Not "insane", Vintage. "Hearing voices by a fundamental force called Ruin," yes.
I apologize in advance, Vintage, but I must take this conversation in a different. A new, better direction, I think.
My fellow theorizers, tonight as I was at work, stocking shelves monotonously, I suddenly had a revelation. About Hemalurgy, mostly, but it involves Allomancy, Feruchemy, Ruin and Preservation, and the mists (also, it brings up a very funny question regarding whether cows can use Allomancy/Feruchemy/Hemalurgy, but that one is a topic for another time). It's primarily Hemalurgy related, so I'll post it here. Be warned! I have a tendency to ramble, so undoubtedly, I will get off topic and go into those other "topics". I don't really want to split up this post to multiple topics, so I'm going to dump it all here.
My revelation is about Hemalurgy
works. We all have evidence for Hemalurgy's existence, but we have never managed to figure out how it actually works. I am calling my particular model of Hemalurgy "
Lighting-rod Hemalurgy". Confused already? This is going to be a convoluted one, so we will take baby steps. Another name for the theory could be
Hemalurgy For Dummies, and believe me, we are
all dummies in the realm of Hemalurgy.
Let's first discuss how Allomancy and Feruchemy work, because really, all three magic systems are related. The easiest way to start is to "define" Allomancy and Feruchemy.
Allomancy is the channeling of metal's powers to cause change. This process is called "burning", and uses up the metal. Allomancers can "flare" metals, which increases the strength of your Allomancy, but also makes it run out faster. Allomancers' power is limited, because you can only flare a metal burning so high. Now, we know that certain Allomancers, such as the Lord Ruler, are much stronger Allomancers, primarily because they have skill, but also because they must be flaring a metal higher. We will discuss the Lord Ruler a bit later, but I'm going to say that what limits an Allomancer's flare is how strong your "body" is. You'll see in a bit.
Feruchemy is the channeling of the body's power into metals for later use. A Feruchemist is limited because his power comes from the body, and not the metal.
Now, where does this leave Hemalurgy? It seems very cut and dry: one magic uses the metal's power, the other uses the body's. That doesn't leave for a third magic. However, I am of the opinion that all the magics are interrelated. The most important thing the three magics have in common is that a metal is always involved. Allomancy burns it, Feruchemy uses it as a storage device, and Hemalurgy seems to gain power by placing giant, impaling metal spikes inside of you. Always a metal.
Of course, as we will get to later, Inquisitors aren't the only "Hemalurgists", so that is a bit of an exaggeration, but all Hemalurgists have a metal inside of the body. I simply use Inquisitors because they are the most obvious example of Hemalurgy. Since I made that nice lead in, let's discuss Inquisitors. For one thing, their giant spikes are not killing them. That, by itself, tells you the spikes are important in some way (recall that there eleven spikes in an Inquisitor). Secondly, Inquisitors see by using something very similar to burning iron or steel: they see blue lines pointing to sources of metals.
Some people here have theorized they must be burning steel to do that--a logical presumption. However, I must point out that an Inquisitor's eye-spikes don't ever decrease in size, so they probably aren't burning metals. But, you could retort by saying Allomancers use tiny metal flakes which can really last for a long time, so a large metal source like a spike must be enough to last.
I have now become opposed to this line of thinking (though I once thought it sounded good). We don't really know how Inquisitors live. For all we know, they live for centuries, and that is a LOT of steel to be continuously burning, even on a low burn. It occurs to me that they would decrease over centuries or decades if they burned them, and it seems unreasonable, if the spikes got smaller, to place
more metal inside of them (I mean, haven't they gone through enough with their eyeballs impaled?). So, I say a big "no" to Inquisitors burning metals. You see, after a while, the spikes would decrease in size. Eventually, that would cause the head-spikes and body-spikes to separate just because the metal is smaller, and then they die. The spikes are a matter of life and death for them. You wouldn't burn something like that, not when you can just drop dead.
