The Legend of William Oh

Overview

The Legend of William Oh is a progression fantasy and LitRPG-style adventure by the Alaskan author who writes under the pen name Macronomicon. It began as a web serial on Royal Road and was later made available as an Amazon ebook series. The available material identifies links for four books, but it does not provide a reliable first-publication year for the serial or the first volume. The novel combines tower climbing, a system-like approach to abilities and character builds, dangerous exploration, and a deliberately comic treatment of heroic legend.

Story and setting

William Oh is an orphan whose most immediate ambition is not fame or salvation. He wants to find his absent parents and give them a knuckle sandwich. The only practical route to them leads through the Tower, the center of the world and the source through which all magic flows. Rumor claims that William was born on the Tower’s hundredth floor to the greatest Climbers of the ancient world. The lethal miasma surrounding that environment supposedly changed him from birth, giving him strange and unnatural powers. Yet the young William is not initially the immortal figure of tavern stories. He is a survivor trying to climb through a world that is much more dangerous than he is prepared to admit.

A betrayal, an act of generosity, and an unusual talent for surviving impossible odds gradually gather the beginnings of a legend around him. William and his party remain in motion as they climb, fight, improvise, and deal with the practical pressures of exploration. One distinctive device is William’s phantom-hands ability, which lets him rapidly switch between different builds and approach a fight through whatever strength the moment requires. The mechanic gives the action a tactical, game-like quality while allowing the protagonist to solve problems through adaptation rather than a single endlessly repeated attack.

The stories told about William become almost as important as the things he actually does. A rumor overheard in a first-floor tavern describes him as an immortal presence who circles the dreams of mortals and appears wherever the need is greatest. The joke is that the narrator may have a better chance of being believed if someone pays for his drink. Such scenes establish the book’s central complication: as every rescue and narrow escape is retold, the ordinary, flawed boy is replaced by a larger-than-life symbol. William must therefore outrun not only the dangers of the Tower but also the legend being built around him.

Themes and style

The book’s main concern is the distance between a person and the story others tell about him. William’s motives are personal, blunt, and sometimes childish, while the world transforms his actions into signs of destiny. The novel examines how heroes are manufactured through rumor, exaggeration, and selective memory. His orphanhood and his search for absent parents add an emotional foundation beneath the comedy, while his companions turn the climb into a developing community rather than a solitary power fantasy.

Macronomicon’s protagonists are characterized by practical intelligence. Reader commentary describes William as not especially book-smart but rich in common sense, and that distinction shapes the adventure. Progression, abilities, and build optimization provide the genre framework, yet the solutions frequently depend on observation, timing, and flexible judgment. The prose also treats genre conventions playfully. Tower mythology, desperate combat, numerical advancement, and heroic prophecy are placed beside tavern humor and deliberately inflated gossip. The result is a story that can present danger sincerely while still making fun of the machinery of the adventure around it.

Background and status

Macronomicon has described writing web novels and ebooks as a way to make a living from the remote Alaskan setting in which he lives. The work was developed in the web-serial environment and then revised or presented in finished ebook form. It has also received audiobook distribution, giving the series a life beyond its original online readership. Reviews are mixed in emphasis: some readers particularly value William as a memorable protagonist and enjoy the inventive, flexible combat; others find the tone too silly or the plot too much like a straightforward movement from one point to another.

There is no reliable evidence in the supplied material for major literary prizes, mainstream canonization, sales milestones, or screen adaptations. Its lasting importance is instead rooted in its recognizable place within progression LitRPG: an offbeat tower-climbing story whose protagonist is shaped by practical thinking, whose abilities support rapid tactical changes, and whose greatest enemy may be the exaggerated legend created by everyone else. William’s movement from “not a legend yet” to a figure trapped inside other people’s stories gives the series its distinctive identity.

About the Author

Macronomicon

Identity and early life

Macronomicon is a pen name. The available author material identifies the writer as a man from Alaska who lives in a remote part of the state. It does not reliably provide his legal name, exact birthplace, birth date, family history, school, university, or degree, so those details cannot be supplied. A publisher profile jokingly claims that he was struck by lightning at birth and received superhuman storytelling abilities. That is part of the author persona rather than a verifiable biographical event. The same profile’s images of bears, snow, and an internet connection walking fifteen miles to a router are comic exaggerations, not documentary facts.

The practical conditions of Alaskan life do appear to have shaped his public account of writing. In a statement about his work, he described the nearest job as roughly sixty miles away and the nearest soda as about fifteen miles away, while emphasizing the high cost of food, fuel, plumbing, and other necessities. He presented web fiction and ebooks as a way to earn a living and asked reader support to help him continue writing instead of returning to difficult plumbing work in freezing conditions. This places his career in the direct-support and online-serial economy rather than in a conventional biography of literary training followed by a long-established publishing career.

