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Laws: Gems of different types can hold magic in the form of different elements. Ruby = Heat/Cold Amethyst= Kinetic Diamond= Light Sapphire= Electricity Magical energy is known as Scelce. Gemstones absorb energy through conductive materials. The way a gem can express Scelce is through how they are cut, focusing energy at sharper points of the facets. Higher quality gemstones are more powerful. Gemstones change weight depending on the amount of energy in them. Larger gemstones hold more energy. The cutting of a gem makes it functional, whan uncut they are inert. Energy is transferred through conductive material. Opal stores pure energy, that can be transformed into any of the 4 types. Mages are people who go into battle with a large gem on their back, with gloves lined with wires connecting back to the gem. The wires stimulate different parts of the gem with certain somatic motions. As you use this, the wires overheat, and will snap if you are not careful. Multiple gems can be used, but this will cause the wires to overheat faster Scelsi are the higher born of the population. These people have interbreed with a native species of humanoids scec’ar, who are naturally born with one of the 5 scelics, or magical gemstones. They have gemstones inside them on their spinal cord, in between their shoulder blades. Those born with these are commonly known as Scelomancers. Their nerves act like the wires. Scelomancers gems are like their life support system, and if broken, they will die. When gems act as spells, you have to use gloves studded with metal, and the more studs touch the gem, the more power is exerted, and the length of the finger, or in a machine, the wire, determines the range by inches converted to feet multiplied by 10. For a ray of energy, this is multiplied by 3, and projects with 45⁰ vertex. For a ball, the range is multiplied by 2 before the ball explodes, and the ball will also explode when it comes into contact with a solid surface. Onyx absorbs energy and does not release it, expanding constantly until it is 3 times the original size, at which point it detonates in a massive maelstrom of sharp onyx shards 3 seconds after it is activated by metal or a hard impact. When an energised gem is broken, it releases all energy stored inside of it in a massive blast, and in a flash of light as the crystalline bonds holding energy shatter, and the gem is left in small chunks, with a fraction of their original energy.

In my world called Teroth, there are 4 different forms of magic: Arcane Arts, Sacred Power, Druidism, and Occultism. Each form of magic focuses on casting spells and using materials, gestures, and sounds to channel them. Arcane Arts - Arcane spellcasting uses logic and rationality to categorize the magic inherent in the world around them. Because of its far-reaching approach, the Arcane Arts has the vastest array of spells for people to use, but it suffers to be able to cure the ailments and heal the world like other forms of magic. Sacred Power - Sacred spellcasting focuses on the power of the divine and users of this type of magic to call upon the many gods and goddesses living beyond the realm. This form of magic mainly focuses on healing, performing miracles, and enhancing the powers of others, with a small number of spells that do damage to others. Druidism - Druidic spellcasting is similar to Sacred Power in the fact that it uses faith to fuel it, but it dabbles more into the natural energies and cycles of the world. The Druidic spells have elemental and healing powers, as well as transformative magic. Many Druids use this power to turn into animals and control the primordial energies of the universe. Occultism - The practitioners of occult traditions seek to understand the unexplainable, categorize the bizarre, and otherwise access the ephemeral in a systematic way. Many see Occult spellcasting as evil and demonic. Many Occultists worship dark forces and elder gods to gain this form of magic. I am open to any critiques at all, so please critique away.

This has been a project of mine that I have been working on for the past few weeks. These systems were originally made as a Cosmere Fan-Fiction with some of the remaining shards I made up, but as I fleshed out the systems I wanted to write some story of my own. I will take all feedback anyone has to give. There are three different types of magic users Cantors, Guardians, and Phlebotomist. The first two types are Based on sound and have cultures rooted in Norse and Athenians respectively. Phlebotomists are based in a nation close to the Persian Empire. Cantors Guardians Phlebotomists The world is not at all fleshed out, might make another post on it. If anyone has any ideas, don’t be afraid to tell me!

I am currently developing a magic system for my novel, and am running into some creative roadblocks. So far, I have determined the primary source of magic in my world, how it is accessed by various races, and have started to come up with a few ideas on how it can be used. The thing that I am struggling with the most is adding a visual to a particular magic that I have created. Brandson Sanderson often talks about giving the reader an image to go along with a magic (lines in Allomancy, glowing with Stormlight in Stormbinding, etc.), but my magic is mostly an internal one: the magic user can pull someone's mind into their own, and access as if it were an extension of their own (think of it like plugging a USB into your computer). This is basically mind-reading/telepathy, but functionally operates in the reverse of what you usually see (ex. Prof. X, from the X-Men, who pushes his own mind into someone else's). It may seem like semantics, but the way this magic operates will have serious repercussions for the plot later on. What I am struggling with is how to make this more visual and engaging. One idea I considered was to have my protagonist "transported" to a visual space that represents the inside of his mind (ex. the black realm that Eleven, from Stranger Things, goes to when she's using telepathy, or even Shadesmar when Jasnah/Shallan are using Soulcasting). I don't want something boring, however, and I could use suggestions for an interesting visual space for these scenes to take place in. I could also use some help figuring out the visual mechanic for how my protagonist locates minds to reach out to. The way magic works in this world is through vibrations and frequencies, which represent different objects, souls, etc. I don't know if echolocation makes any sense here, and though I considered using a visual mechanic that mimics how Toph "sees" in Avatar (ie. hearing vibrations in the earth), this does not allow for sensing objects in the air or behind walls, etc. The protagonist's power only allows him to connect to the vibrations of sentient, self-aware beings (no inanimate objects, plants, or animals), so I have to be able to have him distinguish the vibrations of people from everything else (otherwise sensory-overload would be a serious issue). Perhaps I could use something similar to the lines in Allomancy, but then again, I don't know how well that translates to the concept of vibrations, etc. Any ideas, input, etc. would be helpful. Objective viewpoints always seem to bring up something I haven't yet considered or explored.

Hey guys! I'm trying to create a magic system for my book and keep bumping into the same problem when I work on the source: Magic is power bigger than mankind, and thus implies that either a deity must exist in the book or a Force, like in Star Wars. Does anyone have any ideas on how to avoid gods and also avoid having magic be a well of power like the Force?

I've been working on a new idea for a magic system for a while and about 2 days ago, it finally hit me so, here you go. Magic is called Channeling in my world and the source of it is Ether, an Omni-present force that controls all of the Cosmos. People known as Sorcerers use the Ether to channel different powers called Forces into the Cosmos. The powers are very strange but they all focus on the manipulation of matter & energy. There are 3 big limitations to Channeling: Sorcerers are either born or given only two different Forces to channel when they become Sorcerers. Channeling takes a lot out of the body because Ether also uses up bodily energy called Willpower, which fuels all sentient creatures. Using too much Willpower will eventually exhaust the Sorcerer to the point of almost dying. You have to gain the ability to Channel by either having an ancestor that was a Sorcerer, being connected to the Ether through some kind of spiritual bond, or coming into contact with some kind of magical artifact with two Forces in it. There are 12 Forces that Sorcerers can Channel, and they are... Vibration - The sorcerer can create waves of vibration around them and even control the frequencies that objects vibrate. Transmutation - The sorcerer can transform matter into other forms of matter similar to it (i.e. water can become steam or ice, or sand can become glass). Gravitation - The sorcerer can alter a target's gravitational direction and strength. Ionization - The sorcerer can create a plasma that they can use as an ionized air channel to allow electric currents to flow through, thereby creating electricity. Solidification - The sorcerer can manipulate the cohesion of matter to make the molecules fluid or harden them to create harder surfaces. Incineration - The sorcerer can manipulate thermal energy to create fire or heat. Attraction - The sorcerer can manipulate the magnetic attraction between objects as well as the friction that two objects have. Elongation - The sorcerer can stretch, deform, expand, or contract an object’s shape into any form imaginable. Hallucination - The sorcerer can manipulate light to create visual illusions that can be either witnessed by one person or a whole group of people. Translocation - The sorcerer can transfer matter and/or energy from one point to another without traversing the physical space between them. Infusion - The sorcerer can channel energy into a specific object, infusing the object with full energy. Reconstruction - The sorcerer can reverse the damage done to organic/inorganic matter. If you have any suggestion, don't feel hesitant to put them in the comments.

I've been having trouble with what I want to do with my magic systems. Their mechanics, sources, and forms of use are things that I struggle with so I wanted to get some help with this. These are the questions that I have trouble with: How do I combine the Sanderson feel of magic systems with the D&D forms of magic and how they work? What powers in the universe serve as sources for the magic? How do I have multiple magic systems co-exist together in a story? Who should get it? A select few, a subspecies, people born with a mark, or everyone? I constantly come up with these systems and I don't know how to organize and use them in a story at all.

As the title says, I've been working on the following system for a while now and need some opinions on it. I don't often share work outside my friend group but this community was suggested to me. Anyway here it is in its simplest form: Magic is derived from the leftover energy of a living creature (essentially its soul) when it dies. Magic is therefore an infinite resource as every second countless creatures die across the universe contributing to the ever-growing pool. Magic exists on a realm adjacent to ours. The realms are separated by a veil that in places is so thick that magic is non existent and in others so thin it is almost impossible to differentiate between the two realms. Magic can be wielded in many forms such as rituals and bound spells but only to its full potential by individuals possessing a certain quirk of the soul referred to as a spark. These individuals (Often called Magi) can tap the magical pool and store some of this power inside themselves (Note all souls can store a set amount of magic but only those with the spark can passively regenerate their magic). The amount that can be stored varies greatly from person to person. This limit does not serve as a hard cap, magic can still be used beyond the amount stored but it is very dangerous. Taking more magic than was allotted will result in a backlash, this can take the form of a spell rebounding back at its caster, or having an unpredicted effect, a person may simply explode (not necessarily the caster), a magi’s spark could be snuffed out or any number of other strange effects. Magic is not mutually exclusive with science. Magic follows patterns which can be predicted and calculated. A spell performed by the same person under the same circumstances will always have the same effect. Conventional science has trouble detecting and understanding magic but due to magic’s predictable nature the scientific method can be applied to its study. Magic can be combined with conventional science to create powerful new technology (magitek) such as generators to power cities and star ships allowing for faster than light travel, enchanted floor panels provide artificial gravity and magically induced quantum entanglement allows for inter stellar communication. Anyway let me know what you think.

