The Malazan Fallen discussion

Chapter Eleven discussion thread

Harllo revisits the T’lan Imass in the mine, bringing with him some new legs. Looks like Harllo found the miners tools which were made from the bones of an Emlava. Using Tellan the Imass is able use them to replace his smashed legs. He should get a kick out of that.

Two new guards turn up at the Estate that Torvald Nom is guarding with Scorch and Leff. It turns out that Madrun Badrun and Lazan Door are renegade Seguleh. Studlock turns out to be some psychopath out of One Eye cat. Torvald sneaks inside to warn Lady Verada – but she seems none too concerned. I’m suspicious that Lady Verada might be Vorcan. Her name starts with V – that’s pretty thin, but I found this comment from her interesting

‘Captain, I understand you are estranged from House Nom. That is unfortunate. I always advise that such past errors be mended whenever possible. Reconciliation is essential to well-being...’
... Loyalty was ever the foremost trait of the family Nom....’

Rallick Nom saved Vorcan out of loyalty...so maybe.


Torvald is in the bad books with his wife for breaking his promise of having nothing to do with Scorch and Leff – even though this latest endeavor is totally above board...if it is.

Also, Madrun and Lazan Door have been buried in an Earthquake which I assume is the one Caladan Brood set off with his hammer in MOI

‘Well, you two took your time!’
Madrun snorted. ‘You try digging your way out of a collapsed mountain, Studious. Damned earthquake came from nowhere—’
‘Not quite,’ said Studlock. ‘A certain hammer was involved.

A mob sent by the Blacksmith’s guild come to take Barathol out of business. Fortunately, Barathol has a Cusser which convinces the mob to back off

He faced the woman and her mob, saw a few expressions drain of blood, and was pleased. ‘Yes, a Moranth grenado. Cusser, the Malazans call this one. Threaten me or my companion here, and I will be delighted to commit suicide...’


Meanwhile, 3 dozen killers from the Assassins guild show up to take down the Malazan’s at K’rul’s bar.

...three dozen figures gathering on a rooftop. Exchanging hand signals and muttering instructions and advice. Checking weapons. Three dozen, for the targets were tough, mean veterans with foreign ways. And the assault to come, well, it would be brutal, unsubtle, and, without doubt, thorough.

One badass fight scene ensues with crossbows firing, blades flashing, and moranth munitions blowing things to hell. The assassins get wiped out – but Mallet and Bluepearl get killed. The Malazan are now without their medic and their WMD. But they are still Malazan marines and they still have explosives

‘Some of us are still breathing,’ Blend said. ‘It’s not good to do that. Leave some marines still breathing.’
‘No, it’s not good at all.’

Barathal and Chaur turned up to help. Chaur might not be so bright, but he’s a tank in a fight.

I also think it's possible Verada is Vorcan. If she isn't, then at this point I doubt she's anyone we've heard of. Studious Lock supports my One Eye Cat-weird names theory.

Not only are some of the Malazans still alive, but the others are presumably full ascendants now. I think Humble Measure will get more than he bargained for.

Silvio wrote: "Not only are some of the Malazans still alive, but the others are presumably full ascendants now. I think Humble Measure will get more than he bargained for. "

Good point!

Now I am confused. I had to go back and edit my post in Chapter ten in case it was a spoiler. Doesn't Harllo visit the Imass with the leg bones in chapter 10 and he tells Harllo he will come visiting. The same with Lazan Door, i thought he arrived last chapter, maybe my kindle is skipping pages when i switch between the phone app and the actual kindle.

Ha Ha! No wonder you thought Ch10 was so long - you missed the chapter break!

Must have, because I still havent found the end of chapter ten yet.

So is skipped ahead and the end of chapter ten for me is where the assasins are attacking K'Rul's bar.

No - that's ch11. Ch10 ends where Rake sends Crone to summon Endest back home.

Well that is going to be confusing. No wonder I feel this chapter is massive. My chapter 11 starts with (i'd better spoiler tag this because it might be actually chapter 12) (view spoiler)[ Rake, Endist, Ruin and Brood all getting together (hide spoiler)]

Oh. That's past ch 12. Your book must be all messed up

Am I supposed to know about One-Eyed Cat? If so I can't remember at all, have we met these characters before?

