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Theory of Realmatic Magical Mechanics in the Cosmere


Blightsong

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Introduction

Since my trip to Wisconsin, and talk with Brandon, I have been constructing a theory in my head about the exact function of how Magic is used throughout the Cosmere. Using various WoBs and different example from the text I planned out a post that went through each magic system and explained how it works at a realmatic level, and how it uses Investiture to affect the Physical, Cognitive, or Spiritual Realm. Today i finally sat down and wrote the whole thing this morning and formatted it this evening. If you see any discrepancies or false claims, feel free to comment after reading. If you have anything to add, please do so as well. See the the WoB and refrences down below that are numbered according to where they show up. The corresponding number will be posted within (parenthesis). Enjoy!

 

Magic

Allomancy
The genetically inherited sDNA of an Allomancer gives them connection in the spirit web that a person does normally have. When a person is snapped this allows for a shard's investiture to flow through them using these inherited spirit web pathways, I believe these pathways are what endows each power, with each new pathway (or pathways group) giving them 1 Allomantic ability.(1)

When the investiture flows through them they channel it into said pathways, giving them the ability to change internal (zinc, brass, etc.) and external (copper, bronze, etc.) phenomena within the three realms.

Zinc and Brass both use the investiture to influence a being's spiritual aspect through the cognitive realm.

This is similar to what Kelsier was doing when he spoke to madmen in Secret History. The 'opening' in a persons spirit web allows for a more easy route for the investiture to follow and can even lead to complete control mind control when the opening is wide enough (such as when someone is spiked).



Copper uses its investiture to disrupt the pulses that investiture gives off. This is similar to how Shardplate makes it harder to affect the wearer with emotional Allomancy (2). Bronze uses investiture to recognize these pulses and translate it into something the allomancer can understand.

Tin eyes and thugs use the investiture to bolster the physical connections in the spirit web. Brandon has described the realms as the spiritual realm being a light, the cognitive being the beam, and the physical being the surface that is hit. Tin eyes and Thugs circulate more investiture than normal through parts of the light as to make the image on the surface brighter in some areas.(3)

Iron and steel use investiture to generate kinetic energy in the physical realm by using connection in the spiritual realm (Kelsier or Brandon, can't remeber which likened looking into the spiritual realm to the steel sight of an inquisitor or the blue lines on an allomancer) to relate the general mass of the allomancer to what ever the investiture is pushing on. I believe that with enough investiture, a steel pusher could push on normal objects and people, but that it more easily affects metal because the investiture is keyed in by metal, so it is a path with MUCH less resistance. This is just a theory, however, and is only backed up by the fact that Inquisitors can see all things with Steel Sight.

Duralumin forces all investiture out through the connections instantly, amplifying their affect in that instant by flaring it more than could normally be achieved. Aluminum immediately forces all investiture out through that connection, wasting it all and throwing it back into a shard. Nicrosil and chromium do these things, but to other Allomancers.(4)

Gold and Electrum both use investiture to strengthen other connections that could have or will be. This gives images in the physical realm that the allomancer can see. In other words, it shows connections that aren't actually there yet, which gives off a limelight in the physical realm, which only leaves a ghost image in the physical realm. These ghost images grow in power until you are given a near vision, if flared hard enough as a powerful allomancer or when used with DuraluminAtium does this, but with the external world. When burned hard enough or with duralumin it breaks the Atium Magic connection itself and allows you to glimpse into the spiritual realm.

Cadmium and Bendalloy do a similar thing, which is why they are in the same category as Gold and Electrum. They enhance connection to the overall timeline, which brings your physical self closer to said spirit connection, kind of like a timey whimey steel push or iron pull. If it is a future connection, you, and those around you (again, external) rush towards the future. If it is towards the past you put on the time brakes and skid, leaving you and those around you closer to the past than normal.

Lerasium gives you all the above connections, but as to its other effects I cannot guess.



Feruchemy
This magic works in a similar fashion, but instead of snapping in new connections, it utilizes the connection all humans are born with. This is why a snapping isn't required (same with Awakening). It raises the "Investiture pressure" of these different connections or lowers them, and stores the extra inside of the metal mind keyed to that connection via metals. This is why a person cannot use another's metal mind. The investiture that it has been affected by has the marks (or identity) of that person's own spark of life (or innate investiture). I think that new investiture is still added to the soul when the sDNA is inherited, but it just enhances or connections rather than adding completely new ones, so extra space from a snapping is not required.

