Scouring of Aimia
| Scouring of Aimia | |
|---|---|
| Nation | Aimia |
| World | Roshar |
| Universe | Cosmere |
“They assumed their secrets would protect them, but then their allies fell. And secrets can't hold swords. ”
The scouring of Aimia was a destructive event that took place on the Rosharan island nation of Aimia.[2]
History
Aimia was one of the Silver Kingdoms during the Heraldic Epochs, and it contained an Oathgate.[3] The island was made habitable by fabrials that caused lush plants to grow, turning it into a paradise. The kingdom was considered strange even by the other Silver Kingdoms, though they maintained a close relationship with the Knights Radiant.[1]
Not long after the Recreance, the other kingdoms turned on Aimia. They saw the fabrials and lanceryn the kingdom had and wanted that wealth for themselves. The invaders destroyed the fabrials keeping the island's ecosystem alive. The naturally inhospitable storms and cold weather returned. Many people were killed in the fighting. The human survivors fled to an area near Alm.[1] The Sleepless, believing the lanceryn extinct, took up the responsibility for guarding the dawnshard.[4] The exact fate of the Siah Aimians is unknown, but they are rarely seen on Roshar.[2]
In her work Mythica, Hessi posited that Dai-Gonarthis may have been responsible for the scouring.[5]
Aftermath
The vast majority of Aimia's ecosystem collapsed, leading to the presumed extinction of the lanceryn[6] 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.[3] Anything else that originated in Aimia (including Soulcaster fabrials)[7] 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.[2]
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.[7] 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.[7] They built a fake city atop the buried Oathgate as a failsafe and distraction in case their other efforts failed.[9]