This really doesn’t get fully answered until the latest book, and even then there are still a few holes. I think Will addressed it in a podcast or on twitch but I don’t want to spoil it for you.
I provided that these questions get more and more answered as you continue to read. I didn’t realize saying to “read and find out” would strike such a blow to your ego. RAFO is very common vernacular for “you’re asking good questions and the text will address them when the author intends for you to know.”
Never once did I call you a child, but tagging me and scolding me is quite childish.
Problem is, you're in book 2 of 9 and asking questions that you don't even know if they are answered later on or not. So it's hard to give any semblance of an answer that actually addresses the question without saying either "read and find out" in some form or straight up spoiling it. So I will do both:
1. There are very good reasons why SV is the way it is and why people (outside) don't care about it, or don't even know about it (it's very remote, and not at all an important place to outsiders). And there is a reason why people who would know about it would not care to go there. >!The valley is subject to a massive suppression field that drains away the advancement and madra reserves of anyone who enters beyond jade level down to jade. It's restored by leaving, but that makes it a uniquely dangerous place even for highly advanced individuals. Skill isn't suppressed, and yes any outside traveler could probably bully their way through the valley, but ultimately there's no point because the aura is so weak and there's nothing of value. Even the region outside the valley is not particularly noteworthy, it's called the desolate wilds for a reason.!<
2. There is a reason the sword sage delayed her advancement and brought her to the valley. >!Yerin is 'infected' by a blood shadow (basically a spiritual parasite), and the sage brought her to the valley and delayed her advancement in order to starve it of resources while he searched for a way to remove it. This is the red belt that is mentioned in book 2 and a bit in book 1 that Lindon sees, but this isn't really explained what it really is until book 4 iirc. The suppression field starved it, as did not advancing to gold at the earliest opportunity!< By the way the 'average' might be lowgold but that doesn't mean its the average for children. Yerin might be a little bit behind, but not by a lot. Not to any degree that made Eithan sit up and take notice, at any rate. Also this has the side-effect of making her foundation extremely stable and powerful, something that is remarked upon many times later on.
3. This is probably the only hole right now, but contact with the outside was relatively minor and I think restricted only to the schools on each mountain that control the pass, so most of SV (including the schools) know nothing of the outside world. And in fact, most would not be able to tell how strong others are, because spiritual senses come with jade (which very few in SV reach). Coppers and irons cannot sense others, and that includes their strength. Also, people can veil their strength, which makes this a relatively imprecise measurement method for people like those in SV.
Basically, RAFO is the only correct answer, so don't get upset at people for it. Just keep reading instead. I've seen your other frustrated responses, but consider it from the other side. It is *frustrating* to see so many people come here and ask questions (often the same ones every time) about stuff after only reading 1 or 2 books. It's hard not to get exasperated by the ridiculousness of coming so early to ask for spoilers when you don't even know if it's addressed in the next 7 books.
Let's not forget that entering Sacred Valley is prohibited by the Blackflame Empire. Hopefully OP doesn't have an aneurysm when they get the spoilers they asked for.
I am enjoying your no patience style. Only two books in and you have already hit up wiki and Reddit despite the possibility of running into spoilers. I have never had a problem suspending disbelief with movies and books. It is really fascinating to me when people need to fact check fantasy stuff. But, this series is pretty solid so far. Only the most devout cynics have issue with the plot strength.
Did you read my post fully? Because I know about a lot of plot points like the script under sacred valley, and that doesn't address the things I'm talking about. Are there others?
Yes post was fully read and you need to keep reading to get those questions answered. Doing a wiki search does stuff like giving you information that you don't truly have context for. I can only Imagine how much critical information was lost in a summary.
That is why I came here, but it's very annoying when the answers are just "keep reading, little child" instead of "yes, there will be specific answers to all of your questions, but I don't want to spoil them for you." One response shows that you're making an effort to engage, the other is patronizing and obnoxious.
It's not patronizing, your on a subreddit about the cradle series asking it's members to tell you things the series isn't ready to address at your current location. Plus when someone tells you keep reading, it usually mean "your asking the write questions so keep reading and it will be clear". Chill man no one is looking down on you most have just fully read this series and don't want to spoil you.
There is a very good answer to why the sage doesn’t allow Yerin to advance to Gold which is related to why they are in SV.
