The 13th and 14th metals?

[Andrew the Great]

In Brandon's latest blog post, he posted a picture of the 16 allomantic metals. However, on this list, aluminum and duralumin are the 15th and 16th metals.

Also, 13 and 14 are external metals, while aluminum and duralumin are internal.

And though it gets really blurry when you blow it up, the name for this category of metals is: Enhancement. At least that's what it looks like. Well actually, it looks like INHANCIMINT, but I figured that it was more likely that those Is are Es.

So, how does that modify our theories on what the 13th and 14th metals can do?

I think it might also say the names of the 13th and 14th in the margin, though I can't really tell. It might just say unknown for all I'm able to read. But it looks like one of them (13) starts with a C, so that would be an actual name. hmmmm

[bhthomas]

I thought it was obvious. What metal can mutate you to control metals after digesting. Uranium 
If a radioactive spider can give powers why not a radioactive pebble.
But seriously if some one wants to spend the time trying to figure it out i did find this
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_alloys

[VegasDev]

It's Chromium and Nickel. BTW, to save the time in research, Chromium is a mutagen.

Kind of weird that he used real metals for all but two, Malatium and Atium.

[Miyabi]

It's Chromium and Nickel. BTW, to save the time in research, Chromium is a mutagen.

Well that depends if it's chrom3 or chrom6

[Peter Ahlstrom]

It could be chromium and nichrome (a nickel/chromium alloy). Remember, the one must be an alloy of the other.

(Note: This is not a spoiler. I'm just reading the chart and Wikipedia.)

[Qarlin]

That makes sense; I thought it looked a little long to be Nickel.

[VegasDev]

It could be chromium and nichrome (a nickel/chromium alloy). Remember, the one must be an alloy of the other.

Yeah, that's what throws me off. Nichrome and Chromel are alloys of both Nickel and Chromium. Nichrome is 80/20% Nickel/Chromium while Chromel is 90/10% Nickel/Chromium. Following the other metals, it would make most sense for it to be Nickel and Chromel, because the Alloy is attributed to the primary component. For instance, Bronze is 88/12% Copper/Tin but is considered an alloy of Copper because it is the primary component.

[jnktoburen]

I might be nuts, but I have the tools... I work for an ad agency.

I printed the chart using a high resolution color laser printer. The image is still a bit fuzzy, but I was able to tell a couple of things once I used a magnifer on the image.

The first of the unknown Allomantic metals, the pure metal appears to begin with a "Ch" or a "Cl". It does not have any letters that extend below the plane of the text (Like a "p" or "g"). Based on that I would say everyone else is correct, the unknown pure metal is Chromium.

Upon examining its alloy, I found the letters to be too fuzzy to make much out. Except - the last letter may be a capital "E". It may also be an "l". It's name is also shorter than the pure metal.

Now, most of the metals on the sheet in the smaller boxes are are all letted differently. They're all placed a few points further down in the box. Atium and Malatium are printed similarly to the unknown metals. Because the letters are pressed up against the top of the box, they appear even more fuzzy, and actually could be capitalized. But, that would be inconsistent with the rest of the text within the boxes.

Conclusion: I have to agree with the previous post. Either the metal/alloy combination is Chromium/Chromel or there is gibberish printed on those lines and we're simply misinterpreting.

[Chaos]

I recant my previous thought. Metal #14 must be the alloy. How do I rationalize this? Well, look on the chart and analyze where the alloys and the pure metals are. If you think of the chart as a circle about the origin, splitting into four quadrants, you can clearly see that adjacent to the y-axis (that is, the vertical axis) are the metals which are pure metals. On the other hand, the x-axis (horizontal) lies next to every single alloy.

Metals adjacent to the x-axis are: Steel, Pewter, Bronze, Brass, Electrum, Malatium, Duralumin, and metal 14.

Metals adjacent to the y-axis are: Iron, Tin, Copper, Zinc, Gold, Atium, Aluminum, and metal 13.

So whatever metal 13 is, metal 14 must be the alloy of it.

