Hood was the God of Death and the King of High House Death.[6]
In Deadhouse Gates
During the Season of Rot, a priest of Hood covered in flies approached Heboric and Felisin Paran while they were chained together against a wall in Unta. The priest stopped before them and said "Secret...to show...now..." The flies suddenly scattered, revealing no man under the mass of flies and startling the guards and other prisoners. Felisin later wondered, "Was that Hood himself? Had the Lord of Death come to walk among mortals? And why stand before a once-priest of Fener — what was the message behind the revelation?"[7]
In Memories of Ice
Hood was an enemy of the Crippled God and actively worked to subvert his schemes. After the Fallen One lashed Burn with chains of poison, the goddess gave Caladan Brood a hammer forged from her power to shatter her prison. Hood was among those Gods and Ascendants who agreed that Brood should not use the hammer, which would end all life on the planet in the process. The others in agreement were Anomander Rake and the Queen of Dreams.[8]
As the Pannion Domin hordes descended on Capustan, Hood grew concerned and more actively opposed the Crippled God's machinations. He sent Gethol, his Herald, to the city to meet with Brukhalian, Mortal Sword of Fener and leader of the Grey Swords. Claiming brotherhood with the waning boar god, he offered the mercenaries protecting Capustan free passage by Warren to escape their inevitable doom. Additionally, he offered himself as their new patron. Brukhalian violently rejected the offer, striking Gethol with his sword.[9] Afterwards, Hood discarded Gethol from his service.[10]
Hood also made an unspecified bargain with Trake, who ascended to true godhood to assume the title of God of War from the fallen Fener. For his part of the bargain, Trake was to deliver souls to Hood's gate. The Tiger of Summer chose the caravan guard, Gruntle, to be his Mortal Sword and many Pannion soldiers were slain at the Siege of Capustan.[11] What Trake received in return was unclear, although the First Hero somehow avoided his own journey to Hood's gate at his own death shortly before attaining godhood.[12]
The Barghast gods offered the Quick Ben the use of their servant, Talamandas, to protect the Bridgeburner Mage from the infection of the Warrens. Suspecting a ruse, Quick Ben discovered that the Sticksnare's protection actually came from Hood. The mage forcibly summoned Hood and impelled him to confess his deal with the Barghast. Hood angrily demanded that Ganoes Paran, as the newly named Master of the Deck, deny the legitimacy of the House of Chains. He warned that Poliel, Mowri, and others flocked to take positions within the new House. Quick Ben eventually released him under the condition that the God relinquish his hold on Talamandas when the time came. As Hood departed, he threatened that one day Quick Ben would one day be his.[13]
Silverfox reached an agreement with Hood to take care of her dying mother, the Mhybe. Hood agreed to send his Knight of Death to Capustan to inter the Mhybe within his temple. She would not pass on to Hood's gate but instead sleep eternally while living within a dream in the Warren of Tellann. K'rul was astonished by Hood's generosity.[14][15]
Hood also "hit back hard" against the infection of the Warrens to clear a space and allow his magic to be used at the Siege of Coral. The Bridgeburner mage, Toes, used Hood's Warren in the battle which saw the Crippled God's servant, the Pannion Seer, defeated by the Malazan alliance.[16]
In Toll the Hounds
Toll the Hounds.
Hood's appearance was that of an ancient Jaghut with yellow tusks and pitted eyes. One of his withered hands was missing two fingers.[17]
Hood was killed by Anomander Rake with Dragnipur, cheating Traveller of his revenge against the God of Death.
Hood helped the prisoners in Dragnipur to battle the forces of Chaos by summoning all the dead from his realm. After Caladan Brood destroyed Dragnipur, Whiskeyjack and the Bridgeburners ascended and took on the role as Guardians of High House Death.In Dust of Dreams
Hood returned to his frozen body, which was encased upon the Ice Throne, in front of his army of Jaghut. He knelt before them and asked for penance for his ancient betrayal.
In The Crippled God
He was revealed as the force helping Felash wield Omtose Phellack aboard The Undying Gratitude. When he appeared before a shipwrecked Shurq Elalle and company as they faced Sister Equity, Hood bit the face off the pure blood Forkrul Assail and led Shurq's remaining crew to the Battle of the Spire.
With his power over Omtose Phellack, he froze the harbor of the Spire and destroyed the Assail, Kolansii and Perish warships anchored there, and created a glacial path up the Spire to the heart of the Crippled God. He personally slew Sister Reverence and freed the heart of the Crippled God.
In Return of the Crimson Guard
Hood spoke to Dessembrae in the aftermath of the Battle of the Plains through the skull of a battlefield casualty. Dessembrae was bearing witness to a fallen soldier, likely Ullen Khadeve, whose potential for greatness had been squandered in death. Dessembrae told Hood that he no longer had any expectations of death. To ask its purpose was to "impose expectations on mute existence--expectations it is in no way obliged to meet or even extend. And so I make no more, ask no more." A surprised Hood departed and Dessembrae promised he and Hood would speak again.[18]
In Forge of Darkness
Hood had a wife called Karish and a brother called Haut.[19] Hood was kept chained in a cell in the Tower of Hate[20] by Gothos in order to stop him from taking vengeance on Errastas and Sechul Lath after they murdered Karish.[21] Gothos allowed Draconus to free Hood, but warned that Hood would declare a war on Death itself.[22]
Tens of thousands answered Hood's call to this impossible war, among them Jaghut, Imass and Thel Akai.[23]
Hood's Realm
It was held that the souls of the dead would go to Hood's realm via Hood's Gate,[24] also referred to as Death's Gate.[25]
The area in front of Hood's Gate was described as a flat plain which was neither grass nor earth. The bright yellow glare of the sky did not originate from a sun, it was sourceless and the atmosphere was hot. The Gate itself was composed of naked human peat bog bodies with blackened flesh, animated and moaning.[26]
On rare occasions, the dead were accompanied to the gate by Hood in person, as was the case with Beak[27] and Toc the Younger, whereas at other times, there was a Gatekeeper.[28] Later in the series, the ascended Bridgeburners became Guardians of the Gate and their leader, the former Whiskeyjack, told Kalyth that they were, or would become, the new arbiters for as long as necessary.[29]
Once through the Gate, Toc the Younger speculated it was up to Hood or one of his minions to decide what to do with the soul, if anything.[30]
Worship
- "The dead do not sleep. While the living do not live."
