Orfantal

Orfantal
Fan art by Dejan Delic
Biographical information
Race	Tiste Andii
Gender	Male
Family	Korlat (sister)
Social information
Occupation(s)	Night-hunter
Warren(s)	Kurald Galain
Soletaken	Eleint

Orfantal was a Tiste Andii night-hunter and Soletaken and the brother of Korlat. In his Soletaken form, he was said to be a black dragon "second only to Rake" in size.

In Gardens of the Moon

Orfantal was one of the Tiste Andii who was hunting Vorcan Radok as she and Rallick Nom entered the Azath House created on the night of the Gedderone Fête in Darujhistan.

In Memories of Ice

During the Pannion War Orfantal served as Korlat's second. Once the allied armies of Caladan Brood and High Fist Dujek Onearm lifted the Pannion Domin Siege of Capustan, the two armies temporarily separated to liberate Lest and Setta.

Afterwards, Orfantal was with Brood, Kallor, Hurlochel, and Korlat at Maurik as they waited for Dujek's troops to rejoin them. Brood and Kallor became visibly irritated when Whiskeyjack arrived with only a small number of troops. It became clear that their Malazan allies had stolen a march on Coral with their main army and had kept their full plans secret. Whiskeyjack argued that Brood had done the same by keeping secret the location of Moon's Spawn. Kallor saw only Malazan treachery and attempted to sway Brood into letting the Malazans fight the Pannion Seer's army alone. Korlat asked Brood to keep his faith in the Tiste Andii and she, Orfantal, and their kin would march ahead with Whiskeyjack. Kallor insulted Korlat by suggesting she allowed her love for the Bridgeburner to override her objectivity and Orfantal rebuked the High King. He further warned Kallor that "when all this is done... I will come for you."

As the army made its way south, Orfantal and the other Tiste Andii spent their time exploring ways to purge their Warren of Darkness from the Crippled God's infection.

They arrived at Coral to find Dujek's army already engaged with the Pannion Domin defenders. Surprisingly Kallor arrived on his own soon after. Korlat sent Orfantal to join Dujek in his Eleint form to protect the High Fist's soldiers from the Seer's Condors. Korlat remained with Whiskeyjack where they were both betrayed by Kallor, who slew Whiskeyjack and gravely wounded Korlat. Orfantal quickly brought Brood to the battlefield by Warren to save his sister.

Orfantal resumed his Eleint form and fought the flocks of condors circling above the battlefield. The harried Soletaken was soon joined by his sister, and along with tens of thousands of Great Ravens, chased the condors back to the Seer's keep just as Moon's Spawn entered the fight.

When the battle was won, Orfantal sent his sister back down to Whiskeyjack's body to grieve while he, Silanah, and the other Tiste Andii Soletaken guarded the skies. Whiskeyjack was entombed in Moon's Spawn with the other fallen Bridgeburners, and Korlat and Orfantal made preparations to hunt down Kallor. Anomander Rake asked that they bring the High King back alive because he had earned Dragnipur.

In Toll the Hounds

'Kallor versus Orfantal'
Interpretation by Corporal Nobbs

Orfantal and his sister Korlat continued to pursue Kallor long after the siege of Coral had ended. Though he found his hunters clumsy, witless, and easily fooled, the High King grew frustrated by their relentlessness and was mystified over what he had done to earn their wrath or that of Anomander Rake. He could not believe they or Rake could be so angered by his failure to stand by them during their doomed battle at Coral.

Orfantal and Korlat finally caught their prey just south of Darujhistan on the last night of the Gedderone Fête. While Anomander Rake faced his destiny in the city, Spinnock Durav fought Kallor defensively all night outside the city walls to keep him from interfering. Just after Kallor left Spinnock bleeding on the ground, Orfantal swooped down as a Soletaken Eleint and carried the High King away over the Gadrobi Hills. Korlat landed to save Spinnock's life. When Kallor was finally able to draw his sword, he sunk it deep into Orfantal's throat. They crashed to the ground where Orfantal sembled to his Tiste Andii form. His arm broken and his neck bleeding, the dazed Orfantal was able to walk a dozen steps before falling dead.

In Dust of Dreams

In a dream, it was revealed that Sandalath Drukorlat was his mother (and so, by extension, also the mother of Korlat).

In Forge of Darkness

Orfantal by Celtic Botan

Orfantal of House Drukorlas was the bastard son of Sandalath Drukorlat and a drunken ex-soldier of low birth named Galdan. According to Haral, Orfantal's name meant 'unexpected' in the Yedan Shake holy dialect though Narad said it translated to 'unwanted'. He was raised by his mother on a steady diet of heroic stories and fantasy betrayals. Meanwhile, his grandmother Nerys Drukorlat maintained strict control over his life, even threatening Orfantal's friend the stableboy when the boys grew too close.

When Orfantal was five he was sent to Kharkanas by his grandmother to become a Hostage with the temple. On the way there, the caravan sheltering him was attacked by rogue members of Urusander's Legion led by Captain Sillan. He escaped and was brought to the capital by Gripp Galas. There he met Anomander Rake and Silchas Ruin and joined fellow temple hostage Legyl Behust.

In Fall of Light

(Information needed)

Trivia

In early editions of Gardens of the Moon, Korlat refers to Orfantal as 'sister'. This was a continuity mistake fixed by the author in later editions.

Notes and references

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