I was wondering if anyone could provide some input on the magic system in my novel. It's not fully fleshed out yet and I need some help developing it. The wizards in my novel have certain types of magic that they are born good at, and others that can be developed over time. There are also aspects of it that they can never master (example: A character who is born exceptional at influencing the elements. They struggle with telepathy, but they can still perform it to some degree. However, they are never able to shapeshift). My question is: What could be a determining factor of the magic they can and can't do? My friend had the idea that it could depend on genetics and ancestry, say someone who's ancestors were from Antarctica had power over heat and fire. Or we had an idea that maybe wizards with different powers came together in clans a long time ago and they all migrated to different places, meaning that where you're from could determine your power set. I'm just trying to come up with a better plan for my magic system, since it's not very together at the moment. Any help would be greatly appreciated!!

Hello all again. I have not come to revive the debate over Kaladin killing Szeth or not. I have come to ask afew question I was confused about, and when I looked over 17th Shard, I couldn't find them answered. How does Nale revive Szeth-son-Neturo? We already know that bonding live spren can allow you to heal with Stormlight, so, can bonding deadeye spren (dead Shardblades) allow you to heal with Stormlight or not? Can you heal yourself using Stormlight in an Honorblade bond? If yes, why does Szeth-son-Neturo say that you can't in the WoK Prologue?

Hey there! After my binge of Cosmere books this year, I figured to try my hand at creating my own magic system somewhat in the same vein as Brandon's works. Here is a quick overview of what I've come up with so far: The three categories: The magic is basically subdivided into three essential categories from which abilities stem. These categories are the Expansive, the Compressive, and the Distributive category. Expansive here means that, by spreading something of your own being into the outside world you bring about magic effects. Opposite to that, Compressive abilities work based on drawing something of the outside world into yourself to perform the spell. Finally the Distributive category is neutral in this sense and works just through, well, re-distributing things within yourself or your surroundings. Now, each category supplies three basic abilities, resulting in nine basic arts. These nine arts are then distributed to nine classes of magic wielders in pairs of twos. Thus, each class can access two basic abilities, and each ability is used by two different classes. In some cases, the basic abilities bring forth class-specific sub-abilities. The nine abilities and classes: Expansive abilities: Ruin: Matter is aged or broken by touch, which accelerates decomposition or straight up breaks material bonds. Used by Cometflingers and Tyrants. Aura: One's own presence is spread out into the surroundings and amplified to intimidate/terrify others or inspire loyalty/awe in them. Used by Tyrants and Strongholds. Suppression: A thick mist is created which suppresses sight, hearing and smell. Used by Strongholds and Mistwalkers. Pneuma: Additionally, Strongholds can combine Suppression with Aura and use the mist to raise and control the dead. They themselves, however, will be unable to move while doing this. Compressive abilities: Perception: Gives enhanced awareness to other people's presence and furthermore enables one to recognize the patterns of their emotions, resulting in an indirect sort of mind reading. Used by Mistwalkers and Gutthinkers. Mimicry: Eating lifeless matter and digesting it allows one to take on a property of that matter, i. e. digesting glass could make you translucent. Only works once digestion has begun, and you usually wanna use up all of your material as to not poison or harm yourself. Used by Gutthinkers and Starchewers. Convergence: Events in the immediate future, which have already become inevitable, can be foreseen. Used by Starchewers and Dancers. Dancers can furthermore use Convergence to slow down time around themselves, resulting in more precise and quicker movement. The ability lasts only briefly, however, as it requires stopping your own heart for the duration of it. Distributive abilities: Polarization: Objects are polarized by touch to magnetically attract or repulse each other. It's possible to use this ability in fractions and on yourself. Used by Dancers and Shifters Shiftminds. Focus: Reflexes can be enhanced significantly, but only at the expense of your cognitive abilities. Used by Shifters Shiftminds and Changeminds Couriers. Regeneration: Changeminds Couriers can significantly accelerate and amplify healing functions of their bodies by entering a trance. Arsenal: Objects that the wielder can hold in their hands can be stored away in a pocket dimension and be retrieved from there. The latter requires some concentration, however. Used by Changeminds Couriers and Cometflingers. Eye Colour, Asheyes, and the Iridescent Elixir The fuel required to use any of the nine abilities is Eye Colour, directly corresponding to a person's irises. Eye Colour is consumed when utilizing the abilities and cannot be retrieved or restored by humans. When a human runs out of Eye Colour, they become what is known as an Asheyes. The name stems from the white-grey colouring of their irises and the little red and orange specks therein, looking like dying embers. Eye Colour can be replenished or even stored beyond normal humans' capacity through use of the Iridescent Elixir, a colorless liquid that someone else's Eye Colour has been stored in. Applying it like you would eye drops, Eye Colour is absorbed by your body. The eye's actual colour is not linked to what Eye Colour was stored in the Elixir and instead depends only on the person receiving Eye Colour. The process of making Iridescent Elixir and putting Eye Colour in it is called Extraction and is jealously guarded by an order of monks. Since generally anyone could Extract Eye Colour from other people, the monks have made it their duty to keep the details of Extraction a secret and to manage and guard all Eye Colour economy so Eye Colour is only Extracted with consent of its owner. They have set up countless stations across the country to Extract and sell Eye Colour to armies or noble families or rich wielders. Selling your Eye Colour is somewhat of a last resort way to get quick money during hard times. Alright, that's about all that I've worked out so far. Some things that I am still developping: How does Extraction actually work? What do the monks do to people, and how is the Iridescnt Elixir made? Is there only a select few people who can even use the nine abilities to begin with? How are they distinguished from others? How do you find out you can use the magic? What criteria decides which of the nine magic wielding categories a person falls into? How quickly is Eye Colour drained? How much do the different abilities consume, and does it happen instantaneous or at a fixed rate over time? What other changes could come with becoming an Asheyes? Now, I would be thrilled to read your feedback on all this! I personally am a little worried if some of this hits too close to Surgebinding and BioChromatic Breath. I also haven't been able to come up with a nice name for the system, and some of the categories and abilities probably aren't quite up to par yet either. Anyhow, looking forward to comments, suggestions, critique, questions, anything. :>

I wanted to share some of the magic systems I made with you guys, but then I thought to make it a discussion so we could like help each other develop our systems, and it just seems like good fun! Here are three systems that are the most developed so far: 1) Resonance - (This has an actual book associated with it, so spoiler warning, I guess? Don't want to sound conceited just dislike giving out spoilers without any warning!) This was made based on the usual mana to spell magic, like fireballs, but I put up some limitations for the system so that it's a true system. The main resource is called "Echo" (might change it to echoflow or echotide, so it's not confused with the regular use of the word "echo") Echo is life energy and the mages of this world (called Resonators) can tap into their Echo to produce one of three physical interactions: Force, Heat, and Light. Most Resonators only have one resonance, but some can have all three (called Cadent, you can see my inspiration from Mistborn lol). The resonance is determined by how the Resonator most naturally stimulates their Echo: Dynato (Force) let their Echo 'thrum' before letting loose at its peak, Ignitran (Heat) quiet their Echo for a moment before firing a burst of flame, and Luminar (Light) pretty much just take Echo from their own bodies and convert them into floating lights (like Magelight basically). The more Echo used the more powerful the effect, but if a person uses too much of their Echo they're in danger of dying or falling into a coma. A Resonator can also infuse items with Echo to give that item their resonance, though Cadents can't infuse. There's also a newer rarer kind of Resonator which uses one of the three resonances but in reverse: Still Force, Heat, and Light, but their absence instead (or opposite with Force). The way these effects are achieved is kinda to stimulate their Echo in reverse, so thrumming but letting lose at a low point attracts things instead of repels, revving the Echo to a breaking point then suddenly quieting it sucks the heat from a targeted point, and taking Echo away from a place instead of supplying it creates darkness or shadows. The reverse stimulation is a major plot point in the story. 2) Forge - A system which requires two or more specific things to work and is fueled by the users memories and understanding of concepts (literally). This was inspired by me mishearing someone say something about using memory as fuel and like your usual spoken spells. In this there are three systems: *Word Forge - which uses 2 to 4 words linked together to produce effects, and is best suited at less abstract effects. So saying "fire ball" would conjure a ball made of fire which would float in mid-air with no direction before dissipating. The user will temporarily forget the words they just said. *Image Forge - connects two or more images to summon creatures or items. These can be cut together pictures, drawings, etc. as long as there are two or more previous things combining to create one new thing. A user can save Forged drawings without summoning them, for later. A user will then forget what exactly their item/creature can do which forces the user to rediscover what it does, the image is also consumed but not the medium it was made on, so a drawing would disappear but not the paper, and a picture would have holes in it, etc. All memories of an Image Forged thing will return if the thing is destroyed or de-summoned. *Command Forge - connects one key word and one or more command words to produce effects. Can handle more abstract concepts like gravity or flight and can produce trickier effects like saying "Self. Twenty meters forward" which will then boost the user forward exactly twenty meters by their understanding. The user will forget the meaning of the command words, but not the key word, and the commands are based on the user's understanding of the concept (saying "Self. Transcend" does not work.) 3) Aspect Naturality - A magic system with 7 aspects. Each person born into the world has a naturality to 2 aspects (and nothing more), or in some rare cases no naturality at all. The 7 aspects are: Balance, Focus, Intuition, Instinct, Grit, Ferocity, and Vigilance. The aspects are triggered by doing certain actions that lean into that specific aspect, so the people of this world created several martial arts to channel each aspect, though a user can learn any of these martial arts, they can only trigger the two aspects that they are natural toward. Each aspect has a passive and active component: *Balance passively gives the user a greater understanding of balance and actively allows to shift their center of gravity, *Focus passively calms the user under pressure and actively see and react to things in slowed time (though their actions are not accelerated accordingly) *Intuition enhances the user's sense of direction and gauge how much damage a strike will do *Instinct enhances the user's danger sense and lets the user feel where a hit would land on their body (but without the pain associated) *Grit allows the user pain tolerance and slight anchoring in space *Ferocity numbs empathy and increases muscle mass *Vigilance lets the user learn faster and detect minute details (like muscle movement before a punch) This system was inspired by Absolver pretty much, just all of it lol Would like to hear your systems too and/or thoughts on my own, these could still use some more development!

