The Malazan Fallen discussion

Discuss Chapter 3 only. Please make liberal use of spoiler tags when discussing other books/series-wide implications.

It seems Felash and her hand maiden and Shurq Ellalle’s ship have barely survived the bargain with Mael – a lot of the crew are dead. Faced with sinking completely Felash accesses Omtose Phellack to encase the ship in Ice so it can float to land.

Kalyth recounts the coming of the Forkrul Assail – she speaks of a spire – where the FA built a temple -where a star fell – which I’m assuming was the heart of the Crippled god

‘Aye,’ Gesler agreed. ‘Still, that Spire, where they built their temple – Kalyth, you called it cursed. Why?’
‘It is where a star fell from the sky,’ she explained.
‘Recently?’
‘No, long ago,...

And the K’Chain army are heading that way

Grub and Sinn are tagging a long. Gu’rull contemplates having to kill them.

‘Gu’Rull—’
‘Wants us dead.’
Grub flinched. ‘What did we ever do to him? Except save his hide.’
‘Him and all the other lizards. Doesn’t matter. We might turn on them all, and who could stop us?’


Sinn is a bit scared of Badalle (of the Snake) I think

‘She’s insane, that’s what she is. You felt that, you had to. We both felt it. No, let’s not talk about her any more.’
‘You’re afraid of her,’ Grub said. ‘Because maybe she’s stronger than both of us.’
‘Aren’t you? You should be.’

And there’s something special about the Snake baby – Held

Rutt holds a baby in a bag
And Held remembers everything
But will not speak, not to us.
Held dreams of twigs and stones
And knows what they are.


And Stormy and Gesler are eating food growing from K’Chain armpits – mmmmm

‘It ain’t porridge. It’s mould.’
‘Fungus, idiot.’
‘What’s the difference? All I know is, those drones are growing it in their own armpits.’


Brys Beddict and Anarict are finally together.

It appears Tavore has made it out alive – though she is wounded. We still don’t know the damage report for the Bonehunters.

Conversation between Felash and Shurq reminds me of good old talks between Bugg and Tehol.

Looks like Felash knows Hood, because of the plural in her talk. And because of Omthose Phellack. And all the talk about Ice Throne and physicality that resists Mael’s power.


Apparently some of the Khundryl survived and two of them delivered a message of the battle to the Bolkando army. From 5000 (or 7000?), if I remember right, survived only 880. And warleader Gall is broken by his defeat. He believes Coltaine would win or would not be defeated so hardly.

David Sven wrote: "It appears Tavore has made it out alive – though she is wounded."

In extraordinary circumstances. I'm taking Aranict's comment to heart: There is a hidden hand in all of this, Brys, and I don't trust it.

Tavore is probably alive, but all we really know is that someone has got her sword.

Turns out that Grub is pretty powerful in his own right, and the two of them are pretty casual about the extent of their powers. Interesting that they are afraid of Bedalle, and it's because she's insane. If that's their criteria, what powerful ascendant would they not be afraid of. They are almost all insane.

Felash accesses Omtose Phellack to encase the ship in Ice so it can float to land

I think she did that ice sorcery through ice hold, because isn't omotose phellack only accessible to jaghuts as it is one of the elder warrens.Also felash seems more than just a 15 year old princess.

Grub and Sinn are tagging a long

I am fascinated by these two persons, i think grub was outcome of chain of dogs and sinn was the one who rescued bonehunters through fires, so is sinn also shaped by tellanan?.

There is a hidden hand in all of this, Brys, and I don't trust it

Ya i think the ground shifted or something when that laser arc was fired by nahruk, we know one player ST who is taking tavore's side don't know the other.

Sumant wrote: "I think she did that ice sorcery through ice hold, because isn't omotose phellack only accessible to jaghuts as itis one of the elder warrens"

From Felash's explanation: The Holds are half forgotten by most . . . Imagine our surprise, then, when a frozen corpse should awaken . . . Oh, they're a hoary bunch, the Jaghut . . . Omtose Phellack, Captain. The Throne of Ice, do you see? I think the Hold of Ice and Omtose Phellack are the same thing for her purposes.

we know one player ST who is taking tavore's side don't know the other.

That's an idea. I bet Tavore doesn't like being in Shadowthrone's debt.

Duffy wrote: "Tavore is probably alive, but all we really know is that someone has got her sword."

That's all Stormy and Gesler know, but once we get to the Grey Helms and Letherii sections it sounds like there are eyewitnesses. They said she was concussed, but now recovers. So Tavore is alive unless someone exchanged bodies with her.

It's interesting that Felash knows both the warrens and the Holds.

Boyoboy, Mael is different from Bugg when he gets pissed, he sure hates when people force his hand!

Sinn is pretty insane herself, born of fire. Grub is from the Chain but kept his humanity because of Keneb.

Can someone remind me how the battle with the Nahruk ended? It was QB and Bottle who closed the hole? Do we know how Tavore was saved?

Lori (Hellian) wrote: "Can someone remind me how the battle with the Nahruk ended? It was QB and Bottle who closed the hole? Do we know how Tavore was saved?"

It was Icarium that closes the hole by using the Errant's eye as a Finnest for an Azath Tree. So the Azath tree grows through or around Icarium's skykeep and plugs the portal.

And Tavore is saved by Lostara doing her ShadowDance boogie.

Ah that's right thanks!

This chapter just makes me anxious for the next one. We've seen QB/Bottle/Rudd briefly but the rest of the Bonehunters haven't show up yet.

Hopefully this meeting everyone is talking about is the next chapter...

I missed the comment about the hidden hand (surprise surprise). Interesting. I wonder what that will end up being. Shadowthrone does seem like a good candidate though.