A mercenary company sworn to Prince K'azz D'Avore. Originally from Quon Tali, they were scattered by the Malazan Empire and now combat the Malazans while taking other contracts across the world.
The Crimson Guard began as a collection of men-at-arms in service to the D'Avore family, which had holdings all across the Quon Tali continent. During the Malazan Empire's initial conquest of Quon Tali, the D'Avore family, currently ruled by Prince K'azz, frequently opposed the Malazan forces' expansion. Eventually Malazan forces reached the D'Avore's principal holdings near the Fenn ranges and K'azz fled the area. The five hundred men and women with K'azz swore an oath to reconquer the D'Avore land and return K'azz to his holdings. With this oath, the five hundred men and women became the Avowed.
The Avowed continued to fight the Malazans on Quon Tali, gathering and recruiting more troops as they did. The Malazan forces overpowered them, however, and so the Crimson Guard fled the continent, traveling south to Stratem. There, the Guard settled, building a line of fortresses between the eastern and western coasts while recruiting more soldiers.
Eventually, the Malazans followed the Guard, launching their own invasion of Stratem. The Guard was initially able to repel the Malazan forces, resulting in the first major defeat for the Empire. The Malazans renewed the assault, however, and the Guard once again faced elimination.
To ensure the survival of the Guard, the Diaspora was ordered. Each Company of the Guard fled from Stratem with different destinations, preventing the Malazans from pursuing the Guard entirely. Each Company was ordered to amass more soldiers and when the Diaspora ended, the Guard would regroup and reconquer Quon Tali.
During the Diaspora, the Companies would frequently act as mercenaries, taking on contracts offered by high-paying nations. The Guard would also oppose the Malazan Empire's expansions and seek out other sources of power.
The Crimson Guard 1st Company, lead by Skinner, was contracted by a nation on Jacuruku to assist in conquering the neighbouring states.
The 2nd Company, lead by Shimmer, was contracted by the Genebackan Free Cities Alliance to oppose the Malazan Empire's expansion across northern Genebackis. At the onset of the Pannion War, the Company traveled to Bael, where they took a contract to eliminate the warlock Shen.
The 3rd Company, lead by Tarkhan, was almost completely wiped out during the Diaspora. Their last contract was a civil war in Umryg, where only twelve Avowed survived and were sealed within a cave. Shortly before the end of the Diaspora, the twelve Avowed escaped the cave and were harried out of Umryg.
The 4th Company, lead by Cal-Brinn, was eliminated in Assail. The 2nd Blade is the only known remnant to escape the continent, winding up in Lether before becoming pirates and then cutting their way across Jacuruku. Ultimately the 2nd Blade was eliminated in their attempts to reach Stratem at the end of the Diaspora, except for Iron Bars, who became a prisoner on the Stormwall.
At the end of the Diaspora, the 1st and 2nd Companies and surviving twelve Avowed of the 3rd Company regrouped in Stratem before launching an invasion of the Quon Tali continent, their invasion coinciding with the Malazan Civil War. A small elite force raced ahead via warren to raid the Malazan capital city of Unta, followed by the entire Guard storming Cawn and traveling to Li Heng. The 2nd Company's 6th Blade also infiltrated and liberated an Otataral mining-camp populated by mages on Otataral Island, leading the mages via a warren-borne ship to rendezvous at Li Heng. At Heng, the main Crimson Guard force engaged the Malazan forces in a pitched battle.
The midst of the battle also saw the culmination of a schism between two internal factions of the Guard lead by Skinner and Shimmer. Skinner and Cowl sought to not only defeat the Malazan Empire, but to take control of it and rule their own Empire, while Shimmer favoured the Guard's original motivation of allowing Quon Tali to fragment into its former city-states. Prince K'azz returned during the battle and sided with Shimmer, dis-avowing Skinner and the Avowed who sided with him. Skinner and his Avowed fled, while K'azz negotiated with Laseen for the remaining Guard forces to withdraw from the continent. The Guard and Malazan forces also collaborated to eliminate ________, a mage from Otataral Island who had arrived on the 6th Blade's ship and attempted to destroy Quon Tali entirely.
Bolded names are Avowed.
NoK, UK mmpb, Glossary
GotM, Glossary
A silver dragon on a crimson field
Wearing grey and crimson longcoat
Guardroom speculation and a braggarts tale (Larkin)
'When it comes to fighting, aye, lass, we are.'
'I watched Iron Bars fight in Trate. he's an exception I gather-'
'Aye, he is, but not among the Avowed. Jup Alat would've given him trouble. or Poll for that matter. Then there's those in the other companies. Halfdan, Blues, Black the Elder...'
'More of these Avowed?'
'Aye'" - Seren Pedac questions Corlo (MT, UK HC, p.515)
The Letherii (Seren Pedac) turned to Iron Bars. 'She doesn't trust us.'
The man strode to halt directly before the Tiste Andii woman.
'Acquitor, tell her I am an Avowed, of the Crimson Guard. If she would, she can seek the meaning of that. By laying her hand on my chest. Tell her I shall honour our pact.'
(...) 'Tell her to seek the cast of my soul'
'Very well'
The suspicious look in the woman's eyes grew more pronounced, but she stepped forward and set her left hand on the man's chest.
The hand flinched away and the woman stepped back a step, shock, then horror, writ on her face. 'How - how could you do - why?'
Seren said, 'Not the response you sought, I think, Iron Bars. She is ... appalled.'
'That is of no concern,' the man replied. 'Does she accept my word?'
The woman straightened, then, to Seren's question, she nodded and said, 'I cannot do otherwise. But ... I had forgotten ... this feeling.'
'What feeling?'
'Sorrow.'
'Iron Bars,' Seren said, 'whatever this "Avowed" means, she is overwhelmed with ... pity.'
'Yes well,' he said, turning away, 'we all make mistakes.'" (MT, UK TPB, p.456)
'Means they swore to return their prince to his lands. He was driven out, you see, by the cursed Emperor Kellanved. Anyway, it ain't happened yet. But it will, someday, maybe soon.'
'And that was the vow? All right. It seems this prince had some able soldiers with him.'
'Oh indeed, lass, especially when the vow's kept them alive all this time.'
'What do you mean?'
The mage looked suddenly nervous. 'I'm saying too much. Never mind me, lass. (...)'"
- Seren Pedac questions Corlo (MT, UK HC, p.515)