Author Topic: The 16th metal's power--Potential spoilers.  (Read 14422 times)

Chaos

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The 16th metal's power--Potential spoilers.
« on: March 27, 2008, 11:09:54 PM »
Here I'm going to talk about Allomancy fairly in-depth. If you don't want to know or ruin a potential surprise, don't say I didn't warn you (also there are plot points from the end of MB2 as well). Do note, however, this is merely theory. I have no more qualification to talk about this than the next person--only Brandon has the true authority. This is not fact (though I hope I'm on the right track), simply a theory.

So, we know about the Physical metals, we know about the Mental metals. We also know about the Temporal metals. Each quartet has two pushing metals, two pulling, two Internal, two External.

However, there is a fourth quartet of metals--that much should be obvious. I mean, Aluminum and Duralumin aren't classified under any of those three quartet. And, if there is a quartet, then there are two other metals that aren't named (I say this for summation purposes--many who have been looking at the Speculative topics already know this fact).

These metals influence metals and Allomancy itself. I'm going to call them the Metallic metals, even though that is an awful name--one I didn't coin, by the way.

I think it is safe to assume that Aluminum and Duralumin are the Externals of the quartet. I mean, they affect how Allomancy is burned, and burning metals has generally very External effects. So, I hereby define these metals to be:

Metal 13. Aluminum - Metallic External Pulling Metal. Pulls on Allomantic metals, extinguishing an Allomancers supply of metals.
Metal 14. Duralumin - Metallic External Pushing Metal. Pushes on Allomantic metals, flaring them so rapidly that they burn away.

So, if those are the Externals, what are the Internals? At the end of MB2, Elend ingests a strange metal. He subsequently gains the powers of a Mistborn. I--and probably others as well--are convinced that this metal is the 15th metal. It gives the user the ability of Allomancy--the powers of the Mistborn. I'm also convinced that this metal is how the Lord Ruler gave the original supporters of his rule Allomancy, and, as well, how he gives the Steel Inquisitors their Mistborn powers (now, that doesn't mean its the only thing that goes into making an Inquisitor, but definitely a part).

The effects of the metals are External in nature, but the ability to use the metals themselves are Internal. I classify the 15th and 16th metals as Internal.

There is also a very interesting pattern which evolves with the Temporal quartet. Atium sees into the future of someone else. It's pair, malatium, sees into the past of someone else. Gold sees into your past. Electrum sees into your future.

While Atium/Malatium are external, simply by the merits of each one being Pushing or Pulling, there is a symmetry. Atium, I believe, is the Temporal External Pushing metal, and Electrum is Pushing as well (because I rather think that seeing into the future is more of a Push). There is symmetry amongst a Pushing pair or a pulling pair, one that isn't as prevalent in the Internal or External metals.

So, here I get this crazy idea. Aluminum "Pulls" (once again, whether it is Pushing or Pulling is not immediately prevalent, but I'm going with this until someone tells me otherwise), taking away metals. The 15th metal doesn't exactly give you metals, but it gives you the ability to burn metals. That seems symmetrical enough for me.

Therefore:

Metal 15. Unknown metal #1 - Metallic Internal Pulling Metal. Grants the ability of Allomancy to the person who ingests this metal.

Going on with the idea of symmetry, Duralumin must have some sort of similarity with the 16th metal. The 16th is one I don't think anyone has solidly defined, so here I shall attempt that!

Duralumin burns your metals away in a flare. This seems remarkably similar to how Vin describes the Well in MB2: the power had to be burned away in an instant, and then it was gone.

:D. That is far too coincidental to be false. It's symmetric--in that both Duralumin and the 16th metals burn things away rapidly.

Therefore.

Metal 16. Unknown metal #1 - Metallic Internal Pushing Metal. Burns away "the power" in an instant, power of creation.

I say "the power" because I'd like to say "The Power of Allomancy" but you can't burn an ability away. The only thing really able to burn is the power at the Well itself.

Something like that, I think, is the closest we can get to knowing what these metals do.


However, I can discern what the symbols are for these metals, if I did classify them correctly. Notice this wallpaper that Brandon posted in the fan art thread. It shows the circle of Allomantic metals--which, by the way, further verifies that there are 16 metals.