So, the spikes are vitally important. The question that remains is: how? If we figure that out, we've figured out Hemalurgy.
And now I've created the perfect lead-in for my definition of Hemalurgy, at least of my Lightning-rod model (feel encouraged to disagree with my logic here. Seriously). No, I'm not saying that Inquisitors get their power from lightning. I'm saying something a little bit different. See, if you say Allomancy channels from metals, and Feruchemy channels from the body, that is not quite the most accurate statement. Feruchemy stores the body's energy, it doesn't burn it. The body's energy isn't lost, per se, just stored to be used at a more convenient time.
My thought about Hemalurgy is, essentially, the converse of Allomancy, though not in the way that one pulls the mists and the other pulls it. Let's go back to Allomantic definitions:
Allomancy burns Metal through the body.
Feruchemy stores body's energy into Metal.
Thinking that Hemalurgy is more the opposite, and Feruchemy is just the "middle ground", I guess, we can call Hemalurgy:
Hemalurgy "burns" the body's energy through Metals.
Not literally burning, mind you. I say "burning" to emphasize that the body is being used up (unlike Feruchemy, where the body's energy is stored for later use) like an Allomantic metal. Maybe the correct term would be "channeling".
Now it's time for some more in-depth exposition. By itself, you see, the body is not a magic. The body just kind of exists. It's rather lame. But, with this Hemalurgical model, the metals--like giant spikes or a certain bronze earring--acts as a "lightning-rod" to focus the body's energy. My theory is that the type of metal determines
how the body's energy is focused.
Under this model, the Inquisitor's body would be continuously drained because they would be using Hemalurgy all the time. I just happened to take a look at the section of MB1 where we have Kar's viewpoint. He's our only Inquisitor viewpoint thus far, so we should take every word very seriously. And it says, on page 518 of the hardcover (for those of you with paperbacks, it is near the beginning of Chapter 38):
Kar's smiled widened, despite his fatigue.
He had been awake too long. Living as an Inquisitor drained the body, and he had to rest often. His brethren were already shuffling from the room, heading toward their rest chambers, which lay intentionally close to the throne room. They would sleep immediately; with the executions earlier in the day and the excitement of the night, they would be extremely fatigued.
I think my explanation pretty much justifies how it drained the body. If you were constantly using Hemalurgy, your body would get very tired over a short period of time, so you would need to sleep to regain your strength. Basically, sleeping is the Hemalurgical equivalent to drinking an Allomantic vial.
But, what can you really do with Hemalurgy? Like Allomancy and Feruchemy, the type of metal always determines what can happen. Hemalurgy is most likely no different. I will attempt to explain some of Hemalurgy's powers now. I am hoping I will be right, but I doubt I'm any closer than "on the right track". At worst, I'm completely wrong. The powers, in the immediate sense, are not important, because Hemalurgy is a completely different magic system, with nuances we can't possibly think of. The important part, however, is the Hemalurgy uses the metals to "burn" the body's strength. That's the fundamental point.
So, powers. Metals roughly have similar abilities across magic systems. Pewter makes you stronger in Allomancy, and it stores strength (I
think it does, my WoA copy is not on me at the moment) in Feruchemy. Therefore, it isn't completely out of line to say that Pewter in Hemalurgy "heals" you. Brandon mentions that Inquisitors heal rapidly. The Lord Ruler, as well, must have some sort of healing ability. Pewter helps (as it did when Vin was injured in MB1), so maybe Hemalurgical pewter does something similar.
It's important to note that Hemalurgical Pewter's healing is sort of weird. Hemalurgy drains the body, okay, so pewter wouldn't exactly revitalize your fatigued body. It could, perhaps, just heal the wounds in your body--but you would still be fatigued.
Bronze is next. Bronze is the seeking metal, and we happen to have an effect that does the same thing, but differently: piercing copperclouds. Vin's earring is bronze, and she pierces copperclouds. So, I think it is a very good assumption that Hemalurgical bronze pierces copperclouds.
