Holy Cradle

For the episode with the location name, see The Secret in the Forest - Episode 9.

Holy Cradle
Short view of the Holy Cradle center, with the Infinite Labyrinth in the middle.
Localization	Carpazinha
Appearances
The Secret in the Forest The Secret in the Forest - Part 1 The Secret in the Forest - Part 2
First appearance	The Secret in the Forest - Episode 8 - "The Secret"

Holy Cradle is a mysterious village hidden by the forest around the town of Carpazinha. The location is a key location in The Secret in the Forest and is connected to a powerful Entity from the Other Side, Dimensions Parasite. Holy Cradle was founded by an occultist group of scientists, The Five Guardians, as a basis to study the Other Side, as directed by the Deconjuration Order and was established by the Project Holy Cradle.

It is revealed in Calamity that paranormal civilizations such as the Holy Cradle manifest around the Relic of Death. These civilizations have names with different translations, among them, The Sacred Start, The Divine Principle, The Eternal Beginning or The Holy Cradle.

Both Carpazinha's Holy Cradle and Heilag Vagga fit this type of civilization.

Appearance and Structure

Holy Cradle is a town that is very reminiscent of medieval villages, with a high contrast to Carpazinha or any modern town. They don't have any electronic devices or modern technology, as instructed by Mick Vultz at the behest of Escribe Nubi. The structure of the city is summarized in medieval houses, old buildings, towers, farms and forests. Although the city has representative elements from another historical period, the place is not abandoned and has an active population coming from years ago.

The place, in addition to the medieval aesthetic, has magical and paranormal characteristics, with various types of elements that would be considered paranormal elsewhere on the planet. Some examples of this are the paranormal Crystals found in the Mines, the animals with unusual characteristics, such as the cows of the Farm, and the gnarled trees with colorful foliage surreal.

Population and Culture

The city has a small population of less than one hundred individuals, consisting of Lusidii, human beings with their appearance altered due to exposure to the Holy Cradle. The Lusidii have anatomies identical to those of common Human beings, however, their skin is of different shades of gray, their ears are pointed similar to those of elves, their eyes are completely black and they have dark marks on their faces that vary from citizen to citizen. The people of Holy Cradle have a whole culture and defined fixed thinking, ensuring activities and circulation within the city.

It is notable that the population of the place is optimistic and has a philosophy (or religion) that is highly sacred and is linked with happiness in appreciating the city. The residents of Holy Cradle have a very receptive and friendly culture, guaranteeing everyone, visitor or resident, a good comfort.

The society of the place has rites of passage, which can be performed by every visitor and foreigner who wants to move there. Within the community, outsiders are called Ignarii, and this persists until the individual becomes part of the population. To officially join Holy Cradle, guests must plant a tree in the main grove, leave town for three years, return and cut down the same tree, thus granting their citizen status - called Lusidii from there. Several people migrate to the Holy Cradle through a pilgrim, who usually goes looking for new citizens in Carpazinha, knowing that it is the closest town there. When Team H entered the city, the population was surprised to discover that they entered without a pilgrim guiding them.

The city has, in addition to basic services for the population - such as weapons, medicine and agriculture - points of attraction and festivals. The very act of admitting a foreigner to the village is accompanied by a party, which is held in the main grove.

The most prominent point is in the center of the city, where there is an immense circular labyrinth, filled with fog, and marked by five stone statues that resemble human figures. This is called the Infinite Labyrinth and is the most mysterious place in Holy Cradle, as not even the populace is sure how it works or its purpose. There has been a legend for generations about the labyrinth, which says that one can reach its end and find The Five Guardians - represented in the statues outside - who are waiting for the worthy person who finds the center. However, to actually reach the center of the labyrinth, it is necessary for the individual to carve the symbol of the Holy Cradle into his body, which will guide him through the labyrinth until reaching its center, where the entrance to a large cavern is located. In this cavern are the chambers where the Sources are kept, in addition to the great entity worshiped by the Lusidii, the Dimensions Parasite.

The goods service system within Holy Cradle is similar to other human jobs around the world, however, there is no capital system circling the city, leaving any and all exchanges of services free. As an addendum, the people of the place have a name suggestive of the position they hold in the village, for example, blacksmith workers use the names: "The Blacksmith" and "The Helper" as identification in the society. Including, all new residents must use a new similar name as a result of their housing. The most notable/important jobs known so far are:

• Blacksmith
• Guard
• Farmer
• Doctor
• Gatekeeper
• Pilgrim
• Collector
• Tavernkeeper
• Miner
• Artist
• Hotelier
• Tailor

All this not including possible side jobs.

