Sacred Valley

Sacred Valley is forbidden and restricted, held in the iron fist of the distant Monarch, Akura Malice. This “cursed valley” is on the western border of the Blackflame Empire. It is home to almost a million people, living within three clan territories - the Wei clan, the Li clan, and the Kazan clan.  There are also some criminals and outcasts roaming the valley.

Map of Sacred Valley in Akura Territory

Key Residents

The main protagonist in the Cradle series, Wei Shi Lindon Arelius is from the Wei clan, the only son of the Shi family. Lindon’s sister is Wei Shi Kelsa. His father is Wei Shi Jaran. His mother, Wei Shi Seisha, is the soulsmith for the clan. Another key character is Elder Whisper, an ancient sacred beast, a white snow fox with five tails and the ability to create illusions with light aura and foxfire. He is usually locked in his white tower.

Landmarks

The most important landmark in Sacred Valley is the ancient mysterious Labyrinth, located beneath the valley and within the mountains. It has two entrances: 1) through the Nethergate at the foot of Yoma Mountain and 2) through the immense Ancestor’s Tomb, high on Mount Samara. Another important landmark is the tall white tower where the Wei clan keeps Elder Whisper locked up much of the time.

Geography

The four mountains bracketing Sacred Valley are known to the locals as the “holy peaks,” locations of myth and mystery. The four sacred arts schools in the region have each claimed a peak as their home, and the secrets found within have given these organizations strong roots. 

To the north, Yoma Mountain is carpeted in purple orus trees for most of the year. The Fallen Leaf School processes the fruits of these trees into products to be sold, as well as secret elixirs to strengthen their own students. They also possess the largest and most obvious entrance into the labyrinth that forms the foundation of the entire Sacred Valley, an entrance they call the Nethergate. The door stands thirty meters high, and is carved with the image of a Dreadgod. Every ten years, it opens, and the Fallen Leaf elders are able to retrieve some treasures from the shallowest levels of the labyrinth within.

To the west, Mount Venture shows off its distinct mineral composition with rust-red cliffs. It is the shortest of the four peaks, and most of the mining in Sacred Valley takes place here. This is the home of the Kazan clan and the territory of the Golden Sword School. The profits of the mine are split between them. Goldsteel and halfsilver are the primary output of these mines, though a further report can be requested on especially rare or trivially mundane materials.

To the south rises The Greatfather. The top of the mountain is broken, its peak shattered into a shape resembling the mouth of a bottle. Water pools up there, cascading down the cliffs in a stream known as the Dragon River. Fueled by the water aura at the top of the mountain, storms wrack these slopes year-round, and the Holy Wind School maintains shelters for unlucky travelers caught outside. Holy Wind School elders can bathe in the pool at the top, known as Greatfather’s Tears, regenerating their vitality of body and spirit. The Li clan live in this area.

To the east, Mount Samara rises as the tallest of the four holy peaks. It is blanketed in snow, and crowned in a ring of pale white light, called Samara's Halo, that circles the summit. The halo appears at sundown and disappears at sunrise, so that no one in Sacred Valley has ever experienced a dark night. Samara’s halo is a construction of light aura bound into form by an expert millennia past, and it is the reason why so many sacred artists in the valley practice light-aspect arts. The Heaven’s Glory School has claimed this peak, using the power of Samara’s ring to gather light aura even on a moonless night. The Ancestor’s Tomb is near the top of the mountain. The Wei clan claims the countryside beneath Mount Samara.

Surrounding Territory

Sacred Valley is surrounded by mountains. It is on the western border of the Blackflame Empire. To the west of Sacred Valley is Sky’s Edge, where wintersteel is mined.

Sacred Arts in the Valley

The people of Sacred Valley have isolated themselves in their valley. They are afraid of the outside world. Moreover, they have been isolated by Monarch Akura Malice, as well as by mountains and sea. They have limited and flawed knowledge of the sacred arts, including the nature of madra. As such they are ignorant and weak compared to citizens of the Blackflame Empire and beyond. They believe that Jade is the highest rank and few of their members ever achieve it. To them the rank of Gold is mythical.

They also think that each user of madra is limited at birth to be either an Enforcer, a Ruler, a Striker, or a Forger, and that it is impossible for an individual to learn techniques outside their own category.

Dampening Effect

It is now confirmed that the entire Sacred Valley — including the holy peaks — is constantly influenced by a strong suppression effect. This both restricts the locals from advancing past Jade and reduces outsiders to Jade over a short time. This suppression affects everyone, dampening their power, including Lords, Monarchs, Dreadgods. The effect is ancient, caused by something placed under the holy peaks, inside the Labyrinth.

Spiritual Origin Test

Every six months the clans of the Sacred Valley hold a Spiritual Origin test. Untested children of ages six, seven, or eight come wearing formal clothing and, one by one, place a hand into a bowl full of liquid madra. The reaction of the madra reveals "the nature of their spirit" as determined by the heavens.

If it sticks to their hand, they are an Enforcer. If it flees from their hand, they are a Striker. If it rises, they are a Ruler. If it freezes, they are a Forger. If it does nothing, they are Unsouled, empty, shamed by the heavens. They have failed the test and will take it again at the next opportunity.
Wei Shi Lindon took the test seventeen times and was Unsouled every time.