Hunger madra

Madra

Madra is a magical big deal in the Cradle series, and none more so than hunger madra, except maybe pure madra. Hunger madra is in the white binding of Lindon’s prosthetic arm. It is the driving impetus of every Dreadgod. It is the force powering the Archstone. There is an important relationship between hunger aura, hunger madra, Dreadgods, and the overweening ambitions of Monarchs. See also Sacred Arts.

Madra is the magical energy produced and residing in one's core. Life, blood, and dream aura generated by one's body are initially converted into pure madra, but as vital aura is gathered and integrated into the core, it takes on the aspects of that aura, and the corresponding madra is produced instead. Once cultivated, madra can be used to fuel and empower a multitude of techniques as well as one's own body. As one advances, their madra becomes more potent and more dense, allowing them to do more with less.

The core resides in the center of one's spirit, placed just below the navel, and madra channels loop throughout the body, to and from the core. Replenishing and expanding the madra pool of a core is done through cycling, drawing in vital aura of the same aspect, or through the use of elixirs and pills.

Not Capitalized

Unless creating a list or something, the word madra shouldn’t be capitalized. It is written hunger madra in the books, not Hunger Madra.

Relevant Aspects

• Hunger Madra — key aspect in the entire Cradle series
• Pure Madra — key for Lindon and Eithan Arelius
• Royal Madra —- inherited, only in the royal Sha family of Ninecloud Court. See Bloodline Abilities

Father of Hunger Madra

About 2500 years ago, roughly, Subject One was a researcher and soulsmith. He invented hunger madra, cycled from hunger aura, while experimenting with Dreadbeasts and hunger aura. His work had unintended consequences when it resulted in the rise of the monstrous dreadgods. He unintentionally became the first Dreadgod, dubbed the Slumbering Wraith. He is known as “The Father of Hunger Madra” and is kept imprisoned in the Labyrinth.

The Ancestor’s Tomb was one of the most ancient structures in Sacred Valley, a blocky behemoth looming on titanic pillars. Once he made it inside, he could open the door to the labyrinth. The hunger madra would spill out, devouring everyone present. The Jades wouldn’t be able to handle the power, and he had to hope he could survive Subject One’s weakened techniques.(Wintersteel, prologue)

Research Goal: Hunger Aura

The research team wanted to deal with the problem of hunger aura. According to Subject One:

"Hunger aura is not a natural force. It is a corruption of the natural order of Cradle. A manifestation of ambition, of selfish desire, created by the presence of Monarchs.” In the time before the Dreadgods, "hunger aura drifted all over the world, and where it moved, all other aura weakened. It corrupted everything; Remnants, natural spirits, sacred beasts. Even humans."

He took a rattling breath. “We came to this Labyrinth as a secure location to perform our research. We were looking for a way to control the hunger aura.” ...“This site was old beyond memory, even to us. We used it as a trap to focus all the hunger aura in the world. Instead of running wild, it would be concentrated here, controlled by ancient seals. We researched fusing hunger bindings into animals, whose power would be suppressed by the great formation.” He laughed quietly, until Lindon couldn’t tell the difference between laughs and sobs. “We thought we had it under control.”

“The dreadgods will die only when there are no more Monarchs... Monarchs are too much for this world. A great weight. Sages like yourself are only half-ascended, which is within the scope of a world like ours. But when your body and your spirit have both grown too great for this world to contain, you must escape to a place that can contain you.” (Slumbering Wraith / Subject One, Reaper, ch 21)

Research Goal: Remnant

According to research notes discovered in the Transcendent Ruins, the researchers also wanted to create a dreadbeast with a viable Remnant, since none have one, because their spirit is mangled into their flesh (Skysworn, ch 7).

What is Hunger Madra

Hunger madra is strong magic, an endless powerful craving. Wei Shi Lindon’s prosthetic arm gives him a good sense of the nature of hunger madra.

“He studied the arm. What he called hunger wasn't just that. It felt similar to hunger, but it was more textured, with deeper layers. He felt ambition, greed, gluttony, an endless desire to reach for more and more.” (Skysworn, ch 12)

According to notes found in the Labyrinth, hunger madra is found in dreadbeast bindings. In Skysworn chapter 7, Fisher Gesha explains hunger madra to Lindon when they discuss his prosthetic arm:

He nodded to his pack sitting in the corner of the room. “What if we added a binding of our own? To the Shifting Skies arm, I mean.” That one was clearly the best selection, if only it came with a technique.

Fisher Gesha clearly understood what he meant, because she hesitated. “You should know that we've studied bindings like that one for generations. Dreadbeasts have plagued our lands long enough that we wanted to know what kind of madra created such monsters.” .. . “We never had a name for the white madra in dreadbeast bindings,” she continued. “Our drudges could measure some of its properties, you see, but not enough to identify it. These notes call it hunger madra, which is perhaps one of the most absurd names for a power that I've ever heard. Though it seems to fit.”

. . .“As far as we can tell, it's compatible with everything,” she said wryly. “Dreadbeasts attack us with madra of all aspects, and they all have one of those bindings inside them. Although it could be that the ones with incompatible spirits die off...”

She waved a hand in the air. “You're distracting me. These notes reference an origin for this madra, a single source from which they got all their samples. They were trying to breed sacred beasts that left Remnants of this aspect, but they never made it. At least, not by the time these notes were written.” (Skysworn ch 7)

Note: Unless creating a list or something, the word madra shouldn’t be capitalized. It is written hunger madra in the books, not Hunger Madra.