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[edit]
Aimia was one of the Silver Kingdoms during the Heraldic Epochs, and it contained an Oathgate on the island of Akinah.[3][4] The islands were made habitable by fabrials that caused lush plants to grow, turning it into a paradise. The kingdom was considered strange by the other Silver Kingdoms, though it maintained a close relationship with the Knights Radiant.[1]
![[4]](#cite_note-Oathgate_Locations.jpg-4){kind=link}
Not long after the Recreance and the fall of the Radiants, the other kingdoms turned on Aimia. They saw the fabrials and lanceryn that the kingdom had and wanted that wealth for themselves. The invaders destroyed the fabrials keeping the island's ecosystem alive, and the naturally inhospitable storms and cold weather returned. Having relied on the Radiants for protection, the Aimians lacked military defenses, and many people were killed in the fighting. The human survivors fled to an area near Alm,[1] while the Siah Aimians abandoned Aimia to roam in other parts of Roshar.[1][2] Most of the Sleepless, believing the lanceryn extinct, took up the responsibility for guarding the islands, particularly the Akinah Dawnshard mural.[5] They believed that revealing the secrets held on the island could lead to the destruction of worlds.[6]
In her work Mythica, Hessi posited that Dai-Gonarthis may have been responsible for the scouring.[7]
Aftermath[edit]
The invading forces looted whatever they could find on the islands and then abandoned it.[1] Without the fabrial protection, the vast majority of Aimia's ecosystem collapsed, leading to the presumed extinction of the lanceryn and the near-extinction of the larkin.[8] Anything else that originated in Aimia (including Soulcaster fabrials)[6] became quite rare after the scouring.[9] The lands became desolate and battered by storms; this led to Aimia's isolation from the rest of Roshar since it could not be reached by ship.[1] Additionally, the Oathgate on Akinah is not functioning and is thought to have been destroyed.[3]
Rumors, folk tales, and superstitions about the islands and their former residents swirl throughout the rest of Roshar. Occasional sightings of Aimians such as Axies the Collector[2] and Arclomedarian[10] serve to perpetuate these rumors. Descendants of the humans who lived in Aimia still live in Alm and are known to wear their beards in a similar fashion to people in nearby Steen.[1]
Some sailors continue to attempt to reach Aimia, spurred on by rumors of treasure (including gemhearts). However, the Sleepless have issued many warnings against traveling there. A strange storm generally prevents ships from reaching the islands, often causing them to be lost at sea. Even so, the Sleepless have added additional precautions; Akinah is surrounded by forty-foot-tall Soulcast stone spikes[6] and a fake city sits atop the buried Oathgate as a failsafe and distraction.[11] In the rare instances where a ship has had a realistic attempt to make landfall, the Sleepless have personally intervened, using sabotage or murder to halt their progress.[6][12] Through these measures, the Sleepless maintained the secrets of the islands for many centuries, until they eventually came to an agreement with Rysn Ftori during the expedition to Akinah in 1174.[5]
Notes[edit]
- ↑ a b c d e f g Dawnshard chapter 9#
- ↑ a b c The Way of Kings interlude I-5#
- ↑ a b Oathbringer chapter 107#
- ↑ Map of Oathgate Locations
- ↑ a b Dawnshard chapter 19#
- ↑ a b c d Oathbringer interlude I-4#
- ↑ Oathbringer chapter 113 epigraph#
- ↑ The Way of Kings chapter 36#
- ↑ 17th Shard Forum Q&A
— Arcanum - 2012-09-25# - ↑ Edgedancer chapter 6#
- ↑ Dawnshard chapter 15#
- ↑ Dawnshard chapter 17#
