Triban Gnol

Triban Gnol was the wealthy chancellor to King Ezgara Diskanar of the Kingdom of Lether.Midnight Tides, Chapter 4, US SFBC p.125Midnight Tides, Dramatis Personae Though technically in service to the King, he had aligned himself with Queen Janall and her son, Prince Quillas. He was a tall and thin elderly man with dark eyes.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 9, US HC p.237-238Midnight Tides, Chapter 25, US SFBC p.744 He had the long, slim fingers of a musician or sculptor, but without the requisite talent. Even so, when lost in thought he found himself admiring their beauty and sinuous grace.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 18, US HC p.525 His arms displayed prominent veins and arteries in sickly blue and green hues.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 18, US HC p.534
He wore stiff-tipped slippers and a robe with a heavy brocaded collar. He kept an opulent office that was regularly scented with pine oil.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 15, US HC p.445
Despite ancient Letherii law prohibiting their chancellors from formal relationships with men or women,Midnight Tides, Chapter 6, US SFBC p.190 it was rumoured among the court that he sometimes shared a bed with the Queen's First Consort, Turudal Brizad.Midnight Tides, Chapter 10, US SFBC p.311
Chancellor Gnol was responsible for the subjugation of the Nerek, Tarthenal, and Faraed tribes on the Empire's northern frontier. He and his minions had pored over the detailed reports on the tribes submitted by Sentinel Hull Beddict to best determine their weaknesses and plan for their exploitation. In response, Hull Beddict had resigned his title and turned his back on his people.Midnight Tides, Chapter 2, US SFBC p.67
==In Midnight Tides==
Triban Gnol, Janall, and Quillas helped orchestrate a war between the Tiste Edur and the Letherii in an attempt to grow richer off the spoils of conquered Edur territory.Midnight Tides, Chapter 4, US SFBC p.142 They launched their scheme a month ahead of the Great Meeting between the Letherii and the Edur Warlock King, Hannan Mosag. The queen arranged for ships from seven merchant houses in which she held primary interest to violate the treaty with the Edur by illegally harvesting Tusked seals.Midnight Tides, Chapter 2, US SFBC p.66 As part of the Letherii delegation, Prince Quillas attempted to hold the Edur in debt for the missing seals to renegotiate the treaty at terms ruinous to the Edur.Midnight Tides, Chapter 11, US SFBC p.356-358 But new Edur emperor Rhulad Sengar dismissed the Letherii position out of hand, sent the delegation home, and declared a state of war between the two nations.Midnight Tides, Chapter 13, US SFBC p.408-409
The war did not go as the three conspirators planned. Instead, the Edur were victorious at the Battle of High Fort where they captured Janall and Quillas.Midnight Tides, Chapter 18, US SFBC p.548-561 After their capture, the Chancellor seemed suddenly ancient and withered, and prowled the corridors of the Eternal Domicile like a ghost and speaking to no-one.Midnight Tides, Chapter 24, US SFBC p.691 The conquering Edur soon captured the city of Letheras where the king and his entourage, including the Chancellor, awaited Rhulad's arrival in the throne room. 
After slaying Ceda Kuru Qan, the Edur produced the horribly disfigured queen and prince. Triban Gnol stood near First Eunuch Nifadas and the king as they drank wine before the duel between King's Champion Brys Beddict and Emperor Rhulad. After Brys successfully defeated Rhulad, the Chancellor pathetically covered his eyes with his hands. Queen Janall cackled as Brys, not realising it was poisoned, drank from the same jug of wine as the king. Soon, the king, Nifadas, and Brys were all dead.Midnight Tides, Chapter 25, US SFBC p.732-736/740-747 Rhulad declared himself emperor of the Letherii Empire, and Triban Gnol knelt and declared his eternal service.Midnight Tides, Chapter 25, US SFBC p.759 It was unclear who poisoned the wine and whether the king and First Eunuch might have intentionally poisoned themselves.
