A Malazan Book of the Fallen Collection 3

army
    Brys Beddict, Finadd (Captain) and King's Champion, youngest of the Beddict brothers
    Moroch Nevath, a Finadd bodyguard to Prince Quillas Diskanar
    Kuru Qan, Ceda (Sorceror) to the King
    Nisall, the King's First Concubine
    Turudal Brizad, The Queen's First Consort
    Nifadas, First Eunuch
    Gerun Eberict, Finadd in the Royal Guard
    Triban Gnol, Chancellor
    Laerdas, a mage in the Prince's retinue
    In the North
    Buruk the Pale, a merchant in the north
    Seren Pedac, Acquitor for Buruk the Pale
    Hull Beddict, Sentinel in the north, eldest among the Beddict brothers
    Nekal Bara, a sorceress
    Arahathan, a mage
    Enedictal, a mage
    Yan Tovis (Twilight), Atri-Preda at Fent Reach
    In the City of Letheras
    Tehol Beddict, a citizen in the capital, middle among the Beddict brothers
    Hejun, an employee of Tehol
    Rissarh, an employee of Tehol
    Shand, an employee of Tehol
    Chalas, a watchman
    Biri, a merchant
    Huldo, an establishment proprietor
    Bugg, Tehol's servant
    Ublala Pung, a criminal
    Harlest, a household guard
    Ormly, Champion Rat Catcher
    Rucket, Chief Investigator, Rat Catchers' Guild
    Bubyrd, Rat Catchers' Guild
    Glisten, Rat Catchers' Guild
    Ruby, Rat Catchers' Guild
    Onyx, Rat Catchers' Guild
    Scint, Rat Catchers' Guild
    Kettle, a child
    Shurq Elalle, a thief
    Selush, a Dresser of the Dead
    Padderunt, assistant to Selush
    Urul, chief server in Huldo's
    Inchers, a citizen
    Hulbat, a citizen
    Turble, a citizen
    Unn, a half-blood indigent
    Delisp, Matron of the Temple Brothel
    Prist, a gardener
    Strong Rail, a cut-throat
    Green Pig, an infamous mage of old
OTHERS
    Withal, a Meckros weaponsmith
    Rind, a Nacht
    Mape, a Nacht
    Pule, a Nacht
    The One Within
    Silchas Ruin, a Tiste Andii Eleint Soletaken
    Scabandari Bloodeye, a Tiste Edur Eleint Soletaken
    Gothos, a Jaghut
    Rud Elalle, a child
    Iron Bars, a soldier
    Corlo, a mage
    Halfpeck, a soldier
    Ulshun Pral, an Imass

PROLOGUE
    The First Days of the Sundering of Emurlahn
The Edur Invasion, the Age of Scabandari Bloodeye
The Time of the Elder Gods
    F ROM THE TWISTING, SMOKE-FILLED CLOUDS, BLOOD rained down. The last of the sky keeps, flame-wreathed and pouring black smoke, had surrendered the sky. Their ragged descent had torn furrows through the ground as they struck and broke apart with thunderous reverberations, scattering red-stained rocks among the heaps of corpses that covered the land from horizon to horizon.
    The great hive cities had been reduced to ash-layered rubble, and the vast towering clouds above each of them that had shot skyward with their destruction – clouds filled with debris and shredded flesh and blood – now swirled in storms of dissipating heat, spreading to fill the sky.
    Amidst the annihilated armies the legions of the conquerors were reassembling on the centre plain, most of which was covered in exquisitely fitted flagstones – where the impact of the sky keeps had not carved deep gouges – although the reassertion of formations was hampered by the countless carcasses of the defeated. And by exhaustion. The legions belonged to two distinct armies, allies in this war, and it was clear that one had fared far better than the other.
    The blood mist sheathed Scabandari's vast, iron-hued wings as he swept down through the churning clouds, blinking nictitating membranes to clear his ice-blue draconean eyes. Banking in his descent, the dragon tilted his head to survey his victorious children. The grey banners of the Tiste Edur legions wavered fitfully above the gathering warriors, and Scabandari judged that at least eighteen thousand of his shadow-kin remained. For all that, there would be mourning in the tents of the First Landing this night. The day had begun with over two hundred thousand Tiste Edur marching onto the plain. Still ... it was enough.
    The Edur had clashed with the east flank of the K'Chain Che'Malle army, prefacing their charge with waves of devastating sorcery. The enemy's formations had been assembled to face a frontal assault, and they had proved fatally slow to turn to the threat on their flank. Like a dagger, the Edur legions had driven to the army's heart.
    Below, as he drew closer, Scabandari could see, scattered here and there, the midnight banners of the Tiste Andii. A thousand warriors left, perhaps less. Victory was a more dubious claim for these battered allies. They had engaged the K'ell Hunters, the elite bloodkin armies of the three Matrons. Four hundred thousand Tiste Andii, against sixty thousand Hunters.