Aven

Aven
Creature Type
(Subtype for creature/kindred cards)
Statistics	1 card 100%
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type:"Aven"

Aven is a creature type used for a test card that depicts a race of sentient, anthropomorphic bird folk. Before being made a typo it was also the general term for humanoid sentient birds of the bird type that are found in various planes.

History

Aven was introduced as a creature type on the Mystery Booster card Priority Avenger. Prior to this all Aven have been given the bird type and still retain it in all other sets. It is unknown if it will ever truly be made it’s own type outside of the test card.

Alara

The royal family of Valeron on Alaran Bant consists of falcon-like aven.

Kathari

The Kathari are a race of scavenging vulture-people native to Grixis. They are in constant competition with the native necromancers for corpses, who sometimes let them act because they think they cleanse bad luck from the dead. 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.

Amonkhet

Amonkhet's Aven come in two varieties: ibis-like and falcon-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. Lately, many have migrated to Benalia.

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.

Several of the surviving Aven relocated from Otaria to Benalia, where many adopted the Serran faith.

Otarian owl-like aven

Although most Otarian aven resemble eagles, some are owl-like in appearance. "Owl aven" seem less militant than eagle aven, specializing as wizards. Some owl aven also inhabited the planes of Dominaria, Ravnica and the Shard of Alara known as Bant.

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.

Trivia

• The Gatherer shows an image of Priority Avenger with the Bird creature type but the Oracle text still says Aven as it was printed.