Lost Metal Chapters 16-18 Reactions

[Firesong]

1 minute ago, Arkangel said:

Just a thought but what if the dust Wax inhaled was harmonium that alloyed with, say, the iron case or even Trellium? Or the explosion somehow stabilized a fraction of the harmonium to prevent it from reacting with water?

It could have somehow fused together with the Trellium or iron, yeah. That would explain the black "iron" powder, which seems too significant to just be mere iron. With how it specifically pointed it out, and made it a point to show that he inhaled it. 

[AquaRegia]

I think maybe Wax might find he doesn't need earrings anymore... his lungs are now spiked with every godmetal he's ever heard of.

As expected, E=mc2, and just like that, Scadrial enters the nuclear age.

[notsawerd]

I think the powder is a steel or iron alloy of one of the God metals (atium,lerasium, harmonium, trellium and will lead to a new or enchanced power for Wax.  Either lerasium strength Coinshot / Steel Ferring, etc.

One week to find out!

 

I feel like most of the Wayne stuff is to set us up for Era 3 stuff and won't be that relevant to TLM.  Wayne is definately burning a lot of metal and that might become an issue?

[CognitiveShadow]

2 hours ago, AquaRegia said:

 

I think maybe Wax might find he doesn't need earrings anymore... his lungs are now spiked with every godmetal he's ever heard of.

 

I love this lol 

[Isilel]

Some more thoughts:

So, the idea about a squad to deal with Metalborn criminals is a nod to Era 3, or the original idea for it, but it never made any sense to me that they don’t have that already. Maybe not fully integrated into police structure, but working on more lucrative contracts, like the Coinshot messengers in SoS. How are they supposed to police illegal use of emotional allomancy like SoS said they do, if they don’t employ Seekers? How are they supposed to overpower Thugs and Coinshots? Not to mention how incredibly useful tin allomancy and feruchemy could be for finding evidence. Etc, etc.

But what I find even more jarring is that we didn’t see any Metalborn among security forces of the Houses  either! Except for that one Seeker in Winstig’s employ. You’d think that House Tekiel would have thrown the Metalborn guards and investigators at the Vanisher problem, but nope, we have only seen mooks who were easily mown down. Ditto Erikell’s payroll in BoM. Ditto the governers’s security in SoS – I guess that Paalm could have fired all Metalborn, but then it should have been something for Wax to notice. Basically, Our Heroes are always the only Metalborn on the scene defending public order, which, to me, feels very contrived and actually diminishes them. Why not show how they are better than other powered professionals in the field instead of reserving Metallic Arts just for the protagonists and the opposition, with everybody else being hopelessly overmatched?

Oh, and there are also missed opportunities to show how allomancy is a part of everyday life – there was some of it in SoS, but for example why doesn’t Wax ever see other Coinshots and possibly Lurchers hurry on their errands or working in sky-scraper construction when he jumps around the city? Why is he always alone? Etc.

This is my main issue with Era 2, which I otherwise enjoy,  as I was reminded on my just finished re-read – the comic-book mentality. Though, I guess that it fits with Wax and Wayne’s adventures being turned into comics in Era 3…

It wouldn’t surprise me if the family of the man he has killed is named as Wayne’s heirs in any case. Though lurid rumors of the kid’s parentage might dog them for their whole life, anyway, particularly if Wayne gets killed in this book or  choses to disappear at some point.

As to the men of gold and red, I have a crackpot idea that they are (SA spoiler)

Spoiler

Iriali. Gold for the hues of their eyes, hair and skin and red maybe for their alliance with Odium in SA and the resultant corrupted investiture? In any case, I think that they only agreed to work with him because their leaders decided that it was time for them to move to their next “land” anyway, and what would be better than Scadrial, with it’s large swathes of uninhabited territory? Odium, of course, would have been more than happy to aim them there and help with the exodus, because it would give him a beachhead on Scadrial, where he otherwise has little or no foothold, because it and it’s people have been made by Preservation and Ruin alone.

