The Fiends of Nightmaria is the sixth published novella in the Bauchelain & Korbal Broach series by Steven Erikson. Chronologically, it is set after Crack'd Pot Trail.
The novella is also included in The Second Collected Tales of Bauchelain and Korbal Broach.
Publisher's Summary[]
The king is dead, long live King Bauchelain the First, crowned by the newly en-cassocked Grand Bishop Korbal Broach. Both are, of course, ably assisted in the running of the Kingdom of Farrog by their slowly unravelling manservant, Emancipor Reese.
However, tensions are mounting between Farrog and the neighbouring country of Nightmaria, the mysterious home of the Fiends. Their ambassador, Ophal D'Neeth Flatroq, seeks an audience with King Bauchelain who has thus far rebuffed his overtures. But, the evil necromancer has some other things on his plate.
In order to quell potential rebellion nearly all the artists, poets, and bard wannabes in the city have been put to death, however a few survivors from the Century’s Greatest Artist competition languish in the dungeons bemoaning their fates. Well, just moaning in general really… and maybe plotting escape and revenge.
An added complication is that the Indifferent God is loose somewhere in the bowels of the castle.
Dramatis Personae[]
A
- Allgiva, a demon High Concubine (Mentioned only)[3]
- Apto Canavalian, critic and one-time festival judge[4]
- Archivist of the Grand Library, the Archivist of Farrog's 'Grand Library of the Arts, Alchemy, Nature and Divination'. (Mentioned only)[5]
- Avas Didion Flicker, poet and adventurer (Mentioned only)[6]
B
- Barunko, thief, one of the 'Party of Five'[7]
- Bauchelain, necromancer, partner of Korbal Broach, the new king of Farrog - Bauchelain the First (First mentioned)[7] (First appearance)[8]
- Beetle Praata, Imperial Courier of Nightmaria[9]
- Binfun, aka 'Binfun Son of Binfun', Royal Torturer of Farrog (First mentioned)[4] (First appearance)[10]
- Borbos, a 'Honeymooner' of the 'Lavender Hive of the Full Moon' (Mentioned only)[11]
- Brash Phluster, young poet and singer[4]
C
- Cook at the Royal Palace, the head Cook in the kitchen of the Royal Palace of Farrog (Mentioned only)[10]
D
- Dam Loudly Heer, the Head of the Thieves' Guild in Farrog (First mentioned)[7] (First appearance)[11]
E
- Eemlee, (also Eeemlee), Ambassador Ophal D'Neeth Flatroq's pet slow-worm[9]
- Emancipor Reese, manservant to Bauchelain and Korbal Broach[8]
- Enthroned Demonic Mouse, a demon-possessed mouse in the Throne Room of the Royal Palace of Farrog[12]
F
- Ferryman, prisoner of Bauchelain and Korbal Broach, possessed by the Indifferent God (Mentioned only)[8]
- Fiends, name used by the Farrogese to refer to the inhabitants of Nightmaria, the realm neighboring Farrog[13]
- ( Firend/Firrwend/Firrrwend : see Fiends )
- Prince Flail Their Limbs, aka Prince Flail, a Demon Prince[3]
- Flea, twin brother of Midge Chanter[4]
I
- Indifferent God, a god with a shrine in Farrog (First mentioned)[13] (First appearance)[14]
K
- Korbal Broach, necromancer, partner of Bauchelain, new Grand Bishop in Farrog (First mentioned)[7] (First appearance)[8]
L
- Le Groutt, thief, one of the 'Party of Five'[7]
- Lurma Spilibus, thief, one of the 'Party of Five'[7]
M
- Midge, twin brother of Flea Chanter[4]
- Mortari, thief, one of the 'Party of Five'[7]
- Mysterious Lady, the commander of an army pursuing Bauchelain and Korbal Broach[15]
N
- ( Nehemoth : see Bauchelain and/or Korbal Broach )
- N'Gorm the Lesser, the previous King of Farrog (Mentioned only)[13]
O
- Ophal D'Neeth Flatroq, Nightmaria's Ambassador to Farrog, a 'Fiend'[9]
P
- Pin Dollop, Grand General, Royal Farrogal Army[13]
- Plaintly Grasp, thief and fence, one of the 'Party of Five'[7]
- Puny Sploor, groundskeeper and stabler of the Nightmaria Embassy in Farrog[9]
R
- Relish Chanter, the only Chanter sister (Mentioned only)[6]
S
- Shartorial Infelance, Seneschal of the Farrog Royal Palace[13]
- Sorponce Egol, actor of the 'Perfect Profile' (Mentioned only)[10]
- Spitted priest of Dessembrae, part of the Demon Prince's dinner[3]
- Steck Marynd, woodsman, one of the Nehemothanai[4]
- Symondenalian Niksos, aka 'Symon The Knife', thief, one of the 'Party of Five'[7]
T
- Tiny Chanter, eldest member of the Chanter family[4]
- Tulgord Vise, Mortal Sword, one of the Nehemothanai[4]
Plot summary[]
Artwork : Illustrations ( I - XIX )[]
[Front & back covers; front & back images on dust jacket; and Illustrations below are all by David Gentry.]
Cover gallery[]
External links[]
- Interview with Steven Erikson
- (Melo)Dramatic Reading and Discussion - Fiends of Nightmaria with Steven Erikson and Philip Chase - A Critical Dragon
Notes and references[]
- ↑ PS Publishing
- ↑ Macmillan Publishing
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 The Fiends of Nightmaria, Section 9
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 The Fiends of Nightmaria, Section 4
- ↑ The Fiends of Nightmaria, Section 13
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 The Fiends of Nightmaria, Section 11
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6 7.7 7.8 The Fiends of Nightmaria, Section 2
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 The Fiends of Nightmaria, Section 5
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 The Fiends of Nightmaria, Section 1
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 The Fiends of Nightmaria, Section 10
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 The Fiends of Nightmaria, Section 22
- ↑ The Fiends of Nightmaria, Section 27
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 13.4 The Fiends of Nightmaria, Section 3
- ↑ The Fiends of Nightmaria, Section 23
- ↑ The Fiends of Nightmaria, Section 31
- ↑ The Fiends of Nightmaria, PS Publishing, UK HC (2016)
- ↑ The Second Collected Tales of Bauchelain and Korbal Broach, Bantam Press, UK HC (2018)