The Malazan Fallen discussion

Discuss Chapter 2 only. Please make liberal use of spoiler tags when discussing other books/series-wide implications.

We are reintroduced to Tulas Shorn. He has that encounter deep in the Earth with the broken T’lan Imass. The Imass asks to be able to face his Jaghut Slayer who is also maybe dead or just sleeping. Tulas obliges, cruelly, letting the Imass see that his destroyer and victim was a child – I think.

We come back to Draconus and Ublala.

We catch up with the Trygalle Trade Guild. Gruntle feels the pull to go help Kilava hold the portal at the Refugium – his lover (in his dreams at least) and Trake’s mother. That’s a little messed up

Do you seek your mistress? There are no jungles east of here, unless they exist on the far coast.’
Gruntle started. ‘Jungles? No. You think too literally, Mappo. I seek a place at her side, to fight a battle. If I am not there, she will indeed die.


Olar Ethil shows up to take charge of Tool’s son, Absi – to secure Tool’s service no doubt. She claims the high moral ground but I don’t trust her

...he is the hope of my people, Mortal Sword. I need him – for my army and for the First Sword who commands them. The child, Absi, shall be their cause, their reason to fight.’

Her argument is that Tool is so consumed with rage that she can’t control him – she needs the boy to give Tool something other than vengeance to fight for.

Baaljaag dies trying to stop her – Gruntle gets a sucker punch in and could probably end her then and there – but Olar points out that everyone able to defend the child are leaving – and without her he’ll have nobody. So Olar ends up taking Absi – the sisters follow along with Setoc and Torrent.

Bottle has survived the battle – dug out of the bodies by Ruthan Gudd and it appears his mind has been kept intact after his wyval possession tricks thanks to Quick Ben

Grandma, someone tied strings to me. With everything coming down all around us, he’d knotted strings. To my Hood-damned rats. Oh, clever bastard, Quick. Clever, clever bastard. All there, all here, I’m all here.


And the big question we wanted answered – Did Quick Ben survive? Yes he has. We catch up with him inside Chaos at the Spar of Andii (where he once had a rendezvous with Hairlock in Gotm). And it looks like he is himself an Andii – a child of Mother Dark - and who was his father? Draconus? Not sure about that one

Ben Adaephon Delat tightened his grip on the horse’s mane. ‘You do your part, Mother. Let Father do his, if he’s of a mind to. But it comes down to us. So stand back. Shield your eyes, because I swear to you, we will blaze!

The whole passage there is rather cryptic and I think we may not get some answers till we start reading the Kharkanas trilogy. At least we should know which answers to look for. But it’s clear to me that he refers to Mother Dark as mother – whether that means his birth mother I’m not sure.

And did anyone else notice Shadowthrone skulking about in the..well...shadows

The presence, breathing darkness, remained in the vast chamber for a time longer. The strewn scatter of coins and baubles glittered on the black stone.
Then came a tapping of a cane upon rock.

So Draconus had no idea about the Ritual of Tellann. I guess he wasn't keeping up on current events inside Dragnipur. But as soon as he figures it out, he makes the connection with Olar Ethil. I wonder what he knows that we don't.

Olar Ethil shows up to take charge of Tool’s son, Absi – to secure Tool’s service no doubt. She claims the high moral ground but I don’t trust her

Here mappo really seems out of character to me because he agrees deal with olar ethil in a flash.Also is bajlagg a name of an ay or all of the ay are called bajlagg because we had a bajlagg in MOI.

Bottle has survived the battle – dug out of the bodies by Ruthan Gudd

This seemed some what unrealistic to me because ruthan gudd was pounded into the ground by nahruk and a i think bottle got buried in ground when a nahruk fell on him.

The whole passage there is rather cryptic

I did not get this passage at all.

Sumant wrote: "This seemed some what unrealistic to me because ruthan gudd was pounded into the ground by nahruk and a i think bottle got buried in ground when a nahruk fell on him."


Ruthan Gudd had the stormrider armour protecting him somewhat - but also he is at least an ascendant - given that he gives himself an even chance of going up against Draconus - and possibly an elder god in disguise.

