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Characters / Malazan Book of the Fallen - The Tiste Peoples

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This is a list of characters belonging to the various Tiste peoples from Steven Erikson's Malazan Book of the Fallen. Please beware of spoilers. If you haven't finished the series you're probably best off not reading past the character descriptions.

To return to the main characters page, click here.

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Tiste Andii

    Tiste Andii in General 
Mother Dark: I deny my first children all. You shall wander the realms, bereft of purpose. Your deeds shall avail you nothing. Your lives shall spawn death unending. The Dark — my heart — is closed to you, to you all.
Toll the Hounds

The Tiste Andii are also known as the Children of Darkness and are considered the first of the three Tiste people to be created, followed by the Tiste Liosan and the Tiste Edur. They worship the goddess known as Mother Dark, but she has turned away from them a long time ago, following some deed of her First Son Anomander Rake, who has been leading the Tiste Andii ever since.
All Tiste Andii with the sole exeption of Silchas Ruin have midnight-black skin and either very dark or very light (white or silver) hair and are nigh immortal, though most have become depressed with the pointlessness of life a long time ago.

  • Age Without Youth: The naturally long lifespan of the Tiste Andii can lead to this. Both Andarist and Endest Silann have lived for millennia and due to choice in Andarist's case and losing his powers in Endest Silann's case neither looks as fresh and young as their contemporaries among the Andii. Yet they're still alive.
  • Dark Is Not Evil: The Tiste Andii are the Children of Darkness, humanoids with black skin and darkness-themed powers, worshipping a goddess known as Mother Dark. But they are no more evil than any other people in that world, and seem better than their cousins the Tiste Liosan, Children of Light, who are bigoted Knights Templar. The Tiste Andii's Warrior Prince Anomander Rake, also known as Knight of High House Dark, the First Son of Darkness, the Mane of Chaos, etc. is a clean-cut case of The Good King.
  • Mayfly–December Romance: It's stated that Tiste Andii tend to have relationships with shorter-lived races, finding 200 years of marriage to their own kind wearisome and a bit pointless.
  • Who Wants to Live Forever?: The "naturally immortal species are immune to this" angle is subverted with the Tiste Andii, who have become rather bored and depressed with life since they have nothing to do and nothing to look forward to. Their Warrior Prince Anomander Rake tries to overcome this by involving his people in conflicts they don't actually have anything to do with just to give them a reason to fight and to go on.

    Mother Dark 

Mother Dark

The goddess of the Tiste Andii, theological opposite and possibly wife of Father Light, god of the Tiste Liosan. Turned away from her children millenia ago following an unspecified betrayal by Anomander Rake, and possibly others.

    Anomander Rake 

Anomander Rake

Lord of Moon's Spawn, leader of the Tiste Andii, wielder of Dragnipur, eldest son of Mother Dark, Knight of High House Dark, and all-around badass, he initially opposes the Malazan Empire's invasion of Genabackis, before allying with Dujek Onearm to take on the Crippled God's forces. He has a long-standing alliance with Warlord Caladan Brood.
  • Hero Killer: Introduced this way in Gardens of the Moon.
  • I Have Many Names: Anomander Rake, being a millennia-old Ascendant, has so many names and titles it's ridiculous. Those include, but are not limited to: Anomandaris Dragnipurake, Anomandaris Irake, Black-Winged Lord, Blacksword, First Son of Mother Dark, Knight of High House Dark, Lord of Moon's Spawn and Mane of Chaos.
  • Immortality Begins at Twenty: Or somewhere in his thirties or forties anyway.
  • Interspecies Romance: Tiste Andii Warrior Prince Anomander Rake and the dragon Silanah are heavily implied to at least be Friends with Benefits for most of the series. Considering he can turn into a dragon himself, that's not even squicky and Anomander Rake is so awesome it's no surprise a dragon is hanging around. The prequel trilogy reveals that Silanah originally joined the Tiste Andii because she was in love with Endest Silann, a minor acolyte then but Rake's chief wizard now, who wants nothing to do with dragons. The mother of his children, however, is implied to be Lady Envy.
  • Large and in Charge
  • Lightning Bruiser
  • Living Mood Ring: Anomander Rake has eyes that change color depending on his mood. This is actually a quality of his entire race, the Tiste Andii, though it's mentioned about twice then forgotten.
  • Long-Haired Pretty Boy
  • Magic Knight: Anomander Rake is both an Archmage and a Master Swordsman. During the Enfilade at Pale in Gardens of the Moon, the Malazan Empire fields the 2nd Army's mage cadre and four High Mages against Anomander Rake alone and still suffers losses. He is also the only being alive who has the skill and willpower to wield the forged by the Elder God Draconus BFS Dragnipur that consumes souls and holds the rank of Seventh in the island nation of the Seguleh, whose society is built on Asskicking Leads to Leadership with social ranks being determined by fighting. To be fair, he's had a couple millennia of time to perfect either skill and is an Ascendant.
  • Master Swordsman: Anomander Rake is the Warrior Prince of the Tiste Andii and their best swordsman as well. Despite not being a Seguleh, he holds the rank of Seventh in their society after taking an afternoon stroll on their island and ending up having to fight his way off it because all the Seguleh wanted to test their skills on him. It is heavily implied that he could have gained a higher rank had he not gotten annoyed and teleported himself away. He is also the only living being capable of wielding the forged by the Elder God Draconus BFS Dragnipur that consumes souls.
  • Messianic Archetype: Anomander Rake is the great hero of the Tiste Andii race, who took it upon himself to lead and guide his race after their goddess, Mother Dark, had turned away from them. In book eight, Toll the Hounds, he sacrifices himself in order to bring back Mother Dark, thus bringing redemption to the Tiste Andii. Does this remind you of anyone?
  • Names to Run Away from Really Fast: Anomander Rake is known as the Son of Darkness, Lord of Moon's Spawn, Mane of Chaos, Bearer of Dragnipur, Knight of High House Dark, Blacksword, Black-Winged Lord, Slayer of the Elder God Draconus and Lord of the Tiste Andii. Justified because he is all of those and he did all of that stuff.
  • Physical God
  • Really 700 Years Old: Most Tiste Andii live 20,000. Rake is so much older.
  • Scary Black Man: How his opponents see him.
  • Shrouded in Myth: Anomander Rake is widely seen as one of the most uber-badass characters in that entire universe, both a Master Swordsman and an Archmage. He's led his people, the Tiste Andii, for millennia, has an ongoing feud with the Champion of Light, Osserc, and has about a gazillion names and titles slapped onto him whenever he is mentioned. The world's longest and best known poem, Anomandaris, is about him and his deeds and characters cite it liberally in the first book, Gardens Of The Moon. It's all true, though, and Anomander Rake just is that awesome, has lived for that long and only adds to his legend whenever he does anything, whether he wants to or not.
  • Sorcerous Overlord
  • Soul-Cutting Blade: Anomander Rake's BFS Dragnipur holds the souls of those it has slain within an alternate dimension where they spend the remainder of their existence towing the Gate of Darkness and the large wagon it's situated in in an effort to keep it out of reach of the forces of Chaos.
  • Voluntary Shapeshifting: As a Soletaken, Rake becomes a black dragon.
  • Warrior Prince
  • Weredragon: Shapeshifts into a giant, black dragon.
  • Who Wants to Live Forever??: The reason he sells the services of the Tiste Andii off as mercenaries is to prevent them from becoming suicidal over the boredom of their eternal life; in effect, he is trying to inspire them to fight and live for something bigger than themselves in defiance of this trope, though he fears it is a losing battle.
  • You Kill It, You Bought It: One of the Seguleh reveals that Anomander made a visit to their island, oblivious to their customs, he made eye contact with everyone he met- thereby challenging them to a duel for their position in the Seguleh Hierarchy. He achieved the rank of Seguleh Seventh (literally the Seventh most powerful person in their society) before fleeing what he thought were a blood crazed people. The Seguleh still hold the 7th Mask in waiting for him to claim his position in their hierarchy.
  • Your Soul Is Mine!: Anyone killed by Dragnipur is sealed within the Warren inside it for all eternity.

