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Mappo Runt [MAP-ō][1] was a full-blooded Trell[2] and Icarium's companion.[3] He was big even for a Trell, with broad shoulders, sinewy muscled long arms, and a mane of black hair braided and studded with fetishes. He had deep, warm brown skin, and eyes the color of sand, set deep in a robustly boned, pallid face. His massive sharp canines became exposed whenever he grinned, and his fingers were blunt and wrinkled.[4][5][6] He possessed the ability to see in the dark.[7]

Mappo's homeland was on the other side of the Jhag Odhan (as stated from the location of the temple of Tesem).[8]

He wore leather armour, though his natural hide was thicker,[9] and moccasins.[10]

Mappo carried a large leather saddlebag over his shoulder presented to him by his Clan's witches. It contained a small, private Warren giving it a basically unlimited carrying capacity. Within the bag he kept his cooking utensils, bedding, tents, healing elixirs, and the occasional irritating person. It also stored a massive petrified bone club ensorcelled by seven Trell witches. The club was half again as long as his arm and had once been the thigh bone of a powerful prehistoric beast. It was hard as iron and golden in lustre. Its tip was ringed by thumb-sized spike-shaped teeth.[11][12][13]

He spoke passable Daru.[14]

In Gardens of the Moon[]

In conversation with Baruk, Anomander Rake recalled the last time Icarium had visited him some 800 years before the Siege of Pale. The Jhag had been in the company of Mappo and Osric, and Caladan Brood had worked hard to keep the arguing Rake and Osric apart.[15]

In Deadhouse Gates[]

Mappo

Interpretation of Mappo Runt by Yapattack

Mappo was one of many companions to Icarium over the millennia, charged by the Nameless Ones to lead the amnesiac Jhag on a purposely endless search for answers, making sure he did not remember what had happened to him and keeping his rage in check.[16][17] After two hundred years of companionship, he was able to sense when Icarium was near.[18]

Icarium and Mappo traveled to the Pan'potsun Odhan on Seven Cities ostensibly in search of Icarium's ever elusive past.[19] There the two stumbled upon the dangerous convergence of Soletaken and D'ivers known as the Path of Hands. They narrowly avoided a confrontation with Ryllandaras before encountering the Trell's old friend Messremb.[20][21]

By accident they discovered the gate sought by the shape-shifters within Tesem, a temple of Shadow occupied by High Priest Iskaral Pust. Pust schemed to keep the gate hidden and he manipulated the two into serving as powerful guardians.[22] They were soon joined at the temple by Fiddler, Apsalar, and Crokus. Mappo and Icarium helped Apsalar reunite with her father Rellock and accompanied the newcomers to the Azath House Tremorlor. With the aid of the Hounds of Shadow, they fought their way through hordes of Soletaken and D'ivers. All the while Mappo struggled to keep Icarium from raging or from becoming imprisoned by the House. During this time, Mappo revealed to Icarium his history of destructive rages.[23]

After entering the house and passing into the Azath Warren, Mappo and Icarium were separated from the others. They found themselves near the village of Balahn on the Aren Way, and Mappo used his healing elixirs to save the lives of two dogs, Bent and Roach. Icarium no longer remembered the events of the last few days or Mappo's admission, and so they headed westward into the Jhag Odhan on their never-ending search for answers.[24]

In House of Chains[]

Mappo by zsoszy II

Interpretation of Mappo by Zsosy

As Karsa Orlong traveled through the mountains on the western edge of Raraku he was hunted by a score of Ryllandaras' wolf forms. The D'ivers eventually gave up the chase, but warned the Teblor of two men further up the trail. It noted that if Karsa were to come to blows with one of them, the world would regret it.[25]

Karsa soon came upon Icarium and Mappo at the site of an ancient city built on the side of a mesa. Mappo invited Karsa to eat by the fire while Icarium picked through the rubble that partially buried the city. The Trell noted the spirits of Bairoth Gild and Delum Thord that followed in Karsa's wake. He also spoke of Convergences while preparing for the inevitable clash between Icarium and Karsa. Icarium recognised Karsa as one of the fallen Teblor then apologised to Mappo for what the Trell was about to witness and drew his sword.[26]

