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Mael [MAIL][1] was the Elder God[2] of the Seas.[3] His warren was Denaeth Rusen.[4]

As an Elder God, he was called by many names.[5] The colonists from the First Empire made their sacrifices to the salty seas in the name of Jhistal.[5] The Tiste Edur knew the god as Mael, and their warriors in their war canoes opened their veins to feed the foam, and this red froth they called Bloodmane.[5] The Jheck who lived upon the ice called the dark waters beneath that ice the Lady of Patience, Barutalan.[5] The Faraed knew him as Mael, Elder God of the Seas, the Dweller Below.[6] The Shake spoke of Neral, the Swallower.[5] On Quon Tali one aspect of Mael was known as Chem, the Thousand-fold God, God of the waters, God of all the seas, God of a Thousand Moods, a Thousand Faces, and a Thousand Names.[7]

In his normal form, he was described as wide and squat with deep blue skin which faded to gold at the throat and bared belly. He had lank blond hair which hung down from a broad, almost flat pate and amber eyes.[8]

Worshippers on Quon Tali cast folded leaves, flowers, and garlands into the water as offerings and prayers to Mael.[9] Grisly blood rites of sacrifice were also an ancient tradition for attempting to gain the god's favour.[10]

Sharks were Mael's chosen beasts of the sea.[11]

Those of Tarthenal blood were drawn to Mael because of an event in their ancient history during the time they had lived upon the water.[12]

In Midnight Tides[]

Shortly after the sundering of Kurald Emurlahn, Mael observed the invasion of the Malazan world through a violent rent by the combined armies of Silchas Ruin's Tiste Andii and Scabandari Bloodeye's Tiste Edur. After the invaders defeated the army and Skykeeps of the K'Chain Che'Malle and Scabandari betrayed Silchas, Mael bargained with Gothos to preserve the destruction within a layer of ice. In return Mael would owe the Jaghut a debt. Mael also made an alliance with Kilmandaros from the other side of the invaders' gate to bring down Scabandari and scatter his people.[13]

In modern times, Brys Beddict travelled to part of Mael's realm while working with the Ceda Kuru Qan to determine if Mael had been enslaved by Hannan Mosag. While there, he encountered the Guardian of the Names charged by Mael to protect a sanctuary of numerous Forgotten Gods. Without Mael's protection these gods without worshipers would have vanished and died, although Mael himself had not visited in thousands of years. After discovering one of Mael's charges had indeed been stolen by the Tiste Edur, Brys donated his own blood to recharge the strength of the sanctuary's Guardian.[14]

Spoiler warning: The following section contains significant plot details about Mael.
Tehol and bugg by dejan delic-d9qm1cr

Interpretation of Tehol and Bugg by Dejan Delic

It was revealed that Mael was secretly posing as Bugg, Tehol Beddict's manservant in Letheras. He was also Tehol's frontman in his business endeavours and proprietor of Bugg's Construction.

While posing as Bugg, he was described as an old man, bald,[15] with a wizened face and a grizzled head who squinted often.

During the Tiste Edur invasion of Letheras, Bugg worked furiously to blunt a Convergence of powers gathering in the city. He recruited Iron Bars and his squad of Crimson Guardsmen and led them to the hiding place of The Pack so it could be slain. This prevented B'nagga and his horde of Jheck from ascending and creating an empire of Soletaken with the Pack as their god.[16]

Bugg then immediately directed Bars to the city's dead Azath Tower to delay the Seregahl who were attempting to escape their earthen prison. Bars was able to hold his own long enough for Silchas Ruin to make his own escape and dispatch the five formidable Tarthenal gods.[17][18] He also aided Kuru Qan and a Jaghut Huntress in capturing and freezing the ancient sea-god that the Edur had bound to their service.[19]

Day 10 flowing by shadaan

Mael punishes Theradas Buhn by Shadaan

But Bugg's success in dealing with these threats came at great personal cost. He arrived too late to save Tehol from a group of Tiste Edur warriors tracking Mayen through the city and killing any Letherii in their path. Theradas Buhn and his warriors murdered Tehol's Shavankrats bodyguards and were in the process of kicking and stomping Tehol to death when Bugg came upon them. The manservant murdered the Edur with magic in rage and grief, then carried Tehol's body away.[20]

Bugg took Tehol to a crypt below the Lether River and healed him as best he could, even replacing one of his eyes. Bugg then revealed himself to be Mael and told Tehol that their association had been an unceasing delight after an eternity of boredom. He claimed Tehol had resurrected in him the pleasure of existence then noted he would have to remove his master's memories of the conversation.[21] The Guardian of the Names carrying Brys' body soon found Mael and the unconscious Tehol and passed Brys' knowledge of the names of the Forgotten Gods to the still living brother.[22]