    Silchas Ruin 

Silchas Ruin

Sheltatha Lore: 'More than any of us – more even than Anomandaris, Silchas Ruin thinks... draconean. As cold, as calculating, as timeless.'
Reaper's Gale
Annomander Rake's brother, Silchas Ruin is the youngest of Mother Dark's children, and cruelest. Having been betrayed and sealed by Scabandari Bloodeye, one-time leader of the Tiste Edur, he has sworn to have his revenge on Bloodeye and his kin.
  • Albinos Are Freaks: Silchas Ruin is a Tiste Andii, who are all midnight-skinned, but somehow, his white skin defies even the magic of their goddess Mother Dark. He is described as "the most cruel of the three sons of Mother Dark", is known as "The Betrayer" by the Tiste Edur, is often likened to a reptile, and was referred to as a "red-eyed nightmare".
  • Antihero
  • Dual Wielding: Holds Sarat Wept and Glory Goat, one in each hand. Later swapped out for a Hust dragon-slaying sword.
  • Famed In-Story: Though not quite to the extent of his brother.
  • Genius Bruiser
  • Good Is Not Nice
  • Immortality Begins at Twenty
  • Large and in Charge
  • Lightning Bruiser
  • Long-Haired Pretty Boy
  • Magic Knight
  • Master Swordsman: Silchas Ruin, Anomander Rake's youngest brother, ain't no slouch at fighting either. He prefers to fight with two swords, Sarat Wept and Glory Goat, but is a Combat Pragmatist despite their funny names, and inclined to just kill his opponents at the first chance. Udinaas claims that if the Emperor of Lether knew who Silchas Ruin is he would send ten thousand warriors after him.
  • Names to Run Away from Really Fast: While Silchas Ruin is a clear example of Good Is Not Nice and thus not evil, he is certainly dangerous. It is said that among the Sons of Mother Dark, it was Silchas Ruin who drank the deepest of draconean blood and as Sheltatha Lore puts it, even among the draconic shapeshifters he is considered the coldest, most calculating and prone to timeless anger.
  • The Prankster: Implied to have been this before he became a Soletaken Eleint and the blood of Tiam made him into the cruellest of the three Sons of Mother Dark.
  • Really 700 Years Old
  • Red Eyes, Take Warning: Silchas Ruin is said to be a "red-eyed nightmare". Depending on the point of view, he is either evil with good intentions, or heroic with bad publicity, but either way his red eyes are what ticks people off that he's dangerous. They are variously described as lifeless, reptillian, unnerving, cold and dead.
  • Revenge: Swore it on Scabandari Bloodeye, and all the Tiste Edur.
  • Sealed Good in a Can
  • Tragic Bromance: With Kagamandra Tulas Shorn. Their reunion in The Crippled God implies that Tulas' disappearance and presumed death during the civil war in Kharkanas devastated Silchas Ruin to such a degree that even Anomander Rake felt compelled to help him look for Tulas. Eventually, it's taken up a notch when at the end of the book Tulas dies again, this time for good, after fulfilling their mutual wish to fight side by side.
  • Voluntary Shape Shifting: Another Tiste Andii Soletaken. He becomes a giant white dragon, with blood red eyes.

    Andarist 

Andarist

    Korlat 

Korlat

    Orfantal 

Orfantal

    Spinnock Durav 

Spinnock Durav

Anomander Rake: 'Unseen by anyone. Deeds unwitnessed. Heroic efforts earning naught but one man's gratitude.'
Toll the Hounds