So... sorry to make another one of these threads, but I need help on my magic system(s). Here's a basic overview of the magic and its history. Note: The words such as "Galon" are the world's language, based on Welsh. System - Galon My world is split into separate societies, which have different views on what the "essence" or "life" of the world is. The people that practice Galon believe that the world is seperated into four different essences: Blood, Water, Flame and Wind. This shapes their magic system - each branch focuses on one essence and has a passive/healing part and an active/fighting part. It also has an "All Magic" which encompasses all four. Blood Magic - Chnoadi The Chnoadi use their control of blood to manipulate enemies on the battlefield, or kill them by stopping its flow. They are the society's main warriors. Blood Magic - Ichaoli The Ichaoli are the healing part of Blood Magic. They use it to heal wounded people, altering their blood flow to keep them alive. Water Magic - Dymesti Dymesti are soldiers who use water to help them fight, drowning their opponents or enhancing their own motion with the water. Water Magic - Tonnai The Tonnai are in charge of farming, and making sure their people never grow dehydrated. Fire - Tani Tani are the fighting part of the Fire Magic users. Fire - Farvori The Farvori are engineers and scientists who use their fire magic to create inventions that function using smoke and fire. Wind - Erwynti, Anadli Little use has been found for the Wind Magic so far, and so many who specialise in it use their powers to help them only in normal scholarly or fighting pursuits. All Magic - Nerthi The Nerthi is a single person who controls all four branches of magic, and leads their society. History The users of the Galon magic system were the most common of all the various societies on their planet, Aelwe, but after a new magic form - the Derys - appeared, they were almost completely wiped from the earth by the Derys users. Now, they are the last society to survive the take over, and are hiding in the mountains, or on small islands. Inheritance/ How they get their magic Galon is hereditary, and all users are born with the ability to use every branch of the magic. However, after basic training in all four, they choose the specialised area in which they will continue - many show an aptitude for one type from an early age and so find it easy to choose. If a child has one Galon user and one Derys user parent, the child will be unable to use Galon magic, or pass it on. Nerthi The Nerthi represents one of their society's core beliefs, that while the essences make up the world, and are very powerful, none can exist perfectly alone. The next Nerthi is chosen at a young age by the previous one, and will be trained for many years to ascend when their master dies. While they can use each magic separately, they prefer to combine them - something they call using the "All Magic". Unlike us, the Galon users believe Earth is not one of the four essences (elements) but instead the ultimate combination of the four. What I Need Help With: That's everything I really have on the Galon users so far, and Aelwe as a whole. My main things I need help with on are the specific places in society for each of the orders, as well as a better name for those who use Galon than Galon users (I guess I could make Galon the name of the group, not the magic?). Any help on that or other things I missed/could improve would be very much appreciated. Meanings: Galon: Spirit/Core Chnoadi: Pain Ichaoli: Healing Dymesti: Storm Tonnai: Waves Tani: Fire Farvori: Ember Erwynti: Tornado Anadli: Breath Nerthi: Strength Aelwe: Home Derys: Wild

Okay, so awhile ago @Unlicensed Hemalurgist had a thread about needing help with a Sandersonian magic system for a mystery novel (click here to view it), and that got me thinking. I need help with a magic system I'm currently working on, too, so why not post a similar thread (yes, I am admitting that I'm a copycat). Anyways, my story isn't exactly a detective story. It's an Alternate History / Cyberpunk / Urban Fantasy story set in the year 2134 in a really, really crappy alternate version of earth. Here are some ideas for the magic system I already have: There are four branches of it: Physical, Mental, Spiritual, and Digital. You can specialize in one or two branches, or generalize in all four. Some specialists have minor-moderate skill in their non-specialized branches, but not to the extent of a complete generalist. You have to be born with the talent to use it, but you choose whether you're a one-specialist, two-specialist, or generalist. Whether you have any skill in your non-specialized branches depends on how skilled you are at magic in general. It's sort of a combination of Allomancy and AonDor. It also might have tattoos as part of it, but I might not. It cannot be used to "enchant" objects. Also, for those of you who are curious, although the magic system has been common knowledge and was commonly practiced for centuries, the main point of divergence from our history was in World War 2.

PART ONE - Statement of Theory This and the following two posts in this thread present my revised theory of cosmere magic. I made major changes from prior theory versions to account for poster comments. Thank you all for helping refine my thoughts. I hope @Yata, @Calderis, @Extesian, @Blightsong, @Spoolofwhool, @Weltall, @Pagerunner and others who responded to the earlier versions will take another look at this one. I try to understand magic because to me it’s the most “knowable” cosmere element. Understanding magic makes plot and character easier to figure out. This post describes my pre-Oathbringer conclusions. The other two posts on this thread complete my cosmere magic analysis: Glossary of Important Cosmere Terms and The Mechanics of Every Magic System (Alphabetically by Planet). In the Beginning – The Cosmere’s Origin I believe “power” is the “one substance” that predates and forms the cosmere. Brandon calls power "the godly powers," the "powers of creation," a "Shard's energy," the "energy of a Shard's being," and "true Investiture." I think power is “Spiritual energy,” the capacity to create – to form or change any Spiritweb. IMO, it’s the source of all cosmere substances and can convert into any other substance. Brandon tells us power needs a mind to direct it or it may become self-directing. I believe Adonalsium (or some unknown predecessor) becomes the self-directing mind of the original chaotic power. Adonalsium then grows himself a body by converting his power (his soul) into the cosmere. Adonalsium is an anagram for “A mind, a soul.” Basic Realmic Theory Adonalsium’s cosmere has three Realms: Spiritual, Cognitive and Physical. Everything created has aspects in all three Realms. The Spiritual Realm IMO has two components: Spiritual matter (souls and their Connections - "Spiritwebs") and Spiritual energy (power). The Cognitive Realm is the Realm of the mind – of ideas and perception, of the conscious and unconscious. The Physical Realm consists of mundane matter and energy, plus magical matter and energy (what I call “manifestations of Investiture,” though many limit that term to magic systems). Pre-Shattering Magic Adonalsium leaves inherent Investiture on “every world created” other than Scadrial. I believe he Invests Roshar’s highstorms, Nalthis’ electromagnetic radiation, Sel’s ground, and Taldain’s oceans. Adonalsium's inherent Investiture creates “interaction with nature” magic systems that lend “magical aspects to the setting,” “ambient magic.” Mortals can expose themselves to that magic, but they cannot direct the magic’s effect. Notes: The Shattering To me, the Shattering’s mystery is how the Vessels could divide Adonalsium’s power into sixteen equal pieces. My answer: Adonalsium creates the cosmere and leaves a single “Godpool” at the place he chooses to reside: Yolen. Because Adonalsium is the mind that directs his power, the Vessels “kill” him by destroying his mind. I speculate they drop an “aluminum bomb” into the Cognitive Realm through his Godpool. Aluminum neutralizes Adonalsium’s brain function. His power becomes undirected. The Vessels then sluice his Godpool into sixteen equal Shardpools of liquid Investiture, the “most potent” form of Physical Realm Investiture. The Vessels enter their Shardpools and Ascend with one-sixteenth of Adonalsium’s power. Shard Mandates I believe Shard Mandates (intents) are Cognitive Realm filters on their power. Mandates IMO are not built into Spiritual Realm power as some posters theorize. Brandon says the powers are "not themselves of [any] Shard. They are simply tools.” Mandates have magical meaning and I believe should not be interpreted by their dictionary meaning. Shards are not good or evil. Honor and Preservation are not good, and Odium and Ruin are not evil. I think Mandates arise because mortals do not hold or direct pre-Shattering power. When power rushes into the Vessels, it permanently adapts to each Vessel’s Cognitive DNA. (Perhaps it’s coincidental there are sixteen Jung/Briggs-Meyers personality types?) Each Vessel’s 1/16th power portion becomes attuned to the mind that wields it. Successors must share similar Cognitive DNA. Notes: Classification of Magic Systems I believe Shards create magic systems by mutating their Shardworld’s Spiritual DNA to change Adonalsium’s inherent Investiture. (“Goofy” Shard-made Scadrial is the exception.) IMO, Brandon’s phrase “Shard-Shardworld” interactions refers to this Shard mutation of Adonalsium’s inherent Investiture. I think there are two types of magic systems. Adonalsium leaves “interaction with nature” systems, where mortals interact with the magic. Shards create “people with magic” systems, where mortals direct the magic. “People with magic” systems appear only on Major Shardworlds. I observe two kinds of “people with magic” systems: Catalytic and Non-Catalytic. In the Catalytic systems, magic users use Catalysts to Invest themselves or other objects with power. They then direct that power for magical effect. In Non-Catalytic systems, mortals can direct local Shardworld Investiture, but not power. Magic System Components I think there are four magic system components. Fuel is the Investiture that causes a magical effect. All magic systems use Fuel and have some means to Focus power. Magic Users are the “people with magic” in their systems. In Catalytic systems, Magic Users use a Catalyst to summon the power their Focus selects. The Magic User then directs the Focused power to make magic. IMO, every Catalyst is a form of Shard “essence” – either metals (Preservation’s “concentrated essence”) or the Investiture Shards mutated Adonalsium’s inherent Investiture into. I think Shard essence appears in Roshar’s highstorms (Stormlight), Nalthis’ electromagnetic radiation (the absorbed spectrum, not the reflected color spectrum), Sel’s ground (Raoden draws Aon Rao on the ground), and Taldain’s solar-irradiated oceans (Sand Masters consume their body water). Part 3 of this Cosmere Magic Theory, The Mechanics of Every Magic System (Alphabetically by Planet), describes each known magic system by type and component.

