Malaz 14th Army

'Into the storm' by Corporal Nobbs

The Malaz 14th Army was commissioned in Aren in 1164 of Burn's Sleep under the command of Adjunct Tavore Paran. It was made up of three legions: the 8th, 9th and 10th Legions. Their objective was to defeat the armies of the Apocalypse and reconquer Seven Cities.

The 14th had a large number of untried recruits, half of them originated from Quon Tali.

Command of the 8th Legion was given to Fist Gamet, command of the 9th Legion was given to Fist Blistig and command of the 10th Legion was given to Fist Tene Baralta.

In House of Chains

During the first muster of the 14th, the interruption of the muster by Captain Keneb's adopted son Grub with a human longbone was taken as an ill omen. Upon Fiddler's suggestion, the sergeants turned the omen around by adopting pieces of human bone, stolen from a local cemetery as an accoutrement to their uniform. Tavore endorsed the veteran's idea and further bolstered it by incorporating a bone in the official standard.

After marching from Aren, the 14th met and were joined by the Khundryl Burned Tears, worshippers of Coltaine. Following various raids by the armies of the Whirlwind, the 14th then reached the borders of the holy desert Raraku. Tavore, making use of her Otataral sword, parted the magical whirlwind surrounding the desert, allowing the army to enter.

During his brief tenure as Captain, Ranal reorganised the squads, attaching the 9th, 11th, and 12th squads of medium infantry, as well as the heavies of the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd squads, to the marines of the 9th Company to form discreet fighting units. When Gamet returned to his position as Fist, he decided to leave the arrangements in place.

The Battle of Raraku was somewhat anticlimactic. Despite seemingly being outnumbered, the plan for the battle at the Pan'arak Oasis involved almost a third of the 14th to guard avenues of retreat for the enemy forces. On the eve of battle, a legion of ghosts decimated the Whirlwind troops and slew Korbolo Dom's Dogslayers. The next morning, Adjunct Tavore defeated Sha'ik in personal combat and Dom was delivered into the Malazan hands by Pearl and Lostara Yil. Taking charge, Leoman sent the Whirlwind remnants fleeing for Y'Ghatan. The 14th was only able to engage Leoman's retreating army in small skirmishes as the bulk of the Malazan troops had to climb to safety to avoid the sudden flooding of the Raraku desert. When Gamet was found dead in his bed, Keneb was officially promoted to Fist.

In The Bonehunters

The 14th Army slowly and carefully pursued the retreating Whirlwind Army through dust storms and difficult terrain. Feeling cheated of full vengeance and a final resolution against their enemy, the 14th was miserable and angry. Feuds and altercations broke out among an army that wanted blood.

A new contingent of recruits and officers joined the 14th during the march to Y'Ghatan. Adjunct Tavore launched the attack on Y'Ghatan by sending the army's sappers to breach the city's wall under the cover of night. First into the city were the marines, followed quickly by the heavy medium infantry. Once inside the city, the 14th became bogged down by ambushes from hidden groups of archers and swordsmen. When enough Malazans were engaged in street fighting, Leoman sprung his trap. The city's olive oil-soaked buildings were set alight and the streets quickly became an inferno.

The survivors of Y'Ghatan by Noah Bradley (Official image)

Of the nearly 3000 marines who had entered the city, some 791 escaped the fires through the intervention of Sinn and the army's other mages. The others were feared lost until some 40 soldiers managed to escape by crawling through the buried ruins of the old city. After Y'Ghatan, the 14th Army became known as "the Bonehunters" and the Seven Cities Rebellion was over.

Fearing the Bluetongue Plague sweeping the Seven Cities continent, the Bonehunters made a hasty march to the shore of the Kokakal Sea to rendezvous with Admiral Nok's fleet and return to Quon Tali. The fleet was attacked by the Third Edur Imperial Fleet, but the magic of Quick Ben, Bottle, and the Eres'al repelled the Edur's Chaos magic and allowed them to escape. Reaching the island kingdom of Sepik they discovered the Edur had slaughtered the entire Malazan population. The fleet continued on to the Catal Sea where they encountered thirty-one Thrones of War operated by the Perish Grey Helms who pledged their service to Adjunct Tavore. The Perish had spent two years preparing for the Bonehunters' arrival and opened a gate powerful enough to bring the entire fleet to the southwestern coast of Quon Tali, cutting a trip of months down to three days.

