Bowl

Bowl was a huge, mean-looking Heavy infantry soldier in the 9th company, 8th Legion of the Malaz 14th Army.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 13, US HC p.361 Unlike his fellow heavies' general reputation for being all muscle and no brain, Bowl managed to learn other specialties within the army impressively quickly.The Bonehunters, Chapter 7, US SFBC p.283/298Reaper's Gale, Chapter 17, US HC p.482
==In House of Chains==
His squad was part of Adjunct Tavore Paran's punitive expedition against the Army of the Apocalypse. On the road from Aren to Raraku, the heavies had no chance to wet their swords, but Fiddler was impressed with their discipline nonetheless.House of Chains, Chapter 22, US SFBC p.711
==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 Paran 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. Bowl took on the role of sapper likely for the first time ever that night, and his group included Able, Gupp, Jump, and Taffo with Balgrid as their mage.The Bonehunters, Chapter 7, US SFBC p.283/298 Once the walls were breached Bowl quickly returned to his regular squad, which was likely Sobelone's squad (see Speculations below). 
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 attack from hidden archers and warriors. Sobelone and Toles were killed in one such ambush. Hanno and the survivors of Sobelone's squad were rallied by Sergeant Hellian, who orchestrated a counterattack against their ambushers using smokers.The Bonehunters, Chapter 7, US SFBC p.291-292/298-301 Later on during the battle, Hellian witnessed the upper level of a house crash onto the spot where Bowl had been crouching. According to Hellian he had not even seen it coming.The Bonehunters, Chapter 7, UK MMPB p.374
==In Reaper's Gale==
Bowl had seemingly survived Y'Ghatan and was reassigned to Urb's 13th squad in the Bonehunters.Reaper's Gale, Dramatis Personae 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 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 During the year-long sea voyage to Lether, Bowl managed to learn magic rather quickly and took on this role for his squad.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 17, US HC p.482-483
On the night of the marines' landing on the coast, Bowl briefly found himself alone with Hellian's 8th squad and refused to shoulder the burden of carrying one of the sergeant's casks of ale. He was relieved when Urb and the others turned up.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 13, UK BCA edition p.388 The two squads remained together and he and Balgrid used magic covered their tracks.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 17, UK BCA edition p.522 After the fighting 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 
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 As the marines neared Letheras fighting became more desperate, although Hellian earned the support of the Letherii slave and Indebted classes by changing tactics to slay the government officials, lawyers, and debt-holders in each village.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 21, US HC p.632 Fiddler and Gesler's squads joined them at a tavern a day's travel from the capital just in time for a force of hundreds of Edur to envelop the village the Malazans occupied.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 21, US HC p.631-636/650 Bowl held his position in the tavern alongside Flashwit, but died when an Edur spear skewered him through the neck.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 21, UK BCA edition p.698
==Speculations==
Although not specifically stated, Bowl likely originally belonged to Sobelone's squad of heavy infantry. The 9th Company had three squads of heavy infantry belonging to Sergeants Sobelone, Mosel, and Tugg. A standard squad in the 14th Army had a sergeant, a corporal, and four soldiers. Bowl was unlikely to be a member of Mosel's squad because the characters Mosel, Harbyn, Flashwit, Mayfly, Taffo, and Uru Hela were identified as his squad members in The Bonehunters and accounted for all six of those positions. Neither Sobelone nor Tugg had their full squad list revealed in The Bonehunters. But during the Last Siege of Y'Ghatan, Tugg's squad was seen operating alongside Gesler while Sobelone's squad was shown working elsewhere in the city with Hellian. Since Hellian observed Bowl's apparent death, this suggests he was a member of Sobelone's squad.
==Notes and references==
Category:Bonehunters
Category:Mages
Category:Males
Category:Heavies
Category:Sappers
Category:Sergeants
Category:Soldiers