| 
  • If you are citizen of an European Union member nation, you may not use this service unless you are at least 16 years old.

  • You already know Dokkio is an AI-powered assistant to organize & manage your digital files & messages. Very soon, Dokkio will support Outlook as well as One Drive. Check it out today!

View
 

The Claw

Page history last edited by D Morin 15 years, 4 months ago

The Claw

 

An organisation of assassins within the Malazan Empire. Founded by Laseen, they are essentially her private army, and form her power base. She retains command, with Topper as her second in command. Notable Claw include Pearl, Toc the Younger and Kalam Mekhar (former).


 

The Claw: the covert organization of the Malazan Empire

GotM, Glossary

 

Symbol

 

"...gaze caught a brooch on the man's left breast, a silver bird's claw gripping a seed pearl. A Claw! Imperial intelligence officers, mages, enforcers of the Emperor's will."

- Kiska on being confronted by a Claw

Nok, PSP hc pg. 29

 

The Claw: the covert organization of the Malazan Empire

NoK, UK mmpb, Glossary

 

Command Structure

 

"'Laseen still commands the Claw. I assist her. In this way I too am an aide of sorts.'"

- words of Topper

GotM, UK mmpb p.38

 

"No-one liked having the Claws around. Those Imperial assassins - Laseen's favoured weapon - kept their poisoned daggers sharp for anyone and everyone, Malazans included."

- thoughts of Tattersail

GotM, UK mmpb p.65

 

"There was nothing pleasant, or proud, in being a Claw. Only efficiency and fear."

GotM, UK Trade, p.203

 

Training and Recruitment

 

"'They (the Claw) usually take children, train them -'

'Train? ...Indoctrination."

- a conversation between Keneb and Kalam Mekhar

DG, UK MMPB, p.369

 

"How long are they trained before they're sent out?"

"Fifteen years minimum. Mind you, they get them young. Five or six."

- conversation between Quick Ben and Kalam

GotM, US HC, p.90

 

"When the Malazan Empire came that would end, he suspected. In the Empire, assasin guilds were illegal, and those of the trade who were deemed worthy were enlisted into the secret ranks of the Claw. As for those who weren't considered worthy, they simply disappeared."

GotM, US HC, p.173

 

Claw often use Invested Jewels in intelligence-gathering.

 

"...her own. Where had the lad picked that up? It'd been a long time since he last heard that old term for the Imperial Security cadre, the Claws. Of course an Imperial Fist would have a detachment of Claws--for protection, intelligence gathering, and darker, unsavory tasks."

- Temper thinking on his commanders words

NoK, PSP hc pg. 19

 

"Only the highest ranking officers rated Claw bodyguards."

NoK, PSP hc pg. 29

 

"...he stepped away. Soundless, even on a broken tiled roof spotted with bird droppings."

NoK, PSP hc pg. 29

 

"...with the inner discipline that was part of a Claw's training...Draw the blood from the surface, draw it down to hide within muscle, close to bone. Every breath must be ice, every touch upon cobble and stone a matching of temperature. No residue in passage, no bloom in movement."

DG, UK mmpb, p.862

 

Rivalry between the Claw and the Talon

 

'Heboric: "An old rivalry...Dancer and Surly. In keeping with the Imperial symbol of the demon hand gripping a sphere, he called them his Talons. Surly used that model in creating the Claw. The Talons were external - outside the Empire - but the Claws were internal, a secret police, a network of spies and assassins.'

Kulp: 'But the Claw are used in covert military operations...'

'They are now. When Surly became Regent in the absence of Kellanved and Dancer, she sent her claws after the Talons. The betrayal started subtly - a string of disastrous botched missions - but someone got careless and gave the game away. The two locked daggers and fought it out to the bitter end.'

'And the Claw won.'

...'Surly becomes Laseen. Laseen becomes Empress. The Claws sit atop the pile of skulls like well-fed crows. The Talons went the way of Dancer. Dead and gone...or, as a few mused now and then, so far underground as to seem extinct...Like Dancer himself, maybe."

DG, UK MMPB, p.448-9

 

Back to Malazan Empire.

Comments (0)

You don't have permission to comment on this page.