Feruchemy and Lerasium Theory

[Eric]

So I've been thinking on this. Lerasium (I'm using the most recent spelling I've seen) works to rewrite your spiritual DNA when you burn it, and anyone can burn it. The only known use this has been put to is to create Allomancers.

Why? Because no one has any way of knowing what else it can do.

17th Shard: If a Mistborn burns lerasium, as in, not just ingests it, what effect would it grant Allomantically?

Brandon: That is a RAFO. It would do something, but the thing you've gotta remember is that, when ingesting lerasium for the first time and gaining the powers, your body is actually burning it. Think of lerasium as a metal anyone can burn. Does that make sense?

17th Shard: It does.

Brandon: By burning it you gain access to those powers. It rewrites your spiritual DNA, and there are ways to do really cool things with lerasium that I don't see how anyone would know. Were most Mistborn to just burn it, it would rewrite their genetic code to increase their power as an Allomancer.

Unless they've swallowed a metalmind. If they know that there is a power there to be accessed, but can't manage it, burning lerasium simultaneously might rewrite their sDNA to gain access to that power. In the case of a Twinborn or hemalurgist using his own metalmind, this might give them full Allomancy, full Feruchemy, or both, allowing them to fully access the variations of their power. A full Feruchemist would just get full Allomancy, like Rashek did.

But what about an Allomancer who was not a Twinborn or otherwise possessed of Feruchemy? What about someone using another person's metalmind? What if Vin had burned lerasium while trying to access Sazed's metalmind? I think that lerasium might be able to rewrite sDNA to give a sort of skeleton key Feruchemy, a way to unlock metalminds from other Feruchemists. A Skeleton Key Feruchemist might be able to steal others' metalminds, to tap memories he never experienced or even become other people. It would be interesting, to say the least.

Plausible variations:

1. That it only opens up access to that one person's metalminds.

2. That it opens up the other person's at the cost of your old ones.

3. That it allows the use of any metalmind created by any Feruchemist.

All three could have their potential story uses. A reasonably steady supply of lerasium with #1 could turn a series of seemingly mundane thefts into a high profile crime of the century as the thief (or gendarme) closes in on the final goal with the stolen power. #2 could be used by a group to create communal metalminds, leading to a potential group mind and hive society. #3 is just out there, but I still think it's cool, and it's the one that requires the least amount of lerasium to kick off.

Edited April 29, 2012 by Eric

[Chaos]

I'm editing the topic title to "lerasium." It is actually lerasium according to the final Table of Allomantic Metals and there's just a vast deal of misinformation people have on it (it doesn't help that there's a draft of the Table of Allomantic Metals floating around the internet which has it mistakenly "larasium".) You have to realize spelling isn't Brandon's strong suit

In any case, I'm going to start editing people to "lerasium."

[Eric]

See, that spelling always made more sense to me, since the Shardholder's name was Leras, but even as recently as the Mistborn Adventure Game it's been published as "larasium". I'll edit the first post to reflect the clarification, thank you.

[Chaos]

Crap, I think you're right. I hope I emailed CraftyGames about that particular typo...

Well either way, it's definitely Leras, and so it should be lerasium.

[Commander Spoonface]

I find this theory to be shiny. I personally believe that there's a fourth, perhaps less likely option. What if swallowing the metalmind allows you to get a feel for how Feruchemy works in general, and swallowing Lerasium while focusing on that makes you just a regular Feruchemist?

I think the core issue here is whether or not it is possible to consciously or subconsciously affect the way Lerasium re-writes your sDNA. As I read your theory, it's the state of mind and desire to access the power of the swallowed metalmind that causes your sDNA to be re-written differently. If that is the case, does that mean that through intense study and knowledge of how the spiritweb is constructed, to affect how Lerasium changes your sDNA in whatever way you want.

However, it seems more likely that pure Lerasium will only re-write your sDNA in order to make your connection to Preservation stronger, as evidenced by the fact that its alloys will make people Mistings as well. Perhaps alloying Lerasium with a metalmind, then burning the result, would have one of the effects you describe here.

[Eric]

I think the core issue here is whether or not it is possible to consciously or subconsciously affect the way Lerasium re-writes your sDNA. As I read your theory, it's the state of mind and desire to access the power of the swallowed metalmind that causes your sDNA to be re-written differently. If that is the case, does that mean that through intense study and knowledge of how the spiritweb is constructed, to affect how Lerasium changes your sDNA in whatever way you want.

That is precisely how I interpret the quote spoiler-blocked in the first post, yes.

Actually, I think alloying it with the metalmind might make you a Ferring.

As for state of mind affecting it, I think that might be true even when alloying lerasium with mundane metals; it might not be the alloyed state that changes the way lerasium works. I've commented often recently about how there's no molecular difference between an alloy and the constituent materials, and this is even more true when alloying lerasium with one of the Allomantic alloys, since even the crystal structure is altered. I believe that while your connection with lerasium grows, you suddenly feel the reserve, and you instinctively explore that specific connection, making you a Misting rather than a full Mistborn.

