Masan Gilani

Masan Gilani was a Dal Honese Heavy infantry soldier in the Malaz 14th Army. She likely belonged to either Sergeant Sobelone's or Sergeant Tugg's squad.
She was described as tall and dark-skinned with heavy, shapely breasts, a swell to her belly and hips, and graceful long legs with leonine lines.The Bonehunters, Chapter 13, US SFBC p.537Reaper's Gale, Chapter 13, US HC p.349Reaper's Gale, Chapter 17, US HC p.518 She also had elongated, almond-shaped eyesThe Bonehunters, Chapter 13, US SFBC p.534 and was generally considered very beautiful. Her voice was said to be luscious and heavenly.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 24, US HC p.752 She was also a skilled rider.The Bonehunters, Chapter 13, US SFBC p.533
A large hooked-blade was part of her gear.The Bonehunters, Chapter 13, US SFBC p.534 She carried two vicious-looking long-knives in scabbards on her hips.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 13, US HC p.351
==History==
As a young woman, she had left her two children in the care of her aunts and uncles and departed the Dal Hon Plains. After Dal Hon had been conquered by the Malazan Empire it was increasingly common for Dal Honese to take the path of wandering, a custom by which Masan Gilani chose to explore the world and join the army.
== 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. First into the city were the Malazan marines, followed quickly by the heavy and medium infantry. Once inside the city, the Malazans immediately came under heavy attack by hidden swordsmen and archers. Both Sergeants Sobelone and Tugg were killed.The Bonehunters, Chapter 7, US SFBC p.291-296/299/301
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. Masan Gilani fled the flames along with a mixed group of survivors from Sobelone's, Tugg's, Fiddler's, Hellian's, and Gesler's squads. She 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 Bonehunters, Chapter 7, US SFBC p.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, promoting Urb to sergeant and placing Gilani in his newly created 13th squad.The Bonehunters, Chapter 10, US SFBC p.428The Bonehunters, Chapter 13, US SFBC p.525/534
The survivors followed the 14th Army's trail west. During that journey their officers selected Masan Gilani, as the best rider, to take Apsalar's horse and her Kethra knife and ride ahead to try and catch up to and notify the army of their survival.The Bonehunters, Chapter 13, US SFBC p.533-534 Along the way she was stopped short when her mount was attacked and killed by the starving and feverish Dejim Nebrahl. She was able to slay one of the T'rolbarahl's D'ivers forms and cripple another, but only managed to escape when the Hounds of Shadow and the Deragoth intervened. Both sets of Hounds had been on their own hunts for the T'rolbarahl.The Bonehunters, Chapter 13, US SFBC p.538-541 
The wounded Gilani was forced to wait for the others to catch up to her on foot, so that Deadsmell could tend to her. Apsalar allowed her to keep the kethra knife.The Bonehunters, Chapter 13, US SFBC p.551-552 Then they resumed their journey to rejoin the 14th Army on the coast.The Bonehunters, Chapter 16, US SFBC p.668-671 Aboard one of Nok's ships, Sinn snuggled under Gilani's cloak to fondle and suckle her breasts. Neither Gilani nor Sinn's brother, Shard, felt moved to stop her.The Bonehunters, Chapter 18, US SFBC p.736-737 Gilani also spent her time aboard ship sewing badges bearing the Bonehunters' new official sigil.The Bonehunters, Chapter 18, US SFBC p.736/738 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 to invade the Letherii Empire.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 13, US HC p.356 Masan Gilani was originally a heavy, but after the reorganisation of the army for the invasion of Lether, she became a marineReaper's Gale, Dramatis Personae and was temporarily reassigned to Balm's squad.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 17, US HC p.484 Rumour among the soldiers was that she had shifted to Balm's squad because she found Urb so handsome she could not think straight around him.
