The Countdown

[Peter Ahlstrom]

Qarlin's question is a very good one that is actually essential to book 3.

[Qarlin]

Wahoo!

...

Of course I have no idea what that significance is, yet.

[Chaos]

Oh, I know it's significant. That much is obvious, but I have no idea how or in what way it is significant.

[Qarlin]

Just had a thought; what if it relates to Snapping?

[Reaves]

New Subject!

Why does the mist kill some people, shake and make others sick, and leave some completely alone?

...the mists, which could be Preservation, depending on the kind of people the mists killed. Brandon does say in his annotations (Chapter 15)

Mostly, I'm showing the real danger of the mists--that there IS indeed a reason to fear them. Either way, remember one thing from this chapter. Some people were killed (and there's a connection between the two people you've heard described specifically as dying from the mists) some people got away, and some people had seizures, but then were all right later.

Which two people were "Old Jed," described as being a "hard worker" (pg 42). The other was "Old Jell" who was "Bullheaded" (pg 141). More thoughts on that?

Yeah I did some research on that and found they were both old. No seriously thats about all I got.

[Qarlin]

What if, with Ruin making more inquisitors, Preservation is trying to make more Mistborn? Those too old can't take the strain required to Snap and die, those untouched don't have the blood in them, and those who are attacked but then released have Snapped, but like Vin, they're not aware of it because they don't know anything about Allomancy. Vin had to have Kelsier tell her she was Mistborn, otherwise she never would have considered the idea.

[rjl]

What if, with Ruin making more inquisitors, Preservation is trying to make more Mistborn? Those too old can't take the strain required to Snap and die, those untouched don't have the blood in them, and those who are attacked but then released have Snapped, but like Vin, they're not aware of it because they don't know anything about Allomancy. Vin had to have Kelsier tell her she was Mistborn, otherwise she never would have considered the idea.

Nice idea, but I just can't quite see hundreds of new mistborn around... It seems insane.

[Qarlin]

There wouldn't have to be hundreds, just a fair number; a few dozen would be tons. And I bet most of them would only be mistings, anyway.

[Chaos]

I think Qarlin's topic definitely deserves another day. The discussions on it weren't lively enough. Tomorrow I will be more active on that topic

In any case, we shall continue to discuss why the Deepness kills some and not others on T-10 days.

The countdown is almost done. Ten days...

[Wielder]

What if, with Ruin making more inquisitors, Preservation is trying to make more Mistborn? Those too old can't take the strain required to Snap and die, those untouched don't have the blood in them, and those who are attacked but then released have Snapped, but like Vin, they're not aware of it because they don't know anything about Allomancy. Vin had to have Kelsier tell her she was Mistborn, otherwise she never would have considered the idea.

Holy lord.  That would be crazy and it's an interesting theory.  I wonder, is there any place in those chapters with Sazed that this could be foreshadowed a bit?  I actually started WoA again the other day and I'm right at that part.  So, when I go through reading it tonight, I'll make sure to keep an eye on that.  That's the thing with Mistborn, if you hadn't ingested metals, you would never know.  I know you take in a little bit through water/food/dirt(:p) and such but...it's obvious that Vin just thought her 'luck' was coincidence. 

The one thing I don't like about this theory is the plausibility.  It takes a while to train a Mistborn (or a Misting for that matter).  We only have this one book; I highly doubt Vin and the gang would have the time to spare to train new Mistborn/Mistings besides Elend, who seems somewhat proficient at this point anyways.  I would make a comparison to The Wheel of Time to further explain this, but I don't feel like spoiling anything for anyone.

As for topics, pass.   

[Comatose]

Wow, I like the snapping relation, that's good, and as for the hundreds of Mistborn and mistings running around, I think that not that many were taken and let go.  I think most were either unaffected, or killed by the mists, only those with the bloodlines and the latent abilities (which weren't very many) were shaken and then let go.
Perhaps ruin is making the deepness do this, in order to get more skaa mistings to use to make inquisitors.

Sorry I've got no new theories for today, just thought I would comment on Quarlin's.

[Chaos]

I like the snapping idea. That's about as good of a theory as any. It's a testament to Brandon's skill that he can hide such an important plot point from us.

I'd like this one to be the next theory:

2. The Origin of the Hero of Ages + Discovering what to really do as the Hero. I'm not going to copy and paste this one, but my thought is that a "One Guy" sealed Ruin in the Well in the Age previous to Alendi/Kwaan/Rashek's. Somebody did, and it appears that neither Ruin nor Preservation can get the upper hand without some sort of other being (hence all the controlling and manipulation, I think), so naming this theoretical person One Guy is as good as anyone else. Somehow by utilizing the Well's millennial power, methinks, the One Guy sealed Ruin away, but he realized that that did not permanently defeat Ruin, and then, there would be the Deepness once again. The One Guy created the Prophecies in order to show a future someone what the true path to defeating the Deepness would be.

Furthermore, this could perhaps parallel the clues the Lord Ruler left behind, as the Amazon.com description for MB3 states. The Lord Ruler could realize he has done it wrong... then tried to make some effort to do it right the next time the Well was full.

Heck, this could even mean than any failed person who "Ascended" could reinvent the Prophecies every age. Or something.

[darxbane]

I am a little behind here, but I would like to add one more wrinkle to the Evil Mist theory.  The ones who die or have seizures could be Hemalurgists, as well.  EUOL stresses many times that pure metals, as well as the correct types, are required for Allomancy.  They could also be required for Hemallurgy, so if a Skaa has a piercing of metal that is not pure, Ruin's attempt to "speak" to them through the metal could have very negative consequences. 

[Qarlin]

Except you need a blood sacrifice for hemalurgy. Like someone has to die when you get that piercing.

It would be interesting to see what clues TLR left behind. Whether he left reminders for himself as to what he was supposed to do after 1000 years, or even if he's responsible for hiding whatever Ruin is looking for.

[Chaos]

Ah, darxbane! I simply love that idea about metal purities and impurities! That provides the clearest explanation for just a sickness, rather than death. It very well could be Hemalurgy, or perhaps it could just a recently Snapped Allomancer burning an impure metal and having dire consequences.

Now I definitely need to look at the two old men that died for clues...