Neller

Neller was a Dal Honese sapper in Primly's 10th squad, 8th Legion, 3rd Company of the Bonehunters.

In Reaper's Gale

Adjunct Tavore Paran clashed with Empress Laseen at Malaz City and took the Bonehunters rogue, following the Tiste Edur fleet that had ravaged Sepik back to Lether. Tavore invaded the Letherii Empire, burning her transport vessels on the shoreline and spreading the marines in isolated pairs of squads across thirty leagues of coast. The marines moved forward into the Letherii countryside towards Letheras, the capital, with orders to kill Edur by night and stir the occupied Letherii into rebellion. Each squad had a mage responsible for hiding their presence and confusing their enemies.

Primly's squad, along with Sinter's 4th and Badan Gruk's 5th squads, landed furthest south of all the marines. Remaining together, they saw little resistance moving east and soon reached a river. Rather than slog through through waist-deep swamp muck, they stole a fisher boat and sailed upriver. They made excellent time until running into a Letherii galley in the night. Kisswhere and Sinter were lost in the water during a discharge of Moranth munitions. Forced ashore, they were pursued day and night, using up their mages dodging and ducking enemy attacks. Somewhere along the way Masker was also lost, leaving Primly with only one heavy.

Neller was friendly with his fellow Dal Hon, Strap Mull, from the 4th squad. After Kisswhere's death, the two spoke in their native language about Corporal Pravalak Rim's despair over the woman he had been infatuated with. Neller also wondered if the fighting in Letheras would be anything like Y'ghatan, where their squad had done nothing. Strap Mull told him to stop worrying until they got there. Neller carried a sword that Strap Mull had found in a Letherii cabin, but given away once he realised it howled like a wild woman every time it hit something. The sound bothered Strap Mull enough that he stopped his ears with moss whenever he knew Neller planned to use it.

Contrary to the Adjunct's expectations, the Letherii soldiers did not use the Malazan invasion to turn against their Edur occupiers. The marines further north saw intense action, and as they neared Letheras fighting became more desperate and their munition supplies dwindled. Hellian and Urb's squads earned the support of the Letherii slave and Indebted classes by changing tactics to slay the government officials, lawyers, and debt-holders in each village. Fiddler and Gesler's squads joined them at a tavern a day's travel from the capital just in time for a force of hundreds of Edur to envelop the village the Malazans occupied.

Three days after leaving the river, Primly, Sinter, and Badan Gruk's squads came upon the overwhelmed Malazans and turned the tide of battle with their fresh supply of munitions. The new arrivals deferred to Fiddler's seniority, and the former Bridgeburner ordered the marines to hold their position in hopes they would be reinforced by Fist Keneb. By the time Keneb's forces arrived, thousands of Edur followed in their wake, pushing the gathered Malazans towards the city where the Imperial Brigade awaited.

Caught between the two armies near Kravos Hill, the 800 remaining Malazans were forced to huddle under Beak's protective spell when the Letherii mages cast a deadly ritual of Chaos upon them and the Edur. The spell was broken, but the hair of all those under Beak's protection turned white. The Edur abandoned the field after their allies' betrayal, and the shaken Imperial Brigade withdrew to meet Adjunct Tavore's more threatening main force as it disembarked from the Lether River.

Keneb marched on Letheras thinking the marines deserved to be the first to enter the capital. After the marines found a hidden entrance beneath the wall, the seized the city's western gate to allow the rest of the army entrance. Soon the City Garrison surrendered and the city fell.

In Dust of Dreams

During the battle against the K'Chain Nah'ruk, Neller used a sharper to blow up one of the lizards, but lost an arm in the explosion. Nah'ruk acidic phlegm had also burnt his eyes and skin.

In The Crippled God

It was revealed Neller had died, presumably from the wounds suffered in the battle.

Trivia

In Reaper's Gale, Neller and Strap Mull refer to Pravalak Rim as "their corporal" despite the fact that only Strap Mull belonged to Pravalak's 4th squad. The Reaper's Gale Dramatis Personae lists Neller as part of Primly's 10th squad.

Notes and references

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