Iriali

[Isilel]

So, a few interesting new tidbits about them:

They must have sailed to their Second Land, since apparently before people started to travel Shadesmar in numbers,  inter-planetary space consisted of the unSea and couldn't be crossed on foot. If it happened before Ambition's death, I wonder how they managed to get anywhere.

Iriali send out scouts before deciding on the target of their next migration. Given that they have lived on planets without Perpendicularities (Lumar), this suggests to me that they must possess means to cross into and out of the Cognitive, not just during the mass exodus (as seen in WaT), but also for small groups of explorers. Was the device that Nazh took from Nikki Savage in the broadsheet story in TLM of  Iriali origin? Or do they have a secret invested art, similar to Elsecalling? Either would neatly explain how some Iriali ended up in Bilming in TLM, when Harmony's perpendicularly is in the South.

Following from this, I feel that my old theory about why Iriali sided with Odium in OB is pretty much vindicated. I.e. that their leaders had decided that it was time to leave anyway and didn't want Odium, the Fused and the voidspren to hinder their migration.

It also supports my theory that Iriali in Bilming left Rosharan space long before the time dilation, while the bulk of their  migration got caught in the bubble. 

OTOH, sadly, it doesn't look like Iriali were going to Scadrial, unless their migration split. It does seem odd that they managed to fit a country's worth amount of people on a modestly sized island on Lumar... As well as, seemingly only had stayed for a couple of centuries at most, since they were already three hundred years gone by the time of "Tress". And "Emberdark" doesn't seem to be more than 5-600 years after WaT. 

Ah, yes, there is also a recent WoB about Cusicesh being a "spren-adjacent" entity and he does look somewhat similar to Ambition's "evils", so did Iriali also tame one, similar to the Dakwara? 

I really want a story about about an Iriali migration and their descent onto a new world! 

[lacrossedeamon]

I've always wondered how monolith the Iriali as a people are or if they are multiple groups doing separate Long Trails. How do mixed blood Iriali fit, like would Rirans be allowed to join, and do some Iriali just say actually I would like to stay here? I think it's interesting that we have 2 instances of abandoned cities being found later in the Diem and Elantris which could tie in both with the Long Trail and the Eelakin histories. There is also the fact that its Seven Lands and Autonomy's number is most likely 7.

Hoid's comments on the Iriali in WaT lead me to believe they are some sort of splintered Avatar. I had believed Virtuosity prior but the above makes me now think Autonomy.

We see Cusicesh open perps so possibly that is how they get to Lumar although he is hijacking Honor's instead of creating his own. But I think the aether paired with Midnight might open perps as well and Cusicesh might inherently hijack local magics (which again is similar to Autonomy's MO). As for land do we know if it's only one island? The fact that many nobles still learn their language centuries later implies to me they were a very dominant force on the planet, probably controlling lots of islands. I will say the timeline is a bit odd given Foil's mention in RoW and WoB's about the Iriali departure from Lumar, bring me back to my first topic.

Frost's comments to Cakoban implies there are variations of Navigators. Possibly related to the Sho Del and some of these could possibly predate the Grand Knell. I do think there is a connection between the Eelakin and the Iriali possibly as an outbreeding similar to the Rirans but much further removed.

I would love to see more Iriali. Hopefully we can revisit Dyel somehow, maybe in Era 3 Mistborn. I do agree with your idea that the Iriali on Scadrial can't be the bulk of their people. It would be much bigger news if that were the cast.

[Isilel]

On 7/11/2025 at 3:28 AM, lacrossedeamon said:

I've always wondered how monolith the Iriali as a people are or if they are multiple groups doing separate Long Trails.

 

It would have made more sense of the Lumar situation if they did. They stuck it out on Roshar for 2 - 4.5 thousands of years ( IMHO, they must have arrived sometime between Aharietam and the False Desolation, since we know that one of the Silver Kingdoms was Iri, but they never appeared in Dalinar's/Spiritual Realm visions), but then fled Lumar after a couple of centuries or so? At least it seems to me that Emberdark is set 5-6 hundred years after WaT, not thousands. YMMV. Why would Iriali have been more terrified of Xisis, who didn't impinge on human society on Lumar in any significant way, than of the Unmade, or the False Desolation? 

However, Ed mentioned a singular Iriali language, that changed with time, which wouldn't have been the case with several separate groups moving around independently over millennia.

Yes, I also thought that Iriali may have been the original inhabitants and builders of Elantris. Didn't notice about the Diem, but that would also fit. However, Sanderson said that there is no meaningful connection between Autonomy and the Iriali, so they may have lived on her world, but she isn't "The One".

 

On 7/11/2025 at 3:28 AM, lacrossedeamon said:

As for land do we know if it's only one island? The fact that many nobles still learn their language

 

I searched Tress for "Iriali" and only got 2 hits. Yes, only one island was mentioned, but contrary to my recollection nothing about it's size. So, it might have been big enough to accommodate the whole population of the Iri kingdom on Roshar. But neither was anything said about local nobles still learning their language  - Charlie was just inventing a story for the cup of Iriali make to entertain Tress.

Regarding exodus from Roshar, we saw from Sigzil's PoV that non-Iriali were allowed to join their caravans. So, whoever wanted to come with them was free to do so. However, the portals opened only in Iri, IIRC, not in Rira.

Though, it must have been rather hard for Rosharans  on a new world with more gravity, less oxygen and more infectious diseases than they were used to. I assume that Iriali have an intrinsic advantage in quickly adapting to new conditions.

At the same time, I am sure that a number of Iriali, who were too far away from the portals, unwilling to leave, or travelling abroad must have been left behind on Roshar. This probably happened during most of their migrations. 

