Difference between revisions of "Akinah"

|It is rare I must guard [Akinah] so . . . aggressively. Men must not again discover this place. I cannot speak, even to sate a dying demand. There are those who could pull secrets from your soul, and the cost would be the ends of worlds.

'''Akinah''' is the ancient capital of the [[Silver Kingdoms|Silver Kingdom]] of [[Aimia]] on [[Roshar]].{{book ref|sa3|i|4}} In more modern times, it is also known as '''The Rock of Secrets''' and '''The Void's Playground'''. The city itself was destroyed long ago, and during the [[Era of Solitude]] it exists only as a ruin. It is the location of a functioning [[Oathgate]] and its underwater caverns formerly contained a [[Dawnshard]].

Akinah is located on a small island in the northern section of Aimia, somewhat near the large main island.{{book ref|sa3|i|4}} The city itselfseems wasto have once been grand, with ornate buildings arranged in a tenfold symmetry radiating out from a round central hub.{{File ref|Four_Cities.jpg|Kabsal's Cymatics notes}} This tenfold symmetry is related to the tenth name of the [[Almighty]], He Who Transforms, and the [[Soulcasting]] fabrials.{{wob ref|8614}}and Thethe island[[Akinah isDawnshard ringedmural|Dawnshard bymural]] afound wallin of enormous Soulcast stone spikes around forty feet tallAkinah, and guarded by additional Soulcast underwater spikes, seemingly designed to pierce the hullsconcept of approaching shipschange.{{bookwob ref|sa3|i|48614}} The island featuresFrom darkabove, tallthe rockcity formationslooks alonglike itsa centerflower thatwith lookradiating almostpetals.{{book likeref the walls|dawnshard of a city.|15}}

AfterThe the cityisland wasfeatures abandoneddark, tall rock formations along its grandcenter that look almost like the walls of a city{{book ref|sa3|i|4}} and uniform buildings becamein the “tips” of the flower petals as seen from above.{{book ref |dawnshard |15}} The ruins - which [[Rushu]] believes are fake{{book ref |dawnshard |15}} - are covered with [[crem]] and the plainrocky beach around the city wasis cluttered with the corpses of dead [[greatshell]]s and deceptive, but fake, gemhearts.{{book ref |dawnshard |15}}

A strangeterrible and persistent storm - an unusual weather pattern surrounded- bolstered the island,island’s protectingdefenses it{{book fromref outsiders|dawnshard |1}}, but had been weakened by 1174 {{disputed}}. In the clouds flew [[Sleepless#hordelings|hordelings]] that had bred with larkin and were thereby able to drain [[larkinStormlight]] flew through the clouds as a safeguard against [[Surgebinding|Surgebinders]].

The origin of the city is unknown, but it is quite ancient. At some point in the past, air was Soulcast into massive spikes surrounding the city.{{book ref|sa3|i|4}} In the Heraldic Epochs, Akinah was known as the placeancient tohome obtainof [[Soulcaster]]sthe Soulcasters,{{book powerfulref [[fabrial]]s|dawnshard that|2}} allowedand theit userwas towhere transformpeople onewould substancecome intoto anotherget Soulcasting devices.{{book ref|sa3|i|4}} Its [[Oathgate]] gave it a direct connection to [[Urithiru]], allowing rapid travel to the city. After Urithiru was abandoned, one of the [[Willshapers]] ventured to Aimia to explore its undersea caverns, leaving their maps in Akinah.{{epigraph ref|sa3|63}} At some unknown time, the city was destroyed, perhaps in the [[scouring of Aimia]]{{book ref|sa1|36}} or due to the influence of the [[Unmade]] [[Dai-gonarthis]].{{epigraph ref|sa3|113}} [[Jasnah Kholin]] iswas previously confident that the Oathgate itself was destroyed, breakingand the link with the abandonedUrithiru Urithirusevered.{{book ref|sa3|107}} At least one [[Dysian Aimian]]s workedtook toup guardthe task of guarding the city, preventingand anyits peoplesecrets frombecause enteringso itfew for[[Lancer|Guardians reasonsof unknownAncient Sins]] remained.{{book ref|sa3|i|4}}

Over the following time, the city itself entered into the realm of myth and legend, earning it the names The Rock of Secrets and The Void's Playground and a sinister reputation.{{book ref|sa3|i|4}} It was believed that no one should linger near the shores of Aimia, although the reason why varied. Some believed that a dangerous storm would hunt and destroy any ships that approached. Due to the city's historical connection to Soulcasters, rumors spread among themSoulcasting [[savants]] that the secret for reversing the prolonged decay caused by using a Soulcaster was located in Akinah. However, some factual knowledge of the city remained. The general layout of the city was still known, and it was discovered that its pattern could be produced by cymatics.{{book ref|sa1|33}} The ardents of the Vorin Church used this as a piece of evidence for the existence of the Almighty. Brother [[Kabsal]] showed this to [[Shallan Davar]] during her time in [[Kharbranth]].

In early 1174, a [[Thaylen]] man named [[Vazrmeb]], captain of the ship ''[[First Dreams]]'' followed a map to Akinah with the goal of recovering the [[gemheart]]s of the Aimian greatshells that had died around the city.{{book ref|sa3|i|4}} He was accompanied by a [[Liafor|Liaforan]] Soulcaster named [[Kaza]], who hoped to discover some way to reverse her gradual transformation into smoke. A Dysian Aimian in the guise of a [[Reshi]] woman serving as the ship's cook also joined the crew. She attempted to warn them several times not to come to the island. TheAfter the ship wasmade caughtit inthrough aAkinah’s storm off, the coast of the island containing Akinah. The storm quickly passed andDysian Aimian cook fed the crew a poisoned meal, to prevent them from making it to the city.