Taxilian

The man known as Taxilian was a prisoner of Preda Hanradi Khalag who was used as an interpreter when the Third Edur Imperial Fleet dealt with the people of Seven Cities and the Malazan Empire. As he did not wish to divulge his name, Samar Dev referred to him as 'Taxilian' based on his origins which she had deduced from the characteristic tattoos on his forearms.The Bonehunters, Chapter 16, UK MMPB p.806 Names had power and Taxilian feared the Tiste Edur would use his to compel him.
Before his capture he had been a struggling architect in Taxila.The Bonehunters, Chapter 17, UK MMPB p.856-857
== In The Bonehunters ==
Taxilian had been captured by the Edur as he was trying to flee the Bluetongue Plague in Seven Cities aboard a Tanno Drake. He had been trying to reach the city of Rutu Jelba when the Tiste Edur fleet surrounded them two days west of their destination. The Edur mages killed the pilgrim ship's Tanno Spiritwalker with their Chaos magic, chose Taxilian as a native translator, then cut open the others and threw them to the sharks and Dhenrabi.
Samar Dev and Karsa Orlong first encountered him among an Edur raiding party terrorising the Anibar people on the Olphara Peninsula. The Teblor tracked the Edur killers to their camp then waded into them, slaying many with his sword. Preda Khalag called for parley and had Taxilian dragged out to interpret. His face was swollen and bruised from constant beatings and his body was filthy. The Preda gave his words to his mage, Feather Witch, who translated them to another language for Taxilian, who translated them yet again for Karsa and Samar Dev. Karsa soon agreed to return with Edur to face their Emperor in mortal combat.The Bonehunters, Chapter 16, US SFBC p.659-665
Aboard the Tiste Edur ship, Feather Witch approached Samar Dev and attempted to communicate in a rough version of the Seven Cities common language. She complained that Taxilian did not make a very good teacher and demanded Samar Dev teach her instead. Samar Dev refused and Feather Witch threatened to have her killed. The scholar warned that such an action would result in Karsa killing all on board but the slaves. Taxilian later revealed that he was purposely sabotaging Feather Witch's lessons by mixing together the languages of the Malazans, the Taxilii Scholar's Dialect, the Ehrlii variant of the common tongue, and his grandfather's sister's obscure tribal Rangala. Feather Witch had only caught him once, but whenever she grew frustrated she beat him and there was nothing he could do about it. He also mentioned that he was quickly learning the Letherii and Edur languages, but Samar Dev warned him to keep that knowledge to himself.The Bonehunters, Chapter 17, US SFBC p.702-704
He was later witness to the battle between the Edur fleet and Adjunct Tavore Paran's Malazan Imperial fleet carrying the 14th Army through the Kokakal Sea. Quick Ben, with the assistance of Bottle and the Eres'al, overpowered the Chaos magic of a hundred Edur warlocks. Taxilian relayed the Edur's disbelief to Samar Dev and Karsa as Feather Witch studied the three from across the deck.The Bonehunters, Chapter 18, US SFBC p.731
== In Reaper's Gale ==
The Edur fleet brought Taxilian, Samar Dev, and Karsa Orlong to Letheras where the Teblor was to face Emperor Rhulad Sengar in mortal combat. Taxilian spent the trip homesick and miserable.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 7, US HC p.166 Although held as a guest of the Letherii Empire while the champions awaited their duels, he was allowed to explore the city. Taxilian soon learned that as much as the citizens of Letheras wanted the emperor defeated, he was unkillable. He warned Samar Dev that when Karsa perished his companions would be executed as well. He recommended that she escape while she could, but Samar Dev declined, admitting she felt loyalty to the Teblor.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 9, US HC p.216-218
Taxilian was too intrigued by an architectural puzzle to consider leaving himself. The collapse of Scale House on the day they arrived revealed to him an ancient pattern in the way some of the city's the buildings were laid out. He told Samar Dev his investigations showed that the city had been built around these much earlier structures. In his profession he was privy to mystical secrets regarding how numbers and geometry revealed hidden energies and lattices of power. Letheras' design seemed to take these principles into account and the ancient structures that remained formed a network of fulcra upon which a lattice of energy could be fixed. He sensed that whatever its purpose, they were soon to witness a momentous event. When the two went to investigate the collapsed Rat Temple, Samar Dev noted that the area was filled with too many spirits of rats to count.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 9, US HC p.232-233
By the time the contests between the Emperor and the gathered champions began, the city was on the verge of economic collapse because of the schemes of Tehol Beddict and Bugg. Only Icarium and Karsa Orlong remained when the Bonehunters invaded the city. Icarium slipped away from the champion compound to visit a device he had created millennia ago that now lay within Scale House's ruins. The Jhag was surprised to find Taxilian there waiting for him. Stepping back with a bow, Taxilian said:Reaper's Gale, Chapter 24, US HC p.771-772/795-796
Then the Jhag stepped past him to enter the nexus of the ancient device as its activation caused a pattern of buildings to collapse throughout the city. Once Icarium was inside, the device exploded with liquid fire that obliterated the neighbourhood and incinerated Taxilian.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 24, US HC p.796-797
== In Dust of Dreams ==
Taxilian was part of a group of exiles who wandered in the Wastelands of the continent of Lether and stumbled upon Kalse Rooted, a seemingly abandoned K'Chain Che'Malle nest. He was accompanied by Sheb, Asane, Breath, Last, Nappet, and Rautos Hivanar.Dust of Dreams, Prologue, US HC p.32
==Notes and references==
Category:Males
Category:Seven Cities natives