In fact, I imagine that migrations might reset class divisions in their society in a way, since everyone has to leave almost everything behind and then build up from nothing on a new world. 

Also, there must have been a secret organisation/priesthood among the Iriali that kept up Invested Arts that allow them to leave and enter planets without using stable Perpendicularities, sent out scouts to locate possible new homeworlds and to keep abreast of the developments in the cosmere, prepared everything needed for a migration, since the go-to bags that individual Iriali are supposed to have by tradition couldn't contain enough supplies for a long trek,  or all the necessary tools to build anew on a different world, etc.

Yes, Iriali scouts must have some ways to navigate the cosmere, though presumably inferior to those of the Eelakin. That, or they still keep those arts very secret in the time of Emberdark, even from uninitiated among their own people.

The whole "I met it with courage, and so it must obey me" conviction of Cakoban made me think that Eelakin may have originally been of Valor's people. YMMV.

Yes, I'd very much like to see at least glimpses of an Iriali migration from Dyel's PoV. I used to hope that they'd go to Scadrial, since it should still have plenty of uninhabited land, but that was back when I thought that Tress was thousands of years in the future from SLA/Era 2. Now, the timeline doesn't allow for it to fit in with soujorn on Lumar.

 

[Jult]

2 hours ago, Isilel said:

It would have made more sense of the Lumar situation if they did. They stuck it out on Roshar for 2 - 4.5 thousands of years ( IMHO, they must have arrived sometime between Aharietam and the False Desolation, since we know that one of the Silver Kingdoms was Iri, but they never appeared in Dalinar's/Spiritual Realm visions), but then fled Lumar after a couple of centuries or so? At least it seems to me that Emberdark is set 5-6 hundred years after WaT, not thousands. YMMV. Why would Iriali have been more terrified of Xisis, who didn't impinge on human society on Lumar in any significant way, than of the Unmade, or the False Desolation? 

Why do you think the Iriali feared Xisis? Did I miss that in IotE somewhere? I'd been wondering if it was the other way around. We know Xisis was on Lumar before the Iriali arrived (Khriss mentions he is already there in the RoW Ars Arcanum). But Lumar's population wasn't aware of his presence until around the same time that the Iriali disappeared. To me, it almost sounds like Xisis was hiding from the Iriali.

 

I don't think we should assume the Iriali need to spend thousands of years on each planet just because they spent thousands on Roshar. It's not clear what criteria they use for deciding that a planet has been "attained" and it's time to leave. Maybe their goal was simply blocked on Roshar by the Era of Solitude, and they made much quicker work of the next few planets.

[lacrossedeamon]

8 hours ago, Isilel said:

I searched Tress for "Iriali" and only got 2 hits. Yes, only one island was mentioned, but contrary to my recollection nothing about it's size. So, it might have been big enough to accommodate the whole population of the Iri kingdom on Roshar. But neither was anything said about local nobles still learning their language  - Charlie was just inventing a story for the cup of Iriali make to entertain Tress.

The fact is that Charlie recognizes it as Iriali script. This points it me as being part of a nobles classical education on Lumar. Which then implies a level of importance within the culture.

4 hours ago, Jult said:

Why do you think the Iriali feared Xisis? Did I miss that in IotE somewhere? I'd been wondering if it was the other way around. We know Xisis was on Lumar before the Iriali arrived (Khriss mentions he is already there in the RoW Ars Arcanum). But Lumar's population wasn't aware of his presence until around the same time that the Iriali disappeared. To me, it almost sounds like Xisis was hiding from the Iriali.

There's a WoB connecting Iriali departure from Lumar and when Xisis became a known presence. But as you said the timeline is a bit wonky due to the RoW AA mention.

[Jult]

15 hours ago, lacrossedeamon said:

There's a WoB connecting Iriali departure from Lumar and when Xisis became a known presence. But as you said the timeline is a bit wonky due to the RoW AA mention.

Ah. This one I'd guess:

Spoiler

Quote

Escovar

The Iriali left at least three hundred years prior to Tress's story. Xisis was said to have been on Lumar for at least three hundred years, by Crow's book. Is the arrival of Xisis and departure of the Iriali significantly related?

Brandon Sanderson

I did that intentionally, yes.

Tress Spoiler Stream (March 31, 2023)

 

I have two very different ideas on this:

1. Xisis found Lumar through less than legal means - In IotE, Ed explains that Xisis can't take the Drominad map because Iriali artifacts can only be legally acquired through gifting. Maybe he stole or purchased a similar map to Lumar illegally? Or secretly followed an Iriali scouting party there? Hence, his hiding until the Iriali left Lumar.
2. Xisis was the Iriali's guide for that leg of the Long Trail. There's a WoB that may imply Cusicesh was only the Iriali's guide for one leg of the journey:

Spoiler

Quote

Windrunner

One of my favorite moments in Stormlight 5 was the interlude with Cusicesh where we see the Iriali leave, which was a really kind of cool way to tie back to Way of Kings, I thought. But one of the things that we were curious about with Cusicesh: It seems like he's serving as a guide to wherever they're going next, maybe Lumar, maybe somewhere else, and is he the guide for just this leg of their journey or was he with them when they came to Roshar and he is kind of leading them on?

Brandon Sanderson

So, he is the guide for this leg of their journey, but he is not actually a spren.

Shardcast Interview (May 25, 2025)

 

Perhaps they have a similar setup on each major planet for the Long Trail? Some near-immortal being that helps them migrate between planets? Maybe Xisis was revealed around the time the Iriali left Lumar because he helped them leave in a role similar to Cusicesh's on Roshar?