Gandalf
First appears in Book 4: Heaven’s River, chapter 1 (1. Frenemies)
Appearances
What you know
Book 4: Heaven’s River
- Ch 9Gandalf represents the Gamers, who will plan how to get drones and later androids into the megastructure.
- Ch 11Gandalf reasons that across a billion miles the builders must rely on automated alerts, so killing sensors at source avoids detection.
- Ch 14Gandalf's plan is to ferry Quinlan mannies one at a time in mining-drone collection bins, since the Spin Transfer system can't be used undetected.
- Ch 17Gandalf coordinates the insertion remotely, flying the expedition one at a time to the inner shell in a mining drone.
- Ch 23Gandalf's private VR resembles Orthanc, with La-Z-Boy couches.
Connections
- leadsThe Gamersrepresentative
- member ofThe Gamers
- copied intoKevina descendant, about twenty-fourth generation
- friend ofBill
Key moments
- Book 4 · Ch 9Expedition planning group formed
Bob gathers volunteer representatives—Gandalf of the Gamers, Hugh of the Skippies and Locutus of the Borg—to formalize roles for the topopolis expedition.
- Book 4 · Ch 11Drones piggyback into the topopolis
Cloaked drones ride docking Boojums into the topopolis space dock, narrowly avoid a maintenance bot, and slip into maintenance passages.
- Book 4 · Ch 11Breaking into the interior
The drones cross to the rotating inner shell via the empty Spin Transfer ring, defang the airlock alarms, climb the stairs and tunnel out beneath the transit station.
- Book 4 · Ch 11Spy drones released
Sparrow-sized camouflaged spy drones are released inside the topopolis to eavesdrop on the Snarks.
- Book 4 · Ch 14Council of war
Bob's team agrees to field-test mannies on Quin, ferry the expedition mannies in one at a time, travel as a four-member sabbat, and start digging an entry tunnel.
- Book 4 · Ch 17Expedition enters Heaven's River
The four-manny expedition crosses between the shells, rides a mining drone to the inner shell one by one, climbs the stairs of a transit station and emerges into the habitat.
- Book 4 · Ch 23Gamers withdraw from the project
Bill confronts Gandalf about the Gamers leaving surveys of Heaven's River and Quin unfinished; Gandalf says they're done unless given a new puzzle.
- Book 4 · Ch 51Kevin's golem betrayal
In the Pits of Paebak campaign, Kevin reveals he set up the dungeon to kill Bill's character with a golem, but Tim steals the control scroll and the golem crushes Kevin.
- Book 4 · Ch 51Gandalf's lesson on drift
Bill asks Gandalf about Kevin's un-Bob-like behaviour; Gandalf explains drift has made the Gamers more interesting, and Bill resolves to see everyone as individuals.
- Book 4 · Ch 63ANEC ends the era of control
After a deal with Hugh, ANEC 23 appears in the sky to announce no more scatterings and an end to its controls, then releases Bob, Hugh and Bender, who leave Heaven's River.
- Book 5 · Ch 36Gamers brief Howard and Bridget on dragon culture
Gandalf tells Howard and Bridget the dragon analysis is nearly done and warns that dragon society is in turmoil, with a conqueror annexing floating islands.