History Characters / CradleSeriesDreadgodsAndCults

* SoProudOfYou: As he considers himself Yerin's mentor, [[[spoiler: he has this reaction to her FusionDance with Ruby.]] As she does not reciprocate the feeling, she's quite upset for her part.

* HeroicSacrifice: He could regenerate after his fight with [[spoiler: Redmoon but instead he uses the [[TakingYouWithMe last of his energy]] to kill the [[AnimalisticAbomination Bleeding Phoenix's avatar]] and stop it from killing Yerin.

* HeroicSacrifice: He could regenerate after his fight with [[spoiler:Redmoon but instead he uses the [[TakingYouWithMe last of his energy]] to kill the [[AnimalisticAbomination Bleeding Phoenix's avatar]] and stop it from killing Yerin.

* ForScience: Red Faith will do absolutely anything and make any sacrifice for knowledge. At one point in ''Dreadgod'', [[spoiler:Yerin leaves to power up and come back]]. He gets upset, since he considers her value to magical science to be so high that he'd rather she just flee and leave him to die.

* [[Characters/CradleSeriesAbidanAndVroshir Abidan and Vroshir]] [[note]] Abidan, Vroshir [[/note]]

* [[Characters/CradleSeriesMainCharacters Main Characters]] [[note]] Lindon, Yerin, Eithan, Orthos, Lil' Blue, Mercy, Dross [[/note]]

Four immensely powerful Dreadbeasts that wander the world, searching for something buried in the great labyrinth. They spend most of their time asleep, and a single one awakening is a regional catastrophe that requires the direct intervention of a Monarch. The last time all four awakened at once, the previous generation of Monarchs was wiped out.

* DarkSecret: [[spoiler:They were created by a group of researchers hoping to use the [[EldritchLocation Labyrinth]] to focus and contain the [[HorrorHunger artificial Hunger Aura]] created by [[PhysicalGod Monarchs]] that refuse to ascend. Interestingly enough [[GoneHorriblyRight it worked]], reducing the danger of all other dreadbeasts. Unfortunately, they escaped containment and began their endless campaigns of destruction, but there's still an argument to be made that this is a better situation than what the world had to contend with before]]. The ''real'' secret, however, is that [[spoiler:if the Monarchs just left, Hunger aura would dry up and all the dreadbeasts would die in short order]].

* HufflepuffHouse: The Silent Servants get almost no attention, unlike the other cults. In fact, it's not even clear if they have their own identities, or if their minds are completely enslaved by their Dreadgod.
* ItIsDehumanizing: The Dreadgods are typically referred to as "it," highlighting their alien and monstrous nature. The occasional use of "he" slips in, and the Bleeding Phoenix is referred to as a "mother." The Silent King uses male pronouns in its own chapter.
* {{Kaiju}}: Several times larger than any other lifeform in Cradle, with the exception of the Silent King which is described as roughly the size of a large elephant.

* ResurrectiveImmortality: [[spoiler:Any Dreadgod that is killed (including Subject One) will eventually reconstitute, unless the Monarchs leave Cradle in the meantime and starve them of Hunger aura. Reigan Shen's plan was to loophole this process by becoming the new Subject One before he could resurrect]].

* DarkSecret: It knows that it only exists due to Cradle having [[PhlebotinumOverload too many Monarchs]], which creates artificial [[MagicByAnyOtherName Hunger Madra]]. If they would ascend then its power would almost completely disappear.

* ItCanThink: [[spoiler:During the events of Wintersteel, Lindon using his new Consume ability absorbs some of the Wandering Titan's thoughts. It has one overriding emotion: the desire to go home.]]

* TakingYouWithMe: [[spoiler:How he feels at the end of his fight with Lindon, that even though it cost his subordinate her arm and that he may never heal fully, [[WrongGenreSavvy at least he took out Lindon]].]]
* WrongGenreSavvy: [[spoiler: Thinks that Lindon is burning a suicidal amount of [[{{Mana}} Madra]] to fend him and his cult members off, with anyone else he would be right, with Lindon it barely used half of his Pure Core and none of his Blackflame Core.]]

A giant phoenix that takes over the entire horizon when it flies. It constantly releases blood shadows that go out to bring it food (i.e. people). It awakens when Jai Daishou opens the Labyrinth, but was (temporarily) beaten back by Akura Malice. It hasn't gone back to sleep, however, and is simply biding its time for the rest of its siblings to awaken.

* BloodMagic: It's in its name. It can use Blood madra to the point [[spoiler: where it can resurrect itself in the unlikely event that it's killed]].

* CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass: He resembles a skeleton with skin to most people, and he has extremely strange mannerisms, but he is widely acknowledged as an incredibly strong Sage, able to match the Winter Sage blow-for-blow and utterly defeating [[spoiler: Archlord]] Eithan.
** He shrugs off the Silent King's attempt to control him.

