Skulldeath

Skulldeath
Fan art by Corporal Nobbs
Biographical information
Pseudonyms	Tribole Futan
Race	Human (Gilani)
Gender	Male
Social information
Affiliation	Malazan Empire Malazan 14th Army Bonehunters
Occupation(s)	Marine

Skulldeath, formerly Tribole Futan, was the last surviving male of the Futani royal line of the Gilani tribe of southeast Seven Cities. He was a 23-year-old marine in Primly's 10th Squad, 8th Legion, 3rd Company, of the Bonehunters. Skulldeath was not tall, but very strong as his physique was pure muscle and devoid of all fat. He had dark, almond-shaped eyes which were considered to be quite feminine. He was not outspoken and his rare smiles were as shy as a young maiden's.

Skulldeath fought in the Gilani style with two giant tulwars which had once belonged to his great-uncle, a Falah'dan champion. He performed patterns like the "lishgar efhanah", the leaping attack, or the Edged Net as it was also called — a specific jumping mid-air attack against the enemies' heads, which killed them instantly.

Skulldeath was considered very attractive by both genders and did not have any concerns about indulging in same sex relations, as he did not consider these liaisons to be infringing on his vow to save the last of the Futani seed for a queen or empress as befitted his royal station. Dalliances in which men used him were harmless and pleasurable and "such was his discipline that he had not spilled seed once, not even in his sleep".

He was given the name Skulldeath by Master Sergeant Braven Tooth in Malaz City, who was known for his apt naming of recruits. The name was likely based on Skulldeath's fighting style with which the Sergeant would have been familiar. Bottle and Koryk speculated that the name might have been a reference to the Skulldeath plant, found on Malaz Island. The plant had only male specimens, but was still able to produce by spreading pollen which infected the seeds of other plants. Mulvan Dreader linked the name to Skulldeath's sexual discipline, calling the young soldier "truly a man about to explode."

In Reaper's Gale

Adjunct Tavore Paran clashed with Empress Laseen at Malaz City and took the Bonehunters rogue, following the Tiste Edur fleet that had ravaged Sepik back to Lether. Tavore invaded the Letherii Empire, burning her transport vessels on the shoreline and spreading the marines in isolated pairs of squads across thirty leagues of coast. The marines moved forward into the Letherii countryside towards Letheras, the capital, with orders to kill Edur by night and stir the occupied Letherii into rebellion. Each squad had a mage responsible for hiding their presence and confusing their enemies.

Primly's squad, along with Sinter's 4th and Badan Gruk's 5th squads, landed furthest south of all the marines. Remaining together, they saw little resistance moving east and soon reached a river. Rather than slog through through waist-deep swamp muck, they stole a fisher boat and sailed upriver. They made excellent time until running into a Letherii galley in the night. Kisswhere and Sinter were lost in the water during a discharge of Moranth munitions. Forced ashore, they were pursued day and night, using up their mages dodging and ducking enemy attacks. Somewhere along the way Masker was also lost, leaving Primly with only one heavy. Despite this action, Skulldeath, Badan Gruk and others had yet to draw blood.

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. Fiddler and Gesler's squads joined them at a tavern a day's travel from the capital just in time for a force of hundreds of Edur to envelop the village the Malazans occupied.

Skulldeath by Dejan Delic

Three days after leaving the river, Primly, Badan Gruk, Sinter's squads came upon the overwhelmed Malazans and turned the battle with their fresh supply of munitions. Skulldeath used his leaping fighting style to kill seven Tiste Edur who had cornered Smiles and Koryk in an alley, leaving the pair speechless. The newly arriving squads deferred to Fiddler's seniority, and the former Bridgeburner ordered the marines to hold their position in hopes they would be reinforced by Fist Keneb.

Intrigued by the handsome soldier, Smiles fruitlessly procured some Skulldeath plant from Bottle in the hopes of luring Skulldeath into a romantic liaison. But ultimately it was Hellian who caught Skulldeath's attention when he overheard her drunkenly boast that she was the Queen of Kartool. From then on he was besotted with her, announcing he had given his heart to her and following her everywhere. Hellian returned the favour, forcing Primly to step in and pry them apart.

By the time Keneb's forces arrived, thousands of Edur followed in their wake, pushing the gathered Malazans towards the city where the Imperial Brigade awaited. Caught between the two armies near Kravos Hill, the 800 remaining Malazans 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 disembarked from the Lether River.

Keneb marched on Letheras thinking the marines deserved to be the first to enter the capital. After the marines found a hidden entrance beneath the wall, the seized the city's western gate to allow the rest of the army entrance. Soon the City Garrison surrendered and the city fell.

In Dust of Dreams

(Information needed)

In The Crippled God

Skulldeath was in the final battle to defend the Crippled God. While fighting the Kolanse army, he died taking on multiple enemies, surrounded. A blow hammered him from behind, a hard edge crunching and grinding into his spine, before everything went dark.

Notes and references

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