Trull Sengar

Trull Sengar [TRUHL SEN-gar]Read for Pixels 2016 Interview - As pronounced by Steven Erikson at 44:45 was a Tiste EdurHouse of Chains, Dramatis Personae of House Sengar and the second son of Tomad and Uruth Sengar. Trull was a man of integrity and intellect, not hesitating to voice his thoughts or act accordingly, and face the consequences. He claimed to be "plagued by the need to be truthful".House of Chains, Chapter 6, US SFBC p.272 He was modest and self-deprecating with a smile and disarming manner that invited friendship and camaraderie.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 10, US HC p.257Reaper's Gale, Chapter 20, US HC p.595
Trull was bald with slate-grey eyes and a forehead scarred by a circle with a slash cut through it.House of Chains, PrologueHouse of Chains, Chapter 6, US SFBC p.271 
His preferred weapon was the spear, with which he was very proficient.House of Chains, Chapter 20
Trull did not like horses much, and liked riding them even less.House of Chains, Chapter 22, US SFBC p.648
== In House of Chains==
He was Shorn (outcast) from the Tiste Edur nation by his brother, the emperor. The ritual left him bald and his forehead scarred. Afterwards, he was left to drown chained atop a wall in the rapidly flooding Nascent.House of Chains, Prologue 
After his shorning, he was found atop the crumbling wall by the lost and stranded Onrack the Broken, whom he convinced to break his chains. Trull bargained for his freedom by offering the T'lan Imass information about their Edur enemies as well as the location of a gate to escape the rapidly flooding world.House of Chains, Chapter 6 He then was dragged and carried by the T'lan Imass through the still dry area of the Nascent. There, the two came across hill-sized monuments shaped in the form of hounds. These, Onrack said, were the Hounds of Shadow, and two of them were alive.House of Chains, Chapter 6 
Onrack proceeded to break one of these statues, overconfident in his ability to take on these Hounds. As a result, both Hounds were freed. The Hounds attacked him and destroyed a part of his body, leaving Trull alone. Trull later discovered that they were not Hounds of Shadow, rather they were the Hounds of Darkness. He and Onrack continued, stumbling on an abandoned city, then found a gate, whose wards they broke using the Moranth munitions they had just found. Through the gate came four Tiste Liosan who attacked Onrack. While Onrack battled them, Trull found four other T'lan Imass who appeared behind the Liosan, equaling the odds stacked against Onrack. The Liosan and the T'lan entered into an alliance in order to fashion a gate using their combined warrens to escape the realm.House of Chains, Chapter 9 During the ritual, Onrack vowed his service to Trull, binding the two together. The two returned back to the Seven Cities.House of Chains, Chapter 12
Reaching a complex of caves where the Logros clan had lived hundreds of millennia ago, they accidentally encountered Karsa Orlong, who brushed them away.House of Chains, Chapter 17
They continued their pursuit of The Unbound T'lan Imass. Despite escaping from the other T'lan Imass including Monok Ochem and the others, Onrack decided to await them while they were still pursuing both Trull and Onrack. Onrack and Trull then struck an alliance with the pursuing T'lan Imass, to pool their resources and stop the Unbound from taking over the First Throne.
The group of T'lan Imass and Trull traveled through Omtose Phellack and into Tellann, then emerged into the Malazan world, running into an Eres Witch and were met by Apt the Aptorian and Panek, who guarded the outer ward of the First Throne.House of Chains, Chapter 23
At the First Throne, the group met and linked up with Minala and her 'children' guarding the First Throne. As they settled down to wait, Trull offered his "long and unpleasant story" to the uninterested Minala to prove himself worthy of her trust. Onrack offered to listen to Trull's story in her stead.House of Chains, Epilogue, US SFBC p.851-852
== In Midnight Tides==
Events which happened prior to Trull's shorning were described. 
