Akinah
| Akinah | |
|---|---|
| |
| Nation | Aimia |
| World | Roshar |
| Universe | Cosmere |
“It is rare I must guard [Akinah] so . . . aggressively. Men must not again discover this place. ”
Akinah is the ancient capital of the Silver Kingdom of Aimia on Roshar.[1] 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.
Appearance
The city itself is located on a small island to the north of the main landmass of Aimia.[1] The city itself was once grand, with ornate buildings arranged in a tenfold symmetry radiating out from a round central hub.[2] This tenfold symmetry is related to the 10th name of the Almighty, He Who Transforms, and the Soulcasting fabrials.[3] It was constructed upon an underlying natural rock formation following the same pattern. The island is ringed by a wall of Soulcast enormous stone spikes around forty feet tall which continues beneath the surface of the ocean, making it impossible to arrive on the island by ship.[1] After the city was abandoned, its grand buildings became covered with crem and the plain around the city was cluttered with the corpses of dead greatshells.
![[2]](#cite_note-Four_Cities.jpg-2){kind=link}
Caverns
Protection Storm
History
Capital of Aimia
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.[1] In the Heraldic Epochs, Akinah was known as the place to obtain Soulcasters, powerful fabrials that allowed the user to transform one substance into another. 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.[4] At some unknown time, the city was destroyed, perhaps in the scouring of Aimia[5] or due to the influence of the Unmade Dai-gonarthis.[6] Jasnah Kholin is confident that the Oathgate itself was destroyed, breaking the link with the abandoned Urithiru.[7] At least one Dysian Aimian worked to guard the city, preventing any people from entering it for reasons unknown.[1]
Abandonment
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.[1] 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 them 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.[8] 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.
Vazrmeb's Expedition
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 gemhearts of the Aimian greatshells that had died around the city.[1] He was accompanied by a 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. The ship was caught in a storm off the coast of the island containing Akinah. The storm quickly passed and Aimian cook fed the crew a poisoned meal, to prevent them from making it to the city.
Afterwards the crew took several dinghies towards the shore, where Kaza Soulcast several of the spikes surrounding the island into smoke.[1] At that point Vazrmeb and his crew, beginning to feel the effects of the poison, collapsed and died. Due to her growing inhumanity, the poison impacted Kaza less severely, so she managed to row her boat in alone, collapsing on the shore. When she regained consciousness, she crawled towards the city itself before collapsing again. The Aimian confronted her there, revealing herself as the poisoner. In her last moments before the poison killed her, Kaza Soulcast the ground beneath them both into smoke.