Spinnock Durav is a warrior Tiste Andii and one of their best non-Soletaken fighters. He serves Anomander Rake unquestioningly and has often stood in for him in fights or on recon missions. In Black Coral he spends his evenings in Scour Tavern, playing an old Andii boardgame with the ex-Pannion Domin warrior-priest Seerdomin.In his youth he was a Warden of the Outer Reaches in Kurald Galain, where he served with his cousin Faror Hend and made many a woman swoon over his good looks and charisma.
  • Ancestral Weapon: A Hust blade —albeit an old one without the sound features— is the Duravs' family heirloom. Spinnock is very proud of owning it, often seen polishing and oiling his prized possession.
  • The Charmer: Spinnock seems fairly aware of his charisma, but hardly uses it for malicious means. It means, however, that he doesn't shy away from challenges, like his shameless flirting with his allegedly lesbian Captain Finarra Stone demonstrates. It works, too.
  • Chick Magnet: To amazing degrees in The Kharkanas Trilogy, but gets subverted thousands of years later in Toll the Hounds: The one woman he actually falls in love with is immune to his charm.
  • Declaration of Protection: Takes it upon himself to care for Salind when the Redeemer's camp is threatened and keeps good on his promise as best as he can, opposition notwithstanding.
  • Determinator: Spinnock stalls Kallor, one of the strongest fighters of the series and immortal to boot, on his way to Darujhistan on behalf of Rake. For a whole night, being grievously injured, but standing nonetheless.
  • Even the Guys Want Him: Finarra Stone asserts that young Spinnock gets plenty attention from all genders.
    Spinnock Durav had been pursued by women and men since he had first come of age.
  • Heroic Sacrifice: Breaks down injured and exhausted when he feels Rake's death after stalling Kallor for a whole night for him. Averted in that Korlat sweeps in with a healing draught to tide him over until he can recuperate at home.
  • Hunk: While he was the Pretty Boy in his youth, fully grown Spinnock is firmly in hunk territory by the time Toll the Hounds comes around.
  • I Didn't Mean to Turn You On: Spinnock's reaction when he learns that innocent flirting with his cousin Faror Hend was a lot less innocent from her point of view.
  • I Love You Because I Can't Control You: His interest in his Captain Finarra Stone skyrockets once he learns that she is more into women than men, seeing her as a challenge.
  • Interspecies Friendship: Has one with Seerdomin that is mutual. It is also remarked, that Spinnock is among the very, very few Andii who mingle with the human population of Black Coral.
  • Interspecies Romance: Spinnock Durav, a millenia-old Tiste Andii, falls in love with the teenaged human priestess Salind. He is appropriately creeped out by this, but since he can't get her out of his head he goes to find her and talk to her at the end of the book. It's never told what came out of it, and Spinnock dies at the end of the series in battle.
  • Ladykiller in Love: While the High Priestess of Darkness is unsublty interested in him and already a regular intercourse partner, Spinnock falls in love with the human priestess Salind, who seems less than thrilled about it. This doesn't keep him from trying, though.
  • Lonely Together: The human Seerdomin and the Tiste Andii Spinnock Durav meet every evening in Scour Tavern to play Kef Tanar, get drunk and be miserable together. When Spinnock falls in love with a human priestess Seerdomin even calls him a fool for not acting on his feelings, but it still amounts to nothing.
  • Master Swordsman: Spinnock Durav is known as being an exceptionally good swordsman, one whom Anomander Rake considers his best weapon. Good enough, in fact, to send him to hunt a dragon. On his scouting mission to the continent of Assail, he fought his way through hordes of its inhabitants just to be able to leave it again.
  • Maybe Ever After: Toll the Hounds ends with Spinnock seeking out Salind to confess to her, but it is unclear if anything comes from it.
  • Mayfly–December Romance: He is apprehensive that he fell in love with not only a comparatively short-lived human, but one that is barely of age at that; Salind being in her early 20s and Spinnock being thousands of years old.
  • Noodle Incident: He mentions that Rake once sent him hunting a dragon, among other tasks. One would think this would be elaborated upon, seeing the importance of dragons in the storyline, but... nope.
  • Perpetual Smiler: Part of his charm.
    The Slash that was his mouth was fixed in a grin, an expression that rarely wavered.
  • Smart People Play Chess: Spinnock is an apt Kef Tanar player, easily the most skilled at the game in the Scour Tavern, but has never been able to beat his Lord. Him playing the strategic game is the first hint the reader gets that Spinnock is not just dumb muscle.
  • Worthy Opponent:
    • To Spinnock's delight, Seerdomin seems to have talent with the Andii boardgame Kef Tanar, so he plays with him every night in Scour Tavern.
    • Towards the climax of Toll the Hounds Kallor of all people comes to regard him as a Worthy Opponent right after their duel.
    Kallor: I have never before faced such a defense.
  • Undying Loyalty: Will do pretty much anything Rake asks him to, even if that means not acting on his newly discovered feelings for Salind, or having to fight Kallor for a whole night straight.

    Nimander Golit 

Nimander Golit

Son of Anomander Rake and the leader of the small group of remaining Tiste Andii youths who used to live on Drift Avalii, beneath Andarist's supervision.
  • Bad Liar
  • The Eeyore: Initially, especially in Reaper's Gale, but gets better in Toll the Hounds.
  • Enemy Within: It's never made explicit whether Phaed is truly in Nimander's mind or it's just him imagining her so he has someone to battle inside his mind; and then Phaed scoffs that the notion of a conflict is ridiculous anyway.. in his mind.
  • Heroic Self-Deprecation
  • Inadequate Inheritor: Considers himself this regarding Anomander Rake's legacy; or that of any other known Tiste Andii of times past.
  • Interspecies Romance: Nimander, a Tiste Andii, and the Imass Mistress of Thieves Apsal'ara somehow manage to become a couple between books after Apsal'ara is released from her eternal prison within the sword Dragnipur and plops up naked in the throne room in Black Coral. She initially proclaims her intention to stay and advise Nimander but in typical Steven Erikson fashion, they develop a romance behind the scenes by the next book, largely due to Apsal'ara deciding that's how it should be.
  • Long-Haired Pretty Boy
  • Master Swordsman: Nimander, Anomander Rake's son, is not even aware of how good he is with the sword, because he's used to thinking of himself as a coward, but he — and his entire group of Tiste Andii, in fact — have been responsible for defending the Throne of Shadow, and in Toll the Hounds, he and his followers defend against the Dying God's saemankelyk addicts without breaking a sweat.
  • These Hands Have Killed: Technically, Withal killed Phaed, but Nimander did a good job with trying.
  • The So-Called Coward: Seen as this by everyone outside his clique of Tiste Andii followers, and sees himself more as a Cowardly Lion, which is actually in the end what makes him a great leader, as he comes to embrace his doubts, instead of succumbing to them.
  • You Are Better Than You Think You Are: Nobody bothers to tell him that, but everyone thinks it.

    Phaed 

Phaed

Sister to Nimander.

    Clip 

Clip

Udinaas: 'I've almost given up hoping that you'll end up garrotting yourself with that chain. Almost.'
Reaper's Gale

Hailing from the Bluerose Tiste Andii settlement on Lether, Clip is sent out by his village to seek and confront the Black-Winged Lord, whom they think abandoned them. He joins and journeys with different groups of characters to reach his goal and seems confident in his fighting skill. His preferred weapon is a chain he wears looped around his fingers. Clip is convinced that he acts as the Herald of High House Dark and the Mortal Sword of Mother Dark herself.