Writing and major works

Macronomicon began publishing web fiction on Royal Road. The Legend of William Oh became one of the author’s recognizable series: a tower-climbing progression fantasy built around magic, character growth, tactical abilities, and the transformation of a flawed orphan into a figure of rumor. The available Royal Road material identifies at least four books in the series, but it does not give dependable publication dates for each volume. Other works associated with the author include Industrial Strength Magic, Apocalypse: Generic System, Apocalypse: Fairy System, and Bent and Twisted. The supplied evidence does not provide a complete, consistent dated bibliography, so these titles can be identified as major or notable works without assigning unsupported years.

His stated interests center on science-fiction and fantasy blends and on the progression-LitRPG form. He has described growing up on a steady diet of science-fiction and fantasy combinations before embracing fiction built around game-like advancement. Publisher material characterizes his preferred protagonists as offbeat, generally intelligent, free-thinking people who use their minds to overcome problems. It also jokes about his visceral dislike of the “punch-wizard,” a character who solves every obstacle through brute force and magical impact.

An author spotlight about Industrial Strength Magic explains that part of its inspiration came from tabletop role-playing spells, especially material components and short rituals. Macronomicon’s further premise was that, if magic existed, human beings would optimize and industrialize it to absurdity within a few generations. That explanation illuminates his broader method: begin with a familiar genre rule, then examine what practical, competitive, or comic-minded people would do with it. The same tendency appears in William Oh’s flexible builds and in the series’ habit of turning heroic conventions into objects of humor.

Career and reputation

The author’s route from Royal Road serials to finished ebooks and audiobooks is an important part of his profile. His work has circulated through free or partially free web fiction, commercial ebook editions, and professional audio production. Available reports also say that his author account and some ebook and paperback editions later disappeared while audiobooks remained accessible, illustrating the unstable nature of online publishing and catalog availability.

No supplied source establishes a death date, and there is no reliable evidence that Macronomicon is deceased. The material also does not document major literary awards, mainstream canonization, or a screen adaptation. His lasting reputation is therefore best described within the progression-LitRPG community: he is known for unusual protagonists, tactical and system-oriented growth, genre-aware jokes, and a preference for solving problems with thought rather than uncomplicated power. His work’s distinctive legacy lies in combining entertaining adventure with a running critique of how fantasy stories manufacture legends.

StoryFlow

William Oh’s Rise

This flow traces William Oh’s transformation from a classless orphan into a resourceful Climber whose survival skills begin to threaten established powers.

The Missing Parents

This flow follows William Oh’s unresolved search for Mary Oh and Thomas Oh and the way their disappearance turns exploration into a personal mission.

The Price of Betrayal

This flow traces William Oh’s friendship with Ben from shared ambition through betrayal, death, and the lesson that trust must be guarded without becoming impossible.

Knowledge Graph

Storylines

opening morning

The Classless Aspirant

[William Oh](entity:character-recall-character-william-oh-743090120e21) leaves [Saint Gertrude’s Orphanage](entity:location-recall-location-saint-gertrude-s-orp-0e0780a46acc) to begin [The Hunt](entity:event-recall-event-the-hunt-e81aed72aa42), still without a [Class](entity:concept-recall-concept-class-f10ec7ee7ce0) but determined to become a [Climber](entity:concept-recall-concept-climber-1abf0f5b8507) and eventually carve out a [Lordship](entity:state-recall-state-lordship-716c349444a0). [Gertrude](entity:character-recall-character-gertrude-e35319e46081) urges patience, preparation, and survival, while Will’s ambition remains fixed on power, wealth, and finding his missing parents.

the first day of The Hunt

The First Hunt

With [Ben](entity:character-recall-character-ben-964df7d0a5ee), [William Oh](entity:character-recall-character-william-oh-743090120e21) enters [The Hunting Grounds](entity:location-recall-location-the-hunting-grounds-fdb22364fd6a) and begins hunting low-level creatures. They kill a [Jumper](entity:creature-recall-creature-jumper-09a1b43cccbb), then devise a dangerous but effective method of trapping a [Wetlands Gulper](entity:creature-recall-creature-wetlands-gulper-906d5aac3d44) by using Will as bait and a tree as leverage.

after the first hunt

The First Sacrifice

The sale of the [Wetlands Gulper](entity:creature-recall-creature-wetlands-gulper-906d5aac3d44)’s tongue gives Will enough money to purchase a [Spirit Turtle](entity:creature-recall-creature-spirit-turtle-869fc0828f58) [Sacrifice](entity:concept-recall-concept-sacrifice-e297b7a553d8), bringing him one step closer to his intended [Uru Drake](entity:creature-recall-creature-uru-drake-be8833188490)-based [Class](entity:concept-recall-concept-class-f10ec7ee7ce0). Experienced Climbers warn him that survival and Resistance matter more than reckless offense.

