Was Navigation originally an aviar ability?

[Atlas333]

I reread this WoB and wonder if it meant Navigation (the ability to navigate the cognitive realm) was originally going to be an aviar ability. 

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AndrewStirlingMacDonald

So there are many--According to Sixth of the Dusk, there are many commonly known aviar talents, can you give us a couple? Like examples we haven’t seen yet?

Brandon Sanderson

Those are from the notes, I’d have to dig them out. Let’s just say they’ll be very useful for navigation in the future.

Calamity Philadelphia signing (Feb. 20, 2016)

Here, the implication is that aviars would be able to navigate. I could see this being the original plan, but then Brandon realized this wouldn't solve Dusk's problem (people would still want to control his planet to get their useful aviar).

Upon realizing this, Brandon might have made navigation a human ability so that the other civilizations would have to negotiate and respect Dusk's people.

Maybe I'm reading too much into the term "navigation" but I thought it was interesting and was trying to make it work with the knowledge we have now.

[AltonicKeys he/him]

I was trying to remember the wide variety of aviar talents that we were given, but I'm realizing that we only really see two?? The mind-hiding one might be "useful for navigation" in that it would help while navigating the emberdark, so you don't get eaten by a skullsnake. And then Sak's talent doesn't count because she's unique.

But yeah in my mind it would make a lot of sense for a Navigation aviar. Like the mind-hiding talent would parallel copperclouds, there was probably originally a talent similar to bronze-seeking

[Treamayne]

7 hours ago, Atlas333 said:

Here, the implication is that aviars would be able to navigate.

This is Brandon, it could mean that - but it could also mean that "Aviar Bonds" will be important for navigation. For that matter, we do not know if an Aviar with an ability related to Allomantic Bronze could not also be another form of Navigation.

We also have:

Spoiler

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Questioner

And then is there a connection between Aviars, copperclouds, aluminum, and the yellow spren, life sense, seeking?

Brandon Sanderson

Yeah, yeah all that, there are some relationships there.

Questioner

So they all pretty much would affect each other?

Brandon Sanderson

Ummm, yes, yes.

Orem signing (Dec. 21, 2017)

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Questioner

If a thieving crew had an Aviar of the breed of Kokerlii, would that be able to function as a Smoker?

Brandon Sanderson

Yes.

Orem signing (March 10, 2018)

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Sam Hock

Is there a connection between Sak's talent and Allomantic electrum? If so, what is it?

Brandon Sanderson

Yes. Reading a person's spiritual connections and possibilities. Similar powers, as is atium.

General Twitter 2015 (April 17, 2015)

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PrinceDusty

You've talked about some of the correlation between Aviar abilities and Allomantic abilities. Are there any Aviar abilities that are not related to Allomancy, or what are some other abilities that we might see?

Brandon Sanderson

I'll RAFO that, mostly because I want to be free to pick and choose from my list as I canonize them. A lot of Aviar abilities are Cognitive type stuff, just from the way I built them so I can separate the magics. The whole Seeker/coppercloud thing, a lot of Aviar abilities are going to be riffs on that, or they're going to be riffs on glimpsing the Spiritual a little bit. And you see a lot of that in Allomancy. There are abilities that they have that you won't see in Allomancy.

The trick is Allomany is so broad. I built the main magic systems to be able to get a little bit of everything. You see the same thing in Stormlight. So seeing Aviar abilities that you haven't seen some version of it in Mistborn or Stormlight, it's going to be... Mistborn and Stormlight touch on all different parts of the magic system on purpose. But I think you will eventually see some that don't. But they're all going to work on the Cosmere magic, so you can say they're all related.

PrinceDusty

Where might we see them?

Brandon Sanderson

Aviar are known in the cosmere but are very, very rare. But as you move forward in the future, perhaps you'll see them more often.

Legion Release Party (Sept. 19, 2018)

 

Hope that helps

[PanLin they/he]

On 3/16/2026 at 4:08 PM, Atlas333 said:

I reread this WoB and wonder if it meant Navigation (the ability to navigate the cognitive realm) was originally going to be an aviar ability. 

Nice find! Quite possible, yeah.

Raises an interesting question, too—is there a functional difference between an aviar ability and a human one? Or is the actual 'magic system' at play here just somehow gaining access to Autonomy's Investiture via the Perpendicularity? Aviar have evolved a symbiosis with worms that are naturally able to consume it, and humans need extra help (like Patji's blessing) to access it, but that doesn't necessarily mean that aviar are the core part of the magic system.

Also, much of the wildlife on and near Patji expresses some sort of cognitive ability; presumably, those are also due to Autonomy's Investiture. Perhaps it's simply that any life that shows a willingness to survive against all odds is rewarded by Patji as an avatar of Autonomy, and over the years those abilities have been passed down through the generations until they've become just a normal part of the ecosystem.

Either way, it would make sense for an Invested Art related to Autonomy to enhance/grant something specific to the individual.

On 3/16/2026 at 4:08 PM, Atlas333 said:

Upon realizing this, Brandon might have made navigation a human ability so that the other civilizations would have to negotiate and respect Dusk's people.

On this, I agree with you that changing from an aviar ability to a human one and setting it up like this was a narrative choice for that specific story.

Seems like it's been left pretty open for him to come back at any time and be like "and if a shetland pony gains access to Patji's power, their specific ability is telepathic neighing" or whatever.

Although, I would argue that the main reason others have to negotiate and respect Dusk's people is because there's a whopping great serpent made of Evil protecting the only known place that can create aviar.

On 3/16/2026 at 4:08 PM, Atlas333 said:

Maybe I'm reading too much into the term "navigation" but I thought it was interesting and was trying to make it work with the knowledge we have now.

Pssh, not sure that's possible here of all places.

Edited April 9 by PanLin