  • Angst Coma: Clip slips into a coma after his confrontation with the Dying God in Morsko. On their way to Bastion the other Andii in his group have to care for him, as he is completely unresponsive to any kind of outside stimulus.
  • Blood from Every Orifice: During Mother Dark and the Dying God's duel in Black Coral, Clip starts bleeding profusely.
  • Boisterous Weakling: Clip isn't a bad fighter per se, but every onscreen fight he is in, he gets his ass handed to him. Of special note is his encounter with Trull, wherein he boasted that he has never been beaten by a spear-wielder. Well, he has now.
  • Bow and Sword in Accord: Clip is introduced sporting both a bow and a rapier, although the entire description seems to exist to emphasize how he's modified his gear for stealthy movement, setting up the scene for him being an assassin.
  • Brainwashed and Crazy: He spends most of his time in the books annoying people and getting himself into entirely avoidable trouble. Then he gets possessed by the Dying God and starts murdering Nimander's group one by one and trying the same with Mother Dark upon her return. For a character who was at best a minor nuisance up to that point, it takes considerable resources to stop him.
  • Break the Haughty: When the Dying God has finally relinquished his soul, he locks himself into a cell, either out of guilt or sheer embarrassment. The whole ordeal seems to have vanquished his bluster pretty thoroughly.
  • Bullying a Dragon: Quite literally, too. In Reaper's Gale, Clip attaches himself to the heels of Silchas Ruin, reputably the most short-tempered of Mother Dark's sons and an ancient dragon shapeshifter, and goes on yapping without pause to see how far he can provoke the latter. Subverted in that Silchas Ruin takes one shot at cutting Clip's head off, then decides it's not worth the trouble and henceforth flat-out ignores Clip.
  • The Chosen Wannabe: Clip introduces himself as the Mortal Sword of the Black-Winged Lord in Reaper's Gale, a status he claims has been sanctioned by the Wizards of the Andara. A rather ambiguous claim, considering the Black-Winged Lord denies his worshippers, never mind appointing anyone to anything. On the other hand, he is able to open gates into Darkness, something not even his god's brother, Silchas Ruin, is able to do anymore. Nonetheless, when it becomes obvious that nobody is buying his claim, he switches locations and proceeds to introduce himself as the Herald of Mother Dark to Nimander and his followers. It goes down roughly as well as his previous claim. Still, there's his ability to open gates, and Silchas Ruin himself asserts that Clip is the Mortal Sword of Darkness, neither confirming nor disproving Clip's claims entirely. He clearly has some affinity to Darkness, and possibly a role to play in the bigger picture, yet his constant, insistent claims of being The Chosen One come off as I Just Want to Be Special.
  • Faux Affably Evil: He tries for this in Reaper's Gale while travelling with Silchas Ruin's group, chatting affably about non-consequential things, affecting politeness and pretending not to notice the stealth insults he throws around. At the same time, Clip does not even try to hide that he's an assassin and drops the act as soon as there's no one he can rile up with it anymore.
  • Foil: To Nimander Golit. Where Nimander is humble, conflicted and secretly badass, Clip is boisterous and self-confident despite having only a fraction of Nimander's skill. They are set in direct contrast to one another where the leadership of their group is concerned. Clip shows up and seemingly usurps Nimander's position in the group, but it is later revealed that the other Tiste Andii only put up with Clip because Nimander does.
  • The Friend Nobody Likes: Not surprising, considering Clip's jerkass attitude, the group of young Andii isn't exactly enamoured with him, but they do care for him while he is in a coma and even risk their lives to get his soul back.
  • The Gadfly: Additionally to his generally rather abrasive behaviour, he has the annoying habit of playing around with his chains, clicking them together or swirling them around his fingers. He is either unaware that he's doing it or obtuse on purpose, even when other people call him out on it.
    Silchas Ruin: Must you always do that?
    Clip: Do what?
  • Hidden Heart of Gold: The facade is so thorough, that some characters wonder if it even is one, but Clip seems to be genuinely conflicted about the death of his entire hometown and Rake's abandonment of his people.
  • Humiliation Conga: It starts halfway through Toll the Hounds when Nimander and the other Tiste Andii find him curled into an Angst Coma after having boasted that he could take on an entire town of saemankelyk addicts alone, then proceeds with him getting possessed by the Dying God and being turned into an Unwitting Pawn, then having his soul in need of rescue by those he thought his Unwitting Pawns. He turns out to be inconsequential in the grander scheme of things and has to see Nimander, whom Clip disdained as a weakling, become the new ruler of the Tiste Andii and treat him, Clip, with kindness.
  • Ignorant Of His Own Ignorance: As Silchas Ruin points out, Clip has lived in his tidy cave for too long, never having had the opportunity to learn such things as humility, and it has gone on for so long it's flipped into Small Name, Big Ego for Clip. He simply lacks any outside scale to measure himself against and refuses to ackowledge even that fact.
  • In the Back: Kills Fear Sengar with his garrotte from behind, while Fear was trying to backstab Silchas Ruin.
  • Pride: Clip is important, the best fighter of his clan, The Chosen One of Mother Dark and a big player in the conflict with his own god. To himself, that is.
  • Long-Haired Pretty Boy: Literally the first thing one learns about Clip is that he's tall, thin and has long flowing midnight-black hair. According to himself, he has no problems finding a date when out carousing in Bluerose.
  • Narcissist: Clip ticks off an impressive number of symptoms of Narcissistic Personality Disorder. He has an inflated sense of his own abilities, achievements, talents and prowess, and has a strong sense of entitlement to the positions of Mortal Sword of the Black-Winged Lord and later the Herald of Mother Dark, which he claims are righteously his. He thinks nothing of using others and lacks the ability to consider them as more than his pawns, to be used as he sees fit. Only his own opinion has any value to Clip. Kedeviss insinuates that Clip may be envious of Nimander and his kin, as they have actually met Anomander Rake while he hasn't, and Skintick suspects that Clip is occupied by fantasies of his fated meeting with Anomander Rake, in which the latter has to step down when faced with Clip's fury.
  • Professional Killer: Udinaas notices immediately, Seren Pedac needs having it pointed out to her: Clip's shiny swirling chain accessory is a garrotte. He gets an opportunity to demonstrate he knows how to use it against Fear Sengar, and it's heavily implied he means to go against Anomander Rake as well, in his self-appointed quest to avenge the Andara.
  • Rage Against the Heavens: His task is to confront the Bluerose Andii's lost god, the Black-Winged Lord (i.e. Anomander Rake) for abandoning them and not answering their prayers. The full extent of his mission is never revealed, though it seems that he plans to fight him.
  • Revenge Myopia: At some point, Clip gets the idea into his head of taking revenge upon Anomander Rake aka the Black-Winged Lord aka the god the Tiste Andii of Bluerose worship for allegedly allowing them to degenerate and eventually be slaughtered by the Letherii. As far as Clip is concerned, Anomander Rake deserves to die. Never mind that neither had he anything to do with the fate of the Andii of the Andara, they did not even ask him if it's okay to worship him as a god and expect anything in return. It's questionable whether he even knew of the Andara's existence.
  • Self-Restraint: By the end of Toll the Hounds Clip lives in a dungeon cell in Black Coral. He wasn't put there by the other Andii — he went there himself and locked the door from inside.
  • Small Name, Big Ego: For the Mortal Sword of Mother Dark herself and being a part of the Deck of Dragons' current roster as Herald of High House Dark, he sure isn't known outside his immediate group of travelling companions. Then there is the question if he even is those things he claims to be...
  • Smug Snake: Clip doesn't treat anyone with respect, be it the brother of his supposed god or said god himself. He also seems unable to say anything without a superior smirk. He thinks his plan to take revenge upon his god by using said god's offspring is pure genius, never even considering that they may not be what they seem to his disdainful glance — especially not his Unwitting Pawns. Ultimately, he fashions himself a Magnificent Bastard but ends up being a case of Small Name, Big Ego.
  • Tall, Dark, and Snarky: Not a full-blooded Tiste Andii, but still dark skinned and black-haired. And he rarely has anything nice to say to his companions.
  • Tempting Fate: He tells Nimander and his group to wait in their room while he goes out to the town's tavern to see what the obviously drugged townspeople are doing. Everyone thinks it's a bad idea. It isn't disclosed what exactly happened, but the group finds him the next morning on the tavern's terrace curled into fetal position and comatose.
  • Uneven Hybrid: Though Clip appears to be mostly Tiste Andii, by his own admission he's also part Nerek (who in turn are themselves questionably human), Letherii and D'rhasilhani (which are both human ethnicities).
  • Ungrateful Bastard: Just because Nimander and his companions cared for him while he was in a coma and did their level best to get his soul back out of the clutches of a god, doesn't mean he needs to thank them.

