Icons

Editing note — in the books, Sage and Icon are capitalized. All advancement levels are capitalized, actually.

• See also Monarch factions
• See List of Heralds

Icon

Icons are among the many Magical Items on Cradle, but they come from the Way and are inherently a function of the Way. Even the Void Icon comes from the blue orderly Way. An Icon is an embodiment of a concept greater than humanity and the mark of a Sage. Those who are able to manifest an Icon gain the ability to command reality itself and to brush against The Way. Below is a list of all currently known Icons with the corresponding Sage.

• See also Advancing to Sage

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Bow Icon, Archer Icon:

“A woman with a bow taps into the power of all who have used bows, of what it means to wield a bow,” she continued. “You are not just an archer. You are a fragment of The Archer, the single template of all archery. The bow is one of the deepest symbols of all.” There was a trace of that concept in her mother’s archery. The Bow Icon, The Archer, whatever you wanted to call it. (Reaper, ch 17)

An Icon is a powerful symbol. It is a signature of Authority, bestowed by the mystical Way. A Lord manifests an Icon when the Way recognizes him/her as the living embodiment of a concept.

"To become a Sage, you have to contact a greater power, a symbol of a greater concept of reality. We call that symbol an Icon.” (Wintersteel, ch 7, Min Shuei the Winter Sage, speaking to Yerin)

“In the past, the concept of a Sage was much more. . .fluid. . .than it is today. When manifesting an Icon, it is very important to understand the significance of your madra and to sense it deeply. Equally important is some kind of technique to regularly train your willpower. For years. An exercise that pushes your focus and concentration ever further, and that most people would give up or abandon for easier trails…. . . “Now, the specific Icon you manifest depends not only on the nature of your madra currently, but on a concept that has always been core to your identity. Even in childhood." (Wintersteel, ch 27, Eithan speaking to Lindon)

List of Known Icons

In alphabetical order. Add more finds to the list

• Archer or Bow - Larian of the Eight-Man Empire
• Blood — Sage of Red Faith (he seems to have forgotten his given name)
• Broom - Ozmanthus Arelius, historically
• Death — Ozmanthus Arelius / Ozriel the Reaper
• Dragon — Northstrider, who is now a Monarch, manifested the Dragon Icon at Sage level (Uncrowned, ch 20)
• Heart — Akura Charity Sage of Silver Heart
• Hunger - Icon was manifested by Subject One's binding.
• Oracle - Cladia Arelius Sage of a Thousand Eyes
• Points - (Lindon, in bloopers)
• Shadow - Akura Malice, now a Monarch, manifested the Shadow Icon when she was a Sage (Reaper ch 1)
• Shield - Ziel in Waybound
• Storm - Sage of Calling Storms, Stormcallers cult (no name given yet)
• Strength — Akura Fury That’s called the Strength Icon, or the Fist Icon, or the Symbol of Bodily Power (Wintersteel ch 25)
• Sword - Timaias Adama, Sage of the Endless Sword, also Min Shuei and Sage of Fallen Blades:

  Technically there were three Sages of their generation who had manifested the Sword Icon: the Sage of the Endless Sword, the Sage of Fallen Blades, and herself [Min Shuei]. Among them, the only one that used the title of the Sword Sage was Adama, the Endless Sword, though it could apply to any of the three. (Wintersteel ch 6)

• Void - Wei Shi Lindon Arelius Sage of Twin Stars, Twin Star Sect
• Winter - Min Shuei Sage of the Frozen Blade (she later manifested the Sword Icon)

  I manifested the Winter Icon first. I became a symbol of ice, of cold, of all things that freeze and are frozen. Only later did I also reflect the Sword Icon.” (Wintersteel ch 7)

A few Icons are manifested by Monarch Emriss Silentborn

Will Wight: “The oldest Monarch is Emriss Silentborn and she only has a couple of Icons. Her connection to them is just very thorough.” (Archive 1822)

There is a Sage in the Wastelands, but we know little to nothing more. The powerful sacred artists in the Wasteland are independent and unaffiliated but sometimes they ally with another, for a cause or perhaps for some gain.

Miles behind Malice, the unaffiliated experts of the Wasteland received her transmitted message and removed their veils. Three Heralds, a Sage, and five ancient Archlords. (Reaper, ch 9)

Void Icon

Some excerpts describing the Void Icon / Sage:

• “The Void Icon had a good connection to spatial abilities (Reaper, ch 1)
• Finally, Ziel realized where that chill was coming from. He wasn’t talking to Lindon anymore. That was the Void Sage. ..The pressure he’d felt in that moment was difficult for him to even process. (Reaper ch 3)
• “He stretched out to the Void Icon. Emptiness, hunger, and nonexistence. (Reaper, ch 7)
• “The same all-consuming hunger that reminded him of the Void Icon. Identical to the aura that had flooded out the night before. Hunger aura. (Reaper, ch 9)
• “I don’t want to win by giving something up. I want it all. I want all of it.” The fury of the Void Icon faded, and he coughed a little in embarrassment. “. . if you’re willing, of course.” (Reaper, ch 16)
• “. . .he was pulling something into existence, and out of nothingness. That resonated with the Void Icon, but he wasn’t sure exactly how” (Reaper, ch 18)

Void Icon & Vroshir Void

• See also Vroshir

Question & Answer with Will Wight:

Questioner: Does the Void in the 'Void Sage' have any connection to the Vroshir 'Void'?

Will Wight: Ah, sort of, yeah. In the sense that the Void is just what they call the empty expanse outside of existence. And the Void Icon is the concept of non-existence or emptiness as reflected in the Way. So, its power does come from the Way, like any Icon does, so in that regard its not coming from The Void, it is coming from the Way. But you would be able to potentially, that is one potential use of the Void Icon is tapping into The Void. (Archive1823)

Oracle Icon

In Book #8, Cladia Arelius, Sage of a Thousand Eyes, is clearly called the Oracle Sage, by Eithan himself. (Wintersteel ch 7). However, in book 10, Eithan makes a telling statement:

If I’m close to Sage—especially the Oracle Icon, which I was once considered a prime candidate to manifest—then I could be picking up hints of another Sage or Monarch’s working. It could be a working you are too inexperienced to recognize, or something too far away from the realm of the Void Icon.” (Reaper ch 7)