Wess

Wess was a heavy in 17th Squad, 4th Company, 2nd Division of the Malazan Fourth Army. He was a grizzled, veteran soldier who was older than he appeared and found any excuse to sleep away the tedium of army life. He relied on a resin of d'bayang poppy and kaff leaves to deaden pain. Wess had a calm and methodical fighting style that appeared lazy, but actually conserved strength.

In Night of Knives

Wess was a young recruit to the Mock's Hold garrison.

In Stonewielder

Wess accompanied the Malazan Expeditionary Force to the Lands of Fist to bring the renegade Malazan 6th Army to heel. While on the transport ship Lasana, Wess was among five squadmates chosen to mock battle an equal number of Blue Moranth for a place on a Moranth ship. Wess, Dim, Lard, Suth, and Yana were defeated, but performed well enough to earn their squad a place.

During the marine assault on the fortifications of Aamil, Wess fought his way up the Moranth siege tower and into the city along with the rest of his squad. He soon joined Adjunct Kyle in an attack on a temple of the Lady. Only the Adjunct's mystic blade saved the squad from a horrible death at the hands of the goddess' priests. Wess later fought to secure a key bridge over the Ancy River below the fortress at Three Sisters.

The army eventually made its way across Rool, and the 17th Squad was one of several placed on garrison duty in Banith under Divisional Fist Rillish Jal Keth. While the rest of the army pursued Overlord Yeull 'ul Taith to Korel Island, Fist Rillish accompanied the 6th and 17th Squads on a secret mission to Thol. The combined squads invaded a network of caves in search of a fragment of the Lady defended by priests and the Stormguard. The squads were slowly whittled away and separated by cave-ins and ambushes.

Wess was present during the final battle against twenty Chosen and two priests. During the battle, he was buried under a collapse of heavy rocks but survived.

Notes and references

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