 

Iron, Steel, Tin, Pewter, Electrum, Gold, Bendalloy, Cadmium, Bronze, Brass, Atium,  and Zinc all work this way, very simply. Gold is a little more interesting than those others because it is similar to how Stormlight heals, and will probabaly be similar to how many other magic systems regenerate the magic user.

 

Copper is a bit different. It completely erases the memory that exists and stores it. Adding more new memories back then stored still does not require extra snapped out space because gaining new memories is a function that happens unmagically.

 

Chromium works pretty basically, but has interesting implications. In Secret History [spolier]One of the Ire alludes to people being able to find locations they wish to find by using Fortune

(4). Brandon has also said that Hoid uses Feruchemy to be where he needs and wants to be.

 

Nicrosil allows one to completely store away their extra magic imbuing connections in a similar way that Copper can completely store memories. I'm not sure if you regain your connections when you  stop storing, but I doubt it. The ability to gain extra connections does not require extra snapped out connections because everyone has the ability to have extra connections added.

 

Aluminum stores your sense of self, or Identity. We have not seen much of this power directly in action but we know that

When this is used in conjunction with Nicrosil, it allows anyone to use Allomantic and Feruchemical abilities. This works by getting rid of the Identity lock on the metal mind that has an ability inside it that has been stored via Nicrosil.

.

 

Duralumin works by reducing and enhancing one's Connection to an area. This allows for someone to have connections similar to someone who has grown up in an area, giving you an understanding of the local languages, etc.

 

When Compounding is used to fuel Feruchemy I believe that the Investiture used in the Feruchemical charge is able to ride the new pathways to the old ones they affect, essentially taking a path of least resistance, and thus increasing the investiture efficiency when used. It's like like getting energy from a poor conductor, then shooting it back through a super conductor rather than using a bad conductor once again. You get more energy back in then usual. This is again, just a theory, as I have no way to prove that allomantic connections are any better than regular ones at carrying investiture, but this makes sense to me.

Hemallurgy:
Before I explain how I think this works I want to look at the Three Realm Light analogy once more. When the light is turned on, specific portions of the light correspond with the image upon the surface. When a Hemallurgic spike strikes the portion of the image that corresponds to where a magic inducing connection is on the light, it uses ruin's investiture to pierce the three realms (Like a perpendicularly, Brandon alludes to what I am speaking of now in my Madisson report) and absorb the connections and investiture that is there. This spike can then do the reverse, and spit out those connections and investiture back into a new soul. This is why everyone can use Hemallurgy, it doesn't utilize connections inside the host to key into investiture, but rather it uses the type of metal to do so. I can't explain the connection to blood, but I just want to point out that blood is related to the spiritual realm, so there is probably something going on there. Maybe it acts as a insulator for the investiture and connections within the spiritual realm?(5)



Surgebinding
When a person who is snapped bonds with a Spren it fills the snapped out space with new connections, similar to Allomancy. When a person speaks their oaths it adds more investiture pressure to these new connections similar to Feruchemy and also increases investiture efficiency within these connections as well as in the enhanced healing, speed, and strength connections. This process allows for the magic we see utilized in the surges, which I will explain below.

Before I get to how exactly the surges worked I also want to talk about the spren side of things. I think that as more oaths are spoken, not only are the spren dragged farther into the physical realms, but they are also imbued with more connections and also allows them to key into Honor's investiture to transform into powerful invested objects. Shardblades work by being invested enough to puncture through the realms in a similar way to spikes, and then rip off and destroy parts of the soul. Nightblood is so much so invested that he can completely evaporate a being's entire presence in all three realms. Sharplate works by being invested enough to disrupt other investiture. It basically stops Shardblades from being able to puncture the wearers spirit web. Since it is so heavily invested it also deflects allomantic pulses and other investitures.

We don't know much about many of the surges, so I will explain the ones we have seen. I will update this theory as we learn more about the surges.



