Temul

Temul was a scrawny fourteen year old Wickan lancer.^[1][2][3] When Duiker first met him, Temul was a peach-faced youth in the company of the horse warriors of the Foolish Dog clan.^[4] He was later named as a member of the Crow Clan.^[5] Temul was dark-eyed and fastidious in his appearance.^[1][2]

At some point later in life he also penned a thirteen page treatise called Malazan Warfare.^[6]

In Deadhouse Gates

When High Fist Coltaine took command of the Malazan 7th Army in Hissar, Temul was one of the Wickan horsewarriors who accompanied him. The city fell during the Whirlwind uprising, and Temul became part of the Chain of Dogs, that was forced to fight its way across the Seven Cities continent to the Malazan bastion at Aren.

As they approached Aren, Coltaine sent the refugees ahead while his decimated army detained Korbolo Dom's army of the Apocalypse in a desperate delaying action. The refugees were escorted by a group of Wickan youths, the eldest of whom was Temul. All were angered to be left out of the main fight, but obeyed the word of their commander.^[7]

Temul and the refugees safely reached Aren, which made him one of the few Wickans to survive the Chain of Dogs.^[8]

In House of Chains

After Coltaine's death, Temul wore a mask of deep red face paint denoting his grief,^[9] as well as a single crow feather hung from a plain leather headband.^[1] His mount was the same loyal mare that had carried Duiker from Hissar to Aren.^[10]

Temul was made Captain in the Malaz 14th Army by Adjunct Tavore Paran during the initial disposition of the troops, and was given command of the 41 Wickan youths who survived from the Chain of Dogs. They were attached to the Adjunct's entourage as her bodyguards.^[11]

An additional three hundred Wickan Crow clan volunteers joined the 14th Army before it departed Aren.^[12] Composed largely of Wickans old enough to have served in the Wickan Wars, they refused to accept the teenage Temul as their commander.^[13] They often rode as they pleased, expressing mocking regard to his face while whispering behind his back.^[14]

On the march to meet the Army of the Apocalypse at Raraku, Fiddler found the young Wickan weeping by himself in the dark. The Bridgeburner overcame Temul's shame at being found pitying himself to offer words of advice for dealing with his unruly command. Temul also admitted that he carried a blank vellum scroll to honour Duiker, who had fought even when it was not expected of him. Temul held onto the historian's horse because he was aware Duiker had carried a saving stone and expected his return.^[15]

The Wickan situation resolved itself when Gall and the Khundryl Burned Tears joined the 14th Army near Vathar Crossing. Gall presented his broken sword to Temul, and the Wickan boy, with Fiddler's nonverbal prompting, accepted the Burned Tears as part of the Crow Clan. Temul now had three thousand warriors to back his word.^[16]

Temul proved a capable cavalry commander. His troops did not suffer the same losses as the Seti cavalry who were led into ambushes by their own recklessness. His troops also ably guarded the army's supply wagons and provided accurate accounts of enemy dispositions.^[17]

In The Bonehunters

After the Battle of Raraku, Tavore promoted Temul to the rank of Fist.^[18] Leoman led the Army of the Apocalypse westward to Y'Ghatan and the 14th Army followed. By then the young warrior had physically matured and settled into his role as commander of the army's cavalry. Since leaving Aren, he had grown two hand's-width's taller and become lean and hawk-faced with far too many losses pooled in his black eyes. There was no longer any question among the Crow regarding his suitability to command. Fist Keneb thought him more and more like Coltaine every day.^[19]

Temul was still haunted by Coltaine's decision to send him away with Duiker and the refugees and often argued with Warleader Gall over Coltaine's continued influence. Temul saw only punishment and shame in Coltaine's decision to spare his life. The foundling, Grub, often spent time with Temul and cryptically hinted of glory, or perhaps infamy, in Temul's future.^[20]

Upon reaching the outskirts of Y'Ghatan, Temul sent his Wickan scouts to investigate the city's surroundings and its defenses. He suggested a night attack by the sappers to punch a hole in the city's wall followed by a deep thrust into the city's heart.^[21] The Adjunct took his advice and launched the Last Siege of Y'Ghatan as he described.^[22] Temul and his horse-warriors did not take part in the battle, instead ranging round the city in case Leoman did something unexpected.^[23] He witnessed the battle from the northwest road to Lothal, his pride in his plan quickly turning to horror when the city began to burn.^[24]

When the battle was over, he and his Wickans hunted down and returned Malazan deserters.^[25] Temul himself captured Sinn attempting to steal into the smoldering ruins.^[26] By the time the 14th Army reached the Kokakal Sea to board transports back to Quon Tali, Keneb noted the young Fist had adopted the full-body blue tattooing of the Crow clan. His face was decorated with an intricate geonetric design resembling tesserae. Temul predicted that most of the Wickans would leave the army once they arrived in Unta, shamed not to have followed Coltaine into death and glory.^[27]

Adjunct Tavore's fleet was redirected to Malaz City by order of Empress Laseen so that she and the Empress could meet in Mock's Hold. The Adjunct soon discovered that the Empress had reached a political settlement with Mallick Rel and Korbolo Dom that would raise both men to power while condemning the Wickans and Khundryl Burned Tears as scapegoats for the Empire's failures in Seven Cities. Tavore refused to deliver her loyal troops up to slaughter and instead took the entire army renegade. She relieved Temul, Nil, Nether, and the other Wickans from duty so that they could return to their homeland and defend it from the planned Malazan pogrom.^[28]

Shadowthrone lamented the ill treatment of his loyal Wickans with Tayschrenn. But the High Mage argued that the Wickans were not as vulnerable as he feared and predicted that decades from now, an aging Temul would mentor a young warrior named Coltaine.^[29]

In Return of the Crimson Guard

Temul returned to Quon Tali during the Malazan civil war when violence flared up on the Wickan Plains between his people and Malazan settlers. While Nether and Nil led a Wickan response against Unta, Temul was in charge of the Wickan forces left on the plains.^[30]

Quotes

Notes and references