The Crippled God
Encyclopedia
The Crippled God, also known as The Chained One and The Fallen One is the major antagonist in Steven Erikson
's fictional series The Malazan Book of the Fallen
. The Crippled God rules High House Chains
and manipulates both its members and the rest of the world in an attempt to break free of his bonds. He is unique in that he is not King of his own House in the deck (that role is filled by Skinner, King of the House of Chains), but is instead the Deathslayer, an Unaligned card. The Crippled God manifests himself in the form of a broken old man, continuously coughing, with mis-set bones and mangled hands, whose face is ever enshrouded by a hood and body by a shapeless blanket. His domain is a tiny, wandering Warren
in the shape of a small tent (possibly a fragment of Kurald Emurlahn), which can isolate the area of a small island from the rest of the world. The Crippled God has a long and uncertain history of conflict and imprisonment with the Ascendants of the Malazan world, though they are apparently unable to kill him.
As of Dust of Dreams, however, it becomes questionable whether or not The Crippled God is actually the major antagonist, or just another pawn in the war among the gods. This would be fitting, considering Erikson's habit of overturning the conventional standards of fantasy. The final book in the series, The Crippled God
, revolves around the revelation that, though he causes immense suffering in the world, The Crippled God is the only deity who feels what his followers, and all mortals, feel themselves: extreme pain, sorrow, and loss. Thus, though he was considered an enemy of the protagonists for most of the series, The Crippled God is the only deity with any real sympathy for his worshippers. This has massive ramifications for the plot of the book, particularly given that The Crippled God's heart is being used as a source of power for the genocidal Forkrul Assail ruling Kolanse.
, then badly set
. He is always seated, wrapped in a blanket with his face obscured by a hood. His home is a tent, constantly filled with the smoke of unidentified seeds thrown upon a brazier
. The Crippled God coughs sporadically, but endlessly, breathes loudly and laboriously, and speaks with a raspy, raw voice. Despite his weakened appearance, the Crippled God is extremely powerful, with control over immense magical forces.
, he was called down from an alien realm to destroy the High King Kallor by a group of mages; however, causing mass destruction leading to the death of the cadre of mages. After his fall, The Crippled God was driven mad with pain - as the realm from which he was called is so alien that existence itself in the world of the Malazans is poison to him - and his power was torn apart, with parts of him landing in many places. One part of him landed in Fist, or Korel, and, masquerading as the Blessed Lady, he gave the inhabitants a relic with which to build a wall (the Stormwall, which is destroyed as of "Stonewielder", to allow the Stormriders to continue - not to conquer the land, but to complete a religious pilgrimage millennia in the waiting) to defend against the encroachments of the unknown Stormriders. As of Dust of Dreams, he is given a personal name, known to at least the Elder Gods Errastas (the Errant), Mael (Bugg), Kilmandaros, Olar Ethil (Burn, the Sleeping Goddess), and Sechul Lath (Knuckles, a Forkrul Assail), and likely also known to the Elder God Edgewalker of Shadow. It is known where either two or four parts of him (out of a speculated seven) fell upon the Earth. Either one part or three (the three Holy Relics of the Blessed Lady) fell upon Korel, on the subcontinent of Fist on the continent of Quon Tali, and his heart fell upon Kolanse, on the continent of Lether. He wishes his pain and torment to be shared upon everyone, including - if not especially - his followers. He speaks: "At one time my power was so beautiful that it caused everything I touched to thrive." During a session of spirit wandering, or what we would know as "astral projection", High Mage Adaephon "Quick" Ben Delat glimpses the Realm from which the Crippled God was called down from: he said it was amazingly similar to that of the Malazans, and the inhabitants appeared to be human beings.
The Crippled God's most effective and obvious actions to date have taken place on the continents of the Seven Cities and Lether. In the former, he indirectly assisted the Army of the Apocalypse in the book House of Chains
, and in the collapse of the army at Raraku, re-invented the Apocalypse in the form of a plague, with the assistance of Poliel in the book The Bonehunters
.
On Genabackis in the book Memories of Ice
, he was initially successful in using the cannibalistic
Pannion Domin to conquer parts of the southern continent. Upon moving north to lay siege to Capustan, his forces ran into opposition in the form of the Grey Swords, a company of mercenary
priests dedicated to Fener, the God of War. Ultimately, a rebel army of the Malazan Empire
, in conjunction with the forces of the Tiste Andii and Barghast, were successful in defeating the Pannion Domin at Capustan and also succeeded in conquering the Domin's seat of power, Coral.
At Lether in the book Midnight Tides
, he was the source of magic behind the armies of the Tiste Edur, and following their conquest of the Letherii, the voyages across the globe.