The fleet was diverted to Malaz City to report to the Empress, but Laseen betrayed the Bonehunters for political reasons. In a meeting with the Adjunct at Mock's Hold, the Empress demanded the army's Wickans be sacrificed as scapegoats for the Empire's difficulties in Seven Cities, but Adjunct Tavore refused. While the marines fought a magically incensed mob of citizens on the waterfront, Tavore, T'amber, and Kalam Mekhar fought their way back to the fleet. The Adjunct took the Bonehunters renegade to an uncertain future.

"My soldiers are more than just servers of your empire, they are something bigger."

―Steven Erikson on Tavore and the fate of the Bonehunters

In Reaper's Gale

4th Squad 9th Company 8th Legion by Corporal Nobbs

Adjunct Tavore was stricken by grief after T'amber's death at Malaz City and the Bonehunters were demoralised and near mutiny by the time the fleet reached Theft to reprovision. Lostara Yil stepped in to replace T'amber as Tavore's aide and manage the 8000 remaining soldiers. With Grub's help she commandeered Banaschar's stolen wealth from the temple of D'rek to pay for the soldiers' wages and supplies. She also reawakened the Adjunct's spirit in a night-long argument in the Adjunct's cabin. This led to Tavore's Speech to the army that defined the Bonehunters within the context of other storied Malazan armies and steeled them for the fight ahead. Despite being cast off by the Empress, they were still Malazan and Tavore held onto the title of Adjunct. They would following the Tiste Edur fleet that had ravaged Sepik back to Lether to invade the Letherii Empire to give answer. On the far side of the world, their deeds would be unwitnessed.

Tavore established a headquarters and resupply base on the island of Second Maiden Fort off the coast of Lether. She split her forces, with the marines going overland fighting a guerrilla war and the rest of the army following by ship to the capital at Letheras. The Khundryl Burned Tears and the Perish Grey Helms were sent to a place somewhere to the east only known by the Adjunct, where the 14th would join them after the capital's fall.

The burning fleet of the 14th off the coast of Lether, Interpretation by Spindrift

The 14th had seen profound changes during the year since departing Malaz City. Sorcery was established as primary means of communication and all squad mages were now able to perform certain rituals to affect camouflage, to swallow sound and confuse scent, indicating that Tavore had planned the invasion a long time ahead. In preparation of travelling and fighting at night, the marines had for the previous month gradually reversed their sleep cycle on board ship. The transport ships which had spread them across thirty leagues of coast, where burned after they had disembarked. The Marines moved forward into the Letherii countryside towards Letheras in isolated pairs of squads with orders to kill Edur by night and stir the occupied Letherii into rebellion. Fist Keneb followed in the rear with a larger force of six squads.

Invasion of Letheras by slaine69 left to right: Bottle, Corabb, Fiddler

Contrary to the Adjunct's expectations, the Letherii soldiers did not use the Malazan invasion to turn against their Edur occupiers. The marines further north saw intense action, and as they neared Letheras fighting became more desperate and their munition supplies dwindled. Hellian and Urb's squads earned the support of the Letherii slave and Indebted classes by changing tactics to slay the government officials, lawyers, and debt-holders in each village. The surviving squads of marines eventually converged in a village near Letheras. By the time Keneb's forces joined them, thousands of Edur followed in their wake, pushing the gathered Malazans towards the city where the Letherii Imperial Brigade awaited.

