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Map Malaz City

Malaz City ca.1150 Burn's Sleep

Map Malaz Isle

Malaz Isle

Map Quon Tali

Quon Tali

Malaz Plaza by slaine69

Interpretation of plaza in Malaz City by slaine69

Malaz plaza night by slaine69

Interpretation of plaza at night in Malaz City by slaine69

Malaz City was an island city and the home of Kellanved,[1] the birthplace of his Malazan Empire. The city was located on the small Malaz Island which was found southeast of Quon Tali. It was split into northern and southern halves by the confluence of the North and South Malaz Rivers which flowed from the Firstsight Mountains into Malaz Bay.

Along the northern edge of the city ran the 500 foot tall Mock's Cliff, upon which sat Mock's Hold, former pirate stronghold and now Imperial Garrison. The fortress was reached by a switchback of wide stone steps known as Rampart Way leading from the city below.[2][3] To the south the city was bounded by the Ridger Wall which ran in parallel to the Ridger hill.

Front Street in the harbour district was largely ancient warehouses interspersed with ramshackle taverns, inns, and tenement houses, all facing the piers. From there, a maze of dark and twisting narrow streets and alleys led further into the city. The city's larger estates butted up against the cliff wall below Mock's Hold. Also below the fortress was the Imperial Pier.[4][5][6]

Ships docking in the harbour were subject to inspection by the city's Harbourmaster. The waters surrounding the piers were notorious for sharks and small leech-like eels.[7][8]

According to Felisin Paran, the temple to Fener was located in (on the) Dockfront.[9] There was also a temple to D'rek in the city.[10]

Several blocks from the harbour was the Deadhouse, a seemingly abandoned stone structure amidst an overgrown yard, which was studiously avoided by the local residents.[11]

Outside the city, the Jakata road was lined with slums.[9]

As the Empire increased in size, Malaz City lost all tactical and strategic value and began a downward slide into irrelevance. Many of the city's influential residents relocated to the Imperial capital at Unta leaving many of the city's homes deserted. Trade declined, warehouses decayed, and piers eroded. Its primary value was as a military transit point.[12][13]

With only one short cold season, the city tended to get hot and stinking.[14]

Natives[]

Places of interest[]

Streets[]

Population[]

Malaz City Environs by Erikson

Original map of Malaz City environs by Steven Erikson (may no longer be canonical)

The city's residents were a mixed breed of human races as was common on the island.[28]

Religions[]

Chem, an ancient sea deity, was the object of an old sea cult in Malaz City.[29] Before the existence of the Malazan Empire, Malaz City regularly celebrated a number of festivals devoted solely to Chem.[30]

City Watch[]

Law and order was maintained by the City Watch, which had a barracks near the Centre Docks[31] and a heavily fortified armoury at the base of Rampart Way.[32] The Watch was armed with pikes and used alarms to signal each other.[33][34]

Animals[]

The city was known for a breed of dog called the Malazan ratter, which was bred for its fearless insanity.[35]

In Gardens of the Moon[]

In the 1154th year of Burn's Sleep Surly, the Imperial Regent,[36] leader of the Claw, and soon to be Empress, created laws prohibiting the use of unsanctioned sorcery in Malaz City.[37] Elements of the 3rd Army rendezvoused with recruits and were sent to enforce the Imperial Regent's edict. The riots that followed engulfed a quarter of the town in flames.[38] The mage cadre that was sent in, all new and untested, lost control. Whiskeyjack sent Dujek and some sappers to control the fires.[39]

In Deadhouse Gates[]

The Claw assassin Pearl maneuvered Kalam Mekhar to the city aboard the Ragstopper for a confrontation with Empress Laseen. Not intending to make it easy, Pearl stabbed Kalam in the side and tossed him overboard. The Bridgeburner made his way to shore were he was pursued by multiple Hands of the Claw.[40][41] Kalam ultimately made his way to Mock's Hold where he and the Empress settled their differences.[42]

That same night, Fiddler, Apsalar, Crokus, and Rellock passed through the Azath warren from Seven Cities and exited through the Deadhouse.[43]

In The Bonehunters[]

Banaschar returned to Malaz City and frequented Coop's Hanged Man Inn after learning the fate of D'rek's priesthood around the world. He drank regularly with Braven Tooth, Temper, and Foreigner. His goal was to speak to High Mage Tayschrenn, who was holed up in Mock's Hold, but so far had been unsuccessful.[44]

