tell, this is similar to the use of a soul to patch up a warren that we saw in the prologue. But while the tear in the Jaghut warren could get patched with a single soul, this one needs all the souls that Rake will feed to it through Dragnipur.

On top of that, somehow the business with Paran and the hounds of shadow may have disturbed the delicate balance that holds this warren together. Nothing was ever supposed to leave this warren and where the hounds and/or Paran got through, there may be an unpatched rift of some sort.

@Duffy - good observation from the last chapter. And how would Rake react if he discovered Dragnipur had spring a leak? With two hounds of Shadow escaped? And Paran having entered and exited without being trapped?

Crone halted, teetered a moment, wings half spreading. She cocked her head, whispered, 'A dog?'
'Only so that I might ruffle you behind the ears, my dear!'
'Ruffle? Ruffle!'
'Very well, not a dog, then. A parrot?'
'A parrot!'
'Perfect!'
'Enough!' Brood roared. 'All of you, follow me!' He whirled and stomped towards the Tiste Andii encampment

LMAO only kruppe could pull that off.

And anyone remember Crone disguising herself as a dog when she visited Baruk? Even got herself a scratch on the ear.

Ruffle? Ruffle!

David Sven wrote: "And anyone remember Crone disguising herself as a dog when she visited Baruk? Even got herself a scratch on the ear."

Now that you mention it, of course I do remember, and it's pretty obviously not a co-incidence. What amazes me, is that you would remember this stuff without prompting. It's beyond me, and this sort of observation makes me wonder how many fun details I'm missing, even on re-reading.

@Duffy - I'm just making up for the oblivion I was in the first time. We'll just have to reread it again to catch more stuff

David Sven wrote: "And anyone remember Crone disguising herself as a dog when she visited Baruk? Even got herself a scratch on the ear."

Ha! Forgot about that!

Crone is a real character, in all senses of the word. Love her.

Envy is, as always, a real mystery. I'm wondering what her true motives are here, she doesn't strike me as a woman who does thing without reason. (view spoiler)[ Comparing her to how the sisters (Malice!) started out in FoD. UGH! UGH! All civilized now. (hide spoiler)]

So much info and happenings in this chapter. The table and Ganoes' face on the bottom. What is it about the Parans anyway? Adjunct, the whirlwind goddess, and Master of the Deck. I'm really feeling for Ganoes, I like him so much.

Poor Ben! Carrying the world on his shoulders.

Burn is Obelisk, that's how she's listed in the glossary! Everything is about Burn. I missed that TCG is literally chained to her, I missed all these explanations the first read.

@Lori - that's right, Obelisk is burn. And remember all this is happening parallel to the events of the last book. I see the magi of Shadow has shown up in the deck of dragons ie Pust. And I wonder who the Soldier of House Death is.

I was so happy to see Rake show up and loved his entrance. There is so much information to absorb in this chapter.

LOVED this chapter. So much happens. Pretty much all of the highlights have already been mentioned, so I'll just re-iterate a few of my favorites..

Krupe had me laughing so hard at one point, I had to set the book down. That parrot line was awesome, but there were a few other great jokes as well.

Interesting revelations about Paran and Caladan Brood this chapter.

And man those Seguleh are nuts. As Lee said a 14 year old "11th tier" fighter gave probably one of these most bad-ass of the T'lan Imass a descent fight.

Oh and I liked how Rake accidentally ended up on their island and became #7 in the ranks before getting the hell out of dodge. And his coming back to take up his mask is "not a request".

This is shaping up to be my favorite book of the series so far.

It's fun to have all these characters together for a chapter.

So glad Kruppe is back. He cracks me up everytime, he's just too much!
"The round man looked offended. '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."
and then of course a flying Kruppe comes back just in time to prevent too much tension building there...

It's also nice to get a level deeper into the complexity of Burn's sleep. She choose it, they chained the Crippled God to her, but that is now killing her. Fixing her or not? Seems like a choice between hell and hell.

Hanne wrote: " Seems like a choice between hell and hell. "

I certainly wouldn't like to be Caladan Brood.

makes me wonder why they chained him to her though. did they not foresee any poisoning, or was that just the only option?

It sounds like they felt at the time that it was the most secure way to bind him. They didn't envisage him being able to grow his power again and start to poison her. His returning power probably has something to do with all the misery in the world. It is not a happy planet is it?

Hanne I wondered about that too. Did they believe he wasn't that powerful with pieces of his body blown apart? Maybe they didn't know his power? But his pain, anger and misery thru the years seem to have fed his power, and of course thirst for vengeance.

Lee, ii think he's creating much of the pain and misery in the world, he feeds on it and also gains him worshippers which seem to add to a gods power.

But wait, I never got the impression that Burn agreed to have him chained to her, she was already asleep.

Lori wrote: "But wait, I never got the impression that Burn agreed to have him chained to her, she was already asleep. "

She actually went to sleep after the chaining transferring her essence into the Hammer now wielded by Caladan Brood so he could break the chains.

But was she agreeable to the chaining to begin with? Or did she agree but failed to foresee the destruction of all life until she was already chained?

(view spoiler)[ See I remember her practically asleep in FoD, how long do you think the chaining was after that? (hide spoiler)]

Oh and completely missed the Hammer as her weapon and Caladin's horrible task first go round! I've been focusing on Burn this time, and I'm finding so much I missed. I've been following all the Elders more closely.

@Lori - I'm going to have to reread FOD again.

I can't remember (view spoiler)[if burn was asleep or simply beyond normal comprehension or communication. But she's only supposed to have been asleep just over 1000 years or so and FOD is like way way back before then (hide spoiler)]

(view spoiler)[I can't remember who, definitely female, but someone went underground to her sleep chamber and I thought was the last to speak with her, she was already in and out of slumber. I'm too lazy to go look up what year it is in Burn's Sleep, but you say it's only 1,000 years, and yeah FoD took place way before that. (hide spoiler)]

With all the ions of years here, I forget chronology - how long has TCG been chained?