Caught between the two armies near the city walls, the 800 remaining marines were forced to huddle under Beak's protective spell when the Letherii mages cast a deadly ritual of Chaos upon them and the Edur. The spell was broken, but the hair of all those under Beak's protection turned white. The Edur abandoned the field after their allies' betrayal, and the shaken Imperial Brigade withdrew to meet Adjunct Tavore's more threatening main force as it was even then disembarking from the Lether River. Keneb marched on Letheras thinking the marines deserved to be the first to enter the capital.

The Adjunct's fleet made landfall near Letheras and at long last proved they knew how fight, defeating the Imperial Brigade with Kindly leading Blistig's infantry. But they had seen the massive release of enemy sorcery near Fist Keneb's reported position and believed the marines had been wiped out. Keneb's marines found a secret way under the city's walls, rushing some squads to secure the city's western gate while others fought a guerrilla war in the streets. Keneb sent word to Tavore for reinforcements while the City Garrison fought to retake the gate. The Adjunct accompanied the cavalry that rushed to Keneb's aid, while Blistig pushed the infantry hard, arriving at the city only two or three bells behind. Soon the City Garrison surrendered and the city fell. Adjunct Tavore left Blistig in charge of the army's main force while she took Keneb and the marines to the Eternal Domicile to learn of Emperor Rhulad Sengar's death.

The Adjunct later met with newly proclaimed Emperor Tehol Beddict to discuss terms of the Bonehunters' withdrawal.

In Dust of Dreams

'Hitting the Fan' by Corporal Nobbs and Grimhilde

The 14th were accompanied by a Letherii force led by Brys Beddict to the continent of Kolanse.

While en route through the Wastes, the army stumbled upon a group of K'Chain Nah'ruk who were searching for the last hive of K'Chain Che'Malle. The reptilians decided to eliminate the human forces as they were in the way. Following the events of Dust of Dreams, it was uncertain which members remained alive after the battle.

In The Crippled God

The remaining members of the army made the arduous trek across the Glass Desert with the objective of freeing Kaminsod.

Standard and sigil of the Bonehunters

Bonehunters sigil by Donnyh2

Adjunct Tavore arranged for a new standard for the 14th after the sergeants successfully turned a bad omen. The border of the standard was a woven braid of the imperial magenta and dark grey. On the yellow ochre panel, a grimy, thin-limbed figure held up a bone, the details in shades of dun colours were hardly visible, looking like a defiant figure standing before a sandstorm.

After the siege of Y'Ghatan, Tavore presented Faradan Sort and Sinn with a sigil which Bottle described as: "...in silver, a city wall over which rose ruby flames, and the sloped tel beneath that wall, a mass of gold human skulls. The echo of the Bridgeburners' old sigil was not accident – no, it was sheer genius. T'amber’s genius." This design was immediately much copied by the rest of the soldiers as handmade badges sewn on their cloaks in silver, crimson, and gold.

Bonehunters' motto

"Last in, looking around."

―Unofficial Bonehunters' motto
Nefarias Bredd

Roll call of the 14th

Spoiler warning: The following section contains significant plot details about The Bonehunters novel.

At the start of The Bonehunters

The following individuals were known members of the 14th army in the lead-up to the Last Siege of Y'Ghatan.

• Adjunct Tavore, commander
• T'amber, aide to Tavore

8th Legion

The 8th Legion consisted of nine companies.

• (Fist Gamet, commander of the 8th Legion - injured in earlier raid, then died at Raraku)
• Fist Keneb, promoted to acting Fist from Captain of the 9th Company to replace Gamet after the latter was injured. Briefly rescinded upon Gamet taking up the post again. After Gamet's death the position became permanent.

2nd Company

• Captain Kindly
  • Lieutenant Pores

9th Company

The 9th Company consisted of 24 squads: 3 squads of heavies, 3 squads of marines and 18 squads of medium infantry.

