Aviar Classification

[Atlas333]

Disappointingly, we did not get much about aviar in this book. You would think a Sixth of Dusk sequel is where we would most likely get to learn more aviar powers, but I guess that's being saved for a different book. Anyway, below is what we know about aviar classification

Types of aviar:

- Streamer -  a type that doesn't live on Patji. Grants mind shielding. Kokerelii is not a streamer but has the same power.

- Security - a type used by guards. We can only guess what talent they grant. A potential hint is that the guards have rifles, so they could potentially give better aim, reflexes, healing- really anything that might be useful in a gun fight. I find it unlikely they grant something like increased strength, which wouldn't be useful in ranged combat. Again, mostly guessing

-Sak - grants visions of the future. Interestingly, this is unique to Sak. Other ravens gain a separate, different ability.

 

Like I said, we really didn't learn much. Let me know if I missed anything. 

[Elite01]

Not sure if we are looking for evidence or speculation but wasn’t there a bird that would puff up its chest feathers? 
Was that different than a streamer? 
 

also there was a line about how aviar are opportunist carnivores, eating nuts and plants and the occasional bug 

this doesn’t match what we see of Mraizes “chicken” on Roshar which hunted a mole. So was Mraize using a lesson common variety?

Edited July 4, 2025 by Elite01
Better

[DSCrankshaw]

Mraize's Aviar is an interesting case. He'd never been to one of the other worlds himself. So who had? How had they gotten there? Going through the Perpendicularity to Patji is ridiculously dangerous for people who don't know its dangers. No one could survive very long, though maybe they wouldn't need to, with all the Aviars right there. But it seems more likely that a trapper came through to the other side. They all knew about the pool. Did one of them figure out how to navigate the unsea before Dusk and end up joining the Ghostbloods, providing them with Aviars? Once you know about the pool, you can make more Aviars, from multiple species of birds. 

[RedBlue]

Notably, the newly built Aviaries represent a very different way of producing Aviars, so it’s likely that even the Eelakin don’t know what varieties and powers will be available in the next few years.

They’re still experimenting with taking ‘non-Aviar’ chicks like Sak to Patji. Those will develop new powers. Experimenting with crossbreeds will likely result in new powers, too.

And, further down the road, they could try raising chicks that aren’t native to Drominad on Patji. Or they could see what happens when they feed the glow worms to other types of animal.

[Treamayne]

11 hours ago, Elite01 said:

this doesn’t match what we see of Mraizes “chicken” on Roshar which hunted a mole. So was Mraize using a lesson common variety?

It was heavily implied (but not confirmed) that Mraize's Aviar was like Sak - a non-Pantheon Bird taken to Patji's Well and allowed to eat the worms to gain a Talent. Despite the plumage she seems to be closer to a Raptor than Parrot (by our reckoning, we don't know in-story classifications). WoB

Spoiler

R'Shara

The Aviar that we see in Sixth of the Dusk were all fruit eaters, they all have to eat the fruit that the grubs live in. However, Mraize's Aviar seems a lot more like a predator than a herbivore.

Brandon Sanderson

It is!

R'Shara

Did his species become extinct or is it a unique Aviar like Sak?

Brandon Sanderson

Neither. But yes, it is a carnivoristic Aviar. I will confirm that, which it's not confirming much, you guys already knew that. But that is indeed what is going on there.

YouTube Spoiler Stream 2 (June 3, 2021)

Hope that helps

[+Oltux72 he/him]

20 hours ago, Atlas333 said:

- Security - a type used by guards. We can only guess what talent they grant. A potential hint is that the guards have rifles, so they could potentially give better aim, reflexes, healing- really anything that might be useful in a gun fight. I find it unlikely they grant something like increased strength, which wouldn't be useful in ranged combat. Again, mostly guessing

Sorry, you cannot conclude that. The usage of the Aviars for security purposes may be old, older than firearms.

[alder24]

There is an Aviar that allows to see light from outside of the visible spectrum, ch 7:

Quote

“They didn’t have the medicine on hand,” said Third of Waves, the First Company medical vice president—a squat man with a bright red Aviar that let him see colors invisible to everyone else.

But I don't remember any more new abilities being presented, this is disappointing. 