Trull Sengar, a blooded Edur warrior on a journey to collect raw jade from the shore, found Letherii ships harvesting Tusked seals along Calach Bay, in direct and serious contravention to the treaty agreed between the Edur and the Letherii governments. He reported this to his father, an elder warrior who further conveyed this to Hannan Mosag, the Warlock King. At the council called that midnight, Hannan Mosag suspected the treaty breach was calculated to provoke an Edur response before the Great Meeting, which was to occur between delegates of the Letherii and the Edur in two month's time. He promised to answer the infringement of the treaty in a manner that the Letherii would not expect, a full unveiling of Kurald Emurlahn.Midnight Tides, Chapter 1, US SFBC p.32-43/45-49 
Trull's relationship with his youngest brother was troubled. The unblooded Rhulad spent his time trying to attract the attention of their brother Fear's betrothed, the lovely Mayen.Midnight Tides, Chapter 1, US SFBC p.36-37 Trull began to suspect the pair dishonoured Fear through an illicit affair, a notion Rhulad purposely inflamed with innuendo aimed Trull's way.Midnight Tides, Chapter 3, US SFBC p.107/115 Rhulad also openly questioned Trull's bravery, seeing his reluctance to fight as a weakness.Midnight Tides, Chapter 1, US SFBC p.41-42 
Hannan Mosag led four longboats of Edur, including Trull and Fear, against the Letherii harvesting ships. But his warriors only stood by as the Warlock King summoned an immense Demon spirit-god from the water to slaughter the ships' crews. Both Trull and Fear were horrified, reporting the event back to their parents. Uruth was angered that Mosag relied on a summoning rather than Kurald Emurlahn and secretly directed Fear to take Trull and Rhulad to the Stone Bowl to learn the truth of their faith and cast doubt on the Warlock King's motives. Trull learned that Father Shadow was dead and his soul trapped by the Elder Gods in eternal torment. Whatever power Hannan Mosag possessed had not come from their god.Midnight Tides, Chapter 3, US SFBC p.94-97/100-102/111-119 That night, while standing watch over the body of a fallen Edur, Trull was visited by the spirit of Silchas Ruin, the Betrayer.Midnight Tides, Chapter 3, UK MMPB p.129-131
Trull and his brothers Fear, Rhulad, and Binadas were charged by the Warlock King to embark on a journey into the northern ice fields in response to one of Mosag's visions. They were to retrieve a gift held within a spar of ice. Whatever the gift was, they were not to let it touch their flesh.Midnight Tides, Chapter 1, US SFBC p.53-55 Reaching the spar where the 'gift', in the form of a mottled sword was located, they were ambushed by the Jheck. Trull and the group were assailed from all sides, and Trull saw Rhulad die, thrust through several times, the gift sword in his hand stuck fast so that no one was able to pry it loose.Midnight Tides, Chapter 8, US SFBC p.244-262
Having accomplished their mission of retrieving the sword, the Edur made for home pursued by the Jheck in their Soletaken wolf forms. Trull became isolated from the rest of the party while guarding the rear. He was hunted by the Jheck pursuers all night, during which he proved his martial prowess fighting Jheck warriors continuously and escaped against all odds to rejoin the others.Midnight Tides, Chapter 8, US SFBC p.263-268 The leader of the Jheck, B'nagga, later stated that they had never before witnessed such skill and ferocity.Midnight Tides, Chapter 15, UK MMPB p.564 
thumb||left|180x180px|Trull Sengar by [https://www.instagram.com/p/BlW7ys4Fl1C/?taken-by=plugoarts PLUGO]
Returning back to the Edur village, Hannan Mosag was displeased to find that Rhulad had already touched the sword. While the Warlock King negotiated with the Sengar parents to remove Rhulad's hands, Rhulad suddenly come back to life, now secretly a servant of the Crippled God.Midnight Tides, Chapter 9, US SFBC 270-275/286-295 Rhulad pushed the Warlock King aside, proclaimed himself Emperor of the Edur, and demanded the Edur nobles kneel before him in fealty. Despite his misgivings at the hidden power responsible for Rhulad's return, Trull followed his brother Fear's example.Midnight Tides, Chapter 11, US SFBC p.341-346 But Trull repeatedly infuriated Fear with doubts and questions.Midnight Tides, Chapter 13, US SFBC p.418
The Great Meeting between the Letherii and the new Edur emperor was a failure. Rhulad dismissed the Letherii delegation and declared a state of war between the two nations.Midnight Tides, Chapter 13, US SFBC p.408-409