The top left quartet--if you look at your MB2 Ars Arcanum--is Physical, top-right is Mental, and the bottom-right is Temporal. The inner ring of metals is Internal, the outer External. The bottom-left is the only quartet not in the MB2 Arcanum, so that must be our Metallic metals.

Further analyzing these symbols, we can see which ones Push and which ones Pull. Look at the dots on a symbol. It's either out or its in. The symbols which are "out" of the symbol are Pulling, and the dots which are "in" the symbol are Pushing.

So, utilizing this knowledge:

Aluminum:
Duralumin:
15th metal:
16th metal:
« Last Edit: March 27, 2008, 11:39:45 PM by Chaos2651 »
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Re: The 16th metal's power--Potential spoilers.
« Reply #1 on: March 28, 2008, 12:01:23 AM »
Nicely done, I definately think that you are on to something.  I always pictured Aluminum as the pushing metal though.  I pictured it sort of smothering out the metals you have, like brass smothering emotions into depression.  And Duralumin is a puller, because it pulls the last of your metals out of you in a flare, that's just how I pictured it anyway.  I could of course be wrong.  It doesn't really change your theory however, it just swtiches the pulls and pushes around.  I also really like the well theory, burning things away quickly, maybe it gives you all the powers of allomancy or of creation in an instant, I like it.  I commend you Chaos, good job!
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Chaos

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Re: The 16th metal's power--Potential spoilers.
« Reply #2 on: March 28, 2008, 12:54:00 AM »
Yeah, well, duralumin PUSHES it out in a flare. Or whatever. I don't really know, either :P.
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Re: The 16th metal's power--Potential spoilers.
« Reply #3 on: March 28, 2008, 12:57:22 AM »
I was kind of confused to with the push/pull thing, not that it really matters, I love this theory, very conclusive, I like how you put everything together. ;D
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Re: The 16th metal's power--Potential spoilers.
« Reply #4 on: March 28, 2008, 08:44:08 PM »
Good work on this!  I have one question; how did you determine which symbols were for which metals?  Just a guess, or did you find some clues somewhere?
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Re: The 16th metal's power--Potential spoilers.
« Reply #5 on: March 28, 2008, 10:54:17 PM »
If I'm correct, first there's the outer/inner part, which Chaos figured out, and then I think there is a pattern of push an pull metals, but I'm not certain, Chaos?
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kasper11

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Re: The 16th metal's power--Potential spoilers.
« Reply #6 on: March 29, 2008, 04:00:47 AM »
Nice analysis.

Not a big deal, but I agree that your push/pull analysis is reversed. Look at it this way...with aluminum you neither keep the metals nor use them, so you can't have pulled them. If you pull something, you have it, but the metals are gone from you. Duraluminum, on the other hand, are pulled in all at once when you use them.

Here is another idea for the 16th metal...could it give you the power of feruchemy? Allomancy as a power is a pulling power. You ingest the metals and get your power from them. In feruchemy, you place your own ability into the metal, in other words you push it away. Yes, you pull it back later, but the true power stems from your being able to push abilities into the metals.

Just a thought.

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Re: The 16th metal's power--Potential spoilers.
« Reply #7 on: March 29, 2008, 05:17:15 AM »
And not a bad one at that.  I tend to think that the 16th metal will remove any allomantic power tho, since the 15th metal gives it.
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Re: The 16th metal's power--Potential spoilers.
« Reply #8 on: March 29, 2008, 01:50:14 PM »
I completely agree with hero of ages. If one gives it, the other would naturally take it away.

As to feuromancy, maybe if you 'flared' the metal giving you allomancy ?
Also, since sazed does not have allomancy, feuromancy might hail from somewhere else entirely, and Brandon has mantiones something about a 3rd magic system...