    High Priestess of Mother Dark 

High Priestess

The High Priestess of Mother Dark, who is a fairly important character in Toll the Hounds. Despite this, her name is never actually specified. It is possible that "High Priestess" actually is her name. She should not be confused with Salind, the High Priestess of the Redeemer.

  • Deus Sex Machina: She is implied to use sex as a ritual to open the gate to Kurald Galain. It's not explained exactly how this works, but it's referred to as a religious ritual.
  • No Name Given
  • Really Gets Around: We see a sexual relationship between her and Spinnock, and she's implied to have sexual relationships with dozens of other characters. This is actually stated to be the hat of Tiste Andii priestesses in general. While there are religious or magical reasons for it, it's also hinted that there is an element of Sex for Solace involved as well.

Tiste Liosan

     Tiste Liosan in general 

The most rarely seen of the three Tiste races, the Liosan have lived cloistered in their home warren for millenia. Intensely xenophobic, they despise the Andii for supposedly lacking the pure blood of their most ancient deity, Father Light.

  • Light Is Not Good: The most extreme example of this in the entire series. They worship Father Light, their warren of Kurald Thyrllan/Liosan is the Elder Warren of Light and they have white skin. They are also shown to be close-minded and prideful bigots whose most sympathetic representation in the series laments the state of their civilization.
  • Not-So-Harmless Villain: The Liosan who appear in House of Chains are incompetent buffoons who provide comic relief in an otherwise grim book. However, come The Crippled God the Liosan serve as part of the Big Bad Dumvirate and are responsible for deaths of many sympathetic characters.
  • We Have Reserves: The Liosan employ this during the battle on the First Shore, with waves of conscripts being sent through before the elite legions.

    Osserc 

Osserc

Eldest son of Father Light, and ruler of the Tiste Liosan, Osseric was the counterpart, rival, and former companion of Anomander Rake. The Champion of High House Light, worshipped as a god by the Tiste Liosan, and a famed figure within the Malazan mythos, Osseric has long since withdrawn from the world and has no desire to interact with it.

    High Mage L'oric 

High Mage L'oric

Osseric's son by an unnamed Ascendent, and a powerful mage in his own right. He becomes involved in the Apocalypse Army's plans, though prefers to avoid fighting.
  • The Archmage: One of three High Mages in the Apocalypse Army.
  • Defector from Decadence: L'oric doesn't seem to have much to do with other Tiste Liosan.
  • In Harm's Way: This is what L'oric's explanation boils down to when asked by Heboric for his reasons to remain with the Whirlwind Rebellion. Of course, there's more to it.

    Aparal Forge 

Aparal Forge

A Liosan living within the warren of Kurald Liosan, and the commander of its most elite legions.
  • Kick the Dog: He's usually a voice of reason to Kadagar Fant's bloodthirst, but he at one point succumbs to bloodlust by killing one of his own wounded men for refusing to give him a detailed account of the number of the surviving Shake.
  • Mutual Kill: He is the one who finally takes down Yedan Derryg, at the cost of his own life.
  • Noble Top Enforcer: He finds Kadagar Fant's callous use of We Have Reserves both appaling and tactically unsound, and is trusted highly enough that he is the only one of the Liosan capable of criticizing him without automatically being branded a tratior. Unfortunately, his advice is disregarded.
  • Voluntary Shapeshifting: He drinks the blood of the Eleint Kessobahn, becoming a Soletaken in the process.

    Kadagar Fant 

Kadagar Fant

The leader of the remnants of the Liosan's civilization within their home warren.
  • Evil Overlord: A bloodthirsty and power-hungry man, Kadagar Fant orders mass executions of his own people for defying his rule and creates an army of conscripts from the survivors whose lives he throws away assaulting the First Shore in an attempt to take Kharkanas.
  • Eye Scream: His death at the hands of Korlat sees her stab him in the eye.
  • General Failure: His tactics of initially assaulting the First Shore with poorly trained conscripts and only after great losses sending in his elite troops results in the Shake and Letherii — who he could have easily swept aside with his elite legions — becoming battle-hardened and determined enough to hold out for the arrival of the Andii, who kill him and wipe his army out to a man.
  • Villains Want Mercy: Upon his deafeat, he requests to be made a hostage in accordance with ancient Tiste customs. Korlat has none of it.
  • Voluntary Shapeshifting: He has drunk the blood of the Eleint Kessobahn, making him a Soletaken.

Tiste Edur

    Tiste Edur in General 
Trull Sengar: 'Our denial is wilful, our studied indifference conveniently self-serving to our basest desires. We are a long-lived people who now kneel before short-term interests —'
House of Chains

The Tiste Edur are one of the three Tiste peoples originally alien to the series' main Realm. They are considered the Children of Shadow, the unwelcome product of a conjoining of Dark and Light, and thus looked down upon by both the Tiste Andii and the Tiste Liosan. After a civil war that shattered their home realm, they fled Kurald Emurlahn under the leadership of Scabandari Bloodeye, whom they now worship as Father Shadow, and — after defeating the locally settled K'Chain Che'Malle — settled on the continent of Lether. Due to a distortion of the history of this event, they now consider themselves to be the victims of a betrayal by Silchas Ruin and his Tiste Andii followers.
  • Barbarian Longhair: The Tiste Edur, especially the warriors, let their hair grow long and are variously described as barbaric looking to others.
  • Braids of Barbarism: Their Barbarian Longhair often takes the form of this, and when a warrior is cast out completely, he is Shorn — that is, his hair is shaved off and the scalp treated with an unguent that prevents it from ever growing back.
  • Braids, Beads and Buckskins: Braids, Shells and Sealskins, more precisely, as the Edur live in the northern climate and near the coast, but they are the closest thing the series has to a Native American Fantasy Counterpart Culture.
  • Blind Obedience: They blindly follow their traditions, and as a consequence whoever is in charge. Also, Father Shadow can do no wrong, but unfortunately, he's not around anymore.
  • Blood Knight: Prone to becoming this due to inborn blood lust.
  • Casting a Shadow: While Kurald Emurlahn has been shattered and sealed, thanks to Shadow being its own elemental force the Tiste Edur retain some access to their shadow-themed magic.
  • Colour-Coded for Your Convenience: Grey-skinned, in contrast to the midnight-skinned Tiste Andii and porcelain-skinned Tiste Liosan.
  • Conditioned to Accept Horror: Most Edur eventually become this during the course of the story, as they have nowhere else to go and speaking up is no good idea. It helps, of course, that they are naturally inclined to blood lust.
  • Culture Justifies Anything: Deconstructed. Slavery, Aggressive Categorism, looking down on others because of their place in that society, others falling by the wayside, it's all Inherent in the System. It's usually subdued, but as Udinaas remarks on several occasions, all's well only until someone does something wrong, and the Edur are like from their neighbouring Letherii.
  • Have You Seen My God?: Depending on the point of view, Father Shadow either disappeared or abandoned his children. Of course, while some know where his body can be found, that does not account for his soul.
  • Proud Warrior Race Guy: Again, deconstructed. Pretty much every Tiste Edur point-of-view character shows what this can do to people, whether they buy into it, e.g. Fear Sengar, or not, e.g. Trull Sengar.
  • Trapped in Villainy: Thanks to their rigid social structure, the Tiste Edur become this after Rhulad Sengar proclaims himself Emperor. Some like it, others less so.
  • Women's Mysteries: The women are the ones who keep the true records of their history, while the warriors get watered down and diluted versions. This is deconstructed by the reader being aware of what really happened from the beginning of the book, and by how irrelevant their secret knowledge eventually is. Shurq Elalle points out in Reaper's Gale how Tiste Edur women seem to be "completely useless mystics of some sort".

