Motif · Book 5, The Butcher's Masquerade

Sponsorship

The patron system Mordecai explains in the tutorial guild — organisations that sponsor a crawler by buying boxes, and the Benefactor Boxes only patrons can send — changed by the AI as the second floor opens: three patron slots per crawler, each auctioned for one day as the fourth, fifth and sixth floors open, bids from one credit, and 'the more your patron pays for you, the more and higher-quality Benefactor Boxes you may receive.'

Segment appearances

Progression

Final slots open (ch. 1); a third sponsor who is the Krakaren by another name (ch. 16); the Valtay dropped by a regency change and a replacement auctioned (ch. 19); a winner who could not pay (ch. 40); a goat that bleats and leaves (ch. 41); matching wards against vampires from two sponsors who are clearly working together (ch. 43). Then boxes sent to other crawlers turn out to be for Donut (ch. 57): five gifts from the Apothecary routed through five crawlers over a denied appeal, two of them stamped with a hidden seven, and only Katia's beanie meant for its recipient (ch. 63); Everly's curse on Dictum Waystation Controls (ch. 64); Donut's sponsor, now Empress D'Nadia, judging the talent show and pet contest and promising no favouritism (ch. 66); a note on Laundry Day and a promised replacement potion (ch. 76); Carl welcomed to Faction Wars as a sponsor himself, of the Princess Posse (ch. 77); the sponsors' conspiracy to break a floor, and a hat given away that would have saved Katia from a crown (epilogue).