Gravitation
This magical connection works by internally affecting the Shardworlds connections and hold onto a person. It does similar things externally to objects that are lashed.

Adhesion
This works by manipulation the part of the spirit web that deals with air pressure, making the portion of the physical image that deals with air pressure more so bright, which sticks other physical objects to it.

Illumination

This works by creating ghost images in the physical realm in a similar fashion to Gold and Electrum. I think this allows Truthwatchers glimpse images of the future and allows Lightweavers to... well... weave light.

Soulcasting
This one is pretty unique compared to the ones we have seen so far. This works by allowing the magic user to create new connections in another soul, and then forces investiture through those new connections to make them the path of least resistance, transforming the spirit web and changing the physical realm image.

Adhesion: Works in a similar way to Abrasion, but with friction instead of air pressure.



AonDor
Now this magic system I don't really understand, because we still don't understand how it is initiated. I will probably update my theory on this subject when it how initiation works on Sel is told to us in Arcanum Unbound.



Awakening
This works by sending pulses of investiture into an object in a similar fashion to emotional Allomancy, with the command being an analogue to the emotion that a rioter wants you to feel. This investiture then creates new connections in the Awakened Object's spirit web, giving it a kind of sentience. When enough Investiture is used to create this mind it can create near complete Robot like minds, such as Noghtblood. So basicly, Awakening is like coding a soul, and then using investiture to power that soul. Lifeless already have code there, and stone lifeless are a similar enough image to leave an impression of a code, so they are able to follow the new code given to them as if they were a human. The breath cannot be taken away, and I'm pretty sure this is because of the complexity of the person or type IV's spirit web, kind of in the way that the beyond cannot take away Cognitive shadows as easily if they have more spiritual connections.

 

The different Heightenings work in a similar fashion to Feruchemy, in that it enhances various preexisting Connections within the spirit web.

 

Effects of Magic

Use of any magic within the Cosmere, or any handling of Investiture, effects ones spirit web.

 

One way it can be effected is by the investitures Intent. Any investiture, no matter how small, affects ones personality with its mandate. In large amounts this can lead to a person subcoming completely to the Intent, becoming a shell with which the power acts. They are basically just riding the power at that point, as opposed to directing it. This happened to Ati, most likely.(12)

 

Another way Investiture is SavantismThis happens when wasted investiture accumulates in l, basicly investing these different connections. When I talked with Brandon at Oddesey Con it was confirmed that things have been invested and are used to the investiture in their souls begin to wither away when there is no longer investiture running through it, such as the stones and wood in Elantris. When this happens to an Allomancer it gives them extended abilities with these connections in the soul, but leaves them in a burned out a damaged state when not burning. Looking at Spook and the Three Realm Light analogy, I belive that he left those areas on the light too bright for too long and ended up burning the image surface. While the light is dimmer, the image remains burned, leaving him with the effects that he had. These damages can be looked as as boons, but are especially dangerous in the physical Allomancy connections.(13)(14)(15)

 

Relevant WoB

(1)

Brandon: Over time using the magic will invest you, on Scadrial. Most of the power is not coming from, on Roshar the power isn't coming from the person either (He cut himself off, so I assume this is how it works on Scadrial even though he didn't finish his thought) so I'm going to have to back up on that one and say, yes, the mistborn are as invested as a Knight Radiant, because in both cases the majority of the power is coming from somewhere else, but there is the spirit web. Investing the wrong term, but you have all these connections in the spiritual realm, so yanking you away from them, or rewriting them (like soulcasting or forgery) is harder.

(2)

Brandon: Yes, investiture disrupts investiture. It's harder for her to even soulcast a regular person than, say, a rock.

(3)

I could find this refrence, although i just read it hours ago. If anyone finds it splease PM me and i will update this post.

(4)

BRANDON SANDERSON (REDDIT)

1. It's consistent in the Spiritual Realm. Location isn't particularly important there.
2. Very interchangeable, but not always simple to apply.
3. Investiture can not be created or destroyed. It follows it's own version of the laws of Thermodynamics.

JOE_____ (REDDIT)

So what happens to the investiture that is lost when a person is spiked and the spike isn't set in the new person immediately? Does it return to the big pool of investiture in the sky like the power from wheel of time where if its not actively being used it returns to the source?

