King Rust
Names: King Rustthe Maestro's dadRustPrince Rust
First appears in Book 1: Dungeon Crawler Carl, chapter 48 (Epilogue)
Appearances
What you know
Book 1: Dungeon Crawler Carl
- Ch 48King Rust of the Skull Empire, the Maestro's father, has recently arrived in Earth orbit and stayed quiet about the snick controversy.
Book 7: This Inevitable Ruin
- Ch 40King Rust, father of Prince Stalwart and the Maestro, has unexpectedly joined the orc army as a war chief.
- Ch 40King Rust is level 78, rides a Swamp Yak named Gonk, fights with a whip and knows dozens of spells.
- Ch 41Up close, King Rust looks tired, old and slumped in his saddle, and appears to be crying.
- Ch 42King Rust wears a Ring of Divine Suffering and seems resigned to death, calling all three of his children idiots.
- Ch 42Rust asks Carl to plead with Formidable on behalf of Earth's people, and agrees to withdraw his armies.
- Ch 42Rust admits Architect Houston is the only living creature he fears.
- Ch 43Volteeg believes King Rust fed segregated former-crawler mercenaries to his Ring of Divine Suffering, gaining levels.
- Ch 80Long ago, then-Prince Rust killed the crawler Brooks by pulling him through a portal; Rosetta later decapitated Rust in revenge.
- Ch 94King Rust brought a harem of non-combatant courtesans into the dungeon; three escaped via the Desperado Club's Cosmic Lounge to the 18th floor.
Connections
- leadsSkull Clan
- family ofThe Maestrofather
- enemy ofCarl
- family ofCrown Prince Stalwartcrown prince
- family ofBaroness Victorysister-in-law
- related toRosetta Thagrahas history with him
- related toGonkhis mount
- family ofPrincess Formidablefather
- enemy ofRosetta Thagra
- enemy ofBrookskilled him
Key moments
- Book 1 · Ch 48Odette's interview
On Odette's show, Carl addresses the Pork Boy Snick and the Skull Empire, denying involvement while keeping his challenge to the Maestro open.
- Book 2 · Ch 19Carl calls for revolt against the Skull Empire
Asked about unrest in the Skull Empire, Carl tells its people to overthrow King Rust and the former Prince Maestro. Tucker warns that advocating sedition is a crime; most of the audience cheers.
- Book 2 · Ch 26Odette's private warnings
Odette privately warns Carl about Grull, a possible Skull Empire deity sponsorship, and Hekla's designs on Donut.
- Book 7 · Ch 40King Rust arrives with the northern army
A massive enemy army masses outside the Posse castle, and Donut discovers the orc leader is King Rust himself, not Prince Stalwart.
- Book 7 · Ch 40Rust requests a parlay
King Rust rides up alone asking for an official parlay, and Donut calls for Kibben to ready the howdah.
- Book 7 · Ch 41Riding out to parlay
Donut rides Ferdinand's rhino Simoom in a howdah to match King Rust's mount, and she and Carl head out under a parlay shield to meet him.
- Book 7 · Ch 42Parlay with King Rust
A grieving King Rust reveals that Princess Formidable is flying to trigger the system failsafe, and agrees to withdraw his army if Carl pleads with her for Earth.
- Book 7 · Ch 42Rosetta kills King Rust
As Rust rides back, Rosetta bursts from the ground and decapitates him with a whip; his enraged army of tens of thousands charges.
- Book 7 · Ch 43Bloc fractures after Rust's death
Rosetta's killing of King Rust and Formidable's revelations split the Bloc; Hortense claims leadership against Stalwart and orders a full attack on the Posse.
- Book 7 · Ch 44Looting King Rust
Amid the enemy charge, Rosetta uses King Rust's corpse to authorise a bank transfer while Carl takes the body into his inventory; robed war mages on clockwork mounts approach.