Editing Ones Above

{{group
|'world=Unknown
|universe=[[Cosmere]]
|books=[[Sixth of the Dusk]]
}}
{{spoilers|tress}}
The '''Ones Above''' is the colloquial name for a spacefaring group that regularly visits the [[Eelakin]] people on [[First of the Sun]].{{book ref|sixth}} Their name references the fact that they arrived in the sky above First of the Sun in spaceships.

==Characteristics==
[[Vathi]], who has met some of the Ones Above in person, notes that "they look like us; at times they talk like us".{{book ref|sixth}} This indicates that they are (or can appear) human and that some individuals may be able to speak the [[Eelakin]] language. Vathi also says that they have their own language when describing a translator device and an equipment manual.{{book ref|sixth}} Vathi suspects that they are immortal, until she sees one individual appear to choke to death.{{book ref|sixth}}

The Ones Above are fascinated with the [[Aviar]]; Vathi believes that they want to acquire them.{{book ref|sixth}} However, the Ones Above seem to be bound by certain laws preventing them from simply invading the islands or even trading with less advanced cultures.{{book ref|sixth}} They don't explain these laws to the Eelakin, but they insinuate that they know of other space-faring peoples that would not face similar restrictions.{{book ref|sixth}}

===Technology===
The native people of First of the Sun were traditionally sailors and wayfinders who used outrigger canoes to navigate the [[Eelakin Islands]] and the [[Pantheon]]. Vathi says that they had barely worked out marine propulsion on their own.{{book ref|sixth}} The Ones Above have technology that is far superior to anything found on the planet before their arrival. They visit First of the Sun through interplanetary space travel.{{wob ref|3295}}{{wob ref|1782}} They give some of their technology to the Eelakin, typically without an explanation of how it works.{{book ref|sixth}}

* [[Dusk]] (and presumably other trappers) use sea charts created by the Ones Above that are more accurate than any that they can create themselves.{{book ref|sixth}}
* Vathi uses a handheld device that is both a language translator and a short-range Aviar-locating device.{{book ref|sixth}}
* The [[Northern Interests Trading Company]] also possesses a larger, long-range Aviar locator that can scan an entire island and print a map of any Aviar detected there. Aviar react negatively when the machine is activated.{{book ref|sixth}}
The Company also has iron-hulled ships, cannons that can fend off [[deepwalker]]s, and gunpowder-based spear guns capable of killing a [[nightmaw]].{{book ref|sixth}} Based on the description of traditional Eelakin society, it seems unlikely that these technologies were developed naturally; however, it is not explicitly stated that they originated with the Ones Above.

Vathi tells Dusk that he has not "seen the things they can do", implying that the Ones Above have demonstrated even more advanced technologies to some of the Eelakin.{{book ref|sixth}}

==History==
The Ones Above did not specifically seek out First of the Sun, but there are ways of detecting intelligent life in the [[Cognitive Realm]].{{wob ref|14006}} This allowed the Ones Above to "stumble upon" the planet, but they realized that they could not travel through its [[perpendicularity]] due to the unusual history of a [[Shard]] there and the exceptionally dangerous location of the perpendicularity.{{wob ref|1782}}{{wob ref|5772}} Instead, they decided to safely travel to the planet via the [[Physical Realm]].{{wob ref|3295}}{{wob ref|14006}}

The Ones Above first began visiting First of the Sun less than ten years before the [[Patji expedition]].{{wob ref|13538}} The visits occurred regularly and seemed to quickly become an accepted part of the culture.{{book ref|sixth}} The specifics of the meetings between the Ones Above and the native population have not been revealed, but they did meet in person; an emissary worked directly with Vathi and others at her company.{{book ref|sixth}} Eelakin society on the [[homeisles]] underwent various changes that stemmed from the advances in technology. This included a new focus on education and industry, reduced interest in traditional names and professions, and increased demand for Aviar, including new demand from the [[mainland]].{{book ref|sixth}} Dusk believed that only [[trapper]]s still learned the "old arts".{{book ref|sixth}} Dusk noted that companies such as Northern Interests Trading had been looking to establish outposts on the Pantheon "for years" and that the visits of the Ones Above were not to blame for their ambition.{{book ref|sixth}}

Although both Dusk and Vathi were distrustful of the Ones Above, they both used their technology, like all other Eelakin.{{book ref|sixth}} The Company's latest expeditions to the Pantheon would likely have been impossible without the advances that originated with the Ones Above. The Ones Above seemed benevolent, but Dusk and Vathi ultimately realized that there had been subterfuge on various occasions that resulted in the Eelakin rapidly gaining technology or making "discoveries" through planted devices or information. They theorized that the Ones Above were intentionally doling out the technology, quickly advancing Eelakin society in order to subvert the "laws" that were preventing them from taking the Aviar.{{book ref|sixth}}

==Trivia and Other Appearances==
Some version of the Ones Above was seen in the [[cosmere]] prior to the publication of ''Sixth of the Dusk''.{{wob ref|2665}}{{wob ref|1390}}{{wob ref|12294}} Since no other works take place on First of the Sun, this means that they have been part of the storyline on another planet.{{wob ref|4795}}  
{{theory}}
Chronologically, ''Sixth of the Dusk'' occurs near the end of Brandon's overall plans for the cosmere.{{book ref|sixth|part=postscript}}{{wob ref|1782}} Brandon has mentioned that his long-term plan for the ''[[Mistborn (series)|Mistborn]]'' series includes books in a sci-fi setting that include FTL (faster-than-light) space travel.{{wob ref|1476}}{{wob ref|9005}}{{wob ref|10012}} Based on this, it may be that the Ones Above are travelers from a future version of [[Scadrial]], however Brandon has declined to confirm this.{{wob ref|9320}}{{wob ref|7590}}{{wob ref|8479}} Scadrians are not the only option, as there are other societies that would be capable of space travel by that time.{{wob ref|11002}}{{wob ref|3520}} Dusk is also known to have tried food that originated on [[Roshar]].{{wob ref|2261}} 

When [[Hoid]] is telling the story of [[Tress]] on [[Lumar]], he mentions visitors to "your planet" whose spaceships have a form of intelligent AI or [[spren]] similar to [[Seslo]]. He refers to this phenomenon as spirits or "speaking minds" that inhabit the ships and can control many of their functions at the request of their owners.{{book ref|tress|60}} Given the timeframe and Hoid's references to the reader's seafaring culture, it is heavily implied that the intended audience is a resident of First of the Sun and the visitors who possess these sapient ships are the Ones Above,{{book ref|tress|43}}{{book ref|tress|60}} but Hoid does not explicitly confirm this.

== Notes ==
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{{complete|[[User:Big Smooth|Big Smooth]] ([[User talk:Big Smooth|talk]]) 00:32, 28 February 2023 (UTC)}}
{{Sixth of the Dusk}}