Motif · Book 4, The Gate of the Feral Gods

Orthrus

Juvenile Gate Guardian, level 10: Cerberus's two-headed kid brother, 'the universe's goodest boy', pet of the murdered god Geyrun, sucked into the Nothing the day his master died and untouched by its madness through pure innocence. Half the height of a bubble, fragile by design, immune to fire, shocked by lightning and bitten by sharks; healed from a biplane, lured out of the bubble with a Meat Hooks scroll, hunted for a million gold, and returned to his master's father to frolic on the twelfth floor. 'Nun-defiling is back on the menu!'

Segment appearances

• Chapter 28 — Emberus
• Chapter 29 — Where the Red God Glows
• Chapter 30 — Get Orthrus
• Chapter 31 — Emberus, summoned
• Chapter 32 — Acolyte of Emberus
• Chapter 33 — Phase three
• Chapter 34 — Seeding the pond

Progression

Half a bubble tall, tail-wagging tsunamis (ch. 29); a quest to keep him alive and a world quest to kill him (ch. 29, ch. 30); healed from a plane, lured with a stench, struck by Quan twice, saved by a thrown potion, reunited with Emberus mid-air (ch. 30, ch. 31).