Dreadgods

Dreadgods are the most powerful living beings on Cradle. They are the prime cause of death among Monarchs. They are virtually immortal. However, there is a way they can be done away with, explained in Reaper. Little is known about how they were created, but like Dreadbeasts, hunger madra is key. We learn a little more about some possible explanations for these beasts in book 10, Reaper.

Sacred Valley , Labyrinth

The Dreadgods are connected to the four holy peaks of Sacred Valley and to the ancient Labyrinth beneath the valley, that spans the Ashwind continent and runs beneath the Trackless Sea. There are several entrances to the labyrinth around the continent, doors marked with symbols of Dreadgods. Sacred Valley has two entrances to the Labyrinth. The easiest to access is the Nethergate, at the base of Yoma Mountain. That gate opens once every ten years, allowing access to nearby rooms only. The second gate in Sacred Valley is near Heaven’s Glory School. It is through the Ancestor’s Tomb, high on Mount Samara. In book 1, Li Markuth referred to the Dreadgods as 'the Four Beasts' when he returned to Sacred Valley, in Unsouled.

Dread Wars

A Monarch cannot withstand a Dreadgod. In the Dread Wars, the previous generation of Monarchs was all but eradicated, with only 2 out of 12 surviving following a combined attack on the Wandering Titan, which woke up the rest of his brothers.

“They are...disasters. Four monsters, big enough to blot out the sky, hungry for destruction, and so powerful that the most advanced sacred artists in the world have to join forces to drive them off. Drive them off, you understand. None of the Dreadgods have ever been killed.” “They're sacred beasts?” “Corrupted ones. Like the dreadbeasts of the Desolate Wilds, they were warped and twisted by their own powers.” “They're scattered all over the world. They burrow into a secure location and wait for decades...but when they wake up, they're hungry. Fortunately for humanity, no two have woken at the same time in centuries. But the last time they did, they destroyed the original Blackflame Empire.” Skysworn Cradle Book 4, (pp. 106-107)

The Four Five Beasts

1. The Weeping Dragon
2. The Silent King
3. The Wandering Titan
4. The Bleeding Phoenix
5. Subject One — also a Dreadgod, although few people know it. The first one. (Bloodline, ch 20)

In Bloodline, Lion Emperor and Monarch Reagan Shen reveals that Subject One is also a Dreadgod, as he enters the Labyrinth via the Nethergate on Yoma Mountain.

The last chunk of masonry rolled away, revealing a towering stone door. It was carved with the image of a gaunt, sunken human with many grasping hands, its eyes hollow and mouth open unnaturally wide. This was Subject One, at least as he had appeared long ago. A Dreadgod, though few knew that. The man who had become warped by hunger aura. The origin of their bloodline.’ (Bloodline, ch 20)

Four Dreadgod Cults

Each known Dreadgod is followed by a cult, comprised of sacred artists who follow their monster and benefit from the destruction it creates. The Paths of the cults seem to use the same aspects as their Dreadgods, borrowing power from them to create Blood Shadows and Living Lightning, etc. etc.

1. Redmoon Hall, with their Blood Shadows in a thousand different forms. Bleeding Phoenix
2. Abyssal Palace, their faces concealed beneath hoods and stony masks. Wandering Titan
3. The Silent Servants, whose mouths are bound. Silent King
4. The Stormcallers, who ring their arms in scripts that crackle with lightning. Weeping Dragon

The cults of the four Dreadgods (-Underlord, epilogue)

In the epilogue of Underlord, Shen recruits the four cults to his cause, to represent him in the upcoming Uncrowned King Tournament.

The full list of cults and their known members can be found in the Factions page.