Aven

Aven
Creature Type
(Subtype for creature/kindred cards)
Statistics	1 card 100% as of Mystery Booster
Scryfall Search
type:"Aven"

Aven are a race of sapient, anthropomorphic bird folk. They are found throughout various planes and are normally of the bird creature type. Aven was introduced as a creature type on the Mystery Booster test card Priority Avenger.

History

Aven were first concepted by Vance Moore for the Odyssey block.

Before the Mystery Booster card Priority Avenger all Aven had been given the bird type and this is continued in all newer sets. It is unknown if it will ever truly be made it’s own type outside of the test card.

Alara

Bant

A proud race of winged warriors and mages, the avens’ homeland is a swath of rocky highland jutting out of the savannah on land claimed by the nation of Akrasa. Though they follow the caste system, many avens avoid entanglement in human affairs. The royal family of Valeron on Alaran Bant consists of falcon-like aven. Bantian aven are sparse, but present in every nation. Some Mortar-caste believe Bant's aven are related to the angels, and the aven themselves believe they are creations of the angels — possibly a reason Bant's aven don't worship the angels in the same way its humans do — though no angel confirms this.

Kathari

The Kathari are a race of scavenging vulture-people native to Grixis. Black-winged creatures with a bald vulture's head and humanoid arms and legs, they circle Grixis's skies in search of sites of mass death. Their religion, called Skive, states that only those dead whose skeleton has been completely cleansed from flesh have a chance to enter the afterlife. As such, the Kathari treat their scavenging lifestyle as a holy calling.

Once the kathari are done gnawing on a corpse, they fly the skeletons piece by piece to enormous hills of bones. There, rats and other vermin clean the rest of the meat from the bones and leave only clean, dry, clattering remains. The kathari can then use the pieces to construct animated skeletons, jewelry and armor, and bone golems. They are in constant competition with the native necromancers for corpses, who sometimes let them act because they believe the kathari cleanse bad luck from the dead. Bone heaps can be good sources of red and black mana, and are often scoured for valuables by the minions of necromancers and liches.

Kathari nest in aeries in the mountains of Grixis, perched high to avoid marauding undead. They are organized by role into:

• Scourers: Nimble warriors who scavenge meat from corpses.
• Mediums: Clerics who administer religious rites and speak with the spirits of the dead.
• Nestwards: Kathari who maintain and defend aeries.
• Caulbreakers: Kathari who tend to the young.
• Outcriers: Mystical shamans with black, pupilless eyes who are feared by other kathari. Outcriers are said to boil with the sins of the criminal dead, and can lash out with blasts of dark magic when threatened.

Amonkhet

Amonkhet's Aven come in two varieties: ibis-like and hawk-like. Unlike most Aven which are in fact birds, these Aven have human bodies, with only avian heads and wings. They live among the population of Naktamun and prepare for the trials of the five gods like every other race. These Aven delight in flying above their foes, using their superior mobility to confound and outpace their opponents.

Arcavios

On Arcavios the owl-like Aven are known as Owlin. They are associated with all colleges of Strixhaven.

Dominaria

On Dominaria, Aven used to be most prevalent on the continent of Otaria. The Aven of New Argive and Benalia are the descendants of refugees displaced by the cataclysmic Karona War that wracked Otaria 250 years ago. Many adopted the Serran faith.On New Argive, they found welcome in the city of Epityr, site of one of the most active Serran churches in Dominaria.

Otarian eagle-like aven

According to Otarian myths, the aven were created when eagles begged the Ancestor to make them human, with the Ancestor granting half the wish. On the other hand, some believe that the aven were refugees from another plane who settled on Dominaria, while others claim that they evolved naturally from birds such as the Suntail Hawk.

Otarian Aven resemble humanoid eagles, and are tall and strong, possessing arms, legs, and powerful wings capable of flight. Most aven live along Otaria's northern coasts around Balshan Bay as fishers, but many are also found inland on the Daru Plains and other Order-controlled regions. They are militant creatures who make up a significant portion of the Order's members. Many aven are accomplished warriors, wizards, or both. Around the time of the Time Spiral crisis, the aven were reduced to squatters in the continent's ruins.