- ―Words from Hood's temple
According to Lady Envy, Hood's host of holidays and celebrations were notable for their "swarming flies, blood-covered acolytes, cackling crows and faces stained with the ash from cremations".[30]
One way of appealing to the God of Death was to let blood in Hood's bowl and call upon the shades of one's ancestors.[31]
Capemoths were Hood's symbol in Seven Cities and carved on his temple in Aren.[32]
Trivia
It was stated by Equity, shortly before her death, that Hood was extremely powerful, even before claiming the Throne of Death, that he could have been an Elder God. She also hinted that Hood might have betrayed his followers during the Jaghut war on death. This was hinted at several other times, though the exact nature of the betrayal was not made clear. It is possible that many felt he had betrayed his followers by taking the Throne of Death, however Equity's phrasing seems to point at something more active, and later Hood remarked that he cheated death by taking its throne.
Expressions
The Malazan series contained many exclamations which referred to Hood:
- "Hood's balls on a skillet"[33]
- "Hood's Bones"[34]
- "Hood's Breath"[35]
- "Hood's Curse"[36]
- "Hood's pecker"[37]
- "Hood's litany"[38]
- "In Hood's name"[39]
Speculation
His name may have been Aimanan Hood as that name is listed in the appendix of The Crippled God. It is likely however, that that was a type setting mistake as in the Dramatis Personae of The Crippled God, Aimanan and Hood are mentioned separately in the list of the fourteen Jaghut. From a timeline point of view it seems unlikely as well as Hood climbs the Spire whilst the fourteen are fighting.[40] The final scene with the Jaghut also supports the notion that he was not with them during the fight.[41] The map of the Jaghut Odhan included with Forge of Darkness seems to prove that Hood and Aimanan were indeed separate characters. The map shows the towers of many of the fourteen Jaghut and Hood and Aimanan are noted as living in separate locations.
Notes and references
- ↑ Stonewielder, Chapter 9, US HC p.478
- ↑ Stonewielder, Chapter 2, US HC p.121
- ↑ Deadhouse Gates, Chapter 12, US HC p.309
- ↑ Fall of Light, Chapter 6
- ↑ Gardens of the Moon, Glossary, UK MMPB p.706
- ↑ Gardens of the Moon, Dramatis Personae
- ↑ Deadhouse Gates, Prologue
- ↑ Memories of Ice, Chapter 5
- ↑ Memories of Ice, Chapter 7
- ↑ Memories of Ice, Chapter 8
- ↑ Memories of Ice, Chapter 18, US SFBC p.656
- ↑ Memories of Ice, Chapter 7, US SFBC p.267
- ↑ Memories of Ice, Chapter 18, US SFBC p.654-657
- ↑ Memories of Ice, Chapter 21, US SFBC p.759-760
- ↑ Memories of Ice, Chapter 25, US SFBC p.955/960
- ↑ Memories of Ice, Chapter 24, US SFBC p.884
- ↑ Toll the Hounds, Chapter 21, US TPB p.712
- ↑ Return of the Crimson Guard, Epilogue, UK PB p.689-690
- ↑ Forge of Darkness, Chapter 8, UK MMPB p. 336
- ↑ Forge of Darkness, Chapter 11, UK MMPB p.461
- ↑ Forge of Darkness, Chapter 11, UK HC p.322
- ↑ Forge of Darkness, Chapter 16, UK HC p.521
- ↑ Forge of Darkness, Chapter 20, UK HC p.661
- ↑ Gardens of the Moon, Chapter 2, UK MMPB p.86
- ↑ Gardens of the Moon, Chapter 4, UK MMPB p.138
- ↑ Gardens of the Moon, Chapter 4, UK MMPB p.135/136
- ↑ Reaper's Gale, Chapter 22
- ↑ Gardens of the Moon, Chapter 4, UK MMPB p.137
- ↑ Dust of Dreams, Chapter 13, UK HC p.432-434
- ↑ 30.0 30.1 Memories of Ice, Chapter 9
- ↑ Gardens of the Moon, Chapter 2, UK MMPB p.85
- ↑ Deadhouse Gates, Chapter 7, UK MMPB p.286
- ↑ House of Chains, Chapter 26, UK MMPB p.997
- ↑ Gardens of the Moon, Chapter 4, UK MMPB p.147
- ↑ Gardens of the Moon, Prologue, UK MMPB p.5
- ↑ Gardens of the Moon, Chapter 2, UK MMPB p.90
- ↑ Reaper's Gale, Chapter 21, BCA edition p.688
- ↑ The Bonehunters, Chapter 2, UK MMPB p.113
- ↑ Memories of Ice, Chapter 25, UK MMPB p.1104
- ↑ The Crippled God, Chapter 23
- ↑ The Crippled God, Epilogue I