Malazan

Malazan the Red, known by various titles such as The Flame That Razes the Land and the Watcher of the High Forest, is a powerful dragon demigod, who resides somewhere in the High Forest; he is presumed by the Heroes of Happenstance to have his lair in Hellgate Dell. He is one of the Children of Tiamat, and has the most prominent worshipper following of them all. He is responsible for the destruction of Bean's home village and the death of their biological family.

## History

According to Lyra, Malazan the Red is a formidable creature who has utterly decimated any battalions sent by nearby Lords to destroy him. Many settlements within the High Forest worship him- many out of fear, although others with reverence. While many of his worshippers know his true nature as a dragon, many others know him as an incredibly powerful deity whose wrath manifests as droughts and death.

Decades ago, as massive and deadly droughts plagued the High Forest and causing countless deaths, a woman from the village of Far Water named Ashai begged the deity to allow the rain back in order to save her village. In exchange for this, Malazan demanded the pregnant woman for her firstborn child as sacrifice and payment for his mercy. With great guilt in her heart, she complied, giving up her only child at the mouth of his lair. Several years later, the droughts returned in full force, and Ashai returned to Malazan to beg for his mercy on her village once more. This time, he asked for her second-born child as sacrifice for his mercy, and she agreed to give her other daughter when the time came. Ashai lied, however, and hid her daughter away, hoping to outsmart the deity but ultimately failing when he discovered the child. In retribution, Malazan burned the entire village and all of its people to a crisp- but not before Ashai managed to get her child to safety, leaving her the only survivor of the tragedy.

Lord Delphize, Malazan's lieutenant, seems to know that Malazan's price is still unpaid, and threatens Bean that her years of borrowed time will soon come to an end.

### Cultists

The Heroes of Happenstance first came across cultists of Malazan while aboard Zephyros' tower on their way to Triboar. Led by someone wearing an elaborate red dragon mask, they seemed intent on destroying the Giant on behalf of Malazan. The cultists were defeated and the leader said that they hoped the party survived, before fleeing from an enormous blue dragon.

According to a letter from Petra, Malazan's most trusted lieutenant infiltrated the Cult of the Dragon in order to try and dismantle them prior to their attempt to raise Tiamat. As the Cult of the Dragon was planning on sacrificing Tiamat's most powerful children in their efforts to revive her, Malazan's followers needed to thwart the cult's efforts to defend their master. It is said that his lieutenant had a discrete but significant role in preventing Tiamat's rebirth.

Worshippers of Malazan are known to be scattered all through the High Forest as well, as encountered by the party on their way to Grandfather Tree. Once mortally wounded, they wish for their corpses to be brought before Malazan as sacrifice and sustenance for his eventual takeover once more.