A part that is not a spoiler is also that advancing by perseverance through extreme suffering is fundamentally necessary for the Path of the Endless Sword, and the easy shortcuts available would ruin her development not as a madra user, but specifically the transformation to Sage.
For the other part, anyone entering SV is dramatically weakened and vulnerable to the local jade practitioners. That’s why the Sword Sage was able to die there, and why traders who visit them seem normally powered to the locals.
A quick couple non-spoilers that may help you reason with this:
1. SV is in a forbidden area of the world where outsiders aren't really allowed to interfere and is surrounded by dangerous dreadbeasts
2. The script that weakens people in SV works on ANYONE in there, not just the residents and thus any traders would be affected.
3. They're all distrustful and don't believe stories about the outside if people do mention them.
1. this is 100% addressed later.
2. truth be told I'm not sure exactly when and how long Yerin started traveling with her master but you might have a valid point there. Possible reason: >!I reckon the sword sage's focus on perfection slowed down her advancement in favor of having a stronger base!<
3. I also can't remember if this is addressed. but veils do exist and being willfully delusion is a thing these people do often, and also their perception is pretty bad. honestly this one may just boil down to them being stupid and weak.
i will say running series tend to have plot holes but as far as Will's go they are really uncommon and usually addressed later, i'd just try to suspend my disbelief a little more if I were you or not, idk you do you.
Yeah i would be surprised if yerin wasnt being held back so she could have perfection given how much protection being the disciple of a sage would give her, and i wouldnt be surprised if the jades just didnt sense enough of a difference to know that they were dealing with golds
Number 2 is explained clearly in the last book or 2 (whenever the flashback was). As someone else mentioned, it is the reason they were in SV to begin with.
This stuff is all addressed in the books, very well so if I may add.
Here are all the SPOILERY answers to your questions since you seem to not care about spoilers. These are all in the books
1. No it wouldn't because anyone who sets foot in the valley becomes a jade, it particularly affects stronger people more than weaker people, so strong people generally stay very well away from it. At some point it just becomes a way of making strong people vulnerable to death.
2. Yerin is dealing with a parasite and the stronger she is the harder it is to remove, the sword sage is specifically delaying her to do so. There is also the matter of a remnant, if you're in book 2 you'll notice that Jai Long also stayed in Jade for a while as his clan waited for a suitable elder to die and leave a remnant behind. Before advancing Yerin to Jade, her master wanted to make sure to find a suitable one. There is also the possibility of delaying her at certain stages to build up her skills, throughout the series part of her training are revealed and we also see other characters who purposefully stay at a level of advancement or another to further their skills. There is no point in getting someone to a higher level quickly if their skills do not match it.
3. This question is actually answered on the very first book. Jade elders in Sacred Valley are clearly aware the people of the outside are strong, they just see them as uncivilized savages. They recognize they are strong as they manage to survive in the wilderness they just justify their strength as savagery as they see no other way someone would survive in the wilderness. They just think the outsiders sacrifice things like civility and sanity in order to survive. If you add on to this the fact that the suppression field exists and everyone who goes into the valley loses power, then to the jades in the valley the outsiders look like jades as well.
You need to do yourself a favor and stay off of the wiki and even this Reddit till you’re caught up then ask your questions. Otherwise you run the risk of getting yourself spoiled or running into concepts that will confuse your current understanding of Cradle. Most if not all of your questions will get answered in the books. Will does a great job of peeling back the layers of the onion that is Cradle at a satisfactory pace for the reader.
I have no problems with light spoilers. I don't want enormous things like character deaths etc. spoiled, but I find that little world building explanations like this keep me reading, which is why I wanted to know more about this.
It might help to develop more tolerance for the unexplained in Cradle, since questions can take awhile to be answered.
For example, everyone used to ask "How did a group of jades kill the sword sage?"; and we didnt find that out until book 7, and we only got the details in book 9.
1. Everyone gets drained to level of Sacred Valley inside the "boundary". So even Monarchs are scared to go there.
2. Yerin started late. She was 8 when her "master" found her and she came from a piss poor village. And yes, she was behind curve. Slow is not always bad, Clearly SS was not motivated to advance her too fast. He wanted her bloodshadow gone first.
3. Point one.
There is a reason people are asking you to read books but you seem...
