Tiste

The races known as the Tiste [TĪST] were immigrants to the world of the Malazan Empire who arrived long before the events of the series. They were divided into three major groups, each with its own racial Warren, but all were born of Mother Dark. They were shown to be frequently at odds during the series.

Tiste Types and Racial Warrens

• Tiste Andii - Kurald Galain (Darkness)
• Tiste Edur - Kurald Emurlahn (Shadow)
• Tiste Liosan - Kurald Thyrllan (Light)

Origin Myth

"Mother Dark begat three children,
the First, Tiste Andii, were her dearest,
dwellers of the land before Light.
Then were birthed in pain the Second, Tiste Lians,
the burning glory of Light itself,
and so the First denied their Mother,
in their fury, and so were cast out,
doomed children of Mother Dark.
She then gave rise, in her mercy, to the Third,
spawn of the war between Dark and Light,
the Tiste Edur, and there was shadow
upon their souls."

―Kilmanar's Fables
Sebun Imanan

Language

For a list of known Tiste words and phrases as well as translations please visit the Tiste Language page.

In Reaper's Gale

Silchas Ruin said the Tiste were "the first children. The very first. Ours were the first cities, the first civilizations." Their home realms were places of elemental forces.

In Forge of Darkness

Before the Tiste Andii, Tiste Liosan, and Tiste Edur there were only the Tiste, the pale golden- or bronze-skinned people of Kurald Galain. They tended to have fair skin and tall frames, with dark eyes possessing a mercurial ambivalence. The history of all three Tiste people was the subject of the Kharkanas Trilogy.

In Fall of Light

(Information needed)

Lifespan

Various references were made regarding the lifespan of the Tiste. See Talk:Tiste. When asked how long an average Tiste lived (i.e., one who was not a Soletaken Eleint), Author Steven Erikson said he never really asked that of himself and suggested it was as "long as is necessary for the story." But he also noted that the Tiste are "imbued with magic, they are magic users and I think one of the unspoken rules [of the Malazan world is that] magic itself conveys longevity in some fashion or another, so they will be long-lived for sure. Which then poses...other questions of the psychological effect on being around for as long as they are."

Trivia

• Erikson "really liked the naming constructions of Sanskrit" and used them as the underlying basis for several Tiste names, including Anomander, Nimander, and Scabandari. "I love the rhythmic elements of those names."

Notes and references

List of abbreviations • Paginations • How to reference an article