The Malazan Empire is the dominant military and political power of the known world, built across generations of conquest beginning with the Emperor Kellanved and continued under Empress Laseen. It spans multiple continents and commands the largest standing army in existence, organised into numbered Armies and commanded by High Fists whose authority in the field is considerable and whose relationship with the imperial centre is frequently complicated. The Empire's expansion has been driven by a combination of military superiority, administrative efficiency, and a willingness to incorporate conquered peoples rather than simply subjugate them - a policy whose implementation varies considerably depending on who is doing the incorporating.

The Claw is the Malazan Empire's intelligence and assassination service, operating in the shadows of the imperial military with a remit that encompasses espionage, political assassination, and the management of threats the regular army cannot or should not address openly. Founded and shaped by the woman who would become Empress Laseen, the Claw functions as the empire's most direct instrument of political control. Its agents are trained in a range of lethal and covert disciplines and operate under a cell structure that limits what any individual member knows about the organisation's full scope.