Balgrid

Balgrid was a young squad mage, in the 9th company of the 8th Legion of the Malaz 14th Army.  He was assigned to Borduke's 6th squad of Marines. He was originally described as overweight,House of Chains, Chapter 8, UK BCA edition p.388 but seemed to grow into a thick-chested man, "solid as a tree trunk" over time. He had a bearded and "appallingly unattractive" face.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 21, US HC p.655 
Balgrid was an illusionist using the Meanas warren. His skill at 'cheating light in all directions' was such that it had impressed Bottle.The Bonehunters, Chapter 7, UK MMPB p.343 Balgrid also showed some degree of skill at necromancy through Hood's Path and healing through Denul.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 17, US HC p.484 
==In House of Chains==
Balgrid was part of Adjunct Tavore Paran's punitive expedition against the Army of the Apocalypse. While the 14th Army was still in Aren, Balgrid stood guard duty with Maybe outside the 9th Company's improvised barracks. Balgrid was magically disguised as a bale of hay when their post was approached by Pearl and Lostara Yil. The mage recognised Pearl as a member of the Claw and thought his disguise successful. But Pearl later confided to a confused Lostara that there had been two guards at the gate.House of Chains, Chapter 8, US SFBC p.330-332
On the road to Raraku, Balgrid was nearly overcome with heat exhaustion and had to be attended by Lutes, the squad healer.House of Chains, Chapter 11, US SFBC p.415 Later, Fiddler asked Balgrid and Tavos Pond to find his missing mage, Bottle. Both could sense the mage was up to something, but were unaware of his exact location or what he was doing. When Bottle returned, he chastised the two mages for not sensing the magic gate through which Topper had entered the Adjunct's tent. Then he revealed the spoils of his eavesdropping.House of Chains, Chapter 11, US SFBC p.420
Later, Balgrid and Lutes helped Borduke inspect the entrants chosen for the 9th Company Scorpion fights.House of Chains, Chapter 19, US SFBC p.629 He was likely either the Holder or Trainer for the 6th squad's entrant, Mangonel.
==In The Bonehunters==
After the Battle of Raraku, Leoman led the Army of the Apocalypse westward to Y'Ghatan and the 14th Army followed. Adjunct Tavore launched the Last Siege of Y'Ghatan by sending the army's sappers to breach the city's wall under the cover of night. The sappers were organised into groups with each group protected by a mage. Balgrid's group of sappers included Able, Bowl, Gupp, Jump, and Taffo.The Bonehunters, Chapter 7, US SFBC p.283/298 Once the walls were breached Balgrid quickly returned to Borduke's squad.
Borduke's marines were first into the breach. But just as they cleared the wall's rubble, they were ambushed by archers and swordsmen, and Borduke, Ibb, and Hubb were killed. Fiddler launched a cusser into the archers in the windows of the building above them and the resulting explosion left Balgrid temporarily deafened and bleeding from the ears.The Bonehunters, Chapter 7, US SFBC p.285/292-296
When enough Malazans were engaged in street fighting inside the city, Leoman sprung his trap. The city's olive oil-soaked buildings were set alight and the streets quickly became an inferno. Balgrid fled the flames along with a mixed group of survivors from Cord's and Fiddler's squads. After another attack by Leoman's fanatics, Balgrid and Scant corralled a grievously wounded Tavos Pond and guided him to safety.The Bonehunters, Chapter 7, US SFBC p.295-296/319
Balgrid was among the small group of soldiers who survived Y'Ghatan by tunneling their way out from under the city. They spent three days crawling on their hands and knees through the dark led by Bottle and his rat. The oversized mage had to occasionally be forcefully dragged through tight spaces by Tarr. At these times. only the threat of Urb's knives at his back was able to silence his pained shrieks.The Bonehunters, Chapter 7, US SFBC p.334/368/370
Unaware that any had survived, the 14th Army made haste for the Kokakal Sea to embark on Admiral Nok's ships and escape the Bluetongue Plague ravaging Seven Cities. Faradan Sort and Sinn remained behind and discovered the survivors as they crawled from the wreckage.The Bonehunters, Chapter 7 Captain Sort reorganised the shattered soldiers, placing Balgrid into Hellian's squad. Balgrid still had difficulty hearing, but Lutes said it would mostly come back over time.The Bonehunters, Chapter 10, US SFBC p.427/429 Nok's fleet returned the army to Malaz City where the Adjunct met with Empress Laseen.The Bonehunters, Chapter 24
==In Reaper's Gale==
Adjunct Tavore clashed with Empress Laseen at Malaz City and took the Bonehunters rogue, following the Tiste Edur fleet that had ravaged Sepik back to Lether.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 13, US HC p.356 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.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 13, US HC p.361-365 Fist Keneb followed in their wake with six squads of marines, while Captain Faradan Sort and Beak attempted to keep lines of communication open between both groups.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 13, US HC p.363-364 By this time Balgrid had regained his hearing and was assigned to Hellian's 8th Squad.Reaper's Gale, Dramatis Personae Unable to remember his name, she referred to him as "Baldy".Reaper's Gale, Chapter 13, US HC p.362
