The Crippled God/Chapter 23

__NOTOC__
Epigraph
The Forkrul Assail army is deployed to defend the approaches to Kolanse City; their Perish Grey Helm allies will hold the centre of the line. The advancing Bolkando, White Face Barghast and Letherii troops will soon arrive. In Kolanse Bay the Perish Thrones of War are being sunk by squalls, even though there is no wind.
Krughava, the late Perish Mortal Sword, and Grub ride a Ve'Gath to the allied armies. Prince Brys Beddict explains their plan: to press the opposing army sufficiently that it cannot disengage from their feint to counter the real attack by the K'Chain Che'Malle on the Spire. Krughava rides forward to rejoin her Perish Grey Helms.
The advancing Che'Malle become aware of an army in their path; it is a host of T'lan Imass led by Onos T'oolan. They explain that they intend to free the Crippled God, and Tool realises that he shares that goal. The armies merge and advance to attack the Spire.
The Pure Brother Diligence in charge of the Shriven and Perish armies in the approaches, has become suspicious of Shield Anvil Tanakalian's motives and comes to take charge of the Perish with his Voice. Setoc uses the power of the Wolves to repel him, leaving him unconscious. On the Spire Sister Reverence is informed of the approaching Che'malle army. She tries to summon reinforcements from Brother Diligence but is unable to contact him.
Krughava reaches the Perish and confronts Tanakalian and Setoc. The Wolf Gods, speaking through Setoc, say to take no part in the forthcoming battle; instead they want to wait, then attack the weakened winner. Krughava argues against this, seeing that the wolf tactic of killing the weakest of the herd will not work against humans. She convinces Setoc herself, but not the Wolves who then fully possess her. Tanakalian kills Setoc to prevent the Wolves from stealing 'his' glory and mortally wounds Krughava, but she is able to kill him before she dies. The Perish have lost all three of their commanders and probably also their gods. They feel shamed and decide to fight against the Forkrul Assail. Queen Abrastal sends them to block any Forkrul withdrawal.
Brother Diligence recovers consciousness and hears Sister Reverence's pleas for help: the Spire troops are being slaughtered by the Che'Malle. He sends reinforcements, then uses his Voice on the Letherii commanders. Brys Beddict is aware of him and releases at him the names of all the forgotten gods that he stored inside him in the Abyss before his resurrection; Diligence is overwhelmed. The last forgotten name is that of the Forkrul Assail's own god, which enters Diligence's soul. As the names pour out of him, Brys gradually dies in a pool of seawater. Ceda Aranict refuses to let him go, and is herself drawn down into the water. Faint cuts her arms and offers blood to Mael to get him to intervene; then Amby Bole is able to drag them to safety.
Despite Diligence's death the battle continues. Queen Abrastal sends the Barghast to the aid of the Perish trying to prevent reinforcements reaching the Spire, but they are outnumbered and fail.
In Darujhistan Karsa Orlong encounters a crippled blind man, Munug, a messenger from the Crippled God. This is his signal to act; he goes to Fener's temple.
On the Spire Sister Reverence commands the defence and hopes the relief force arrives in time. She sees that Kolanse Bay has frozen solid; Death's ship has arrived and Hood has unleashed Omtose Phellack. Hood walks across the ice to the Spire and creates a shaft of ice to the top. Gesler is told of the approaching Kolansii reinforcements and sends the K'ell Hunters and T'lan Imass to intercept them. The rest of the attackers slowly advance. Above them the sky fills with dark clouds and lightning. Slowly the god Fener, the Boar of Summer, manifests. In Darujhistan Karsa enters the temple of Fener. On the altar is a boar tusk. Karsa swings his stone sword and smashes tusk and altar. Above the Spire the manifestation of Fener is sliced by an enormous stone sword. A rain of blood falls from the sky, reanimating the Imass just as the Shriven reinforcements arrive. The living Imass cannot withstand them and are dying again. The 14 Jaghut, no longer undead, come to help, and they are joined by K'ell hunters and the Teblor and Barghast from the south. They are still losing until Whiskeyjack and the undead Bridgeburner army arrives.
The rain of blood reanimates Olar Ethil too. While this distracts her, Torrent makes the children run inland, then tells Olar that they slid onto the ice filling Kolanse Bay. She tries to find them there; Torrent follows and breaks his legs in a fissure, yet manages to kill Olar with an arrow from Kruppe's bow.
Sinn intervenes in the battle before the Spire. She raises the fires of Tellann warren, burns her way through the defenders and starts up the Spire. Gesler and Stormy fear she wants the power of the Heart for herself, and chase after her. Stormy throws her off the stair while Gesler ascends to the top. Sinn climbs back up and burns Stormy but he grabs her and leaps off the Spire, killing them both. Gesler reaches the top of the Spire and trades blows with the rejuvenated Sister Reverence, damaging her before she kills him. Hood then arrives and kills her. The Shi'Gal Assassin takes the Crippled God's heart.
The battles are over and the allied armies have won. Onos Toolan meets his children; and then his wife Hetan, alive and healed, brought there by Toc Anaster.
23