Which actually raises a potential 5th option, come to think of it. If you alloy the metalmind and are not already some sort of Allomancer or Feruchemist, you might actually become a compounding Twinborn as you subconsciously attempt to Allomantically release the Feruchemical charge. Huh.

Edited April 29, 2012 by Eric

[Commander Spoonface]

Sorry, I was using "feruchemist" in the same sense as "allomancer" rather than "mistborn". That makes a great deal of sense to me. Does this simply mean that unleashing the raw power of a Shard on a human has the effect of modifying their spiritweb to be in closer alignment with that shard, with different effects based on the mental state of the person?

Come to think of it, that explains the Returned, Elantrians, and maybe even Knights Radiant.

[Kurkistan]

See, that spelling always made more sense to me, since the Shardholder's name was Leras, but even as recently as the Mistborn Adventure Game it's been published as "larasium". I'll edit the first post to reflect the clarification, thank you.

Wait just a minute...

*Leras...lerasium*

*Ati...atium*

By the Lord Ruler! It all makes so much sense now!

Seriously, though, I can't believe I didn't get that one.

*Hangs head in shame*

TLDR;

Edited April 29, 2012 by Kurkistan

[Eric]

Sorry, I was using "feruchemist" in the same sense as "allomancer" rather than "mistborn".

My bad, then. I know someone tried to standardize the way we use the words, but I can't remember if a consensus was reached.

That makes a great deal of sense to me. Does this simply mean that unleashing the raw power of a Shard on a human has the effect of modifying their spiritweb to be in closer alignment with that shard, with different effects based on the mental state of the person?

Come to think of it, that explains the Returned, Elantrians, and maybe even Knights Radiant.

While I don't know anything about the others (yet), it certainly does seem reasonable.

@Kurkistan: Blame it on the inconsistent spelling that Chaos and I discussed.

[lil_literalist]

An interesting theory, but I'm not convinced. One problem is this: How would the very first allomancers know to rewrite their sDNA to make them allomancers? They would have no experience with Allomancy, no way of knowing what to expect.

But I do find it interesting that, as far as we know, everyone on Scadrial has the ability to burn this one element. Is it possible that people from other shardworlds are able to burn this as well? In other words, is it because of the lerasium that everyone can burn it? Or is everyone on Scadrial born with the ability to burn a single metal: lerasium?

[ReaderAt2046]

An interesting theory, but I'm not convinced. One problem is this: How would the very first allomancers know to rewrite their sDNA to make them allomancers? They would have no experience with Allomancy, no way of knowing what to expect.

Lerasium's default setting is "Mistborn". You have to know how to rewrite your sDNA if you want to get it to do anything else.

[Joe ST]

I would assume that the Lerasium-Atium alloy is the one that makes Feruchemists. I like the idea that Lerasium has the power to consciously modify sDNA though.

[ReaderAt2046]

I would assume that the Lerasium-Atium alloy is the one that makes Feruchemists. I like the idea that Lerasium has the power to consciously modify sDNA though.

Lerasium-Atium almost certainly makes you a Seer, just like all the other alloys.

[RenegadeShroom]

Lerasium-Atium almost certainly makes you a Seer, just like all the other alloys.

I reckon there'd definitely be an Atium-Lerasium alloy that turns people into Seers, but surely there'd also be a third god-metal, (Sazedium?) for Harmony. And since Harmony is the combined shards of Ruin and Preservation, that metal would logically be formed as an Atium/Lerasium alloy, no?

[ReaderAt2046]

I reckon there'd definitely be an Atium-Lerasium alloy that turns people into Seers, but surely there'd also be a third god-metal, (Sazedium?) for Harmony. And since Harmony is the combined shards of Ruin and Preservation, that metal would logically be formed as an Atium/Lerasium alloy, no?

But that would mean you'd have one metal with two powers. Also, I personally suspect that Sazedium causes any metals burned with it to release their Feruchemical power instead of their Allomantic, whether or not they are metalminds.

[RenegadeShroom]

What I meant was, you'd have one alloy of Lerasium-Atium for creating Seers (Say, 51% Atium, 49% Lerasium), and a different alloy for Sazedium (50/50). That any clearer? :3

As for Sazedium's power, I wouldn't have a clue. XD I'd guess that when used in Feruchemy, it allows anyone to store any attribute, perhaps, but I've heard the theory that when used in Allomancy, it would turn the person into a Feruchemist, though I disagree with that theory.

But I do find it interesting that, as far as we know, everyone on Scadrial has the ability to burn this one element. Is it possible that people from other shardworlds are able to burn this as well? In other words, is it because of the lerasium that everyone can burn it? Or is everyone on Scadrial born with the ability to burn a single metal: lerasium?

