[nacht]

Does anybody think Malakai might be Crokus.
He seems to be really good with knives. Able to move around silently like a thief.

The association is tenous, but I can't shake the feeling


In GotM,

Quote

"Its oceans. Grallin's Sea. That's the big one. The Lord of the Deep Waters living there is named Grallin. He tends vast, beautiful underwater gardens. Grallin will come down to us, one day, to our world. And he'll gather his chosen and take them to his world. And we'll live in those gardens, warmed by the deep fires, and our children will swim like dolphins, and we'll be happy since there won't be anymore wars, and no empires, and no swords and shields. Oh, Crokus, it'll be wonderful, won't it?"

TCG Spoiler

Spoiler

Crokus dismounted, hobbled the horse outside an abandoned shack to his left, and made his way forward. It should not have taken long, yet by the time he reached the verge of the garden the moon overhead was bright, its effervescent light glistening along her limbs, the sheen of her black hair like silk as she bent to gather up her tools. He stepped between rows of bushy plants. And she turned. Watched him walk up to her. Crokus took her face in his hands, studied her dark eyes. 'I never liked that story,' he said. 'Which one?' she asked. 'The lover…lost on the moon, tending her garden alone.' 'It's not quite like that, the story I mean.' He shrugged. 'It's what I remember from it. That, and the look in your eyes when you told it to me. I was reminded of that look a moment ago.'

This post has been edited by nacht: 02 April 2013 - 10:50 PM

[Defiance]

I don't believe so. Just the way Malakai was described, as well as the way he acted, did not seem like Crokus/Cutter at all. Of course, we could chalk that up to Esslemont and Erikson writing characters differently, but even when there is a difference I can still see how both authors are writing about the same character. Take Kruppe, for instance.

I could be wrong, of course, but I think that after the climax of Toll the Hounds Crokus got on the first boat out of Darujhistan to return to Quon Tali.

[worry]

I agree, his behavior didn't fit Crokus to me. I did think he was somebody all the way through, but I think he's just a one-off character with his own motivations. In other words, face value, in the end.

[nacht]

Maybe I should have called him as "Cutter" instead of Crokus.
He is now an assassin and real quickly takes care of Gorlas with knives

Quote

The foreman, standing off to one side, still struggling with the ache in his chest from a labouring heart, was in the process of licking his gritty lips. Before he had finished that instinctive flicker, the scene before him irrevocably changed. And Gorlas Vidikas was falling forward, landing hard.

Quote

‘Because of the other duel, you see, sir. It was revenge. It was murder. Councillor Vidikas killed another man, then this other one shows up. Then out flash those knives – so fast you couldn’t even see ’em, and Councillor Vidikas topples over, stone dead, sir. Stone dead.’

Quote

shoulder. The recognition – yes, Cutter was Apsalar’s creation, through and through.

[nacht]

Defiance, on 15 April 2013 - 10:19 PM, said:

I don't believe so. Just the way Malakai was described, as well as the way he acted, did not seem like Crokus/Cutter at all. Of course, we could chalk that up to Esslemont and Erikson writing characters differently, but even when there is a difference I can still see how both authors are writing about the same character. Take Kruppe, for instance.

I could be wrong, of course, but I think that after the climax of Toll the Hounds Crokus got on the first boat out of Darujhistan to return to Quon Tali.

I didnt read anything indicating that he was going to Quon Tali.
He was with Spite on the boat and Spite said she was going to Seven Cities. At some point, they clearly diverge in their paths.

There is no strong evidence but that is inline with ICE style of leaving many things unspecified.
As soon as I read about Malakai I got the feeling that he was Cutter. He was good with knives, described like almost an assassin (which he is now courtesy of Apsalar) and might even be shadow aspected. He and Apsalar discuss the Gardens of the moon and some crazy romantic drops by Moon's spawn to get a flower.

[Studlock]

Honestly there was way to much malice in Malakai to be Cutter. If it was Cutter ICE was way off-base with his characterization, and though some may disagree, ICE has been pretty solid when writing 'SE characters' . Though the garden of the moon link is pretty interesting.

[Kanese S's]

nacht, on 18 April 2013 - 12:04 AM, said:

Defiance, on 15 April 2013 - 10:19 PM, said:

I don't believe so. Just the way Malakai was described, as well as the way he acted, did not seem like Crokus/Cutter at all. Of course, we could chalk that up to Esslemont and Erikson writing characters differently, but even when there is a difference I can still see how both authors are writing about the same character. Take Kruppe, for instance.

I could be wrong, of course, but I think that after the climax of Toll the Hounds Crokus got on the first boat out of Darujhistan to return to Quon Tali.

I didnt read anything indicating that he was going to Quon Tali.
He was with Spite on the boat and Spite said she was going to Seven Cities. At some point, they clearly diverge in their paths.