Hellian's squad was paired with Urb's for the landings. When they assembled on the beach, Urb found her arranging casks of rum she had salvaged from the burning ships amongst her squad.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 13, US HC p.361-363 The two squads remained together and Balgrid and Bowl used magic to cover their tracks.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 17, UK BCA edition p.522 After defeating a troop of Edur at Boaral Keep they acquired mounts at Hellian's suggestion and pushed hard inland for the capital, fighting from tavern to tavern.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 14, US HC p.402-404 The two squads began taking trophies of ears and fingers and tying them to their belts.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 17, US HC p.482 Beak said Balgrid's use of necromancy to obscure the smell of the dead they left behind was particularly effective because Lether had not known death magic for some time.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 17, US HC p.482
Contrary to the Adjunct's expectations, the Letherii soldiers did not use the Malazan invasion to turn against their Edur occupiers.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 14, US HC p.410Reaper's Gale, Chapter 17, US HC p.481/486 As the marines neared Letheras fighting became more desperate and they began taking casualties. In the same battle that Hanno died, Balgrid had to revive a badly cut up and unconscious Saltlick.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 17, US HC p.483-485 The mage also squabbled with Reem, complaining about the normally taciturn corporal's sudden runaway mouth. Balgrid warned he could make Reem stop talking and the corporal would not like it at all. Hellian was not pleased when Balgrid revealed that someone had been magically tracking them for two to three days, but their pursuers were revealed to only be Captain sort and Beak.
Hellian earned the support of the Letherii slave and Indebted classes by changing tactics to slay the government officials, lawyers, moneylenders, and debt-holders in each village. Then her squad stayed in the village tavern--decorated with the severed heads of their victims--until it was dry before moving on to the next.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 21, US HC p.632-633 Fiddler and Gesler's squads found them drinking and singing at a tavern a day's travel from the capital. Fiddler did not approve, but could not argue with Hellian's success where all the other squads had failed miserably.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 21, US HC p.631-633
Almost as soon as the marines were reunited, a force of hundreds of Edur enveloped the village.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 21, US HC p.633-636/650 The Edur were repelled by the arrival of Badan Gruk, Sinter, and Primly's fresh squads.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 21, US HC p.642-643/648-652 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.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 21, US HC p.652-653 
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.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 22, US HC p.673-674 Caught between the two armies near Kravos Hill, the 800 remaining MalazansReaper's Gale, Chapter 24, US HC p.745 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.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 22, US HC p.679/686-695 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.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 22, US HC p.692-695
Keneb marched on Letheras thinking the marines deserved to be the first to enter the capital.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 24, US HC p.778 After the marines found a hidden entrance beneath the wall, Hellian, Urb, Fiddler, and Gesler's squads were sent into the city to cause trouble while the remaining marines opened the city's west gate to Tavore's infantry. Hellian's squad quickly disappeared into a local tavern where she threatened to hang a Letherii barkeep unless he revealed the tavern's hidden stock.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 24, US HC p.779/792/794-795 After the main force of Malazans entered the city, the City Garrison surrendered and the city fell.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 24, US HC p.779/800/812
==In Dust of Dreams==
(Information needed)
==In The Crippled God==
(Information needed)
==Notes and references==
Category:Bonehunters
Category:Denul mages
Category:Hood's Path mages
Category:Mages
Category:Males
Category:Marines
Category:Meanas mages
Category:Soldiers
Category:Y'Ghatan survivor (underground)