Floor 9: Faction Wars
Location: Larracos, City of Dreams Book: 7 Floor Theme: Faction warfare within a single city
Overview
Floor 9 is the Faction Wars floor, set entirely within Larracos, the City of Dreams — a funnel-shaped city of gothic stone, arches, columns, and gargoyles. The city descends in ever-narrowing rings around a central open void.
The floor begins with 32,429 crawlers. Ten factions compete for control of the city. The floor ends when Emberus destroys it — at which point remaining crawlers enter Floor 10 stairwells.
Larracos
The City of Dreams. A gothic city whose architecture felt old and lived-in — columns, arches, stone that had stories in it. Each level is a wide ring with a yawning open hole at the center, going deeper and smaller as it descends.
The city had been flooded before Carl's arrival (concierge sharks from Floor 5 were in it). By the end of the floor, Larracos is destroyed by Emberus.
Key Areas
| Area | Description |
|---|---|
| Shanty Town | Ring of hastily built buildings and markets around the top entrance to Larracos. Accessible to all factions even during hostilities. Had food markets and temples. One Club Vanquisher entrance. |
| The FUPA | Princess Posse command center (Flag Room). Special tactical display visible only within the room; shows troop counts, secured locations, warlord chat. |
| Castle (Princess Posse) | Princess Posse headquarters in Larracos. Stables (Simoom, Tina, managed by Kibben). Lost at end of floor. |
The Four Phases
| Phase | Name | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Ceasefire | 50 hours. Only Team Retribution allowed in Larracos. |
| 2 | The Ramp-Up | 180 hours. Tension and preparation. |
| 3 | Open Hostilities | Open combat between factions. |
| 4 | The Peeling of Larracos | Triggered at 4 remaining teams. |
The Ten Factions
| Faction | Type | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Princess Posse | Crawler | Won Floor 9 |
| Team Retribution | NPC | Allied with Posse |
| The Madness | Viceroy | Opposed |
| The Dream | — | Targeted in Operation Ruin |
| The Prism | Trading Dynasty | Absorbed chapter 27 |
| The Blood Sultanate | Orc | Absorbed chapter 55 |
| The Reavers | — | Targeted in Operation Ruin |
| Lemig Sortion | Lemig | Adjudication conflict |
| Operatic Collective | — | Two armor pieces captured |
| (9th/10th) | — | — |
Associated Characters
- Carl — Warlord, Princess Posse
- Princess Donut — Warlord, Princess Posse
- Juice Box — Co-Warlord, Team Retribution
- Tipid — Colonel, FUPA defense
- Rosetta — Theater Commander, Operation Ruin
- Justice Light — Trap system designer
- Kibben — Princess Posse stablemaster