• (Captain Ranal promoted to Captain on the March to Raraku, he was formerly Lieutenant of the (4th, 5th and 6th squads). The promotion was rescinded when Gamet took up the mantle of Fist again. Died at Raraku).
• Captain Kindly briefly served as the 9th's captain (with Pores as lieutenant) after Raraku until the appointment of Faradan Sort.
• Captain Faradan Sort - joined the 14th as Captain during the march to Y'Ghatan
  • Lieutenant Madan'Tul Rada

1st, 2nd and 3rd Squads (heavy infantry) individual squad numbers unknown Sergeant Mosel's squad Sergeant Mosel (died YG) Corporal Harbyn (likely to have been in Mosel's squad (died YG) Flashwit Mayfly Taffo (died YG) Uru Hela Sergeant Sobelone's squad Sergeant Sobelone (died YG) Corporal Reem Bowl sapper(circumstantial evidence suggests he may have been in Sobelone's squad) (see Speculations on character's page) Hanno Toles (died YG) Sergeant Tugg's squad Sergeant Tugg (died YG) Robello (died YG) Named as heavies, sergeant un-clear Bellig Harn (named in later book as a heavy) Masan Gilani Saltlick Scant named in later book as a heavy, 8th Legion, 9th Company, so likely to have been under Sobelone or Tugg Shortnose

4th Squad (marines) Sergeant Fiddler Corporal Tarr Bottle, mage Cuttle, sapper Koryk Smiles 5th Squad (marines) Sergeant Gesler Corporal Stormy Pella (died YG) Sands Tavos Pond changed to Borduke's squad at some point before Y'Ghatan Truth (died YG) 6th Squad (marines) Sergeant Borduke (died YG) Corporal Hubb (died YG) Balgrid, squad mage Ibb (died YG) Lutes, squad healer Maybe, sapper Tavos Pond 7th Squad (7th through to 24th squad were medium infantry) Sergeant Cord Corporal Shard Bell (died YG) Crump, sapper Ebron, mage Limp Sinn, High Mage

9th Squad Sergeant Balm Corporal Deadsmell Galt Lobe Throatslitter Widdershins, sapper 11th Squad Sergeant Moak (died YG) Corporal Stacker (died YG) Burnt (died YG) Guano (died YG) Mud (died YG) Rove (died YG) 12th Squad Sergeant Thom Tissy Able, sapper (died YG) Gupp, sapper (died YG) Jump, sapper (died YG) Ramp, sapper Tulip Squad number unknown Sergeant Hellian - only three soldiers in her squad Corporal Urb Brethless Touchy

9th Legion

• Fist Blistig, commander of the 9th Legion
• Squint, officer

10th Legion

• Fist Tene Baralta, commander of the 10th Legion
• Captain Lostara Yil, joined again just before the battle

Wickans and Seti

• Fist Temul

Khundryl Burned Tears

• Warleader Gall

Spoiler warning: The following section contains significant plot details about Reaper's Gale and Dust of Dreams.

Post-The Bonehunters, pre-Dust of Dreams (section under construction)

Bonehunter Sigil by Bluefire

The following individuals were known members of the 14th Army, now referred to as the 'Bonehunters', in the time between the battle at Y'Ghatan and the battle against the K'Chain Nah'ruk. For soldiers, if no further reference is given, the names are from Dramatis Personae, Reaper’s Gale.

• Adjunct Tavore, commander
• (T'amber, aide to Tavore - died in Malaz City)
• Captain Lostara Yil, initially Fist Baralta’s second, then aide to Tavore once the 14th set sail from Malaz City
• High Mage Ben Adaephon Delat (Quick Ben)
• Fist Blistig
• Fist Keneb
• (Fist Tene Baralta - died in Malaz City)
• Captain Fast
• Captain Kindly
  • Lieutenant Pores
• Captain Ruthan Gudd
  • Lieutenant Raband
• Captain Skanarow
• Captain Untilly Rum

8th Legion

3rd Company

4th Squad

• Sergeant Sinter, went missing during Lether invasion, re-appeared in Letheras
• Corporal Pravalak Rim
• Honey, sapper
• Kisswhere, sapper went missing during battle, re-appeared in Letheras
• Strap Mull, sapper
• Shoaly, heavy infantry
• Lookback, heavy infantry (or possibly Drawfirst - See reference note)