the first week after The Hunt begins

The Parents’ Mystery

While Will recovers from his wounds, [Gertrude](entity:character-recall-character-gertrude-e35319e46081) explains that [Mary Oh](entity:character-recall-character-mary-oh-07e0e1342ddd) and [Thomas Oh](entity:character-recall-character-thomas-oh-ef49e1b56c2f) disappeared while pursuing the mysteries of [The Tower](entity:location-recall-location-the-tower-c8d0b2fb6d59). She describes a tenth-floor ruin that perfectly mirrored a member’s hometown, confirming that Will’s parents may have followed an obsession far stranger than ordinary [Climbing](entity:concept-recall-concept-climbing-e43c6634c3b0).

during Will’s recovery week

The Hype-Man Bargain

[Jason Salazar](entity:character-recall-character-jason-salazar-b2c48bb88ede) begs to accompany Will, but Will instead gives him money to grow stronger, eat regularly, and promote Will’s reputation until he is old enough to join a [Party](entity:concept-recall-concept-party-656659cf09b8). This bargain creates the exaggerated legend that soon makes Will famous before he has earned most of it.

the second hunting expedition

The Will-o’-wisp Hunt

After recovering, Will joins [Kyle Fontaine](entity:character-recall-character-kyle-fontaine-1afc5d88cd3a)’s [Party](entity:concept-recall-concept-party-656659cf09b8) to hunt a rare Will-o’-wisp. He makes an improbable sling shot that hits the creature, allowing [Bess](entity:character-recall-character-bess-05aa929554ae) to preserve it in a bottle and giving Will the final [Sacrifice](entity:concept-recall-concept-sacrifice-e297b7a553d8) needed for his [Class](entity:concept-recall-concept-class-f10ec7ee7ce0).

immediately after the Will-o’-wisp capture

Ben’s Betrayal

[Ben](entity:character-recall-character-ben-964df7d0a5ee) kicks Will through [The Trial Door](entity:object-recall-object-the-trial-door-6b1411ecfa65) while secretly pulling at his satchel, scattering the [Spirit Turtle](entity:creature-recall-creature-spirit-turtle-869fc0828f58) and Will-o’-wisp Sacrifices outside. Will realizes that the friendly [Party](entity:concept-recall-concept-party-656659cf09b8) has targeted his [Uru Drake Scale](entity:object-recall-object-uru-drake-scale-b9c3cd7dd798) and that he has been deliberately forced into an incomplete trial.

the following days

The Improvised Trial

Trapped inside [The Class Creation Room](entity:location-recall-location-the-class-creation-r-b22f00210530) with only the [Uru Drake Scale](entity:object-recall-object-uru-drake-scale-b9c3cd7dd798), his clothing, and scraps from his equipment, Will improvises Sacrifices. He successfully turns his satchel leather into a [Gravity Goat](entity:creature-recall-creature-gravity-goat-0580a2c3e5ad) [Class Seed](entity:concept-recall-concept-class-seed-31b67c9272c3), uses the Uru Drake Scale to create an [Uru Drake](entity:creature-recall-creature-uru-drake-be8833188490) Primogenitor Seed, and finally sacrifices his own hand to complete the [Class Trial](entity:event-recall-event-class-trial-876ca1e527cb).

after the improvised Sacrifices

The Resourceful Climber Class

Will awakens as a Resourceful [Climber](entity:concept-recall-concept-climber-1abf0f5b8507) with unusually strong growth across several [Attributes](entity:concept-recall-concept-attributes-40d063ce017b). He chooses Aspect of the Goat and Phantom Hand as his Primary Abilities, accepting the permanent loss of his hand in exchange for an invisible ethereal hand and extraordinary mobility.

the opening of Will’s Class Trial

The Trial Canyon

Will enters [The Trial Canyon](entity:location-recall-location-the-trial-canyon-9054ca478e8f), where a portal back to [The Hunting Grounds](entity:location-recall-location-the-hunting-grounds-fdb22364fd6a) is guarded by a tribe of [Maksu](entity:character-recall-character-maksu-9e65a4015743) led by [Sezz’kenal](entity:character-recall-character-sezz-kenal-77cb5d5f619c). Instead of confronting hundreds of enemies directly, he studies the terrain, exploits his climbing ability, and begins planning an attritional campaign.

after several days in the Trial Canyon

The Maksu Caravan Counter-Ambush

Will slowly kills isolated [Maksu](entity:character-recall-character-maksu-9e65a4015743), crafts a sling from stolen leather, and follows a raiding party to a caravan ambush. He alerts the caravan by reflecting sunlight from a stolen dagger, then kills [Sezz’kenal](entity:character-recall-character-sezz-kenal-77cb5d5f619c) with a rock before helping the caravan defeat the remaining raiders.

after the caravan battle

The Trial Exit

Will returns to the [Maksu](entity:character-recall-character-maksu-9e65a4015743) shrine and confronts the wounded [Sezz’kenal](entity:character-recall-character-sezz-kenal-77cb5d5f619c) at the Trial exit. He disrupts the leader’s magic with Phantom Hand and kills him with the [Maksu Leader’s Tomahawk](entity:object-recall-object-maksu-leader-s-tomahaw-90ca9e84191d) before escaping through the portal and completing the Trial.