Empress Laseen and her retinue of Untan Imperial Guards and as many as six hundred Claws travelled to Malaz City aboard four ships to await the return of the fleet carrying Adjunct Tavore Paran and the 14th Army back from Seven Cities.[45][46][47] Mallick Rel and Korbolo Dom were both imprisoned in Mock's Hold,[48] but the Jhistal priest used his time to undermine the Imperial power structure and secure his own rise to power. He convinced an unknown number of Laseen's Claws to secretly changed loyalties to himself as the Jhistal Master of his Black Glove cult.[49] He also isolated Tayschrenn's outside communication.[50] Korbolo Dom was elevated to High Fist while Mallick became one of Laseen's advisors.[51]

By the time the Adjunct's fleet arrived in the harbour, the citizens of Malaz City had been inflamed by rumour and Mockra magic to seek the slaughter of the "treacherous" Wickans and Khundryl among the Adjunct's troops.[52][53] Mallick had made certain the City Watch was undermanned and its officers carefully selected for incompetence.[54] At the same, his agents used well-timed shouts and exhortations to make the crowd gathering to confront the Adjunct's ships at the waterfront even more angry and belligerent.[55]

Tavore kept her fleet anchored in the harbour, only allowing the Froth Wolf and the Silanda to moor at the city pier.[56] While she travelled to Mock's Hold to meet with the Empress, the squads of Balm, Fiddler, and Gesler guarded the two ships. The mob soon engaged the Marines in a desperate battle to destroy their ships.[57][58]

Meanwhile, several members of the 14th Army entered the city on their own business. Fiddler sought out the armourer, Tak, to purchase more munitions-tossing crossbows.[59] Then he, Gesler, and Stormy met their old Master Sergeant, Braventooth, to drink and remember fallen friends.[60] Bottle entered the city to retrieve Foreigner at the Adjunct's request. Agayla advised him the find the man at Coop's.[61] Hellian fell overboard in the harbour and climbed onto the docks in search of a drink.[62] She stumbled upon the Black Glove's attempt to assassinate Banaschar, dispatching Saygen Maral and arresting the priest of D'rek before dragging him to Smiley's.[63]

Tavore refused Laseen and Mallick's efforts to deliver up the Wickans and Khundryl as scapegoats.[64] She fled back to her ships, alongside Kalam Mekhar and T'amber, pursued by hundreds of Pearl's Claws. Their running battles took them all across Malaz City before Tavore alone safely reached the Froth Wolf.[65] Pearl managed to fatally poison Kalam before Apsalar returned the favour.[66] Shadowthrone brought the dying Kalam to an uncertain fate at the Deadhouse.[67]

Before dawn, at least a thousand Malazans lay dead on the docks and Tavore's now renegade fleet left Malaz City. But before they could clear the harbour, Cartharon Crust's vessel, the Drowned Rat, pulled alongside her flagship to deliver Withal, Sandalath Drukorlat, Nimander Golit, Phaed, Bottle, Grub, and Lostara Yil, among others.[68]

In Night of Knives[]

Later in 1154, after the Mouse Quarter riots and on the night of the Shadow Moon, the fortress of Mock's Hold was the site of Emperor Kellanved and Dancer's apparent assassination.[69] The streets also saw battles involving the Shadow cult, the Hounds of Shadow, and a renegade band of Bridgeburners.

In Deadhouse Landing[]

Malaz City DHL

Malaz City (Pre-Empire)

(Information needed)

In Kellanved's Reach[]

(Information needed)

Trivia[]

  • A hand-drawn map of the city by authors Steven Erikson and Ian C. Esslemont was included in the PS Publishing edition of Night of Knives.
  • Esslemont describes the city as "an amalgam of various seedy ports and rundown waterfront dive towns that we'd been to", and both authors say Malaz City was somewhat inspired by Belize City of the early 1980s.[70]

Notes and references[]

