The Errant
Also known as: Errastas, Master of the Holds, Turudal Brizad | Race: Elder God | Warren/Affiliation: The Holds (Elder magic system), Tiles of the HoldsSummary
The Errant — whose true name is Errastas — is an Elder God and Master of the Holds, the ancient precursor to the warrens and the Deck of Dragons. Once the dominant system of power in the world, the Holds were gradually displaced by the warrens and the Deck, leaving the Errant marginalised and bitter. His defining characteristic is resentment: he schemes endlessly to restore the Holds to supremacy and reclaim his former authority. Manipulative, petty, and dangerous, the Errant is a major antagonist across the later books, interfering in mortal affairs with cruel precision while clashing with other gods — particularly Mael, who chose to abandon divine games.
Arc by Book
Book 5: Midnight Tides
The Errant operates in Lether under the guise of Turudal Brizad, a court advisor. He manipulates events during the Tiste Edur invasion, nudging the Tiles of the Holds and influencing mortal fates. His cruellest move is his role in Brys Beddict's death. Brys actually does defeat Rhulad Sengar in the duel — severing his tendons, disembowelling him, and standing over the helpless emperor with sword raised before lowering it, only for the cursed sword to drag Rhulad back. The Errant's intervention — a poisoned goblet passed to Brys on the throne-room dais by First Eunuch Nifadas — does not prevent Brys from defeating Rhulad. It kills him after he has already won. The Errant sees mortals as pieces to be moved, not people to be respected, and the cruelty of his move here is precisely that it denies an honourable man his earned victory rather than preventing it.
Book 7: Reaper's Gale
The Errant grows more desperate as his power continues to wane. He meddles in events throughout Lether during the Malazan invasion, attempting to reassert the Holds' relevance. He clashes with Mael/Bugg, who has chosen a mortal life of humility — an approach the Errant finds contemptible. His manipulations become increasingly vicious as his frustration mounts.
Book 9: Dust of Dreams
The Errant's schemes escalate. He works to create a new Deck of Holds, to re-empower the Elder system of magic and thereby restore himself. He allies with other marginalized Elder powers, including Kilmandaros, in an attempt to overthrow the current cosmological order. His cruelty toward mortals — particularly Feather Witch, whom he uses and discards — reveals the depth of his corruption.
Book 10: The Crippled God
The Errant's plots reach their culmination. He conspires against the Bonehunters and the gods who support them, attempting to prevent the liberation of the Crippled God (which would further cement the warrens' dominance). His ultimate fate sees him brought low — the once-great Elder God undone by the very mortals he dismissed.
Key Relationships
- Bugg/Mael — fellow Elder God and primary rival; Mael's choice to live humbly among mortals is everything the Errant refuses to accept
- Brys Beddict — the mortal champion whose death the Errant engineers in Midnight Tides
- Kilmandaros — Elder Goddess and ally in the scheme to restore the Holds
- Knuckles (Sechul Lath) — Elder God, son of Kilmandaros, co-conspirator
- Feather Witch — Letherii slave whom the Errant uses as a tool for the Tiles, then discards
Appearances
| Book | Role |
| 5. Midnight Tides | Major |
| 7. Reaper's Gale | Major |
| 9. Dust of Dreams | Major |
| 10. The Crippled God | Major |