 

[offer]

2 hours ago, Isilel said:

As to the men of gold and red, I have a crackpot idea that they are (SA spoiler)

  Hide contents

Iriali. Gold for the hues of their eyes, hair and skin and red maybe for their alliance with Odium in SA and the resultant corrupted investiture? In any case, I think that they only agreed to work with him because their leaders decided that it was time for them to move to their next “land” anyway, and what would be better than Scadrial, with it’s large swathes of uninhabited territory? Odium, of course, would have been more than happy to aim them there and help with the exodus, because it would give him a beachhead on Scadrial, where he otherwise has little or no foothold, because it and it’s people have been made by Preservation and Ruin alone.

 

I really like this theory! I think it is more likely for them to be connected to Trell which I beieve is autonomy  but it is a very interesting idea!

 

Secret projectss spoilers:

Spoiler

In SP1 we learn that the Iriali moved to the the SP1 planet and to another one by the time of the story. If they stoped at Scadrial before that, that woud mean they reached the 7th land when they left the SP1 planet.

 

[Edema Rue]

I don't have any big theories, but I just want to agree that Wayne starting professional sports is completely going to backfire. I'm excited to see how that turns out and Wax's and Steris's reactions to it. 

I also really hope it's not another 11 years before the 1st one of era three comes out.

[Arkangel]

On 11/11/2022 at 9:10 AM, Isilel said:

Some more thoughts:

So, the idea about a squad to deal with Metalborn criminals is a nod to Era 3, or the original idea for it, but it never made any sense to me that they don’t have that already. Maybe not fully integrated into police structure, but working on more lucrative contracts, like the Coinshot messengers in SoS. How are they supposed to police illegal use of emotional allomancy like SoS said they do, if they don’t employ Seekers? How are they supposed to overpower Thugs and Coinshots? Not to mention how incredibly useful tin allomancy and feruchemy could be for finding evidence. Etc, etc.

But what I find even more jarring is that we didn’t see any Metalborn among security forces of the Houses  either! Except for that one Seeker in Winstig’s employ. You’d think that House Tekiel would have thrown the Metalborn guards and investigators at the Vanisher problem, but nope, we have only seen mooks who were easily mown down. Ditto Erikell’s payroll in BoM. Ditto the governers’s security in SoS – I guess that Paalm could have fired all Metalborn, but then it should have been something for Wax to notice. Basically, Our Heroes are always the only Metalborn on the scene defending public order, which, to me, feels very contrived and actually diminishes them. Why not show how they are better than other powered professionals in the field instead of reserving Metallic Arts just for the protagonists and the opposition, with everybody else being hopelessly overmatched?

Oh, and there are also missed opportunities to show how allomancy is a part of everyday life – there was some of it in SoS, but for example why doesn’t Wax ever see other Coinshots and possibly Lurchers hurry on their errands or working in sky-scraper construction when he jumps around the city? Why is he always alone? Etc.

This is my main issue with Era 2, which I otherwise enjoy,  as I was reminded on my just finished re-read – the comic-book mentality. Though, I guess that it fits with Wax and Wayne’s adventures being turned into comics in Era 3…

I was wondering the same thing. I was hoping for a situation more along the lines of Republic City in Legend of Korra, where benders are seen in many specialist positions. There are also, notably, many associated with crime - hence the need for a metal-bending police force. The world was advanced (from Last Airbender) with more thought to how benders bending all over the place would effect the growth, flow and function of a city. I definitely feel like that didn't happen as much with Era 2.

[JustQuestin2004]

19 hours ago, Arkangel said:

I was wondering the same thing. I was hoping for a situation more along the lines of Republic City in Legend of Korra, where benders are seen in many specialist positions. There are also, notably, many associated with crime - hence the need for a metal-bending police force. The world was advanced (from Last Airbender) with more thought to how benders bending all over the place would effect the growth, flow and function of a city. I definitely feel like that didn't happen as much with Era 2.