  1. Gardens of the Moon, Glossary, UK MMPB p.710/711
  2. Gardens of the Moon, Prologue, UK MMPB p.4
  3. Deadhouse Gates, Chapter 23, US HC p.576
  4. Deadhouse Gates, Chapter 20, US HC p.536-537
  5. Deadhouse Gates, Chapter 22, US HC p.551
  6. Deadhouse Gates, Chapter 23, US HC p.573
  7. Deadhouse Gates, Chapter 20, US HC p.537-53
  8. Deadhouse Gates, Chapter 22, US HC p.550
  9. 9.0 9.1 Deadhouse Gates, Chapter 3, UK MMPB p.159
  10. The Bonehunters, Chapter 17, UK MMPB p.828
  11. Deadhouse Gates, Chapter 20, US HC p.537
  12. Night of Knives, Chapter 1, US TPB p.31
  13. Night of Knives, Chapter 2, US TPB p.50
  14. The God is Not Willing, Chapter 18, US HC p.324
  15. Toll the Hounds, Chapter 18, US TPB p.603
  16. 16.0 16.1 16.2 House of Chains, Chapter 22, UK MMPB p.848
  17. The Bonehunters, Chapter 22, US SFBC p.874
  18. The Bonehunters, Chapter 2
  19. The Bonehunters, Chapter 23, US SFBC p.920
  20. The Bonehunters, Chapter 22, US SFBC p.874
  21. The Bonehunters, Chapter 23, US SFBC p.917
  22. 22.0 22.1 The Bonehunters, Chapter 23
  23. Night of Knives, Chapter 1, US TPB p.36-37
  24. Toll the Hounds, Chapter 10, US SFBC p.413
  25. The Bonehunters, Chapter 22, US SFBC p.878
  26. Deadhouse Gates, Chapter 22, US HC p.551
  27. 27.0 27.1 27.2 27.3 27.4 Night of Knives, Chapter 3
  28. House of Chains, Chapter 22, US SFBC p.713
  29. Night of Knives, Chapter 2, US MMPB p.52
  30. Deadhouse Landing, Chapter 19, US TPB p.373
  31. The Bonehunters, Chapter 22, US SFBC p.863
  32. The Bonehunters, Chapter 23, US SFBC p.912
  33. The Bonehunters, Chapter 22, US SFBC p.861
  34. The Bonehunters, Chapter 23, US SFBC p.886
  35. Deadhouse Gates, Chapter 23, US HC p.571
  36. Night of Knives, Chapter 1, US PB p.14
  37. Gardens of the Moon, Prologue, UK MMPB p.7/8
  38. Night of Knives, Chapter 1, UK HB p.14
  39. Gardens of the Moon, Prologue, UK MMPB p.6-8
  40. Deadhouse Gates, Chapter 20, US HC p.536-538
  41. Deadhouse Gates, Chapter 22
  42. Deadhouse Gates, Chapter 23
  43. Deadhouse Gates, Chapter 21, US HC p.573-575
  44. The Bonehunters, Chapter 17, US SFBC p.676-682
  45. The Bonehunters, Chapter 21, US SFBC p.828
  46. The Bonehunters, Chapter 22, US SFBC p.865
  47. The Bonehunters, Chapter 23, US SFBC p.904
  48. The Bonehunters, Chapter 17, US SFBC p.711
  49. The Bonehunters, Chapter 22, US SFBC p.863
  50. The Bonehunters, Chapter 19, US SFBC p.756
  51. The Bonehunters, Chapter 23, US SFBC p.897
  52. The Bonehunters, Chapter 22, US SFBC p.861-863
  53. The Bonehunters, Chapter 23, US SFBC p.887
  54. The Bonehunters, Chapter 22, US SFBC p.863
  55. The Bonehunters, Chapter 22, US SFBC p.863
  56. The Bonehunters, Chapter 22, US SFBC p.843/852
  57. The Bonehunters, Chapter 22, US SFBC p.865-868/883-884
  58. The Bonehunters, Chapter 23
  59. The Bonehunters, Chapter 22, US SFBC p.874-879
  60. The Bonehunters, Chapter 23, US SFBC p.894-895
  61. The Bonehunters, Chapter 23, US SFBC p.887-888/922-923
  62. The Bonehunters, Chapter 22, US SFBC p.851-853/871
  63. The Bonehunters, Chapter 22, US SFBC p.872-874/879-883
  64. The Bonehunters, Chapter 23, US SFBC p.897-907
  65. The Bonehunters, Chapter 23, US SFBC p.951
  66. The Bonehunters, Chapter 23, US SFBC p.936-937/943-944
  67. The Bonehunters, Chapter 23, US SFBC p.954-956
  68. The Bonehunters, Chapter 23, US SFBC p.950/952-954
  69. Night of Knives, Chapter 5, US TPB p.203-208
  70. Chat with Ian C. Esslemont and Steven Erikson - A Critical Dragon - See 26:10
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