Character · from book 6
Dong Quixote
A seventy-year-old human stripper in a conquistador helmet and spandex, half his muscles turning to flab when he exhales, who carries a lance with no horse and misses his mount Corcunda, a half-mantaur ridden on stage. Carl gives him Spunky Jefferson the nickel sock, and he talks to it; he clubs a demon crab into the fire for Steve and barely speaks after.
Race and class, since book 6: Human
First appears: Book 6
Series arc
As of book 8. The stripper with the nickel sock, kept off the races and out of the plan to reunite his best friend; the sock that healed him is a sapient weapon whose leaving kills him of Separation Anxiety. Corky is 'the love of my life', because of a siege and a sentence about sad endings. He holds the two halves together in the racing truck and, with the scarf back on his neck and the lance he has not drawn since the sock, rides the reunited Corcunda into the god of war: 'Vale to you all'.
Through book 6
Through book 7
Gunner in the trench with a talking sock about long-term investments (B7 ch. 20); level 45 to 52 in a night (B7 ch. 25); petting a king's yak (B7 ch. 39). He arrives at the Madness gate on Gonk with a lance flying the 104th's flag — 'I am an expert yakman' — by a mount-teleport trick Justice Light taught the slugs (B7 ch. 63), and is one of two on the floor who keep the Chaos Ritual's invulnerability, for reasons nobody can explain (B7 ch. 65, B7 ch. 67). 'Jefferson and I have been talking' (B7 ch. 66); a coin kissed into the sock, which is heavier now (B7 ch. 68); a broken shoulder healed (B7 ch. 68); 'Do you want me to get the trap or not?' (B7 ch. 76). He guards the Nest's foot with sluggalos from nowhere (B7 ch. 75), and gets a mount carrier from Prepotente — 'I know nothing is ever free,' he tells the sock (B7 ch. 82). Tart, he says, was a kobold (B7 ch. 79).
Through book 8
Kept off the races and out of the plan to reunite Corcunda — Splash Zone's 'I hope you have a lot of butter' (B8 ch. 24, B8 ch. 34). The nickel sock that healed him is a sapient weapon, and its leaving is killing him of Separation Anxiety (B8 ch. 24, B8 ch. 59). Corky is 'the love of my life' (B8 ch. 59), because of what Corky said in a siege: 'There’s no such thing as a sad ending if it’s by the side of the people who make you happy' (B8 ch. 60). He holds the two halves together upside down in the racing truck while Grigori casts (B8 ch. 65) and, with the scarf back on his neck and the lance he has not drawn since the sock, rides the reunited Corcunda into the god of war: 'Vale to you all' (B8 ch. 66).
Where they appear
| Book | Chapters they are in (of the book's) | Where |
|---|---|---|
| 6 — The Eye of the Bedlam Bride | 10/74 | 6, 23, 33–34, 48, 52, 64, 69–70, 72 · the book's own page |
| 7 — This Inevitable Ruin | 21/89 | 2, 20, 23–25, 29, 39, 47, 56, 63, 65–70, 73, 75–76, 79, 82 · the book's own page |
| 8 — A Parade of Horribles | 30/99 | 11–13, 21–25, 32–34, 39, 55–60, 62–68, 71, 73, 79, 84, 87 · the book's own page |
By book
Dong Quixote in book 6 — The Eye of the Bedlam Bride
Dong Quixote in book 7 — This Inevitable Ruin
Gunner in the trench with a talking sock about long-term investments (ch. 20); level 45 to 52 in a night (ch. 25); petting a king's yak (ch. 39). He arrives at the Madness gate on Gonk with a lance flying the 104th's flag — 'I am an expert yakman' — by a mount-teleport trick Justice Light taught the slugs (ch. 63), and is one of two on the floor who keep the Chaos Ritual's invulnerability, for reasons nobody can explain (ch. 65, ch. 67). 'Jefferson and I have been talking' (ch. 66); a coin kissed into the sock, which is heavier now (ch. 68); a broken shoulder healed (ch. 68); 'Do you want me to get the trap or not?' (ch. 76). He guards the Nest's foot with sluggalos from nowhere (ch. 75), and gets a mount carrier from Prepotente — 'I know nothing is ever free,' he tells the sock (ch. 82). Tart, he says, was a kobold (ch. 79).
Dong Quixote in book 8 — A Parade of Horribles
Kept off the races and out of the plan to reunite Corcunda — Splash Zone's 'I hope you have a lot of butter' (ch. 24, ch. 34). The nickel sock that healed him is a sapient weapon, and its leaving is killing him of Separation Anxiety (ch. 24, ch. 59). Corky is 'the love of my life' (ch. 59), because of what Corky said in a siege: 'There’s no such thing as a sad ending if it’s by the side of the people who make you happy' (ch. 60). He holds the two halves together upside down in the racing truck while Grigori casts (ch. 65) and, with the scarf back on his neck and the lance he has not drawn since the sock, rides the reunited Corcunda into the god of war: 'Vale to you all' (ch. 66).