Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Overview
Carl's team meets with other crawlers in town to plan a coordinated effort to investigate the town hall, then ventures into the desert toward the Bactrian town but is attacked by gnomish aircraft carrying mysterious payloads. They're forced to retreat and decide to build a dune buggy with anti-aircraft defenses.
Summary
After finishing training, Carl proposes a three-step plan: gather all crawlers, determine what's imprisoned in the town hall, and repeat the process in the nearby Bactrian town. Mordecai shows them new upgrades—food synthesizers and a marketplace interface—warning Carl not to use the marketplace while carrying The Dungeon Anarchist's Cookbook due to its mysterious valuation. Carl's team then recruits two drunk crawlers (Firas and Louis) from the Spit and Swallow bar, then finds a group of six Finnish archers (led by Langley) in another bar. Both groups agree to meet later at the Toe. As they leave Hump Town for the Bactrian town three miles away, they encounter a Level 34 Thorny Devil in the desert and defeat it after some experimentation with their weapons. While crossing the dunes, a gnomish biplane (the Gnomish Drop Bear) attacks them, dropping what appears to be a bomb that fails to detonate properly. Inside the broken egg-shaped deployment device is a dead Level 45 Feral Goose (a neighborhood boss), killed by the failed mechanism. Carl retrieves the broken device and a neighborhood map. More aircraft then appear in the sky, forcing them to retreat to Hump Town. Carl decides they must build a dune buggy with anti-aircraft defenses to traverse the desert safely.
Characters
- CarlProtagonist planning the team strategy and coordinating recruitment of other crawlers; fights the Thorny Devil and gnomish aircraft attack
- DonutProvides companionship and tactical support; uses Magic Missile against the Thorny Devil and helps coordinate the teleport escape from the airplane attack
- KatiaTransforms into larger forms to fight the Thorny Devil and block the bomb run; maintains a crossbow for ranged attacks
- MongoFights alongside the party against the Thorny Devil; emotional reaction to the clockwork duplicates being destroyed
- MordecaiShows Carl the new kitchen and marketplace upgrades, explaining their functions and limitations
- Firas MLevel-22 Hammersmith crawler found at the Spit and Swallow bar; agrees to join the team after being persuaded by Donut
- Louis Santiago 2Level-22 Pest Exterminator crawler found at the Spit and Swallow bar; drunk and reluctant until threatened by Donut
- LangleyLevel-24 Archer and leader of a group of six Finnish archers; agrees to train while Carl handles other matters
- The dromedarian barkeepOperates the Spit and Swallow bar where two crawlers are found
- The prostituteWorks at the Spit and Swallow; dislikes Katia and moves away when they arrive
- The dromedarian with reedsProvides information about the local celestial cycles and weather patterns
- Gnomish pilotPilot of the Gnomish Drop Bear aircraft; attempts to bomb Carl's party with a malfunctioning deployment device