Saygen Maral

Saygen Maral was a Claw assassin from Malaz City. He was taken into the Claw at age fourteen from the side of his dead mother after Imperial Regent Laseen's cull of the Wax witches in the Mouse Quarter in 1154 BS.The Bonehunters, Chapter 22, UK MMPB p.1052Gardens of the Moon, Prologue
Among the tools of his trade were certain items he kept on his person which were invested with sorcery that encouraged a lack of attention from those around him.The Bonehunters, Chapter 22, US SFBC p.863 He also had a small sliver of metal threaded under the skin of his left shoulder to alert him whenever he was being followed by someone with murderous intent.The Bonehunters, Chapter 22, US SFBC p.863-864 He wore a cloak and was armed with the standard small Crossbow of the Claw as well as with a dagger smeared in paralt.The Bonehunters, Chapter 22, US SFBC p.864/872
Saygen enjoyed the rush of power he felt when his terrified victims saw their doom in his eyes as they died.The Bonehunters, Chapter 22, US SFBC p.873 He also took pleasure in "pointing the skull", a Claw term for identifying a target in person for a Claw assassin team. The reward for long hours of surveillance was watching the chosen victim die.The Bonehunters, Chapter 22, US SFBC p.862
== In The Bonehunters ==
Over the years, Saygen Maral became disaffected with Empress Laseen and what he perceived as rot in the Malazan Empire. His feelings were given focus and purpose when he was drawn into Mallick Rel's clandestine group, the Black Glove, especially after he had been informed of exactly how his mother had died.
For weeks he followed and surveilled Banaschar, who had tried to make contact with High Mage Tayschrenn against Mallick Rel's wishes. On the night that Adjunct Tavore Paran's fleet carrying the 14th Army arrived in Malaz City, the Claw were finally given the go ahead to assassinate the priest. The location was set for the Hanged Man Inn and Saygen looked forward to pointing Banaschar out to the assassination team. But Banaschar left the bar, drunkenly determined to reach Tayschrenn at Mock's Hold, before the rest of the Claw arrived. Saygen followed the priest out of the bar determined to complete the job himself.
Banaschar's friend, Master Sergeant Braven Tooth, noted the Claw leave to follow the priest and he enlisted the marines, Mudslinger and Gentur, to eliminate the Claw. Saygen Maral quickly noticed his tail and prepared an ambush for them in an alley. Gentur was killed instantly by a crossbow quarrel to the base of the skull. Mudslinger took a quarrel to the chest, but later recovered under a healer's care.The Bonehunters, Chapter 22, UK MMPB p.1050/1053-1055The Bonehunters, Chapter 23, US SFBC p.895
When Saygen Maral finally caught up to Banaschar, he was intercepted by Hellian just as he drew his poisoned knife to kill the priest. She had her own reasons for arresting the priest and no one was going to stop her. The Bonehunter broke the Claw's elbow to disarm him, drove her knee into his face, then repeatedly bashed his head against the street until he was dead.The Bonehunters, Chapter 22, UK MMPB p.1064-1066
==Notes and references==
Category:Males
Category:Assassins
Category:Claw members
Category:Black Glove