Icarium shattered Karsa's Ironwood blade at the hilt, causing the furious Teblor to knock out the Jhag with a punch to the face. Mappo ended the battle by striking the Teblor in the back of the head with his mace. As both combatants still lived, Mappo was pleased with the results. When Karsa awoke, he discovered that Mappo had placed the pieces of his broken sword at his side along with a bouquet of desert flowers.[27]

In The Bonehunters[]

Mappo and Icarium explored the western shore of the new inland sea now covering Raraku. The Trell had grown tired of the charade, lying and misdirecting his friend. Even worse, he had broken his vow to the Nameless Ones when he had told Icarium the truth at Tremorlor, although the Jhag had quickly forgotten. Mappo had initially revealed the truth out of friendship, but in his heart he came to attribute it to his own selfish self-interest. Guilt gnawed at him. Deciding on their next destination, Mappo had to reluctantly reveal that many of the cities Icarium recalled in the region had long since turned to dust.[28]

Icariums' mechanism by Slaine69

Icarium and Mappo inside the skykeep by Slaine69

Later in their travels, they discovered a vast chasm that had recently been exposed by a shifting of the sand. The two explorers climbed to the chasm's bottom where they found a K'Chain Nah'ruk mechanism, still containing the corpse of its pilot, within a pool of melting Omtose Phellack ice. Mappo realised they had found the entrance to a K'Chain Nah'ruk Skykeep that had mistakenly travelled through a gate into solid bedrock. The Trell found the skykeep's entrance and the pair explored the alien structure. In the skykeep's immense hollow centre, was a fortress floating in space, reached only by a single stone span. Inside the fortress they found the crucified remains of Sorrit, the Eleint aspected to Serc.[29] Mappo saw this as evidence that the pantheon was under siege.[30]

Waywards by slaine69

Interpretation of Icarium and Mappo by slaine69

Mappo's betrayal of the Nameless Ones led the cult to seek his replacement. They freed the fearsome T'rolbarahl, Dejim Nebrahl, to hunt and kill the Trell.[31] After being ambushed, Mappo managed to kill two of the D'ivers' seven forms before driving off the T'rolbarahl and seemingly falling from a cliff to his own death.[32] The Nameless Ones' handpicked replacement, Taralack Veed, nursed the gravely wounded Icarium back to health and took Mappo's place with the amnesiac Icarium none the wiser. Shadowthrone sent Iskaral Pust to find Mappo. The High Priest sent Dejim Nebrahl running then pulled Mappo's body from the crevice where he had been pinned for several days. The Trell's legs were broken, his ribs crushed, his flesh rotting, and his blood poisoned. Mogora interceded in Pust's ministrations to perform a healing ritual that shrouded Mappo's body in spider silk.[33]

While still unconscious, Mappo was visited by a vision of Ardata, who was not pleased that Mogora had granted the Trell a favour in her name. She revealed that the Nameless Ones had replaced him with another guardian for Icarium. Mappo was also surprised to learn from Ardata that it was the Nameless Ones who had originally made Icarium so terrible in power and that they intended to use the Jhag for some unknown purpose. Ardata concluded that countering the Nameless Ones must be why Shadowthrone showed interest in Mappo. When the Trell awoke, his skin was covered in lines and creases—the price of the spiders' healing.[34]

Mappo and Icarium by Jeanfverreault

Interpretation of Mappo and Icarium by Jeanfverreault

Cotillion and the Hounds of Shadow came to visit the recuperating Trell. The god told Mappo that he and Shadowthrone had studied the Azath and learned they were repositories for the Lost Elementals in addition to prisons—and the Azath's control was failing. He suspected the Nameless Ones knew this and their action against Mappo was a sign of their desperation. Therefore both Cotillion and Shadowthrone sought to aid Mappo and Icarium to counter the Nameless Ones from committing an act that would further pitch the Azath towards chaos and dissolution. They had rescued Mappo and now put him on the path to curing Icarium's condition to foil the cult's plans to turn the Jhag into a weapon. He told the Trell the gods were marching toward a convergence beyond comprehension, but not to give up hope.[35]

Mappo and Iskaral Pust set out to find Icarium, but the High Priest seemed more hindrance than help, delaying their passage by choosing a dubious path through a marsh. When the Trell finally decided to turn around, they encountered a woman who introduced herself as Spite. She admitted to having worked with the Nameless Ones to free Dejim Nebrahl, but had since been outlawed by them and was relieved the T'rolbarahl had failed. She offered up her knowledge of the Nameless One's plans to help the Trell, and brought them to her ship saying they must cross half the world to find Icarium.[36]