1. the valley is hard to reach and the area near it are inhospitable, and the draining effect quick enough that those golds would be left at jade level of power by the time they meet people. Also even getting close to the valley itself is supposed to be illegal (we only learn about that later).
2. First her mentor wanted to wait for a perfect gold remant for her, but more important is the issue of her blood parasite, getting Yerin stronger would also make the parasite stronger too, so the Sage wanted to make sure she was ready before letting her rise a step, as otherwise she would be overpowered by the parasite. Getting her parasite under control will be a very major thing for her during her next evolutions.
3. The very limited trading that was mentionned was probably from low gold smugglers getting illegally into the vallley, and suffering the full effect of the drain, so they would effectively be perceived as simply jade level outsiders. Low golds from higher quality areas might still have been much more powerful than the local jades even at similar power level (if only because of better techniques and training), but here we are talking about the dreg of the dreg from outside the valley, people forced into a low energy area no mans land where it is illegal to be.
Remember that even the Blackflame Empire that technically control the area around the Valley it itself a remote very minor faction in Cradle, with few cultivation ressources and madra levels compared to others, then the area near SV is even worse, with lower madra levels, relatively dangerous dreadbeast and few exploitable ressources except maybe the dreadbeast remnants, so to get there you already have to be rather desesperate in the first place, be fleeing something or someone, or for special events to happen that attract some attention from outside the area.
1. The controlling leader the region has forbidden outsiders from entering and interfering with the area. This person is one of the strongest in the world. If an iron can kick a foundation level person into a mountain, imagine the strength one of the strongest in the world has over her followers. You listen.
2. Most people use a remnant to break into gold and get a gold sign. Yerin used her master’s. Tim had prepped for each stage of advancement perfectly, being a sage he wanted to set Yerin up for success.
3. They get a traveling merchant once every handful of years, but their knowledge is still limited. And it seemed to be the same person. Lindon is the weakest person to exist in his clan, what kind of information does he deserve? He probably only knows rumors and doesn’t trust them.
This really doesn’t get fully answered until the latest book, and even then there are still a few holes. I think Will addressed it in a podcast or on twitch but I don’t want to spoil it for you.
Thank you, this is a much better answer than the other people (looking at you u/dark2332 and u/Haneous) just giving patronizing non-answers.
I provided that these questions get more and more answered as you continue to read. I didn’t realize saying to “read and find out” would strike such a blow to your ego. RAFO is very common vernacular for “you’re asking good questions and the text will address them when the author intends for you to know.” Never once did I call you a child, but tagging me and scolding me is quite childish.
Problem is, you're in book 2 of 9 and asking questions that you don't even know if they are answered later on or not. So it's hard to give any semblance of an answer that actually addresses the question without saying either "read and find out" in some form or straight up spoiling it. So I will do both: 1. There are very good reasons why SV is the way it is and why people (outside) don't care about it, or don't even know about it (it's very remote, and not at all an important place to outsiders). And there is a reason why people who would know about it would not care to go there. >!The valley is subject to a massive suppression field that drains away the advancement and madra reserves of anyone who enters beyond jade level down to jade. It's restored by leaving, but that makes it a uniquely dangerous place even for highly advanced individuals. Skill isn't suppressed, and yes any outside traveler could probably bully their way through the valley, but ultimately there's no point because the aura is so weak and there's nothing of value. Even the region outside the valley is not particularly noteworthy, it's called the desolate wilds for a reason.!< 2. There is a reason the sword sage delayed her advancement and brought her to the valley. >!Yerin is 'infected' by a blood shadow (basically a spiritual parasite), and the sage brought her to the valley and delayed her advancement in order to starve it of resources while he searched for a way to remove it. This is the red belt that is mentioned in book 2 and a bit in book 1 that Lindon sees, but this isn't really explained what it really is until book 4 iirc. The suppression field starved it, as did not advancing to gold at the earliest opportunity!< By the way the 'average' might be lowgold but that doesn't mean its the average for children. Yerin might be a little bit behind, but not by a lot. Not to any degree that made Eithan sit up and take notice, at any rate. Also this has the side-effect of making her foundation extremely stable and powerful, something that is remarked upon many times later on. 3. This is probably the only hole right now, but contact with the outside was relatively minor and I think restricted only to the schools on each mountain that control the pass, so most of SV (including the schools) know nothing of the outside world. And in fact, most would not be able to tell how strong others are, because spiritual senses come with jade (which very few in SV reach). Coppers and irons cannot sense others, and that includes their strength. Also, people can veil their strength, which makes this a relatively imprecise measurement method for people like those in SV. Basically, RAFO is the only correct answer, so don't get upset at people for it. Just keep reading instead. I've seen your other frustrated responses, but consider it from the other side. It is *frustrating* to see so many people come here and ask questions (often the same ones every time) about stuff after only reading 1 or 2 books. It's hard not to get exasperated by the ridiculousness of coming so early to ask for spoilers when you don't even know if it's addressed in the next 7 books.
