Biography / History

Pre-Series

The Cauldron is the primordial source of life in the ACOTAR universe. All living things were first poured into Prythian from its depths, and according to Silene’s account in House of Flame and Shadow, the Cauldron once rested at the foot of the onyx monolith on Ramiel.

The Cauldron’s power is stabilized only when supported by its three feet. Fae from another world, fearing the devastation that could be unleashed through the Cauldron, created the Book of Breathings—a sacred text written in Leshon Hakodesh designed to nullify or counteract the Cauldron’s magic. To prevent misuse, the Book was divided into two halves:

• one entrusted to the High Lord of the Summer Court,
• the other given to the Mortal Queens, who could only surrender it voluntarily—any magical theft would destroy their half.

The Cauldron holds the power to resurrect the dead (if their souls remain intact) and to transform mortals into High Fae when enough willpower is present. It also contains the destructive force capable of breaking the Wall that once separated Prythian from the Mortal Lands. The Cauldron’s three feet were later divided among priestesses and hidden in separate temples to prevent its full reactivation.

Daglan Rule

Although born of the Fae world, the Cauldron was eventually seized by the Daglan, an ancient, tyrannical race. They twisted and corrupted its essence, transforming it from a vessel of creation into a tool of destruction. Using it, they bred countless horrors—many of which remain imprisoned in the Prison to this day.

To overthrow the Daglan, Theia, Fionn, and a third unnamed Fae used the Cauldron to forge legendary weapons such as Gwydion and Truth-Teller, designed specifically to kill their oppressors.

It remains unknown whether the Cauldron ever returned to its original, untainted state after this period.

A Court of Mist and Fury

After Amarantha’s death, the King of Hybern sought the Cauldron to resurrect Jurian and ultimately dismantle the Wall. The Attor delivered Jurian’s preserved finger bone and eye—fragments of his soul—to Hybern, enabling the resurrection.

To restore the Cauldron’s full power, Hybern stole its three missing feet from the priestess temples. Realizing the threat, Rhysand began searching for both halves of the Book of Breathings to counteract the Cauldron.

Seeking answers, Rhysand and Feyre Archeron visited the Bone Carver, who revealed:

• The Cauldron predates both High Fae and mortals.
• The world itself was born from it.
• It had once fallen into the wrong hands, causing immense devastation.
• It cannot be destroyed without ending life entirely.
• Only the Cauldron can reforge the dead.

The Bone Carver explained that the Cauldron had once been hidden beneath a frozen lake in Lapplund before vanishing again. The three feet, removed millennia earlier to blunt its power, had been distributed among the temples at Cesere, Sangravah, and Itica. Attacks on these temples confirmed Hybern now possessed all three.

With the Cauldron restored, Hybern resurrected Jurian, then used him to negotiate with—and manipulate—the Mortal Queens. Upon learning that one queen had secretly surrendered her half of the Book to the Night Court, Hybern launched an assault on Velaris led by the Attor.

During the infiltration of Hybern’s castle, Feyre united the two halves of the Book, unintentionally alerting the King and enabling him to trap her group. There, the King demonstrated the Cauldron’s power by forcibly Making Elain and Nesta Archeron into High Fae.

A Court of Wings and Ruin

Hybern’s twins, Dagdan and Brannagh, visited the Spring Court to study fractures in the Wall, assessing where the Cauldron could most effectively destroy it. Meanwhile, Nesta’s transformation revealed that she had taken a significant amount of power from the Cauldron—granting her a unique connection that allowed her to sense its movements and intentions.

The Cauldron retaliated against the Mortal Queen who attempted to use it by stripping her youth and beauty, though granting her immortality in return.

During the High Lords’ meeting, Nesta sensed imminent danger, which was confirmed when Hybern unleashed the Cauldron and destroyed the Wall, shattering the boundary between Prythian and the mortal realm.

The Cauldron was then transported to the battlefield in Prythian, positioned on a rocky cliff near the King’s pavilion. In the Final Battle, its destructive light obliterated entire Illyrian battalions and later disintegrated the Bone Carver, who fought alongside Prythian after making a temporary alliance.

After two massive strikes, the Cauldron needed time to recharge. Feyre and Amren, following the Weaver’s guidance, reached it during the battle. At the last moment, Amren revealed her true intention: to use the Cauldron to shed her Fae body, reclaim her original form, and end the war by unleashing her full destructive might. Feyre aided her, and Amren emerged as a being of pure, consuming power, destroying Hybern’s armies before burning herself out completely.

Amren’s release shattered the Cauldron, creating a void of black, corrosive energy that devoured everything around it. Feyre and Rhysand combined their magic to heal and restore the Cauldron, a sacrifice that killed Rhysand briefly before the High Lords revived him.

In the aftermath of the war, Feyre and Rhysand entrusted the Cauldron to Drakon and Miryam, who agreed to hide it on their secret, warded island—far from the reach of any High Lord and safe from political conflict.