K'risnan

Also called the K'risnan Cadre, the Krisnan were Warlock King Hannan Mosag's five apprentices in sorcery.Midnight Tides, Chapter 1, US SFBC p.46
To gain control and unite the divided Tiste Edur tribes after the War of Unification, Hannan Mosag held as hostage the young firstborn sons of the subjugated chiefs of each of the tribes.Midnight Tides, Chapter 1, US SFBC p.34 These princes were named the K'risnan as their true names had been stripped from them. Their new names were chosen in secret by the Warlock King and bound with spells. Their heads were shaved to denote the sundering from their fathers' bloodlines.Midnight Tides, Chapter 1, US SFBC p.47 Under Hannan Mosag's tutelage, they were groomed to eventually return to their tribes as new chiefs who would be absolutely loyal to the Warlock King.
One or more K'risnan always stood silently at Hannan Mosag's side. During council meetings at the King's Meet, the K'risnan sat vigilantly around the Warlock King on the chamber's central dais facing the audience of blooded warriors.Midnight Tides, Chapter 1, US SFBC p.45
==Named K'risnan==
*K'ar Penath
*Ventrala
==In Midnight Tides==
Hannan Mosag sat amongst his K'risnan when Trull Sengar reported his discovery of the Letherii fleet illicitly harvesting the Edur's Tusked seals. The Warlock King promised the council his K'risnan would produce a full unveiling of Kurald Emurlahn to destroy the invaders.Midnight Tides, Chapter 1, US SFBC p.45-49
When the resurrected Rhulad Sengar pushed Mosag aside to declare himself emperor of the Tiste Edur, he ordered the Warlock King to kneel in fealty. The K'risnan duplicated his subservience.Midnight Tides, Chapter 11, US SFBC p.353-354 Emperor Rhulad declared war on the Kingdom of Lether and divided the K'risnan among the different armies and fleets. Two K'risnan, including Hanradi Khalag's son, accompanied Fear Sengar's army to High Fort.Midnight Tides, Chapter 18, US SFBC p.550 At least one K'risnan was with the fleetMidnight Tides, Chapter 16, US SFBC p.518 while another was with Rhulad's army.Midnight Tides, Chapter 23, US SFBC p.673 The fifth K'risnan's assignment was never specified, but he may have been with the army of Tomad and Binadas Sengar.Midnight Tides, Chapter 21, US SFBC p.675 - the K'risnan communicated to each other that Uruth Sengar had been summoned from Tomad's camp to join Fear suggesting there was a K'risnan with Tomad to communicate this.
The K'risnan's link to the Warlock King allowed communications to move instantaneously between the distant Edur forces. They were also able to call upon the Chaos magic provided by the Crippled God through Rhulad and his cursed sword.Midnight Tides, Chapter 15, US SFBC p.466-467 The sword's magic made the young apprentices more than a match for the Letherii mages, but not without price. It twisted and deformed their bodies and caused their skin to peel off in wet sheets.Midnight Tides, Chapter 18, US SFBC p.557Midnight Tides, Chapter 23, US SFBC p.673
Hanradi Khalag's son died at the Battle of High Fort.Midnight Tides, Chapter 18, US SFBC p.557 Another K'risnan perished at the Battle of Brans Keep.Midnight Tides, Chapter 23, US SFBC p.675 After the Edur captured Letheras there were at least two K'risnan at the Warlock King's side when he confronted Ceda Kuru Qan in the Eternal Domicile.Midnight Tides, Chapter 25, US SFBC p.734 By the time Trull intervened in the sorcerous duel to slay the Ceda, all the remaining K'risnan were seemingly dead.Midnight Tides, Chapter 25, US SFBC p.733
==In Reaper's Gale==
By the time of the Tiste Edur's establishment of the Letherii Empire, the term K'risnan seemed to be more generally used as a term for the Edur warlocks and sorcerers serving Hannan Mosag in his role as Ceda.Reaper's Gale, Glossary Their bodies were twisted by their use of the Crippled God's Chaos magic, but Mosag told them their loyalty would ultimately be rewarded with salvation.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 4, US HC p.105-106
Fully half their number were sent with the fleets sent by Emperor Rhulad around the world seeking champions and lost Edur kin. Nisall suspected Rhulad had done so to weaken the Warlock King's position at court.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 3, US HC p.77 Many others were used to track the movements of Fear Sengar and Udinaas as they travelled east of the capital. The K'risnan hindered their way with magical lures and traps, used Shadow wraiths as their eyes, and guided the Edur hunting parties that pursued them.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 1, US HC p.45Reaper's Gale, Chapter 6, US HC p.156 Mosag told his K'risnan he hoped to capture Fear and Udinaas as part of his plot to pull Rhulad the usurper from his throne. In return for their loyalty and the crippling of their bodies, he promised salvation.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 4, US HC p.105-106
One of these K'risnan was Ventrala who occupied a fort guarding a pass through the Bluerose Mountains. When Silchas Ruin attacked the fort Ventrala realised the Warlock King's promises were all lies--there was no exaltation to be had in the Chaos-infused destruction of his flesh. In fact, he found his powers flee him before Ruin as the Crippled God had no interest in confronting the Soletaken. Silchas let Ventrala live to deliver a message to Hannan Mosag, warnin that "a god in pain is not the same as a god obsessed with evil. Your Warlock King's obsessions are his own. It would seem, alas, that he is...confused."Reaper's Gale, Chapter 4, US HC p.105-107/
Another unnamed Den-Ratha K'risnan, the son of an Edur chieftan, was sent to assist Brohl Handar and the Letherii Eastern Army in the Awl Campaign against Redmask and the Awl. He saved the Overseer's life in the Battle of Bast Fulmar with the healing magic of Kurald Emurlahn, but was cut in half during a later raid by Redmask's K'ell Hunter guardian, Sag'Churok.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 12, US HC p.333-336Reaper's Gale, Chapter 16, US HC p.448/477-478
The K'risnan, K'ar Penath, joined Bruthen Trana on his assault on the Patriotists headquarters in Letheras. Afterwards, Karos Invictad sought revenge, but Chancellor Triban Gnol placed the K'risnan off limits as they were needed in the war efforts against the Malazan invaders.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 18, US HC p.532/535 Penath praised Bruthen's honour and loyalty to Hannan Mosag, inspiring the Warlock King to select Bruthen for the mission to find Brys Beddict.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 11, US HC p.296
==Notes and references==
Category:Mages
Category:Organisations
Category:Tiste Edur
de:K'risnan