Sacred Arts

In the Cradle series, sacred artists practice the sacred arts. This is Cradle’s “magic” system, based internally, on the soul or spirit. This page provides a quick overview of this progressive power system.

In Brief

Following their chosen Path, sacred artists develop their spiritual power or madra by cycling vital aura through their spirit and body. The sacred arts are structured in such a way as to naturally lead to advancement. Even animals can do it, in some cases — if they are sacred beasts. Rarely, ancient sacred trees advance on their Path. One of the highest forms of spiritual power is to touch The Way.

Humans, Animals, & Plants

On Cradle, humans, animals, and plants can engage in the mystical practice of sacred arts. All humans are born with a spirit and pure madra, and thus they typically catch on naturally in childhood, at least at a simple foundational or Copper level, if there is even just a little vital aura in the environment.
However, animals and plants first need to develop a spirit, and therefore leave behind a Remnant when they die. That takes years. Animals and plants do not develop a spirit until they are old. Very old. Most die young. So only some beasts, and even fewer plants, become spirited, and thus sacred.
If an animal or a plant lives long enough in an area rich in a specific vital aura -- earth, stone, water, life, lightning, blood, shadow, fire, force, etc. -- they can absorb enough of the stuff to develop a spirit. Then they might begin to experience the magical sacred arts, albeit in their own way.

This is similar to how natural spirits like Sylvan Riverseeds develop, except their environmental vital aura must be in perfect balance of earth and water. A natural Sylvan glade, for example. A fresh-water pool surrounded by a forest. See Little Blue

Sacred Beasts

Sacred Beasts are animals who can engage in the magical sacred arts. In many cases, they are born as dumb animals, but who have then lived at least a full century in an environment rich in a specific aura —- thereby developing a spirit -- thus a Remnant — and beginning to cycle madra. One such beast is the ancient snowfox Elder Whisper in Sacred Valley, who absorbed the abundant light aura from Mount Samara for centuries. Lord-level sacred beasts can change shape, such as Orthos does in book 9, Bloodline. Some make it to become Monarchs, such as the sacred lion Reigan Shen, and the dragon -- who changes into a boy -- Seshethkunaaz. When sacred beasts die, they leave behind a valuable and powerful Remnant, especially if they are advanced in the sacred arts.

Offspring

Sacred beasts can evolve over a long time, or can be born with the gift. If the sire is a sacred beast, the offspring will be born sacred, too, cycling the same madra as their parent. If the sire was just a dumb animal, the offspring will not be born sacred, and will have no madra at birth. They must evolve over centuries to absorb the specific vital aura in their environment, and then they can cycle that aspect into madra.
Unlike humans, Sacred Beasts are not born with pure madra. They never develop pure madra.

Sacred Plants

Plants, especially long-living trees, can do the same, but for them a spirit take at least twice as long to form, compared to animals. Several centuries, at least. Eventually they do develop a spirit -- leaving behind a valuable, powerful Remnant when they die. An example is the ancestral orus tree that Lindon finds in book 1, Unsouled. Also, far away from Sacred Valley, trees live for centuries in the life-aura-rich southern jungles of the Blackflame Empire. These trees age, sucking up aura, and develop a spirit, with possibly sight, speech, mobility. Some can walk, or even fly. Talented refiners at Lastleaf Fortress change these sacred plants into elixirs. (See book 4, Skysworn). Wei Shi Seisha, a soulsmith, refined Lindon's orus fruit Remnant into an elixir for the family.

Plants had to live much longer to advance than animals did. If a fox or a turtle survived their first century, they would absorb enough vital aura from the world around them to ascend into sacred beasts. These animals cycled madra, advanced in power, and left Remnants just as humans did. The oldest of them could even speak, and legends said some could take human forms. Plants did the same, but it took several times as long. Some trees had to stay undisturbed for five hundred years or more before they absorbed enough vital aura to develop a rudimentary spirit... (Unsouled, ch 2).