The last one I think we can know with any degree of certainty is steel. It allows you to see incredibly small sources of metals everywhere.
Though, maybe atium has a Hemalurgical property to it as well. Perhaps being able to see the future more acutely--which is how that Inquisitor could find Vin somehow on the spires of Kredik Shaw that one time. I don't really know.
One thing disturbs me, though. Hemalurgy always has a close link with Allomancy. These "Hemalurgical powers" aren't really very unique: they just seem to increase your Allomantic acuteness. Maybe this is because Hemalurgy just
is very similar to Allomancy in a general sense, or--more likely--what we are seeing is a melding of Hemalurgy and Allomancy (these points have been mentioned before). What if you were burning metals--the normal Allomantic method--but also channeling your body's energy through your giant Inquisitor spikes. You have
two sources of power, so of course, their combined force will be greater. You'll be able to enhance your Allomancy that way.
Sigh. It's late. This is not a comprehensive Hemalurgy revelation, unfortunately. It doesn't really explain the need for blood sacrifices in Inquisitors (however, by merit of blood being the body, you could Hemalurgically channel it), and it doesn't really do anything to explain how Inquisitors get Allomancy.
Most of all, it doesn't explain why the mists are pushed away. Now, I've explained to you my Allomancy-mists connection at the beginning of "The Mists" topic. I'll discuss that right now a bit. It has always struck me as a bit odd that all three magics are based in metal. Why metal? It's just... bizarre. Certainly if I swallow some pewter, I'm not going to get stronger (which would be SO COOL, by the way). Something is causing the metal to be important. I only know of one barely-understood, enigmatic, Allomacy and Hemalurgy influenced substance: the mists! I think, actually, that the Mists are what gives the metal its power.
In Allomancy, it gives you the ability to burn metals (See "The Mists" topic for more). I have new evidence to support this theory, though. Namely, it is the quintessential moment of Mistborn 1, where Vin draws on the Mists. Myself, I've always believed that this involved Vin actually
burning the Mists--I believe others have thought the same. However, this gravely not so:
Vin stoked her iron, concentrating, Pushing it as hard as she could. She kept her pewter flared, struggling to keep from being crushed, and she knew somehow that she was no longer breathing. The force pushing against her was too strong. She couldn't get her chest to go up and down.
Mist spun around her, dancing because of her Allomancy. She was dying. She knew it. She could barely even feel the pain anymore. She was being crushed. Suffocated.
She drew upon the mists.
Two new lines appeared. She screamed, Pulling with a strength she had never known before. She flared her iron higher and higher, the Lord Ruler's own Push giving her the leverage she needed to Pull against his bracelets. Anger, desperation, and agony mixed within her, and the Pull became her only focus.
Remember that I said Allomancy is bounded because you can only flare so high? Well, it seems to me that drawing on the mists made Vin able to flare even higher. That shows that the mists can make you flare metals. I hope it isn't too much of a leap of faith to say that the mists
itself is what causes you even able to burn metals in the first place (and the mists, then, would go into you when you are burning, thus explaining why they go towards you).
This important, because we are getting to the Ruin and Preservation part of the discussion. But first, there are two more magic systems to link to the mists. Hemalurgy pushes the mists away: why? Well, in a very Newtonian sense, Hemalurgy is just one giant push. It pushes energy from your body, focuses through the lightning-rod metal, and pushes outward. It seems to me that would push the mists away.
Now, Feruchemy is a difficult one. Very difficult. It appears to have absolutely no influence on the mists. In fact, you may say that the mists didn't "exist" before the Ascension. But as the Deepness, they did. Darxbane is of the opinion that all three magics have always existed. That could be true.
I came up with an idea about why Allomancy only appears after the Ascension. I think the Lord Ruler did something very fundamental to the mists themselves. From that point on, people could have the power to burn metals with Allomancy. Or something. I know I've quoted something before where Sazed said "All the legends agree: the first Allomancers came out with mists". Well, the Lord Ruler must have done something, because the Deepness and the Final Empire's mists are very different things. Of course, the mists are now reverting to their destructive ways.
