Cradle

Cradles, also known as growth modules, are objects in Xenoblade Chronicles 3. Kevesi and Agnians that are assimilated from Origin are born from them.

Description
Cradles are spherical pods with orange liquid inside. Kevesi and Agnians are born from them in their respective Castle, Keves cradles are located in the Throne Room whereas Agnus cradles location are not disclosed in the game. First appear as a fetus, then quickly grew to artificially aged to resemble a child. Soldiers will permanently stay as a child while in the cradle, and only when a soldier that leaves the cradle begins their ten year life span. If a Kevesi or Agnian die by any means other than Homecoming, they are born again in the same cradle they were in as part of the cycle of rebirth. It is unknown what happens to the cradle of the soldiers that have reached Homecoming. Even though most cradles are located in Keves Castle and Agnus Castle respectively, there are still some cradles stored outside of the Castle, such as in the City's Module Warehouse, and the Lost Colony.

Cradles don't seem to able to release soldiers automatically, there has to be an individual to interact with the cradle in order to release the soldier inside, as how Ethel was accidentally released by Cubibi during a game of hide-and-seek. Cradles are also movable, as the Lost Numbers has seized many cradles from Keves Castle and cradles were being carried to the Cradle Convoy Shelter at the Great Sword's Base.

In Colony Omega, there is also a special type of cradle that is able to accelerate process of a soldier's growth to their final term. Consul Y utilized this cradle and revived many soldiers, including Mwamba, Hackt, and Cammuravi. Once Cammuravi reunites with a first termer Ethel in the City, returning to Colony Omega with Cammuravi in the party will let Ethel use the cradle to mature her back to her tenth term.

Main Story
After the battle at Everblight Plain ended in 's victory, Kevesi soldiers are seen being created in the cradles at Keves Castle, while Noah is describing how every soldiers are born like this.

The party arrives at the Throne Room while escaping Keves Castle after destroying the Annihilator, Noah spotted several cradles with Ethel's cradle being among them, shocking the entire party as they saw Ethel, who was previously killed after their battle with her and Cammuravi, being in Cradle in a younger form. After their battle with the Queen of Keves and found out that the Queen was a fake, the Lost Numbers storms into the Castle and looted many cradles, including Ethel's.

Once the party arrives at the City, explains to the party how the soldiers are bounded by the shackles of Moebius, by being reborn after dying and awaken without memories of their former self. As for the reason of not awaken the soldiers in the cradles to aid the Lost Numbers. Monica explains that even though the soldiers will be free from the Flame Clock once awakened, the soldiers will still have short life spans and they don't know how long the battle with Moebius will last, and she also want them to be awakened in a world where they can find their true selves.

Hero Quest
In Cammuravi's Hero Quest, A Twist of Fate, after the party returns to the City with Cammuravi, they heard from Travis that one of the cradles was opened. The party later goes to the Module Warehouse and indeed saw Ethel's cradle being opened and she is nowhere in sight. By following the foot tracks, the party finds Cubibi, a Nopon who mistakenly opened her cradle while playing hide and go seek. The young Ethel is soon found trying to leave the city, but she got saved by Cammuravi and the party decides to leave her in the City with Travis and Cammuravi as her mentor.

During Side Story: Taion, upon returning to Colony Lambda, Isurd gave Taion a contact lens that Nimue used to wear to resemble a false Iris, he then reveals Nimue's past as she was a soldier from the Lost Colony, an Agnus Colony that was liberated a long time ago (possibly by the previous Ouroboros). 5 years ago, after Isurd was saved by Nimue, she showed Isurd the cradles in Lost Colony, with some of them are still producing soldiers. Nimue is one of those soldiers that born from those cradles. As such, Isurd assumes that Nimue might already reborn back to Lost Colony and asks Taion and the party to protect it.

During Side Story: Lanz, Consul H utilized empty cradles as decoys at her own colony to allow a reborn Garvel, Hoope, and Layla to ambush the unsuspecting Lost Numbers and the party.

Other Appearance
If the party returns to Colony Omega and enters the laboratory with Cammuravi in the party while the Seraph and Flash Fencer Classes are at Rank 10, he stated how the place is familiar since it was the place he got revived by using the special cradle. Ethel ask Cammuravi if the cradle can still be used and she then states how she wants to help the team but unable to do so with her current form, therefore she hopes to use the cradle to accelerate her growth. Cammuravi initially questions Ethel why she want to give up her peaceful life in the City and throw herself into the battle once again, but reluctantly agrees after seeing her determination, he then asks the party on their opinion. The game will then let the player choose to let Ethel undergo the maturation process or not, if choosing the former, Ethel will then enter the special cradle and successfully matures back to her tenth term appearance.

After leaving the lab, Cammuravi remembers the word "Silvercoat" by looking at fully matured Ethel but doesn't know why he also has this sensational feeling, regardless both decides to work together and fight for the future.

Trivia

 * Ethel is the only Hero to have appeared in a cradle.
 * The soldier's character model in the Kevesi cradle shown in the first cutscene was reused in the cutscene where Isurd and Nimue were looking at the Lost Colony's cradles.