Coithus Saubon is the seventh son of King Coithus Eryeat of Galeoth and titular leader of the Galeoth contingent of the Holy War.[1]
Appearance[]
Saubon is strong-jawed and bard-handsome. He has short-cropped, reddish-blond hair. He is not quite as tall as Anasûrimbor Kellhus, but stockier.
Personality[]
Saubon is highly insecure; he is obsessed with what other people think of him.[2]
Story[]
What came before[]
Saubon commanded the army his father sent against the Nansurium several years prior to the Holy War. He managed several success until Ikurei Conphas was appointed Exalt-General, at which time Conphas defeated and humiliated him.
The Darkness That Comes Before[]
Galeoth troops under Coithus Saubon raid and cut down the inhabitants of a village near Pasna in retaliation for the Emperor's refusal to provision the Holy War.[3]
When the Great Names gather before the Emperor to settle the issue of who will lead the host of the Holy War, Saubon sides with Nersei Proyas in choosing the Scylvendi Cnaiür urs Skiötha over Ikurei Conphas.[2]
The Warrior-Prophet[]
Saubon seeks Kellhus' council about whether to march on Gedea or wait for the Ainoni host and the Scarlet Spires. Kellhus tells him to march and that the Whore will be kind to him so long as the Shrial Knights are punished.[4]
Saubon splits from the rest of Holy War along with Hoga Gothyelk's Tydonni, the Thunyeri, and the Shrial Knights. Gothyelk's recklessness soon enfuriates Saubon, and the two men nearly come to blows. The Tydonni and Thunyeri follow Gothyelk as he splits from Saubon's host.
As Saubon draws near Gedea, he laments that his forces are outnumbered and poorly prepared for the battle ahead. He inwardly rails that no one knows him and curses the various circumstances that led him to this moment. He starts to doubt Kellhus's legitimacy and wonders at the Dunyain's message to "punish" the Shrial Knights. He asks his groom Kussalt about how sacrifice is perceived in The Tractate , but is offended by Kussalt's blunt response.
Saubon eventually realizes that Gothyelk's men are close by, and the Kianene are trying to prevent them from joining forces. Saubon and Gothyelk reunite and attack the Kianene at Gedea in the Fifth Battle of Mengedda. Saubon then defeats the Fanim host just as Kellhus predicted.[5]
When the Holy War reaches Caraskand, Saubon asks Proyas to support his bid to become King of Caraskand in case he delivers the city to the Inrithi. The Holy War sacks the city and Saubon becomes the titular King of Caraskand.[6][7]
The Thousandfold Thought[]
The Holy War departs from Caraskand, but Saubon, as King, stays behind.[8]
The Judging Eye[]
Coithos Saubon leads the Great Ordeal as one of its two Exalt-Generals.[9]
The White-Luck Warrior[]
At the Eleventh Council of Potentates, Anasûrimbor Kellhus declares the breaking of the Great Ordeal and King Saubon is charged with leading the Ketyai of the West.[10]
The Great Ordeal[]
As one of the Exalt Generals, Saubon meets often with Anasûrimbor Kellhus alone like Proyas. Saubon counsels Proyas as he lost certainty in the righteousness of Anasûrimbor Kellhus as a holy prophet to not despair that yes, the great ordeal is just a calculation to the Dunyain and he is testing them, preparing them for a crisis. That everything is theatre but to trust in Kellhus's power and intellect to lead them to victory. Saubon was extremely disturbed to learn of the buggering and that Kellhus admitted he was mad. It seemed to both Saubon and Proyas that this was Saubon's test since as a Galeoth, they abhor sodomy. Saubon blames it on eating the Sranc meat and states they must continue to act even without belief.[11]
Saubon leads the Company of the Raft to protect Kellhus at Dagliash from the Horde. When he sees the overwhelming Sranc and enemies, he fathoms the enormity of the gift of death. He then realizes he does believe in the Holy Aspect-Emperor and implores his men to praise him as they are overwhelmed on the tower at Kurwachal.[12]
Notes and References[]
- ↑ Encyclopedic Glossary, ‘Saubon, Coithus’
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 The Darkness That Comes Before, Chapter 17
- ↑ The Darkness That Comes Before, Chapter 15
- ↑ The Warrior-Prophet, Chapter 4
- ↑ The Warrior-Prophet, Chapter 6
- ↑ The Warrior-Prophet, Chapter 21
- ↑ The Warrior-Prophet, Chapter 24
- ↑ The Thousandfold Thought, Chapter 3
- ↑ The Judging Eye, Chapter 1
- ↑ The White-Luck Warrior, Chapter 2
- ↑ The Great Ordeal, Chapter 4
- ↑ The Great Ordeal, Chapter 13