Venaz

Venaz was a young worker living in the Chuffs workcamp at the Eldra Iron Mongers mine outside Darujhistan. He had been sold to the mine by his stepfather four years earlier while his mother had been too drunk to care.Toll the Hounds, Chapter 19, US SFBC p.769 For a time he had been Bainisk's friend and favoured mole, but Venaz grew too big for the tasks the job entailed and Bainisk grew bored of his company.Toll the Hounds, Chapter 9, US SFBC p.386Toll the Hounds, Chapter 15, US SFBC p.584Toll the Hounds, Chapter 13, US SFBC p.549 Venez remained intensely jealous of his former situation.
He became the mining group's local tough, leading a pack of boys a year or so younger than himself. They were younger versions of himself, always vying with each other for position in the pecking order and eager to tear Venaz down if he appeared weak.Toll the Hounds, Chapter 19, US SFBC p.770-771
== In Toll the Hounds ==
Venaz picked on little Harllo when the boy took over his former position as mole for Bainisk. Venaz hated Bainisk for what he saw as his betrayal and was determined to see the overseer's new favourite pay the price.Toll the Hounds, Chapter 9, US SFBC p.386 He continually harassed Harllo despite Bainisk's warnings,Toll the Hounds, Chapter 9, US SFBC p.370-3710 and eventually came to covet Bainisk's position as foreman of the moles. 
Murillio came to the mine to rescue Harllo only to be slain in a duel by Gorlas Vidikas, the mine's new co-owner. Afterwards Gorlas called for Harllo to be brought to him, intending some further act of cruelty against Murillio's friends.Toll the Hounds, Chapter 17, US SFBC p.710-713 Sensing blood for the hated Harllo and attempting to curry favour with Gorlas, Venaz and his gang went off in search of the boy. He hoped the effort would see him brought into Gorlas' household as every noble needed someone to do the ugly work for them. When Venaz asked the adult workers Dule, Favo, and Haid if they had seen Harllo, Haid slapped him to the ground and choked him until he turned blue. He berated the boys for siding with mine management when harm was probably intended to a fellow member of the mine's work force. When Venaz stumbled away, he swore to his pack that he would get even with the three men for their treatment of him.Toll the Hounds, Chapter 19, US SFBC p.770-771
Bainisk also heard Gorlas' command, but found Harllo first and convinced the boy to escape with him to Darujhistan. They travelled deep into the mine, hoping to reach an exit along Lake Azur before their progress was interrupted by a wide chasm. Bainisk sent Harllo down a rope, then followed, intending to reach the chasm's bottom before climbing the other side. But when a gloating and vengeful Venaz appeared above and began pulling up the rope, Bainisk cut it. Harllo survived the fall, but Bainisk's body was broken upon the sharp rocks.Toll the Hounds, Chapter 19, US SFBC p.771-777/796-798 
Venaz pursued Harllo into the chasm and then squeezed after him through a long crack leading to the outside.Toll the Hounds, Chapter 21, US SFBC p.832-836 When he finally caught the boy, he tried to strangle him until Murillio's protege, Bellam Nom, found them and put a stop to it. In the brawl that followed, Venaz got the upper hand on Bellam, breaking his left arm before Harllo struck his tormenter down with a rock to the head. Venaz was presumably killed as he evidenced signs of being severely brain damaged.Toll the Hounds, Chapter 21, US SFBC p.858-861 
==Notes and references==
Category:Daru
Category:Males