immediately after Will’s Trial

Ben’s Corpse

Will returns to the abandoned campsite and finds [Ben](entity:character-recall-character-ben-964df7d0a5ee)’s decomposing corpse. He takes Ben’s armor, carries the body home, and leaves it on Ben’s father’s doorstep, treating the death as the consequence of betrayal and reckless ambition.

after Will becomes a Climber

The Establishing Quest

At [Leon’s General Store](entity:location-recall-location-leon-s-general-store-d184aca2dd82), Will receives the [Establishing Quest: Break the Supply Lines](entity:event-recall-event-establishing-quest-brea-7a9286ab7a8b), which sends new Climbers into [The Kaith Cavern System](entity:location-recall-location-the-kaith-cavern-sys-b89cf34ff507) to disrupt [Kaith](entity:character-recall-character-kaith-593ccead360c) transport routes. He accepts despite his fear of [The Trial Door](entity:object-recall-object-the-trial-door-6b1411ecfa65) and joins a mixed group under [Nathan](entity:character-recall-character-nathan-45665ec11941)’s supervision.

at the beginning of the Establishing Quest

Loth’s Partnership

[William Oh](entity:character-recall-character-william-oh-743090120e21) is initially rejected by most prospective Parties because of his missing hand, but he accepts a grub from the kobold [Loth](entity:character-recall-character-loth-6d9953698462). The gesture begins their partnership, and Loth becomes his most capable ally, combining insects, traps, and logistical ingenuity with Will’s mobility.

during the Establishing Quest

The Kaith Bridge Reconnaissance

Will and [Loth](entity:character-recall-character-loth-6d9953698462) explore [The Kaith Cavern System](entity:location-recall-location-the-kaith-cavern-sys-b89cf34ff507), marking passages and discovering the [Kaith](entity:character-recall-character-kaith-593ccead360c) Bridge carrying corpses and supplies toward the front. [Mason Lanover](entity:character-recall-character-mason-lanover-33c5f1102f07), [Reggie](entity:character-recall-character-reggie-1decc60b1579), and [June](entity:character-recall-character-june-b8838ec38bc1) catch up with them, forming an uneasy temporary coalition despite Mason’s hostility toward Will’s reputation.

shortly after the bridge discovery

The Kaith Fighting Retreat

[Kaith](entity:character-recall-character-kaith-593ccead360c) swarm the group, forcing a retreat along precarious ledges. Will kills several with the [Tomahawk of the Serpent](entity:object-recall-object-tomahawk-of-the-serpen-d984f2d98134), while [Loth](entity:character-recall-character-loth-6d9953698462) erects rapid traps and [Reggie](entity:character-recall-character-reggie-1decc60b1579) carries Mason through the escape. Will is stung by Kaith venom and falls into the chasm.

during Will’s paralysis

The Chasm’s Buried Chamber

Paralyzed at the bottom of the [Kaith](entity:character-recall-character-kaith-593ccead360c) chasm, Will escapes death by separating Phantom Hand from his wrist and sacrificing the [Sting Ring](entity:object-recall-object-sting-ring-c8e706236cad) to fire acid bolts. He finds shelter in a hidden steel-lined chamber containing a dead [Climber](entity:concept-recall-concept-climber-1abf0f5b8507)’s [Armguard of Tracers](entity:object-recall-object-armguard-of-tracers-9e2dc2743d7b), a skeleton, and an emergency escape hatch buried beneath the cave.

after Will returns from the chasm

The Establishing Quest’s Success

Will emerges from the underground route just as the other Climbers prepare their final assault. His information allows [Nathan](entity:character-recall-character-nathan-45665ec11941)’s group to reach the [Kaith](entity:character-recall-character-kaith-593ccead360c) supply line, and the [Quest](entity:concept-recall-concept-quest-2587e4375bc4) is completed. Will receives exceptional recognition, while [Loth](entity:character-recall-character-loth-6d9953698462) is named the true MVP for defending the camp with traps.

after the Establishing Quest reward

The First Party Formation

Will and [Loth](entity:character-recall-character-loth-6d9953698462) formally form a [Party](entity:concept-recall-concept-party-656659cf09b8) while visiting the [Exchange Hall](entity:location-recall-location-exchange-hall-d62c25cf912b). Their relationship is based on mutual usefulness, trust earned through danger, and a shared willingness to exploit the Tower’s rules rather than follow conventional expectations.

