#moonfaith

the sore lack of moonfaith on tumblr disturbed me so much that i immediately had to draw them

you can thank me, cradle fandom <3

My Ideas and Headcanons About Moonfaith Thus Far!

Once again, you're welcome Cradle fandom >:3

(Psst: if you haven't read the Cradle series- which you absolutely should!- and are confused about titles and names, scroll to the bottom for a guide!)

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Redmoon is the only person left who remembers Red Faith's real name.

This beauty was spawned when I was wondering how exactly the world looks from the point of view of a non-humanoid/still conjoined Blood Shadow, and reasoned that they more or less are able to read the minds and somewhat inherit the psyche of their host- thus, why they seem to be a 'copy' of the person they're tied to. This is with the caveat that while they appear to be exactly like their host, after the Blood Shadow is separated from them, the Shadow is able to operate without any mental link between them and the person they parasited (iirc, Ruby's memories from her time with Lindon were not transferred over to Yerin, ergo the basis for this theory).

So Redmoon was able to hold onto bits of the past that slipped through even Red Faith's fingers, and keeps them tight to his chest. It is one of the few irritating quirks he has, this unproductive clutch he has on days long past, but he can never seem to let go the memories of times before he had a cult to run. When it was just him and his lookalike, infuriating though the albino may be. Some of the finer aspects elude him, but if ever he lets his mind drift, Red Moon can still feel the fibers of rough sacks beneath his fingers. Smell salt and the tang of iron on the wind in equal parts. And, of course, hear the sweet lilt of Red Faith's first alias out of his sister's lips.

When Redmoon is vanquished, so is the last accounts of how Red Faith came to be. No one mourns the loss, for none were ever let close enough to become curious- and if ever there was someone who was, who cared, they have long fallen silent among the crimson-stained lilies.

2. Red Faith, to his utter mortification, is shorter than Redmoon.

Now, this was never not going to happen. If any of the readers of this piece care enough to view the drawing that caused this crazed rambling, you can check it out here. Yes, I was fujoshi-ing out like it was no one's business- sue a girl for not having hobbies!

Fujo tendencies aside- being the cultivator who pioneered the 'humanize your Blood Shadows' movement, it was expected for there to be some fuckery involved in discovering how, exactly, one was to progress once your red-tinted leech was an entire person. The theory was simple enough, convincing his Blood Shadow of the plan was no hard feat (the gnat immediately shut up when it heard there was a chance to gain more power), and Red Faith had never been a particularly appearance-centered person (his grooming- or lack there of- was enough of a testament to that).

...But. Well. Perhaps he should have given a bit more thought into who was going to ascend how, if Red Faith could have looked like that!

After ascending to Sage, Red Faith had seemed to elongate: his fingers, though always thin, were now spidery, his hair (ever a distraction) now pooled around his bare feet, and he had even gained a scant inch or two in height.

Redmoon? It was now practically a foot taller than its master, with broadened shoulders and a tight, scantly muscled physique, as opposed to Red Faith's decidedly sickly thinness. If Red Faith ever found himself pressed against his creation (though the thought of being that close sends a shiver of revulsion down his spine), he was certain that his frame would be all but swallowed up by his Blood Shadow.

The difference in height truly became something of an issue when the duo found themselves in possession of a cult- one that was divided in support of either one of the blood madra cultivators.

See, Redmoon was now purposefully looming over Red Faith- and curse the parasite, Red Faith knew it was doing it to mock him.

(After all, if their positions were swapped, Red Faith was sure he would do the same.)

The Blood Herald must've forgotten the idea of personal space somewhere along the way, as now it wastes not a single opportunity to shove itself onto Red Faith, no matter how deeply he gorges into its skin or how many times he ducks away. The side of the cult that supports Redmoon appears to have made some sort of betting pool around how fast Red Faith can react, which is not only useless, but it is a stark waste of time and resources. If it could be reasoned with, Red Faith would have had a talking-to with his Blood Shadow, but alas. Even unproductive followers seem to pale in the face of annoying its Sage counterpart.

3. Red Faith is rather oblivious, for someone of his level of genius.

Though he may claim otherwise, the Sage is far from all-knowing about the going-ons of his ship and his cult. Case and point, Redmoon's jealousy of Yerin.

The Blood Sage's glee of finding someone who can match up to his potential is somewhat of an open secret- and the Redmoon Herald is making no moves to mask his ire of the girl.

The emissaries gossip, twice fold when they think their founders aren't listening.