Brandon says Roshar has three magic systems, plus the “weird” Old Magic. I think Voidbringing is a fifth Rosharan magic system. This post explores how I believe each magic system works. Quick background: Forum consensus agrees there are at least three magic system components: “Fuel” (Investiture that causes the magic), “Focus” (a component that determines the power available for magic), and “Magic User” (the person who directs the magic). I think there’s a fourth component, “Catalyst,” which Khriss describes as a substance Magic Users consume to cause Shard power to Invest them. (BoM Ars Arcanum - Allomancy.) Catalysts, IMO, make the Magic User an Invested object capable of directing the Invested power. I believe there are three types of magic systems, all of which are found on Roshar. “Interaction with nature” systems use Fuel and a means to Focus power. In “people with magic” systems, Magic Users can direct the magic. Some“people with magic” systems use a Catalyst to access power, and some don’t. IMO, these are the Rosharan Shards’ Mandates (intents): Honor makes bonds, Cultivation makes change, and Odium breaks bonds. I think every Rosharan Magic User, mortal or voidish, uses the same powers, what Rosharans call Surges. Shard Mandates determine how Magic Users use the powers. Background done. Here are the systems, starting with the ones we know best. Surgebinding (Catalytic system) The Magic User is the Surgebinder. I agree with those who think spren are Roshar’s Focus. (Some posters think Roshar’s bonds are its Focus.) I believe Radiantspren’s mixed Investitures make them dual Focuses. IMO, Honor and/or Cultivation’s power is Surgebinding’s Fuel. Surgebinders consume Stormlight as their Catalyst to cause power to Invest them. The Radiantspren as Focus determine which power Invests the Surgebinder. I think the Surgebinder “binds” the Surges by directing the Invested power to create the magical effect – choosing gravity’s vector or drawing a new persona. Fabrials (Catalytic “people with magic” system) The fabrial user turns the fabrial on and off, and IMO is the Magic User. I think the gem-captured spren is the Focus. IMO, the gemstone filters Stormlight to replicate the symbiotic conditions of a gemheart. Spren consume the Stormlight and Focus their power on the machine they think is a lifeform. The spren-Focused power animates the machine for the desired magical effect. Shard power is the Fuel, and Stormlight is the Catalyst. Voidbinding (Catalytic “people with magic” system) I theorize Voidbinding is Odium’s form of Surgebinding. Because Surgebinding needs the Nahel bond to bind Surges, I speculate Voidbinding breaks bonds to bind the Surges. I think Voidbinding binds the same Surges as Surgebinding, except the Bondsmith Surges (or maybe just the Bondsmith’s “perks”). I think Voidbinding is a Catalytic system. I speculate the Nine Unmade combine two Voidbinding abilities like Heralds (other than the Bondsmith). “Void Knights” (if they exist) would have their patron Unmade’s abilities, like KR. The Unmade and any Void Knights would be Magic Users, voidspren would be the Focus, “Voidlight” the Catalyst, and Odium’s power the Fuel. If Odium’s power breaks bonds, then Voidlight IMO destroys matter. Only bondless bits remain – a Void of unreflected light. I think Voidlight’s Spiritual energy shows in Gavilar’s sphere, but nothing else, not even the spren it contains. I suggest an “Ever-Stormfather” Focuses Odium’s power into Voidlight, like the Stormfather Focuses Honor’s power (IMO) into Stormlight. Voidbringing (Non-Catalytic “people with magic” system) I believe Odium Investiture in voidspren form invades other spren like a virus. The “virus” voidspren replaces the target spren’s Spiritual DNA. Odium can then change and control the target spren’s host. I think Voidbringing most resembles Hemalurgy. Hemalurgy’s power to transfer innate Investiture Invests the metal spike. Voidspren, to me, equate to Hemalurgical spikes. Odium Invests each voidspren with the power to replace the target spren’s Investiture with its own. That power IMO is Voidbringing’s Fuel. Like spren in Roshar’s other magic systems, voidspren are Voidbringing’s Focus. I believe Hemalurgy and Voidbringing are non-Catalytic systems because power Invests the spike/voidspren, not the Magic User. Until stormspren summon the Ever-Stormfather, IMO Odium’s power can’t be Focused into Voidlight. Hence, Voidbringing can work without a Catalyst. Sja-anat (mentioned in Dalinar’s Purelake vision) seems able to direct Voidbringing. If so, Sja-anat is a Magic User. We don’t know if a Void Knight Order supports Sja-Anat or if other Unmade can Voidbring. It’s possible Odium alone Voidbrings. Without Magic Users, Voidbringing would be an “interaction with nature” system, mirroring Roshar’s pre-Shattering ecosystem with corrupted spren. The “Old Magic” (“Interaction with nature” system) I think the Old Magic is an Adonalsium-created “interaction with nature” system that Shard Investiture changed. I speculate the Nightwatcher (by some other name) began as a large splinter that native Rosharans personified into a sapient spren. We don’t know its original magic. I think Cultivation’s Investiture and human personification of Cultivation morphed that spren into the Nightwatcher. IMO, as an “interaction with nature” system, the Old Magic has two components. The Old Magic’s Fuel is Cultivation’s power. Its Focus is the Nightwatcher herself. The Old Magic remains an “interaction with nature” system, though Shard Invested, because mortals don’t direct its magic. They can ask the Nightwatcher for a boon; but she determines both the boon and the curse. Av tells Baxil, the Nightwatcher “gives [the boon] she feels you deserve, then gives you a curse to go along with it.” (WoK, Interlude I-7, Kindle p. 709.)

I've gotten pretty deep into plotting out a new piece of fiction and I've been working on for a little while and I was hoping to get some feedback on the magic system I've been developing for it. The system itself is called Dynatheurgy, with practitioners called Dynatheurgists. The central idea is that Dynatheurgists use their bodies and spirits to process natural energy and redirect it in different ways using Dynatheurgic Bonds. The simplest use case is simply taking the energy as it is and redirecting it somewhere else immediately, with no changes—for example, taking some of the heat from a nearby fire to set on fire a pile of dry leaves. More advanced uses for Dynatheurgy involves imprinting a small portion of your will into the Bond, which dictates various limits and variables. A 'theurgist could, for example, direct light energy into a stone and will it to release its energy over a period of days, rather than all at once, devising a simple flashlight. By expending an even greater amount of will it is even possible to reshape the energy into a different type, turning light into heat, or even applying it to the 'theurgist's own body as energy reserves to increase their own stamina. There are legends of exceptionally talented Dynatheurgists being able to transform energy into matter, but the amount of energy and will necessary far outstrips reasonable applications. Common wisdom holds that every person is born with a certain amount of inborn will and as they deplete it they begin to fracture their very soul irreparably. Anecdotal evidence seems to support this, with elder Dynatheurgists tending to be more aloof and less empathetic than their younger cohorts. Given the impossibility to measure such things empirically, however, the truth of the matter is still heavily debated.