It is important to note that the elite position in the Holy Cradle is given to the Blacksmith, who usually guides the ignarii who appear in the city, in addition to having fundamental knowledge of the history of the place and a good reputation among the residents.

By extension, whenever night comes, an immense fog covers the city, and the population takes extra precaution, tending to isolate themselves in their homes, this is because the Holy Cradle receives attacks from supernatural creatures coming from the city center. No one understands why these creatures exist, but The Blacksmith claims it's a way for the city to protect itself and protect them too. Alternatively, night can be invoked immediately whenever someone uses fire on the village perimeter - as Thiago did when intending to smoke at the entrance to the labyrinth. The igniter will then have all the attention of the creatures that will attack it. For this and other reasons, the night is considered a dangerous time among citizens. It is revealed later in the 11th episode of The Secret in the Forest that some of the creatures were conceived and created by the Old Hotelier, who was part of the Haunteds gang, but who ended up entering Holy Cradle and, after adapting to the nature of the place, began to do experiments similar to those The Doctors did in Carpazinha.

Origin

Carpazinha's Holy Cradle was an occultist plan organized by five scientists: Eva van Gloss, Eric Jour, Mick Vultz, Paula Verdante and Valter Luz. Each doctor, with their specialty, contributed their knowledge to create a paranormal village.

During her research and archaeological expeditions, Doctor Eva found several rubbles and ruins that pointed to the existence of an extinct civilization that lived in a primitive way and deified a certain Spiral Symbol on an island in Iceland. She gathered and collected various information from these expeditions and started to create the Project Holy Cradle, with the help of the other Doctors.

A calm and subtle place was needed for the doctors to start the project experiments, and the chosen place was in Carpazinha, in Rio Grande do Sul, the five scientists infiltrated the city and created several guinea pigs to begin the experiments. The first was Ingrid Volkomenn, named Test Subject 01. This first test subject showed several principles of the symbol, but eventually failed. After that, they created a Aracnasite, which would be Subject 02, and later, two guinea pigs: Subject 03, the Ooze Rat, and using the body of Virgulino Batista, created the Black Carrion, titled Test Subject 04. In the meantime, the team of occultists had to collaborate with the Haunteds, due to the fact that the gang inhabited the abandoned mansion of Virgulino. With each doctor working at his post, little by little, the five scientists managed to recreate the appearance and nature of the place where the expedition of Eva was made, also based on their previous guinea pigs. It was named after Holy Cradle, an anachronistic town that would eventually be inhabited by civilians.

The place is sustained by an energy source called "Potential Energy" (PE), which is drawn by an entity called "Dimensions Parasite", which is also nicknamed " The Holy". The parasite collects potential energy from various vital sources, animal or vegetable, taking psychological control of the individual. The entity, in return, creates ideal environments for other people, creating a miraculous nature rich in tasty foods and surreal life mechanisms. Over time, doctors used springs, people who would be fixed PE sources and would spend their entire lives feeding the parasite. Eventually, the Doctor Eric gave up on the plan and tried to abandon the Doctors, stating that he had anti-scientist ideals and that the parasite was only slowly devouring the world. He threatened Team H intended to hand over all information to Order if this didn't end. He tried to imprint the Spiral Symbol on himself and destroy Holy Cradle by entering the Infinite Labyrinth, but failed, and had his tongue cut out as punishment. Fleeing back to Carpazinha, he became known by the name " 'Crazy Old Man' ".

The team of scientists called themselves "The Five Guardians" and aimed to build an ideal and comfortable place for new citizens. To keep their ulterior motives a secret, they created various mythologies and cultures around the village, as well as rites to explain the city's phenomena and the maintenance of medieval customs due to the absence of electricity. This culture was passed down through several generations within the city.

During The Secret in the Forest, the one entitled "Holy" is in the center of the labyrinth, consuming more and more of the outside world, being fed by the source of PE, which was generated by the Source.

Holy Cradle is currently in an unknown state following the supposed destruction of the Dimensions Parasite by Team H.

Crystals

Crystals are elements found in the Cavern capable of emitting a unique kind of radiation, different from those cataloged by modern science until then. They can be mined in Holy Cradle Mines and refined by The Doctor, then used in different ways according to their properties. The size of a crystal interferes directly with the radiation emanated by it. In this way, mine crystals have a much greater effect compared to their refined versions, making large crystals extremely dangerous.