Trull accompanied Fear's army into northern Lether leading his own command of fifty warriors from their village. Starting with a scouting expedition on the trail to High Fort it became clear that his own soldiers did not respect him and word travelled of his doubts regarding the emperor and the war.Midnight Tides, Chapter 15, US SFBC p.468-469
Trull took an active role in the Battle of High Fort against the forces of Queen Janall and Prince Quillas, killing the last of the queen's sorcerers.Midnight Tides, Chapter 18, US SFBC p.552-553 Afterwards, he saved the life of one of the Edur's slaves, a Kenyll'rah named Lilac. Trull won more enemies among the Edur by striking the first healer who refused to treat the Demon.Midnight Tides, Chapter 18, US SFBC p.556-561 Soon Lilac was Trull's only companion among the Edur, even blocking an enraged Fear from assaulting his brother.Midnight Tides, Chapter 21, US SFBC p.631Midnight Tides, Chapter 18, US SFBC p.563 Ultimately, Trull shared his blood with the demon to allow it to return to its own realm.Midnight Tides, Chapter 21, US SFBC p.637
The armies of Fear and Rhulad united at First Reach before marching on Brans Keep to meet the army of Tomad and Binadas. While the army marched, Rhulad, Fear, and Trull went on one more quest to investigate reports of a demon freed by the Letherii at Brous. Joined by two Kenryll'ah tyrants and one of the K'risnan they discovered the "demon" was a Forkrul Assail named Serenity. Trull watched Rhulad die at Serenity's hands before it was injured and driven off by the Kenryll'ah demons and his own spear.Midnight Tides, Chapter 22, US SFBC p.653/658-662
At the Battle of Brans Keep, Trull watched with horror as Hannan Mosag and his K'risnan used their sorcery to annihilate the remainder of the Letherii Army, killing tens of thousands of Letherii soldiers in moments with their strange sorcery.Midnight Tides, Chapter 23, US SFBC p.678/679 Trull was convinced his people had changed while he had not.Midnight Tides, Chapter 21, US SFBC p.639 The sergeant of his squad, Canarth, was infuriated at Trull's distaste for their victory and called him a traitor. Trull challenged Canarth to a duel and beat him unconscious with his spear, but refused to have him punished.Midnight Tides, Chapter 23, US SFBC p.679-680
Rhulad's armies entered Letheras and Trull accompanied the emperor's retinue to the throne room of the Eternal Domicile where King Ezgara Diskanar awaited. The king was protected by Ceda Kuru Qan who killed the remaining K'risnan with his sorcery. As the Warlock King himself was about to fall to the Ceda, Fear urged Trull forward. Trull felt he had no choice but to kill the Ceda with his spear. If Hannan Mosag fell and the Letherii were victorious, then not a single Edur would be left alive after the Letherii response. His people and their culture would be swept from existence.Midnight Tides, Chapter 25, US SFBC p.736
Trull watched as the King's Champion, Brys Beddict, fought Rhulad in single combat. Brys' skill was so masterful that he permanently incapacitated Rhulad without killng him. Trull was filled with admiration for the man's skill and for the solution to the madness that plagued the Edur. Rhulad would not die, and hence could not come back to life whole again. Despite Rhulad's pitiful pleas for Trull and Fear to kill him, neither did so. But Trull's realisation that Brys' drink was poisoned came too late for his shouted warning to save the Champion's life.Midnight Tides, Chapter 25, US SFBC p.742-745 
The Guardian of the Names unwittingly unwound Brys' victory when he came to collect the Champion's body. Out of a misplaced sense of mercy and nudged by the Errant, the Guardian killed the shrieking Rhulad setting the terrible cycle back in motion.Midnight Tides, Chapter 25, US SFBC p.754-755 Trull left the throne room to find Fear. Both men were led somehow to the home of Acquitor Seren Pedac. Trull had fallen in love with her, and offered her his sword with the intention of fulfilling the Edur tradition of betrothal, while denying it on the face, saying that Seren needed a sword to defend herself. The Acquitor accepted the sword as a weapon with no deeper meaning.Midnight Tides, Chapter 25 US SFBC p.761-764 
Trull then returned to Rhulad to try and guide him, while Fear left the city with the Acquitor as his guide to find Father Shadow to rid the evil influence on Rhulad, and to seek guidance for the Edur race.Midnight Tides, Chapter 25 US SFBC p.762-764 It was right after this that Trull was presumably shorn by Rhulad.