the days after the Establishing Quest

The Guys’ Shopping Trip

With their reward money, Will, [Loth](entity:character-recall-character-loth-6d9953698462), and [Reggie](entity:character-recall-character-reggie-1decc60b1579) shop for equipment, traps, and [Build](entity:concept-recall-concept-build-ba22d4e478c1)-defining [Relics](entity:object-recall-object-relics-cc0b8722119d). Will acquires the [Self-Loading Sling](entity:object-recall-object-self-loading-sling-edfa76fcebd0), [Greater Sting Ring](entity:object-recall-object-greater-sting-ring-beab272dbe27), [Boots of Outflanking](entity:object-recall-object-boots-of-outflanking-8192d81ebe62), [Cloak of Misty Escape](entity:object-recall-object-cloak-of-misty-escape-c59b004a86fd), and other gear, while Loth purchases equipment that turns his insects into a mobile support and logistics system.

after reaching Level 5

The Phantom Hand Upgrade Choice

Will receives upgrade options for Aspect of the Goat and Phantom Hand. He discovers that [Relic](entity:concept-recall-concept-relic-142d7748a338) Focus could eventually magnify stolen Relic effects through Acuity, making Phantom Hand potentially transformative, and begins planning to hunt a [Relic Worm](entity:creature-recall-creature-relic-worm-225865ba4808) in [The Fourth-Floor Swamps](entity:location-recall-location-the-fourth-floor-swa-35cc6f035791).

the first attempt to ascend from The First Floor

The Camel Key Site

Will and [Loth](entity:character-recall-character-loth-6d9953698462) accept a [Key Site](entity:object-recall-object-key-site-9f31956c0299) [Quest](entity:concept-recall-concept-quest-2587e4375bc4) involving aberrant camels gathered around a pillar of light. They kill the camel herd through rock drops, traps, acid-and-fire tracers, and careful use of Homefield Advantage, clearing the route to [The Second Floor](entity:location-recall-location-the-second-floor-0edc5bb71c7a).

immediately after clearing the camel Key Site

The Second-Floor Ascension

Will and [Loth](entity:character-recall-character-loth-6d9953698462) pass through the [Floor Door](entity:object-recall-object-floor-door-4654dd7fad93) and arrive on the floating mountains of [The Second Floor](entity:location-recall-location-the-second-floor-0edc5bb71c7a). They endure the mandatory [Miasma Acclimation](entity:state-recall-state-miasma-acclimation-2d642487cb6a) period, learn the floor’s fragmented geography, and recognize that [Kaith](entity:character-recall-character-kaith-593ccead360c) control the bridges connecting the mountains.

during the Second-Floor acclimation period

The Newbie Bridge Conflict

Will and [Loth](entity:character-recall-character-loth-6d9953698462) grind [Kaith](entity:character-recall-character-kaith-593ccead360c) across a bridge and retreat when Kaith soldiers join the battle. Another group of Climbers blocks their rope bridge and demands their weapons, forcing Will to attack, use Misty Escape and Outflanking, and overwhelm the would-be robbers.

after the bridge conflict

The Skyhold Arrival

Will and [Loth](entity:character-recall-character-loth-6d9953698462) reach [Skyhold](entity:location-recall-location-skyhold-65935c36bc9b), a Second-[Floor](entity:concept-recall-concept-floor-f0f9eb7dbde3) [Stronghold](entity:concept-recall-concept-stronghold-d4dc7f9d94ed) built around a salt mine. They learn about [Climber](entity:concept-recall-concept-climber-1abf0f5b8507) buses, indentured service, the economics of high-floor logistics, and the growing fame of [William Oh](entity:character-recall-character-william-oh-743090120e21) as tavern patrons repeat increasingly absurd stories about him.

before the Second-Floor grinding campaign

The No-face Kidnapping

Will awakens hanging naked in a slaughterhouse among hollowed human bodies, where an organization led by [James “No-face” Elroy](entity:character-recall-character-james-no-face-elroy-eeca3c24d889) has captured him for delivery to an unknown Lord. After repeated failed escapes and memory wipes, Will manipulates a captive multi-bodied [Experiment 327](entity:character-recall-character-experiment-327-6fedffba8d05) into unlocking its cage.

immediately after escaping Site 214

The Fire-Mote Escape

Will flees across the Second [Floor](entity:concept-recall-concept-floor-f0f9eb7dbde3) with [Experiment 327](entity:character-recall-character-experiment-327-6fedffba8d05) and the pursuing Reaper. He uses [Boots of Outflanking](entity:object-recall-object-boots-of-outflanking-8192d81ebe62) to cross terrain at impossible speed, reaches a [Kaith](entity:character-recall-character-kaith-593ccead360c) grinding line, and chooses to fight his way through rather than be recaptured.

during the Second-Floor grinding campaign

The No-face Bounty

At the grinding site, [James “No-face” Elroy](entity:character-recall-character-james-no-face-elroy-eeca3c24d889) tries to erase Will’s memory again. [Loth](entity:character-recall-character-loth-6d9953698462) arrives and kills him with a pulley trap, triggering a floor-wide bounty announcement that identifies No-face as a trafficker and assassin and rewards Will and Loth with gold and experience.

