Motif · from book 2
The xistera
A jai-alai scoop from a Gold Fan Box, matched to the Cesta Punta skill an Earth Hobby Potion gave Carl at random: a metallic basket that retracts into a bracer, hurls a hob-lobber at 250 mph, and retires the slingshot. The AI's plan for him, traced back to cherry bombs tossed off a cutter onto Arctic ice.
First appears: Book 2
Series arc
Through book 3
Banger Spheres — baseball-sized balls of robot scrap — make the xistera the range weapon of the floor: three of them for a Babababoon (B3 ch. 16), one to choke a hatching stage-three monster (B3 ch. 27), and more in the trainyard (B3 ch. 32).
Where they appear
| Book | Chapters they are in (of the book's) | Where |
|---|---|---|
| 2 — Carl's Doomsday Scenario | 7/26 | Ch. 5, Ch. 8, Ch. 17, Ch. 18, Ch. 20, Ch. 21, Ch. 25 · the book's own page |
| 3 — The Dungeon Anarchist's Cookbook | 6/35 | Ch. 2, Ch. 7, Ch. 13, Ch. 16, Ch. 27, Ch. 32 · the book's own page |
By book
The xistera in book 2 — Carl's Doomsday Scenario
A hobby potion gives Carl Cesta Punta and no explanation (ch. 5); a fan box gives him the scoop (ch. 17); the memory of a senior chief lobbing cherry bombs onto Arctic ice tells him the AI planned it. An orange disintegrates against a saferoom door; hob-lobbers pre-lit in inventory fly at 250 mph (ch. 18); Zev wins — no more slingshot. It retracts into a bracer the gauntlet fits over.