    Scabandari Bloodeye 

Scabandari Bloodeye

Silchas Ruin: 'You cannot see yourself, but I give you this name, for the blood that now stains your... vision.'
Midnight Tides

Also known as Father Shadow to the Tiste Edur and Scara Bandaris to those who know him from times past, Scabandari is the Tiste Edur one-time leader and, briefly, king. He led the Tiste exodus from Kurald Galain and Kurald Emurlahn in the company of Silchas Ruin. Coming to a new world, Scabandari betrayed Silchas, and was himself slain by the Elder Gods Kilmandaros and Mael for his crime of causing the sundering of the very realm he then fled from.
  • Badass Cape: When he is introduced in Midnight Tides, Scabandari is wearing the scaled hide of a K'Chain Che'Malle Matron as a cape. It is so freshly acquiered that is still glistens with the Matron's natural oils.
  • Deity of Human Origin: Zig-zagged. The Tiste Edur worship their former king Scabandari Bloodeye, who in turn used to be a simple captain in Urusander's Legion, as "Father Shadow". However, his official status as of the start of the main series is "lost" and in fact, it is questionable whether he ever truly was a god or is simply venerated as such by the Tiste Edur, even though deities of mortal origin are not uncommon in that world. Due to his soul being trapped in a Finnest he is unable to answer his worshippers whether he wants to or not.
  • Fame Through Infamy: Scabandari is best known for causing Andarist so much grief that the latter surrendered himself completely, and for being instrumental in the sundering of Kurald Emurlahn, from which he then heroically led his followers to another world. In the prologue of Midnight Tides he is shown to relish in that first infamy but being unhappy about how Silchas Ruin calls him out on the second. Played With when the prequel trilogy reveals that Scabandari had never betrayed Andarist, meaning he used his supposed involvement in that incident to bolster his reputation as a miscreant.
  • Hoist by His Own Petard: He wanted to get rid of any competition in the realm he and his followers had just invaded and made sure Silchas Ruin was out of the picture, at which point several Elder Gods decide that Scabandari's betrayal and destruction of Kurald Emurlahn is too dangerous a precendent and he needs to be taken out of the picture.
  • I Can Rule Alone: While there seem to have been no deals made between Scabandari and Silchas Ruin regarding what they would do after conquering the new world they came to, Scabandari reasons that in due time there would be conflict between their people. As he puts it: "One must rule. Two cannot." Nothing Personal, though. Silchas surely would enjoy eternal imprisonment.
  • Icy Blue Eyes: The first time his draconic form is described, it is mentioned how his eyes are ice-blue, which is highly unusual for a Tiste Edur. Since in that same scene he knifes his best friend In the Back to secure an advantage for his own followers it becomes pretty obvious where Scabandari's priorities lie.
  • Karmic Death: Scabandari betrays his closest ally and friend Silchas Ruin by knifing him in the back and has him buried alive within the grounds of an Azath Tower. He is then hunted down by a couple of Elder Gods, has his skull punched in by Kilmandaros and his soul caught within a Finnest in the form of a dagger, where it remains for a couple millenia. That dagger is then used by none other than Silchas Ruin as a power source to create a new Azath Tower.
  • Meaningful Rename: Silchas Ruin gives Scabandari the name "Bloodeye" while the latter boasts about how no one can oppose them in this new world. Silchas explains how that's due to the blood that now stains Scabandari's vision, implying there's more to it than just the battle they just fought, and Scabandari certainly has left a trail of blood and devastation behind. He is not too pleased with his new name, but nonetheless proceeds to knife Silchas in the back, leading many readers to suspect that Silchas knew of the coming betrayal.
  • Nothing Personal: After knifing Silchas Ruin in the back, Scabandari takes care to explain that it's not personal, just the way things are, and since there cannot be two people as powerful as they are or there would be conflict eventually, he's going to take the preemptive measure of removing Silchas from the picture.
  • Physical God: Zig-zagged. The Tiste Edur worship Scabandari as Father Shadow, along the lines of the Tiste Andii worshipping Mother Dark and the Tiste Liosan worshipping Father Light, both of whom are actual deities, making Scabandari a Deity of Human Origin. However, since he is physically dead and his soul locked away in a Finnest by the start of the main series, it is unknown whether he was already a god during his lifetime rather than "just" the king of the Tiste Edur or only came to be worshipped after his death. The fact that he could be killed means little, since it was the doing of two Elder Gods and an Ascendant.
  • Posthumous Character: Scabandari is only actually shown in the prologues of Midnight Tides and Reaper's Gale, both of which detail the story of his demise, and is otherwise only present by being the Tiste Edur's lost Father Shadow. Despite his being absent, his actions during his lifetime have huge repercussions on large chunks of the aforementioned books and inform both the situation of the continent of Lether and Silchas Ruin's story, as well as being a motivation for Fear Sengar's quest in Reaper's Gale.
  • Soul Jar: When his physical body is killed, Scabandari's soul is caught and stored in a Finnest by Gothos to prevent it from roaming free considering that nothing dead ever truly goes away on Lether. The Finnest itself has the form of a dagger and is eventually used to supply energy to a new Azath Tower.
  • The Usurper: The dragon Eloth claims that Scabandari murdered the royal line of the Tiste Edur, then made himself their prince/king, even though his reign was short considering Kurald Emulahn was torn apart soon after. Although he is actually responsible for that happening by — again according to Eloth — spilling draconean blood in the heart of the realm. He did come 'round fast, though, and led his people out of the sundered realm.
  • Voluntary Shapeshifting: Like the other Eleint Soletaken, Scabandari gained the ability to shapeshift into a dragon by drinking a dagon's blood. His form is that of a vast, iron-hued dragon with Icy Blue Eyes.
  • Warrior Prince: Scabandari is a soldier turned king. When the need arises, he does lead the Tiste Edur into battle despite having little other kingly traits. In the prologue of Midnight Tides, he takes on the K'Chain Che'Malle flying fortresses together with Silchas Ruin in their draconean forms while the foot soldiers go against the groudn troops.

