Draconus

Draconus
Fan art by Corporal Nobbs
Biographical information
Pseudonyms	Suzerain of Night
Race	Azathanai
Appearance	Broad shouldered, pale skin, black hair and beard and depthless eyes
Family	Srela, adoptive mother Envy, daughter Spite, daughter Malice, daughter Arathan, son
Social information
Affiliation	High House Dark
Occupation(s)	Elder God
Title(s)	Consort of Dark
Soletaken	Eleint

"He turned back in time to see Draconus drawing his sword. Blackness poured from the long blade like wind-whipped shrouds, billowing out, twisting to close around the man like folding wings. Draconus disappeared inside the darkness, and the inky cloud spiralled higher, growing in size. In moments it towered over them, and then those black wings unfolded once more. The apparition rose into the sky, enormous wings of inky smoke thundering the air. [...]

He watched the huge thing fly away, northward. Not a dragon. Winged darkness. Just that. Winged darkness."

―Ublala Pung watching Draconus veer

Draconus was the consort of Mother Dark, and brother of both K'rul and the Sister of Cold Nights. Draconus did not assume the form of a dragon but rather winged darkness. He was enormous in size, appearing alike a black dragon, described as having wings like flames of night, with argent reptillian eyes. Silchas Ruin pondered the question: "Was Draconus a true Eleint? Or was he something else? All I can say is, he wore the skin of a Tiste Andii for a time, perhaps as a sour joke, mocking our self-importance— who can know?"

Draconus and his siblings cursed Kallor to live forever and never ascend, and yet still suffer the ravages of time. At the same time, Kallor used the power of hundreds of thousands of deaths caused by the collapse of his empire to curse Draconus. The curse was that Draconus would be "[imprisoned] in a creation of his own making".

Draconus had three daughters, Envy, Spite, and Malice and a son, Arathan. He was also a blacksmith and the one who forged the sword Dragnipur.

Spoiler warning: The following section contains significant plot details about Draconus.

Draconus was imprisoned within his own sword by Anomander Rake while his daughters looked on. At the death of Anomander Rake and the destruction of Dragnipur Draconus was released in Lether, resulting in the decimation of the Barghast and Akrynnai armies.

In Dust of Dreams

Interpretation of Draconus in Soletaken form by Enaglio

Draconus returned to the land of the living and travelled with Ublala Pung and the Skincut Barghast Ralata.

In The Crippled God

Draconus carried his sword in a scabbard of midnight wood. He was walking into the east with Ublala Pung and Ralata. After leaving them, he sought out Kilmandaros and Sechul Lath seeking revenge upon them for unleashing Korabas.

In Return of the Crimson Guard

In the Elder Age, Child of Earth Denuth found an injured Liossercal at the site of a violent explosion. He was soon horrified to realize that Liossercal had obtained his wounds in the act of destroying an Azath House. He considered taking advantage of the Soletaken Eleint's weakness to finish him, but Liossercal sensed his intentions. Liossercal warned Denuth that "Draconus is a fool. His conclusions flawed. Rigidity is not the answer." Destroying the Azath house was "exploring alternatives." Denuth hurried Liossercal on his way by noting that Draconus was approaching and he "brings his answer with him."

Afterwards, Denuth was approached by Draconus, in pursuit of Liossercal and seemingly bearing an unfinished Dragnipur in the form of an "alarming darkness." When Denuth greeted him using the titles "Consort of Dark" and "Suzerain of Night", Draconus claimed to be "Consort no longer. And that suzerainty long defied." Eager to add the Bastard of Light's essence to the Void at his side, and voicing his contempt for Anomander Rake, Draconus soon departed. Denuth despaired for peace on a world filled with such powerful feuding entities.

Much later, while still a prisoner of Dragnipur, Draconus seemingly made an appearance near Li Heng at the Battle of the Plains. Heuk, a priest of Night, announced that his God had returned and was overdue to demonstrate his gathering presence. A Tiste Andii was soon seen standing before him. Although not specifically named, he appeared as a "tall, black as night, almond eyes, long straight shimmering black hair" with a "calm, almost contemplative expression." He wore coat of fine mail that shimmered like night itself and carried a terrifying void at his side. The figure warned Malazan Sergeant Nait that events on the battlefield were about to become "much worse."

In Forge of Darkness

The events in Forge of Darkness show Draconus before the forging of Dragnipur.

He was the adopted son of the late Srela, founder of House Dracons, and it was suggested that the mother of his three daughters was Olar Ethil, not Sheltatha Lore as previously thought. He also had a son called Arathan by a different woman. Olar Ethil called Draconus the 'Suzerain of Night'. It was revealed that Draconus was an extremely powerful Azathanai whose aspect was darkness. When Mother Dark was just a Tiste Andii noblewoman, Draconus gifted her with his aspect, leading to her ascension.

Despite disagreement with his fellow Azathanai, Draconus arranged for them to fashion a Terondai as a gift for Mother Dark. The Terondai was created by Errastas and Sechul Lath as a product of murdering Hood's wife, Karish, at the Spar of Andii, a method not suspected nor desired by Draconus. He traveled to the Azathanai along with his son Arathan to retrieve the object. Then he stopped at the Tower of Hate to free Hood from his chains despite Gothos' protests that Hood would declare war on Death. He admitted his inadvertent complicity in Karish's death and spoke of forging a sword to imprison Errastas inside. Leaving Arathan with the Jaghut, Gothos, Draconus returned to Kharkanas with his gift and opened the Gate of Kurald Galain.

Significant plot details end here.

Quotes

"Speak not to me of that upstart. I will bring him to heel soon enough."

―Draconus, regarding Anomander Rake

"A troubling manifestation of existence, this world. All is change and flux. Yet I find in it a strange attraction. Perhaps I shall remain a time here."

―Draconus

"The world around you speaks your language (...) It can do no else. All you see has the paint of your words."

―Draconus

Notes and references

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