Skintick

Skintick
Fan art by Puck
Biographical information
Race	Tiste Andii
Gender	Male
Family	Anomander Rake Andarist Aranatha Desra Kedeviss Nenanda Nimander Golit Phaed

Nimander: "You are speaking nonsense, Skintick."

Skintick: "That is my task, isn't it?"

―Nimander and Skintick

Skintick was a Tiste Andii who formerly lived on the moving island of Drift Avalii before the Tiste Edur invaded in an attempt to claim the Throne of Shadow. He was the son or grand-son of Anomander Rake. He and his relations (Nimander, Phaed, Nenanda, Aranatha, Kedeviss, and Desra) were kept safe on the island by their uncle Andarist until the events in House of Chains.

He had a long jester's face and was ever quick to smile and jest or speak in wry mockery and sarcasm. Nimander thought him unserious, treating all of existence as a joke. He was never one for prayers, especially not to Mother Dark whose cruel-hearted denial of her children he considered an ever-bleeding wound in the Tiste Andii.

In Reaper's Gale

After joining Adjunct Tavore Paran and the Bonehunters at Malaz City, Skintick and the other Tiste Andii remained aboard the Adjunct's flagship, the Froth Wolf, for over a year as it crossed the oceans to Lether. At the start of the Malazan invasion of the Letherii Empire, the Andii were at the Adjunct's headquarters at Second Maiden Fort. The older Sandalath Drukorlat became a surrogate mother to the group, something which the mentally unstable Phaed deeply resented.

Phaed attempted to murder Sandalath in her sleep, but was stopped in the act by Nimander. Sandalath sought mercy for Phaed's act, but when she went to summon help, Withal threw Phaed out a window to her death. He refused to believe his wife would ever be safe while Phaed lived. When Sandalath returned with Lostara Yil and Banaschar, she was followed close behind by an upset Skintick and the other Andii. Withal claimed Phaed had committed suicide and Nimander agreed.

The Bonehunters left the island to support the invasion, leaving the Andii behind to build Phaed's tomb. Clip, the Mortal Sword of the Black-Winged Lord and chosen of Mother Dark, later came to the island to bring Skintick and the others to Rake. When Nimander said Rake did not want them, Clip claimed it only mattered what Mother Dark wanted. Nimander wondered whether their exile was finally over.

In Toll the Hounds

Clip attempted to bring Skintick's group of Tiste Andii to Rake at Black Coral via Kurald Galain, but "layers of resistance" forced them to emerge further south on Genabackis. The Mortal Sword thought little of his charges, finding them largely weak and soft. He saw something of himself in Skintick's personality but lacking Clip's his hard vicious core. Skintick discussed with Nimander whether they should leave Clip to hold his dramatic accounting with Rake on his own, but ultimately concluded the group deserved to rejoin the community of Tiste Andii.

Aranatha saving Nimander and Skintick by Marc Simonetti (official image)

Arriving in Morsko, Clip was intrigued by the town's flourishing cult of the Dying God. He sent Skintick and the others to safety while he witnessed the cult's rituals in the local tavern. Nimander and Skintick attempted to investigate on their own and were nearly overcome by the ritual's call, but Aranatha pulled them free. Hearing screams from the tavern, the group found Clip lying catatonic amidst a crowd of worshippers he had slain. Aranatha claimed Clip's insensate state was because the cult had taken something from him--perhaps his soul. Nimander had Clip's body placed in a wagon and organised the others to follow the fleeing priests to the presence of their god in Bastion. It soon became clear their presence at Bastion was welcomed and expected as the cult left supplies for them along the way.

Near Heath they encountered Kallor walking to Darujhistan. Nimander recognised the High King's menace and talked him out of killing them all. Happy for an easy ride to Bastion, Kallor joined Skintick and Desra in the wagon where he rebuffed Desra's attempt to poison him with kelyk. Nimander noted that Skintick's usual mocking sarcasm was absent. He soon concluded Kallor was a formidable man and began to hope he would take care of the Dying God for them.