I think this chapter confirms that Varada is Vorcan, not Spite.

Love how as Mallet dies he whispers to Whiskeyjack that he'll see him soon.

Lee - how confusing!

I don't think we have heard of One Eye Cat(unless in passing) or these characters before now

Doesn't matter how often I read this. I still can't link Lazan Door and Madrun as Seguleh, it just goes against every way, shape and form we already know about them. I know they are renegade and they could have changed over the years of being in Old Cat, but, sheesh! That is some change. TO me they seem more like Mott than Seguleh.

Humble Measure was raised in One Eye Cat and we heard a little about it when he was introduced. It might have been mentioned in GotM in recapping the Genabackan campaign; anyway, I remember seeing it on the GotM map. As far as I know we haven't heard of these characters before. On the TtH 7 thread I guessed, based on the name style that Precious Thimble and Sweetest Sufferance, who are Trygalle shareholders, might also be from One Eye Cat. So far we don't know if I was right.

Lee wrote: "Doesn't matter how often I read this. I still can't link Lazan Door and Madrun as Seguleh, it just goes against every way, shape and form we already know about them."
Right. This is confusing me. I thought the Segulah were drab and wore masks, not colorful and gay. But then, I am picturing them from when the three Segulah were traveling with Toc and the female god, where Toc ended up after he disappeared in the desert. Wasn't there a female ascendant/god traveling with them? Could that be who is in the estate?

Anyway, I am upset, upset, upset. My Malazans, there are so few of them left! And,when will Dukier be as awesome as he used to be? I hope Mallet and Bluepearl are included in that ascension spell.

Right now, I am picturing Harllo walking around with a Tellam Imass to protect him. How awesome would that be for such a kid that can't seem to catch a break?

Wasn't there a female ascendant/god traveling with them? That was Lady Envy that was traveling with the three Segulah. So far all the guessing is that the new estate owner is Vorcan. But you are right, they were plain tunics and plain masks with a marking dependent on their rank. If you look htem in the eye it means you want to challenge and the higher ranked ones hardly speak to foreigners because they leave that to the lower ranks. We met another one at Letherii, she was supposedly was there to fight Rhulad, she gave Karsa a run for his money, but was bested. All that we have seen so far sounds nothing like these two just met.

I hope Mallet and Bluepearl are included in that ascension spell. I have always thought that the answer to that is yes they do. I think the smile on Mallets face shows that Whiskyjack was waiting for him.

LOL, yes, there may be some nervous people if Harllo pops up with a Imass as a bodyguard. Of course it has got to get out of the mineshaft first. GIven that it was part of the ritual I don't know why it hadn't already collapse into dust and appeared already. Unless of course it has to do with the rock it is trapped in.

Rallick Nom saved Vorcan out of loyalty...so maybe

May be this is true but I am still not sure she is vorcan because, as we were told by raest she is a demon so she should be more than sufficient to take care of herself but out of the blue she is hiring a mummy aka studious, and two renegade seguleh which are totally opposite we have so far encountered in the book.But they not having masks is a give away because this now a rule of thumb in malazan when we hear cold we think jaghut, when we hear blue we think napan, when we hear crimson we think about the guard and so when we have a mask it has to be seguleh.

Also, Madrun and Lazan Door have been buried in an Earthquake which I assume is the one Caladan Brood set off with his hammer in MOI

Well I did not remember any seguleh which were following brood and his army from MOI.Also they mention a fist, so were they assigned to kill dujek?.

A mob sent by the Blacksmith’s guild come to take Barathol out of business. Fortunately, Barathol has a Cusser which convinces the mob to back off

Well the people in the mob do not have that much knowledge of moranth alchemy i guess because the cusser was empty as it was the thirteenth cusser and as is moranth tradition to have a empty thirteenth cusser.

Meanwhile, 3 dozen killers from the Assassins guild show up to take down the Malazan’s at K’rul’s bar.