==In Reaper's Gale==
Triban Gnol pledged himself to the new emperor and immediately set about consolidating his own power through secret alliances with the Liberty Consign of Merchants and the Patriotists.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 2, US HC p.62Reaper's Gale, Chapter 3, US HC p.75Reaper's Gale, Chapter 7, US HC p.161 He surrounded himself at court with spies and agents, and kept Rhulad isolated from his own people. The chancellor controlled the information the emperor received, deciding who he was allowed to speak to and which reports he was allowed to read.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 2, US HC p.61-62Reaper's Gale, Chapter 3, US HC p.78 Bruthen Trana, Brohl Handar, and even Rhulad's father Tomad were all denied direct communication to the emperor.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 7, US HC p.176-178 He saw First Concubine Nisall, who shared Rhulad's bed, as a rival and a threat. The Chancellor took advantage of Rhulad's paranoia by suggesting a conspiracy amongst the Edur meant to betray him, and he kept him focused on external enemies by stoking talk of war with the Bolkando Kingdom.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 5, US HC p.132
The chancellor made his move against Nisall when Sirryn Kanar led a group of Patriotist thugs to arrest her in the night and bring her to the Patriotists' headquarters for questioning. Gnol could not resist appearing at Nisall's rooms to gloat before her protector, Bruthen Trana. The enraged Edur slew the Chancellor's two bodyguards before grabbing Gnol by the throat. When Trana threw Gnol to the ground he broke the Chancellor's fingers and Gnol swore Trana would die for the affront.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 9, US HC p.235-238 Nisall perished at Karos Invictad's hands before Trana could rescue her.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 9, US HC p.241 Gnol also used Tomad and Uruth Sengar's mistreatment of Sepik's Edur half-bloods to drive a wedge between Rhulad and his parents. The emperor ordered them imprisoned in the palace's flood-prone dungeon, where their jailers' neglect lead to their drowning.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 15, US HC p.417-418Reaper's Gale, Chapter 18, US HC p.437-438 
He kept a lacquered box on his office desk that secretly containing the remnants of the poison used to kill Ezgara Diskanar and Nifadas. He drew satisfaction whenever he looked at, reminiscing on having poisoned the chalice used by the king and his advisor. He had intended for Nisall to die as well and thought it unfortunate that Brys Beddict had died instead.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 15, US HC 445/447 
When Adjunct Tavore Paran's Bonehunters invaded Lether, the Chancellor stoked Rhulad's fear of them, assuring the emperor the Letherii Army would protect him. Rhulad placed him in charge of the empire's defence with Hannan Mosag and his K'risnan ostensibly under his command. But when alone with the Ceda, the Chancellor was openly contemptuous of Mosag.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 18, US HC p.528-529/531 The Ceda responded by quietly revealing to Rhulad all the lies the Chancellor was telling him about the state of the empire.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 20, US HC p.623 
Even Gnol's relationship with Karos Invictad began to fray. The Chancellor refused to allow the Invigilator to take revenge on K'ar Penath as the K'risnan was required for the war effort. As the Letherii economy began to falter under Tehol Beddict's scheme, the Chancellor found he could not pay the empire's soldiers. He angrily confronted Karos on behalf of Rautos Hivanar, Master of the Liberty Consign of Merchants, with claims that the Invigilator was corrupt and looting the Consign's treasury for his own purposes. Karos admitted it was all true and bragged it was his own scheme to bring down the empire's wealthy merchants that was responsible for the current predicament. He told Gnol he was the only one poised to save the empire and cautioned the Chancellor to remain off the list of those to be eliminated when he took control.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 18, US HC p.532-535 When it appeared Malazan victory was inevitable, Gnol prepared the terms of the empire's unconditional surrender, fully expecting to ride out another change in government.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 24, US HC p.777 
The Chancellor convinced Rhulad to begin the long delayed contests against the gathered champions.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 18, US HC p.529 He witnessed Karsa Orlong slay Rhulad in the arena, quietly blessing the Teblor for delivering Lether from its insane ruler. Then he commanded Varat Taun and his guards escort him and Samar Dev back to the throne room, which was even then being invaded by Fiddler's squad. When Tarr caught sight of the Chancellor's armed party he killed Gnol by firing a crossbow quarrel into his left temple before they had a chance to surrender. Smiles cut off Gnol's pretty hands to save time looting his rings.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 24, US HC p.814-816
==History==
Triban Gnol's mother had cherished her son and especially loved his elegant, if talentless, hands. The Chancellor's father, however, had been thick-skulled and cruel, with thick and clumsy hands that ironically possessed the artistic talent as a marble sculptor his son lacked.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 18, US HC p.525/527 His father also knew full well that the boy's hands were those of Turudal Brizad, his wife's lover and the boy's true father. Ultimately, Triban had murdered his father in such a way that he had been soaked in his father's blood.
Over the years, Triban's "art" had manifested itself in the way he had murdered a succession of lovers with his hands. Their crimes had been to betray him in some way, usually by not loving him enough. Eventually he had begun taking children to bed, focusing on his hands as he gagged them into silence. He had even for a time taken his father Turudal to bed, finding him to be a perfect lover.
==Notes and references==
Category:Letherii
Category:Males