Now, for Ruin and Preservation, or at least Ruin (because that's the one we see more)! Ruin uses the mists. The Deepness, essentially, act through the mists to kill (or make people sick). If Preservation is the mist spirit, that means that Preservation can also use the mists. This means both fundamental forces are inextricably tied to the mists for their power. Now, think about it. If the mists are the
basis for all three magic systems, and if they can both influence the mists, then would not Ruin and Preservation both have an incredibly strong power over Allomancy, Feruchemy, and Hemalurgy?
In fact, this is what we actually see: Ruin having power over the magics. I believe that Feruchemy and the mists are tied together, perhaps the mists allow the Feruchemist to tap his metalmind. Ruin could be manipulating this relationship. It could be using the mists to
change what is in the metalmind, which is how Ruin can change all the prophecies. It seems like the logical explanation to me.
With Hemalurgy, Ruin seems able to say things to people with things with metal in their body. Zane the insane voices, Marsh with whatever Ruin is doing with him, and Vin the power of the Well of Ascension.
...Speaking of that, that is sort of weird. From a pure fundamental-Hemalurgy standpoint, it almost looks like there are two Hemalurgies. The first one Pulls from the body to make external change. The second... pushes back INTO the body. Namely, Ruin saying lots of weird stuff. This little point here is definitely something to elaborate on.
I'm rambling, and I know it, but I had a good five hours to ponder at work. Of course I have lots to write. I think the last little sub-topic will talk about the Lord Ruler.
Vintage thinks the Lord Ruler has Hemalurgy through the Well's metal being inside of him. Sure, that sounds cool. Perhaps the Lord Ruler's power works like this:
He draws upon energy from his body, enhancing his Allomancy. The Well-metal has a ton of power, so that could explain why his Allomancy is
so enhanced (remember the Lord Ruler doesn't burn the Well-metal. Hemalurgy doesn't eliminate the channeling-metal, just uses it). But, this leaves his body fatigued. So, he taps his pewtermind and burns that with Allomancy. He is rejuvenated with the uber power of the Feruchemy-Allomancy mix. Therefore, his Allomancy-Hemalurgy hybrid can be used indefinitely. Also, additional Hemalurgic powers can be used if he pierced himself with more metal. Feruchemists can store attributes into any metal they touch and Hemalurgy can channel through any metal that pierces the body. So, with Feruchemy-Hemalurgy, he multitasks and stores attributes, while also channeling lightning-rod style through them. Which enhances the Allomancy, and the cycle continues forever.
Also, burning the pewtermind gives him crazy-strong healing abilities. At least, enough to heal from that spear Kelsier thrust into him.
The only problem with the Lord Ruler's convoluted plan is that you would need lots of rest. Rest to heal Hemalurgy, rest to charge your Feruchemy, and heck, rest to wait for the Inquisitors to give you more Allomantic metals to burn. And this is exactly what we see. The Lord Ruler stays in his "box" of Kredik Shaw almost all the time. That way, he just waits and accumulates power. When the time is right, he can give his full might to his opponents.
...
Sigh. I hope that all made sense. I'm on a three-way system of power right now, just like the Lord Ruler: I'm on sugar from the two Dove chocolate bars I ate at work, caffeine from the Dr. Pepper I drank on my break at work, and the computer screen beaming into my brain, all keeping me awake. And, like the Lord Ruler undoubtedly does, I need time to rest.
Lol...
(If anybody wants to know how long that entire post was, it's over 3000 words long! That's over six pages, not double spaced!)
Tommorow, hopefully, if I'm still
alive (Lord Ruler, I want your pewtermind!), I will summarize the Hemalurgy theory in a little more depth. I hope you liked that fundamentals lesson... Maybe we can actually extrapolate from there to discover other things about Hemalurgy.
And yes, at work, I do sit around and think about Mistborn sometimes--in case you think I'm insane.