== In The Bonehunters ==
Reminiscing about Trull Sengar's shorning, Ahlrada Ahn remembered how Trull had tried to save the Emperor from the madness that had afflicted him after the slave Udinaas had left his side.In his attempt to guide the Emperor, Trull had tried to 'bring the Emperor home', presumably tried to convince Rhulad to take the Edur back to their lands, and as a result, had been shorn by Rhulad and his 'brothers'.The Bonehunters, Chapter 17
Trull undertook the defense of the First Throne together with Ibra Gholan, Apt, Onrack, Monok Ochem and alongside Minala and her army of trained soldier-children - known as the Company of Shadow.
The defenders were attacked by the Edur, including a warlock who wielded chaotic sorcery, and Letherii soldiers. The Edur forces also included Icarium, whose berserk capabilities Taralack Veed wanted to use to destroy the First Throne and its defenders, thus helping the Edur as well as the Crippled God. The Bonehunters, Chapter 23
When Trull was attacked by two of the Edur, Ahlrada Ahn switched sides and came to the aide of his former friend. It was at that moment that Lifestealer went berserk, blindly attacking the soldiers in front of him, and dealt with anyone facing him, making straight for the children-soldiers that formed the last line of defense in front of the throne. Although Onrack had been able to turn Icarium around resulting in the slaughter of the attacking Edur and Letherii, he turned back around to attack those remaining in front of him. Trull Sengar then fought a desperate holding action against a berserk Icarium until his spear exploded from the impacts. He was saved by Apt the Aptorian who died at Icarium's hands. Icarium was further attacked by Ibra Gholan, who he brushed away, and finally by Quick Ben, who had been summoned by Shadowthrone. Despite the sorcerous powers of Quick Ben, Icarium still made his way forward. Before he could kill everyone, Icarium was rendered unconscious by the Eres'al.The Bonehunters, Chapter 24
== In Reaper's Gale==
First Concubine Nisall recalled the hours after Rhulad's ascension to the throne of the Letherii Empire. Trull had implored his brother to give up the cursed sword, but Rhulad refused saying he was nothing without it. When Trull said Rhulad had nothing to fear from Hannan Mosag as their family would stand with him against the Warlock King, the enraged Rhulad claimed the emperor had no fear. Trull argued that the sword and the power behind it was the true emperor, so Rhulad named him a betrayer and ordered him shorn. But in his sleep every night, Rhulad begged his brother for forgiveness.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 3, US HC p.76-78
Much later, Cotillion brought Trull, Onrack, Quick Ben, and the other survivors of the defence of the First Throne to Shadow to recuperate. From a longhouse Trull procured a long cape dyed a deep burgundy and a new stone-tipped spear he carried strapped to his back. The god informed Quick Ben he was free to depart with Trull and Onrack, giving them access to a gate out of Shadow across a lake. But he warned that reality on the other side of the gate remained unresolved until they passed through. The nature of their destination would be determined by themselves. Trull demanded Cotillion summon Shadowthrone to provide a better explanation of what awaited them, but Ammanas was no more help.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 8, US HC p.188-192 