I just never considered her acquiescence to having him chained to her! Now I'm wondering if she did, or if she was already somewhat in a dream fugue and they chained TCG to the earth without considering what would happen. Burn is the biggest mystery!

Perhaps Burn could see the danger as well as K'rul. Perhaps she understood it was only ever going to be a temporary measure and that eventually someone would have to bite the bullet or find a solution? Perhaps she trusted Brood to know when to break the chains when it came to the crunch? Another thing to keep watch for

Yep, definitely.

Prologue from GotM

1154th Year of Burn's Sleep 96th Year of the Malazan Empire. The Last Year of Emperor Kellanved's Reign

@ Lori
(view spoiler)[ Sukul went down into the caves with a Denier, I can't remember his name. Burn was a witch of the Dog Runners and was already asleep. The roots were bleeding in the cave and Sukul somehow healed Burn, but I can't remember how either. This was all 100,000 years ago. Even Hood was just a dude then. So Burn sleeps so we may live and dream, or something like that. I have no idea when the Hammer was fashioned, probably at the chaining. (hide spoiler)]

@Lee - now I'm definitely going to have to read FoD again.

Lee - oh right thanks so much it was driving me crazy!

SO anyone recall when TCG was chained? Was it about 3,000 years?

(view spoiler)[ I loved leaning about Hood's past, just a normal Jaghut but his wife getting murdered by Eras and um, Olar's son, was the path to his ascending Death. Hood in MBotF is very different for me now that I understand his grief.

Also I am curious if the Deniers become The Shake or the Edur... (hide spoiler)]

Lori wrote: "[spoilers removed]

With all the ions of years here, I forget chronology"

Not to be the spelling police, did you mean "eons"?

(view spoiler)[ I am convinced they become the Shake. Burn is the witch of the Dog-Runners and I think the Deniers worship Brun and become the Shake.

If you remember, Scabby Old Bloodeye betrays the Andii by stabbing Silchas Ruin, Scabby was Edur at that stage and had all the characteristics of the Edur, I don't think that the Deniers would change into Edur. I think the Edur come from what ever Mother Dark does next in Kharkanas. (hide spoiler)]

SHADDUP Rob! :) Yes I mean eons....

I'm confused about the chaining of the Crippled God. From the book Kruppe read in Gardens of the Moon 12 - "in the Calling Down to earth the God was Crippled, and so Chained in its place" - I thought the chaining happened at the same time as the fall. But from Tool in this chapter, if I'm not misunderstanding, it sounds like the chaining only happened in the last two millennia before Burn's Sleep. Is it possible to confirm without spoilers whether we're supposed to interpret the chaining and the fall as separate events?

My suspicions that Caladan Brood would come into the problem of Burn's poisoning got confirmed faster than I expected.

I love Tool's toolmaking, another archaeological moment.

I complained about the verse epigraphs not working as poetry, but this one was an exception.

Quite a dense chapter overall.

Silvio wrote: "Is it possible to confirm without spoilers whether we're supposed to interpret the chaining and the fall as separate events?"

Yes. It is implied from what we learn that the fall is a separate event which is why you raised the question. Even in the Prologue when K'rul is off to deal with Kallor, it has been 3 years since the fall of the CG and K'rul is thinking and musing about what the foreign god will become once he pulls himself together. In all that deep surmising there is no mention of any chaining.

So we would have to conclude from this and Tool's and other remarks that the fall and chaining are related but separate events, and the historical note in chapter one was either a summarized/condensed version of events, or inaccurate. Bearing in mind that Erikson likes to put in conflicting POV versions of events including the histories. The reader has to decide who he believes and why.

Also, in the last book we know that Dassem Ultor, Kellanved's High Commander of the Imperial armies is said to have been at the chaining of the crippled god and that Hood took his daughter's life in performing the ritual. All that happened quite recently ie a lot more recently than what Tool is implying.

Contradiction? No. Here's where it might be fun to engage in a bit of brain storming as to how to reconcile a reference to the chaining some thousand years ago, and a reference to the chaining very recently. Hint - time travel/dilution is not involved and that's all I'm going to say for now. All will be made plain as we go - but there is a lot still that can be inferred even at this stage if we trust the text.

Malazan rule - don't believe everything you read, but trust the narrative implicitly. Lol.

As a side note, I know some of us are reading Hobb's Ship of Magic - I think the above rule would be a good example of one of the "Contradictions of Sa"

OH MY GOD! This chapter revealed SO MUCH! I hardly know where to start or pick things up, I'm surprised the lot of you haven't discussed more.

I'm still mindblown about the discoveries I made in this chapter, and will probably need to gather my thoughts, but I see no one has mentioned that Kalam is revealed to be the new Assassin of High House Shadow.

We knew he collaborated, or at least crossed paths with players of the house in Deadhouse Gates. Seems like his being left with the children wasn't the end of that story. To be one of the deck you must ascend, no? So... what will Kalam's future be?

Kat wrote: "So... what will Kalam's future be?"

Same as always. Killing fools, and swimming pools.

I don't think one automatically ascends when becoming part of the Deck, it just means you become an important tool of the god.

The positions in the houses are always shifting. Only a few are really constant.
Mortals can become involved and unknowingly assume a position within a larger plot.

Ah alright. Still interesting!

Kat wrote: "but I see no one has mentioned that Kalam is revealed to be the new Assassin of High House Shadow."

You get full credit then Kat! It's pretty cool isn't it?

Yes! Kalam is moving up!

I am really confused as to who all were there while the chaining of crippled god, how can daseem ultor be there ?