after the No-face bounty

The Andover Scam

Will and [Loth](entity:character-recall-character-loth-6d9953698462) spend their bounty in [Skyhold](entity:location-recall-location-skyhold-65935c36bc9b) and visit the [Temple of Andover](entity:location-recall-location-temple-of-andover-eebbce3ada81) to regenerate Will’s missing hand. The miracle fails because [The Tower](entity:location-recall-location-the-tower-c8d0b2fb6d59) has claimed the limb, and the temple instead sells them [Steve Holland](entity:character-recall-character-steve-holland-f903133b811f), a supposedly valuable [Debtor](entity:state-recall-state-debtor-043b46d6f5b0) priest.

immediately after acquiring Steve Holland

The False Corpse

Steve apparently dies from a minor fall, but his body vanishes before Will and [Loth](entity:character-recall-character-loth-6d9953698462) can return it. The [Temple of Andover](entity:location-recall-location-temple-of-andover-eebbce3ada81) reveals that Steve’s real value is fifteen thousand gold and threatens them with a [Corpse Fine](entity:rule-recall-rule-corpse-fine-b87dac5b503a), exposing the priest’s elaborate fraud.

the same day as the false corpse

The Temple Pursuit

Using the [Goat Mask](entity:object-recall-object-goat-mask-15341aacd916) and Gravity [Charge](entity:concept-recall-concept-charge-a83f703efead), Will pursues Steve through the [Temple of Andover](entity:location-recall-location-temple-of-andover-eebbce3ada81) and across [Skyhold](entity:location-recall-location-skyhold-65935c36bc9b). He defeats the much higher-level Charlatan by disrupting his magic with Phantom Hand and forces him to reveal the location of his hidden assets.

after Steve’s recapture

The Tomahawk Contract

Will and [Loth](entity:character-recall-character-loth-6d9953698462) bind Steve with repeated [Tomahawk of the Serpent](entity:object-recall-object-tomahawk-of-the-serpen-d984f2d98134) agreements. Steve must reveal his assets, support the [Party](entity:concept-recall-concept-party-656659cf09b8), and accept death if those assets cannot pay the [Corpse Fine](entity:rule-recall-rule-corpse-fine-b87dac5b503a), turning a fraudulent captive priest into a temporary logistical adviser.

after returning to Skyhold

The Yeti Ice Cave

Steve leads Will and [Loth](entity:character-recall-character-loth-6d9953698462) to a hidden [Yeti](entity:creature-recall-creature-yeti-7171e39f0607) spawning ground beneath the Second-[Floor](entity:concept-recall-concept-floor-f0f9eb7dbde3) mountains. The [Party](entity:concept-recall-concept-party-656659cf09b8) enters the [Yeti Ice Cave](entity:location-recall-location-yeti-ice-cave-e3a7db55c959), where hoarfrost disguises an enormous ambush and forces Will to use Gravity [Charge](entity:concept-recall-concept-charge-a83f703efead), the [Tomahawk of the Serpent](entity:object-recall-object-tomahawk-of-the-serpen-d984f2d98134), and Loth’s traps to escape.

during the subsequent days

The Ice Cave Expedition

The [Party](entity:concept-recall-concept-party-656659cf09b8) systematically hunts the Yetis and recovers the equipment of dead Climbers. They discover Alicia Zodiac’s frozen body and collect her powerful Ranger [Relics](entity:object-recall-object-relics-cc0b8722119d), including the Headband of the Sharpshooter, while deciding to return her remains to Lord Zodiac rather than quietly sell them.

during the Ice Caves expedition

The Rescue of Mason

A [Kaith](entity:character-recall-character-kaith-593ccead360c) breach separates [Mason Lanover](entity:character-recall-character-mason-lanover-33c5f1102f07) from his [Party](entity:concept-recall-concept-party-656659cf09b8) as explosions destabilize the ice. Will uses Gravity [Charge](entity:concept-recall-concept-charge-a83f703efead) to catch Mason during his fall, and the rescue strengthens the complicated rivalry between Will and Mason while exposing the limits of Mason’s privileged preparation.

after returning from the Ice Caves

The Second-Floor Rewards

The [Party](entity:concept-recall-concept-party-656659cf09b8) pays Steve’s [Corpse Fine](entity:rule-recall-rule-corpse-fine-b87dac5b503a) and recovers a fortune from Alicia’s equipment. Steve offers to remain as a paid liaison, while Will and [Loth](entity:character-recall-character-loth-6d9953698462) purchase fire-resistant gear and prepare to move toward The [Third Floor](entity:location-recall-location-third-floor-744a3ab7ae21).

during the ascent to The Third Floor

The Sky Hare Key Site

Will and [Loth](entity:character-recall-character-loth-6d9953698462) follow a [Climber bus](entity:object-recall-object-climber-bus-50ef17ee8641) toward a [Key Site](entity:object-recall-object-key-site-9f31956c0299) overrun by aberrant Sky Hares. Will and other low-level Climbers contribute kills, but a white Boss hare emerges, forcing Will to fight alongside the reckless Decoy [Travis](entity:character-recall-character-travis-ad440e929598) and the Eldritch Fashionista [Carrie](entity:character-recall-character-carrie-b1f54942458b).

