Scouring of Aimia
| Scouring of Aimia | |
|---|---|
| Nation | Aimia |
| World | Roshar |
| Universe | Cosmere |
The scouring of Aimia was a destructive event that took place on the Rosharan island nation of Aimia.[1]
History
Aimia was one of the Silver Kingdoms during the Heraldic Epochs, and it contained an Oathgate.[2] At an unknown point in history, the scouring occurred. The timeline compared to other events such as the Recreance is unclear, but a Siah Aimian named Axies the Collector stated that the scouring occurred long enough ago that humans have begun to tell stories and legends about the islands.[1]
What exactly occurred is unknown, but it is thought that nearly everything on the islands was destroyed.[3][4] The largest island of Aimia is assumed to be altogether barren and lifeless.[5] However, the island of Akinah, which served as Aimia's capital, was not completely destroyed. Some crem-covered buildings can still be seen from its shores.[5]
In her work Mythica, Hessi posited that Dai-Gonarthis may have been responsible for the scouring.[6]
Aftermath
The vast majority of Aimia's ecosystem collapsed, leading to the presumed extinction of the lanceryn[7] and the near-extinction of the larkin. Aimia became isolated from the rest of Roshar; the Oathgate on Akinah is not functioning and is thought to be destroyed.[2] The native peoples of Aimia, Dysian Aimians (known as Sleepless) and Siah Aimians, likely lost much of their populations and are very rarely seen elsewhere in Roshar.[1] Anything else that originated in Aimia (including Soulcaster fabrials)[5] became quite rare after the scouring.[8] Rumors, folk tales, and superstitions about the islands and their former residents swirl throughout the rest of Roshar.[1]
Some sailors continue to attempt to reach the islands, spurred on by rumors of treasure (including gemhearts). However, the Sleepless have issued warnings against traveling there, and a strange storm generally prevents ships from reaching the islands. Akinah in particular is surrounded by forty-foot-tall Soulcast stone spikes.[5] Ships that attempt to approach the islands are often lost at sea, and in the rare instances where they have nearly made landfall, the Sleepless have taken harsh measures to prevent it from happening.[5]