The integration of Metalborn into Scadrial's society is there, it's just only mentioned instead of shown. It had been kind of weird not seeing any of the Coinshot Couriers or the Soothing Parlours that are mentioned.

Very strange indeed. Hopefully Era 3 will rectify this.

[CognitiveShadow]

On 11/11/2022 at 8:10 AM, Isilel said:

Some more thoughts:

So, the idea about a squad to deal with Metalborn criminals is a nod to Era 3, or the original idea for it, but it never made any sense to me that they don’t have that already. Maybe not fully integrated into police structure, but working on more lucrative contracts, like the Coinshot messengers in SoS. How are they supposed to police illegal use of emotional allomancy like SoS said they do, if they don’t employ Seekers? How are they supposed to overpower Thugs and Coinshots? Not to mention how incredibly useful tin allomancy and feruchemy could be for finding evidence. Etc, etc.

But what I find even more jarring is that we didn’t see any Metalborn among security forces of the Houses  either! Except for that one Seeker in Winstig’s employ. You’d think that House Tekiel would have thrown the Metalborn guards and investigators at the Vanisher problem, but nope, we have only seen mooks who were easily mown down. Ditto Erikell’s payroll in BoM. Ditto the governers’s security in SoS – I guess that Paalm could have fired all Metalborn, but then it should have been something for Wax to notice. Basically, Our Heroes are always the only Metalborn on the scene defending public order, which, to me, feels very contrived and actually diminishes them. Why not show how they are better than other powered professionals in the field instead of reserving Metallic Arts just for the protagonists and the opposition, with everybody else being hopelessly overmatched?

Oh, and there are also missed opportunities to show how allomancy is a part of everyday life – there was some of it in SoS, but for example why doesn’t Wax ever see other Coinshots and possibly Lurchers hurry on their errands or working in sky-scraper construction when he jumps around the city? Why is he always alone? Etc.

This is my main issue with Era 2, which I otherwise enjoy,  as I was reminded on my just finished re-read – the comic-book mentality. Though, I guess that it fits with Wax and Wayne’s adventures being turned into comics in Era 3…

It wouldn’t surprise me if the family of the man he has killed is named as Wayne’s heirs in any case. Though lurid rumors of the kid’s parentage might dog them for their whole life, anyway, particularly if Wayne gets killed in this book or  choses to disappear at some point.

As to the men of gold and red, I have a crackpot idea that they are (SA spoiler)

  Hide contents

Iriali. Gold for the hues of their eyes, hair and skin and red maybe for their alliance with Odium in SA and the resultant corrupted investiture? In any case, I think that they only agreed to work with him because their leaders decided that it was time for them to move to their next “land” anyway, and what would be better than Scadrial, with it’s large swathes of uninhabited territory? Odium, of course, would have been more than happy to aim them there and help with the exodus, because it would give him a beachhead on Scadrial, where he otherwise has little or no foothold, because it and it’s people have been made by Preservation and Ruin alone.

 

I think it’s worth remembering that, culturally and historically, metalborn have tried to keep their abilities secret. That’s probably faded over time since the catecendre, but it could have been a factor in keeping them from truly integrating with the progress of society. Not to mention that they metalborn could be less common and/or less powerful than before. 
 

Also, Harmony has called out that since the people in Luthedell haven’t faced much opposition previously, their progress has been slow. I think they’ve been less innovative than we would normally expect a group of people to be. They probably follow their Shard’s intent to remain in harmony, which sort of keeps the status quo

[ftl]

On 11/8/2022 at 3:23 AM, Isilel said:

 

I am somewhat disappointed how the issue with Allriandre was uni-laterally decided by Wayne without her having her say or appearing on page. First he stalked and harassed her for years, now he arranged things in such a way that people are going to think that she is his (ex)mistress. All even without a courtesy of a letter or anything.

Well, I think part of the point is that Allriandre HAS been telling him exactly what she wants from him. For years. Every single time he "visits".

Wayne didn't need to go talk to her again to get her say, he already heard what she wanted, he just need to finally rusting listen.