Motif · from book 4
The changelings
Shape-changers on Hump Street and in the bubbles — a school of principals, Svern's card, Henrik's confession — hunted for one creature, fed against Compression Sickness, promised a home on the sixth floor and a Gate they would not use; the survivors fly beside a house as geese to the Hunting Grounds. Carl's promise to bring them down every floor.
First appears: Book 4
Series arc
As of book 6. Shape-changers hunted for one creature in book 4, promised a home and flown as geese to the sixth floor, brought down a floor on Carl's promise in book 5 and gone with the castle; in book 6 Ruby and the compression-sick children hidden by Mordecai in six attendant slots, water balloons and Christmas in five minutes, the rest on the ninth floor. Carl's promise is a Faction Wars seat now.
Through book 4
Shape-changers on Hump Street; a school of principals; Svern's card and Henrik's confession; hunted for one creature and fed against Compression Sickness (B4 ch. 2–B4 ch. 15); the principals thought by Juice Box to be in the necropolis and found dead on the Akula's bridge (B4 ch. 13, B4 ch. 26); the survivors flying beside a house as geese through a portal to the Hunting Grounds (B4 ch. 33), and Carl's promise to bring them down every floor (B4 ch. 34).
Through book 5
Through book 6
Where they appear
| Book | Chapters they are in (of the book's) | Where |
|---|---|---|
| 4 — The Gate of the Feral Gods | 22/35 | 1–3, 5–7, 9–17, 21, 26, 28, 31–34 · the book's own page |
| 5 — The Butcher's Masquerade | 18/78 | 3, 8, 23, 52, 54, 56–59, 63–67, 70, 72–73, 76 · the book's own page |
| 6 — The Eye of the Bedlam Bride | 6/74 | Ch. 12, Ch. 20, Ch. 22, Ch. 30, Ch. 40, Ch. 48 · the book's own page |
By book
The changelings in book 4 — The Gate of the Feral Gods
Prostitutes changing shape on Hump Street (ch. 2); Mordecai's warning and Juice Box's viper-fast catch (ch. 5); Svern's card and Henrik's confession (ch. 6, ch. 10); heads that read hotter in Donut's sunglasses (ch. 10); one creature hunted, a food against Compression Sickness, a home on the sixth floor, a Gate they would not use (ch. 15); the principals vanished, assumed gone into the tomb, and six of them dead on a submarine's bridge (ch. 13, ch. 26); Juice Box remembering (ch. 28); every survivor, adults and children, flying beside a house as geese and going through a portal to the Hunting Grounds (ch. 33). Carl's promise to bring them down every floor.
The changelings in book 5 — The Butcher's Masquerade
Juice Box's people, whom Carl has promised to help get down, some of the children sick with compression sickness, in the saferoom and then the castle: Ruby, Skarn, the bear cubs, the children in human form (ch. 56–ch. 59, ch. 63); dead in the castle fight and alive with the castle on the ninth floor (ch. 72, ch. 73, ch. 76).
The changelings in book 6 — The Eye of the Bedlam Bride
Building Carl's stronghold on the ninth floor (ch. 12); only the ones with compression sickness came with Mordecai — Ruby among them, in six attendant slots (ch. 20); a movie (ch. 21); Juice Box in the faceless default form, her own team, and better at infiltrating castles every time (ch. 22); once the secret is out, Mordecai leaves them to the workers (ch. 30); asleep in a heap with the strippers (ch. 40); water balloons, and Christmas with Samantha chasing them in blinking lights (ch. 40, ch. 48).