Hold
The precursors of the warrens and the older form of sorcery.
The Holds are the precursors of the warrens. They took shape in a world where the forces behind sorcery ran rougher, wilder and less ordered, and magic drawn from a Hold keeps that character: raw, ugly, close to chaos, and far less refined than warren magic.
A mage working a Hold has fewer options than one working a warren, and pays for the power with control. One Malazan soldier who uses them calls the Holds older, raw, and too near chaos for comfort. Another mage likens Hold sorcery to riding a wagon with square wheels. Where the Holds remain in use, they usually mark a land whose magic never made the change.
How far into Malazan have you read?
Set your place and this page rewrites itself to exactly that point. Nothing ahead of you will show.