Crossing the Otataral Sea, Mappo observed Spite speaking to the Eres'al, although he did not know who the savannah spirit was. He also noted the ship was crawling with spiders, indicating Mogora's presence.[37] When a dozen suns fell from the sky raining debris upon them, Spite suddenly veered into an Eleint to rescue the passengers of a ship sinking nearby. Mappo immediately recognised Crokus among those Spite brought on board and admitted to him he had lost Icarium. Crokus put his hand on the Trell's shoulder and offered his sympathy and Mappo broke down and wept.[38]

In Reaper's Gale[]

As Taralack Veed spent more time with Icarium and became witness to the Jhag's dreadful power, he took a more thoughtful view of Mappo's role as Icarium's companion. Where once he thought the Trell evil for betraying the Nameless Ones to side with Icarium, he now was no longer sure.[39] In Letheras, he and Icarium witnessed Karsa Orlong practice sparring in preparation to face Emperor Rhulad Sengar. Icarium vaguely recalled his own interrupted duel with the Teblor and hinted at a possible rematch. Veed rightly concluded that Mappo had put a stop to the fight and dreaded the coming storm the Trell must have foreseen.[40]

In Toll the Hounds[]

Mappo trell

Interpretation of Mappo by Corporal Nobbs

After a miserable, much-delayed trip that took two whole seasons,[41] Mappo arrived in Darujhistan aboard Spite's ship, where he had become friends with Barathol Mekhar and Chaur. Spite suggested he cross the Lamatath Plain to find another ship to follow Icarium to Lether. Barathol found Mappo preparing to quietly slip away and offered to accompany him to guard his back, but the Trell declined saying he could not allow others to risk their lives correcting his mistakes. He left the ship without saying farewell to Cutter, calling himself a coward.[42]

Instead of traversing Genabackis, Mappo went to the Temple of Burn intending to walk Burn's Path to cross the distance more quickly. The High Priest of Burn anticipated his arrival and had already prepared the necessary ritual.[43] But after three failed attempts, the High Priest revealed the web of Ardatha that Mogora had once used to heal the Trell now interfered. He said the goddess had claimed Mappo for her own selfish and mysterious reasons.[44]

The High Priest arranged a Trygalle Trade Guild caravan, led by Master Quell, to take Mappo to Lether. Mappo thus travelled with Master Quell's experienced Trygalle Trade Guild shareholders: Faint, Reccanto Ilk, Glanno Tarp, Sweetest Sufferance, as well as four new shareholders: Jula Bole, Amby Bole, Precious Thimble, and Gruntle.[45][46]

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.[47][48]

Mappo Runt by Dejan Delic

Mappo Runt by Dejan Delic

Master Quell took them off the island through Mael's realm, riding heaving waves amidst a furious storm.[49][50][51] 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. The Trell singlehandedly held the door against their attackers as their claws gouged his skin until Gruntle signaled him to dive clear. Gruntle then killed two of the creatures, while Reccanto Ilk accidentally killed the other. Afterwards, Gruntle, Amby, and Jula volunteered to seek out Glanno Tarp, finding him lying in a corral with his legs broken near Cartographer, who was still tied to a carriage wheel.[52][53]

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 Precious Thimble, Sweetest Sufferance, and Faint were in danger, Quell allowed them to leave for the next village while the male shareholders repaired the carriage.[54][55]

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.[56][57]

Makeshift repairs completed, the male shareholders retrieved their female colleagues, but the Jaghuts' sorcerous battle soon threatened to engulf the entire island. To make things simpler, Mappo offered to be dropped off at the nearest port, but Quell refused. 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.[58] The gate brought them to the Warren inside Dragnipur where the army of Hood's dead fought a war with Chaos. Mappo tried to exit the carriage before Quell frantically stopped him. 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.[59] They were last shown passing through the primeval world where Picker's spirit was lost.[60]

In Dust of Dreams[]

