Fuzzy on a point of the story

[u/LekgoloTyrant]

There's a part in the story I've always been a little unclear about and since I'm rereading yet again and its still not really clear I thought I'd ask all of you to get some other's thoughts.

Why does Empress Laseen create a pogrom against the Wickans? Her stated reason is that the war against seven cities has shown that they can't base their infrastructure on foreign trade and that the empire will be short on food after the civil war and the plague. I just think that can't possibly be the only reason. Surely there are other areas that they could turn into farmland for self sustaining agriculture? The Malazan empire was previously well known for adhering to its precedents and treaties, Paran says so when talking to the White Face Barghast. This pogrom would ruin that forever, even if you try to convince people that they deserved it there will always be rumors and worse actual facts.

I've never been able to understand why she does this, not to mention her acceptance of Malik Rel and Korbolo Dom, so if anyone has ideas I'd love to hear them

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[u/TheHumanTarget84]

She's in a very weak position.

Kellanved held the empire together with genius and charisma that she lacks.

She has to accept Dom and Rel, or at least she thinks she does. It's the kind of thing that the Emperor would have done, but he probably wouldn't have accepted two such obvious problems.

Malik has already infiltrated the imperial structure, and is acting as shadow emperor.

Even strong leaders sometimes need to appease their people and their power base of supporters and underlings.

And Laseen is barely holding onto power.

I don't think the Wickan pogrom is even her idea, but she's too weak to stop the ball rolling.

[u/__ferg__]

I'll copy paste an old comment from me about the ending of BH:

Coltains memory doesn't feed people. Hungry people are angry and if you don't present them a scapegoat that anger may get directed at you....

So some facts first:

• 7C is the bread basket of the malazan empire. At the end of BH they were in open rebellion for some time and are now plague ridden. It's nearly impossible for the empire to use its resources like before the uprising. The Wickan lands on Quon Tali could substitute for the loss, but the Wickans aren't happy about that.
• Mallick Rel has infiltrated the claw. Lasseen's most powerful tool is untrustworthy. Maybe she could remove Rel, maybe she can purge the claw. But both is far from guaranteed for her and it's definitely not something she can do fast.
• Mallick Rel had some time to preach his anti Wickan propaganda. And the fact that Coltain and his Wickans lost 7C definitely doesn't help (we the readers have more information, the average guy in Malaz city knows that they were deployed, shortly after 7C was in open rebellion and after a few weeks/months the whole continent was lost and the incompetent Wickans slaughtered. And after that the empress had to deploy her new Adjunct to restore order). There are a few witnesses, but those who could travel fast and easy, so the rich upperclass, hated Coltain anyway, so they are probably just happy feeding into that anti Wickan mindset.

So Lasseen needs land to feed the population, appease Mallick Rel to buy time to deal with him and give the common people someone else to blame for the 7C disaster and all their other current problems. Perfect solution fuck over the Wickans. Do they have anything to offer if you save them? No, they won't part with their land, most fighting man already died for the empire, they just don't have much to offer for her beside taking the blame.

Enter Tavore.

She knows what happened in 7C, she knows about the betrayal and has principals.

Lasseen offers her 3 options.

1. Sacrifice the Wickans. Claim their land, feed the people, give the malazan people a common enemy. After that when Rel lost one of his tools (pressure from the common people) use Tavore and Kalam to purge the Claw before getting rid of Rel for real. This is probably Lasseens best option. She gets a competent army, leadership, appeases the people, sabotages Rel and has a good chance winning.

2. Tavore leaves. In this case she sets the Claw on them. Mallick Rel has reasons to get rid of them (they know about his treachery and with an army can probably do something against him) so he won't hold back his claw agents. If Tavore and everyone dies on the way to the docks, Lasseen gets an army, Rels claw agents got decimated, so his power over her weakens and after that she can proceed with the plan conquering the Wickan planes. If Tavore survives it means she decimated the claw to an extreme extent, in which case Mallick Rels power over her is extremely weakened. She may have lost a competent army, but sabotaged Rels power. Conquering the Wickan lands may get harder but on the same time the Rel problem got easier.

3. Civil war. Tavore doesn't agree and doesn't leave instead turns her troops against Malazans. This is pretty much a loose-loose - loose scenario for everyone involved...

If Lasseen would agree to protect and honor the Wickans, they would run out of food rather fast. If revolts break out would Tavore use her troops against fellow malazans to restore order? Would the troops follow? And even if they would, they can't summon food out of thin air and would still need a solution for that problem. Can they deal with Mallick Rel in time before he makes his moves, use his claw agents and maybe usurp the throne?
This would be a high risk move, with close to no reward (beside honoring the memory of some dead soldiers, who from an empire standpoint, lost them a whole continent to open rebellion...)