It's still a distinct possibility that metal 13 is not Chromium, of course. I expect them both to still be special metals

[Peter Ahlstrom]

Yeah, that's what throws me off. Nichrome and Chromel are alloys of both Nickel and Chromium. Nichrome is 80/20% Nickel/Chromium while Chromel is 90/10% Nickel/Chromium. Following the other metals, it would make most sense for it to be Nickel and Chromel, because the Alloy is attributed to the primary component. For instance, Bronze is 88/12% Copper/Tin but is considered an alloy of Copper because it is the primary component.

You've got a good point. Brass, though, is almost always more copper than zinc. We don't know what the percentages are in the specific allomantic alloy Brandon used (if he ever even decided that). But that may be a sign that the alloy does not have to be primarily of the allomantic base metal.

Can anyone find any good candidate alloys of Chromium where it is the primary component?

[VegasDev]

You've got a good point. Brass, though, is almost always more copper than zinc. We don't know what the percentages are in the specific allomantic alloy Brandon used (if he ever even decided that). But that may be a sign that the alloy does not have to be primarily of the allomantic base metal.

Can anyone find any good candidate alloys of Chromium where it is the primary component?

Yeah, I was basing my theory on White Brass for it to hold

I couldn't find any alloys with Chromium as it's primary component however.

[Chaos]

That's why I don't think it's Chromium. Metal #13's color doesn't look like chromium, anyways.

[Miyabi]

*Raises hand*

I has a theory.  So this kinda goes back to the mist being one of the metals.  What if the Chromium was in the mist which hinders everyone's powers and that's why not everyone can burn metals and burning Nichromel gives you the power to burn metal.  This would explain why Elend could burn it even though he wasn't an Allomancer.  This would make them opposites, fit them into the chart.

Also the burning the mists could have been directing the power of the Chromium against TLR making him weaker, not Vin stronger.  So you get rid of the mist and everyone can burn metals, but those with Nichromel can burn better and stronger. 

Th. Nichromel would be passed through blood, showing how it's inherited, it could be similar to a chromium deficiency only difference being it'd be backwards and with Nichromel.

[happyman]

*Raises hand*

I has a theory.  So this kinda goes back to the mist being one of the metals.  What if the Chromium was in the mist which hinders everyone's powers and that's why not everyone can burn metals and burning Nichromel gives you the power to burn metal.  This would explain why Elend could burn it even though he wasn't an Allomancer.  This would make them opposites, fit them into the chart.

Also the burning the mists could have been directing the power of the Chromium against TLR making him weaker, not Vin stronger.  So you get rid of the mist and everyone can burn metals, but those with Nichromel can burn better and stronger. 

Th. Nichromel would be passed through blood, showing how it's inherited, it could be similar to a chromium deficiency only difference being it'd be backwards and with Nichromel.

Would this mean that before the Ascension, everybody was capable of Allomancy?

That would be the mother of all twists.  It would be really cool, actually.  Unfortunately, I think that something as basic as that would have survived in skaa tradition. and that Alendi would have compared Feruchemy to Allomancy even if Allomancy was universal (e.g. he would have said that the Terrismen became stronger than even a man flaring pewter.)

[Chaos]

I have an idea.

I reread the last segment of MB2 and learned two things. First of all, the metal Elend ate is never described more than a "bead of metal" or, as Vin said, it was the wrong color from atium. So, we cannot accurately know what color the metal is. In any case, it does not match any of the other metals Vin is familiar with.

Furthermore, the Well is not described "like liquid metal", but actually "liquid metal". And silvery colored. Now, here is my thought: Duralumin and Aluminum are Internal metals, and in that regard, they internally enhance Allomancy. The other ones could externally enhance Allomancy... or something.

Plus, anyone else find it odd that we only know of the metal Elend ate only occurred at the Well of Ascension? They could be... like, alloys of each other, considering their close proximity. One being pure and the other being the alloy, I mean.

It smells like atium. Atium, like this metal, is extremely rare and only seems to occur in one place. Very... unique.