Trull, Onrack, and Quick Ben travelled together by boat across the lake of Shadow until the water grew too shallow. They continued on wading through the water, engaged in conversation where Onrack revealed that Trull had risen to become the Knight of Shadow. At first Trull was angered by Cotillion's presumption, and Onrack momentarily considered whether the Eres'al was responsible. But ultimately the T'lan Imass concluded that Trull had earned the rank by standing up to Icarium and surviving, something no warrior had ever done. Onrack and Quick Ben gently chided Trull for his modest refusal to accept his own achievement.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 10, US HC p.255-258 Soon they realised they were being stalked by giant N'purel fish. Although still feeling weakened and fragile after his own battle with Icarium, Quick Ben was forced to hurriedly open a gate that brought them to a realm of tundra. There Onrack became a flesh and bone mortal Imass once more, a transformation which moved Trull to tears. Onrack identified the place as Tellann.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 12, US HC p.316-319
In the Refugium, as it was called, Trull and his group were joined by the Bridgeburner ghost, Hedge,Reaper's Gale, Chapter 18, US HC p.555 before encountering Rud Elalle, the son of Menandore. Rud brought them to Ulshun Pral, clan chief of a tribe of mortal Bentract Imass who had never undergone the Ritual of Tellann.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 20, US HC p.594-601 Also present at the village were Hostille Rator and two other T'lan Imass who had been drawn to the Refugium and were stunned by the Imass they found. But the three T'lan Imass understood the truth of the Refugium--it was only a trapped and dying memory that could not be allowed to remain. Trull and Onrack swore they would spend their lives to defend the realm they knew would soon be assailed. Hostille Rator and the Bonecasters were humbled and shamed by their vows and declared they would defend the Refugium as well.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 21, US HC p.659-661 Although Menandore knew her sisters and Silchas Ruin were coming to forcibly claim the Finnest of Father Shadow from her refuge, she was not pleased with those Shadowthrone had sent to help her.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 23, US HC p.716-718
Trull and Onrack guarded Ulshun Pral within a cavern that contained a dozen gates leading to other warrens, while Quick Ben and Hedge battled Menandore, Sukul Ankhadu, and Sheltatha Lore outside. The gate from Starvald Demelain opened and Trull was stunned as so many he recognised exited--Silchas Ruin, Fear Sengar, Seren Pedac, Udinaas, Clip, and Kettle. When Fear saw Ruin move to attack his brother, he attempted to stab the Andii in the back, but Clip drew his chain like a garrote around Fear's neck and killed him. Trull and Ruin remembered each other from the night Trull had been visited by Ruin's spirit back in his home village. They fought desperately, but the Edur and his spear were outmatched by the Soletaken and his twin swords. Ruin shattered the spear and lodged his sword in Trull's hip. Trull was saved by a T'lan Imass spear of stone thrown to him by Seren. Despite his own wounds, Trull then proceeded to stun Silchas, then decisively beat back Clip, disarming him and rendering him unconscious.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 23, US HC p.732-737
Too wounded to participate further, he watched as Ruin tossed Onrack aside then removed the dagger-shaped Finnest from Ulshun Pral without hurting the Imass. Ruin stabbed Kettle in the chest to create a new Azath House within the Refugium that anchored the realm in reality, saving it from dissolution. Trull mourned Fear, but considered him a betrayer for attempting to stab Ruin in the back. Udinaas convinced Trull that Fear was in fact a hero for attempting to stand against Ruin to save his brother.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 23, US HC p.737-739