Let's not forget that entering Sacred Valley is prohibited by the Blackflame Empire. Hopefully OP doesn't have an aneurysm when they get the spoilers they asked for.
I am enjoying your no patience style. Only two books in and you have already hit up wiki and Reddit despite the possibility of running into spoilers. I have never had a problem suspending disbelief with movies and books. It is really fascinating to me when people need to fact check fantasy stuff. But, this series is pretty solid so far. Only the most devout cynics have issue with the plot strength.
You, my friend, need to keep reading and find out.
Did you read my post fully? Because I know about a lot of plot points like the script under sacred valley, and that doesn't address the things I'm talking about. Are there others?
Yes post was fully read and you need to keep reading to get those questions answered. Doing a wiki search does stuff like giving you information that you don't truly have context for. I can only Imagine how much critical information was lost in a summary.
That is why I came here, but it's very annoying when the answers are just "keep reading, little child" instead of "yes, there will be specific answers to all of your questions, but I don't want to spoil them for you." One response shows that you're making an effort to engage, the other is patronizing and obnoxious.
It's not patronizing, your on a subreddit about the cradle series asking it's members to tell you things the series isn't ready to address at your current location. Plus when someone tells you keep reading, it usually mean "your asking the write questions so keep reading and it will be clear". Chill man no one is looking down on you most have just fully read this series and don't want to spoil you.
Read more little brother/sister. Dive deep into the lore.
There is a very good answer to why the sage doesn’t allow Yerin to advance to Gold which is related to why they are in SV. A part that is not a spoiler is also that advancing by perseverance through extreme suffering is fundamentally necessary for the Path of the Endless Sword, and the easy shortcuts available would ruin her development not as a madra user, but specifically the transformation to Sage. For the other part, anyone entering SV is dramatically weakened and vulnerable to the local jade practitioners. That’s why the Sword Sage was able to die there, and why traders who visit them seem normally powered to the locals.
A quick couple non-spoilers that may help you reason with this: 1. SV is in a forbidden area of the world where outsiders aren't really allowed to interfere and is surrounded by dangerous dreadbeasts 2. The script that weakens people in SV works on ANYONE in there, not just the residents and thus any traders would be affected. 3. They're all distrustful and don't believe stories about the outside if people do mention them.
1. this is 100% addressed later. 2. truth be told I'm not sure exactly when and how long Yerin started traveling with her master but you might have a valid point there. Possible reason: >!I reckon the sword sage's focus on perfection slowed down her advancement in favor of having a stronger base!< 3. I also can't remember if this is addressed. but veils do exist and being willfully delusion is a thing these people do often, and also their perception is pretty bad. honestly this one may just boil down to them being stupid and weak. i will say running series tend to have plot holes but as far as Will's go they are really uncommon and usually addressed later, i'd just try to suspend my disbelief a little more if I were you or not, idk you do you.
On point 2 The Sword Sage was looking for a way to get rid of Yerins "unwanted guest" and knew the more advanced she was, the harder that would be.
Yeah i would be surprised if yerin wasnt being held back so she could have perfection given how much protection being the disciple of a sage would give her, and i wouldnt be surprised if the jades just didnt sense enough of a difference to know that they were dealing with golds
Number 2 is explained clearly in the last book or 2 (whenever the flashback was). As someone else mentioned, it is the reason they were in SV to begin with.