Balm and Cord's squads took the Silanda to the island of Second Maiden Fort off the coast of Lether to establish a headquarters and resupply base for the Adjunct.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 13, US HC p.353Reaper's Gale, Chapter 14, US HC p.409 They found the island on the verge of being destroyed under a mountain of ice released by the collapse of Gothos' ancient Omtose Phellack ritual, but Sinn was able to hold the ice back with her magic until its force was spent. The island's self-declared ruler, Brullyg, gratefully welcomed the Malazans as royal guests until they placed him under house arrest and secretly took control of the island.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 13, US HC p.348/369
Balm's squad kept Brullyg under guard and monitored the island from its only town, as Cord's squad patrolled the island's coast and interior while awaiting Tavore's arrival.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 13, US HC p.345-350/358Reaper's Gale, Chapter 16, US HC p.468 Sinn served as a go-between, able to transport herself instantly across the island with her magic.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 13, US HC p.349-350 Masan Gilani spent most of her time in town, but she and Widdershins sometimes accompanied Cord's squad as needed.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 20, US HC p.612 She, Galt, and Lobe all served as muscle in Brullyg's chambers, but the voluptuous Gilani's charms also kept Brullyg stupid and docile.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 13, US HC p.348-354 Among Cord's squad, she was likely the only one not to fear Sinn and her growing power.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 16, US HC p.469 She still thought of the budding High Mage as the little mute child who had suckled in her arms.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 20, US HC p.612
Meanwhile Tavore sent Fist Keneb's marines to the mainland, spreading them in isolated pairs of squads across thirty leagues of coast and burning their transport vessels behind them. 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
When Adjunct Tavore arrived with the rest of the Malazan fleet, she hired Shurq Elalle to guide them to the mouth of the Lether River leading to Letheras.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 20, US HC p.613 Balm and Cord's squads made the journey on the Silanda. Masan Gilani refused to wear her armour on board for fear of drowning and spent time with Cord on deck to avoid attention from the men of her squad as well as Crump, the sapper. Cord pointed out Captain Kindly drooling over her from the nearby Froth Wolf before making an advance of his own towards her. When Gilani expressed no romantic interest in Cord, he intrigued her by suggesting she take up with Crump. Gilani was initially disgusted by the idea until Cord piqued her interest by saying "Crump's no whiskered shrew under those breeches." Then he excitedly began plotting a betting pool for how long it would be before she ran away screaming from the sapper. Meanwhile, Kindly ordered Lieutenant Pores to prepare a disciplinary report on Gilani for being out of uniform.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 20, US HC p.610-613 
The Adjunct's fleet made landfall near Letheras in time to see a massive release of enemy sorcery near Fist Keneb's reported position. Believing the marines had been wiped out, Tavore's forces defeated the city's Imperial Brigade.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 22, US HC p.693-694Reaper's Gale, Chapter 24, US HC p.748-754Reaper's Gale, Chapter 17, US HC p.501 Balm's squad, along with Masan Gilani, secured horses to chase down fleeing Letherii soldiers. They continued further inland towards the city with Gilani in the lead and Balm mesmerized by her bottom. When they arrived at the field where Beak had saved Keneb's marines, they were mystified to find no bodies.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 24, US HC p.751-754 Approaching the city's western gate, they found it in control of Keneb's troops. By this time, "the Confusion" had come upon Balm and he tackled Gilani from her horse to save her from nonexistent enemies. Deadsmell assured Keneb the sergeant would snap out of it soon, as the Fist ordered Masan Gilani to race back to fetch reinforcements from Tavore.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 24, US HC p.790-792 Soon the City Garrison surrendered and the city fell.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 24, US HC p.812
==In Dust of Dreams==
Masan Gilani was persuaded by Sinter, who had had a premonition, to leave the Bonehunters in search of allies. She found the T'lan Imass of the Unbound.
==In The Crippled God==
On the return journey to the Bonehunters, Masan Gilani and the Unbound came across the site of the army's battle with the K'Chain Nah'ruk. Seeing the battlefield seething with orthens, she told the Unbound that she would not eat orthen anymore and questioned that crossing a lizard with a rat had been a good idea in the first place.The Crippled God, Chapter 2, UK HC p.52/53
==Notes and references==
de:Masan Gilani
es:Masan Gilani
Category:Bonehunters
Category:Dal Honese
Category:Females
Category:Soldiers
Category:Y'Ghatan survivor (underground)