Chaos

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Re: The 16th metal's power--Potential spoilers.
« Reply #9 on: March 29, 2008, 02:59:14 PM »
I regress, my analysis of pushes and pulls are incorrect. I just got back where my Well of Ascension copy is, and I'm seeing that the alloys usually push, and base metals pull.
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Re: The 16th metal's power--Potential spoilers.
« Reply #10 on: March 30, 2008, 01:00:07 AM »
Maybe if we look at it this way.  Aluminum takes away, Duralumin still takes away, but in on e burst, 15th metal gives allomancy, then isn't it plausible that the 16th does the same?  I'm basically jsut restating what Chaos did, I think I agree with his theory, I don't think Feruchemy comes from burning metals, it makes sense that allomancy does, but Freuchemy has really nothing to do with burning, like you said it's all about storing it away.
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Re: The 16th metal's power--Potential spoilers.
« Reply #11 on: April 23, 2008, 11:03:31 PM »
I myself would think that the sixteenth metal would take away the power of Allomancy. You did say something of the sort:

"Metal 16. Unknown metal #1 - Metallic Internal Pushing Metal. Burns away "the power" in an instant, power of creation.

I say "the power" because I'd like to say "The Power of Allomancy" but you can't burn an ability away. The only thing really able to burn is the power at the Well itself."

If an ability can be created, why not destroyed? I agree that Aluminum is Pulling and Duralumin is Pulling, though.

I also have a better name for the metals than "Metallic." Aluminum essentially destroys any metals inside a Mistborn's body, whereas Duralumin essentially creates an enormous flash of power. The fifteenth metal--let us call it Partum, the Latin word for "create"--creates Allomancy, whereas we think the sixteenth metal (Dispartum, let's call it) destroys Allomancy.

Do gods not create and destroy things? Therefore, I believe these should be called the Godly metals, or the Deific metals.

Chaos

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Re: The 16th metal's power--Potential spoilers.
« Reply #12 on: April 24, 2008, 12:03:53 AM »
I myself would think that the sixteenth metal would take away the power of Allomancy. You did say something of the sort:

"Metal 16. Unknown metal #1 - Metallic Internal Pushing Metal. Burns away "the power" in an instant, power of creation.

I say "the power" because I'd like to say "The Power of Allomancy" but you can't burn an ability away. The only thing really able to burn is the power at the Well itself."

If an ability can be created, why not destroyed? I agree that Aluminum is Pulling and Duralumin is Pulling, though.

I also have a better name for the metals than "Metallic." Aluminum essentially destroys any metals inside a Mistborn's body, whereas Duralumin essentially creates an enormous flash of power. The fifteenth metal--let us call it Partum, the Latin word for "create"--creates Allomancy, whereas we think the sixteenth metal (Dispartum, let's call it) destroys Allomancy.

Do gods not create and destroy things? Therefore, I believe these should be called the Godly metals, or the Deific metals.


Well, I'm hesitant to say that the 16th power would take away Allomancy. From a narrative perspective, it's a bit anticlimatic. Of course, aluminum isn't the flashiest metal in its own right, so perhaps that isn't the best logic to use there.

I wholeheartedly agree with the new naming scheme! Because I never liked "metallic". So, the last quartet let's call the Deific Metals from now on. 15th metal is Partum, and 16th is Dispartum.

Anything is better "metallic"...
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Re: The 16th metal's power--Potential spoilers.
« Reply #13 on: April 24, 2008, 08:44:57 PM »
I'm curious if the 15th/16th metals will be more powerful than atium.

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Re: The 16th metal's power--Potential spoilers.
« Reply #14 on: April 24, 2008, 09:39:29 PM »
Well, the 15th metal turns a normal schmoe into a full blown Allomancer, so I'd say that's pretty powerful.  "Deific" Metals?  Seeing as these metals affect your ability to use metals, shouldn't they be Allomantic metals?  I know this isn't very creative, but aluminum definitely does not give you god like abilities.  It's pretty boring, actually.  Also, if they are related, then what they should work in a relative way.  I'll explain:  Duralimin - Greatly increases the amount of power drawn from another metal.  Aluminum makes the metals currently in your body powerless.  Therefore, if metal 15 (or 16) grants a person the ability to burn metals, then the other one wuold most likely take it away.  Also, in order to make this work, you wouldn't be able to choose to burn these metals.  They just do what they do as soon as they enter the body.
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