Eleint

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"Here's a secret truth -- I don't like fantasies all about dragons. Never did. Or, more precisely, I don't much like what's been done to them to date. They're not horses, dammit! And I'm not a fan of the AD&D version, either. I never bought breathing fire or any other technically absurd ability. It strikes me (and maybe not with any claim to originality either) that a dragon can only exist via the essence of magic. That's how they fly. That's how they attack. And, by extension, that's how they think and see the world. Thus far, we've been on the edge. They're always busy doing their own stuff. At the same time, they will become much more relevant later in the series. Hopefully in an original way."

Steven Erikson, Interview with malazanempire No.2 (2003)

 

Race: Elient

Also Known As: Dragons, Olar (Imass word)

Warren: Starvald Demelain

Appearance: Large, winged creatures

Further Info: Immensely powerful and ancient, pure blood Eleint are the living embodiment of the warrens

 

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True Eleint

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True children of Tiam, born of the mother.

 

Tiam - An ancient entity  and the mother of all dragons.

Korabas - The Otataral Dragon, a counter-force to Tiam. 

Alkend

Ampelas - Kurald Emurlahn

Anthras

Atrahal

Dralk (firstborn of Alkend)

Eloth - Meanas, Mockra & Thyr

Kalse - Ice

Karatallid

Karosis

Kessobahn 

Okaros

Silanah - Thyr

Sorrit - Serc

Telorast

Curdle

 

 

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Soletaken Eleint

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These are soletaken whose soletaken origins are unclear, whether by virtue of being an elemental force or from drinking the blood of Tiam

 

Draconus

K'rul

Olar Ethil (Soletaken T'lan Imass)

 

 

Soletaken from drinking the blood of the Eleint, or the offspring of a soletaken eleint

Menandore

Ryadd Eleis 

Spite 

Sukul Ankhadu

 

Iparth Erule

Kadegar Fant

Osserc 

 

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The Nature of the Eleint

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The Eleint revel in anarchy, in toppling regimes among the Towers, in unmitigated slaughter of the vanquished and the innocent.  To see flames on the horizon, to see the enkaral vultures descending upon a corpse-strewn plain – this charges our heart as does nothing else." - Silchas to Ryadd - (TCG)

 

"The first few generations of Soletaken count among the Ancients, yes.  T'iam's blood was at its purest then, but that purity is shortlived." - Silchas to Ryad Eleis - (TCG)

 

Smiling, Kadagar stepped past Iparth.  “Kessobahn still breathes?”

“Yes.  It is said it can bleed for centuries –“

“But the blood is now poison,” Kadagar said, nodding.  “The wounding must be fresh, the power clean.  Thirteen, you say.  Excellent.” - (TCG)

 

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Eleint and Sorcery

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"All the old legends of dragons begin with the statement that they are the essence of sorcery." - (HoC, UK TPB, p.415)

 

"'...Should [I] now presume that for each of the warrens, Elder and new, there is a corresponding dragon? You are the flavours of K'rul's blood?'" -Cotillion to Ampelas, Eloth, and Kalse - (BH, UK TPB, p.52)

 

Mappo : 'Within the dragon is the heart of the warren itself, its well-fount of power'. - (BH UKTpb, p.193)

 

"Dragons, Withal."

"What?"

"Soletaken, or allies.  The sorcery of the Eleint that some call their breath.  They assail the barrier with that chaotic power, and with each breath, the ancient wound thins, the skin weakens."

"Mael save us, Yedan – you mean to stand against dragons?  How?"

"When the wound opens, it will be at the base – to open the way for their foot soldiers.  A beachhead will need to be established – we need to be driven back from the wound.  For a dragon to physically come through, to sunder this breach, will take all of its power, and when it does it will be on the ground, not in the air, and when a dragon is on the ground, it is vulnerable." -(TCG)

 

 

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History of the Warrens

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"'As I understand things,' Cotillion replied, 'once these dragons did what K'rul asked of them, they were compelled to return to Starvald Demelain. As the sources of sorcery, they could not be permitted to interfere or remain active across the realms, lest sorcery cease to be predictable, which in turn would feed Chaos - the eternal enemy of the grand scheme. But the Soletaken proved to be a problem. They possessed the blood of Tiam, and with the vast power of the Eleint. Yet they could travel as they pleased. They could interfere, and they did. For obvious reasons. Scabandari was originally Edur, and so he became their champion-'

...'The Tiste Andii for Anomandaris,' Cotillion continued. 'Tiste Liosan for Osserc. The T'lan Imass for Olar Ethil. These connections and the loyalites born of them are obvious. Draconus is more of a mystery, of course, since he has been gone a long time-'

...'Enmity between Eleint and Soletaken. It seems there is, with the possible exception of Silanah-'

'Seduced by Anomandaris's charms,' snapped Eloth. 'And Olar Ethil's endless pleadings. . .'

'To bring fire to the world of the Imass,' Cotillion said. 'For that is her aspect, is it not? Thyr?'

...'You too claim Thyr, Eloth. Ah, that was clever of K'rul, forcing you to share power.'

'Unlike Tiam,' Ampelas said, 'when we're killed we stay dead.'" -Cotillion, Ampelas, and Eloth - (BH, UK TPB, p. 52-3)

 

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WYVAL

 

Spawn of the Eleint

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Storm of the Eleint

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The Tiste Andii sighed.  "When the gate of Starvald Demelain opens, the Eleint will come through in vast numbers.  Most will be young, by themselves little threat, but among them there will be the last of the Ancients.  Leviathans of appalling power – but they are incomplete.  They will arrive hunting their kin.  Ryad, if you and I had remained, seeking to oppose the opening of that gate, we would lose our minds.  We would in mindless desire join the Storm of the Eleint.  We would follow the Ancients – have you never wondered why in all the realms but Starvald Demelain itself, one will never find more than five or six dragons in one place?  Even that many demands the mastery of at least one Ancient.  Indeed, to be safe, Eleint tend to travel in threes."  Silchas Ruin walked up to stand beside Ryad, and he stared out at the vista.  "We are the blood of chaos, Ryad Elais, and when too many of us gather in one place, the blood boils." (TCG)

 

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General References

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Endest Silann on Silanah : 'For the Eleint to remain so, virtually motionless, day and night, weeks into months and now very nearly an entire year, was not unusual.' (TtH)

 

Spinnock : 'There had been a time, after all, when Anomander Rake had warred against the pure-blood dragons.  When such creatures broke loose from their long-standing servitude to K’rul; when they had sought to grasp power for themselves.' (TtH - UK HB p.54) 

 

Olar Ethil: The blood of the Eleint resists the fever of D'ivers.  A ritual would have been necessary  (speculating on Telorast & Curdle) (DoD)