Character · from book 1
King Rust
The Skull Empire's king, up from the eighteenth floor in parade feathers, a ring and a necklace: found alone and slumped, weeping on his yak with a message for his daughter, beheaded by Rosetta's whip — the orc who lassoed Brooks through the portal glass on her crawl. He brought a harem in under a private deal.
Race and class, since book 7: Orc
First appears: Book 1 · Seen for what it is: Book 7
Series arc
In hindsight, after book 7
The orc king was a name on Odette's show in book 1 — 'King Rust of the Skull Empire, who recently arrived in earth orbit' (B1 ch. 48) — a man Mordecai told the party to needle and then not to mention again until after the sixth floor (B2 ch. 20), the buyer of a deity sponsorship (B2 ch. 26), a bribe Quasar had not yet taken (B5 ch. 3). In book 7 he comes up himself, from the eighteenth floor at the last minute, as war chief of the Bone Clan; he weeps at a parlay, asks Carl to carry a message to his daughter, and loses his head to Rosetta's whip — the orc who lassoed a crawler named Brooks through the portal glass on her crawl (B7 ch. 32–B7 ch. 35, B7 ch. 69).
As of book 8. Beheaded in book 7; in book 8 a veto that outlives him, sheltering Harry Tisch from extradition.
Through book 1
A name on Odette's show: 'King Rust of the Skull Empire, who recently arrived in earth orbit', quiet about his son being called Carl's Naughty Little Piggie (B1 ch. 48).
Through book 2
Through book 3
Through book 4
'King Rust's children are all trying to murder each other,' in the list of everything going wrong that Dr. Hu's colleague gives him (B4 ch. 35).
Through book 5
Quasar's assurance that a certain pig-faced imperialist has not been whispering in his ear — yet (B5 ch. 3).
Through book 7
Up from the eighteenth floor at the last minute in parade feathers on a swamp yak, war chief not warlord, with a whip and, Tipid guesses, a Ring of Divine Suffering (B7 ch. 32); a parlay with a cat on a rhinoceros, a father weeping with rage and laughter, a message for Formidable (B7 ch. 33, B7 ch. 34); beheaded by Rosetta's whip as he walks away, his head pressed to a datapad and his bank emptied (B7 ch. 34, B7 ch. 35). Her interlude: he lassoed Brooks through the portal glass on her crawl (B7 ch. 69). His harem escapes to the eighteenth (B7 ch. 82); his children die in a yacht (B7 ch. 88).
Through book 8
Dead, but his veto lives: he used his council veto to shelter Harry Tisch, Odette's husband, from extradition (B8 ch. 88).
Trace
The thread line by line, in reading order: its presence before anyone could see it, and the lines that made it legible. Each line is verbatim from the cited book.
| Where | The line | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Book 1, Ch. 48 | “King Rust of the Skull Empire, who recently arrived in earth orbit, has been oddly quiet […] A spokesperson for the royal family has requested people stop referring to the prince as ‘Carl’s Naughty Little Piggie,’” […] “But so far, nobody seems to be complying.” | The first mention: a king in orbit, quiet about his son's humiliation. He comes down in book 7. |
| Book 2, Ch. 19 | If it used to be okay, but it’s not okay anymore, then maybe you should do something about it. | What Carl says on Danger Zone about the Skull Empire. |
| Book 2, Ch. 20 | » Mordecai: Okay, new rule. […] We’re not going to mention King Rust or Prince Stalwart until after the sixth floor, […] When Odette asks you about it, you say you have no opinion. | Mordecai's rule after Carl needled the king on Ripper Wonton's show, before his next interview, with Odette. |
| Book 2, Ch. 26 | “Be careful with that gauntlet. It has the power to summon the war god Grull if you use it against any of his celebrants. […] And King Rust has apparently just spent a lot of money on a deity sponsorship.” | The sponsorship the second-book thread opened; his son wore Grull. |
Where they appear
| Book | Chapters they are in (of the book's) | Where |
|---|---|---|
| 1 — Dungeon Crawler Carl | 1/48 | Ch. 48 · the book's own page |
| 2 — Carl's Doomsday Scenario | 3/26 | Ch. 19, Ch. 20, Ch. 26 · the book's own page |
| 3 — The Dungeon Anarchist's Cookbook | 2/35 | Ch. 12, Ch. 29 · the book's own page |
| 4 — The Gate of the Feral Gods | 1/35 | Ch. 35 · the book's own page |
| 5 — The Butcher's Masquerade | 1/78 | Ch. 3 · the book's own page |
| 7 — This Inevitable Ruin | 12/89 | 32–36, 39–40, 62–63, 69, 78, 82 · the book's own page |
| 8 — A Parade of Horribles | 1/99 | Ch. 88 · the book's own page |
By book
King Rust in book 1 — Dungeon Crawler Carl
A name on Odette's show: 'King Rust of the Skull Empire, who recently arrived in earth orbit', quiet about his son being called Carl's Naughty Little Piggie (epilogue).
King Rust in book 2 — Carl's Doomsday Scenario
King Rust in book 3 — The Dungeon Anarchist's Cookbook
King Rust in book 4 — The Gate of the Feral Gods
'King Rust's children are all trying to murder each other,' in an unnamed woman's list, to Dr. Hu, of everything going wrong (epilogue).
King Rust in book 5 — The Butcher's Masquerade
Quasar's assurance that a certain pig-faced imperialist has not been whispering in his ear — yet (ch. 3).
King Rust in book 7 — This Inevitable Ruin
Up from the eighteenth floor at the last minute in parade feathers on a hippo-yak, war chief not warlord, with a whip, a Ring of Divine Suffering and a Necklace of Indelible Woe (ch. 32). He waits alone, slumped, crying with rage and grief and laughter, asks Carl about children, describes Formidable's plan for the failsafe, names Architect Houston as the one creature he fears, and asks for a message to his daughter on Earth's behalf (ch. 33, ch. 34). Rosetta takes his head off with a whip as he walks away (ch. 34), presses it to a datapad, and empties his bank (ch. 35). On her own crawl he lassoed a crawler named Brooks through the portal glass (ch. 69). He brought a harem in under a private deal, and three of them reach the eighteenth floor with Li Na's marks on them (ch. 82). His children in orbit die in a yacht (epilogue).
King Rust in book 8 — A Parade of Horribles
Dead, but his veto lives: he used his council veto to shelter Harry Tisch, Odette's husband, from extradition (ch. 88).