[VersatileThrenodite he/him]

There might only be a few known abilities. It seems like the abilities we do know about facilitate the survival of the birds and their partners. Its only been a few years since Patji was cleared to make raising the birds easier, and that probably will lead to new abilities being discovered.

[Atlas333]

11 hours ago, alder24 said:

There is an Aviar that allows to see light from outside of the visible spectrum, ch 7:

That is interesting. Can't believe I missed it. I wonder what the application would be? I imagine it's useful for identifying threats (plants, animals, etc.), but I wonder if it would also extend to heat signatures. Could be interesting.

[lacrossedeamon]

3 hours ago, Atlas333 said:

That is interesting. Can't believe I missed it. I wonder what the application would be? I imagine it's useful for identifying threats (plants, animals, etc.), but I wonder if it would also extend to heat signatures. Could be interesting.

Yeah it's hard to tell if this just acts like 3rd heightening or UV/IR and beyond

[Elite01]

It’s a stretch but if they can view light that other people can’t what if they could view investiture? 
for example stormlight is light with a blue tinge, we see it in 

Spoiler

Navanis experiments 

So what if somone made a lightweaving of say a tree and this person could notice that the tree has a blue tinge and know that the tree is not what it seems.

not quite seeing through lightweaving but would be better than nothing 

[logicless.bt]

I might be crazy, but is it possible that Vathi's Aviar (the one she didn't give to Dusk, the one which I believe wasn't in the original Sixth of the Dusk) gives allomantic Tin? At one point Vathi pulls away from Dusk and Dusk thinks "Damn, I must have been talking too loudly." Allomantic Tin would also explain how a non-trapper could survive even briefly on Patji, and how she could hear that one stream which Dusk said was way to far away to be heard. And she noticed his traps, which Tin would help with. 

Idk why Dusk wouldn't have commented on her Aviar bond, though.

[lacrossedeamon]

32 minutes ago, logicless.bt said:

I might be crazy, but is it possible that Vathi's Aviar (the one she didn't give to Dusk, the one which I believe wasn't in the original Sixth of the Dusk) gives allomantic Tin? At one point Vathi pulls away from Dusk and Dusk thinks "Damn, I must have been talking too loudly." Allomantic Tin would also explain how a non-trapper could survive even briefly on Patji, and how she could hear that one stream which Dusk said was way to far away to be heard. And she noticed his traps, which Tin would help with. 

Idk why Dusk wouldn't have commented on her Aviar bond, though.

Mirris is a "streamer" (pretty sure was in SotD) and is stated to have the same mind shielding as Kokerlii and Rokke iirc

[Isilel]

On 7/3/2025 at 8:28 PM, Atlas333 said:

You would think a Sixth of Dusk sequel is where we would most likely get to learn more aviar powers

 

Or SLA book 6. Lift has an Aviar now too, and I wonder what power it has. Hopefully not another Coppercloud, though this would allow her to use her Surges on Retribution's territory without being detected by voidspren.

Actually, I wonder how there are Aviar species with other abilities. Wouldn't they get eaten the second they leave the vicinity of the Copperclouds?

 

On 7/4/2025 at 2:55 PM, DSCrankshaw said:

Mraize's Aviar is an interesting case. He'd never been to one of the other worlds himself. So who had?

 

Let's not forget that Gereh, the old Kholin steward, who was almost certainly a Ferring, also had one, which now belongs to Lift. So, who knew the location of the First of the Sun and it's Perpendicularity in the past? Hm... Frost had to know, right? Gereh could have been working for the 17th Shard and got his Aviar from him? 

Mraize's one is a puzzle, though. Hopefully, someone adopts it as well (maybe Jasnah?) and we'll finally learn it's power. Could a predatory bird become an Aviar by eating an Aviar and  I wonder? Presumably, the worms continue to live inside them, so that should theoretically work...

 

[lacrossedeamon]

51 minutes ago, Isilel said:

Mraize's one is a puzzle, though. Hopefully, someone adopts it as well (maybe Jasnah?) and we'll finally learn it's power. Could a predatory bird become an Aviar by eating an Aviar and  I wonder? Presumably, the worms continue to live inside them, so that should theoretically work...

Me. I plan to in the Stonewalkers campaign (well I guess not in the timeframe of that but like in some post campaign session). I also want Nale's larkin.

