Cafal

Summary

Cafal is the eldest son of warchief Humbrall Taur of the White Face Barghast and brother to Hetan. A Barghast shaman with spiritual gifts, Cafal serves as his people's voice to the spirit world. His story spans from the alliance with the Malazans in Memories of Ice through the Barghast crisis in Dust of Dreams.

Arc by Book

Book 3: Memories of Ice

Cafal appears as one of Humbrall Taur's sons during the negotiations with the Malazan-Brood coalition. His shamanic abilities provide spiritual guidance for the Barghast forces during the campaign against the Pannion Domin.

Book 9: Dust of Dreams

Cafal's role becomes central during the Barghast crisis. Having migrated east, the White Face clans face internal and external threats. Cafal must navigate the political upheaval that threatens his sister Hetan and the Barghast people as a whole. His shamanic gifts make him aware of the spiritual dimensions of the crisis.

Cafal's fate in Dust of Dreams is tied to the brutal events that engulf Hetan — the horrifying hobbling scene that stands as one of the series' most disturbing passages. Cafal's inability to prevent the atrocity committed against his own sister represents a devastating failure of both family and cultural bonds.

Key Relationships

• Hetan — his sister, whom he fails to protect
• Humbrall Taur — his father, the warchief
• Onos T'oolan (Tool) — Hetan's husband, whom Cafal respects
• Caladan Brood — warlord of the allied forces

Appearances

See Also

• Barghast — the people Cafal belongs to
• Family — the Taur family bonds
• Tradition and Value Systems — Barghast cultural crisis