The Cradle

The cradle is one of nine Hyperdrakes created by Vanae to keep The Page in a constant cycle of renewal. It currently resides on The Underside, effectively serving as an eternal guardian of souls.
The Cradle, as all other Hyperdrakes, was tasked with the tireless consumption and renewal of dying or dead stars. These creatures were intended to be fully logical creatures, however upon the creation of Shiftsteel some differences between The Cradle and the other Hyperdrakes became evident. Initially it acted with the other Hyperdrakes, reacting to this universal threat by consuming star systems that housed civilizations capable of producing dangerous quantities of Shiftsteel. These stars did not want to die, however, and expressed their fear of an early end. The Cradle began to, in some form, regret and grieve for its actions, necessary as they were.
Upon sensing this shift within The Cradle, the other Hyperdrakes quickly determined that allowing The Cradle to continue as it was would eventually result in a disruption of their purpose. Unwilling to risk the threat that The Cradle represented to their Great Work, they collectively set upon the aberrant Hyperdrake, sundering its body and sending its soul to The Underside.
The Cradle resides as the eternal gaurdian of The Underside, where they may love and protect souls that have departed from The Page. They are a kind gaurdian, but find it difficult to grasp the concept of sacrificing the few for the many. As the gaurdian of The Underside, the cradle prevents the theft of souls for shiftsteel from within the realm.
Massively powerful soul now trapped within The Underside, The Cradle now guards souls from within their home, acting as a grand threat to anyone who might risk drawing its attention with the act of harvesting souls for Shifsteel. It seems to feel something approaching love for souls as a whole, and attempts to educate living souls that come across it about Vanae, whom it portrays as the true god of The Page. This often results in the formation of Vanae focused religions in space-faring civilizations.

Species

Hyperdrake