Huanxin’s Bargain
The clandestine deal struck in Yemaya's temple that pulls Carl into the Ascendency game. Through her sponsored goddess Eileithyia, the Grixist schemer Huanxin Jinx offers Carl terms by AI-blind deity message: when Odette reaches orbit and offers to be the party's Faction-Wars Adjutant, accept, and in return Huanxin guarantees the votes to turn off the ninth floor's team protections (Carl's true goal), clears Katia's Sepsis Crown problem, and ensures Carl, Katia and Donut survive to the twelfth floor to help her seize the Celestial Throne. Carl may tell no one (not Mordecai, not Odette, not even out loud) on pain of having everyone he loves destroyed. Anton died in the same temple scene, killed by Ogun, just before the bargain was struck. It entangles the party in whatever Huanxin is engineering to get Odette down to the floor with the protections off.
Book 6 appearances
- Chapter 17 — Struck in Yemaya’s temple: accept Odette as Adjutant and Huanxin clears Katia’s Crown, turns off Floor-9 protections, and carries the party to Floor 12.
- Chapter 36 — The plan wobbles when Odette declines to be adjutant (she’s entering the crawl as Nekhebit); Carl names Baroness Victory instead and prays Huanxin still honors the deal.
Related entries
- Huanxin Jinx (Character)
- Eileithyia (Character)
- Odette (Character)
- Katia Grim (Character)
- Carl (Character)
- The Celestial Ascendency (Lore)
- Baroness Victory, Esq. (Character)
Browse
- All Events & Milestones
- Everything debuting in Book 6, Chapter 17
- All of The Eye of the Bedlam Bride