Green Crystal

This crystal has supposed healing power, being able to close and heal large wounds, external or internal, in an instant. Another application it has is through the oral route, acting as an anesthetic with instantaneous effect used to stabilize and wake up the living being that has this crystal placed in the mouth. It is known that it is not recommended to use large green crystals, such as those in the mine, as they can cause permanent sequelae, as was the case with one of The Miner's helpers.

Its energy is consumed as this solid is used. Thus, the lower the healing capacity of this crystal, the weaker the glow that these elements naturally emit.

On the first day of Team H in Holy Cradle, a green crystal was used to cure the deafness of Thiago and later another to stabilize Arthur, when he lost his arm in the battle against Miner. Furthermore, all victims of Gatekeeper were knocked unconscious using green crystals before being killed. In a broadcast, it is revealed that the green crystals don't exactly heal, and that Thiago would go deaf again if he left Holy Cradle.

Red Crystal

Used by the inhabitants of Holy Cradle as a source of heat and light, depending on the size of the crystal its heat can be compared to lava. It was used by The Gatekeeper to draw the symbol on the back of Thiago Fritz as a form of cauterization, because when in contact with the skin it it burns cumulatively, so the more crystals are together, the hotter it can get. It was also used as sling ammunition by Cesar, applying the burn effect to the target.

Blue Crystal

Blue Crystals are the opposite of Red Crystals, producing extreme cold. Their presence in a specific part of the Holy Cradle Mines is the main reason miners and Miners wear their helmets, as they produce certain heat thanks to the red crystals that are inside it. Outside the mines, they are used by the villagers to store and store food, as they don't have refrigerators or anything else that needs electricity to function. These crystals haven't had many appearances so far, but they were a major negative influence on Cesar during the battle against Succ due to his frigophobia.

Black Crystal

It has the ability to make any ignarii completely convert into Lusidii upon contact with its skin, making that person a part of the city. These crystals, unlike the other stones that are extracted and taken to the city, are kept inside the cave, being revealed to new ignarii only after the so-called Blacksmith or Miner takes the person to the place to complete their trial process. Otherwise, whoever touches the crystal, no matter how small, risks being driven mad by the psychological shock caused.

Infinite Labyrinth

One of the most enigmatic places in Holy Cradle. An immense circular labyrinth located in the center of the city, full of living plants that build the paths, in addition to a vast and strong fog that covers the routes from beginning to end. It has a magical and illusory structure that redirects paths and makes visitors have the impression that they are not making progress, especially when they want to leave the place, returning by a disproportionately short path in relation to the route that was taken. The Infinite Labyrinth is a physical location in the city of Holy Cradle, as well as a mental state caused by Spiral Hypnosis. The Infinite Labyrinth was first sighted when Thiago Fritz was captured inside the cocoon of the Aracnasite, finding himself in an infinite-looking white space, with only the Spiral Symbol in his mind. The Labyrinth is the path between the city and Holy Cradle Cavern, where the Dimensions Parasite is located, so the passage through the labyrinth is quite complicated. Thus, the individual who wishes to pass through the labyrinth needs to mark the Spiral Symbol on his body and follow it like a compass when entering the maze, however, the effects of marking the symbol are devastating to the individual's mind, leading to eventual insanity.

Landmarks

• The Gatekeeper's Tower: Near the entrance to the Holy Cradle, on the right, there is a tower, where The Gatekeeper used to live, who watches over the main gate of the city.

Blacksmith's interior

• Blacksmith Shop: To the northwest of town is a blacksmith shop, run by the town's Blacksmith, which sells common medieval combat equipment such as swords, bows, axes, shields and armor.

• The Woods: Located in the south of the city. The place is of great cultural importance among the residents, where there is the trunk cut from each citizen of the village, which officializes their place in the city. In addition, it is where the entrance festivals of the Ignarii are held and it is also where the dead are buried.

• The Doctor's Residence: To the southwest, there is a large mansion, belonging to a doctor, who appears to be a great professional reference among the residents. The house has a formal look inside, and even shares a mixed structure between casual and professional, as the doctor's office is on the first floor, next to the living room.

Tavern's interior

• Tavern: The Tavern of Holy Cradle is located in the northeast of the village and is run by Tavernkeeper. It's like a bar, but with a medieval look and its services and products are free. The inhabitants of Holy Cradle love to go to the tavern to eat and drink typical foods from the village, among them a well-known one, "Manteiga na Manteiga".

