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Version: Book 8

Mordecai

Overview​

Mordecai is a former crawler from a previous dungeon season who is serving his indentureship as Guildmaster of the Tutorial Guild. He is Carl and Donut's primary guide and advisor throughout the dungeon, and has accumulated centuries of preparation for the Earth crawl. He continues as Carl and Donut's advisor through Floor 5.

First Appearance​

Book 1, Chapter 2

Known Aliases​

  • Guildmaster Mordecai

Description​

  • Changeling race, Arcanist class, Level 50
  • On Floor 1 he appeared as a Rat Hooligan; on Floor 2 as a Bugaboo (large, bear-like, long-armed, owlish-eyed)
  • Has prepared for the Earth dungeon since approximately 1964, spending decades studying Earth culture
  • Once shapeshifted into a human and visited a Blockbuster Video
  • Keeps a framed photo of his brother and his mother's ashes in his guild chambers
  • Brews alchemical potions (Mordecai's Special Brew) for Carl and Donut

Role in the Story So Far​

Mordecai guided Carl and Donut through the Tutorial Guild on Floor 1 and has remained their primary advisor across all subsequent floors. He was a crawler himself in a previous dungeon season, reaching 30 million followers and 4 patrons before becoming a guide. He has a hostile and complicated history with Odette, who pushed him too hard during his crawl. His cryptic early warning — "It's not worth it, no matter what they tell you. Not until floor 12, and even then, negotiate as much as you can" — remains an unresolved thread.

During Floor 4, Mordecai was briefly absent (recalled for reeducation) then returned. He advised Carl strongly to remove the Night Wyrm's Ring of Divine Suffering, warning it marks its wearer as a priority target on a later floor.

On Floor 5, Mordecai determined alchemical uses for the toraline yam and created multiple critical potions: a Phase Lava Rock Potion allowing passage through lava rock; a parasite cure used to address the Maggie My / Chris situation; and a Rapid Detox potion provided to Louis Santiago to cure his alcoholism. He grew increasingly concerned about Carl's escalating actions throughout Floor 5.

On Floor 8, Mordecai continued operating out of the Desperado Club saferoom, working at an alchemy table and producing potions. He hired Ruby and five other Changeling NPCs as attendants at over 1,000 gold per day. He was the one who informed Carl about Katia's drug addiction and what cures existed. He was visible wearing a pink bow and lipstick, gifts from Samantha Psamathe. As a cyclops he cannot see his own reflection.

On Floor 9 (Book 7), Mordecai is active as a guide and advisor throughout Faction Wars. Imani C. is seen removing his toe ring while he was unconscious — to stop Shi Maria (Carl's spider tattoo) from using it to act through him. At the end of Floor 9, he is found sitting in the dirt with a cigarette and Crown Royal, saying "I lost so much today." His devastation appears to be connected to Donut's offhand remark: "I feel really bad about pooping in Mordecai's mother's ashes now" — implying that Huanxin Jinx may have been Mordecai's mother. The ashes from his guild chambers were used to make the arrowhead that killed Huanxin on Floor 9 (after Donut's Laundry Day spell stripped her from Eileithyia's soul armor). Donut had at some earlier point accidentally pooped in those ashes.

Known Relationships​

  • Carl — crawler under his guidance; ongoing advisor
  • Princess Donut — crawler under his guidance; ongoing advisor
  • Odette — hostile / complicated history; she pushed him too hard during his crawl
  • Huanxin Jinx — implied mother (informal; Donut's offhand remark at end of Floor 9)

Book 8 (Floor 10–11)​

On Floor 11, Mordecai underwent a drastic transformation: he became an animistic spirit — a non-corporeal form that occupies physical objects. He initially occupied the common room table (on which Samantha was sitting). He can only speak when occupying an object with a mouth. He described the experience as deeply unsettling ("I feel like I gotta pee").

Despite lacking physical form, he continued to advise Carl and Donut via the chat system throughout Floors 10 and 11. He also crafted a special backpack that allowed Carl to carry Penelope the pig during movement spells, and was assigned as Penelope 3's game guide after she was sapientized.

Appearances​

  • Book 1, Chapters 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 35, 47
  • Book 2, all chapters
  • Book 3, all chapters
  • Book 4, all chapters
  • Book 5, all chapters
  • Book 6, multiple chapters
  • Book 7, active throughout
  • Book 8, active throughout via chat (animistic spirit form)