Master Quell's Trygalle Trade Guild caravan transporting Mappo Runt was destroyed upon arriving in the Wastelands of the continent of Lether. Mappo and the surviving Trygalle Guild shareholders were soon found by Setoc of the Wolves, the twins Stavi and Storii, their half-brother, Absi, and an undead Ay named 'Baaljagg' - the two groups deciding to join forces, they all started walking eastward, where, along the way, they were joined by Torrent (and his horse).[61]

In The Crippled God[]

A moment of calm by shadaan

Mappo vs Calm by Shadaan

Mappo and Gruntle were still travelling with the surviving members of the Trygalle Trade Guild, Precious Thimble, Faint, Sweetest Sufferance and Amby Bole as well as Setoc, Torrent and the children Stavi, Storii and Absi. Also the individual known as Cartographer. Olar Ethil appeared and laid claim to Absi. To avoid opposition, she made deals with the adults. She promised Mappo to reveal Icarium's location as long as he let her take Absi. Mappo agreed to her terms when Torrent promised to guard the children against her, and left the company of the group to search for his friend.[62]

After days and nights of travel, Mappo finally found Icarium trapped and unconscious in the hands of Sister Calm, a Forkrul Assail Pure. The two fought for Icarium, only for Mappo to be defeated and killed next to his friend. Ublala Pung, who had been travelling nearby, interceded, ambushing the Assail as Mappo lay dying, crushing the skull of Sister Calm with his dragon mace, remarking "That wasn't very nice."[63]

Mappo was buried by Icarium, who did not remember who Mappo was, only that he fought for him, and resumed his travels with Ublala as his new companion. As the two started off, Icarium found a piece of smashed pottery that Mappo had saved years ago when Icarium sacked an entire city, then forgot the act. Icarium had tried to save the shards of pottery to rebuild them, and seeing the broken shard again began to stir his memories.

History[]

Mappo runt by luztheren

Mappo Runt by Luztheren

Mappo had been born over a thousand years ago in a Trell settlement west of the Jhag Odhan on Seven Cities.[64][65] In his youth he had rejected his people's turn towards a sedentary life, and departed his family to seek a life of endless war and battle in the company of an adopted clan that followed the old ways. This lasted for hundreds of years[66] and may have been the period in which he fought in the Battle of Bayen Eckar under Elder Trynigarr.[67] Two hundred years before the events of Deadhouse Gates he returned to his village to find it had been destroyed and all fifteen thousand slain. The Nameless Ones told him the village's destruction was the act of Icarium. They convinced the Trell to serve as the Jhag's guardian to make sure such an event never happened again.[66] To aid his task, they gifted him with longevity as well as immunity to disease and poison.[68][69] Unknown to Mappo, the Nameless Ones had been desperate to find a new guardian for Icarium after the last took his own life. The cult had destroyed Mappo's village and falsely blamed Icarium in order to secure the Trell's service.[70]

Quotes[]

Icarium: "It is no exaggeration that you know my mind better than I. Would that you were a woman."
Mappo: "Were I a woman, Icarium, I would have serious concerns about your taste in women."
―Mappo and Icarium, on the edge of a large crevasse[src]
Master Quell: "And, er, did [Icarium] face that emperor, Mappo? In ritual combat?"
Mappo: "I do not think so."
Master Quell: "Why?"
Mappo: "I believe I would have…sensed such a thing—"
Master Quell: "The end of the world, you mean."
Master Quell and Mappo on combat between Rhulad Sengar and Icarium[src]

Fan art gallery[]

Notes and references[]