BRANDON SANDERSON (REDDIT)

What happens to someone's body when it's not being used by a particular person? The system is built to work like that.(5)

Brandon: Right, Hoid talks about Perpendicularities on Scadrial, if you go look at that there are certain places he talks about that. ,eyes just say that large concentrations of investiture can cause a puncture through the spiritual realm straight to the physical realm. If you know how to use it, you may transition. That's not the only way but is the primary way.

 

Guy: And of of Course you can soulcast (Elsecall?) to get there.

 

Brandon: Yes.

 

Guy who asked about the four armed spren: Now that's a very interesting analogy you just made, you said "punctured" almost as if it were a spike.

 

Brandon: Yes, yes, that was intentional.

(6)

QUESTION

Can Odium pick up pieces of a Shard without changing the nature of his Shard?

BRANDON SANDERSON

Any investiture, over time, will slowly change one’s personality, no matter how small that investiture.
(7)
INTERVIEW: Mar 20th, 2014IRONCAF
In what ways is the process of becoming an allomantic savant like body building or other exercise?
BRANDON SANDERSON

[Paraphrasing] That is not an inapt metaphor for it. It's like a wedge gets in the soul and cracks it, and investiture can fill it up.

IRONCAF

And using allomancy breaks it further?

BRANDON SANDERSON

Yes.

(15)

Random lady: In Elantris it talks about how to wood and stone in the city is rotten and crumbling. Why does this happen?

 

Brandon: This is because when objects become Invested for long periods of time their spirit web changes to accomodate the investiture. When the investiture was pulled up of the stuff in Elantris it's spirit web was severely damaged so it showed that in the physical realm. This happened with the Lord Ruler when the Bands of Mourning were ripped out of him.

 

Conclusion

If there is anything you guys think I should add or fix, please let me know and I will update the thread. Feel free to share your thoughts.

 

 

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This seems like it is based on what I am trying to do. I'm trying to show that the Shards are connected to the sixteen Shards by theorizing about the different forms of Connection, which I use to be equated to the four categories of metal (physical, mental, temporal, and enhancement). Well done for explaining something about Investiture I hadn't even contemplated contemplating.

One Cosmere Theorist to another, you did a great job.

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This seems like it is based on what I am trying to do. I'm trying to show that the Shards are connected to the sixteen Shards by theorizing about the different forms of Connection, which I use to be equated to the four categories of metal (physical, mental, temporal, and enhancement). Well done for explaining something about Investiture I hadn't even contemplated contemplating.

One Cosmere Theorist to another, you did a great job.

I was a skeptic on your theory at first, but looking at various WoBs I warmed up to it. Thanks for the compliment! Edited by Blightsong
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You don't seem to have anything about Forgery, I have a theory about how it works that I summarized in this thread

Edit: So, my theory has been thoroughly debunked now :P. Sorry if I came off a bit sterile or critical, school was about to let out so I had to give back the computer I was borrowing at the time. This is a really great summary! One thought I have is that I've always thought that bronze is to the spiritual as tin is to the physical. Basically, bronze sort of attunes the burner to investiture on the spiritual realm (allowing them to sense investiture's flow through the same) similar to how tin attunes the burner to investiture on the physical realm (which is why tineyes can see through and compensate for the mist)

Edited by Bugsy6912
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  • 1 year later...
  • 1 year later...

 

On 12/6/2017 at 9:29 AM, Not a Voidbringer said:

This sounds like a pretty solid theory, but I still have a question:

How does the all-or-nothing structure of Allomancy and Feruchemy (if you have more than one Allomantic power, you are automatically a Mistborn, and same with Feruchemy) relate to Realmatic connections and the pathways in the spiritweb?

I would say in terms of cracks in the spirit web, you've essentially got a big enough hole to let the rest of the investiture flood in. That'd explain why some mistborn are weaker than others, but I'm not how it makes sense in the context of hemalurgic spikes. I'm fairly sure BS said they're of a more spirit realm-y thing and above there's some quote about it working the same way as the souls of dead bodies so I'd say the spike is like a separate conduit for power like how mitochondria has different DNA. I know BS has a degree in biology so it's not like it's a reach to say he could've thought of that.

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