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Kanedias, also known as The Master Maker, was the second son of Almighty Euz, who was granted the gift from his father of the Art of Making.

Powers[]

Kanedias was granted the gift of the Art of Making, the ability to shape worldly materials into otherworldly artefacts. It is somewhat reminiscent of incredibly advanced technology.

The Maker's Creations[]

  • Logen's sword - a simple, solid-looking sword of dull grey metal, but incredibly sharp despite needing no sharpening. It sat in the Great Northern Library for years before Logen picked it up. The sword later belonged to Black Dow, and then Caul Shivers.
  • The Shanka - said to have been created as a weapon by the Maker, from clay, metal, and left-over flesh for his war with Juvens and then the Magi.
  • The Divider - a weapon against which no steel, no stone, no magic can protect you, said to have two edges; one here and one on the Other Side.
  • The Dragon of Ashranc - a huge metal dragon that is being repaired for decades by the Dragon People.
  • Waerdinur's sword - similar to Logen's original sword, now belongs to Logen.
  • The Dark Metal Box - made strong enough to hold the Seed.
  • The bridge of Darmium - a gift to his brother Juvens when they were still on good terms.
  • The bridge of Aulcus - metal single-span arch bridge over the river Aos.
  • Whirrun of Bligh's sword - known by many names, most commonly the Father of Swords, and carried by Northmen for centuries. In his skirmish with Whirrun, Gorst sees a single letter stamped on the hilt, like Logen and Waerdinur's swords.

History[]

After Euz vanquished the demons and closed the gates to the Other Side, he granted a gift to his three eldest sons – the three pure Disciplines of Magic. Then he left the world, telling his sons to bring order to the world.

The House of the Maker[]

The-house-of-the-maker

Kanedias made his home in what would become Adua, and built the House of the Maker. At that time, Adua was barely more than a huddle of shacks, squeezed in around the House, and the people worshipped him like a God. Originally many people lived and served in his house, assisting him with his works, but as he grew more distrustful and jealous of his secrets he turned them out into the Agriont and the University. In the end, only his assistant Jaremias and his daughter Tolomei lived with him in his house.

When Juvens and Bedesh made war on Glustrod for defiling the Old Empire, Kanedias was too consumed by his work and refused to come. After the death of Glustrod, the three remaining sons of Euz met to discuss what should be done with the Seed. For a time, Kanedias studied it, claiming he could turn it to a righteous purpose. However, distrust grew between the brothers, and eventually, they agreed to journey to Shabulyan, at the edge of the world. They gave up the Seed to the spirit of the island, to keep it safe, and to yield it only to one who carried Juvens’s staff.

The Fall of the Master Maker[]

When Juvens's apprentice Bayaz was exiled to the Great Northern Library, because of his feud with Khalul, Bayaz decided to go to the House of the Maker and become an apprentice of Kanedias. He lived for a time in the House to learn from him the Art of Making. Bayaz’s skill in the High Art was useful to Kanedias, but the Maker was far more jealous of his secrets than even Juvens had been. Bitter at what the Maker would not teach him, Bayaz hunted for them on his own, and found the Maker’s greatest secret - Tolomei, the Maker's daughter. The two became lovers, and she told him of Kanedias's experiments to incorporate material from the Other Side in his artefacts. He would travel the world seeking material left over from the time before Euz. When Kanedias returned and found Bayaz with his daughter, he almost killed him. The First of the Magi fled back to his former master Juvens and warn him of Kanedias's experiments.

Eventually, Kanedias came to Juvens demanding justice for Bayaz's defiling of his daughter and stealing of his secrets. However, Juvens would not give up Bayaz. The brothers fought, and according to Bayaz, in the end Kanedias killed Juvens with the Divider. Afterwards, Bayaz gathered eleven of the twelve Magi and went to war with him, and put siege to the House. After twelve days, Bayaz tried to persuade Tolomei to open the door, and the innocent girl agreed. The Magi fought Kanedias chamber by chamber. The Maker defeated several of the Magi (Zacharus and Cawneil) and killed two of them (Anselmi and Brokentooth). In the end, Bayaz alone confronted Kanedias on a bridge at the top of his tower. In the fight, according to Bayaz, Kanedias threw his own daughter off the bridge to her death, but then Bayaz cast him down in turn.

The House of the Maker was sealed, and Bayaz took the key. The House has remained sealed ever since, even as Adua, and ultimately the Union, grew around it. Meanwhile, Khalul refused to join Bayaz's war against the Maker; he held Bayaz himself responsible for the death of Juvens, and swore revenge. The bitter rivalry between Khalul and Bayaz, now centuries old, continues.

Recent History[]

The story of Kanedias is mentioned frequently throughout the series, most notably Malacus Quai and Bayaz tell the full tale of the fall of the Old Empire, and the deaths of Juvens and Kanedias, on the journey to the Edge of the World.

The trustworthiness of Bayaz's claim that Kanedias killed Juvens is often questioned, as well as how Kanedias's daughter died. On the second trip to the House of the Maker, Yulwei asks Bayaz whether Kanedias really killed Juvens, which seems to be a question he frequently asks. Bayaz's response seems rehearsed and rings false to Ferro Maljinn. Later, Khalul's apprentice Mamun asks the same question, and Bayaz does not outright deny it, merely saying, "I say I killed no one." And finally, Bayaz cryptically asks Mamun, "But what does it matter who killed who a thousand years ago?"

Disciples of Kanedias[]

Ashranc, in an isolated part of the Far Country, is one of the places where Kanedias would seek out material for his work. He built up quite a community of disciples there, mining for material in the sulphurous earth. Since the death of Kanedias, his disciples, the Dragon People, have continued generation after generation to prevent his works from falling into decay; with limited success.

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