A Forum “well-established theory” (WET) states a User powers magic with Fuel and shapes the magical effect through a Focus. I agree with WET, with some tweaks. I believe there are different types of magic systems that share different WET components. IMO, all magic systems have Focus and Fuel. All “people with magic” systems additionally have a User. “Catalytic people with magic” systems add what Khriss calls a “Catalyst.” I detail each magical component in related posts to isolate those topics for separate discussion. In this post, I’ll first summarize the differences among magic systems. I then state how I think the components relate to one another and how they apply to specific magic systems. I call “revised” WET, “Re-WET.” Types of Magic Systems I theorize there are two main types of magic systems: "Interaction with nature” systems and “people with magic” systems. IMO, the “people with magic” systems – systems where sapient beings can direct the magical effect – are subdivided into those that use “Catalysts” and those that don’t. I think Catalysts are substances Users consume to Invest themselves with Shard “power” (Spiritual Realm Investiture not part of a Spiritweb – IMO the cosmere’s Spiritual energy). Shards created “people with magic” systems post-Shattering, and they are found only on Major Shardworlds. In summary: “Catalytic people with magic” systems – Sapient beings (“people”) can direct Shard power. Examples: Allomancy, Surgebinding, and Awakening. “Non-Catalytic people with magic” systems – People can direct local Shardworld Investiture, but not Shard power. Examples: Feruchemy, the Returned, and non-Awakening Breath Transfers. “Interaction with nature” systems – People can interact with local Shardworld Investiture, but cannot direct magic of any kind. Examples: Threnody’s shades, the Patji’s Eye ecosystem on First of the Sun, and Roshar’s pre-Shattering magical ecosystem. Preliminary Thought IMO, Adonalsium created the “interaction with nature” systems when he formed the cosmere. The first WoB above states, “There is inherent Investiture on every world created.” Shards later added their Investiture to some of these systems, but these systems are still “natural” in the sense they are built into their planets, part of their planets’ Spiritwebs. “People with magic” systems OTOH are IMO artificial constructs the Shards created to approximate how the Shards themselves make magic. Shards think, and magic happens. “People’s” minds are too weak to direct large amounts of power by themselves. Magic system components IMO are “work-arounds” to fill this gap. For this reason, some components don’t fit neatly into a model. Focus, for example, overlaps other components like a User’s commands and Catalysts. WET Here’s @Spoolofwhool’s succinct and representative expression of WET: Re-WET Here’s my suggestion to revise WET’s components. I discuss each Re-WET component in the linked posts. User: A person whose mind directs the Fuel. Focus: A component that determines which power is available for magic. Fuel: The power or local Investiture that causes a magical effect. Catalyst: A substance Users consume to Invest themselves with Shard power. Note on “User”: I think a User must be a sapient being, a “person.” I also think the User component includes magical “Identity,” “innate Investiture,” and “Initiation.” Identity IMO is the relationship between the User and their native Shardworld’s Investiture. Innate Investiture is the Investiture grafted onto a User’s soul that makes them a User. Initiation is the process by which a potential User becomes an actual User. I discuss these in the “User” post. Note on “Focus”: I believe a Focus determines the power available for magic. IMO, local Shardworld Investiture cannot be further Focused. It already embodies the “essence” of the power that created it. Note on “Fuel”: I follow WET’s convention of naming magic-causing Investiture “Fuel.” As so defined, upper case “Fuel” seems more of a magical engine than that engine’s “fuel.” Lower case “fuel” is a substance consumed to provide energy to a process, like gasoline energizes a car’s motion. I believe all magic does have such “fuel,” which I discuss in the “Fuel” post. Please bear in mind, though, that both WET and Re-WET identify “Fuel” as the substance that causes magic to happen, not the substance consumed to add energy to the magical process. Note on “Catalyst”: I believe each Catalyst is made from a Shard’s “essence,” the Shard’s converted power. On Scadrial, metal is Preservation’s “concentrated essence” (BoM, Chapter 28, Kindle p. 359). On the other Major Shardworlds, I believe that “essence” is a form of the Shardworld’s local Investiture. I theorize this Investiture is found in Roshar’s highstorms, Taldain’s irradiated oceans, Nalthis’ electromagnetic radiation (EMR), and Sel’s ground. Catalysts add energy to the magical process (and hence are “fuel”); but unlike chemical catalysts, the process consumes them. Note on “magic systems”: WET equates the term “manifestation of Investiture” with “magic system.” While I don’t think it matters much, I’m unconvinced the terms mean the same thing. In the Mistborn Ars Arcana, Khriss describes the Metallic Arts as “manifestations of Investiture.” She doesn’t describe magic systems in other books that way, which suggests the term isn’t definitional. I interpret the term literally – a “manifestation of Investiture” is how Investiture manifests in a planet’s Physical Realm. Thus, I see Stormlight and Radiantspren as Rosharan “manifestations of Investiture.” Neither is a “magic system.” IMO, they are components of the Surgebinding “magic system,” its Catalyst and Focus, respectively. I believe the “interaction with nature” systems have only the Fuel and Focus components, and non-Catalytic “people with magic” systems add a User. IMO, the Catalytic systems have all four magical components and work as follows: A. The User consumes a Catalyst, like metals, Stormlight or body water. B. The Catalyst causes a Shard’s power to “begin [and ‘keep running’] an Investiture” of the User (BoM Ars Arcanum – “On the Three Metallic Arts – Allomancy.”) The Investiture ends when the User fully consumes the Catalyst. C. The Focus determines which power Invests the User. D. The User’s mind then directs the Invested power to “shape” the desired magical effect. Specific Systems @SpoolofWhool’s post includes examples of how WET applies to some magic systems. After quoting Spool’s WET examples, I suggest how Re-WET would apply to the same systems. Allomancy: The User is the Allomancer. I think the metal they burn is both a Catalyst and a Focus. Any Allomantic metal will act as a Catalyst to enable the Allomancer to Invest himself with Preservation’s power. The specific metal chosen will act as a Focus to determine the specific power the Allomancer Invests himself with – rioting, soothing, leeching, etc. IMO, the Allomancer himself shapes the power’s specific effect – how and when to use that power to riot, soothe or leech. While metal Catalysts are consumed in Allomancy, its Fuel is Preservation’s power. Feruchemy: The User is the Feruchemist. He directs Feruchemy’s magical effect when he chooses to time-shift an attribute. IOW, I think the conversion of “some of themselves into investiture” is Feruchemy’s magical effect, not its Fuel. I think the Fuel that causes this magical effect is the Feruchemical gene, the Feruchemist’s “end-neutral” internal Investiture. I believe even “end-neutral” Feruchemy consumes a “fuel” to make the magic. IMO, Brandon confirms this when he says “end-neutral” systems rely on a “facilitating power.” I believe this “facilitating power” keeps the Feruchemist’s internal Investiture “end-neutral” and thermodynamically sound. I think each Feruchemical metal is a Focus for the specific power that “facilitates” time-shifting the corresponding attribute. (I discuss this more in my Fuel post.) Awakening: The User is the Awakener. Brandon says Awakening’s Focus is the visualized command. The User’s command both selects the power to Invest the User and directs that power to Awaken the object for the visualized task. “Draining color” (as I describe it below) Catalyzes Awakening and Invests the Awakener with Endowment’s power. I don’t believe Awakening’s Fuel is Breath (though maybe I missed a WoB that clearly says that). I think Breath is Endowment’s Invested “life-force,” the target of the Awakener’s command, not its Fuel. Breath held by the Invested object just gets old and loses potency like Breath does in humans. IMO Breath decay is not consumption. Color loss from simple Breath Transfers (an end-neutral magic) comes from the transferor’s reduced Breaths, lowering his Heightening. IOW, color loss from simple Breath Transfers does not act as a Catalyst that summons power. I think Awakening’s Catalyst is the Invested electromagnetic radiation (EMR) colored objects absorb. Awakening’s Fuel is the Endowment power that Catalyst summons through the Focus of the Awakener’s command. “Draining color” withdraws the absorbed Investiture from the colored object. Awakeners can easily “drain” black (fully absorbed EMR), but cannot drain white (fully reflected EMR). This Investiture withdrawal causes colored objects to turn gray, just like a Shardblade-severed limb that’s lost its connection to the soul. I theorize Endowment Invested the Tears of Edgli with vivid color because that narrows the reflected light EMR spectrum (and is more noticeable). The broader absorbed EMR spectrum remains, leaving more Investiture for an Awakener to withdraw. The “sticky” dyes the Tears create mark where an Awakener can find Investiture. Surgebinding: The User is the Surgebinder. I agree with @SpoolofWhool that it probably doesn’t matter whether the Focus is the spren or the bond, but IMO spren are Roshar’s Focus. Each “natural” (pre-Shattering) spren personifies a different power, like life, fire, or gravity. These “natural” spren can Focus “anti-gravity” power, for example, into sky eels and greatshells. I believe Radiantspren’s mixed Investitures make them dual Focuses. (I haven’t thought through whether gems are soulcasting’s additional Focus and don’t address that.) IMO Surgebinders consume Stormlight to Catalyze Honor and/or Cultivation’s Investiture of them. The Radiantspren determines which power Invests the Surgebinder. I think the Surgebinder “binds” the Surges by cognitively directing the Invested power to create some magical effect – choosing gravity’s vector or drawing a new persona. Conclusion I analyze each Re-WET component in detail in my posts on Fuel, Focus, Users and Catalysts. Those are the threads to post your comments about the components themselves. Here I try to address how I think these components fit together. In summary, All systems have Fuel and are Focused. Shards added a User and Catalyst. Mortals now can direct Their own magic effect, Like becoming a soul-forging analyst. [Da-dum… The first of several such summaries. Blame @Calderis, the Adonalsium of cosmere limericks. He inspired me to summarize theory in verse and even write an English sonnet about my three favorite fantasy writers. I enjoy writing theory, but @Calderis has added some entertaining challenges. He’s also the source of the phrase “well-established theory” I use to describe the “User-Focus-Fuel” model.] Regards!