[Treamayne]

2 hours ago, Isilel said:

So, who knew the location of the First of the Sun and it's Perpendicularity in the past?

Khriss and, presumably, some other people/faction at Silverlight. Arcanum Unbounded Drominad Essay:

Spoiler

All four of these planets have water as a dominant feature. And one of them, the first planet, has a perpendicularity.

I have not been able to discover why, or how, this perpendicularity exists. There is certainly no Shard residing in the system. I cannot say what is happening, only that this feature must hint at things that occurred in the past of the planet. There is likely Investiture here somewhere as well, though I have not yet had a chance to investigate First of the Sun myself. The area around the perpendicularity is extremely dangerous, and the few expeditions sent there from Silverlight have not returned.

It is likely that somebody at Silverlight knew in the past, and whoever eventually survived hid that fact. . . 

Edited July 10, 2025 by Treamayne
SPAG

[lacrossedeamon]

8 minutes ago, Treamayne said:

Khriss and, presumably, some other people/faction at Silverlight. Arcanum Unbounded Drominad Essay:

  Hide contents

All four of these planets have water as a dominant feature. And one of them, the first planet, has a perpendicularity.

I have not been able to discover why, or how, this perpendicularity exists. There is certainly no Shard residing in the system. I cannot say what is happening, only that this feature must hint at things that occurred in the past of the planet. There is likely Investiture here somewhere as well, though I have not yet had a chance to investigate First of the Sun myself. The area around the perpendicularity is extremely dangerous, and the few expeditions sent there from Silverlight have not returned.

It is likely that somebody at Silverlight knew in the past, and whoever eventually survived hid that fact. . . 

I think some of this might be retconned similar to Eelakin living on the mainland or the original Tenth the Finder lore.

[DSCrankshaw]

Wasn't it stated in Emberdark that Khriss suspected there was a Perpendicularity there but couldn't prove it? That doesn't match this, leading me to wonder if it was written after this (although it still doesn't match, as Patji has largely been tamed by now).

[Treamayne]

17 hours ago, DSCrankshaw said:

Wasn't it stated in Emberdark that Khriss suspected there was a Perpendicularity there but couldn't prove it? That doesn't match this, leading me to wonder if it was written after this (although it still doesn't match, as Patji has largely been tamed by now).

The essay is before Era 4, because it specifically calls out Shadesmar as the only way to visit planets, with no known way (at that time) to visit them directly in the Physical Realm. 

Drominad Essay:

Spoiler

This is mostly due to the fact that travel on and off the planets (at least in the Physical Realm) is dependent upon perpendicularities—places where a person can transition from Shadesmar onto the planet itself. If a world doesn’t have a perpendicularity, then it can be studied from the Cognitive Realm, but cannot truly be visited.

Khriss knew the perpendicularity was there, she just did not have coordinates to provide to others. She also suspected that Aviar were tied to Drominad, based on accounts and findings. IED Ch 30:

Spoiler

Anyway, birds. There has always been talk in the arcanist community about magic birds, and there are many verified examples of them.”

“I…met a few,” Nazh admitted, “back when I was alive. Khriss has a theory on where they came from…”

“Oh!” Ed said. “Do you think…think you could introduce us?”

Ed was obsessed with Nazh’s former employer. Starling, like much of the crew, had been required to listen to his frequent mentions of how she was one of his favorite arcanists, though from what Starling understood, she was from a different order from himself. Or maybe her own order?

“Khriss,” Ed continued when no one replied, “recently linked historical records of these birds with a little out-of-the-way planet we’re getting all sorts of reports about. It’s a pre-space-travel industrial planet the Scadrians have claimed. Quite upsetting of the Scadrians, claiming someone else’s homeworld, but you know how they are. Rusting this! Rusting that! I scowl and throw coins in your face!”

“Don’t you literally worship a Scadrian?” Nazh asked.

“That’s different,” Ed said. “He is nice. Plus, he’s the only known living Shard who has performed the—”

“Story, Ed, please?” Starling said. “Birds? Magic birds?”

