Motif · from book 5

The Dream

The dream elves' faction: Louis circled through the paper for a joke about a matriarch's photograph, Battleship over Point Mongo, an accountant caught, and a Faction Wars vote that might change. A powerful, galaxy-spanning group of elves with a stake in the ninth floor's Faction Wars.

First appears: Book 5

Series arc

As of book 7. Photographs in book 4, a warlord at a table in book 6; in book 7 artillery on two fronts, a warlord who flees on zebras behind a decoy hat and hides in a ball, mass-teleported battalions, a collapsed castle, and the truth: Epitome Tagg is a Reaver-type cyborg on the post-physical path, who becomes Louis's heart and lungs, bargains from inside, and dies chewed by a dinosaur. A cruiser down over Australia; a mega-monopoly with the Reavers, if the rumour holds.

Through book 5

Louis circled through the paper (B5 ch. 15); Battleship over Point Mongo, an accountant caught (B5 ch. 22); Bamboozeled (B5 ch. 24); a mother's honour and a vote that might change (B5 ch. 77).

Through book 6

Epitome Tagg at the warlords' table, humiliated by his mother's face on a changeling (B6 ch. 21, B6 ch. 22); appeals; a threat to nuke the planet over the 98%, hobbled by a Peacekeeper (B6 ch. 73).

Through book 7

Artillery, a warlord in a helmet, a fleet's hardware deactivated (B7 ch. 22, B7 ch. 43); a warlord in a heart (B7 ch. 80); a cruiser over Australia (B7 ch. 88).

Where they appear

Book	Chapters they are in (of the book's)	Where
5 — The Butcher's Masquerade	11/78	15, 20, 22, 24–25, 33, 35, 38, 51, 73, 77 · the book's own page
6 — The Eye of the Bedlam Bride	6/74	Ch. 11, Ch. 21, Ch. 36, Ch. 48, Ch. 72, Ch. 73 · the book's own page
7 — This Inevitable Ruin	44/89	1, 10, 13–23, 27–28, 33–36, 39, 42–43, 56–57, 59–63, 65–67, 69–70, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81–84, 86, 88 · the book's own page

By book

The Dream in book 5 — The Butcher's Masquerade

A powerful, galaxy-spanning group of elves with a stake in the ninth floor's faction wars, whose leader's mother, Epitome Noflex, is in a photograph in Carl's inventory; on the hunters' divided map their area holds Point Mongo, and Louis is circled through the paper (ch. 15). Pale Dream elves attack the Ursine (ch. 20); Akland, a moon elf artillery specialist, plays Battleship over Point Mongo and, caught, says he is just an accountant (ch. 22); Bamboozeled (ch. 24); at the end, a mother's honour and a vote that might change (ch. 77).

The Dream in book 6 — The Eye of the Bedlam Bride

Epitome Tagg of the Dream at the sixth seat — one of the richest men in the galaxy, indistinguishable from the elves slaughtered on the last floor — and Noflex's face on a changeling (ch. 21, ch. 22); Drick, a Dream elf, as a candidate adjutant (ch. 36); the Dream abdicates its spot and abandons Faction Wars (ch. 48); its action item for longer-range artillery (ch. 72); a nuke threatened (epilogue).

The Dream in book 7 — This Inevitable Ruin

Sensation Entertainment bought and a third season demanded (ch. 1); artillery on both fronts and 'pasty cousin fuckers' who run (ch. 22); a warlord in a ridiculous helmet with blood on his armour (ch. 22, ch. 42); a fleet's orc hardware switched off (ch. 43); mass-teleported battalions, a collapsed castle, a warlord in a ball and then in a heart (ch. 59, ch. 63, ch. 80); a cruiser down over Australia (epilogue). Food, to the Reavers' everything else (ch. 83).