Lingering Question Mistborn Trilogy Spoilers

[arby64]

I might be confused, but how was Preservation able to stab Elend at the end of WOA if it could only preserve not attack.

[Comfortable Madness]

I might be confused, but how was Preservation able to stab Elend at the end of WOA if it could only preserve not attack.

Hmmm....Well I don't think it says anywhere that Preservation couldn't "attack". Even when Vin is Preservation, for that brief time ,she/it attacks Ruin. Especially since Preservation's main motive at the time was to indeed "preserve" the world it had created I think it was all on the up and up.

[arby64]

Isn't it implyed near the end that Preservation needed a person created by Ruin and Preservation together in order to attack Ruin at the end? if not, wouldn't Preservation just do what Vin did thousands of years ago?

[Comfortable Madness]

Isn't it implyed near the end that Preservation needed a person created by Ruin and Preservation together in order to attack Ruin at the end? if not, wouldn't Preservation just do what Vin did thousands of years ago?

I would have to go back and re-read but either way my point is that there is/was no mention of Preservation not being capable of violence.

[JCHancey]

People were created by both Ruin and Preservation to begin with, right? And this is the second time we've seen Preservation attack someone, the first is when Alendi and Rashek are headed up to the Well.

[Mellington the loony Gold Misting]

Preservation, if I recall, was never stated to be incapable of violence or destruction...quite the opposite - implied to be capable by Ruin at some points.  Violence or destruction, however, are means to an end for Preservation (to preserve some things you must destroy others) while they are their own end for Ruin.

It was never that Preservation couldn't attack, it was only ever that Preservation and Ruin were evenly matched and neither was particularly willing to do what was necessary to end it.

[Cloudburst]

I do recall, in the third book, the repeated statement that Ruin could build things up to use them as tools for destruction (armies of Koloss, Inquisitors, etc), so it only makes sense that the opposite is true, that Preservation can destroy things with the purpose to preserve.

[Seaoftrouble]

I might be confused, but how was Preservation able to stab Elend at the end of WOA if it could only preserve not attack.

Preservation did not kill him and weather Vin saved Elend using the power from the well or feeding him the metal to make him mistborn Eland was never at risk of dieing .   

[Ari54]

Isn't it implyed near the end that Preservation needed a person created by Ruin and Preservation together in order to attack Ruin at the end? if not, wouldn't Preservation just do what Vin did thousands of years ago?

There'd be no point if nobody else existed to pick up both powers at once. Ruin might be enticed to kill them both under certain conditions, but for Preservation, killing Ruin without someone to take their places would be unthinkable.

[Wolfstar]

Isn't it implyed near the end that Preservation needed a person created by Ruin and Preservation together in order to attack Ruin at the end? if not, wouldn't Preservation just do what Vin did thousands of years ago?

There'd be no point if nobody else existed to pick up both powers at once. Ruin might be enticed to kill them both under certain conditions, but for Preservation, killing Ruin without someone to take their places would be unthinkable.

Even the use of the powers must be preserved.

I like that logic.

[Patriotic Kaz]

It is interesting though i believe it is a misinterpretation of the data given to us. It is my understanding that the power may be used for anything save creation, but to use it destructively expends more energy.

[Ari54]

It is interesting though i believe it is a misinterpretation of the data given to us. It is my understanding that the power may be used for anything save creation, but to use it destructively expends more energy.

No, the powers definately can be used creatively. Ruin is pretty clear on this- he wanted to create things to destroy them later, so he was forced to co-operate with Preservation.

There doesn't seem to be any indication that destruction requires any extra energy. All indications point to Ruin and Preservation being almost matched, with the apocalyptic nature of the trilogy being true to Preservation sacrificing some of his power (or "body") to create intelligent life.

[Patriotic Kaz]

I meant for Preservation to use destructive power he expends more energy than Ruin b/c it goes against the nature of it's power....Vice versa for Ruin

[zas678]

No, I think it is  as Sazed puts it with the Lord Ruler(paraphrasing here) "because of the nature of the power, he was naturally inclined to act reactionary instead of preventionary" (the reason why he made volcanoes instead of trying to push the planet back)

Wait... You might be right. That quote proves your point. Darn. 

One qualm that I have is how does the power know if it is being used to preserve or destroy?

One random thought. It is interesting to see how the Lord Ruler was a mix of Ruin and Preservation. I mean he kept a civilization very much the same for nearly a thousand years, which must have made Leras pretty happy (even if he was very weak). But he killed entire civilizations to get it that way, including the Terris. He also made thousands of Koloss, the servants of Ruin. On the other hand, he helped make thousands of Allomancers as well. It is just interesting to think of TLR as a servant of Ruin (with Hemalurgy), of Preservation (strong Allomancer), and yet still hold part of himself ( the little house, his Feurchemy)

[Ari54]

I meant for Preservation to use destructive power he expends more energy than Ruin b/c it goes against the nature of it's power....Vice versa for Ruin

I think you're right in terms of influencing the world. I'm not sure that necessarily applies to fighting Ruin directly given the fact that the powers would likely "cancel each other out" when used directly on each other- which seems consistent with what happened in MB3.