Mogora

Mogora [moe-GORE-ah]Steven Erikson Deadhouse Gates Interview - Ten Very Big Books podcast - As pronounced by Steven Erikson at 50:41 was a D'iversDeadhouse Gates, Dramatis Personae, UK MMPB p.17 witch and the wife of Iskaral Pust.House of Chains, Dramatis Personae She sembled between a human female form and a pack of hundreds of spiders. Originally from Dal Hon, she was a squat, wiry, and mostly toothless old woman with wild black hair, steely black eyes, and a sharp-featured face, who bore a startling resemblance to Iskaral Pust.Deadhouse Gates, Chapter 24, US HC p.592-593The Bonehunters, Chapter 9, US SFBC p.413Toll the Hounds, Chapter 9, US SFBC p.366
Her clothes were covered in cobwebs.House of Chains, Chapter 12, US SFBC p.459
== In Deadhouse Gates==
Mogora secretly observed Pust for months as he laid the false trail for the Path of Hands. She finally appeared before him as a pack of spiders pouring from his clothing after the crisis had passed. Pust accused her of scheming to gain access to the gate in Tesem's crypt in order to gain Ascendancy. Mogora denied this, replying, "I escaped Dal Hon to be rid of idiots. Why would I become Ascendant just to rule over other idiots." The two entered the Shadow Priest's temple together with Pust suggesting she serve as the new cook.Deadhouse Gates, Chapter 20, US HC p.592-594
==In House of Chains==
Mogora and Pust were now married, a marriage Pust considered perfect because they had not seen each other for months. Pust hid in Tesem's shadows while Mogora stalked the halls hunting him. She refused to search for him in her D'ivers form as it would make her the one being hunted.House of Chains, Chapter 12, US SFBC p.459-460 She otherwise spent her time cleaning and clearing, although she refused to touch the 'offerings' left behind by the temple's population of Bhok'arala.House of Chains, Chapter 20, US SFBC p.673
Mogora played unwilling hostess and cook for Kalam Mekhar during his recuperation and for Cutter and Apsalar after their adventure on Drift Avalii.House of Chains, Chapter 23, US SFBC p.727-729
==In The Bonehunters==
Mogora secretly followed Iskaral Pust to the newly reborn Raraku Sea, which she stocked with a half-dozen young freshwater sharks. Then she followed his trail through the warren of Shadow to witness the High Priest drive away the T'rolbarahl, Dejim Nebrahl, and recover the dying body of Mappo Runt. Mogora interceded in what she characterised as Pust's idiotic attempts to heal the Trell. She performed a healing ritual that called upon the power of the Moon and drew down a rain of spiderwebs to cover Mappo's body. After Pust fell asleep, Cotillion appeared, speculating that she was "one of Ardata's". Mogora veered into a mass of spiders and disappeared.The Bonehunters, Chapter 9, UK MMPB p.504-509/511/512 
When Mappo recovered, Iskaral Pust joined the Trell on his quest to reunite with Icarium. On their journey, the two encountered Spite, who commented that Mappo had been healed by the Queen of Spiders.The Bonehunters, Chapter 14, UK MMPB p.713 Spite offered her services in locating Icarium and the three boarded a ship and traveled the Otataral Sea. Mappo noted the presence of spiders aboard the ship and doubted Mogora was fooling anyone with her disguise. Pust swore he could smell her and searched the ship.The Bonehunters, Chapter 19, US SFBC p.760/762 Later, when a dozen Jade giants fell from the sky above them, it seemed to spell certain doom. Pust cried out for Mogora in a panic, demanding sex before he died. Mogora stood by watching her husband fret and wondering why she had married "that pathetic creature."The Bonehunters, Chapter 20, US SFBC p.777
==In Toll the Hounds==
After a miserable, much-delayed trip that took two whole seasons,Toll the Hounds, Chapter 7, US SFBC p.259 Spite's ship brought Mogora, Iskaral Pust (and his mule), Mappo Runt, Barathol Mekhar, Scillara, Chaur, and Cutter to Darujhistan. While preparing to disembark, Pust squabbled with Mogora, bragging he would use his prominence to take over the local Temple of Shadow and bed his pick of the priestesses. Mogora warned him that she foresaw he would meet his nemesis in the city before collapsing into a pile of spiders when she could stand Pust's "charms" no more.Toll the Hounds, Chapter 3, US SFBC p.103/106-108 
Leaving the ship, Pust was followed into the waterfront crowds by a score of scampering bhok'arala and an unknown number of mostly unseen spiders.Toll the Hounds, Chapter 3, US SFBC p.114 But when he triumphantly presented himself at the temple, High Priestess Sordiko Qualm had never heard of him. She politely invited him inside and the bhokarala somehow followed him despite the temple wards meant to keep them out.Toll the Hounds, Chapter 5, US SFBC p.164-168 Mogora was soon revealed as another unwanted guest.Toll the Hounds, Chapter 9, US SFBC p.366
High Alchemist Baruk went to the temple to visit Sordiko Qualm and found Mogora busily tearing up a straw broom. She cast a curse on him, but Baruk forced her to retract it. The annoyed witch collapsed into a pile of spiders and disappeared.Toll the Hounds, Chapter 19, US SFBC p.783
On the last night of the Gedderone Fête, when powerful forces converged on Darujhistan, Iskaral Pust left Sordiko's bedchamber, mounted his mule, and charged out of the Temple of Shadow followed by a squall of flying bhokorala and a river of spiders. After the fall of Anomander Rake, he meant to claim Dragnipur for himself and make Shadowthrone grovel. Instead, it was Kruppe, mounted on a mule of his own in the middle of the cobbled street, who defended the sword and put himself in the way of Pust's ambition. Pust first tried to command his bhokarala to attack and, when they ignored him, Kruppe and Iskaral Pust engaged in a mounted mule charge against one another. Kruppe inadvertently punched Pust in the nose and Kruppe, Pust, Mogora (as spiders), and the Bhokarala all ended up toppling into a writhing heap upon the cobbles--a mass from which Kruppe somehow disappeared. By the time Pust resurfaced from the brawl covered in spider bites, his moment to seize the sword was gone.Toll the Hounds, Chapter 23, US SFBC p.915-916/937-941Toll the Hounds, Chapter 24, US SFBC p.969
Mogora was incredulous at Pust's seeming success with the High Priestess, asking if he had drugged her. She argued that ugly people like she and Pust were meant to be together and suggested they make hundreds of babies to Pust's disgust.Toll the Hounds, Chapter 24, US SFBC p.969 Pust fled to the temple to pore through the Book of Shadows trying to find a provision allowing for two wives. As Pust had written the book, which was also the source of his claim to be Magus, the revision was easily made. Mogora began scheming of alliances with Sordiko Qualm.Toll the Hounds, Chapter 24, US SFBC p.996/1000
==Notes and references==
Category:Dal Honese
Category:D'ivers
Category:Females
de:Mogora