The man known as Taxilian was a prisoner of the Tiste Edur who was used as an interpreter when they dealt with Malazans. As he did not wish to divulge his name, Samar Dev referred to him as 'Taxilian' based on his origins which she had deducted from the tattoos on his forearms when she and Karsa Orlong saw him with a raiding party of Edur. He later told her that he had been an architect in Taxila.