I suggest you read Magic System Components – General Theory before reading this post. Introduction I theorize “Catalysts” are substances Users consume to Invest themselves with Shard “power.” IMO “power” is Spiritual Realm Investiture that’s not part of a Spiritweb – the cosmere’s Spiritual energy. I believe Catalysts cause the User himself to become an Invested object capable of directing the power that infuses him. I believe cosmere Catalysts add energy to the magical process. This energy breaks down the Realmic barriers or otherwise creates a conduit between Realms. Catalysts are a form of lower case “fuel” in their systems. Catalysts are the least common magical component, and IMO give mortals access to the cosmere’s most powerful magic. Allomancy, AonDor, Awakening, and Surgebinding are examples of Catalytic systems. I believe only these systems rely on Shard power as Fuel. For that reason, I think only Catalytic systems allow mortals to change Spiritwebs other than their own souls. What Is a Catalyst Here’s what Khriss says about Allomancy’s metal Catalyst (BoM Ars Arcanum – “On the Three Metallic Arts – Allomancy”) (emphasis added): Khriss uses the word “catalyst” to distinguish the “consumed metal” from the “power itself” that doesn’t come from the metal. She then compares metal with the Selish “form-based Investitures.” This comparison suggests Khriss views metal as a Focus, like Sel’s forms, despite calling metal a “catalyst.” Focus and Catalyst do coincide in metals, but these components don’t seem to coincide in the other magic systems. As I detail below, I think each non-metal Catalyst is a form of its Shardworld’s local Investiture – Stormlight, Invested body water, Invested electromagnetic radiation (EMR), and Invested ground. None of these Investitures are their planet’s Focus. Metals and these local Investitures share a common source – each is the “essence” of a Shard’s power – a “pathway to power” in Marasi’s words (BoM, Chapter 28, Kindle p. 359). IMO Users consume each substance, each Shard’s “essence,” to build this “pathway to power” in every Catalytic magic system. Why Catalysts Work I believe this WoB helps explain the idea of Catalyst: Here’s what I find interesting about this often-quoted statement: 1. I think Vin substitutes the mists for metals. “Vin burns the mists…to fuel Allomancy.” This “super-fuel” causes so much power to Invest her that her body vaporizes. That’s one function of a Focus – to limit the power flow a Catalyst summons. 2. Brandon equates the mists with “the essence of Preservation.” I interpret this to mean that Physical Realm Investiture like the mists is a Shard’s magical “essence.” 3. Brandon says a Shard’s essence “can act as super-fuel for…any of the powers.” IOW, consuming Physical Realm Investiture itself can “fuel” any magic anywhere (subject to the User’s Identity). 4. Scadrial is the only planet without Adonalsium Investiture. It is also the only planet that uses a non-Investiture substance, metals, as its Catalyst. Marasi describes metals as Preservation’s “Concentrated essence.” (BoM, Chapter 28, Kindle p. 359.) IMO, this is because Scadrial, unlike every other planet, is made entirely from Shard essence, including the metals. I believe, based on this WoB, that Adonalsium’s essence dominates the other Major Shardworlds. (I also think the reference to Preservation’s “Concentrated essence” – as opposed to the above quote’s “condensed” essence – means metals don’t contain any Ruin essence. Some metals may rust, but the non-oxidizing, non-radioactive ones don’t “decay.”) 5. We know Adonalsium left “inherent Investiture” on each planet other than Scadrial. IMO, Shards later Invested the same substance on each planet that already held Adonalsium’s inherent Investiture. I think these are Roshar’s highstorms, Taldain’s irradiated oceans, Nalthis’ EMR, and Sel’s ground. I think that’s what Brandon means when he says the “interaction between Shards and Shardworlds” creates the unique magic systems of the Major Shardworlds. The Shards adapted to their Shardworld and the magic that already existed there, the “inherent” magic built into each planet’s soul. 6. I believe the Investiture in Roshar’s highstorms, Taldain’s irradiated oceans, Nalthis’ EMR, and Sel’s ground are those planets’ Catalysts – the “condensed essence” of Shard power that can “super-fuel” any magic. IMO, these substances mingle Adonalsium’s inherent Investiture and Shard Investiture. Major Shardworld Catalysts The following discussion is based on my (now much edited) post, “Pre-Shattering Magic.” For additional information on this topic, please look at that post. Roshar’s Invested Highstorms. Surgebinders consume Stormlight to perform Surgebinding, but I believe Stormlight doesn’t make the magic. Rather, like metals, I believe Stormlight is a Catalyst that causes Honor/Cultivation’s power to Invest Surgebinders. Surgebinders then direct the power (Focused through their Radiantspren IMO) to Windrun, Regrow, or Lightweave how and when they choose. I believe Honor Invested Roshar’s highstorms, but highstorms already held Adonalsium’s Investiture. The main evidence is the listeners’ pre-Shattering Rider of Storms. Highstorms are “natural” on Roshar, meaning Adonalsium created them. Pre-Shattering spren types still exist on Roshar, showing Adonalsium’s ongoing magical influence. Taldain’s Invested Oceans. Khriss says Sand Masters use “water from their own bodies to forge a brief Cognitive bond. They can draw Investiture…directly from the Spiritual Realm, and use that to control the sand.” (AU, Taldain Essay, Kindle p. 369.) IOW, a Sand Master’s body water is the Catalyst for drawing Autonomy’s power from the Spiritual Realm. I theorize Taldain’s oceans hold Adonalsium’s inherent Investiture. Taldain’s natural Water Cycle (Evaporation-Condensation-Precipitation, etc.) circulates that Investiture throughout the ecosystem and into human lungs and stomachs. Autonomy’s Investiture, held in the larger sun, begins the Water Cycle by irradiating and evaporating Taldain’s oceans. IMO, that mingles the two Investitures. Sand Masters dehydrate as they consume that Invested body water to summon power and “control the sand” (or rather, the lichen in the sand). Nalthis’ Invested EMR. I think Awakening’s Catalyst is the EMR colored objects absorb. IMO, Nalthis’ EMR holds both Adonalsium’s and Endowment’s Investiture. “Draining color” withdraws the absorbed Investiture from the colored object. Awakeners can easily “drain” black (fully absorbed EMR), but cannot drain white (fully reflected EMR). This Investiture withdrawal causes colored objects to turn gray, just like a Shardblade-severed limb that’s lost its connection to the soul. I believe Endowment Invested the Tears of Edgli to restrict reflected EMR (color) to a narrow spectrum. The vivid, saturated color marks dyed objects as portable repositories of Investiture. The broader remaining spectrum holds most of the colored object’s absorbed EMR for “draining.” Sel’s Invested Ground. I believe Devotion and Dominion created their landscape-based magical language because Adonalsium placed Sel’s inherent Investiture in its ground. I think Sel’s Catalyst is this ground Investiture. IMO, the ground Investiture leaches into the surrounding ecosystem and its lifeforms, like what happens at Patji’s Eye. Shai uses squid ink for her soulstamps. The Bloodsealer uses Shai’s blood. Dakhor monks transform their bones. Each Selish User IMO consumes some substance imbued with Sel’s ground Investiture to Catalyze the Dor’s Investiture of them. I think Sel’s ground Investiture Catalyzes Raoden’s completion of Aon Rao. As a Reod Elantrian, Raoden couldn’t draw any other lasting Aons. Yet he drew this one with a stick. I think it’s because the ground he drew on held the Investiture that Catalyzed the Dor’s infusion of Elantris and Elantrians. As long as Aon Rao retains its shape as a Focus, the Dor will continue to infuse Elantris. The “mostly Spiritual” Elantrians can then draw their own Aons to use the Dor as needed. One counter is that Elantris doesn’t work unless Aon Rao is complete. Thus, Elantrians couldn’t draw Aons until Aon Rao Focused the Dor into Elantris. That’s true. But Raoden could have drawn a perfectly shaped Aon Rao in the air, and I believe nothing permanent would have happened. Otherwise, he would have simply done so. I think Raoden had to draw Aon Rao on the ground for the Dor to Invest Elantris because ground Investiture is needed to Catalyze the Dor’s Investiture of the city. (I predict we’ll discover a Fjordell form drawn on the ground that amplifies Dakhor power at the monastery.) Speculation About Adonalsium’s Investiture I wonder whether non-metal Catalysts must use both Adonalsium and Shard Investiture to work properly or whether it matters? The non-Scadrial Major Shardworlds are mostly comprised of Adonalsium, who created them. The Shards later Investitures conformed to the constraints Adonalsium’s magic imposed. I think the Shards could modify his existing systems, but couldn’t supplant those systems. Each non-metal Catalyst mingles Adonalsium and Shard Investiture. That may be coincidental, a natural outgrowth of the “Shard-Shardworld interactions,” but maybe not. The Shards already Fueled systems with their power; perhaps they wanted Adonalsium to contribute the bulk of the Catalyst? Maybe it’s unimportant, but who knows. Conclusion A “Catalyst” this substance Khriss calls, For Shard power a Catalyst installs. Composed of Shard essence, Its heated tumescence Adds energy to break through Realm walls. (Inspired by W.B. Yeats’ sonnet, “Leda and the Swan,” particularly lines 9-10.) That’s the last limerick, @Calderis. Great respect! You’re a terrific wordsmith with a terrific ear. Thanks for bringing limericks to the Shard! You can read the other magic component posts at General Theory, Fuel, User, and Focus. Regards!

I suggest you read “Magic System Components – General Theory” before reading this post. Introduction I believe a Focus is the magic system component that determines which power is available for magic. Shards and ascended mortals Focus power through their minds alone. Magic systems must rely on approximations and constructs to Focus power. I theorize the Spiritual Realm Investiture that constitutes Shard power is “raw” and undifferentiated. I believe power – “true Investiture” – is Brandon’s “one substance” that’s convertible into all other substances. When power is Invested, it becomes specialized into some unique form of Investiture (or matter or energy). IMO, magic system “Focusing” is the Realmic transition of undifferentiated raw power into some specialized form of power. I think Khriss calls the process of Focusing power “an Investiture” of the User. (BoM Ars Arcanum, “On the Three Metallic Arts – Allomancy.”) IOW, I think “Investiture” is the word for both a process and the magical substance that participates in that process. Thus, through brass, Vin Focuses Preservation’s undifferentiated power into the “soothing” power she dampens emotions with. Through Pattern (IMO), Shallan Focuses Honor/Cultivation’s undifferentiated power into the “soul-transformation” power she draws with. I think Khriss would describe each of these as “an Investiture” of Vin and Shallan by the Focused power. Forum Theories Brandon says, “the powers granted by all of the metals—even the two divine ones—are not themselves of either Shard. They are simply tools.” IMO, a Focus selects the magical “tool.” Some posters express this idea by saying a Focus “shapes” the magic. They call Focus an “interface,” the “man in the middle.” They say a Focus “determines the outcome of the magic.” I think all these formulations agree that a Focus distills power to achieve the User’s aim. I favor the “power selection” formulation because I think Users’ minds “shape the outcome of the magic,” not the Focus. IMO, Users Invest themselves with the Focused power before shaping it. Vin burns brass to Invest herself with the “soothing power” before soothing who, how, and when she chooses. Shallan consumes Stormlight to Invest herself with Lightweaving’s soul-transformation power before her drawings transform her subjects. Relationship to Other Components Focuses sometimes coincide with other magic system components. Metals are both Allomancy’s Catalyst and Focus. On Nalthis and Sel, Focuses seem identical to the User’s cognitive direction of power, their commands. Brandon says Awakening’s Focus is its visualized commands. These commands both tell the object what the Awakener wants it to do and summon the right power to implement the command. This makes me wonder: do Awakeners use a single power – the ability to animate objects – and the visualized command directs that power to “protect” or “climb” or “destroy evil”? I know this is contrary to Brandon’s words, but it is a functionally identical model. The Selish magics also seem to combine Focus with command. These magics use visual representations of local landscapes both to summon the chosen power and to tell the power what to do. I think Focus and other components may coincide because Focus substitutes for the mortal mind’s inability to command power directly and without limits, the way Shards can. Focus limits the amount of power a mortal can use, to prevent the mortal’s vaporization. Even the “mostly Spiritual” Elantrians are limited by the amount of power the Focus Aon Rao pumps into Elantris. IMO, such magic system “work-arounds” don’t always fit within the four-component model. One Focus per Power I agree with Forum consensus that each Focus corresponds to one power. Mistborn, Awakeners (maybe), and Elantrians use multiple Focuses to access multiple powers. Mistings access only one power through one Focus. Radiantspren IMO combine Investitures and are dual Focuses, giving access to two powers. Focuses and Shardworld Investiture I think local Shardworld Investiture cannot be further Focused into something else. It already embodies the “essence” of the Focused power that Invested it. IOW, local Investiture already does what it was created (“Focused”) to do. Thus, I believe each type of pre-Shattering spren is the personified “essence” of a separately Focused power like life, gravity, or fire. IMO, spren in turn act as the Focus for the powers they’re the essence of. Gravityspren, for example, Focus the gravity power so skyeels can fly and greatshells can walk. IOW, local Investiture like spren can Focus the power they’re the essence of, but spren and other local Investiture cannot themselves be further Focused into some other power. Conclusion A Focus determines which power Is available and in what manner. Each Focus is linked To one power, I think, And Khriss calls this process “an Investiture.” [Drat you, @Calderis!] You can read the other magic component posts at General Theory, Fuel, User, and Catalyst. Regards!