* DidntThinkThisThrough: [[spoiler:While waiting for Northstrider in his office he attacks The Winter Sage because he knows that Northstrider won't kill him due to an agreement with the Abidan and other Monarchs. Northstrider stops the fight and proceeds punch him clear out of the city. It won't kill the Red Sage, but it'll definitely hurt.]]

* ForScience: Red Faith will do absolutely anything and make any sacrifice for knowledge. At one point in ''Dreadgod'', [[spoiler:Yerin starts to run away from a fight where she was on his side, then after some reflection decides to power up and come back. He gets upset... when he senses her ''powering up to come back'', since he considers her value to magical science to be so high that he'd rather she just flee and leave him to die.]]
* HeroicSacrifice: [[spoiler:He could have regenerated after his fight with Redmoon but if he had the [[AnimalisticAbomination Bleeding Phoenix's avatar]] would have killed Yerin, so he instead he took the last of his energy and threw right into the [[TakingYouWithMe Avatar's face]].]]

* SpannerInTheWorks: it is revealed in ''Dreadgod'' that, like all monarchs or sages/heralds considered likely to become Monarchs, he is aware that [[spoiler: the Dreadgods only exist because of, and are fueled by, the hunger aura generated by the Monarchs that refuse to ascend beyond Cradle, and was bound by an oath to not reveal this knowledge to anyone who is not aware. Thing is… he swore that oath to the ''previous'' generation of Monarchs, who are all long dead, and none of the current generation thought to make sure he was still bound. Which means that he’s able to freely explain it to Yerin when Lindon cannot, and allows her to freely share that information with the entire planet.]]

A student of the Sage of the Red Faith and representative of Red Moon Hall in both Ghostwater and The Uncrowned King Tournament. Her Blood Shadow manifests either as a controllable pool of blood or a giant creature that looks like a mix between a rabbit, a gorilla, and a porcupine.

* AxCrazy: When we first meet her she wants to attack anyone and everyone around her and gives an insane rant to Lindon before disappearing. [[spoiler:This is a case of ShellShockedVeteran as she has made so many enemies defending her city that for a little bit she came to see everyone as working for them.]]

* CreepyCute: Invoked, at least from her perspective. [[spoiler:She named her Blood Shadow "Crusher", and thinks that it's the cutest thing in the world.]]
* FriendToAllChildren: [[spoiler:In Wintersteel we see that she always tries to look out for children, unfortunately because she looks like Sadako from The Ring children always run in terror of her.]]
* HeroOfAnotherStory: [[spoiler:Only bonded with a Blood Shadow because it was the least expensive/easiest path of power. She is the defender of an entire city and they call her their guardian spirit.]]

* MyMasterRightOrWrong: Averted. She doesn't agree with Red Faith or Reigan Shen at all, the only reason she serves them [[spoiler:is to gain enough power to protect her city.]]

* HiveMind: It controls anything with a mind into a massive network where everyone acts for the greater good.

* SquishyWizard: By Dreadgod standards, it is extremely fragile--even the average Herald can defeat it in combat. Of course, it's still completely immortal. [[spoiler:When Lindon manages to kill it, its last thoughts are that ''maybe'' some more physical strength wouldn't have been a bad idea.]]

* ItCanThink: It was once a sapient creature, but is now so consumed by its hunger that it can't think, but when it sleeps it dreams of the past and weeps for what it lost.

* {{Seers}}: Among all the Dreadgod cultists, he is the one with the most ability to see Fate. Reigan Shen consults him when he needs detailed information on the future. [[spoiler:When the Mad King appears in the sky, he starts ''screaming''.]]

* DroppedABridgeOnHim: [[spoiler:Gets a decent bit of the spotlight for a non-main character, we learn his background a little bit, and he even gets a chapter of his own. Then he takes part in Reigan Shen's assassination plot and Lindon [[VampiricDraining Consumes him]].]]

* ShockAndAwe: A defining trait for those in the Stormcaller Cult, he is able to form Lightening Dragons in the shape of the Weeping Dragon itself and launch them at his enemies.

* ItCanThink: Unlike the other Dreadgods, it retains its full intelligence and willpower; if it didn't, it would be zero threat, since Dream madra needs intelligence behind it to be at all dangerous.

* YouKilledMyFather: Invoked and played with. Redmoon's remnant ''claims'' to have killed Yerin's family in order to get her angry enough to power-up; after she's mastered the technique he was trying to teach her, she calms down and asks him if he actually did, and he says that [[ButForMeItWasTuesday he genuinely doesn't remember]], since she wasn't important at the time.