Hothalar, or simply Ho, was a mage originally from Li Heng who spent seventy years[1] in The Pit, a Malazan prison and otataral mining camp. For a time he acted as unofficial mayor and inmate spokesman to the Warder, but these duties had passed on to Yathengar 'ul Amal many decades ago.[2]
In Return of the Crimson Guard[]
Ho was drawn to the mystery of two unusual new prisoners, Grief and Treat, who he suspected planned to cause trouble at the prison camp. He warned them of the consequences of any defiance against their jailors and of the collective punishment that would follow.[3] When Grief revealed himself to be Blues of the Crimson Guard come to rescue and recruit the mages for their war against the Malazan Empire, Ho was skeptical. He and the other mages had become comfortable in the prison studying a gigantic Jade giant buried in the mine's depths. But Blues proved true to his word and Ho left his cage of many years with difficulty.[4]
To speed their reunion with the rest of the Guard on Quon Tali, Blues allowed Yathengar to coordinate a ritual to bring their ship through the warren of Serc. But Yathengar betrayed his rescuers, sending the ship into Chaos before opening a rent into the midst of the Battle of the Plains. The Forlorn crashed, spewing Ho and the others onto the field. Ho worked with Blues and the other survivors to attempt to stop Yathengar from using the rent to gain his revenge on the Malazan Empire.[5]
During the battle against Yathengar, Ho was attacked by three figures who looked to Nait to all be of one family. When asked by the Wickan witch Su whether he had won, Ho told her that they had acceded to him and had fled. Ho later revealed that he was a human D'ivers, who achieved this status through an ancient and complex ritual that he attributed to arrogance. His other three surviving forms (Ahl, Thal, and Lar), were the ones who had had him imprisoned in The Pit and who had attacked him during the battle.[6]
After the battle, Ho told Heuk that he would seek retirement in Li Heng where he had a lot of catching up to do.[7]
In Dancer's Lament[]
Before the time of the Malazan Empire he was known as Mister Ho and was one of the five city mages serving Li Heng during the time of The Protectress.[8] In addition to use of High Denul,[9][10] he worked on numerous thaumaturgical experiments in his laboratory.[11][12] The Crimson Guard mage, Cal-Brinn, called Hothalar "one of the foremost scholars of thaumaturgy and the manipulation of the Warrens. His experimentation is unequaled."[13]
Ho made extensive use of the catacombs beneath Li Heng's streets[11] performing extensive research in his laboratory into the nature of D'ivers, Soletaken, and Soulshifting. It was during this time that Ho succeed in making copies of himself, at least one of which was housed within the cells beneath the city alongside his laboratory.
Working alongside fellow city mage, Koroll, Ho created the sarcophagus prison intended to capture Ryllandaras.
In Deadhouse Landing[]
(Information needed)
In Kellanved's Reach[]
(Information needed)
Notes and references[]
- ↑ Return of the Crimson Guard, Book 2 Chapter 4, UK PB p.401
- ↑ Return of the Crimson Guard, Book 1 Chapter 3, UK PB p.117
- ↑ Return of the Crimson Guard, Book 1 Chapter 5, UK PB p.204-206
- ↑ Return of the Crimson Guard, Book 2 Chapter 4, UK PB p.391-402
- ↑ Return of the Crimson Guard, Book 3 Chapter 3
- ↑ Return of the Crimson Guard, Book 3 Chapter 3, UK lg PB p.651/652/658
- ↑ Return of the Crimson Guard, Book 3 Chapter 4, UK PB p.671
- ↑ Dancer's Lament, Dramatis Personae
- ↑ Dancer's Lament, Chapter 20, US HC p.368
- ↑ Dancer's Lament, Chapter 21, US HC p.382
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Dancer's Lament, Chapter 1, US HC p.30
- ↑ Dancer's Lament, Chapter 21
- ↑ Dancer's Lament, Chapter 12, US HC p.236-237