Natarkas

Natarkas [nah-TAR-kas],^[1] a large, well-muscled Awl warrior of the Ganetok clan, was a member of the Copperfaces--a group so-called because of their practice of routinely covering their faces with a reddish, copper-colored pigment. The decoration was meant to emulate the actual red-scaled mask of Redmask, an Awl exile whose past exploits against the ever-encroaching Letherii they clearly admired. Natarkas and his fellow Copperfaces belonged to an inner circle of trusted, close companions to the Ganetok war leader, Hadralt.^[2]

In Reaper's Gale

When Redmask returned from exile, he challenged Hadralt for leadership of the Awl. Surrounded by his Copperfaces, Hadralt was contemptuous of Redmask's call for a duel to the death until Redmask called upon his K'Chain Che'Malle allies to make the sure there would be no interference. As Hadralt screwed up his courage, Natarkas spoke up revealing how Hadralt had murdered his father Capalah with poison to succeed him as war leader. Redmask soon coaxed Hadralt into revealing the truth of his betrayal of the Awl to the Letherii--that he had traded Awl land for coin and planned to surrender his people for an estate in Drene. After hearing about these betrayals, Hadralt was stabbed in the back and killed by his own Copperfaces.^[3]

Redmask took control of the Ganetok and remnants of the other Awl clans. Natarkas, as spokesman for the Copperfaces, served as one of his main sources of information. The Copperface shamefacedly described the Ganetok's sordid betrayal of the Grey Swords, foreign mercenaries who they had hired to help them fight the Eastern Letherii Army. Hadralt had decided he preferred to keep the Grey Swords' payment and cold-bloodedly abandoned them on the field of battle, resulting in the badly out-numbered Grey Swords falling to the Letherii alone.^[4] The Copperface informed Redmask that one of the two Grey Sword commanders still lived, having been captured and then chained to a stake behind the hut where the Awl women were ritually quarantined, while their blood flowed during their menstrual periods. This information enraged the already disgusted Redmask and caused him to immediately find the badly mistreated captive, Toc Anaster, and release him.^[5][6]

Natarkas, accepting Redmask as war leader of the Awl, began to habitually trail after him as Redmask moved around the Awl encampment, He became close to Redmask and learned more about and from him.^[7] Subsequently, the Copperface fought under Redmask's command in the battles of the Awl Campaign that took place between the Awl and the combined Letherii and Tiste Edur armies of Atri-Preda Bivatt and Overseer Brohl Handar.^[8] Redmask proved victorious with unconventional tactics, but Natarkas saw little honour in the new way of fighting.^[9]

At the Battle of Q'uson Tapi, the third and last battle fought between the two forces, Natarkas was put in charge of a contingent of 2000 Awl cavalry and travelled secretly through the night to appear behind the Letherii army. Redmask had given the Copperface strict and detailed orders that he was to launch a surprise attack in the rear only if his cavalry remained undiscovered. If detected, Natarkas was to instead draw the Edur and Bluerose Lancers away from the battle, even if that meant he and his warriors appeared to run like cowards.^[10] Despite this, Natarkas intentionally decided beforehand not to follow the orders he had been given. He and the Awl had shamed themselves and fled like cowards once before when the Grey Swords died in their place. He would run no more.^[11]

Natarkas and his cavalry were spotted early by the Edur, who readied their spears to meet the charge. The Awl weakened the Edur position by firing volleys of arrows before they charged, leaping their horse over the Edur's front ranks. After a chaotic melee, the Awl were forced to retreat in a panic just before the Bluerose Lancers led a countercharge into their ranks. Natarkas was killed when a Bluerose lance pierced the side of his skull. His decision to disobey Redmask's precisely given orders led to the deaths of his entire command.^[12]

Notes and references