← The Compendium
mechanic
The River
The presence in the back of Carl's mind that he hoped would end with the ring's destruction.
Story so far
Carl had hoped The River would be left behind with the destruction of the ring. Instead, in a quiet moment as the crawlers filed into the stairwells, he thought he heard distant laughing deep in the back of his mind — and it came from within the river.
The laughter sounded distinctly like Eris, goddess of chaos, which terrified him.
Role
The persistent inner presence that proves Carl has not escaped what he thought he'd escaped.
Relationships
Carl — Carries it in the back of his mind and hoped to be rid of it
Eris — Her laughter is heard from within it
Earlier in this series
Also appears in books you've already read — spoiler-safe to their endings:
- The Butcher's MasqueradeBook 5
- The Eye of the Bedlam BrideBook 6
Sources — 4 recorded facts, by chapter
Chapter 57
- The presence Carl carries inside him, which grows a little at the edges when he nearly coerces an ally.
Chapter 72
- No longer a river but a constant never-ending torrent that was never water, carrying Shi Maria's voice.
Chapter 75
- The torrent beneath Carl that he finally recognizes, under psionic assault, as souls rather than water.
Chapter 98
- The presence in the back of Carl's mind that he hoped would end with the ring's destruction.