So, every Scadrialese person is a Lerasium misting? Or am I interpreting that wrong? xD Although, I'm guessing not, since a person is only able to burn one metal or all of them. . . but, I suppose that either way, Lerasium is an exception to that, unless normal Mistings can't burn Lerasium?

[Triasmus]

Lerasium-Atium almost certainly makes you a Seer, just like all the other alloys.

Are atium mistings still allowed? I've been reading all over the forums that Sazed fixed the allomantic table (before sazed fixed it, it replaced... bendalloy and cadmium mistings maybe?... with atium and malatium mistings)

[Voidus]

Are atium mistings still allowed? I've been reading all over the forums that Sazed fixed the allomantic table (before sazed fixed it, it replaced... bendalloy and cadmium mistings maybe?... with atium and malatium mistings)

I keep reading that but I'm not sure why, people talk about bendalloy and cadmium replacing Atium and malatium but those two were never normal temporal metals, and we know that other atium alloys can be allomantically burned.

17TH SHARD

Are there a limited amount of atium and lerasium alloys for each metal?

BRANDON SANDERSON

Hmm, yes…I suppose there would be but there are…

17TH SHARD

More than sixteen?

BRANDON SANDERSON

Yeah, way more than sixteen.

17TH SHARD

Oh wow. Okay. That's fascinating. More than sixteen and less than infinite.

BRANDON SANDERSON

Yes.

On the subject of the multiple Atium, Lerasium alloys.

[Kurkistan]

I keep reading that but I'm not sure why, people talk about bendalloy and cadmium replacing Atium and malatium but those two were never normal temporal metals, and we know that other atium alloys can be allomantically burned.

On the subject of the multiple Atium, Lerasium alloys.

By "replacing" we mean that now we get natural bendalloy/cadmium mistings instead of Seers/<Malatiumers>, where it was the opposite case before. I can't for the life of me find the quote, but I could have sworn that Brandon said this outright.

Edited May 2, 2012 by Kurkistan

[Dahak]

I reckon there'd definitely be an Atium-Lerasium alloy that turns people into Seers, but surely there'd also be a third god-metal, (Sazedium?) for Harmony. And since Harmony is the combined shards of Ruin and Preservation, that metal would logically be formed as an Atium/Lerasium alloy, no?

I've had some thoughts since I first suggested that.

Logicically anyone can tap Sazedium to become a Feruchemist. Since one burns Lerasium to become an Allomancer and can use an Atium spike to take any Hemalurgic power.

Incidently I'm now suspecting Lerasium of making you invulnerable when burnt for its actual power rather than to become Mistborn.

[Voidus]

Incidently I'm now suspecting Lerasium of making you invulnerable when burnt for its actual power rather than to become Mistborn.

There's a bit of confusion on that front, to become a mistborn with Lerasium you are actually burning it, if a mistborn burned lerasium they would just become a more powerful mistborn.

There are ways to do other things with it but you have to know what you're doing, I think it's probably a bit like Iron/Steel when you first burned it you see blue lines pointing towards metal sources, you have to know that if you imagine pushing or pulling on one of the lines that it will push/pull that source of metal only Lerasium is more complex as there is no obvious visual cue as to what you need to do.

On the atium/malatium/bendalloy/cadmium thing, do we know if malatium mistings ever existed? and I'm pretty sure that Brandon has mentioned somewhere that TLR knew about bendalloy and cadmium, not absolutely sure on that but yeah. So if anyone has any quotes on this that would be great!

[Commander Spoonface]

I definitely remember seeing a quote that Lerasium makes Mistborn more powerful, perhaps with other effects as well.

[Eric]

It's in the spoiler block in the first post.

17th Shard: If a Mistborn burns lerasium, as in, not just ingests it, what effect would it grant Allomantically?

Brandon: That is a RAFO. It would do something, but the thing you've gotta remember is that, when ingesting lerasium for the first time and gaining the powers, your body is actually burning it. Think of lerasium as a metal anyone can burn. Does that make sense?

17th Shard: It does.

Brandon: By burning it you gain access to those powers. It rewrites your spiritual DNA, and there are ways to do really cool things with lerasium that I don't see how anyone would know. Were most Mistborn to just burn it, it would rewrite their genetic code to increase their power as an Allomancer.

[ReaderAt2046]

By "replacing" we mean that now we get natural bendalloy/cadmium mistings instead of Seers/<Malatiumers>, where it was the opposite case before. I can't for the life of me find the quote, but I could have sworn that Brandon said this outright.

I think it might be that the HoA mists snapped people into Seers instead of Pulsers/Sliders because Preservation needed both to have 16 metals given (for the clue) and to have one of those metals be atium (to get rid of the Trust.)