Character · from book 3

Princess Formidable

The youngest child of King Rust, sister of Prince Stalwart and Prince Maestro, and Katia's sponsor from the fourth floor: her first gift is one crossbow bolt, 1 of 100, that pauses a god's invulnerability if it hits the eye. 'I'm starting to think the sister isn't a huge fan of her big brother.'

Race and class, since book 3: Orc

First appears: Book 3

Series arc

As of book 8. King Rust's youngest, dropped in the ocean at the end of book 7 after choosing Earth's surface over three other fates. In book 8 one of those fates has a meaning — 'Backstage at the Pineapple Cabaret' was a door — and her abduction to the Desperado Club is Carl's precedent for what the arena picks can summon.

Open threads

Status is open or resolved; the chapter after it is the last one that moved the thread.

Thread	Opened	Status
The Bolt of Ophiotaurus	B3 ch. 29	open · B8 ch. 96 — Donut fires Katia's Bolt of Ophiotaurus into Emberus's smouldering eye socket and a Danforth bolt into the other: 'The yellow invulnerability glow winked off. The god was now vulnerable for fifteen seconds.'
The Aryl system went dark when the button was pressed	B7 ch. 41	open — Formidable's crew pressed a dead button; at that nanosecond the previous crawl's system lost its tunnel node, which has never happened; its AI had gone silent during the sixth floor. Three cycles until anyone knows if the star is there.
The failsafe, and who is trapped in orbit	B6 ch. 49	resolved · B7 ch. 41 — Disconnected by Carl on Christmas morning (ch. 20); Formidable's crew pressed the button anyway and the Aryl system went dark instead (ch. 41). Formidable was dropped in the ocean (ch. 37).

All threads: Open threads.

Through book 3

King Rust's youngest and Katia's sponsor; one bolt that can open a god's invulnerability for fifteen seconds (B3 ch. 12, B3 ch. 29). Grull, in the Maestro's voice, calls her a cunt for wasting it (B3 ch. 33).

Through book 4

An emergency box — ten Bolts of Petrify Rock Class — the moment her brothers' assassin walks up to Carl (B4 ch. 14).

Through book 6

A scroll of worship for Katia (B6 ch. 19); in orbit demanding the failsafe — 'I would die, too, you idiot' — and muted (B6 ch. 73).

Through book 7

Five hours from the Venus station to trip the failsafe by hand (B7 ch. 34); dropped into Orren's office and given four choices — the surface (B7 ch. 37); her crew press a dead button and Aryl goes dark (B7 ch. 41); 'That orc princess was right' (B7 ch. 78); fate unknown (B7 ch. 86).

Through book 8

Dragged from her ship to the Desperado Club on the ninth floor — the precedent Carl cites for what the arena picks can summon (B8 ch. 14); once offered 'Backstage at the Pineapple Cabaret' as a banishment (B8 ch. 24).

Where they appear

Book	Chapters they are in (of the book's)	Where
3 — The Dungeon Anarchist's Cookbook	3/35	Ch. 12, Ch. 29, Ch. 34 · the book's own page
4 — The Gate of the Feral Gods	1/35	Ch. 14 · the book's own page
6 — The Eye of the Bedlam Bride	4/74	Ch. 19, Ch. 36, Ch. 72, Ch. 73 · the book's own page
7 — This Inevitable Ruin	8/89	Ch. 34, Ch. 35, Ch. 36, Ch. 37, Ch. 38, Ch. 41, Ch. 58, Ch. 69 · the book's own page
8 — A Parade of Horribles	2/99	Ch. 14, Ch. 24 · the book's own page

By book

Princess Formidable in book 3 — The Dungeon Anarchist's Cookbook

Katia's sponsor from ch. 12, whom Carl privately identifies as King Rust's daughter; her one gift is the Bolt of Ophiotaurus (ch. 29). Grull, in her brother's voice: 'that magical bolt my cunt of a sister wasted on your friend' (ch. 33).

Princess Formidable in book 4 — The Gate of the Feral Gods

Sends Katia an emergency silver box that must have cost a fortune — ten Bolts of Petrify Rock Class — the moment Maggie, sponsored by both her brothers, walks up to Carl in Chris's body (ch. 14). The bolt she sent Katia on the last floor, which strips a god's invulnerability for a few seconds, is not used on Emberus; Carl still thinks harming a god absurd (ch. 32).

Princess Formidable in book 6 — The Eye of the Bedlam Bride

A scroll of worship for Katia, so not on the ninth floor with her family (ch. 19); in the epilogue, in orbit, demanding the failsafe — 'I would die, too, you idiot' — and muted (epilogue).

Princess Formidable in book 7 — This Inevitable Ruin

Rust's third child, 'the one you need to worry about': five hours from the Venus station with marines, to trip the failsafe by hand on a Nebular theory that the AI's insanity is contagious (ch. 34). Dropped upside down into Orren's office in a spacesuit, told the failsafe is dead, given four choices, she picks Earth's surface: 'I hope she knows how to swim' (ch. 37). Her crew press the button anyway, and Aryl goes dark (ch. 41). Tagg says she was right (ch. 78); her fate is unknown (ch. 86).

Princess Formidable in book 8 — A Parade of Horribles

Dragged from her ship to the Desperado Club on the ninth floor — the precedent Carl cites for what the arena picks can summon (ch. 14); once offered 'Backstage at the Pineapple Cabaret' as a banishment (ch. 24).