"Our Herald thinks he's being replaced," whispers one particularly bold youth. "Can't you see? For all he acts as though he's a league above the Sage, our Herald is attached beyond measure to that pale thing... but, with how he's acting, I do so wonder what form this attraction takes."

That elicits a round of giggles from those who haven't forgotten how to laugh. A veteran in the crowd, known for being a killjoy, steps up with a scowl.

"Have you forgotten your shame? Can you no longer differentiate libido from bloodlust? That Herald wants to rip this young lady apart just to lord over our Sage, not to satiate any wicked desire!"

Side-glances are exchanged. "I'm not sure it's the Arelius that our Herald wants to rip into..." mutters a newcomer, still unaware of how touchy the subject is, and bewildered when the crowded quarters burst into nervous titters.

Elsewhere, snatched bits of conversation can be heard by those loitering in the break room near the labs. The active researchers murmur rumors of how murderously Redmoon glared at the dark-haired maiden, how Red Faith carried on bickering with his counterpart, seemingly uncaring of how half-heartedly the other responded... or, conversely, how Red Faith didn't seem to notice something was wrong in the first place.

Ah, their beloved Sage. Perhaps one day he'll look up to see the heart he has snagged, ransacked and smeared over his operating table. Maybe it will be before he ascends to Monarch, when his body is no longer entirely his, and his soul is tainted poppy red. Maybe it will haunt him even as a remnant of what he used to be, a half-starved hound stubbornly biting his ankles.

(Those who survived the wreckage of Redmoon Hall, those who didn't go mad with grief or with their Dreadgod's madra, may one day look back on this tragedy and wonder what could have been. If only the two halves of one being had looked at each other and seen a partner to ascend to the heavens with, rather than a foe to eagerly subdue and enslave.)

4. The issue with what makes something human.

Red Faith doesn't see Redmoon as a person. Redmoon is simply an 'it', and will remain so forever and always.

Redmoon doesn't see Red Faith as a human. Red Faith is something to be coveted, to be envious of, to yearn after, to hate with all his heart, to want in every way possible and in every twisted definition of the word. Not something to empathize with, and certainly not someone to take off of a pedestal.

The issue arises when Red Faith lowers his guard the slightest bit and sees himself in Redmoon.

The issue arises when Redmoon watches Red Faith stumble and succumb, as opposed to the entity who would face any obstacle with curiosity and an all-encompassing, nebulous desire for victory.

The issue was always there. Redmoon couldn't be put into a box- this is a tool, this is a rival, this is a shallow copy.

The issue was always there. Red Faith wasn't a force to be defined- this is a savior, this is a thing to consume, this is someone to long after.

They never could have survived and still have been themselves. That is why Red Faith projects onto and wants to understand Yerin with unmatched fervor- what, exactly, was the thing that made her different? That made her better? And that is why Redmoon acted himself up so much when it never really made sense for his character- they were never going to succeed, so why even try to maintain an image that doesn't suit him?

Though it pains me, they were doomed from the moment they started.

5. Red Faith is so kitty.

'Nuff said.

TBC! Do you want a part two for this or should I just update as inspiration strikes?

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Glossary and further explanation (contains major spoilers for those who have not finished Dreadgod and Reaper!):

Red Faith/The Sage of Red Faith/The Blood Sage- the official title for the man who runs the Redmoon Hall. The oldest Sage currently alive on Cradle, with an obsessive streak for his research and a penchant to chew on his own limbs.

Redmoon/The Redmoon Herald/The Blood Herald- what the Sage of Red Faith's Blood Shadow calls himself. The first Blood Shadow to take on a human form, after Red Faith fed his own madra and blood to the still-formless parasite.

Yerin Arelius- one of the protagonists in Cradle. Had a Blood Shadow of her own, and is the first person on Cradle to merge with it to advance faster, which was Red Faith's original goal with Redmoon.

Redmoon Hall- the cult that follows a Dreadgod called 'the Bleeding Phoenix'. Not named after the Herald; he likely chose his name to be contrary and to feed his own ego. Its vassals have been consumed by their Blood Shadow, and its emissaries are able to control their parasites.

Madra- magic, but different. Kinda like qi, but with more rules.

Sages- one of the two choices you get when ascending from Archlord. In a nutshell, the 'smarter' one.

Heralds- the second choice you get when ascending from Archlord. In a nutshell, the 'stronger' one.

Monarchs- the thing after Sage and Herald.

Blood Shadows- tiny pieces of the Bleeding Phoenix that attach themselves to humans. Only the strongest people can avoid having the life sucked out of them, and only the stronger yet can harness them. Red Faith was a pioneer in the research of them, back in his youth.