Steven Erikson
Steven Erikson is the pseudonym of Steve Rune Lundin, a Canadian novelist, who was educated and trained as both an archaeologist and anthropologist....
's fictional series The Malazan Book of the Fallen
Malazan Book of the Fallen
The Malazan Book of the Fallen is an epic fantasy series written by Canadian author Steven Erikson, published in ten volumes beginning with the novel Gardens of the Moon, published in 1999. The series was completed with the publication of The Crippled God in February 2011...
. The Crippled God rules High House Chains
High House Chains
The High House Chains is a House of the Deck of Dragons in Steven Erikson's fantasy series Malazan Book of the Fallen. Membership and alliance with High House Chains is marked through the inclusion of a massive flaw in the individual, and the celebration of imperfection.-The Crippled God:Ruler of...
and manipulates both its members and the rest of the world in an attempt to break free of his bonds. He is unique in that he is not King of his own House in the deck (that role is filled by Skinner, King of the House of Chains), but is instead the Deathslayer, an Unaligned card. The Crippled God manifests himself in the form of a broken old man, continuously coughing, with mis-set bones and mangled hands, whose face is ever enshrouded by a hood and body by a shapeless blanket. His domain is a tiny, wandering Warren
Magic in the Malazan Book of the Fallen
Magic in the Malazan Book of the Fallen, a high fantasy series by Steven Erikson, involves tapping power from inside the mage, taking power from spirits, or most commonly using the power of a Warren or Hold. The effects created varies depending on where the magic is taken from, how it is combined,...
in the shape of a small tent (possibly a fragment of Kurald Emurlahn), which can isolate the area of a small island from the rest of the world. The Crippled God has a long and uncertain history of conflict and imprisonment with the Ascendants of the Malazan world, though they are apparently unable to kill him.
As of Dust of Dreams, however, it becomes questionable whether or not The Crippled God is actually the major antagonist, or just another pawn in the war among the gods. This would be fitting, considering Erikson's habit of overturning the conventional standards of fantasy. The final book in the series, The Crippled God
The Crippled God (novel)
The Crippled God is the tenth and final volume of Canadian author Steven Erikson's epic fantasy series, the Malazan Book of the Fallen. In an interview, Erikson described The Crippled God as the second half of the series finale, with Dust of Dreams, the first half, ending on a cliffhanger....
, revolves around the revelation that, though he causes immense suffering in the world, The Crippled God is the only deity who feels what his followers, and all mortals, feel themselves: extreme pain, sorrow, and loss. Thus, though he was considered an enemy of the protagonists for most of the series, The Crippled God is the only deity with any real sympathy for his worshippers. This has massive ramifications for the plot of the book, particularly given that The Crippled God's heart is being used as a source of power for the genocidal Forkrul Assail ruling Kolanse.
Appearance
The Crippled God takes the form of a broken old man, whose bones give the appearance of being shatteredBone fracture
A bone fracture is a medical condition in which there is a break in the continuity of the bone...
, then badly set
Bone healing
Bone healing, or fracture healing, is a proliferative physiological process in which the body facilitates the repair of a bone fracture....
. He is always seated, wrapped in a blanket with his face obscured by a hood. His home is a tent, constantly filled with the smoke of unidentified seeds thrown upon a brazier
Brazier
A brazier is a container for fire, generally taking the form of an upright standing or hanging metal bowl or box. Used for holding burning coal as well as fires, a brazier allows for a source of light, heat, or cooking...
. The Crippled God coughs sporadically, but endlessly, breathes loudly and laboriously, and speaks with a raspy, raw voice. Despite his weakened appearance, the Crippled God is extremely powerful, with control over immense magical forces.
The calling down
The origins of the Crippled God are mostly lost in the history of the Malazan world. In a flashback in Memories of IceMemories of Ice
Memories of Ice is the third volume of Steven Erikson's epic fantasy series, the Malazan Book of the Fallen. Memories of Ice is also a direct sequel to the first volume in the series, Gardens of the Moon, occurring chronologically at the same time as the second volume, Deadhouse Gates.Memories of...
