Steven Erikson
Reaper's Gale
(Malazan Book of the Fallen – 7)
Dramatis Personae
Tehol Beddict, a destitute resident
Bugg, Tehol’s manservant
Shurq Elalle, an itinerant pirate
Skorgen Kaban, Shurq’s First Mate
Ublala Pung, an unemployed Tarthenal half-blood
Ormly, a member of the Rat Catchers’ Guild
Rucket, Chief Investigator of the Rat Catchers’ Guild
Karos Invictad, Invigilator of the Patriotists
Tanal Yathvanar, Karos’s personal assistant
Rautos Hivanar, Master of the Liberty Consign of Merchants
Venitt Sathad, Rautos’s principal field agent
Triban Gnol, Chancellor of the New Empire
Nisall, First Concubine of the old emperor
Janall, deposed empress
Turudal Brizad, ex-cbnsort
Janath Anar, a political prisoner
Sirryn Kanar, a palace guard
Brullyg (Shake), nominal Ruler of Second Maiden Fort
Yedan Derryg (The Watch)
Orbyn ‘Truthfinder’, Section Commander of the Patriotists
Letur Anict, Factor in Drene
Bivattj Atri-Preda of the Eastern Army
Feather Witch, Letherii slave to Uruth
Rhulad, ruler of the New Empire
Hannan Mosag, Imperial Ceda
Uruth, Matriarch of the Emperor and wife to Tomad Sengar
K’risnan, warlocks of the Emperor
Bruthen Trana, Edur in palace
Brohl Handar, Overseer of the East in Drene
Yan Tovis (Twilight), Atri-Preda of the Letherii Army
Varat Taun, her lieutenant
Taralack Veed, a Gral agent of the Nameless Ones
Icarium, Taralack’s weapon
Hanradi Khalag, a warlock of the Tiste Edur
Tomad Sengar, Patriarch of the Emperor
Samar Dev, a scholar and witch from Seven Cities
Karsa Orlong, a Toblakai warrior
Taxilian, an interpreter
Redmask, an exile who returned
Masarch, a warrior of the Renfayar Clan
Hadralt, War Leader of Ganetok Clan
Sag’Churok, a bodyguard to Redmask
Gunth Mach, a bodyguard to Redmask
Torrent, a Copperface
Natarkas, a Copperface
Seren Pedac, a Letherii Acquitor
Fear Sengar, a Tiste Edur
Kettle, a Letherii orphan
Udinaas, a Letherii runaway slave
Wither, a shadow wraith
Silchas Ruin, a Tiste Andii Ascendant
Ulshun Pral, an Imass
Rud Elalle, an adopted foundling
Hostille Rator, a T’lan Imass
Til’aras Benok, a T’lan Imass
Gr’istanas Ish’ilm, a T’lan Imass
Tavore Paran, Commander of the Bonehunters
Lostara Yil, Second to Tavore
Keneb, Fist in the Bonehunters
Blistig, Fist in the Bonehunters
Faradan Sort, Captain
Madan’tul Rada, Faradan Sort’s lieutenant
Grub, adopted son of Keneb
Beak, mage seconded to Captain Faradan Sort
Fiddler, sergeant
Tarr, corporal
Koryk, half-blood Seti, marine
Smiles, Kanese, marine
Cuttle, sapper
Bottle, squad mage
Corabb Bhilan Thenu’alas, soldier
Gesler, sergeant
Stormy, corporal
Sands, marine
Shortnose, heavy infantry
Flashwit, heavy infantry
Uru Hela, heavy infantry
Mayfly, heavy infantry
Cord, sergeant
Shard, corporal
Limp, marine
Ebron, squad mage
Crump (Jamber Bole), sapper
Sinn, mage
Hellian, sergeant
Touchy, corporal #1
Brethless, corporal #1
Balgrid, squad mage
Tavos Pond, marine
Maybe, sapper
Lutes, squad healer
Balm, sergeant
Deadsmell, corporal
Throatslitter, marine
Gait, marine
Lobe, marine
Widdershins, squad mage
Thom Tlssy, sergeant
Tulip, corporal
Ramp, heavy infantry
Jibb, medium infantry
Gullstream, medium infantry
Mudslinger, medium infantry
Bellig Harn, heavy infantry
Urb, sergeant
Reem, corporal
Masan Gilani, marine
Bowl, heavy infantry
Hanno, heavy infantry
Saltlick, heavy infantry
Scant, heavy infantry
Pravalak Rim, corporal
Honey, sapper
Strap Mull, sapper
Shoaly, heavy infantry
Lookback, heavy infantry
Badan Gruk, sergeant
Ruffle, marine
Skim, marine
Nep Furrow, mage
Reliko, heavy infantry
Vastly Blank, heavy infantry
Primly, sergeant
Hunt, corporal
Mulvan Dreader, mage
Neller, sapper
Skulldeath, marine
Drawfirst, heavy infantry
Banaschar, the Last Priest of D’rek
Withal, a Meckros Swordsmith
Sandalath Drukorlat, a Tiste Andii, Withal’s wife
Nimander Golit, a Tiste Andii, offspring of Anomander Rake
Phaed, a Tiste Andii, offspring of Anomander Rake
Curdle, a possessed skeletal reptile
Telorast, a possessed skeletal reptile
Onrack, a T’lan Imass, unbound
Trull Sengar, a Tiste Edur renegade
Ben Adaephon Delat, a wizard
Menandore, a Soletaken (Sister of Dawn)
Sheltatha Lore, a Soletaken (Sister of Dusk)
Sukul Ankhadu, a Soletaken (Sister Dapple)
Kilmandaros, an Elder Goddess
Clip, a Tiste Andii
Cotillion, The Rope, Patron God of Assassins
Emroth, a broken T’lan Imass
Hedge, a ghost
Old Hunch Arbat, Tarthenal
Pithy, an ex-con
Brevity, an ex-con
Pully, a Shake witch
Skwish, a Shake witch
Prologue
In a landscape torn with grief, the carcasses of six dragons lay strewn in a ragged row reaching a thousand or more paces across the plain, flesh split apart, broken bones jutting, jaws gaping and eyes brittle-dry. Where their blood had spilled out onto the ground wraiths had gathered like flies to sap and were now ensnared, the ghosts writhing and voicing hollow cries of despair, as the blood darkened, fusing with the lifeless soil; and, when at last the substance grew indurate, hardening into glassy stone, those ghosts were doomed to an eternity trapped within that murky prison.
The naked creature that traversed the rough path formed by the fallen dragons was a match to their mass, yet bound to the earth, and it walked on two bowed legs, the thighs thick as thousand-year-old trees. The width of its shoulders was equal to the length of a Tartheno Toblakai’s height; from a thick neck hidden beneath a mane of glossy black hair, the frontal portion of the head was thrust forward-brow, cheekbones and jaw, and its deep-set eyes revealing black pupils surrounded in opalescent white. The huge arms were disproportionately long, the enormous hands almost scraping the ground. Its breasts were large, pendulous and pale. As it strode past the battered, rotting carcasses, the motion of its gait was strangely fluid, not at all lumbering, and each limb was revealed to possess extra joints.