The Complete Malazan Book of the Fallen (700 page)

Lizard eyes regarded him for an uncomfortably long time. Then he said, ‘Sergeant Hellian, the original investigator, said precisely the same thing.'

‘Clearly a perceptive woman, sir.'

‘A drunk. I shipped her to the Fourteenth.'

‘The…
Fourteenth
…?'

‘Write up your conclusions,' the Commander then said, ‘and close the investigation. Now get out of here.'

The Master Investigator saluted and escaped with as much dignity as he could manage. Along the corridor, another nod to the guards, then out through the main doors, onto the landing, then down the steps.

Where he paused, looked up. The sunlight was glistening from the magnificent webs of the paralt spiders now resident in the towers of Kartool. A skein of crystal beauty, scintillating like threads of diamond against the stunning blue sky.

Optimism returning, he sighed, deciding that he had never before seen such a wondrous, breathtaking sight. And so he set off with a lighter step, boots ringing smartly on the cobbles.

While a score of huge spiders, crouched in their small caves dug into the walls of the towers, looked with cold, multifaceted eyes. Looked down upon all that crawled below, occasionally curious, ever patient, even as the sweet whispers of hunger flitted through their liquid brains.

The webs were set.

And the traps, in their elaborate elegance, were never empty for long.

 

This ends the sixth tale of the
Malazan Book of the Fallen

Ascendants

Anomander Rake
: Son of Darkness

Apsalar
: Lady of Thieves

Beru
: Lord of Storms

Bridgeburners

Burn
: The Sleeping Goddess

Cotillion
: The Rope, Patron of Assassins, High House Shadow

Dessembrae
: Lord of Tears

Draconus
: an Elder God and forger of the sword Dragnipur

D'rek
: The Worm of Autumn, worshipped as either male or female

Eres
/
Eres'al
: a progenitor spirit/goddess

Fener
: the Bereft, the Boar of Five Tusks

Gedderone
: Lady of Spring and Rebirth

Grizzin Farl
: an Elder God

Hood
: King of High House Death

Jhess
: Queen of Weaving

Kilmandaros
: an Elder God

K'rul
: an Elder God of the Warrens

Mael
: an Elder God of the Seas

Mowri
: Lady of Beggars, Slaves and Serfs

Nerruse
: Lady of Calm Seas and Fair Winds

Oponn
: Twin Jesters of Chance

Osserc/Osseric/Osric
: Lord of the Sky

Poliel
: Mistress of Pestilence and Disease

Queen of Dreams
: Queen of High House Life

Scalissara
: a discredited goddess of olive oil, ruling over Y'Ghatan

Shadowthrone
: Ammanas, King of High House Shadow

Sha'ik
: The Whirlwind Goddess

Sister of Cold Nights
: an Elder Goddess

Soliel
: Lady of Health

The Azath
: the Houses

The Crippled God
: The Chained One, Lord of High House of Chains

The Deragoth
: of the First Empire of Dessimbelackis, The Seven Hounds of Darkness

Togg and Fanderay
: The Wolves of Winter

Treach/Trake
: The Tiger of Summer and Lord of War

The Deck of Dragons

High House Life

King

Queen (Queen of Dreams)

Champion

Priest

Herald

Soldier

Weaver

 

High House Death

King (Hood)

Queen

Knight (once Dassem Ultor, now Baudin)

Magi

Herald

Soldier

Spinner

Mason

Virgin

 

High House Light

King

Queen

Champion (Osseric)

Priest

Captain

Soldier

Seamstress

Builder

Maiden

 

High House Dark

King

Queen

Knight (Anomander Rake)

Magi

Captain

Soldier

Weaver

Mason

Wife

 

High House Shadow

King (Shadowthrone/Ammanas)

Queen

Assassin (The Rope/Cotillion)

Magi

Hound

 

High House of Chains

The King in Chains

The Consort (Poliel)

Reaver (Kallor)

Knight (Toblakai)

The Seven of the Dead Fires (The Unbound)

Cripple

Leper

Fool

 

Unaligned

Oponn

Obelisk (Burn)

Crown

Sceptre

Orb

Throne

Chain

Master of the Deck (Ganoes Paran)

Elder Races

Tiste Andii
: Children of Darkness

Tiste Edur
: Children of Shadow

Tiste Liosan
: Children of Light

T'lan Imass

Eres/Eres'al

Trell

Jaghut

Forkrul Assail

K'Chain Che'Malle

The Eleint

The Barghast

The Thelomen Toblakai

The Teblor

The Warrens

Kurald Galain
: The Elder Warren of Darkness

Kurald Emurlahn
: The Elder Warren of Shadow, the Shattered Warren

Kurald Liosan

Kurald Thyrllan
: The Elder Warren of Light

Omtose Phellack
: The Elder Jaghut Warren of Ice

Tellann
: The Elder Imass Warren of Fire

Starvald Demelain
: The Eleint Warren

Thyr
: The Path of Light

Denul
: The Path of Healing

Hood's Path
: The Path of Death

Serc
: The Path of the Sky

Meanas
: The Path of Shadow and Illusion

D'riss
: The Path of the Earth

Ruse
: The Path of the Sea

Rashan
: The Path of Darkness

Mockra
: The Path of the Mind

Telas
: The Path of Fire

Peoples and Places

Anibar
: a tribe dwelling in Shield lands north of the Jhag Odhan, Seven Cities

Ehrlitan
: a port city in Seven Cities

G'danisban
: a city in Seven Cities

Gral
: a tribe of Seven Cities

Hanar Ara
: an ancient city, City of the Fallen

Hatra
: a city in Seven Cities

Hedori Kwil
: extinct city, Seven Cities

Inath'an Mersin
: old name for Mersin, Seven Cities

Kanarbar Belid
: old name for Belid, city in Seven Cities

Karashimesh
: a city of Seven Cities

Kartool
: city and island off Quon Tali mainland

Malaz City
: birthplace of the Malazan Empire, on Malaz Island, off the Quon Tali mainland

