Dungeon Cull Pressure

Story so far

Earth begins the eighth floor with more than thirty-eight thousand crawlers after cooperation improves sixth-floor survival and nobody dies on the skipped seventh. Mordecai quietly removes the live survivor count from the personal space.

Historical seasons average just under eight thousand entrants to floor nine, with one known season admitting only five hundred. Fewer than one thousand usually reach floor ten, sometimes none, and average floor-eleven participation falls below ten because most remaining crawlers die or accept deals.

Carl interprets breakable doors, scarce keys, Demon Eviction, and zombie swarms as a self-balancing effort to reduce excess survivors while making the losses entertaining.

Appearance

An hourglass of crawler markers being rapidly drained toward historical floor-nine, ten, and eleven thresholds.

Role

Cull pressure explains why nominal fairness bends against an unusually successful cooperative generation.

Relationships