Faint was a shareholder in the Trygalle Trade Guild and part of Master Quell's caravan. She rode atop the carriage alongside their usual driver, Glanno Tarp.[1]
Faint had once been the object of the affections of Quip Younger, the owner of Quip's Bar in Darujhistan, long before anyone had heard of the Guild.[2] She loved Sweetest Sufferance. Glanno Tarp was sure Faint or Sweetest Sufferance would one day be his wife.[3]
She had a round face.[4] While travelling through the Warrens, she wore a scaled hauberk[2] and iron skullcap.[5]
In Toll the Hounds[]
Master Quell's latest Guild trip through the Warrens ended with a crash in Darujhistan outside Quip's Bar that sent shareholders sprawling.[6] Five shareholders had been killed during the journey, but that was just another day working for the Guild.[7] Faint followed the survivors (Master Quell, Glanno Tarp, Reccanto Ilk, and Sweetest Sufferance) into the bar to drink and recover.[6] Mappo Runt approached Master Quell about taking him to Lether where he planned to search for his friend, Icarium. The sorcerer agreed presuming they could fill the positions of the now understaffed crew. Consequently, Gruntle, Amby Bole, Jula Bole, and Precious Thimble were hired. Faint thought it cruel the way the Swamp witch played the two Bole brothers against each other in their attempts to gain her favour.[8]
The Guild carriage first passed into Hood's realm where they were unexpectedly overwhelmed by a hostile army of the dead. Unable to find the exit gate, Quell hastily brought them to a small tropical island (where it was realized their carriage had inadvertently picked up the undead Cartographer in its wake). The mage then returned to Hood's realm with Gruntle as his escort in an attempt to learn what was happening. They learned from the shade of Toc the Younger that Hood's realm was now sealed to the living. An undead dragon burst from the ground as Quell opened a return portal, following them back to the island before flying away.[9][10]
Master Quell took them off the island through Mael's realm, riding heaving waves amidst a furious storm that left Gruntle hanging on for dear life as Faint laughed at his terror.[11][12][13] Arriving at the shores of a southern Genabackis island, the carriage raced to the top of an immense wave to crash into a cliffside village before it could be dashed onto the rocks below. The carriage was shattered, sending driver Glanno Tarp, Cartographer, and the horses careening away. The shareholders found themselves in Reach of Woe, a community of Wreckers plagued by a curse that turned their young women into bloodthirsty Tralka Vonan. Three Tralka Vonan were awakened by the noise of the crash, forcing Mappo and the shareholders to barricade themselves in a tavern, while the villagers locked themselves in the tavern's basement. Faint guarded one of the tavern's windows alongside the Bole brothers. Gruntle killed two of the creatures, while Reccanto Ilk accidentally killed the other. Afterwards, Faint asked for volunteers to seek out Glanno Tarp, although she declined to join them. Gruntle, Amby, and Jula found the driver lying in a corral with his legs broken near Cartographer, who was still tied to a carriage wheel.[14][15]
Meanwhile Quell, Precious Thimble, and Mappo went to confer with the village Provost, Bedusk Pall Kovuss Agape, who they soon discovered was a Jaghut and the originator of the curse. After burying his wife years earlier, the Jaghut had been elected Provost by the village to ameliorate his grief. He soon fell in a love with a village girl who spurned his advances. In a rage, he placed a curse on the village that turned any woman of childbearing age who was without children into a Tralka Vonan. Recognising Faint, Precious Thimble, and Sweetest Sufferance were in danger, Quell allowed them to leave for the next village while the male shareholders repaired the carriage.[16][17]
The Provost's wife was not, in fact, dead. He had buried her alive near the cliff and she had been freed from her "grave" when it collapsed into the sea. She emerged from the water determined to destroy the village of wreckers, who preyed on passing ships. Quell saw the opportunity to negotiate an end to the curse which was almost upended when Amby and Jula Bole attacked the woman. Despite her terrifying magic, they brought her down and pinned her until Gruntle bargained for peace. The Jaghut agreed, but the Boles had to be threatened with decapitation by Gruntle's swords. The Jaghut said the curse would end when her husband was dead and she stalked off to confront him.[18][19]
Makeshift repairs completed, the male shareholders retrieved their female colleagues, but the Jaghuts' sorcerous battle soon threatened to engulf the entire island. Cartographer drew a map in the dirt that would serve as a gate to allow them to quickly escape. With misgivings, Quell invested it with his power to activate it.[20] The gate brought them to the Warren inside Dragnipur where the army of Hood's dead fought a war with Chaos. Glanno slammed on the breaks sending Sweetest Sufferance rolling off like a bouncing ball while Faint landed facedown and spread-eagled. Sweetest had to carry the dazed woman back to the carriage, promising death to Glanno and Reccanto as they sniggered at the women. Quell immediately realised they had been duped as Hood chided Cartographer for being late. The god sent the Guild caravan away with Cartographer as their guide and Hood's Herald, Toc the Younger, following in their wake.[21] They were last shown passing through the primeval world where Picker's spirit was lost.[22]
In Dust of Dreams[]
She was among the survivors of the K'Chain Che'Malle ambush of the guild carriage in the Letherii wastes.
In The Crippled God[]
She was instrumental in saving Brys Beddict, nearly dying in the attempt. Amby Bole managed to drag her, Aranict and Brys back from the brink.
Notes and references[]
- ↑ Toll the Hounds, Chapter 7, US SFBC p.278
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Toll the Hounds, Chapter 3, US SFBC p.84
- ↑ Toll the Hounds, Chapter 13, US SFBC p.511
- ↑ Toll the Hounds, Chapter 13, US SFBC p.506
- ↑ Toll the Hounds, Chapter 13, US SFBC p.506
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Toll the Hounds, Chapter 3, US SFBC p.82-85
- ↑ Toll the Hounds, Chapter 7, US SFBC p.241
- ↑ Toll the Hounds, Chapter 7, US SFBC p.277-278
- ↑ Toll the Hounds, Chapter 13, US TPB p.415-417
- ↑ Toll the Hounds, Chapter 14, US TPB p.455-457
- ↑ Toll the Hounds, Chapter 13, US SFBC p.513-514
- ↑ Toll the Hounds, Chapter 14, US SFBC p.579-581
- ↑ Toll the Hounds, Chapter 16, US SFBC p.658-659
- ↑ Toll the Hounds, Chapter 16, US SFBC p.659-664
- ↑ Toll the Hounds, Chapter 18, US SFBC p.740-742
- ↑ Toll the Hounds, Chapter 18, US SFBC p.742-749
- ↑ Toll the Hounds, Chapter 20, US SFBC p.820-821
- ↑ Toll the Hounds, Chapter 18, US SFBC p.750-756
- ↑ Toll the Hounds, Chapter 20, US SFBC p.823
- ↑ Toll the Hounds, Chapter 20, US SFBC p.820-823
- ↑ Toll the Hounds, Chapter 24, US SFBC p.957-959
- ↑ Toll the Hounds, Chapter 24, US SFBC p.970