    Hannan Mosag 

Hannan Mosag

Fear Sengar: 'He seeks power, brothers. He needs power, and he cares nothing for its provenance, nor its taint.'
Midnight Tides

The Warlock King of the Hiroth, who has achieved the unification of the Tiste Edur tribes and whose motives are anything but clear. He enters a pact with the Crippled God, yet the Crippled God turns out to have his own motives.

    Fear Sengar 

Fear Sengar

First son of the Sengar family.
  • Aloof Big Brother
  • The Ace: How his family saw him.
  • Big Brother Mentor: To all of his brothers, but especially towards Trull.
  • Honor Before Reason: After having lost his betrothed to Rhulad because he had not the guts to speak up, he latches onto Seren Pedac in a desperate attempt to protect her despite everyone's conviction that Trull is already dead anyway.
  • Hypocrite: He is determined to murder Udinaas for abandoning Rhulad during the finale of Midnight Tides despite the fact that he himself did the same thing, and that, having been in the position due to his enslavement, Udinaas had a far more legitimate reason to do so.
    Mitigating circumstances did not alter his intransigence, his harsh sense of right and wrong which did not, it appeared, extend to his own actions (...).
  • Kick the Dog: Towards Udinaas in Reaper's Gale, repeatedly, stemming from his unrepentant slaveholder's beliefs.
  • Long-Haired Pretty Boy
  • Master Swordsman: Fear Sengar becomes his tribe's Weapons Master based on his skill with the sword and, at the start of Midnight Tides, he is said to have won the most trophies among his tribe in the Unification Wars (and since wars among the Tiste Edur are highly ritualised, skill does matter more than in any other given war).
  • The Stoic: His emotions are all subtle and bottled up, but when they do show they are so subtle, only Trull seems to be aware of them, and even he does not notice the really deeply hidden ones.

    Trull Sengar 

Trull Sengar

Fear Sengar: 'There is reluctance in you, Trull. You hide it well enough, but I can see where others cannot. You are a warrior who would rather not fight.'
Midnight Tides

Trull Sengar is the second of the four sons of the Sengar family. He is a skilled warrior, vastly preferring the spear over the sword, but lacks the inclination towards blood lust most Tiste Edur share. His intelligence and compassion puts him at odds with what the Tiste Edur become and eventually sees him exiled.
  • Aggressive Categorism: A much milder version than most Tiste Edur, but at the start of Midnight Tides Trull still categorically dismisses Rhulad because the latter is 'an unblooded pup', remarks how Ahlrada Ahn has risen above his heritage despite being the son of a Tiste Andii slave and has serious trouble reconciling Udinaas' intelligence and his being a slave. He gets better.
  • Beware the Quiet Ones: In Midnight Tides, Trull lets Canarth talk smack about him all he wants, but when Canarth accuses Ahlrada Ahn — whom Trull admires — of being a betrayer, Trull finally snaps. He challenges Canarth to a duel and disposes of him in a matter of seconds.
  • Big Brother Worship: At the end of Reaper's Gale, Trull's point of view narration calls Fear Sengar, his elder brother who trained him in combat, the god of his childhood. And even early on in Midnight Tides Trull thinks that while he himself did well in the War of Unification, it is only right and proper that his older brother Fear can boast even more trophies.
  • Brutal Honesty: One of Trull's defining character traits, as he seems unable to lie or pretend whether he wants to or not. He cannot keep himself from voicing his suspicions and asking inconvenient questions. Lilac even uses that to deceive him, as he rightfully assumes that Trull, who does not lie, would not suspect others to lie, either.
  • Cosmic Plaything: Trull Sengar who has to watch his entire people, family and life get destroyed and turned upside down, only to then get kicked around and used by the Powers That Be. He knows it and cannot even do anything against it. At the end he even dies because a god can't help himself but nudge fate as is his nature and Trull gets stabbed by a thug while standing above the corpse of his dead brother.
  • Despair Event Horizon: Reaches it in Midnight Tides when he realises with finality that whatever happened cannot be undone and the Tiste Edur have changed irreversibly — but he himself hasn't.
  • The Ditherer: Results from his constant doubts. He can't seem to be able to make up his mind about Rhulad, what to about the events that swap his people away and later about what to do with his life, so he ends up just floating from one conflict he as nothing to do with to the next.
  • Dropped a Bridge on Him: Trull Sengar — a major point of view character for several books — is unceremoniously knifed in the back by a random thug and some unprecedented meddling from the God of Fate within pages of having completed his epic journey to return to his family, save his people and meet his Love Interest again.
  • The Exile: The Shorning. The tipping point is when he leaves Rhulad lying bleeding and incapacitated on the floor, instead of killing him so he can be resurrected. When he returns to the throne room to try and reason with Rhulad, he is taken into custody and, some time later, chained in the Nascent to die slowly. The Shorning also means that as far as the Tiste Edur are concerned, his parents had one child less, and just speaking his name can get one sentenced to death.
  • Fatal Flaw: His Brutal Honesty, which causes him to be exiled and lose everything he cared for.
    Trull: I was ever the worrier. I do not see too much, I see only the wrong things. And so the fault is mine, within me. I need to remain mindful of that.
  • Heroic Self-Deprecation:
    Onrack: 'It is your way, my friend, to disarm your own achievements.'
    Trull Sengar: 'Onrack —'
    Quick Ben: 'He's calling you modest, Edur. And don't bother denying the truth of that — you still manage to startle me on that count.'
  • Interspecies Friendship: With Onrack the Broken, a T'lan Imass. Cotillion even remarks in The Bonehunters how unlike it is to see a Tiste Edur and a T'lan Imass become friends.
  • Interspecies Romance: In Midnight Tides, Trull Sengar, a Tiste Edur, falls madly in love with the human woman Seren Pedac, who reciprocates, but sees little point in showing that, considering their two peoples are at war. They become technically engaged but pretend it's nothing because both think they'll never see the other gain. They do eventually hook up in a later book, but Trull dies immediately after.
  • Long-Haired Pretty Boy: He was this, according to Seren Pedac, prior to his permanent Traumatic Haircut in the prologue of House of Chains, which also gives him a..
  • Mark of Shame: Among the Tiste Edur those that are cast out are marked with a scar shaped like a slashed-in-half circle on the forehead and the outcast's hair is removed permanently. Trull Sengar is marked thus in the prologue of House of Chains.
  • The Power of Friendship: With Onrack, who frees Trull from his chains in the Nascent on a whim. Onrack serves as a means for Trull to keep despair at bay, while Onrack learns anew what it's like to feel emotions and have someone care for him.
  • Reluctant Warrior: In contrast to the Blood Knight tendencies of the Tiste Edur. Fear even calls him that. It's not that Trull would not fight when needed, and he's one of his tribe's best warriors, but he vastly prefers to not brag about it, which causes others to see him as a coward.
  • Single-Target Sexuality: Trull Sengar never exhibits any inclination for anyone until meeting Seren Pedac in Midnight Tides. It's so obvious everyone except himself knows immediately. Deconstructed when it is revealed that Seren Pedac is a latent mage who has likely been influencing the minds of people around her in her favour unwillingly and had just prior to Trull falling in love with her expressed her interest in him.
  • Tranquil Fury: Best seen in his duel against Canarth in Midnight Tides, where he efficiently disposes of Canarth in a matter of seconds, although afterwards Trull admits his anger dissipated the moment he had Canarth on the ground.
  • Traumatic Haircut: It's a part of the Shorning procedure, which includes having his head shaved and magically treated so that the hair will never grow back. It's a sign of being permanently exiled from Tiste Edur society.
  • Trauma Button: A whole parade of them; anything that reminds him of what happened pre (and including) his Shorning, but especially anything that reminds him of Seren Pedac and his family.
  • Weapon Specialization: His spear is his favourite weapon. Trull even uses it in close combat, despite having a sword as well. Whenever he is not lugging a spear around, someone remarks on how something must have happened.