I suggest you read Magic System Components – General Theory before reading this post. I follow current convention in defining “Fuel” as the power or local Investiture that causes a magical effect. Capital “F” Fuel is thus akin to a magical engine. It differs from small “f” fuel, which is a substance consumed to add energy to that engine, like gasoline adds energy to a car. I believe Shard power “fuels” the non-Catalytic magic systems, and Catalysts “fuel” the Catalytic systems, in this small “f” sense. (Again, I think Shard “power” is Spiritual Realm Investiture not part of a Spiritweb – the cosmere’s Spiritual energy.) Feruchemy may provide the clearest example of this difference. Brandon says a Feruchemist’s Internal Investiture alone causes Feruchemy’s magical effect – time-shifting attributes: I interpret this to mean a Feruchemist’s Feruchemical gene – his internal Investiture – is the Feruchemist’s magical engine, his Fuel, the Investiture that causes the magical effect. But Brandon also says this: Brandon says power is “how I’m dealing with things like the laws of thermodynamics.” Even in the first quote above, he describes Spiritual Realm “energy” as “my get-out for the laws of thermodynamics.” I read these statements to mean the cosmere is not magically frictionless. A Feruchemist can’t keep whole his internal Investiture if he also uses that Investiture as the “facilitating power.” I think Feruchemy needs “a little bit” of power just to keep the Feruchemist’s internal Investiture “end-neutral” and the magical transaction thermodynamically sound. This power is “fuel,” because it lends Spiritual energy to the magical transaction, but it is not “Fuel” because it does not cause the magical effect. The internal Feruchemical gene alone causes the magical effect, a form of local Shardworld Investiture. I think local Shardworld Investiture causes the magical effect of every non-Catalytic system, whether such systems are “interactions with nature” or “people with magic.” Local Investiture is their Fuel, though Shard power remains their “fuel.” Power as “fuel” replaces any local Investiture used to achieve the magical effect or otherwise “facilitates” the magical effect. Power thus ensures compliance with the cosmere’s thermodynamic laws even when it doesn’t directly cause the magic itself. I believe Catalytic systems, OTOH, use power directly to cause their magical effect. Shard power in these systems is Fuel, but the Catalysts seem to be fuel. Catalysts cause power to Invest Users by adding energy to the magical system. Some posters call Fuel “Kinetic Investiture.” I agree as to the Catalytic systems only, since only they draw power from a different Realm: Kinetic Investiture is energy/power that is being actively (currently) used.” Brandon gives this example: I read Khriss’ BoM description of “an Investiture” (Ars Arcanum, “On the Three Metallic Arts – Allomancy”) to mean the moment when power moves from the Spiritual Realm into the User. Power in this moment of Realmic transition is what I believe Brandon means by “Kinetic Investiture” (that is, Investiture “in motion”). The Nightblood example shows Kinetic Investiture Invests an Allomancer while he burns steel and the power is in transit. Nightblood intercepts this Investiture and instead consumes it. I think this example shows Kinetic Investiture doesn’t Fuel magic until it reaches its destination (the User). At that point, it becomes “static” Investiture (my word), held within the User and subject to his direction. In summary, Each system is powered by Fuel Without which no magic can do. Fuel’s usually Physical, But sometimes it’s Spiritual, Since Catalysts bring power too. [@Calderis, you’re a terrible man.] You can read the other magic component posts at General Theory, Focus, User, and Catalyst. Regards!

I suggest you read Magic System Components – General Theory before reading this post. Introduction I define a User as a “person” (a sapient being) whose mind directs the Fuel. “Fuel” is the power or local Shardworld Investiture that causes a magical effect. “Power” is Spiritual Realm Investiture that’s not part of a Spiritweb – IMO, the cosmere’s Spiritual energy. I think Users should exercise some control over the magical effect. Otherwise, magic happens to them. They don’t make magic happen even when they expose themselves to magic, like First of the Sun’s trappers and Nightwatcher boon seekers. I believe the “people with magic” systems have Users, but the “interaction with nature” systems don’t. IMO Dusk is not a User but a passive beneficiary of Aviar magic. His Aviar choose to encompass him in their protective shield. For the same reason, I think Nightwatcher boon seekers are not Users – they have no control over the magical effect, only the decision to seek her out. IMO, “User” includes the magical concepts “Identity,” “innate Investiture,” and “Initiation.” I discuss these concepts below. Users Are Sapient Beings Sazed and Brandon say power needs a mind to direct it. I think a User must be a sapient being – in Brandon’s words a “person.” I’ve seen suggestions that non-sapient objects can also be Users. I think a non-sapient object is incapable of directing magic. Mere sentience involves feeling, not thinking. Brandon says commanding magic is “like your mind reaching into the Spiritual Realm and you have to like conceive something.” IMO, non-sapient objects can’t conceive and, thus, can’t be Users. I believe understanding the magic is a critical aspect to using it. This idea underlies Khriss’ definition of magical “Intention” (Elantris, 10th Ed., Ars Arcanum, “Intention”), that a User must intend to perform magic before his actions can cause magic. In this WoB, Brandon hints that even Shards, whose Vessels were mortal, have trouble understanding the divine concept “omnipresence.” Sazed also says how difficult it is to use power without experience. Identity I define Identity as the relationship between Users and their native Shardworlds’ Investiture that enables Users to use that Investiture. Brandon says, for example, “People born on Scadrial have an Identity tied to it and its magic.” I believe this “lock-and-key” relationship is built into each User’s soul. Scadrians normally can’t use Stormlight, and Nalthian Returned normally can’t survive on Roshar or Taldain. Vasher instead must change some aspect of his soul to survive on those planets. Identity and Hacking I define “hacking” as the method by which non-natives of a Shardworld use native Investiture to achieve some magical effect. I believe hacking always involves changes to the User’s Identity. Hacking may also change other magical attributes, but to use non-native Investiture I think hackers must change their Identity in some way. Breath, though it meets my technical definition, IMO is not hacking because it automatically adjusts to its holder’s Identity. IIRC correctly (and I may not), Vasher is the only known cosmere hacker. I don’t consider Hoid a hacker because he is Spiritually unique and seems capable of acquiring any magic. IMO, others can’t do what Hoid does. I also don’t consider Worldhoppers hackers because AFAIK they don’t perform local magic on their journeys. Magical entities inherently capable of absorbing any Investiture, like Taldain’s lichen, is also not hacking as I understand it. If hacking were always this easy, Brandon wouldn’t call it “jumping through hoops.” Identity and Awakening I think comparing Awakening with simple non-Awakening Breath transfers highlights how Identity works. Some background: starting with the third post of this thread, posters discuss whether it’s possible for a non-Nalthian to Awaken objects. The third and most recent WoB quoted there seems to say a non-Nalthian Breath holder can Awaken on Nalthis, contrary to what the first two WoBs suggest. I think that third WoB is wrong, and Brandon didn’t mean to say what he said. Let me explain. The first two WoBs confirm it’s possible to transfer Breaths anywhere to anyone; but an apparent ambiguity can be reconciled to suggest non-Nalthian Breath holders can’t Awaken, even on Nalthis. I see Identity as the reason for this distinction. I believe only Nalthians have the Identity to consume Awakening’s Catalyst that summons Endowment’s power. IMO, Awakening’s Catalyst is the Invested electromagnetic radiation (EMR) colored objects absorb (not the EMR those objects reflect, the color itself). I think objects drained of this Investiture turn gray, like a Shardblade-severed limb disconnected from the soul. I think non-native Breath holders lack the Nalthian Identity needed to consume Nalthis’ Invested EMR. Breaths are separate from the soul, where Nalthian Identity resides. Without the EMR’s Catalytic Investiture, non-Nalthians can’t summon and Invest themselves with Endowment’s Awakening power. That’s why non-Nalthians IMO can’t Awaken, though they otherwise get the benefits of Breath’s Heightenings. I think Brandon made a misstatement in the third WoB. There he says a non-Nalthian can Awaken on Nalthis because “It’s the easiest of magics to get the magic from, and then to manipulate. Because it has keyed into it Identity.” We know Awakening requires detailed visualization of the command to the Awakened object. I don’t think that’s “easy,” as Nightblood proves. That makes me think Brandon was talking about simple Breath transfers, not Awakening. Breaths are “the easiest of magics to get the magic from, and then to manipulate.” Breaths do have Identity “keyed into” them. It would be nice to ask Brandon this question again and hear what he says. Identity and Feruchemy We know, as a rule, that metalminds are keyed to the Identity of the Feruchemist who stored them. This makes sense, since the metalmind holds the Investiture representing that Feruchemist’s personal attributes – his strength, weight, senses, etc. IMO, this fits with my definition of Identity: “the relationship between Users and their native Shardworlds’ Investiture that enables Users to use that Investiture.” With Feruchemy, that relationship is between the Feruchemist and the native Shardworld Investiture representing his converted attributes. Innate Investiture IMO, “innate Investiture” is the Investiture grafted onto a User’s soul that makes them a User. Brandon says, “innate Investiture is when a person is a conduit to/from the Spiritual Realm.” That WoB seems to limit innate Investiture to the Catalytic systems, since IMO only those systems use Shard power as their Fuel. My definition more broadly includes Feruchemical and Hemalurgically-implanted innate Investiture. Brandon elsewhere defines innate Investiture as the Investiture a soul is conceived or born with, like Breaths and the inherited Investitures of the Metallic Arts. This definition would not consider Radiantspren, for example, innate Investiture. By whatever definition, innate Investiture seems to me an aspect of being a User. Initiation I define “Initiation” as the process by which a potential User becomes an actual User. It seems to involve the creation and/or strengthening of the Connection between the User and the Shard whose power the User relies on as Fuel. Initiation thus seems limited to Catalytic system Users. The clearest examples of Initiation are Allomantic snapping and the Elantrian Shaod, both of which are “all or nothing” events. I think Initiation may also be an ongoing process that strengthens the Shard – User Connection over time. On Roshar, for example, soul cracks allow temperamentally compatible Radiantspren to begin the bonding process. IMO, strengthening the Nahel bond through the Oaths is also part of Initiation. (This is definitional and not a big deal either way, but I throw it out there, FWIW.) Conclusion Only sapient beings are Users. Their mind directs magic and chooses The magic’s effect, And what they select Through their Spiritweb outpours and oozes. (Oh, @Calderis!) You can read the other magic component posts at General Theory, Fuel, Focus, and Catalyst. Regards!