Well this all started at the tenth bell and crone mentioned to rake about the tenth bell in the last chapter, so i am thinking this tenth bell is connected some where.Also the fight scenes were really awesome, also blue pearl spitting snakes was another thing which i loved, another thing which I loved in this chapter was how the pov switched from malazans to cutter who seems so in obvious to what is happening, the scene is picturised in my mind was from the movie Bone colletor where the guy kidnaps and this can be seen from denzel washington's room where he is sitting crippled on his bed thinking about that guy.

Also kruppe telling baruk that the gate stirs?? so which is that gate is it kurald galain?, also how easily krupe infiltrates brauk's defenses.Also who is responsible for the price rise of bread i think it is lady challice's husband who is responsible.

GIven that it was part of the ritual I don't know why it hadn't already collapse into dust and appeared already. Unless of course it has to do with the rock it is trapped in.

I think when this guy's position is same as onrack when we first met him, he is too damaged to tap into his tellanan ritual and turn into a dust and go wherever he wants.

Good observations Sumant! I missed that the Assassin attack was at the tenth bell.

I missed Crones reference to the tenth bell. Good catch.
Kruppes knowledge and skills continue to show that he is a major player.
Keep looking out for those clues as to the new Lady is.

Me too!

I also wondered whether Lady Envy might be Lady Varada, but I doubt it. Disguises don't seem like her style. Remember how she approached the Pannions - not much subtlety or caution there.

My reconstruction of these Seguleh's most recent history from what's been said is that the One Eyed Cat people hired them to assassinate their imperial military governor. They were chasing him underground when Brood used his hammer and the mountain fell in. The Seguleh survived; I assume the Fist didn't.

The foreshadowy part at the end of the Harllo section makes it sound like a T'lan Imass bodyguard might not turn out so well. Sumant, I think your idea about why Dev'ad Tol hadn't escaped makes sense.

Silvio wrote: "I also wondered whether Lady Envy might be Lady Varada, but I doubt it. Disguises don't seem like her style. Remember how she approached the Pannions - not much subtlety or caution there."

True. She was pretty badarse there. So, back to Vorcan, now that my hopes for Harllo has been dashed.

Man I really want to know what the hell is going on with Lady Verada. David's theory seems like a good one.

Of course he already knows the truth..so his "grasping at clues" could be unduly influenced.. ^_^

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Poor Mallet. I didn't have much of an opinion of Bluepearl though (his snake spitting thing was pretty awesome however!).

I hope they'll be back as ascendants soon. We've seen Hedge, but no one else really so far. I want ghost Whiskeyjack damnit!

Rob wrote: "Of course he already knows the truth..so his "grasping at clues" could be unduly influenced.. ^_^"

But I've forgotten :(

I still have high hopes for Harllo! Kruppe will get involved!

Which is why I haven't said much on the topic, because I haven't forgotten. I read the last three in the series not that long ago.

It's been much longer for me, I don't remember a thing, while I read it I'm thinking, oh yeah, that's right, I remember Harllo, and oh yeah, he meets up with that T'Lan Imass, but it's all so pleasantly surprising with the tension of not knowing what happens. Except the major plot points and magic system, so the read is enjoyable and I've got the deeper comprehension. It's almost like this book requires a reread.

Something I forgot to mention that I don't think has been brought up yet. It appears that Fisher dispatched a few of the assassins by himself.

Curious.

Rob wrote: "Something I forgot to mention that I don't think has been brought up yet. It appears that Fisher dispatched a few of the assassins by himself.

Curious."

Yes he did.

We have no proof. Just strong evidence from the pile of bodies by the stage,

Besides, it was an observation not a question.

Killing Mallet was rough. So we are down to 5 Bridgeburners, 6 if Kalam rejoins the fray at some point. I've had the bad feeling they all going down at some point in the series. Still blaming himself for Whiskey's knee and smiling as he thought kick the door open was sad.

I had Varada as Vorcan as well. My second through was Queen of Dreams where she seemed to be hidden. I hadn't considered Envy.