5th Squad

• Sergeant Badan Gruk
• Unnamed corporal, died during Lether invasion
• Ruffle, marine
• Skim, marine
• Nep Furrow, mage
• Reliko, heavy infantry
• Vastly Blank, heavy infantry

10th Squad

• Sergeant Primly
• Corporal Hunt
• Mulvan Dreader, mage
• Masker
• Neller, sapper
• Skulldeath, marine
• Drawfirst, heavy infantry (or possibly Lookback - See reference note)

Likely 3rd Company, squad unknown

• Hanfeno
• Senny
• Thikburd

9th Company

• Captain Faradan Sort
  • Lieutenant Madan'Tul Rada, briefly promoted to Captain during Sort’s absence in The Bonehunters.

4th Squad

• Sergeant Fiddler
• Corporal Tarr
• Cuttle, a sapper
• Bottle, a mage
• Koryk, marine
• Smiles, marine
• Corabb Bhilan Thenu'alas, soldier

5th Squad

• Sergeant Gesler
• Corporal Stormy
• Sands, marine (died during Lether invasion)
• Shortnose, heavy infantry
• Flashwit, heavy infantry
• Uru Hela, heavy infantry (died during Lether invasion)
• Mayfly, heavy infantry

7th Squad

• Sergeant Cord
• Corporal Shard
• Limp, marine
• Ebron, squad mage
• Crump, sapper
• Sinn, mage

8th Squad

• Sergeant Hellian
• Corporal 1 Touchy
• Corporal 2 Brethless
• Balgrid, squad mage
• Tavos Pond, marine
• Maybe, sapper
• Lutes, squad healer

9th Squad

• Sergeant Balm
• Corporal Deadsmell
• Throatslitter, marine
• Galt, marine
• Lobe, marine
• Widdershins, squad mage

12th Squad

• Sergeant Thom Tissy
• Corporal Tulip
• Ramp, heavy infantry
• Jibb, medium infantry
• Gullstream, medium infantry
• Mudslinger, medium infantry
• Bellig Harn, heavy infantry

13th Squad

• Sergeant Urb
• Corporal Reem
• Masan Gilani, marine
• Bowl, mage, heavy infantry (died during Lether invasion)
• Hanno, heavy infantry (died during Lether invasion)
• Saltlick, heavy infantry
• Scant, heavy infantry

Likely to be 9th Company but squad unknown

• Sergeant Gripe
• Beak, mage

Company unknown

18th Squad

• Sergeant Gaunt-Eye
• Corporal Rib

22nd Squad

• Clasp
• Burnt Rope, sapper
• Lap Twirl, cutter
• Sad, Squad mage

New Bridgeburners

• Hedge, Commander
• Nose Stream, a sapper
• Rumjugs, a sapper
• Sunrise, a sapper
• Sweetlard, a sapper
• Bavedict, Alchemist

Spoiler warning: The following section contains significant plot details about Dust of Dreams.

Known fate of members post-Dust of Dreams (under construction)

• Adjunct Tavore, commander
• High Mage Ben Adaephon Delat (Quick Ben)
• T'amber, aide to Tavore - died in Malaz City
• Lostara Yil, aide to Tavore
• Fist Gamet, commander of the 8th Legion - died in Raraku
• Fist Keneb, division commander (replacing Gamet) - died during battle with Nah'ruk
• Fist Blistig, commander of the 9th Legion
• Fist Tene Baralta, commander of the 10th Legion - died in Malaz City
• Fist Kindly - promoted
• Lieutenant Pores
• Fist Faradan Sort - promoted
• Captain Skanarow
• Captain Ruthan Gudd - aide to Tavore
• Captain Fast
• Captain Untilly Rum
• Captain Fiddler - promoted
• Grub - with K'Chain Che'Malle
• Madan'tul Rada
• Beak, a mage - died during invasion of Lether

8th Legion

9th Company

4th Squad

• Sergeant Tarr
• Corporal Corabb Bhilan Thenu'alas
• Cuttle, a sapper
• Bottle, a mage
• Koryk
• Smiles
• Shortnose - originally 5th squad