When Tehol awoke, the city had been conquered by the Edur. He thanked Bugg for allowing him to remember his servant's true identity and giving him the opportunity to grieve.[23]

Afterwards, Mael paid a visit to the Crippled God's island to punish him for inciting the war between the Tiste Edur and the Kingdom of Lether, and the latter's subsequent capitulation. While doing so, he rescued Withal and Sandalath Drukorlat who were captive on the island.[24]

In The Bonehunters[]

Smiles recalled how her twin sister had been sacrificed to Mael. Her small village in Itko Kan resorted to old rituals when their nets failed to pull fish from the sea. The priests bound, weighted down, and drugged her sister with Durhang oil, then left her at the waterline to be taken by the tide and hungry crabs.[10]

Mappo Runt, Iskaral Pust, and Spite travelled the Otataral Sea by ship. Mappo noticed Spite standing at the prow amidst a mud-brown haze conversing with seemingly no one. A gleeful Pust identified it as an intruding spirit that Mappo thought smelled of warm, dry, grasslands.[25]

"'Mael,' Iskaral Pust had said with a manic laugh, he's resisting, and getting his nose bloodied. Do you sense his fury, Trell? His spitting outrage? Hee. Hee hee. But she's not afraid of him, oh no, she's not afraid of anyone!...Outraged, yes...Yet, do you sense his reluctance? Oh, he struggles, but he knows too that she, who chooses to be in one place and not many, she is more than his match. Dare he focus? He doesn't even want this stupid war, hah! But oh, it is that very ambivalence that so frees his followers to do as they please!'"
―Iskaral Pust[src]

After hours of arguing, the conversation was over and the Eres'al went on her way.[25] Bottle later noted that the Eres'al's eerie wind was speeding Adjunct Tavore Paran's fleet home to Quon Tali through Mael's realm and there was nothing the "crusty barnacle" could do about it.[26]

Later, when a dozen suns fell from the sky towards Otataral Island, Ganoes Paran hurriedly drew a card from the Deck of Dragons to find a god who would help save the world. He meant to call on Mael, but quickly realised he had mistakenly called on Hood.[27]

In Reaper's Gale[]

In the aftermath of the Tiste Andii invasion, Mael and Kilmandaros battled and subdued Scabandari. Before the Elder Goddess could deliver the mortal blow, Mael convinced her to allow Gothos to ensnare Scabandari's soul within a Finnest. Otherwise the Tiste Edur would retain the majority of his power. Gothos tricked both Elder Gods into letting the Jaghut retain possession of the Finnest afterwards. Kilmandaros and Mael argued over whether the dying and fragmenting Kurald Emurlahn was worth saving, with the Goddess arguing that "the death of one realm is a promise to every other realm."[28]

Day 22 - Chef by Shadaan

Bugg by Shadaan

In the present day, Mael, in his guise as Bugg, helped Tehol to bring down the Letherii economy by creating a false shortage of finance and then flooding the markets with coin all at once. He was appointed Chancellor, Ceda, and Treasurer to Tehol Beddict when the latter was crowned King of the Lether.

In Toll the Hounds[]

Traveller journeyed to Darujhistan to slay Hood, but his ship was wrecked off the coast of Genabackis near Morn. He was soon met by Shadowthrone and Cotillion, who provided him supplies to continue his journey. The two gods denied having any part in the destruction of his ship and the deaths of his crew. They did not tell him that it was Mael who had wrecked his ship in an attempt to delay Traveller's march towards Hood. Shadowthrone and Cotillion knew that Mael's actions were misguided as Hood had no intention of running.[29][30]

In Dust of Dreams[]

Bugg by zsoszy

Bugg by Zsoszy

Mael, again held the disguise of Bugg, standing by Tehol's right hand. He, along with Pinosel and Ursto Hoobutt, defended Seren Pedac and her unborn child during Fiddler's reading of the Deck of Dragons.

Notably, while meeting with the other elder gods Mael held to the elderly appearance of Bugg. He banned Errastas from Letheras and threatened to drown him if he should ever return there. Among the Elder Gods, Mael was still held in a position of power, having a High Priest in the position to take the Malazan Throne.

Significant plot details end here.

In The Crippled God[]

Mael brought the body and soul of Heboric Light Touch to K'rul upon his request. He also told him about the Bonehunters' battle with the K'Chain Nah'ruk.