immediately after clearing the Sky Hare Key Site

The Third-Floor Bus Ambush

The group enters The [Third Floor](entity:location-recall-location-third-floor-744a3ab7ae21) and finds the [Climber bus](entity:object-recall-object-climber-bus-50ef17ee8641) under attack by organized bandits. [Brianna](entity:character-recall-character-brianna-82e4906c2be8) is dragged from the palanquin, and Will chooses to rescue her despite the danger, carrying her while using his mobility gear to break through the attackers’ pursuit.

during the first days on The Third Floor

The Fire-Mote Swarm

Will’s group flees a [Fire Mote Swarm](entity:creature-recall-creature-fire-mote-swarm-1ee24d7be641) that burns through [Brianna](entity:character-recall-character-brianna-82e4906c2be8)’s armor and pursues them across the ashlands. Will uses Misty Escape, Homefield Advantage, and the [Self-Loading Sling](entity:object-recall-object-self-loading-sling-edfa76fcebd0) while dragging his companions, then sells his boots and cloak to [Travis](entity:character-recall-character-travis-ad440e929598) during the escape.

after the Fire Mote Swarm escape

The Water from Snails

Traveling north toward a [Stronghold](entity:concept-recall-concept-stronghold-d4dc7f9d94ed), the group hunts Giant Snails for water. [Loth](entity:character-recall-character-loth-6d9953698462) harvests ice crystals from their [Hoarfrost](entity:state-recall-state-hoarfrost-7f735092e808) wounds, and the party gains a Mace of Second Sight and enough moisture to survive the [Third Floor](entity:location-recall-location-third-floor-744a3ab7ae21)’s heat.

near the northern Stronghold

The Dead City

The travelers discover [Oilton](entity:location-recall-location-oilton-4ea2e88c2e6c), a silent city whose streets are covered with violently killed inhabitants. Will infers that something physical massacred the population and that the city’s valuable infrastructure may soon attract a Lord seeking an uncontested [Demesne](entity:concept-recall-concept-demesne-f9e6352ea332).

inside Oilton’s water-tank district

The Tangled Truth

Will discovers the origin of the [Tangled](entity:character-recall-character-tangled-f77297f5e77b): a tortured young [Climber](entity:concept-recall-concept-climber-1abf0f5b8507) with a lobotomy, whose [Ability](entity:concept-recall-concept-ability-68e9ff08423f) creates identical multi-bodied monsters. The revelation connects [Oilton](entity:location-recall-location-oilton-4ea2e88c2e6c)’s destruction to the monster experiments seen on the Second [Floor](entity:concept-recall-concept-floor-f0f9eb7dbde3) and suggests that a Lord has been using people as disposable biological weapons.

after the Tangled discovery

The Dead-City Coalition

Will and [Loth](entity:character-recall-character-loth-6d9953698462) unite the surviving kobolds and [Jibleya](entity:creature-recall-creature-jibleya-4a7fe90dde09) looters inside [Oilton](entity:location-recall-location-oilton-4ea2e88c2e6c). Loth’s rare knowledge and status make him the natural leader of the kobolds, while Will uses negotiation, intimidation, and promises of leadership to create a multi-species coalition.

during the coalition’s preparation

The Bullet Wasp Sacrifice

Will gives [Loth](entity:character-recall-character-loth-6d9953698462) the [Bullet Wasp Larva](entity:object-recall-object-bullet-wasp-larva-7719f4a25dcb) he stole from [Travis](entity:character-recall-character-travis-ad440e929598)’s father’s office. The [Sacrifice](entity:concept-recall-concept-sacrifice-e297b7a553d8) upgrades Loth’s Vivarium abilities with a powerful projectile attack, deepening the partnership between them and giving the coalition a weapon capable of killing [Tangled](entity:character-recall-character-tangled-f77297f5e77b).

the night before Oilton’s attack

The Tangled Extermination Plan

The coalition observes the [Tangled](entity:character-recall-character-tangled-f77297f5e77b) and learns that they are dormant at night but proliferate rapidly during the day. [Loth](entity:character-recall-character-loth-6d9953698462) calculates that conventional extermination would be impossible, so the group devises a plan to weaponize [Oilton](entity:location-recall-location-oilton-4ea2e88c2e6c)’s water system and use the [Fire Mote Swarm](entity:creature-recall-creature-fire-mote-swarm-1ee24d7be641) against the city’s water tanks.

the following day

The Oilton Calamity

[Loth](entity:character-recall-character-loth-6d9953698462) rigs the [Oilton water tanks](entity:object-recall-object-oilton-water-tanks-7b6d475b9696) and oil lines while [Travis](entity:character-recall-character-travis-ad440e929598) lures the [Fire Mote Swarm](entity:creature-recall-creature-fire-mote-swarm-1ee24d7be641) toward the city. The resulting pressure cascade detonates [Oilton](entity:location-recall-location-oilton-4ea2e88c2e6c)’s oil infrastructure, destroying the [Stronghold](entity:concept-recall-concept-stronghold-d4dc7f9d94ed) and killing the [Tangled](entity:character-recall-character-tangled-f77297f5e77b) in a massive chain of explosions.