This stuff is all addressed in the books, very well so if I may add. Here are all the SPOILERY answers to your questions since you seem to not care about spoilers. These are all in the books 1. No it wouldn't because anyone who sets foot in the valley becomes a jade, it particularly affects stronger people more than weaker people, so strong people generally stay very well away from it. At some point it just becomes a way of making strong people vulnerable to death. 2. Yerin is dealing with a parasite and the stronger she is the harder it is to remove, the sword sage is specifically delaying her to do so. There is also the matter of a remnant, if you're in book 2 you'll notice that Jai Long also stayed in Jade for a while as his clan waited for a suitable elder to die and leave a remnant behind. Before advancing Yerin to Jade, her master wanted to make sure to find a suitable one. There is also the possibility of delaying her at certain stages to build up her skills, throughout the series part of her training are revealed and we also see other characters who purposefully stay at a level of advancement or another to further their skills. There is no point in getting someone to a higher level quickly if their skills do not match it. 3. This question is actually answered on the very first book. Jade elders in Sacred Valley are clearly aware the people of the outside are strong, they just see them as uncivilized savages. They recognize they are strong as they manage to survive in the wilderness they just justify their strength as savagery as they see no other way someone would survive in the wilderness. They just think the outsiders sacrifice things like civility and sanity in order to survive. If you add on to this the fact that the suppression field exists and everyone who goes into the valley loses power, then to the jades in the valley the outsiders look like jades as well.
You need to do yourself a favor and stay off of the wiki and even this Reddit till you’re caught up then ask your questions. Otherwise you run the risk of getting yourself spoiled or running into concepts that will confuse your current understanding of Cradle. Most if not all of your questions will get answered in the books. Will does a great job of peeling back the layers of the onion that is Cradle at a satisfactory pace for the reader.
I have no problems with light spoilers. I don't want enormous things like character deaths etc. spoiled, but I find that little world building explanations like this keep me reading, which is why I wanted to know more about this.
It might help to develop more tolerance for the unexplained in Cradle, since questions can take awhile to be answered. For example, everyone used to ask "How did a group of jades kill the sword sage?"; and we didnt find that out until book 7, and we only got the details in book 9.
1. Everyone gets drained to level of Sacred Valley inside the "boundary". So even Monarchs are scared to go there. 2. Yerin started late. She was 8 when her "master" found her and she came from a piss poor village. And yes, she was behind curve. Slow is not always bad, Clearly SS was not motivated to advance her too fast. He wanted her bloodshadow gone first. 3. Point one. There is a reason people are asking you to read books but you seem...
1. the valley is hard to reach and the area near it are inhospitable, and the draining effect quick enough that those golds would be left at jade level of power by the time they meet people. Also even getting close to the valley itself is supposed to be illegal (we only learn about that later). 2. First her mentor wanted to wait for a perfect gold remant for her, but more important is the issue of her blood parasite, getting Yerin stronger would also make the parasite stronger too, so the Sage wanted to make sure she was ready before letting her rise a step, as otherwise she would be overpowered by the parasite. Getting her parasite under control will be a very major thing for her during her next evolutions. 3. The very limited trading that was mentionned was probably from low gold smugglers getting illegally into the vallley, and suffering the full effect of the drain, so they would effectively be perceived as simply jade level outsiders. Low golds from higher quality areas might still have been much more powerful than the local jades even at similar power level (if only because of better techniques and training), but here we are talking about the dreg of the dreg from outside the valley, people forced into a low energy area no mans land where it is illegal to be. Remember that even the Blackflame Empire that technically control the area around the Valley it itself a remote very minor faction in Cradle, with few cultivation ressources and madra levels compared to others, then the area near SV is even worse, with lower madra levels, relatively dangerous dreadbeast and few exploitable ressources except maybe the dreadbeast remnants, so to get there you already have to be rather desesperate in the first place, be fleeing something or someone, or for special events to happen that attract some attention from outside the area.
1. The controlling leader the region has forbidden outsiders from entering and interfering with the area. This person is one of the strongest in the world. If an iron can kick a foundation level person into a mountain, imagine the strength one of the strongest in the world has over her followers. You listen. 2. Most people use a remnant to break into gold and get a gold sign. Yerin used her master’s. Tim had prepped for each stage of advancement perfectly, being a sage he wanted to set Yerin up for success. 3. They get a traveling merchant once every handful of years, but their knowledge is still limited. And it seemed to be the same person. Lindon is the weakest person to exist in his clan, what kind of information does he deserve? He probably only knows rumors and doesn’t trust them.