This theory presents my views only. Assume every sentence and paragraph is preceded by an “IMO.” Summary 1. Brandon alternately describes Spiritual Realm Investiture that isn’t part of a Spiritweb as “power,” “raw power,” “the godly powers,” the “powers of creation” (my favorite, for its descriptiveness), “true Investiture,” a “Shard’s energy,” and a Shard’s “energy of being,” In my posts, I call this substance the “Powers.” 2. Each form of Cognitive and Physical Realm Investiture is unique to its Shardworld. This “Unique Investiture” differs from every other form of Unique Investiture and from the Spiritual Realm Powers. The Investiture that composes Spiritwebs (what I call “Spiritweb Investiture”) likewise differs from the Powers. 3. Some magic systems use “catalysts” to touch the Spiritual Realm Powers. These catalytic magic systems perform what I call “Creation Magic” – they can form or change any cosmere Spiritweb to achieve spectacular magical effects. Such systems use both local Unique Investiture and the Spiritual Realm Powers as fuel for their magic. Surgebinding and Awakening are examples, 4. Other magic systems use Unique Investiture as their sole fuel. Unlike Creation Magic, which can do anything, “Unique investiture Magic” only affects the soul the Unique Investiture Invests. Feruchemy is an example of Unique Investiture Magic. What are the Powers? The Powers were originally “Adonalsium” and are now his Spiritual Realm corpse broken into the 16 Shards that Invested the Vessels. The Powers embody the capacity to “create” – to form or change any Spiritweb by converting into new matter, energy or Unique Investiture. They simultaneously are the raw material from which the cosmere is formed. Everything created (“Creation”) comes from the Powers. Brandon says the cosmere is one substance. Wax notices this in BoM (Kindle, p. 370, emphasis in original): “They’re all the same. Metals, minds, men, all the same substance…” Brandon says Wax sees “the cosmere-equivalent of atoms/investiture/energy waves all being the same thing.” Marasi likewise observes “There were no people or objects, just energy coalesced.” (BoM, Kindle p. 359.) Brandon says the Powers are not inherently sentient or sapient. What Is Unique Investiture? “Investiture” is Brandon’s “word for someone or something which has gained a portion of the magic of Adonalsium.” If the Powers comprise a potential reality, able to change anything, then Unique Investiture is the magical component of the Cognitive and Physical Realm reality the Powers create – the “Condensed ‘essence’ of these godly powers.” All Cognitive and Physical Realm Investiture is Unique Investiture, found only on its Shardworld. Stormlight, Breaths, the Dor, and the mists are examples of Unique Investiture, as are spren, Divine Breath, Aons and lerasium. Differences Between the Powers and Unique Investiture 1. Realmic Location. a. The Powers exist only in the Spiritual Realm (except for the Dor, which began there but is now a “hybrid” Investiture capable of performing Creation Magic from its Cognitive Realm location). The Shards are “mostly Spiritual” because of the Powers. Except for the Dor, location is irrelevant to the use of the Powers – an Allomancer can Connect with Preservation on Roshar. b. Unique Investiture exists in all three Realms. Investiture is the cosmere’s “building block” and “transcends” the Realms. Unlike the Powers, Unique Investiture is part of the Spiritual DNA of its Shardworld's soul. Location is very relevant for Unique Investiture. Non-natives of a Shardworld must “hack” the local Unique Investiture to use it (except for Breaths, which “key” into their holder’s Identity). 2. Types of Magic. a. The Powers perform Creation Magic – the ability to make new realities through the introduction of matter, energy and/or Unique Investiture. The Powers are remnants of godhood and can form or change any Spiritweb and its corresponding Physical and Cognitive Realm aspects. “People with magic” can direct the Powers. Windrunners bring new energy into Creation to change gravity’s vector. Forgers like Shai bring new Investiture into Creation to change a soul and remake Connections. When Marasi uses the Powers in BoM, “mist” begins “spinning around her” – coming from her. [BoM, Kindle p. 360.] Wax exits the underground temple “trailing mist.” [BoM, Kindle p. 368.] When he holds up the Bands, “winds, snows, and eventually traces of mist” swirl around him. [BoM, Kindle p. 379.] Marasi and Wax each use the Bands to draw massive amounts of the Powers – more than they need for their Allomancy. The excess Powers convert themselves into new energy (the “winds”), matter (the “snows”) and Unique Investiture (“traces of mist”). Marasi and Wax each acknowledge they held the “[‘very’] powers of creation [‘themselves’].” [BoM, Kindle pp. 379, 369.] b. Unique Investiture is part of a planet’s “physics,” the planet’s “nature.” Unique Investiture Magic works with or without direction to change, repair or improve the person the Unique Investiture Invests. Unique Investiture Magic includes self-healing; heightened health, strength, speed, senses and acuity; and magical snapping and bonding. Mortals cannot command Unique Investiture Magic to change any Spiritweb other than their own soul. Mortals can use Unique Investiture to redistribute their existing Realmic attributes, like Feruchemy and ChayShan do, but they can’t create new attributes. There are two kinds of Unique Investiture Magic: (i) Adonalsium’s “ambient” magic, and (ii) post-Shattering Mandated Investiture Magic. c. Unique Investiture directly fuels Unique Investiture Magic. Creation Magic uses Unique Investiture to Connect with the Powers. Attaching Unique Investiture to a magic user’s soul is the first step in Creation Magic. This can occur at conception (Allomancy), birth or conception (Awakening) or by attracting a temperamentally-aligned spren (Surgebinding). “The means of getting powers…are related to the Shards, but not the powers themselves.” 3. Splinters. The Powers can splinter and develop sentience. Unique Investiture can’t splinter or develop sentience. Fragments of Unique Investiture (like atium geodes and Breaths) lack self-awareness and can’t by themselves create. 4. Direction. The Powers need a mind to direct them or will become self-directing. The Powers roil until directed – Brandon says, “raw power is dangerous.” Unique Investiture does not always need direction. Examples on Each Shardworld I count seven known cosmere magic systems that use the Powers to perform Creation Magic: Nalthis: Awakening. Roshar: Surgebinding, Fabrials and Voidbinding (maybe). Sel: The “one magic” system that’s been balkanized. Scadrial: Allomancy. Taldain: Sand Mastery. Following are examples of Unique Investiture Magic on each Shardworld: First of the Sun: Aviar form Cognitive bonds with chosen human companions. The humans cannot direct the Aviar to choose them and never touch the Powers. The Aviar extend these bonds to enfold their companions in the Aviar’s protective Cognitive shield. Nalthis: The Heightenings improve and perfect mortal attributes like senses and health without direction of or Connection to the Powers. “Breath Transfer” is also Unique Investiture Magic – Breathholders move quanta of their innate Investiture to other people, who “heighten” as a result. (Awakening, unlike simple Breath Transfer, performs Creation Magic. An Awakener drains color to Connect to the Powers, enabling the Breathholder to animate – “Awaken” – objects.) The Returned are like the Nightwatcher – they grant others a single boon, to heal them. This Unique Investiture Magic works by the Returned transferring its Divine Breath – with its Fifth Heightening healing power – “to heal someone else’s Breath that is weakening and dying.” Roshar: The Nightwatcher’s Old Magic changes mortal attributes. The mortal beneficiaries don’t touch the Powers and can’t direct what the Nightwatcher will do: Baxil says she gives the boon seeker what he deserves, not what he asks for. Stormlight augments Kaladin’s speed and strength even when he’s not Surgebinding and heals him without direction. Spren symbiosis with native lifeforms is an example of pre-Shattering “ambient” Unique Investiture Magic. Scadrial: The mists cause potential Allomancers to “snap” – to widen their latent Connection to Preservation. Feruchemy is the oldest of Scadrial’s magics. (HoA, Chapter 34 Epigraph.) Even Hemalurgy came before modern Allomancy. Feruchemists hold genetically innate Investiture, half from Preservation and half from Ruin. Feruchemists don’t touch the Powers unless they’re Twinborn – Allomancy does use Creation Magic. Feruchemists can’t create attributes; they can only redistribute existing attributes. Sel: Shuden’s ChayShan resembles Feruchemy – ChayShan focuses Shuden’s internal energy and strength onto the point of impact with the Dakhor monk. Shuden’s family is from JinDo, on the other side of Duladen from Arelon. If ChayShan were location-based Creation Magic, Shuden couldn’t use ChayShan in Arelon. For the same reason, I suspect Forton’s potion is also Unique Investiture Magic – Hrovell is far from Arelon, yet Forton’s potion (made in Hrovell) works effectively in Arelon to temporarily change the appearance of its target. Taldain: Dayside’s undirected growth of watered microflora is Unique Investiture Magic. “Certain people can control [the microflora’s] reaction” using their body water to touch the Powers, but the undirected growth is Unique Investiture Magic. (AU, Kindle p. 369.) Because Autonomy’s Unique Investiture doesn’t “beat down” on Darkside, Darkside’s magic probably is Adonalsium’s “ambient” Unique Investiture Magic. Threnody: Khriss concludes “some measure of Investiture must have existed on this planet before the battle between Shards.” [AU, Kindle p. 417, emphasis added.] She doesn’t speculate on the planet’s pre-Shard Unique Investiture Magic. * * * * * * This post is the first in a series on cosmere magic. I had written a much longer theory, but it became unwieldy. I’m chopping it into more manageable pieces for periodic postings. I want to thank @WeiryWriter, @Kurkistan, @Argent, @Yata, @Spoolofwhool and @Blightsong for reading drafts of the longer theory and helping me clean up mistakes. Their comments also sharpened the theory’s focus and presentation. None of them completely agree with me….

I have to be vague on this, as it's for a major project, but I wanted to seek the creative power of my fellow community of magic system geeks. Perhaps your perspectives can breathe fresh life. The Weave System // The basis is simple. The world revolves around five types of weaves. You can almost think of these weaves as programming languages. Each language offers different effects that the other languages cannot perform. Together, they create the echo-system with live in. In this world, these languages take the form of creative weaves. Each weave architype is composed of it's own color and revolves around a focused element or idea. The challenge is that Weaves are not instantaneous. They take time to create, therefore effects the occur in the moment are mostly useless. Also note: this is a modern day setting. I had each color figured out before hitting a road block. I'm looking for suggestions. Here are the current colors: Gold // Power & Energy These weaves are used in mostly industrial situations, providing heat, energy sources, powering engines, etc. Purple // Metaphysical These weaves deal with the mind and information. It's used mostly by scholars, teachers, investigators, etc. Red // Physical Deals with living things; not plant life, but things with blood. Humans & Animals. Used mostly in medical fields. The two I'm struggling with are Black & White. I'm trying to mostly avoid Light & Dark, or Good & Evil effects. I want each weave type to have neutral alignments. I have toiled with Spiritual & Shadow, but they lack practicality or real uses. Spiritual uses seem to close to Metaphysical uses. Shadow uses seem to separate from the rest as if it doesn't belong; it lacks cohesion. I want the effects of each color to at least lightly represent what the color itself represents. That gives us: White representing Safety, Purity, Light. Black representing Mystery & Elegance. I've thought through other colors but they were all too tightly related to other colors. And before anyone suggests expansion on the system, it goes immensely deeper than all of this, but I wanted to keep the big secrets to myself. This is for a bigger project than you might assume. Thoughts?