immediately after the Oilton explosion

The Thorn Effect

The destruction triggers a hidden [Wyrd family](entity:organization-recall-organization-wyrd-family-c0a1e90e0b4d) Thorn effect, setting [Loth](entity:character-recall-character-loth-6d9953698462)’s body ablaze even though he was not directly attacked. Will spends his remaining health potions and trades [Travis](entity:character-recall-character-travis-ad440e929598) a fortune in ivory for more, while the [Party](entity:concept-recall-concept-party-656659cf09b8) races toward healing and the [Wyrd](entity:creature-recall-creature-wyrd-22a1dc2e8c10) reclamation force closes in.

during the escape from Oilton

The Flight Attempt

Will discovers that Gravity [Charge](entity:concept-recall-concept-charge-a83f703efead) can target Phantom Hand, allowing him to pull himself and [Loth](entity:character-recall-character-loth-6d9953698462) through the sky at extraordinary speed. He experiences genuine flight for the first time, but the [Wyrd family](entity:organization-recall-organization-wyrd-family-c0a1e90e0b4d)’s agents intercept him and drag him from the air before he can reach safety.

immediately after the aerial interception

The Bandit Battle

Two [Climber](entity:concept-recall-concept-climber-1abf0f5b8507) bandits demand [Brianna](entity:character-recall-character-brianna-82e4906c2be8)’s location and refuse to heal [Loth](entity:character-recall-character-loth-6d9953698462). Will fights them while badly injured, using Homefield Advantage, Gravity [Charge](entity:concept-recall-concept-charge-a83f703efead), Phantom Hand, and the [Tomahawk of the Serpent](entity:object-recall-object-tomahawk-of-the-serpen-d984f2d98134) to survive until Loth’s recovering insects and the kobolds arrive.

after the bandit battle

The Fancy Inn Recovery

Will carries the burned [Loth](entity:character-recall-character-loth-6d9953698462) to [Coalton](entity:location-recall-location-coalton-e36f939b3212), where Steve heals her in a brothel mistakenly treated as a luxurious inn. Will and Loth recover, gain levels, and begin planning their next ascent while [Carrie](entity:character-recall-character-carrie-b1f54942458b) and [Brianna](entity:character-recall-character-brianna-82e4906c2be8) rest nearby.

during recovery in Coalton

The Relic Audit

Will and [Loth](entity:character-recall-character-loth-6d9953698462) examine [Relics](entity:object-recall-object-relics-cc0b8722119d) stolen from [Travis](entity:character-recall-character-travis-ad440e929598)’s father’s office. They identify powerful items including [Ring of Accuracy](entity:object-recall-object-ring-of-accuracy-77ece17b8f0b), [Amulet of Chain Casting](entity:object-recall-object-amulet-of-chain-castin-1d423e6e2497), [Banking Bangle](entity:object-recall-object-banking-bangle-a08fec4610ee), [Ring of Total Freedom](entity:object-recall-object-ring-of-total-freedom-1f8476e5ee8c), and [Amulet of Divine Favor](entity:object-recall-object-amulet-of-divine-favor-af05a284a226), selecting equipment that strengthens their respective Builds and planning how to use the rest as leverage.

near the end of the Third-Floor recovery

The Brianna Revelation

Will realizes that [Brianna](entity:character-recall-character-brianna-82e4906c2be8) is likely another experimental [Tangled](entity:character-recall-character-tangled-f77297f5e77b), secretly sent toward the [Seventh Floor](entity:location-recall-location-seventh-floor-efd9cdcc5ae4) under a Capital-C [Contract](entity:concept-recall-concept-contract-9059695e386a). He suspects that her contract will end upon arrival, after which she may be tortured into producing an army of monsters, but he lacks the power to rescue her without endangering his own [Party](entity:concept-recall-concept-party-656659cf09b8).

the ending

The Final Resolution

Unable to save [Brianna](entity:character-recall-character-brianna-82e4906c2be8) directly, Will gives her the [Ring of Total Freedom](entity:object-recall-object-ring-of-total-freedom-1f8476e5ee8c), hoping it will help her resist restraints or escape once her [Contract](entity:concept-recall-concept-contract-9059695e386a) ends. The novel closes with [Loth](entity:character-recall-character-loth-6d9953698462) converting Will’s painful knowledge into a new purpose: hunting the [Wyrd family](entity:organization-recall-organization-wyrd-family-c0a1e90e0b4d) responsible for the [Tangled](entity:character-recall-character-tangled-f77297f5e77b) conspiracy and the attack on their [Party](entity:concept-recall-concept-party-656659cf09b8).