  1. Steven Erikson Gardens of the Moon 20th Anniversary Interview - Ten Very Big Books podcast As pronounced by Steven Erikson at 01:19:28
  2. Deadhouse Gates, Chapter 1, US MMPB p.21
  3. Gardens of the Moon, Dramatis Personae, UK MMPB p.xvi
  4. Deadhouse Gates, Chapter 1, UK MMPB p.41-43
  5. Deadhouse Gates, Chapter 3, US HC p.101
  6. Deadhouse Gates, Chapter 7, US HC p.195
  7. Deadhouse Gates, Chapter 4, US HC p.113
  8. Deadhouse Gates, Chapter 4, UK MMPB p.173
  9. The Bonehunters, Chapter 6, US SFBC p.266-267
  10. The Bonehunters, Chapter 19, US SFBC p.760
  11. Deadhouse Gates, Chapter 1, US HC p.35
  12. Deadhouse Gates, Chapter 11, US HC p.296-297
  13. Deadhouse Gates, Chapter 16, US HC p.435
  14. Toll the Hounds, Chapter 7, US SFBC p.245
  15. Gardens of the Moon, Chapter 20, US TPB p.405
  16. Deadhouse Gates, Chapter 8, US HC p.223
  17. Deadhouse Gates, Chapter 23, US HC p.574
  18. Deadhouse Gates, Chapter 11, US HC p.294
  19. Deadhouse Gates, Chapter 1, US MMPB p.21-23
  20. Deadhouse Gates, Chapter 1, US HC p.36
  21. Deadhouse Gates, Chapter 2, US HC p.74
  22. Deadhouse Gates, Chapter 4, US HC p.115
  23. Deadhouse Gates, Chapter 16, US HC p.440
  24. Deadhouse Gates, Chapter 24, US MMPB p.823-824
  25. House of Chains, Chapter 14, US SFBC p.500-503
  26. House of Chains, Chapter 14, US SFBC p.506-509
  27. House of Chains, Chapter 14, US SFBC p.509-511
  28. The Bonehunters, Chapter 2, US SFBC p.81-85
  29. The Bonehunters, Chapter 4, US SFBC p.148-154/162-167
  30. The Bonehunters, Chapter 6, US SFBC p.231
  31. The Bonehunters, Prologue
  32. The Bonehunters, Chapter 6, US SFBC p.265-267
  33. The Bonehunters, Chapter 9, US SFBC p.398-401/414-420/422
  34. The Bonehunters, Chapter 11, US SFBC p.457-459
  35. The Bonehunters, Chapter 12, US SFBC p.509-510
  36. The Bonehunters, Chapter 12, US SFBC p.585-588
  37. The Bonehunters, Chapter 19, US SFBC p.760
  38. The Bonehunters, Chapter 19, US SFBC p.777-778/787-791
  39. Reaper's Gale, Chapter 9, US HC p.220
  40. Reaper's Gale, Chapter 11, US HC p.291-293
  41. Toll the Hounds, Chapter 7, US SFBC p.259
  42. Toll the Hounds, Chapter 3, US SFBC p.102/104-106
  43. Toll the Hounds, Chapter 5, US SFBC p.168-172
  44. Toll the Hounds, Chapter 7, US SFBC p.239-240
  45. Toll the Hounds, Chapter 7, US TPB p.203-204/227-228
  46. Toll the Hounds, Chapter 3, US TPB p.85
  47. Toll the Hounds, Chapter 13, US TPB p.415-417
  48. Toll the Hounds, Chapter 14, US TPB p.455-457
  49. Toll the Hounds, Chapter 13, US SFBC p.513-514
  50. Toll the Hounds, Chapter 14, US SFBC p.579-581
  51. Toll the Hounds, Chapter 16, US SFBC p.658-659
  52. Toll the Hounds, Chapter 16, US SFBC p.659-664
  53. Toll the Hounds, Chapter 18, US SFBC p.740-742
  54. Toll the Hounds, Chapter 18, US SFBC p.742-749
  55. Toll the Hounds, Chapter 20, US SFBC p.820-821
  56. Toll the Hounds, Chapter 18, US SFBC p.750-756
  57. Toll the Hounds, Chapter 20, US SFBC p.823
  58. Toll the Hounds, Chapter 20, US SFBC p.820-823
  59. Toll the Hounds, Chapter 24, US SFBC p.957-959
  60. Toll the Hounds, Chapter 24, US SFBC p.970
  61. Dust of Dreams, Chapter 20, US HC p.651-664
  62. The Crippled God, Chapter 2
  63. The Crippled God, Chapter 24, UK HB p.835-837
  64. Deadhouse Gates, Chapter 1, US HC p.34
  65. Deadhouse Gates, Chapter 4, US HC p.114
  66. 66.0 66.1 Deadhouse Gates, Chapter 7, US HC p.190-191
  67. The Bonehunters, Chapter 14, US SFBC p.577-584
  68. The Bonehunters, Chapter 11, US SFBC p.458
  69. The Bonehunters, Chapter 12, US SFBC p.493
  70. Deadhouse Gates, Chapter 23, US HC p.574
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