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A New Use (And a Big One at That!) for Aluminum


anonymous2017

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I think that the "Burning aluminum causes the body to instantly metabolize its metal reserves without any other effect." part applies only to Mistborns. An Aluminium Gnat won't be able to burn any other metal in the first place, and so would have no other allomantic metal reserves to be instantly metabolised by aluminium.

As for the idea that aluminium can heal metal poisoning, I don't know if a metal sword struck into a person qualifies as poisoning.

By the way, nice theory.

Edited by Twenty@20
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I don't think aluminum necessarily has to be useful. If aluminum were able to instantly vaporize swords/bullets/etc. piercing you (so long as they are of Allomantic quality), I don't think they'd be called "gnats". Still, it's an interesting theory.

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I think that the "Burning aluminum causes the body to instantly metabolize its metal reserves without any other effect." part applies only to Mistborns. An Aluminium Gnat won't be able to burn any other metal in the first place, and so would have no other allomantic metal reserves to be instantly metabolised by aluminium.

As for the idea that aluminium can heal metal poisoning, I don't know if a metal sword struck into a person qualifies as poisoning.

By the way, nice theory.

 

Someone call in a cosmere nerd! I really have no clue how to respond to this, but it is likely that it debunks my theory. Fingers crossed! :(

 

 

I don't think aluminum necessarily has to be useful. If aluminum were able to instantly vaporize swords/bullets/etc. piercing you (so long as they are of Allomantic quality), I don't think they'd be called "gnats". Still, it's an interesting theory.

 

☐ <--- Look, a box! You should think right over here --->

 

:D

Edited by martyrboy
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I actually do think that Aluminium has the ability to remove any kind of metal from the body, insinuated from the fact Brandon has said if one were to become a Savant in Aluminium, they would gain the ability to remove other forms of impurities from the body. However, burning Aluminium basically is seen as a way of removing investiture from the body, so it may depend on numerous other factors.

 

There is something that I worry about this idea however, and that is the fact are you sure that Allomantic Aluminium doesn't burn away the remaining Aluminium reserves? 

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1. Aluminum does, in fact, burn away itself instantly. I don't have my book with me, but the scene towards the end of The Final Empire is clear, Vin burns aluminum and all of her reserves vanish, even the aluminum she just ate.

 

2. It's not quite as simple as you imply to burn metal piercing your body. We know it should be theoretically possible, but Vin burns bronze and duralumin at the same time, while wearing her earring, and the earring doesn't burn up. We know from WoB that it's possible, but we know from the text that it is not the default for duralumin. Since duralumin doesn't burn itself but aluminum does, this admittedly doesn't automatically mean it works the same way... though, did they take Vin's earring when they threw her into the cell? If they didn't, then aluminum doesn't automatically burn piercings. I know she had it immediately afterwards, so either she found it in the chest with her mistcloak, or she had it all along.

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There is something that I worry about this idea however, and that is the fact are you sure that Allomantic Aluminium doesn't burn away the remaining Aluminium reserves?

Aluminum does, in fact, burn away itself instantly. I don't have my book with me, but the scene towards the end of The Final Empire is clear, Vin burns aluminum and all of her reserves vanish, even the aluminum she just ate.

"Immediately, all of her other reserves vanished." --The Final Empire

It's not quite as simple as you imply to burn metal piercing your body. We know it should be theoretically possible, but Vin burns bronze and duralumin at the same time, while wearing her earring, and the earring doesn't burn up. We know from WoB that it's possible, but we know from the text that it is not the default for duralumin. Since duralumin doesn't burn itself but aluminum does, this admittedly doesn't automatically mean it works the same way... though, did they take Vin's earring when they threw her into the cell? If they didn't, then aluminum doesn't automatically burn piercings. I know she had it immediately afterwards, so either she found it in the chest with her mistcloak, or she had it all along.

"Elend and Sazed both frowned as Vin pulled on her trousers. In the pocket, she found her mother's earring. She put it back on." --The Final Empire

Brandon Sanderson made a specific mention of it not being on her when she burned aluminum. Plus, she would have eaten it if she had been still wearing it.

Edited by martyrboy
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"Immediately, all of her other reserves vanished." --The Final Empire

 

From a few paragraphs later: "My metals! She searched desperately inside, but she found nothing. She couldn't feel any metals, not even the one she had ingested moments before."

 

As it was a "bit of metal" shoved into her mouth, not a vial that might have contained only a flake or two, presumably even if it isn't instant, it burns even faster than atium.

 

Thank you for the quote about the earring. The fact remains that in Well of Ascension, she does burn duralumin while her earring is in, and burns bronze. