Motif · from book 3
The Ring of Divine Suffering
Frank Q's ring, Yvette's death, and the thing the sixth-floor hunters track: mark a full-health enemy, kill them, take a permanent point in their highest stat. Carl keeps it against Mordecai's advice, wears it from the first night of the hunt with no cooldown, and it pays two points a kill, then five — twelve constitution from the hunters, Vrah's dexterity at the end; a second ring goes onto Prepotente's hand and, marked on his own mother, into his mouth.
First appears: Book 3
Series arc
As of book 8. Taken from a hunter's finger in book 5, swallowed by Donut in book 7; in book 8 an achievement — Wastrel: 'You feed it to a fucking cat? What a damned waste.'
Open threads
Status is open or resolved; the chapter after it is the last one that moved the thread.
| Thread | Opened | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Li Na: every base stat maxed, three marks unpaid, no healing ever | B7 ch. 82 | resolved · B8 ch. 67 — She left the game: into a pet carrier, into a cleaner bot, sold to Herot (though the epilogue's reel of contenders still shows her name, ch. 99); a single flower on Carl's cactus says she reached the Cabaret alive. |
All threads: Open threads.
Through book 3
Frank Q's revenge, handed over at a bar: +5% to all stats and Marked for Death — mark a crawler, gain a permanent stat point when they die, heal nothing until they do. Yvette wore it and marked Carl, which is why she could not heal and why her mother killed her (B3 ch. 19). Carl wears it until Mordecai explains what the sixth-floor hunters do to its owners (B3 ch. 30).
Through book 4
In Carl's inventory its value sits just below a new toe ring's, which sits below the Kimaris figure (B4 ch. 2); Chris crushed Frank Q's head at the Desperado Club's counter soon after Frank gave Carl the ring (B4 ch. 10); held up to the light, 'one of the most sought-after items by the treasure hunters' (B4 ch. 34).
Through book 5
On Carl's finger from the first night, no cooldown on this floor (B5 ch. 5); Mordecai calls it addictive (B5 ch. 6); 'Not anymore', when Signet calls him still soft (B5 ch. 13). Two points a kill and 'Congratulations, Murderer' (B5 ch. 23); a sacrifice that must not be weakened (B5 ch. 25); marked by name from a list (B5 ch. 35); a second ring on Prepotente's hand, marked on his own mother, then eaten (B5 ch. 47, B5 ch. 48); four a kill, then five (B5 ch. 53, B5 ch. 61). Vrah marked and taken for dexterity (B5 ch. 74, B5 ch. 75).
Through book 7
Through book 8
The AI's achievement Wastrel: 'You feed it to a fucking cat? What a damned waste.' (B8 ch. 10)
Where they appear
| Book | Chapters they are in (of the book's) | Where |
|---|---|---|
| 3 — The Dungeon Anarchist's Cookbook | 3/35 | Ch. 19, Ch. 20, Ch. 30 · the book's own page |
| 4 — The Gate of the Feral Gods | 3/35 | Ch. 2, Ch. 10, Ch. 34 · the book's own page |
| 5 — The Butcher's Masquerade | 13/78 | 5–6, 8, 14, 23, 33, 35–36, 47–48, 53, 74, 76 · the book's own page |
| 6 — The Eye of the Bedlam Bride | 9/74 | 2–3, 19, 40, 45, 60, 65, 67, 69 · the book's own page |
| 7 — This Inevitable Ruin | 16/89 | 25–27, 32, 34–35, 39–40, 52, 55, 57, 69, 72–73, 77, 85 · the book's own page |
| 8 — A Parade of Horribles | 4/99 | Ch. 10, Ch. 19, Ch. 35, Ch. 66 · the book's own page |
By book
The Ring of Divine Suffering in book 3 — The Dungeon Anarchist's Cookbook
The Ring of Divine Suffering in book 4 — The Gate of the Feral Gods
Its value sits in Carl's inventory below the Kimaris figure, with the Enchanted Toe Ring of the Leprous Bandit from Carl's platinum Spicy box between them (ch. 2); Chris crushed Frank Q's head at the Desperado Club's counter soon after Frank gave Carl the ring (ch. 10); held up to the light, 'one of the most sought-after items by the treasure hunters' (ch. 34).
The Ring of Divine Suffering in book 5 — The Butcher's Masquerade
No cooldown here (ch. 5); a point of dexterity and Mordecai's warning that it is addictive (ch. 6); 'Not anymore' (ch. 13); two points a kill and 'Congratulations, Murderer' (ch. 23); a sacrifice that must not be weakened (ch. 25); marked by name from a list (ch. 35); a second ring on a goat's hand, marked on his own mother (ch. 47) and eaten (ch. 48); four a kill (ch. 53), five (ch. 61). Vrah marked (ch. 74) and taken (ch. 75).
The Ring of Divine Suffering in book 6 — The Eye of the Bedlam Bride
Marked for death by a god, and survived (ch. 2); a box that may only be equipped by a crawler marked for death (ch. 3); the elbow web is the tattoo one gets from using the ring, and Carl knows of one other living crawler with it — a key (ch. 19, ch. 23); Frank Q, feeling crushed by it all, remembered (ch. 40, ch. 45); an urge fought at the Capitol to mark Ren or Khulan, as he did Miriam (ch. 60); a god's tornado-squiggle over Louis (ch. 65, ch. 67).
The Ring of Divine Suffering in book 7 — This Inevitable Ruin
On for D'Nadia — highest stat Intelligence, thirty seconds — and off with everyone watching (ch. 25–ch. 27). 'Throw that ring away, Carl […] You're scaring me' (ch. 27). Rust's second one (ch. 39); Li Na asks for it and Donut begs aloud (ch. 57); Rishi marked (ch. 58). Li Na marks everyone in the ball, maxes every stat, and can never heal (ch. 77, ch. 82). Carl holds his up to Donut's nose and she swallows it (ch. 85).
The Ring of Divine Suffering in book 8 — A Parade of Horribles
The AI's achievement Wastrel: 'You feed it to a fucking cat? What a damned waste.' (ch. 10)