Steelsight is seeing the 3rd state of matter, Investiture

[ThatRedHead717 Spearman]

Steelsight is seeing the 3rd state of matter. According to this WOB, there are 3 states of matter. Matter, Energy, and now Investiture. A third Axis. That’s what Steelsight sees. Everyone can see and touch matter. We can also see and interact with energy in the form of electricity and light (via photons). and some lucky few can see and interact with Investiture. People who can allomantically burn steel or iron can see some of this through the metal on Scadrial. The few people who have gained MASSIVE energy with their allomancy (Marasi and Wax with the Bands of Mourning, TLR, Vin when she inhaled all of the mist but before she truly Ascended); these people can start to see *everything* with Steelsight. They can see souls and people. They are seeing the pure Investiture in the world. Shards talk about how they are Invested in everything in their world. Woven into the very bones of their world. This is what these people are seeing. They are seeing the Investiture of Shards in the rocks, dirt, trees, and people around them. Not just metals, but all things. And naturally, Shards can all see pure Investiture as well, as a part of them *is* pure Investiture.

This same phenomenon can also be attributed to these characters seeing into the Cognitive Realm. That works too. It's essentially the same. They see the pure energy of stuff along with/instead of seeing with their eyes. That is essentially what I understand "seeing into the Cognitive" to mean.

[Frustration Sliver]

That starts to break down when you consider that invested objects are harder to see with steelsight, not easier.

[Treamayne Seer]

17 hours ago, ThatRedHead717 said:

Steelsight is seeing the 3rd state of matter. According to this WOB, there are 3 states of matter. Matter, Energy, and now Investiture. A third Axis. That’s what Steelsight sees. ...That is essentially what I understand "seeing into the Cognitive" to mean.

If you have ready Rhythm of War, you may notice some similarities for the scene with Dalinar and Nale in Ch 47.

Spoiler

The vision faded and Nale lurched away from Dalinar, gasping, his eyes wide. He left a line of light stretching between him and Dalinar.

Bondsmith, the Stormfather said in Dalinar’s mind. You forged a brief Connection with him. What did you see?

“His past, I think,” Dalinar whispered. “And now…”

Nale scratched at his head, and Dalinar saw a skeletal figure overlapping him. Like the echo of light that followed Szeth, only worn, dim. Dalinar stepped forward, walking among his stunned bodyguards, noting eight lines of light extending from Nale into the distance.

“I see the Oathpact, I think,” Dalinar said. “The thing that bound them together and made them capable of holding the enemy in Damnation.”

A cage, forged of their spirits, the Stormfather said in his mind. It was broken. Even before Jezrien’s death, they shattered it by what they did long ago.

“No, only one line of it is completely broken. The rest are there, but weak, impotent.” Dalinar pointed to one line, bright and powerful. “Except one. Still vibrant.”

Nale looked up at him, then ripped free of the line of light Connecting him to Dalinar and threw himself off the platform.

I don't know if it has been confirmed, but I'm fairly certain the Steel and Iron lines are the Allomancer seeing their Connection to surrounding sources of metal (then Pulling or Pushing on that connection to affect the metal). That would also account for why it is hard to see Lines to invested metal - since investiture resists investiture - so it would be hard to make or see Connection of an invested target

[ThatRedHead717 Spearman]

On 2/11/2023 at 6:06 PM, Treamayne said:

the Steel and Iron lines are the Allomancer seeing their Connection to surrounding sources of metal

That is absolutely brilliant. I love this take so much!! I've read that passage 3 times by now but had never thought to connect the idea behind those 2 events. This makes so much sense and I can't wait to see what happens next in the Cosmere. I seriously can't wait to see what a fully operation Bondsmith is truly capable of. 

[alder24 Elantrian]

On 12.02.2023 at 0:06 AM, Treamayne said:

I don't know if it has been confirmed, but I'm fairly certain the Steel and Iron lines are the Allomancer seeing their Connection to surrounding sources of metal (then Pulling or Pushing on that connection to affect the metal). That would also account for why it is hard to see Lines to invested metal - since investiture resists investiture - so it would be hard to make or see Connection of an invested target

I've just found 2 WoBs on this, while they are not stating it's all Connection, Connection is part of Steelsight.

Spoiler

Oversleep

Could you write [sign] the Alcatraz like Alcatraz?

Brandon Sanderson

Yes. He signs upside down.

Oversleep

Would tapping Connection increase the steelsight?

Brandon Sanderson

No, probably not, there are arrangements that could make that happen but just tapping it, no.

Kraków signing (March 21, 2017)

 

Spoiler

Argent

Mechanically speaking, how does steelsight work? The scientific definition of "metal" gets a little murky in the middle of the periodic table-

Brandon Sanderson

It does.

Argent

-and we see that powerful enough Allomancers can see more than just metals.

Brandon Sanderson

Yep.

Argent

Are Connection and perception significantly involved here?

Brandon Sanderson

To an extent, but the science of it also is. I feel like the stronger steelsight is getting, the more it is detecting things like electromagnetic bonds and even, you know, the strong and weak force and some of these sorts of things that is just in everything, right? And I do think that in strongest applications, Allomancy is going to be moving beyond metals and moving toward things like fundamental forces. So there you go.

YouTube Spoiler Stream 3 (Dec. 16, 2021)

What excites me the most about the second WoB is the last sentence "Allomancy is moving towards fundamental forces". This is crazy, it's basically Surgebinding. I can't wait for Era 4 Mistborn vs Radiant discussions