“Sure,” he replied. “Well, Khriss says this place has a perpendicularity—she connects it to a record of some people who encountered a well of power in Shadesmar, traveled to the other side a couple of times, and mostly all just died. Some arcanists laugh at the idea, because there can’t be a perpendicularity on that planet, right? Because there’s no known Shard Investing it. Khriss hasn’t been able to prove it herself, because she can’t provide coordinates.”

“Shardless perpendicularities are an obsession of hers,” Nazh agreed. “Anytime I was out working on another mission, she’d tinker on this problem, trying to find proof of new perpendicularities on planets that shouldn’t have them. I didn’t have much to do with it… 

Hope that helps

Edited July 11, 2025 by Treamayne
SPAG

[teknopathetic he/him]

 

On 7/4/2025 at 5:55 AM, DSCrankshaw said:

Mraize's Aviar is an interesting case. He'd never been to one of the other worlds himself. So who had? How had they gotten there? Going through the Perpendicularity to Patji is ridiculously dangerous for people who don't know its dangers. No one could survive very long, though maybe they wouldn't need to, with all the Aviars right there. But it seems more likely that a trapper came through to the other side. They all knew about the pool. Did one of them figure out how to navigate the unsea before Dusk and end up joining the Ghostbloods, providing them with Aviars? Once you know about the pool, you can make more Aviars, from multiple species of birds. 

I wonder if the Sleepless have moved around some of the birds. The sleepless on that planet seem to have been there long enough to master the culture and to have communicated all this information to Chrysalis, meaning these sleepless probably didn't just arrive. The sleepless are already on the planet, sp maybe they are somewhat aware of other ways into that perpendicularity. I doubt the sleepless could have hitchhiked on a Scadrian ship, and it seems like the Rosharns had barely just arrived. Maybe the Sleepless took a few birds to protect the Dawnshards or to hide the sleepless more effectively. 

It is also possible that this perpendicularity has more than 2 openings much like silverlight, but that no one in the story has figured out how to get the intent correct to open up the 3rd+ doorways. If this perpendicularity is a non shardi one, then it may operate by different mechanics. Maybe Adonalsium made a few in his time to move some pieces around the cosmere easily. 

Mraize does have trapper hunter vibes though. I wonder if acting like a trapper could attract birds that somehow got off world.

Edited July 14, 2025 by teknopathetic

[Jult]

On 7/10/2025 at 5:48 AM, Isilel said:

Let's not forget that Gereh, the old Kholin steward, who was almost certainly a Ferring, also had one, which now belongs to Lift. So, who knew the location of the First of the Sun and it's Perpendicularity in the past? Hm... Frost had to know, right? Gereh could have been working for the 17th Shard and got his Aviar from him? 

Mraize's one is a puzzle, though. Hopefully, someone adopts it as well (maybe Jasnah?) and we'll finally learn it's power. Could a predatory bird become an Aviar by eating an Aviar and  I wonder? Presumably, the worms continue to live inside them, so that should theoretically work...

I just assumed the Iriali were responsible for any Aviar who got off of Drominad. Starling got a map directly to the perpendicularity from them after all. Maybe the ones she met weren't the first to try going back? Or Autonomy could have moved them somehow since we know Patji is one of her Avatars. I suppose it's also possible that they just went through the perpendicularity on their own and migrated naturally. That'd probably require some means of navigating through Shadesmar though. 

I like the idea of a predatory bird obtaining a worm by eating an Aviar. I wonder if that's where most of the predators on Patji get their weird thought-detecting abilities from. It doesn't feel like a very natural ability.

[lacrossedeamon]

Patji's investiture is implied to move through trophic levels

[Isilel]

Another thought - could you perpetuate a line of Aviar off-world by immediately transferring the worms from a dead Aviar to the next bird? Or even surgically removing them from an old Aviar for the purpose? Then you wouldn't even need to use birds of prey.

In other words, do the worms and their Connection to the powers of Autonomy have a shelf life?

 

[lacrossedeamon]

We don't know what the lifecycle is of the worms. I think they are connected to the glowing butterflies but not sure how exactly given the butterflies seem more like cognitive entities of some sort. But if so it implies some kind of shelf life.

[Lesser spren]

Perhaps for the worms to have an effect, they need to be seen by the fauna as part of Patji's ecosystem. Like Zellion was adopted into Canticle. You spend enough time surviving on the island, and you are viewed as part of it, rather than an outsider.