The Bleeding Phoenix

The Bleeding Phoenix is one of Cradle's four Dreadgods, a corrupted red phoenix with wings large enough to stretch across the horizon (Skysworn, ch 16). It is worshipped by the cult of Redmoon Hall. These unpleasant sacred artists advance to higher ranks via bloodshadows.

First Appearance in the Series

BLEEDING PHOENIX was the first Dreadgod to awaken in years (Skysworn, Chapter 12). The Blackflame Empire wasn’t expecting it, and the Skysworn (Organization was caught off guard. Many people died from the Phoenix, and also from its ruthless Redmoon Hall followers. Yerin herself felt that it attracted her blood belt.

Blame Makiel

It turns out that Makiel the Hound of Fate, a Judge in the Abidan, nudged the Dreadgod Bleeding Phoenix awake, supposedly to reset Fate. Makiel wanted to undo the meddling with Fate he felt Ozriel had done by leaving a black marble for his blond descendant to find, millennia later. Makiel felt it was unacceptable for that blond fellow (obviously Eithan Arelius to meet up with the same youth that Suriel had saved from a spatial violation in Sacred Valley — referring to Wei Shi Lindon and the Hulk who came back to Cradle after ascending, Li Markuth. (Skysworn, ch 2, and referring to Unsouled]]

Descriptions

"It was so large as to defy description, swallowing half the sky and stretching into the clouds. Each of its feathers was an oozing, flowing blob, as though it had been made from clumps of crimson gel pushed together. Its beak was curved like a scythe and razor-sharp, and its eyes were shapeless masses of white-hot power."' (Skysworn, ch 16)

The Bleeding Phoenix is an enormous creature of blood madra, described as a descendant of Subject One. Its appearance is as that of a blood-red phoenix, with a wingspan large enough to block an entire horizon. Everywhere it passes is bathed in a deep red light, with all vital aura in the area stained by its overwhelming blood aspect. ("Skysworn, ch 8")

Reforms Itself

The Bleeding Phoenix is the only Dreadgod that can be physically destroyed. When defeated, the Bleeding Phoenix molts thousands of its feathers as Blood Shadows that scatter far and wide. Each Blood Shadow carries a fragment of the Dreadgod's consciousness. When a Blood Shadow finds a powerful sacred artist, it latches on to their core as a parasite and begins feeding from the host's madra, blood, and life force. The Blood Shadow returns to the Bleeding Phoenix when it is full to deliver the stolen power. In this way, the Bleeding Phoenix gets stronger as it rests.

Bloodspawn

Within the Phoenix's miles-wide range of blood aura, natural spirits known as bloodspawn are formed. Vaguely humanoid in appearance, they rise from sources of blood, including open cuts on still-living people. (Skysworn, Chapter 9; Bloodline, Chapter 15) They aim to wound those around them, increasing their own numbers and providing more blood madra for their master.