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Authors: Ian C. Esslemont
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Return of the Crimson Guard
RETURN OF THE CRIMSON GUARD
TOR BOOKS BY IAN C. ESSLEMONT
Night of Knives
Return of the Crimson Guard
CRIMSON GUARD
A NOVEL OF THE MALAZAN
EMPIRE
Ian C. Esslemont
A Tom Doherty Associates Book
New York
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and
events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author's
imagination or are used fictitiously.
RETURN OF THE CRIMSON GUARD
Copyright © 2008 by Ian Cameron Esslemont
Map by Neil Gower
Previously published in the UK in 2008 in a limited edition by PS Publishing
LLP and by Bantam Press, a division of Transworld Publishers.
All rights reserved.
A Tor Book
Published by Tom Doherty Associates, LLC
175 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10010
Tor® is a registered trademark of Tom Doherty Associates, LLC.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Esslemont, Ian C. (Ian Cameron)
Return of the Crimson Guard : a novel of the Malazan empire / Ian C.
Esslemont.—1st Tor ed.
p. cm.
“A Tom Doherty Associates book.”
ISBN 978-0-7653-2370-5 (hc)
ISBN 978-0-7653-2372-9 (tpb)
I. Title.
PS3605.S684R48 2010
813’.6—dc22
2009039509
First Tor Edition: April 2010
Printed in the United States of America
0 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
This novel is dedicated to the first Winnipeg gang of the
Treherne Room and the second of Rick's Place.
For all those afternoons and evenings honing the trade.
With gratitude I acknowledge Peter Crowther, who made this work possible; John Jarrold, who extended a great deal of faith; and Simon Taylor, whose encouragement and welcome meant, and continue to mean, more than he knows.
Thanks also to Bill Hunter and Chris for their early readings.
Gerri, Conor, Ross, and Callum: you give it meaning.
| IN UNTA | |
| Imperial High Command | |
| Laseen | Empress |
| High Fist Anand | Commander 4th Malazan Army (Quon Tali) |
| Havva Gulen | New Imperial High Mage |
| Korbolo Dom | High Fist and Sword of the Empire |
| Possum | Master of the Claw (the Imperial assassins) |
| Mallick Rel | Councillor and Assembly Representative |
| Unta Harbour Guard | |
| Atelen Tinsmith | Sergeant of squad |
| Rigit Hands | Corporal of squad |
| Nait | Squad saboteur |
| Heuk | A cadre mage |
| Honey Boy | Soldier |
| Least | Half-Barghast soldier |
| Others in Unta | |
| Coil | A Clawleader |
| Lady Batevari | A Seeress / Fortuneteller from Darujhistan |
| Oryan | A Seven Cities mage, bodyguard to Mallick Rel |
| Taya Radok | A dancing girl / assassin from Darujhistan |
| IN LI HENG | |
| Malazan Army | |
| Harmin Els D'Shil | A captain of the garrison |
| Gujran | A captain of the garrison |
| Banath | A sergeant of the garrison |
| Fallow | A healer of the garrison |
| Storo Matash's Squad | |
| Storo Matash | Captain of a saboteur company, 3rd veteran |
| Shaky | Ranking saboteur |
| Hurl | Saboteur |
| Sunny | Saboteur |
| Silk | Squad corporal and cadre mage |
| Jalor | A Seven Cities recruit |
| Rell | A Genabackan recruit |
| Civilians in Li Heng | |
| Magistrate Ehrlann | Member of the Ruling Council of Magistrates |
| Jamaer | Ehrlann's servant |
| Magistrate Plengyllen | Member of the Ruling Council of Magistrates |
| Liss | A city mage |
| Ahl | A city mage (with brothers Thai and Lar) |
| INCAWN | |
| Nevall Od'Orr | Chief Factor of Cawn |
| Groten | NevalPs bodyguard |
| ON THE SETI PLAINS | |
| Toc the Elder | Seti Warlord and Malazan ‘Old Guard’ |
| Wildman | Seti champion, also known as ‘the Boar’, Sweetgrass |
| Imotan | Shaman of the Jackal warrior society |
| Hipal | Shaman of the Ferret warrior society |
| Captain Moss | Malazan cavalry captain |
| Redden Brokeleg | Ataman (chieftain) of the Plains Lion Assembly |
| Ortal | Ataman (chieftain) of the Black Ferret Assembly |
| ON THE WICKAN FRONTIER | |
| Malazan Army | |
| Rillish Jal Keth | Lieutenant of the Malazan 4th Army |
| Chord | Company sergeant |
| Talia | Malazan veteran |
| Wickans | |
| Clearwater | A Wickan shaman |
| Nil | A Wickan warlock and veteran of the Seven Cities campaigns |
| Nether | A Wickan witch and veteran of the Seven Cities campaigns |
| Mane | A young Wickan warrior |
| Udep | A Wickan hetman (chieftain) |
| In the Pit | |
| Ho (Hothalar) | A Li Heng mage |
| Yathengar 'ul Amal | A Seven Cities priest (‘Faladan’) |
| Sessin | Yathengar's bodyguard |
| Grief | A new prisoner |
| Treat | A new prisoner |
| Devaleth | A Korelan sea-witch and new prisoner |
| Su | A Wickan witch |
| IN QUON TALI PROVINCE | |
| Ghelel Rhik Tayliin | Duchess, and last surviving member of the Tayliin family line |
| Amaron | Malazan Old Guard’, once commander of the Talons |
| Choss | Malazan Old Guard’, once High Fist |
| Marquis Jhardin | Commander of the Marchland Sentries |
| Prevost Razala | A cavalry captain |
| Molk | An agent of Amaron's |
| THE CRIMSON GUARD | |
| Surviving Named Avowed | |
| K'azz D'Avore | Commander, known by various titles |
| First Company | |
| Skinner | Captain |
| Mara | Company mage |
| Gwynn | Company mage |
| Petal | Company mage |
| Kalt | Lieutenant |
| Farese | |
| Hist | |
| Shijel | |
| Black the Lesser |
| Second Company | |
| Shimmer | Captain |
| Cowl | High Mage and Master of Assassins, ‘Veils’ |
| Stoop | Siegemaster of the Guard |
| Smoky | Company mage |
| Shellarr | ‘Shell’, company mage |
| Blues | Company mage and swordmaster |
| Fingers | Company mage |
| Opal | Company mage |
| Isha | Company assassin, ‘Veil’ |
| Keitil | Company assassin, ‘Veil’ |
| Cole | |
| Treat | |
| Dim | |
| Reed | |
| Amatt | |
| Sept | |
| Lazar | |
| Halfdan | |
| Lean | |
| Inese | |
| Turgal |
| Third Company | |
| Tarkhan | Captain and company assassin, ‘Veil’ |
| Lor-sinn | Company mage |
| Sour | Company mage |
| Toby | Company mage |
| Balkin | Company mage |
| Lacy | Company assassin, ‘Veil’ |
| Black | |
| Baker | |
| Janeth | |
| Slate | |
| Bower | |
| Lucky |
| Fourth Company | |
| Cal-Brinn | Captain and company mage |
| Iron Bars | |
| Jup Alat |
| Among the First Induction (recruitment) |
| Sergeant Trench |
| Corlo |
| Voss |
| Ambrose |
| Palla |