5th Squad

• Sergeant Gesler - Shield Anvil of K'Chain Che'Malle
• Corporal Stormy - Mortal Sword of K'Chain Che'Malle
• Sands, a sapper - died during invasion of Lether
• Shortnose - joined 4th squad
• Flashwit - joined Gaunt-Eye's 18th squad
• Uru Hela - died during invasion of Lether
• Mayfly - joined Gaunt-Eye's 18th squad

All squad members dead or dispersed

6th Squad

• Sergeant Borduke - died at Y'Ghatan
• Corporal Hubb - ?
• Maybe, a sapper - ?
• Balgrid, a mage - ?
• Lutes, a healer - died during invasion of Lether
• Ibb - ?

7th Squad

• Sergeant Cord - ?
• Corporal Shard - ?
• Limp - ?
• Ebron, a mage - ?
• Crump, a sapper - ?
• Sinn, a High Mage - with K'Chain Che'Malle

8th Squad

• Sergeant Hellian
• Corporal Brethless
• Corporal Touchy - ?
• Balgrid, a mage - ?
• Maybe, a sapper - ?
• Lutes, a healer - died during invasion of Lether

9th Squad

• Sergeant Balm
• Corporal Deadsmell
• Throatslitter, a Talon
• Galt - died
• Lobe - died
• Widdershins, a mage

Balm decided not to pick up new squad members to replace losses

12th Squad

• Sergeant Thom Tissy - ?
• Corporal Tulip - ?
• Ramp - ?
• Jibb - ?
• Gullstream - ?
• Mudslinger - ?
• Bellig Harn - ?

13th Squad

• Sergeant Urb
• Clasp corporal - originally 22nd squad
• Corporal Reem - likely died
• Masan Gilani
• Bowl - ?
• Hanno - ?
• Saltlick
• Scant - ?
• Burnt Rope, sapper - originally 22nd squad
• Lap Twirl, cutter - originally 22nd squad
• Sad, Squad mage - originally 22nd squad

3rd Company

4th Squad

• Sergeant Sinter
• Corporal Pravalak Rim - injured
• Honey, a sapper
• Strap Mull, a sapper - died
• Shoaly - died
• Lookback

5th Squad

• Sergeant Badan Gruk
• Ruffle
• Skim, a sapper - died
• Nep Furrow, a shaman
• Reliko
• Vastly Blank

10th Squad

• Sergeant Primly - died
• Corporal Hunt - died
• Mulvan Dreader, a mage - died
• Neller, a sapper - died
• Kisswhere - with Bolkando army
• Skulldeath - joined Gaunt-Eye's 18th squad
• Drawfirst - joined Gaunt-Eye's 18th squad

The 10th squad was disbanded after the battle with the K'Chain Nah'ruk.

Company unknown

18th Squad

• Sergeant Gaunt-Eye
• Corporal Rib
• Skulldeath - originally 10th squad
• Drawfirst - originally 10th squad
• Flashwit - originally 5th squad
• Mayfly - originally 5th squad

22nd Squad

• Clasp - joined Urb's 13th squad
• Burnt Rope, sapper - joined Urb's 13th squad
• Lap Twirl, cutter - joined Urb's 13th squad
• Sad, Squad mage - joined Urb's 13th squad

The 22nd Squad was retired after the battle with the K'Chain Nah'ruk.

New Bridgeburners

• Hedge, Commander
• Sergeant Sweetlard, a sapper - promoted
• Sergeant Rumjugs, a sapper - promoted
• Captain Berrach - Volunteer from the Khundryl
• Nose Stream, a sapper - ?
• Sunrise, a sapper - died
• Bavedict, Alchemist
• Sleg
• Gent - Volunteer from the Khundryl
• Pahvral - Volunteer from the Khundryl
• Rayez - Volunteer from the Khundryl

Trivia

The poem Coltaine was a marching song of the Bonehunters.

Significant plot details end here.

Notes and References

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