Exotic hemalurgic spikes

[+ShardlessVessel]

There's a theory that I dismissed as silly in the past.

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Silverblade5

Would hemalurgy on roshar require spikes to be made of gemstones?

Brandon Sanderson

RAFO.

Calamity Denver signing (Feb. 19, 2016)

Hemalurgy is not a planet-bound magic system. You can spike anyone anywhere, as long as you know what you're doing. Furthermore, allomancy doesn't use gems on Roshar, and Awakening still requires Breath. Naturally, a hemalurgic spike would have to be made of metal. That's how the magic works.

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Questioner

Can Shardblades, dead or alive, be used as Hemalurgic spikes? And if attempted, what would the result be?

Brandon Sanderson

Technically yes, but in practicality no.

To use something as a Hemalurgic spike, it basically just needs to be able to already have a charge of Investiture, or be able to adopt one. Technically, Shardblades are made from a god metal. You could do this. But the Blade is gonna be big and unwieldy, and the form it’s in right now, it’s going to slice the soul rather than rip pieces off. You would have to jump through a bunch of hoops that wouldn’t be worth it in order to use one.

It would basically mean that you’d have to separate the metal of the Shardblade from the concept of a Shardblade itself, is what’s going on there.

Waterstones RoW Release Event (Nov. 18, 2020)

... or is it? I find myself wondering now whether it would be possible (I don't think it would be a requirement) to use Rosharan gemstones as hemalurgic spikes. A polestone is able to adopt a charge of Investiture - they can be charged by Stormlight and Taldain's sunlight, potentially the Dor as well. It doesn't seem like much of a stretch to use a polestone as a hemalurgic spike. To steal what, I have no idea.

EDIT: I forgot to mention organic spikes. Previously living matter - bones, wood, cloth - can be Invested using Breath. Can you use a bone as a spike? In this case I think it would require a hack of the magic system, e.g. you would need to use an Awakened bone, or at least one containing Breath, as I don't think ordinary non-metallic objects are capable of spontaneously adopting a charge of Investiture.

Edited May 13, 2022 by ShardlessVessel
forgot to mention hemalurgic bones

[Lego Mistborn]

I'm pretty sure the connection to ruin(maybe not the best way to say what I'm trying to) is what enables the spike to steal powers, so I don't think this would work the way hemalurgey is set up.

[+ShardlessVessel]

2 hours ago, Ta'veren Kaladin said:

I'm pretty sure the connection to ruin(maybe not the best way to say what I'm trying to) is what enables the spike to steal powers, so I don't think this would work the way hemalurgey is set up.

Anyone can use hemalurgy.

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Moogle

Why can non-Scadrians use Hemalurgy? Don't they need Ruin's sDNA, like Allomancers need Preservation?

Brandon Sanderson

Hemalurgy is built to be able to be used by anyone. It's about taking and breaking. Ruin doesn't care who does such things

#NookTalks Twitter Q&A with Barnes & Noble (Feb. 16, 2016)

 

[EmulatonStromenkiin]

the ramifications are terrifying.

[Lego Mistborn]

8 hours ago, ShardlessVessel said:

Anyone can use hemalurgy.

 

I meant the connection of the metal to ruin(all of the metallic arts are connected to ruin and preservation)

[+ShardlessVessel]

1 hour ago, Ta'veren Kaladin said:

I meant the connection of the metal to ruin(all of the metallic arts are connected to ruin and preservation)

That's a fair point.