Discovering a ruined tower on the side of the road closer to Bastion, Kallor stopped to investigate with Skintick and Nimander in tow. The Jaghut, Gothos, reluctantly welcomed them inside and offered them tea. Gothos and Kallor eventually argued and when Kallor threatened to kill him, Gothos revealed the tower had once been an Azath House and offered to reawaken it. Kallor made a hasty exit as Skintick and Nimander were overcome by the drug in their tea. Nimander collapsed, falling through a portal of Omtose Phellack in the chamber's wall. Skintick awoke on a dead world, contemplating the nature of the Dying God. Just as he concluded death was meaningless and he was free, he was slapped awake by Gothos who complained, "You are a bad choice for this. Answering despair with laughter like that." Then Desra burst into the tower and managed to pull Nimander free of the portal as Skintick wept. The Jaghut admitted his reasons for drugging the pair had failed and he would have to be more direct in his future actions.

They found Bastion seemingly abandoned, its streets empty and its walls and buildings marred by sigils and glyphs. Only the distant sound of singing and the feeling of watching eyes gave indication that anyone remained. Aranatha warned that the entire city was now sanctified as the Abject Temple of the Dying God, so they found a closed up inn to rest. Skintick, Nimander, and Kallor left to search out the Dying God's temple while the others remained behind to prepare their armour and weapons and guard Clip. Finding a mob of naked and armed worshippers surrounding the temple, Skintick and Nimander retreated as Kallor ventured through the crowd to the temple and did not return. Back at the inn, the Tiste Andii made plans to return to the temple with Clip once the element of darkness was in their favour.

At nightfall the group approached the temple with Skintick helping to carry Clip's body. Skintick's smile disappeared, but his eye glittered as if fevered. They were soon hemmed in by more than a thousand armed fanatics, but the Andii were not hampered by the same darkness that nearly blinded their opponents. Skintick, Nimander, and Desra slew the score of priests in the temple's front chamber, while Kedeviss and Nenanda formed a rearguard against the mob. Aranatha calmly led the way to the altar as Nimander dragged Clip. Nimander confronted the Dying God and Aranatha startled them both by revealing the God was Bellurdan before seizing the puppet that served as the God's body. Once it was under her control, Clip awoke. Kedeviss reported their enemies outside had all been killed or fled.

The revived Clip led the group into the Godswalk Mountains bringing them ever closer to Black Coral. But not all the Tiste Andii believed the Dying God had been bested. Kedeviss confronted Clip alone, and after he revealed the Dying God resided within him, he killed her and made it appear she had fallen to her death. Nenanda and the others were not fooled by the Dying God's ruse, but Nimander warned the god was too powerful and they would have to play the fools until they brought him to Rake to deal with.

Just before reaching Black Coral, Clip opened a Gate into Kurald Galain that he said would take them the rest of the way. Nenanda pushed ahead of Nimander and was cut down by Clip's dagger in Nimander's stead, while the others were left trapped in darkness. Mother Dark rescued Nimander through Aranatha and brought them both to Black Coral to help defeat Clip and the Dying God. Afterwards, Nimander took his father's place on the throne of the Tiste Andii and it was revealed that Nenanda had survived his wound. Skintick stood at Nimander's side, assuring the new lord he was not alone.

In The Crippled God

(Information needed)

History

Skintick and scores of other progeny of Anomander Rake spent their childhoods in a snowswept keep in a remote mountain range. Rake lived among them in godlike indifference, but their daily needs were tended to by Endest Silann, a priest and ancient companion of Rake. The priest looked upon the children with dismay, knowing what kind of future awaited them. Consequently, he withheld his warmth and treated them like an ogre, although he never did them harm. The children endlessly tormented the old man, mocking and tripping him.

Eventually, Rake's brother Andarist arrived and the two argued bitterly for days. When it was over, Rake told the children Andarist was taking them away to an island. Freed from his duty, Endest wept as the children passed through a warren to Drift Avalii. Andarist proved a stern teacher, ending any insolence with a cuff to the head. The children eagerly took up arms and Andarist made them soldiers. Skintick came to think of Andarist as his father, and his death (along with four of Skintick's closest companions) at the hands of the Tiste Edur left the young Andii's psyche permanently scarred. He no longer believed in the virtue of duty, loyalty, and honour. To make matters worse, Traveller had arrived shortly thereafter and defeated the Edur on his own. The Andii all could have survived if they had merely holed up in their decrepit temple and waited. Skintick hated the man for arriving too late.

Although each of the children bore the blood of the Eleint, a bitter Andarist commanded they suppress it, trying to make them more his own children than Rake's.

Notes and references

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