There is no strong evidence but that is inline with ICE style of leaving many things unspecified.
As soon as I read about Malakai I got the feeling that he was Cutter. He was good with knives, described like almost an assassin (which he is now courtesy of Apsalar) and might even be shadow aspected. He and Apsalar discuss the Gardens of the moon and some crazy romantic drops by Moon's spawn to get a flower.

Wait, to get a flower?

[Defiance]

I don't have the specific dialogue at hand, but here's another thing that makes me think Malakai isn't Crokus:

At the end of Toll the Hounds, someone - I believe Karsa - asks him what his name is. He replies Crokus. This is a significant response, as it marks a return to who Crokus was. No longer is he going to try to change himself to satisfy anyone (Apsalar). He has cast the persona of Cutter aside. So, why would he then proceed to use a false name in this book?

It's not stated that he's heading for Itko Kan, but we know he's going to reunite with Apsalar, and that's where we last see them in The Crippled God (on the coast of Quon Tali, along the same road that Apsalar was first taken).

[nacht]

Ok, I give up


He seems more like a worshipper of Apsalar the goddess of thieves.

Quote

A figure emerged from the gloom: Malakai. He carried a bunch of stalks gathered up in one hand like a bouquet. He sat on the ledge of one of the low terraces, which Antsy now recognized as a kind of planting bed. ‘A garden,’ the man said, inspecting the dead stalks. Antsy stared, amazed. ‘Not …’ ‘Yes,’ Orchid whispered, awed. ‘The legends were true. A garden.’ ‘There were flowers here that scholars tell had never seen the sun,’ Malakai said, and he shook his head. ‘Imagine what a single such blossom would have brought. All dead now. This is what Apsalar sought when she came to the Spawn so long ago. The Lady of Thieves came to steal a rose. A black rose. One that poets claimed had been touched by the tears of Mother Dark herself.’ Shrugging, he let the handful of chaff fall. ‘And I sought to best her. To succeed where she had failed.’ He motioned to encompass the wrecked cavern, the spilled soil and overturned beds. ‘So much for my ambitions.’

[Dave C]

I thought it was Possum.

[The Seguleh 46th]

I thought it might be the Claw from RotCG. Can't recall his name off the top of my head, but he was the "freelancer" anyways that was working (?) with or for Laseen. Don't know why he was the first one to come to mind for me as the assassin/guide guy for the Moon's Spawn, but just seems to work for me as my answer anyways.....

[nacht]

Dave C, on 08 June 2013 - 04:11 PM, said:

I thought it was Possum.

It could be Possum. Being close to Lasseen, he is probably not in Mallick's good graces anymore and is probably freelancing.
Incidentally he is ICE's character and ICE spent a lot of time on him in ROTCG.

[Child Sengar]

Studlock, on 18 April 2013 - 08:50 AM, said:

Honestly there was way to much malice in Malakai to be Cutter. If it was Cutter ICE was way off-base with his characterization, and though some may disagree, ICE has been pretty solid when writing 'SE characters' . Though the garden of the moon link is pretty interesting.

I agree that he seems way too malicious to be Crokus/Cutter; however, there is the fact that we are seeing him through Antsy's POV. So obviously, Antsy sees him as threatening, but that doesn't mean he's perfectly reliable in that view.

[Kanese S's]

Antsy, of course, sees everyone as threatening.

[Spoilsport Stonny]

The idea that someone has to be someone else but in secret disguise that we have to put the clues together to figure out is the last thing i think of when i read something. I dont think Malakai is anyone but Malakai. I could be very wrong and i accept my fate if i am. But all too often the underdevelopment and the vagueness of the character, which i think is ICE's most glaring flaw as a writer, is sadly just that.

Or it could be Arathan.

This post has been edited by Spoilsport Stonny: 20 June 2013 - 12:05 AM

[Kanese S's]

Indeed, he could very well be just a dude.

[Luperci]

Spoilsport Stonny, on 20 June 2013 - 12:04 AM, said:

The idea that someone has to be someone else but in secret disguise that we have to put the clues together to figure out is the last thing i think of when i read something. I dont think Malakai is anyone but Malakai. I could be very wrong and i accept my fate if i am. But all too often the underdevelopment and the vagueness of the character, which i think is ICE's most glaring flaw as a writer, is sadly just that.

Or it could be Arathan.

This is one thing I see way to often over at the Ice and Fire Forum, people who over think every vague clue or assign a conspiracy to every single character who seems to not have an important role. This is what happens when fans are left waiting for 7 years in btw a book, they assume that the author is taking such a long time to drop hints and clues in every sentence and give him way to much credit when in fact the man just takes a looonng time to write a book.

This isn't the case here though, I think Malakai was just a sneaky thief who adored Apsalar(ascendant) and wanted to do what she could not. His character was important for Antsy's POV because until Orchid discovered her true self and her powers the group would not been able to survive without Malakai's talents in the beginning. Also ICE needed someone to get Antsy, Lim, Orchid all together and on board the Spawn. I think Malakai was just helpful for ICE's writing and served a small purpose.