Queen Ardata (or Ardatha) [ar-DOT-tah][1] of Jacuruku, also named the Queen of Spiders, was an Elder God. She was the ancient goddess of a kingdom on Jacuruku, conquered by the Crimson Guard, who later ruled there in her name.
In Memories of Ice[]
Kallor mentioned in passing that she had been one of the rulers during his conquest of Jacuruku over 100,000 years before the events of Gardens of the Moon.[2]
- "Fifty years, dear rivals, to conquer an entire continent. Oh, perhaps Ardatha still held out - always late in sending me my rightful tribute - but I ignored such petty gestures. She has fled, did you know? The bitch."
- ―Kallor on Ardata
In The Bonehunters[]
Cotillion made a reference to Ardata when he was in conversation with Mogora after the latter had invoked a healing ritual, involving hundreds of thousands of spiders wrapping Mappo Runt in strands of spider web: "Cotillion was gazing steadily at her, then he said, 'You're one of Ardata's, aren't you?'"[3]
The ritual put Mappo into a dreamlike state in which he saw himself in a place he did not recognise. Tall stone pillars seemed to surround him in a pattern and their shadows formed a kind of web with him in the center. A young woman appeared, dressed in black flowing silks with long hair the colours of dying flames, eyes the hue of beaten gold, unblemished skin and smooth hands. She told him that the place was Jacuruku and that the time was four or five years after The Fall (presumably that of the Crippled God). She remarked upon her own appearance, noting herself to be young again. Asked about her identity she answered: ‘A queen about to be driven from her throne, banished from her empire. My vanity is about to suffer an ignominious defeat.’ Mappo deduced her identity and offered to name her, but she told him that it would not be wise to do so.[4]
The woman claimed to have learned the art of hiding since the Fall and was not inclined to give favours. As a result, she was not initially pleased with Mogora's ritual. She told Mappo that it was the Nameless Ones who had originally made Icarium so terrible in power and that they intended to use the Jhag for some unknown purpose. She concluded that countering the Nameless Ones must be why Shadowthrone showed a personal interest in Mappo and Icarium. She was offended that Shadowthrone assumed her allegiance in the matter and even more offended that he was right. As she sent Mappo back, she claimed Mappo's desire to find Icarium incited her to weep, something she recalled doing mostly out of self-pity when she was young.[5]
Spite later commented that Mappo had been healed by the Queen of Spiders.[6] All of which seems to indicate that the woman Mappo met was Ardata.
In Toll the Hounds[]
The priests of Burn in Darujhistan tried to paint Mappo Runt in the blood of Burn in order to allow him to travel through Burn's Gate, into the molten fires of the underworld. However spider web tattoos appeared etched on his dark brown hide from the time Mogora had healed him. The web "was proving a skein of resistance, a net trapping him on the inside and keeping out the blessed gift of the goddess." The High Priest of Burn commented, "The web that once healed you is proving most...selfish. Claiming you for its own--Ardatha never yields her prizes. She has snared you, for purposes unknown to any but her. She is most hateful, I think."[7][8]
In Dust of Dreams[]
Two other Elder Gods discussed the queen.
- Sechul Lath: "We have discussed K'rul, but there is one other, Errastas. An entity most skilled at remaining a mystery to us all-"
- Errastas: "Ardata. But she is not the only one. I always sensed, Setch, that there were more of us than any of us imagined. Even with my power, my command of the Tiles, I was convinced there were ghosts, hovering at the edge of my vision, my awareness. Ghosts, as ancient and as formidable as any of us."
- ―Sechul Lath and Errastas discussing Ardata[src]
In Return of the Crimson Guard[]
Ardata became the new patron of Skinner, enhancing his power. She gave him armour covered with a dark patina.[9]
In Orb Sceptre Throne[]
Tayschrenn mentioned that Ardata held the title of Enchantress before the current Queen of Dreams showed up and they were now bitter rivals. She was the greatest power of her age, eclipsed now in this time of Warrens and their mastery.[10]
In Blood and Bone[]
[Information needed]
In Forge of Darkness[]
Ardata was revealed to be an Azathanai. Old Man told Draconus that his usage of Night to aid Mother Dark of the Tiste was without precedent and had infuriated the "believers". Two such believers, Ardata and the Sister of Dreams, thereafter sought redress and healing in the Vitr.[11]
In Fall of Light[]
Fall of Light.
K'rul learned that the Gate of Starvald Demelain may have opened again near the Vitr. With Skillen Droe, he made his way toward the Vitr to investigate and seek allies. He heard that Ardata had approached the Vitr, and contemplated entering.[12]
K'rul enlisted Ardata to aid him in his creation of the Warrens. He offered the Eleint the use of his warrens if they would guard them against the Azathanai. Behind their backs, he asked Ardata to use her "webs" to ensnare the Eleint who aligned themselves with each warren. He believed this was necessary to prevent his new "guardians" from abandoning their mission. In exchange for her assistance, K'rul offered to lead Ardata to her lover, T'riss.[13]In Forge of the High Mage[]
At the time Malazan Emperor Kellanved sent his army and navy to conquer Falar, Skinner was already a year late to bring a contingent to the Guard's Red Fort in the Great Fenn Range to relieve Gwynn and Blues.[14] When it became clear that more than twenty thousand Malazan soldiers were passing through Eagle Summit Pass below the fort, Blues and Gwynn reached out to Skinner for reinforcements. Gwynn and Smoky struggled to use their magic to open communication with Skinner because a powerful aura shielded his location. When Skinner's image appeared before them, he was wearing a coat of fine dark mail with the tangled coils of a massive snake at his feet and other members of the Guard fighting in the jungle behind him. The irritated Skinner said he could not come to their aid because he was in the midst of a challenging contract in Jacuruku. He recommended they slay the Malazans on their own, then warned they must sever the connection as his new patroness did not suffer trespassers in her demesne. Blues caught a final glimpse of gigantic butterflies descending upon Skinner's soldiers before the connection was painfully cut off. The bleeding Gwynn concluded that Skinner's unnamed patron was Ardata, Witch Queen of Jacuruku.[15]
Notes and references[]
- ↑ Spoiler Talk: Blood and Bone with Ian C. Esslemont and Philip Chase - A Critical Dragon - As pronounced by Ian C. Esslemont at 49:00
- ↑ Memories of Ice, Prologue, UK MMPB p.38
- ↑ The Bonehunters, Chapter 9, UK MMPB p.512
- ↑ The Bonehunters, Chapter 11, UK MMPB p.555-557
- ↑ The Bonehunters, Chapter 11, US SFBC p.457-459
- ↑ The Bonehunters, Chapter 14, UK MMPB p.713
- ↑ Toll the Hounds, Chapter 5, US SFBC p.168-172
- ↑ Toll the Hounds, Chapter 7, US SFBC p.239-240
- ↑ Return of the Crimson Guard, Book 1 Chapter 5
- ↑ Orb Sceptre Throne, Chapter 17, UK MMPB p.662
- ↑ Forge of Darkness, Chapter 11, UK HC p.317
- ↑ Fall of Light, Chapter 12
- ↑ Fall of Light, Chapter 22
- ↑ Forge of the High Mage, Chapter 2, UK HC p.30
- ↑ Forge of the High Mage, Chapter 3, UK HC p.43-45