Character · from book 4
Orren
A Syndicate Liaison: a hooded, purple-handed, British-voiced fact-finder — 'Not quite a sheriff. Not quite an attorney. Not quite a judge' — who investigates when the kua-tin's report and the AI's disagree, and who applauds the murder he cannot prove. Under the hood, a bowl of liquid and a Valtay worm.
Race and class, since book 4: Valtay · Syndicate Liaison
First appears: Book 4
Series arc
Through book 5
His office is where the book opens: a room of unseen listeners, the Gate on his desk, and 'You just said the magic words' (B5 ch. 1). Quasar says he had tried to get Carl to touch the Gate while it was under administrative hold, which would have deleted it (B5 ch. 3). He leaves until the ninth floor, explains liaisons as sheriffs — some good, some who go too far — and warns without warning (B5 ch. 59).
Open threads
Status is open or resolved; the chapter after it is the last one that moved the thread.
| Thread | Opened | Status |
|---|---|---|
| The 'outside source' the Syndicate wants named | B4 ch. 19 | open · B5 ch. 59 — Orren leaves until the ninth floor and explains liaisons as sheriffs; the source unnamed. |
| Who runs the crawl after the sixth floor | B4 ch. 19 | resolved · B5 ch. 19 — A Syndicate court makes Borant independent of its government, which executes a ruling giving the Valtay fifty-one per cent; they run the ship, the security and the seventh floor's budget. |
All threads: Open threads.
Through book 4
The Syndicate's liaison at the Desperado: applauds Loita's murder, offers a Legendary box for Carl's source, is refused, closes the matter for lack of consensus, and says his people may take over after the next floor. A Valtay worm in his face (B4 ch. 19).
Where they appear
| Book | Chapters they are in (of the book's) | Where |
|---|---|---|
| 4 — The Gate of the Feral Gods | 1/35 | Ch. 19 · the book's own page |
| 5 — The Butcher's Masquerade | 5/78 | Ch. 1, Ch. 3, Ch. 13, Ch. 59, Ch. 63 · the book's own page |
By book
Orren in book 4 — The Gate of the Feral Gods
A Syndicate Liaison in an office at the Desperado Club: hooded, dark-purple hands, a British professor's voice; a fact-finder called in when the kua-tin's report and the AI's disagree; never before has an admin been murdered and nobody known how. He reconstructs Loita's murder as a chemistry of disco-ball residue and tamper-proof polymer — 'one of the most brilliant assassinations I have ever seen a crawler execute' — offers a Legendary box for the name of Carl's outside source, and is refused. No consensus; matter closed; his own recommendation to remove Carl overruled in council; 'if the rumors are correct and we do take over after the next floor', his people will listen. When his hood slips his face is a bowl of liquid with a Valtay worm in it (ch. 19).
Orren in book 5 — The Butcher's Masquerade
His office is where the book opens: a room of unseen listeners, the Gate on his desk, and 'You just said the magic words' (ch. 1). Quasar says he had tried to get Carl to touch the Gate while it was under administrative hold, which would have deleted it (ch. 3). He leaves until the ninth floor, explains liaisons as sheriffs — some good, some who go too far — and warns without warning (ch. 59).