#cradle au

[kingsonne-zedecks]

So I've been thinking about different ways that Dreadgod and Waybound could have gone and stewing over a couple things in particular.

Reigen Shen, Subject One, and Lindon.

In Reaper, Shen's plan was to take in Subject One's binding, becoming a Dreadgod and claiming that power for himself, but Will decided not to take that route.

But what if he didn't? What if Shen become a Dreadgod instead of Lindon?

It's a mind twister, because the nature of the Dreadgods kind of required Lindon to be at their level in order to defeat them. So how would they do it without that power?

They would need *some* form of MacGuffin no matter what, and my mind drifts to Lindon’s armor attempts as a possibility. It was something that persisted through multiple books, and didn't really go anywhere. But they did get to interact with the Eight Man Empire and if Lindon was able to examine it, perhaps he could have imitated it. Perhaps he could have improved it.

I like the idea of the way they win being through something that draws them together rather than sets Lindon apart.

I'm picturing Lindon manifesting the Hammer icon during the story, not at the end after everything is done and using Creation and Void together to create armor that's halfway between Eight Man and Abidan. Something that makes them greater than the sum of their parts.

I also really like the idea of them defeating Shen together as the final boss fight. He was built up from Uncrowned onward and would make for a perfect final confrontation.

[roosinii]

So Cradle AU where the gang all time travels, I’m thinking that Lindon should split his core more than once. The problem there is, you then have a Core that’s double the size. So what do you do? Split it again. Now you have four Cores! What to do with them though, that is the question? My thought when gaining a third Core was definitely putting the Path Of The King’s Key in there via the hijinks and shenanigans of the combination of Lindon’s Box Of The King’s Key, Reigan Shen’s Remnant*, Sacred Valley’s Suppression Field, every single Spirit Seal in Sacred Valley. I think the Goldsign should be a white-gold lion’s tail, or maybe a pair of lion ears for scritches, and the Path has a truly excellent synergy with the Void Icon, so no loss there.

“But what about the fourth Core” I hear you cry! Worry not my dear audience that I’ve chained in the basement, there’s as solution! I went back and forth on this for quite some time, I initially wanted an unique Path based off the Path Of The Last Oath, where with the addition of Hunger Madra, Lindon could Consume from other people, and then replicate them Labyrinth style. However, I had an entirely different though. I still wanted Hunger Madra in there somewhere, so that meant either the Path Of The Hungry Deep, or a Dreadgod Cult Path.

:readmore:

The Path Of The Hungry Deep is out, is just doesn’t fit Lindon at all and has no obvious or inobvious connection to the Void Icon, while adding not a great deal to Lindon’s combat style. Redmoon Hall has no specific Path (although adding a Blood Shadow to Lindon’s repertoire is an entirely different though we’ll come back to later). Abyssal Palace appears to have a standardised Path (although it remains unnamed), but it doesn’t seem like a good fit on a personal level (although replicating the principles of the omnidirectional Striker Technique could be useful), nor does it’s execution seem to fit with the Void Icon.

The Silent Servants are weird. They seems to have a standard Path rather than a standardised Path, and it’s not a requirement to travel it to join. But they all so something to gain a halo Goldsign except for the ones who don’t? I don’t know, the only Dreadgod Cult that gets a serious look in is Redmoon Hall, I’m working with scraps I tell ya! Anyway, we know for a fact that at least some of them have a halo as a Goldsign, and we know that at least one of them follows a Path based around the Silent King’s techniques, so you’d think they’d be perfect right? The illusions fit Lindon, it works as a homage to his clan (who don’t deserve it but anyway), the Dream Madra could even help Dross which is always a win! It’s perfect right? Actually I’d say not. Projecting illusions is more Dross’s schtick, and he does it really well. Having two illusion based systems seems redundant, and takes enemies’ precious Dream Aura/Madra into one of Lindon’s Cores and not to whom such tribute is owed. And that’s terrible.

So last but not least, the Stormcaller Sect. Now hear me out on this one. The only Dreadgod Cult with a somewhat explored, standardised Path, it’s a Path of Lightning and Hunger Madra. We don’t know enough about Abyssal Palace nor the Silent Servant’s Paths to say the same, but I feel as though it would have been mentioned if they also used Hunger Madra. It provides an excellent set of Techniques, including a Ruler Technique in Harbinger Of The Storm with good area control, something that both Twin Stars & Blackflame lack, and a long range version of the Consume Technique with the Dragonblood Thunderbolt (Striker/Forger). The additional unnamed Striker Technique that seems to replicate the Weeping Dragon’s breath attack is good as well, although we can only assume about the unknown unelaborated Enforcer Technique The Hunger Madra in the Path harmonises well with the consumption aspect of the Void Icon (as already proven) and the Lightning Madra could fit well with the destructive aspect of the Void Icon (along with Pure, Destruction & Fire Madras in Lindon’s other Cores).

In addition, it gives Lindon the greater potential to access a third Icon in addition to the Void and Hammer, the Dragon Icon. I think that considering how much Lindon builds ‘The Dragon Advances’ into his personal philosophy, it’s a reasonable fit. Plus I think it’s cool. It also gives us a nice parallel with Yerin on the drawing power from a Dreadgod Forged Technique.

*From the first time around