He, along with K'rul, greeted Kaminsod upon his release and took him to Heboric. They watched as the two rechained Korabas.

In Return of the Crimson Guard[]

Mallick Rel, the Jhistal priest, bound Mael through a blood ritual and used the God's power in his efforts to gain the Malazan throne. He compelled Mael to speed the journeys of the fleets of Urko Crust's Talian League secessionists and of the Crimson Guard to Quon Tali fanning the flames of civil war.[31]

However, the prayers of Mael's new-found followers served to break these bindings, though Mael restrained himself from killing Rel in punishment.[32]

In Stonewielder[]

As Greymane passed through the Warren of Ruse on his mission to destroy the Stormwall, Mael presented him with a reminder of the cost of his efforts. Ruse became a flooded plain awash with pale drowned corpses stinking of death. Although pained by the warning, Greymane was not dissuaded from his task.[33]

In Blood and Bone[]

While T'riss and Ina were travelling to Jacuruku, Mael showed up to have a conversation with T'riss. He was described as a "squat man, mostly bald, with a bulbous nose and a sack of a face," with "broad humped shoulders and wide gnarled stonemason's hands." Mael stated that he and the others would not be able to interfere when T'riss arrived at her destination, and asked that T'riss visit with him after. Ina realized that Mael likely had far more empathy for humans than other Ascendants.[34]

In Forge of Darkness[]

Mael was said to have fled across the sea and formed his own realm.[35]

In Fall of Light[]

(Information needed)

In Forge of the High Mage[]

(Information needed)

Author's comment[]

In a 2020 interview, author Steven Erikson said "Mael is a reluctant god in the sense that he does not appreciate what most of his worshippers are up to."[1]

Trivia[]

Notes and references[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 Gardens of the Moon - Chatting with Steven Erikson, part 2 - Claudia Iovanovici - As pronounced by Steven Erikson at 1:58:55 (likely as in maelstrom)
  2. Memories of Ice, Glossary, UK MMPB p.1186
  3. House of Chains, Glossary
  4. Reaper's Gale, Chapter 15
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 Dust of Dreams, Chapter 21
  6. Midnight Tides, Chapter 6, US SFBC p.192
  7. Return of the Crimson Guard, Book 3 Chapter 1, US HC p.564
  8. Midnight Tides, Prologue, US SFBC p.24
  9. Return of the Crimson Guard, Book 3 Chapter 1, US HC p.564-565
  10. 10.0 10.1 The Bonehunters, Chapter 7, US SFBC p.353-354
  11. House of Chains, Chapter 3, US SFBC p.186
  12. Reaper's Gale, Chapter 18, US HC p.540
  13. Midnight Tides, Prologue, US SFBC p.24-25
  14. Midnight Tides, Chapter 6, US SFBC p.194/203-205
  15. Reaper's Gale, Chapter 18, according to the Advocate Sleem: Bugg '[...] I cut a sliver [...] to pay for a haircut' / Sleem: 'You have no hair'
  16. Midnight Tides, Chapter 24, US SFBC p.700/705-708
  17. Midnight Tides, Chapter 24, US SFBC p.708
  18. Midnight Tides, Chapter 25, US SFBC p.737-739
  19. Midnight Tides, Chapter 24, US SFBC p.710-711
  20. Midnight Tides, Chapter 25, US SFBC p.719-724/729-730
  21. Midnight Tides, Chapter 25, US SFBC p.747-750
  22. Midnight Tides, Chapter 25, US SFBC p.757-758
  23. Midnight Tides, Chapter 25, US SFBC p.766-767
  24. Midnight Tides, Epilogue, US SFBC p.769-771
  25. 25.0 25.1 The Bonehunters, Chapter 19, US SFBC p.759-760
  26. The Bonehunters, Chapter 19, US SFBC p.770
  27. The Bonehunters, Chapter 20, US SFBC p.780-782
  28. Reaper's Gale, Prologue
  29. Toll the Hounds, Chapter 4, US SFBC p.117-120
  30. Toll the Hounds, Chapter 6, US SFBC p.196-202
  31. Return of the Crimson Guard, Book 1 Chapter 3, US HC p.107
  32. Return of the Crimson Guard, Book 3 Chapter 1, US HC p.564-565
  33. Stonewielder, Chapter 11, US HC p.541-542
  34. Blood and Bone, Chapter 10, US HC p.391-392
  35. Forge of Darkness, Chapter 16, UK HC p.501-2
  36. Ten Very Big Books podcast - Midnight Tides As pronounced by Steven Erikson at 29:15
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