With matters settled without further bloodshed and Seren by his side, the two made plans to return to Letheras, where Seren would bury the sword at her doorstep and marry him.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 23, US HC p.738 They passed through one of the gates with Quick Ben and Hedge and arrived amidst the Bonehunters invasion. The Bridgeburners left them at Seren's home where the couple consummated their marriage. Then Trull left to seek out his parents and brother Rhulad. Seren made him promise he would safely return, and Trull said, "I will. I can do nothing else. You have all there is of me, all that's left." When Trull made his way to the Eternal Domicile, the Errant followed.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 24, US HC p.780/810-811
In the palace's arena, Trull came across Rhulad's dead body where he had finally been slain by Karsa Orlong. While mourning his brother's death and cradling him in his arms, he was killed by Sirryn Kanar, a Letherii soldier who stabbed him in the back through the heart. Trull asked Seren to forgive him as he died. When Quick Ben and Hedge found him moments later, both were stricken with grief. Hedge demanded Quick Ben send Kanar "some place with...with eternal torment." After agonising over the decision, Quick Ben complied and Kanar disappeared screaming into a dark blur. The Errant, tipper of balances and maker of widows, watched from nearby.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 24, US HC p.814-819
When Onrack learned of his friend's death, he and Kilava Onass travelled to Letheras to be with Seren and tell her all her husband had done in the time since he gave her his sword.Reaper's Gale, Epilogue, US HC p.826-827 When Bugg learned of what the Errant had done, he went to Seren's home where he found her burying the sword. He asked her not to grieve overlong, telling her to cherish all she had left of him. The Acquitor did not yet know she carried Trull's child.Reaper's Gale, Epilogue, US HC p.828-829
==Timeline issues==
There are some inconsistencies in the timeline of events involving Trull Sengar. See this forum thread for a discussion on the topic.
==Speculations==
The girl, Kettle, may have been the result of Trull's rape by the Eres'al.House of Chains, Chapter 23, US SFBC p.747-748 Some time before Trull's rape, Kettle claimed to be a child of the Eres, (seemingly implying that her mother is the Eres'al)Midnight Tides, Chapter 14, US MMPB p.539-542 and pondered whom her father might be. Silchas Ruin replied that Kettle's father might not even be born yet, and says the Eres'al "wanders time, Kettle, in a manner no-one else can even understand, much less emulate." He also says, of the father, that he "will know his blood," which might imply that Silchas Ruin suspects the father is of the Tiste races.Midnight Tides, Chapter 14, US SFBC p.447 This seems to be confirmed when the pregnant Eres'al visits Bottle, and he senses the child's father was a Tiste Edur.The Bonehunters, Chapter 6, US MMPB p.300
== Quotes ==
==Trivia==
*When asked if there were any characters he wished he had chosen a different fate for, author Steven Erikson at first said no, then identified Trull Sengar, whose fate he said remained a surprise even to the author "until about twenty pages before it got there."An Evening with Steven Erikson by Nerdaí Irish Nerds See 06:12
==Fan art gallery==
<tabber>Spoiler free images=
Trull Sengar by Puck.jpg|link=File:Trull Sengar by Puck.jpg|Trull Sengar by Puckstein
Trull sengar by slaine69.jpg|link=File:Trull sengar by slaine69.jpg|Trull Sengar by slaine69
Trull by slaine69.jpg|link=File:Trull by slaine69.jpg|Trull by slaine69
Trull Sengar with spear by Puck.jpg|link=File:Trull Sengar with spear by Puck.jpg|Trull with spear by Puckstein
Trull.jpg|link=File:Trull.jpg|Trull by Yapattack
Trull Sengar by Dejan Delic.jpg|link=File:Trull Sengar by Dejan Delic.jpg|Trull Sengar by Dejan Delic
|-|Spoiler images=
Trull and Onrack by Anna Ploscost.jpg|link=File:Trull and Onrack by Anna Ploscost.jpg|Trull and Onrack by Anna Ploscost
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==Notes and references==
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Category:Tiste Edur
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