, he was called down from an alien realm to destroy the High King Kallor by a group of mages; however, causing mass destruction leading to the death of the cadre of mages. After his fall, The Crippled God was driven mad with pain - as the realm from which he was called is so alien that existence itself in the world of the Malazans is poison to him - and his power was torn apart, with parts of him landing in many places. One part of him landed in Fist, or Korel, and, masquerading as the Blessed Lady, he gave the inhabitants a relic with which to build a wall (the Stormwall, which is destroyed as of "Stonewielder", to allow the Stormriders to continue - not to conquer the land, but to complete a religious pilgrimage millennia in the waiting) to defend against the encroachments of the unknown Stormriders. As of Dust of Dreams, he is given a personal name, known to at least the Elder Gods Errastas (the Errant), Mael (Bugg), Kilmandaros, Olar Ethil (Burn, the Sleeping Goddess), and Sechul Lath (Knuckles, a Forkrul Assail), and likely also known to the Elder God Edgewalker of Shadow. It is known where either two or four parts of him (out of a speculated seven) fell upon the Earth. Either one part or three (the three Holy Relics of the Blessed Lady) fell upon Korel, on the subcontinent of Fist on the continent of Quon Tali, and his heart fell upon Kolanse, on the continent of Lether. He wishes his pain and torment to be shared upon everyone, including - if not especially - his followers. He speaks: "At one time my power was so beautiful that it caused everything I touched to thrive." During a session of spirit wandering, or what we would know as "astral projection", High Mage Adaephon "Quick" Ben Delat glimpses the Realm from which the Crippled God was called down from: he said it was amazingly similar to that of the Malazans, and the inhabitants appeared to be human beings.
Chainings
The Crippled God has repeatedly been 'chained', an uncertain event which worked to restrict his powers. This has happened multiple times in the past, though the history of this has been lost and merged over time. Currently, The Crippled God is chained to the flesh of Burn, the Sleeping Goddess, whose flesh represents the earth itself. The last chaining involved the participation of multiple Ascendants, including Hood, Anomander Rake, Caladan Brood, Osserc, Oponn, Fener, the Queen of Dreams and others, and seems to have involved the sacrifice of Dassem Ultor's daughter, by Hood. There were six other Tiste Andii, in addition to Anomander Rake, possibly Korlat and Orfantal, and a full unveiling of Kurald Galain was involved. Dancer and Kellanved were also present.Currently
The Crippled God currently lives in a tiny Warren in the shape of a small tent. The Warren can move about, and has manifested itself on Genabackis and near Lether. The Crippled God is not helpless, and has succeeded in poisoning both the flesh of Burn, and the blood of K'rul, God of the Warrens, rendering magic temporarily inoperable.The Crippled God's most effective and obvious actions to date have taken place on the continents of the Seven Cities and Lether. In the former, he indirectly assisted the Army of the Apocalypse in the book House of Chains
House of Chains
House of Chains is the fourth volume of Canadian author Steven Erikson's epic fantasy series, the Malazan Book of the Fallen, and a direct sequel to the second volume in the series, Deadhouse Gates....
, and in the collapse of the army at Raraku, re-invented the Apocalypse in the form of a plague, with the assistance of Poliel in the book The Bonehunters
The Bonehunters
The Bonehunters is the sixth volume in Canadian author Steven Erikson's epic fantasy series, the Malazan Book of the Fallen. The Bonehunters is a direct sequel to the fourth volume, House of Chains, and alludes to events in the fifth, Midnight Tides.The novel was first published in the United...
.
On Genabackis in the book Memories of Ice
Memories of Ice
Memories of Ice is the third volume of Steven Erikson's epic fantasy series, the Malazan Book of the Fallen. Memories of Ice is also a direct sequel to the first volume in the series, Gardens of the Moon, occurring chronologically at the same time as the second volume, Deadhouse Gates.Memories of...
, he was initially successful in using the cannibalistic
Cannibalism
Cannibalism is the act or practice of humans eating the flesh of other human beings. It is also called anthropophagy...
Pannion Domin to conquer parts of the southern continent. Upon moving north to lay siege to Capustan, his forces ran into opposition in the form of the Grey Swords, a company of mercenary
Mercenary
A mercenary, is a person who takes part in an armed conflict based on the promise of material compensation rather than having a direct interest in, or a legal obligation to, the conflict itself. A non-conscript professional member of a regular army is not considered to be a mercenary although he...
priests dedicated to Fener, the God of War. Ultimately, a rebel army of the Malazan Empire
Malazan Empire
The Malazan Empire is a fictional state in the epic fantasy series Malazan Book of the Fallen by Steven Erikson. It is one of only two human empires in the series - the other being Lether. It is likely the largest group of humans under one name...
, in conjunction with the forces of the Tiste Andii and Barghast, were successful in defeating the Pannion Domin at Capustan and also succeeded in conquering the Domin's seat of power, Coral.
At Lether in the book Midnight Tides
Midnight Tides
Midnight Tides is the fifth volume of Canadian author Steven Erikson's epic fantasy series, the Malazan Book of the Fallen. Although it is part of the larger series, it has only limited references to the previous books...
, he was the source of magic behind the armies of the Tiste Edur, and following their conquest of the Letherii, the voyages across the globe.