Minikenar
: extinct city of the First Empire, Seven Cities

Mock's Hold
– old keep overlooking Malaz City

Monkan
: sister island of Sepik (smaller)

Nemil
: an expansionist kingdom northwest of the Jhag Odhan

N'Karaphal
: extinct city, Seven Cities

Pan'potsun
: a city in Seven Cities

Pardu
: a tribe of Seven Cities

Perish
: a kingdom west of Nemil

Rampart Way
: descent from Mock's Hold, Malaz City

Raven Hill Park
: a park in Malaz City

Sepik Island
: an island kingdom, Seven Cities

Septarch District
: the temple district of Kartool City

Shal-Morzinn:
an empire southwest of Nemil

Tramara
: extinct city, Seven Cities

Trebur
: extinct city, Seven Cities (City of Domes)

Ugarat
: a city in Seven Cities

Vedanik
: a tribe of the Thalas Mountains, Seven Cities

Vinith
: extinct city, Seven Cities

Vithan Taur
: extinct city of the First Empire, Seven Cities

Y'Ghatan
: a city of Seven Cities

Terms

Aptorian
: a species of demon native to the Shadow Realm

Ashok Regiment
: old regiment, now in the Fourteenth Army

Atri-Preda
: equivalent of Commander or Fist among the Letherii

Avower
: term for Royal Torturer in Ugarat

Azalan
: a species of demon native to the Shadow Realm

Bhederin
: a large semi-domesticated or wild ungulate

Black Glove (The)
: a secret cult within the Claw

Blackwood
: a rare seaworthy wood

Bloodwood
: a rare wood used by the Tiste Edur

Bokh'aral
: a small rock-dwelling ape

Bonecaster
: T'lan Imass term for a shaman of their kind

Capemoth
: a large scavenging insect of Seven Cities

Carelbarra
: a honey also known as the God Bringer for its hallucinogenic qualities

Carrier
: a vector for plague

Chigger fleas
: a wind-borne insect of Seven Cities

Child Death Song
: a Seti rite of passage into adulthood involving ritual burial

Coraval
: a type of fish, the primary harvest around Malaz Island

D'bayang
: an opiate

D'ivers
: a form of shape-shifting into multiple animals

Demidrek
: a high priest or priestess of D'rek

Destriant
: a mortal representative for a particular faith

Dinal
: a species of demon in the Shadow Realm

Drake
: a Tanno pilgrim ship

Dromon
: a warship

Eleint
: another term for pure-blood dragons

Enkar'al
: a large predator of Seven Cities (now extinct)

Eraga
: a breed of cattle thought to be extinct on Seven Cities

Escura
: a plant used to kill chigger fleas

Goldfinch
: a tree native to Seven Cities

Gothar flower
: used as a bleaching agent

Grey Helms
: a military religious order

Imbrules
: an unspecified animal native to Starvald Demelain

Jhistal
: a high priest of an Elder God who employs human blood in ritual magic (Elder equivalent of Destriant)

Kethra knife
: a large wide-bladed knife from Seven Cities

Long-tails
: another name for K'Chain Che'Malle

Luthuras
: an unspecified animal native to Starvald Demelain

Maethgara
: Y'Ghanii name for buildings used to store olive oil

Mahybe
: ancient term meaning vessel (now known as Mhybe among the Rhivi)

Meer-rat
: a reptilian rodent

Mortal Sword
: a martial champion to a god

Nameless Ones (The)
: an ancient cult devoted to the Azath Houses

Obsidian Throne
: traditional seat of power of Bluerose

Onyx Wizards/Council
: traditional rulers in Bluerose

Paralt
: the name for a spider and a snake, both venomous (also the name for the poison itself)

Preda
: Letherii equivalent to Captain

Purlith
: a species of bat native to Starvald Demelain

Rhizan
: a small winged, insectivorous reptile

Shield Anvil
: mortal repository for the fallen (dead), sworn to a particular god

Short-Tails
: another name for K'Chain Nah'ruk

Soletaken
: shape-shifting

Stantars
: an unspecified animal native to Starvald Demelain

Stormriders
: an ocean-dwelling species

Stormwall
: a barrier to the predations of the Stormriders on Korel

Surveyants
: a maker of maps among the Trygalle Trade Guild

Telaba
: a traditional outer garment worn in Seven Cities

T'rolbarahl
: an ancient form of D'ivers from the period of the First Empire

Thrones of War
: name for the war catamarans used by the Perish

Trell Wars (The)
: wars of genocide against the Trell conducted by the Nemil

Troughs
: a board game popular among Malazans

Verdith'anath
: The Bridge of Death (Jaghut underworld)

Watcher
: a Tiste Andii agent hidden among the Tiste Edur of the Lether Continent

Whispers (The)
: voices of guidance in the cult of Sha'ik Reborn