    Binadas Sengar 

Binadas Sengar

Hannan Mosag: 'I understand that Binadas wanders once more. He knows no anchor, does he?'
Midnight Tides

Binadas is the Sengar family's third son and the only one with a talent for sorcery. He is said to rival the Warlock King in power.
  • Dreadlock Warrior: Binadas' hairstyle is explicitly described as short dreadlocks when he first is introduced in Midnight Tides and Seren Pedac sums him up as 'A hunter. A killer.'
  • Hunter Trapper: The way he makes sure he is respected in the warrior society of the Edur, as he brings home trophies as proof of his hunting feats.
  • Killed Off for Real: On a quest to find Trull, Binadas is killed by Karsa Orlong in House of Chains even before he is properly introduced, while commanding the ship Karsa Orlong and Torvald Nom come across in the Nascent.
  • Magic Knight: The only one of the Sengar brothers who inherited their mother's talent for sorcery.
  • Mountain Man: Prefers to spend his time in the mountains and forests instead of the village.
  • The Quiet One:
    His brother shrugged, ever reluctant to surrender his reserve, his mindful silence. [...]
  • Sworn Brothers: Binadas has 'cut flesh' for Hull Beddict, and vice versa, making them blood brothers.
  • We Hardly Knew Ye: An interesting case, because he is killed even before he is introduced, then is introduced in Trull's backstory without any connection to the ship he eventually dies on, and only even later is the connection between the Tiste Edur captain Karsa killed and Binadas Sengar made.

    Rhulad Sengar 

Rhulad Sengar

... see High House Chains

    Tomad Sengar 

Tomad Sengar

Patriarch of the Sengar family.

    Uruth 

Uruth

Matriarch of the Sengar family.
  • Almighty Mom
  • Brutal Honesty
  • Women's Mysteries: Uruth is one of the principal magic-users of her tribe and also a leading figure among the tribe's women, who are responsible for keeping the secrets of the Tiste Edur's true history.

    Ahlrada Ahn 

Ahlrada Ahn

'Rise above? I suffered under no such compulsion, Trull Sengar. Before she died, my mother told me many secrets.'
Midnight Tides

A Tiste Edur who, like Trull Sengar, opposed the Wars of Unification. He is said to be the child of a slave from Bluerose, and thus a half-blood. Actually, Ahlrada Ahn is a full-blooded Tiste Andii who serves as a spy among the Tiste Edur.

  • Conveniently Unverifiable Cover Story: Child of a Bluerose slave. Has travelled far and wide and forged kinships with many Tiste Edur from the outlying tribes. Yeah.
  • Deep Cover Agent
  • Half-Breed Discrimination: Subverted. Trull assumes that's what Ahlrada has to deal with. Ahlrada tells him that he's quite proud of his heritage, thankyouverymuch.
  • Hates Everyone Equally: ..at least, every Tiste Edur. With one exception.
  • Hero-Worshipper: Ahlrada Ahn becomes so broken by the atrocities he's commited while in the company of the Tiste Edur he focuses all the good he still manages to see in the world on Trull Sengar, the only Tiste Edur warrior he ever respected and admired and who tried to befriend him but was rejected. Ahlrada Ahn comes to basically worship Trull Sengar, convinced that the latter is dead and he himself will be soon as well. When they unexpectedly meet again, Ahlrada has a mental breakdown in the midst of a battle and becomes utterly focused on getting Trull's attention and begging him for forgiveness. It does not end well.
  • Mole in Charge: Ahlrada eventually leads a company of Edur warriors during their forays into the territory of the First Throne.
  • Redemption Equals Death
  • Sour Outside, Sad Inside: Abrasive and cold towards everyone because he has to keep up his disguise. He later admits that he really wanted to be able to drop the act around Trull, the only Tiste Edur he ever admired, but thought it too much of a risk.
  • The Stoic
  • You Can't Go Home Again: This realisation serves as the point where he crosses the Despair Event Horizon, as all he has left is the wish to return home, to Bluerose. 'Home' is the last word he mutters before he dies.

    Kagamandra Tulas Shorn 

Kagamandra Tulas Shorn

Endest Silann: ...before the ones born of ashes lifted themselves up and took swords in hand. Esthala who dreamed of peace. Kagamandra Tulas Shorn, who did not.
Toll the Hounds
  • Bash Brothers: With Silchas Ruin.
  • Back from the Dead: Escaped Hood's realm while Death was otherwise occupied.
  • Determinator: In Forge of Darkness towards Faror Hend. Sharenas Ankhadu points out how idiotic that is.
  • Dracolich: Being undead and a Soletaken Eleint, Tulas can turn into an undead dragon.
  • Fluffy Tamer: There are the Hounds of Shadow, a pack of pony-sized vicious magical hounds, whom Tulas Shorn claims to have been the original master of. The prequel, the Kharkanas Trilogy, reveals how it happened: having been presented with a pack of half-wild wolf-shapeshifting pups as war tribute, Silchas Ruin thought it a good joke to dump them on his best friend and see what happens... Tulas Shorn proved to be quite skillful at handling them, to say the least.
  • The Quiet One:
    [...] Although such mockery had invariably faded when they had seen what had been achieved by this strange, quiet warrior with the Eleint-tainted eyes.
  • Shapeshifter
  • Shell-Shocked Veteran
  • Tragic Bromance: With Silchas Ruin. He says that Tulas' disappearance and presumed death devastated him, and their reunion in The Crippled God is almost tearful, between the slinging of insults. And then it's taken up a notch when, after fulfilling their mutual wish to fight side by side, Tulas dies for a second and final time.
  • The Undead
  • Voluntary Shapeshifting: An undead Soletaken dragon.

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