In New Argive, a regiment of Aven battlemages called the Firefeathers are led by the Aven wizard Balmor.

Otarian owl-like aven

Although most Otarian aven resemble eagles, some are owl-like in appearance. "Owl aven" are less militant than eagle aven, specializing as wizards and clerics. Some owl aven also inhabit the plane of Ravnica and the Shard of Bant on Alara.

Mutant Aven

As the Mirari's magic washed across Otaria, altering its inhabitants, many aven became taller and more muscular, with long, razor-like talons jutting from their wings. The most advanced of these mutants lost their arms, regressing into huge sentient raptors. On the other hand, mutant owl aven, known as crookclaws, also grew larger and sprouted talons from their wings, but retained independent use of their arms. The crookclaws' magical abilities were also enhanced by the Mirari's emanations. Crookclaws appear to have bred true after the Mirari crisis ended and survived at least until the time of the rifts. It is unknown if eagle avens survived as well.

Elen

Hulking, wingless, featherless avian humanoids with gray skin, legs of nearly solid bone, and limited intelligence, elen stand nine to ten feet in height. They are slow-moving creatures who serve as enforcers and infantry for the Order in Otaria.

Raypen

Raypen are small, fragile, four-foot-tall bird-people with vestigial wings (whose magical feathers still afford them flight) and thin, withered-looking legs with prehensile feet. They serve as scouts and magical support for the Order in Otaria.

Kylem

Kylem's Aven are peacock-like.

New Capenna

On New Capenna, aven can be found among both the Brokers and Obscura (with the leader of the former, Falco Spara, being one himself). The aven on this plane are quite diverse, though a disproportionate number are corvid-like.

Shandalar

Some owl Aven can be found on Shandalar, acting as the Warden of Evos Isle in service to the sphinxes there.

Tarkir

Unlike the Aven of other planes, the Aven from Tarkir are four-limbed: the clawed, feathered forelimbs are simultaneously wings and arms, much like the forelimbs of primitive birds. They are associated with the Jeskai Way, the Abzan Houses, the Sultai Brood and the Temur Frontier, having thrived after the extinction of the dragons. Abzan Aven resemble vultures and are an elite that serves the clan's Khan, Anafenza, the Temur Aven resemble ravens, and the Jeskai Aven are crane or falcon-like. Abzan Aven serve Khan Anafenza as her personal elite guards and are tasked with watching the Lookout Roost to prevent the Sultai Brood from attacking. Jeskai Aven serve Khan Narset, mostly taking the role of windscouts and becoming emissaries between the Jeskai and other clans; they are capable of seeing the enchantments that line the mountain routes and often live as hermits, flying in intricate patterns around the peaks as a form of meditation. Very little is known about Sultai and Temur Aven, but the former resemble rails and the latter ravens.

In the new timeline, Aven are found among the Ojutai and the Dromoka. Ojutai Aven have an honored place in their society since their wings allow them a better command over the body language of draconic. They are often used as translators by high-ranking dragons and the voice of Ojutai's personal translator carries the weight of the dragonlord himself. Among the Dromoka, Aven are integrated into the "family units" within the clan, living side by side with humans and ainok, calling each other equals and brothers. Additionally, some of the vulture-like Aven have allied themselves with Silumgar.

Notable Aven

Dominaria

• Balmor
• Eesha
• Kangee
• Kirtar
• Teroh

Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle, a theologian and missionary, who worships Serra in her form of The Ancestor.

Trivia

• Gatherer shows an image of Priority Avenger with the Bird creature type but the Oracle text still says Aven as it was intended. In acuality, there seem to be no editions printed with the Aven-type. "Aven" being part of the name doesn't make things clearer.
• The kathari are named after Cathartes, a genus of vulture native to the Americas, and the Greek word katharos, meaning "pure" or "clean."