Stump Flit was a Northern Genabackis deity, known also as the 'Salamander God, Highest of High Marshals'. He was a trickster-figure of special interest to the indigenous people (especially the Bole brothers) inhabiting the area around the city and swamp of Mott and the Blackdog Forest, who viewed him with great ambivalence.[1]
In The Bonehunters[]
Stump Flit came unwelcomed to Crump of the Malazan 14th Army in Y'Ghatan while the sapper was in a drug-induced reverie following his eating of Carelbarra. The honey, which was laced with opium, was known as the 'God Bringer' because of its hallucinogenic properties. The Salamander God teased Crump, an ex Mott Irregular, with hints of what Crump's brothers would do to him in revenge if they caught up with him. The Trickster also kept trying to get Crump to take ahold of his tail, but when Crump finally did so, Stump Flit bolted, leaving his tail in Crump's grasp and racing away in peals of laughter. As Crump knew, this was the only joke that the Salamander God possessed.[2][3]
In Reaper's Gale[]
As the Bonehunters Fleet was making its way to the city of Letheras, Stump Flit and his amazing tail came to the mind of Crump/Jamber Bole as he ogled with awe the admirable rump of Masan Gilani.[4]
In Toll the Hounds[]
The Salamander God was associated in the mind of the swamp witch, Precious Thimble, with the unusually good 'survival rate' of members of the Bole family, (including Amby Bole and Jula Bole) despite their seemingly complete lack of common sense in risky situations.[5]
In Dust of Dreams[]
In Letheras, Crump/Jamber Bole arrived, uninvited, to a gathering hosted by Deadsmell on the night of Fiddler's Deck of Dragons reading for the Adjunct, Tavore Paran, which one and all considered an extremely unwise thing to be doing. Crump had brought with him to Deadsmell's place a large piece of wood, which he said he wanted to carve into something - a fish, a cavalry troop, or a representation of the Salamander God. He decided, however, against carving Stump Flit as being too dangerous - which, as things turned out, was a good decision.[6][7]
Trivia[]
- Authors Steven Erikson and Ian C. Esslemont once tried collaborating on a novella set during the Mott Campaign. Erikson says, "I took a whole series of characters, mostly the Bole Mott Irregulars and Cam had a whole bunch of other characters. But it started pulling in two different directions, in the sense that, the absurdity of the Mott characters, of the Boles, was just too absurd, if you will. And Cam just said, 'I can't deal with these guys, even in fiction.' So I think we stopped at about closing on half way into the story." Stump Flit also makes an appearance. Erikson still has the story and has talked of one day posting his Mott Irregular section on his Facebook page.[8]
- Erikson has an unpublished story about Stump Flit. "The title, if I recall right, it's The Collected Tales of Stump Flit," he says. "And of course, it's a pun, because one of the things that the salamander god does is he mocks his believers and gets them to grab his tail, and the tail comes off in their hands. And he laughs."[9]
Quotes[]
- "...Crump, who's decided I'm worthy of worship. Says I've got the tail of some salamander god...if he grabs it it's liable to come off. I think he means he thinks I'm too perfect for the likes of him."
- ―Masan Gilani's bemused reaction to a remark that Crump/Jamber Bole had made to her
- "It did not matter that they barely had a single brain [among] them. They were Boles, ferocious against mages and magic of any kind, and born with the salamander god's gift of survival."
- ―advantageous traits of the Boles according to Precious Thimble
- "I'm going to carve something! Maybe a big fish! Or a troop of horse-soldiers! Or a giant salamander - though that could be dangerous, oh, too dangerous, unless'n I give its tail a plug so you can pull it off - and a hinged jaw that goes up and down and makes laughing sounds."
- ―Crump/Jamber Bole on how he would carve Stump Flit
Notes and references[]
- ↑ The Bonehunters, Chapter 7, US HC p.288
- ↑ The Bonehunters, Chapter 7, US HC p.231
- ↑ The Bonehunters, Chapter 7, US HC p.288
- ↑ Reaper's Gale, Chapter 20, US TPB p.612
- ↑ Toll the Hounds, Chapter 13, US TPB p.423
- ↑ Dust of Dreams, Chapter 3, US HC p.105-106
- ↑ Dust of Dreams, Chapter 3, US HC p.112
- ↑ Malazan Full Series Chat with Steven Erikson (Full Series Spoilers) - Green Team of the Legendarium - See 44:50
- ↑ Malazan Full Series Chat with Steven Erikson (Full Series Spoilers) - Green Team of the Legendarium - See 47:35