Interpretation of Moon's Spawn by Spindrift
Moon's Spawn (also known as the Tiste Andii's Fang of Darkness)[1] was a floating fortress, or skykeep, with a city inside commandeered by the Tiste Andii. According to Anomander Rake, the city was home to children, priests, and three very bookish warlocks.[2] The fortress also sheltered a huge flock of Great Ravens nesting in the crags and pocks of the Moon's surface and numbering thirty thousand according to one estimate.[3] Within the rock's caverns was the lair of Silanah, the Eleint.[4]
Tattersail described it as ragged as a blackened tooth,[5] an enormous floating mountain, its basalt[6] exterior battered by time. During its entire time over Pale it revolved steadily until it stopped at the beginning of the final battle. At that point, a recess with a portal appeared near the top.[3]
The floating nature of Moon's Spawn made it impossible for enemies to lay siege. The fortress was so notorious that the undead army of Logros T'lan Imass were unable or unwilling to assault its magical defenses.[5]
Moon's Spawn was ruled by Anomander Rake, the Tiste Andii warlord and defender of Mother Dark.[6] It had the ability to travel.
Moon's Spawn and its Lord had confronted the Malazan Empire before, in the days of the Emperor, but at the time had withdrawn for no known reason.[5][7]
The Moon's Spawn was also known as the Moon's Child by some.[8]
In Gardens of the Moon
Moon's Spawn's appearance on Genabackis at Pale came as a complete surprise to the invading Malazan Empire,[5] and its presence on the side of the defenders caused the Siege of Pale to drag out over three years.[9]
On the last day of the siege, Moon's Spawn came under the combined attack of the mages of the besieging army, amongst them Tayschrenn, Nightchill, and Tattersail. The first attack caused the flock of Great Ravens to take flight.[3] Further attacks sheared large chunks off the Moon's face sending them down in a burning and smoking rain of destruction on Pale. The skykeep, on fire in a dozen places, leaning to one side, and unsteady in its revolutions, moved away from the city. It headed off south towards the Tahlyn Mountains[10] and was later known to have crossed them towards Lake Azur.[11]
At the beginning of the events in Darujhistan, Moon's Spawn was somewhere to the south of the city, possibly over the Dwelling Plain, and was described as having shattered peaks upon its crest.[12] The city's Noble Council positioned representatives in a tent on the plain below in a fruitless effort to communicate.[13] On the night of the Gedderone Fête, Anomander Rake sent Moon's Spawn down upon the city, nearly brushing the tallest rooftops, in order to clear the streets of revelers.[14][15] After the Bridgeburners abandoned the city it was seen drifting southwards.[16]
In Memories of Ice
Moon's Spawn at Coral, Interpretation by Corporal Nobbs
Moon's Spawn is rising by A Demon Llama
Interpretation of the 'Fall of Moon's Spawn' by Artsed
During the war with the Pannion Domin, Moon's Spawn and Anomander Rake were Caladan Brood's Shaved Knuckle in the Hole.[17] The skykeep disappeared southeastwards from Darujhistan after Rake and Brood made an alliance with the forces of renegade Malazan High Fist Dujek Onearm.[18] It made no appearance during the allied armies' relief of the Siege of Capustan and even trustworthy partners such as Korlat and Crone were kept ignorant of its location.[19] The Pannion Seer's condor servants could not find the skykeep within two hundred leagues of Coral.[20]
After the Battle of Coral, the fallen Bridgeburners were interred within the severely damaged Moon's Spawn and the entire structure sank into the Rivan Sea.[21]
In Orb Sceptre Throne
It was revealed that upon crashing into the Rivan Sea, Moon's Spawn caused a tremendous tidal wave that killed nearly all of the inhabitants of Hurly, a small fishing village. Moon's Spawn, however, did not immediately sink. Instead it created a series of small islands, known as "the Spawns", which drew the attention of all manner of treasure hunters, thieves, pirates, brigands, and the like.[22][23] All sought the riches and wealth of the Tiste Andii people, which was said to remain inside the Spawn. Some few even sought the Throne of Darkness. Eventually Moon's Spawn sank "four fathoms down" to rest, Bridgeburners and all.
Origin
Moon's Spawn was originally created by the K'Chain Nah'ruk as part of their war against the K'Chain Che'Malle "long-tails". As described in Gothos' Folly, the Nah'ruk bound sorcery within their mechanisms and created skykeeps that allowed them to wreak destruction from the air. The Pannion Seer claimed Moon's Spawn was the only skykeep to escape destruction in that war, and while damaged, was abandoned and allowed to drift. Eventually, it collided with the ice of Jaghut sorcery and was frozen for millenia until rediscovered by Anomander Rake. The Seer argued that Rake and the Andii were unaware of the skykeep's full powers and could not access them even if informed.[24]
Notes and references
- ↑ Gardens of the Moon, Chapter 12
- ↑ Gardens of the Moon, Chapter 6, UK MMPB p.212
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Gardens of the Moon, Chapter 2, UK MMPB p.74
- ↑ Gardens of the Moon, Chapter 17, US HC p.364
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Gardens of the Moon, Chapter 2, UK MMPB p.61
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Gardens of the Moon, Glossary, UK MMPB p.711
- ↑ Gardens of the Moon, Chapter 2, UK MMPB p.71
- ↑ Dancer's Lament, Chapter 13
- ↑ Gardens of the Moon, Chapter 2, UK MMPB p.61/66
- ↑ Gardens of the Moon, Chapter 2, UK MMPB p.77
- ↑ Gardens of the Moon, Chapter 3, UK MMPB p.113
- ↑ Gardens of the Moon, Chapter 6, UK MMPB p.194
- ↑ Gardens of the Moon, Chapter 7, US HC p.171
- ↑ Gardens of the Moon, Chapter 22, US HC p.453
- ↑ Gardens of the Moon, Chapter 23, US HC p.463
- ↑ Gardens of the Moon, Epilogue, US HC p.486
- ↑ Memories of Ice, Chapter 5, US SFBC p.167
- ↑ Memories of Ice, Chapter 1, US SFBC p.45
- ↑ Memories of Ice, Chapter 22, US SFBC p.789-791
- ↑ Memories of Ice, Chapter 22, US SFBC p.784
- ↑ Memories of Ice, Chapter 25
- ↑ Orb Sceptre Throne, Chapter 1, US HC p.33
- ↑ Orb Sceptre Throne, Map
- ↑ Memories of Ice, Chapter 22, US SFBC p.783-784