Lady Simtal

Darujhistan

Lady Simtal was the owner of the Simtal Estate in Darujhistan. She was described as having long black hair which hung sleek and shiny to the small of her back when unpinned and possessed a curvy figure. Her eyebrows were pencilled.

In Gardens of the Moon

Around two years prior to events in Gardens of the Moon, Simtal had become the sole owner of the estate. She used her status and charm to entice men into her bed and gather power around her.

For the fifth night Simtal had been observed with a different man on a balcony of her house by Rallick Nom. This night it was Councilman Lim. Simtal and Lim were talking about politics with Simtal trying to ferret out information. Moments later, the councilman was assassinated by Nom who had originally intended to kill the Lady herself but under Oponn's influence switched targets at the last moment.

Simtal wanted her ex-husband dead and tried to persuade Turban Orr to perform the deed. The councilman however, did not want to commit himself. He later opened a contract with the Assassins' Guild that sent Ocelot to kill the man.

The final convergence of power in Gardens of the Moon took place at a party at her estate. Murillio persuaded Lady Orr to get him two invitations for Lady Simtal's Fête which were delivered to him by Lady Orr's most trusted hand-servant in bamboo tubes, tied with a blue ribbon.

During this party, she was lured away from the main gathering by Murillio then later confronted about her actions by Rallick Nom. As he left her chambers, Murillio left her a dagger with which she took her own life.

In Memories of Ice

Shortly before Simtal had destroyed Coll's life, she had informed him that she carried his child. Coll's subsequent prolonged state of drunkeness and supposed demise had prevented him from discovering if the claim was true. Murillio and Rallick Nom had kept tabs on Simtal during Coll's absence, but she disappeared from the public eye for several months while claiming to be in mourning. Murillio suspected a child had been born and sent away to be used as a bargaining chip later. Realising he was likely the father of a three-year-old child, Coll was determined to find it.

In Toll the Hounds

Hanut Orr made a hobby of compiling a list of those individuals he suspected of conspiring in the murder of his uncle, Turban Orr, as well as in the deaths of Ravyd Lim and Lady Simtal. When Hanut's friend, Gorlas Vidikas, encountered Murillio at the Eldra Iron Mongers mine, he recognised Murillio's name from the list, using it to maneuver the older man into a duel as a matter of honour. Murillio perished at Gorlas' hands. Later, Gorlas contemplated murdering Coll, thinking Lady Simtal's ghost might "stir awake at the man's last gasp, to howl her delight at this most perfect vengeance, this long-awaited conclusion to the vile treachery of her last fête."

History

Simtal had once been married to Councillor Coll. Before her marriage, she had been known as "Aystal" and according to Coll she had been a whore. Simtal schemed and succeeded in stripping Coll of his title and family name, taking his estate and money. Afterwards, he was thought dead in the eyes of Darujhistan society.

Trivia

Lady Simtal is another sign of authors Steven Erikson and Ian C. Esslemont's inspiration from the The Three Musketeers for the characters of Darujhistan. She is an homage to the character of Milady de Winter.

Notes and references

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