And Bottle is kept alive possibly by Quick Ben using his string magic to tie Bottle to his rats. When Bottle is returning to consciousness he is pulling all his separate pieces together. Perhaps this was more than his mind - perhaps this was physical as well.

Baaljaag - I'm wondering if this is actually the same Baaljaag from MOI

And I confess I was disappointed with Mappo - but really, Olar Ethil is just good at exposing people's weakness. In this case it's Mappo's love/obsession for his friend Icarium - she promises to point him in the right direction.

Silvio wrote: "So Draconus had no idea about the Ritual of Tellann. I guess he wasn't keeping up on current events inside Dragnipur. But as soon as he figures it out, he makes the connection with Olar Ethil."
Well, maybe in his time before Dragnipur, she was the only mage able to use Telann? He knows Imass, mortal Imass I suppose, so hearing T'lan Imass told him that somebody with power of Telann - Olar Ethil, used that power to mortal Imass and created immortal undead.


It was really funny, Olar Ethir so sure about overpowering Gruntle, and he just punched her in middle of veering :D


I wonder if there is bigger connection between Olar Ethil's intention of Absi like banner for the Onos Toolan and his army, and Gruntle's banner from child's tunic in Capustan?


I am starting to think QB has knotted strings to everyone important. Even himself, apparently?


QB is alive and talking to Mother night about her and Father Light, Anomander and Nimander. And there is Shadowthrone, watching his favorite high priest, I guess.

Johny wrote: "Well, maybe in his time before Dragnipur, she was the only mage able to use Telann?"

Yes - it was revealed last book that the ritual of Tellan is Olar's ritual.

At least part of QB is Tistii Andi, and the odds are that that part's father is Draconus (but maybe Osserc?). But when he refers to "us" in this passage, I think he's talking about mortals, so he identifies more with mortals than with his godly parents. Also, this parentage, and the strong hints of his being Soletaken make sense of Shadowthrone calling him a "shapeshifting bastard." I take it that the cane tapping was Shadowthrone, but I missed that when I read the passage.

Duffy wrote: "I take it that the cane tapping was Shadowthrone, but I missed that when I read the passage. "

It was last sentence in that section of chapter I think.

Wow.

Olar Ethil mentioning Amby Bole

The Jhag Bolead spawn is broken inside

So that could explain where their powers came from. Also why the Bridgeburners had a hard time of it in Black Swamp. Jhag Spawn.

Yay! Quick Ben's in this book, I don't have to rage quit! However I only understood that he was alive, and not human and that's about it. I must have re-read that final scene like 3 times.

I'm not sure how we're able to determine QB is a Tiste Andii from that passage, but I'll just take your guys' word on it. This is the final book, does he really have to be so cryptic still?

Also pretty happy Bottle's alive, but his death I could have dealt with. I'm just happy for more QB. Now he needs to go collect Kalam and they need to kick ass...

We're saying he's Tiste Andii because he calls the god of darkness Mother, which is what the Tiste also call her. And from the passage, its pretty clear that he means it literally.

You didn't think a little thing like a lightning strike powerful enough to create a city sized crater would be able to kill QB, did you?

I hoped not..

I think maybe one of his souls is Tiste Andii, not directly him, if you know what I mean.

I can't wait find out who is Ben's father! Is it Darth Vadar?

I'll be here all day.

I don't think it's Draonus, I agree Ben is including himself with human race.

I thought Ruthan was an Elder? There was a reference wasn't there? He use the stormrider past as a cover.

Yeah it's sad that Mappo had a Sophie's Choice.

I thought Ruthan was an Elder? There was a reference wasn't there? He use the stormrider past as a cover.

Yes, but you will learn more in next few chapters.

Oh goodie!

After losing so many like Whiskey, Toc, Rake, Beak........I was so happy to see Quick and Bottle. QB calling out Mother Dark......

I'm fairly sure Draconus that bitch reference is Nightchill as part of Silverfox.

The scene with Olar Ethil was maddening. Only the wolf and the person with nothing to lose had any compassion. Torrent has come a long way. Surprised at Mappo and Gruntle.

Interesting that TCG and the unaligned Imass seem to be not as bad as they once seemed.