Varandas

Varandas was a female Jaghut and captain of The Fourteen Undead Jaghut who first appeared in the Wastelands of Lether around the time of the Bonehunters' arrival in the Letherii Empire.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

In Dust of Dreams

• Encounter in the Lether Wastelands with Kalyth and Sag'Churok^[6]

• Encounter in the Lether Wastelands with Toc the Younger^[7] - Varandas was mentioned in this section by name^[8]

• Eastward travel across the Lether Wastelands^[9]

• Reunion at the Ice Throne with Hood^[10] - Varandas was mentioned in this section by name^[11]

In The Crippled God

• Encounter in the Lether Wastelands with Stormy^[12] - Varandas was mentioned in this section by name^[13]

• The Battle of the Spire in Kolanse^[14]

• Final obsequies at the Imass barrow in Kolanse^[15] - Varandas was mentioned in this section by name^[16]

In Forge of Darkness

Many millennia in the past in the Jaghut Odhan of the Jaghut Realm - the ancient homeland of the Jaghut - Varandas was living in his ancestral tower keep. Varandas was described as being a male - tall, broad across the shoulders, and long-limbed. His tusks were stained black except for the tips which were a red-tinted amber. An old savage scar crossed his face and he wore a loin cloth that left little doubt as to his maleness.^[17]

Varandas had once been a historian, but he had burned his books and writings on the 'Night of Dissension' when the Lord of Hate 'dissolved' Jaghut civilization.^[18] Afterwards, Varandas lived alone, discouraging company. However, he revealed to Korya Delath, who - with Haut - visited Varandas' keep in the Jaghut Odhan, that his 'art' was soul-shifting. Varandas made small animate 'dolls' that were short-term traps for wandering souls. Varandas named two series of these dolls: one the "Bolead" - possibly related to the Boles of Mott Wood; and the other the "Nacht".^[19]

Before encountering Varandas, while travelling with Korya, Haut, the brother of Hood, discovered on the Spar of Andii the brutally murdered body of Karish, Hood's wife.^[20] Haut travelled back with Korya to the Jaghut Odhan, where they unexpectedly came upon Varandas, who Haut had thought was dead. In Varandas' keep Haut and Korya spent the night. During the night, Varandas and Haut discussed their concerns regarding the grief-stricken Hood. Varandas told Haut that the Jaghut were awaiting word from Hood before deciding what should be done about the situation. The next day, Varandas left for parts unknown.^[21]

In Fall of Light

Subsequent to the events chronicled in Forge of Darkness, Varandas, Burrugast and Haut paid a visit to Gothos, in his keep in the ruins of the city of Omtose Phellack. The three wore blackened "arcane" iron armour. The purpose of this particular meeting was to argue the pros and cons regarding the Jaghut joining the army of Hood, who had declared a war on death. At the end of the discussion, Varandas, Burrugast and Haut were not only sure that they had successfully met every argument Gothos might have had against Hood's goals, but were also sure that they were the obvious officers, "chosen and select", to serve in the army under the command of Hood.^[22]

Leaving the meeting, Varandas encountered and had a conversation with Spingalle, at the end of which Varandas declined Spingalle's offer to turn Varandas into a female. Varandas told Spingalle that he was satisfied with his current gender and that he was not bothered by the occasional "misapprehension". Varandas and Spingalle had slept together in the past and Varandas admitted to her that he remained "eternally smitten" with her.^[23]

Returning to the Jaghut Odhan encampment of Hood's army, Varandas, Burrugast and Haut shared with Hood the developments of their meeting with Gothos, assuring him that they, themselves - plus a number of other Jaghut - would march with him when the "time" arrived. Hood left upon an errand, leaving the three to mind his burning but heatless campfire. Varandas said something that triggered Burrugast and Haut - as well as himself - into laughter, which was loud and long - the sound reverberated throughout the entire camp.^[24] Hood's army at this stage was made up of about one thousand individuals and was composed of the Jaghut plus a wide variety of other peoples and races.^[25]

Hood ritually invoked a Long Night over the encampment in the Jaghut Odhan, thus stopping time there and enabling the passage of his army through a gate into the realm of the dead - where the army would, at last, be able to wage war on their avowed enemy, Death.^[26][27][28] Surrounding Hood when the Long Night began was the core of his army, Hood's Fourteen, which included Varandas. The group of fourteen Jaghut proceeded to engage in one of their typically irreverent conversations. Varandas - as was not uncommon - was the first to laugh at one of the remarks which was made - laughter which was picked up quickly by the others. Hood and his army, presumably including Varandas, then left. According to Korya Delath, they had stepped outside of time and were as good as dead.^[29]

Quotes

Trivia

The fact that Varandas is definitely female in Dust of Dreams and The Crippled God while being definitely male in Forge of Darkness and Fall of Light is not explained in the books and has caused much puzzlement amongst readers. Author Steven Erikson admits that this was a mistake on his part. While writing Fall of Light, he "realised that I'm just going to have to acknowledge it and play it up so that, you know, even his best friends aren't quite sure of whether he is male or female."^[30]

Notes and references