Stratem

Unofficial Stratem Map
Created by D'rek, modified by Werthead

Malaz World Map

Stratem [STRAT-em] was a sub-continent, that together with the Lands of Fist, formed a continent generally referred to by the Malazans as Korel, although its actual name was unknown. Stratem formed the southern portion of the continent while Fist formed the northern portion. They were separated by the Aurgatt Range.

Stratem became the homeland of the Crimson Guard after they left Quon Tali.

Regions

• Haven Province

Notable locations

• Canton's Landing
• Cape of the Stone Army
• Cursed Soldiers
• Exile - Crimson Guard fortress
• Fortress Haven - Crimson Guard fortress
• Fortress Recluse - Crimson Guard fortress
• Grey Lands
• Iron Citadel - Crimson Guard fortress
• North Bastion - Crimson Guard fortress
• Pine Fort - Crimson Guard outpost
• Thick - Crimson Guard fortress
• Thickton
• Toll's City - home of the Chanters

In Memories of Ice

Map of Korel and Stratem by Joshua Butler

Esslee Monot (the Dubious) wrote of an enormous K'Chain Che'Malle plaza on Stratem:

"On the subcontinent of Stratem, beyond Korelri's south range, can be found a vast peninsula where even the gods do not tread. Reaching to each coast, encompassing an area of thousands of square leagues, stretches a vast plaza. Aye, dear readers, there is no other word for it. Fashion this in your mind: near-seamless flagstones, unmarred by age and of grey, almost black, stone. Rippled lines of dark dust, minuscule dunes heaped by the moaning winds, these are all that break the breathless monotony. Who laid such stones?

Should we give credence to Gothos's hoary tome, his glorious 'Folly'? Should we attach a dread name to the makers of this plaza? If we must, then that name is K'Chain Che'Malle. Who, then, were the K'Chain Che'Malle? An Elder Race, or so Gothos tells. Extinct even before the rise of the Jaghut, the T'lan Imass, the Forkrul Assail.

Truth? Ah, if so, then these stones were laid down half a million - perhaps more - years ago. In the opinion of this chronicler, what utter nonsense."

―"My Endless Travels"
Esslee Monot (the Dubious)

In Reaper's Gale

Onrack T'emlava told Quick Ben and Trull Sengar of a concourse the size of a city-state on the southeast peninsula of Stratem where ritual wars had been fought among the K'Chain Che'Malle. The practise ended when the Short-Tails rebelled and the ritual form of war was abandoned.

In Return of the Crimson Guard

By some unknown signal, the various Guard companies and blades strewn across the Malazan world were summoned to return and reunite at Fortress Haven on Stratem, ending the Diaspora. As K'azz D'Avore was still missing, overall command fell to Skinner who announced the time had come to march against their Malazan enemies. New recruit, Kyle, stumbled upon a suspicious meeting between Skinner and Cowl leading to Skinner's murder of Stoop. Kyle was falsely accused of the crime and fled from camp.

Badlands, Stalker, and Coots volunteered to help track him down, but when they came upon Kyle three days later they instead helped him escape from Mara, one of the Guard mages. The three Lost brothers had decided to desert the Guard and ivited Kyle to join them. The group made its way to Canton's Landing on Stratem's western shore where they attempted to steal a boat owned by Traveller and the Thel Akai, Ereko. The six reached an agreement to share the boat Jacuruku.

In Stonewielder

After the Battle of the Plains and K'azz D'avore's return, the Crimson Guard resettled their old lands on Stratem. Blues became Lord Governor of Haven Province. But when he received a report that Iron Bars was a prisoner on the Stormwall, Blues led Fingers, Lazar, and Shell on a rescue mission. They crossed from Stratem over the Iceback Range to the Lands of Fist by foot, running afoul of the Chase, a Jheck war band.

In Blood and Bone

Ardata's servants, Rutana and Nagal, arrived by ship in Haven to request the Guard's aide against Skinner in Jacuruku.

In Assail

Shimmer launched an expedition to find the missing Cal-Brinn and his Blade on Assail. K'azz was not included as he was nowhere to be found. On the coast of Stratem, east of Fortress Recluse, K'azz summoned them to shore with a bonfire so he could accompany them.

In Forge of the High Mage

The long-reaching racial memory of the Thelomen of the Great Fenn Range contained stories of an ancient war that had raged across the Ice Wastes of Quon Tali. It had involved a siege of one of the seven known K'Chain Che'Malle cities, also known as the Mountains that Move, by a coalition of races which had included Thelomen. A blast of energy released in the fighting had been responsible for creating the wasteland that remained today, much like another such mountain city had turned the land to glass on a great plain far south of Stratem.

Notes and references

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