• Hotel: A large two-story building located east of town. This is where the Ignarii usually book to stay if they want to stay longer in Holy Cradle. Currently, there is only one employee, The Hotelier, who manages the place. This hotel is described by Hotelier as a paranormal place, where strange or random events can happen during the night, such as creatures walking through the corridors or music suddenly playing. All these events are considered normal there and should be ignored by the hosts.

Farm's Exterior

• Farm: In the north of the city you can find a large farm with two barns, run by a woman, who remains at her post looking after of the local animals. The animals of Holy Cradle are similar to other land animals, however, they bring with them unique characteristics and anatomy. The Blacksmith commented to the members of the order that sometimes animals are murdered on the farm and marked with symbols similar to the design used by occultists and that he does not understand the reason for these occurrences. Every night, animals must be hidden at all costs from other creatures, in order to avoid exposure to attacks from the beasts.

• Mines: It is west of the village, a huge cavern, where The Miner and his team collect the crystals used in various jobs. In addition to minerals, the place is full of various creatures, such as Ooze Moles, Batterflies, Maggakes, and Succs. There is a door at the end of the cavern that leads to a laboratory, used by five scientists and, next to the door, there is an area full of black crystals, which are used in the rites of passage.

• Holy Cradle Cavern: The Cavern of Holy Cradle is found in the center of the city, being the place where the Fountains and the Dimensions Parasite are found. It is only accessible through the Infinite Labyrinth to those who have the Spiral Symbol marked on their bodies. The history of the cavern is extremely mysterious, being first sighted in 1918 by Lurdete Batista and Ana Batista. The vision the two had made them lose their sanity and go crazy. The Cavern had connections to the Holy Cradle Mines, but that entrance was sealed off at some point for unknown reasons.

Passage of Time

Being an anachronistic city, time passes differently in Holy Cradle, specifically 300x faster. Using the information that one day in the Outside World is equivalent to one year in Holy Cradle, it is possible to do a complete conversion of time units in the city compared to the Outside World.

*Note: The value found in converting 1 day in Holy Cradle to 3 minutes and 56 seconds in Outside World was the most accurate. The other values have been rounded for readability, for example: the exact value of a week in Holy Cradle would be 27 minutes and 58 seconds.

• Obs₂: Being 1 day = 1 year in SB, on November 12, 2019 (day on which the doctors did the Migration) until April 16, 2020 (day the protagonists arrived in Holy Cradle) has passed 156 days (counting that: ' '''November = 18 days, December = 31 days, January = 31 days, February = 29 days, March = 31 days and April = 16 days). Thus, it can be concluded that the age of Holy Cradle is 156 years.

Outside World	Holy Cradle
1 day	1 year
12 hours	6 months
2 hours	1 month
1 hour	2 weeks
30 minutes	1 week
3 minutes e 56 seconds	1 day/24 hours
1 second	5 minutes

Residents

• † Old Source
• † The Artist
• † The Nurse (Borned Cibele)
• † The Farmer
• † The Blacksmith (female) (formerly The Pilgrim)
• † The Waitress
• † The First Farmer (Borned Paula Verdante) (Founder)
• † The First Miner (Borned Eva van Gloss) (Founder)
• † Jennifer
• † The Helper
• † Old Blacksmith (Borned Eric Jour) (Former resident) (Founder)
• † Old Hotelier
• † Old Gatekeeper
• † The Collector (Borned Murilo)
• † The Cook
• † The Doctor
• † The Blacksmith (male) (Formerly The Blacksmith's Helper and borned as Miguel Cariad)
• † The Guard
• † The Hotelier (Borned Hotelier's Son)
• † The Gardener
• † The Mineworker
• † The Miner (Formerly The Blacksmith's Helper)
• † The Pig Caretaker
• † The Pilgrim
• † The Planter
• † The Gatekeeper (Formerly The Source)
• † The First Doctor (Borned Valter Luz) (Founder)
• † The First Hotelier/Constructor (Borned Mick Vultz) (Founder)
• † The Tavernkeeper
• † The Tailor
• † Several Citizens of Holy Cradle

Gallery

• Arts
• Graphic Novels

Holy Cradle after the Dimensions Parasite's defeat

Background of the Holy Cradle Forest

Entrance of the Holy Cradle in The Secret in the Forest - Part 2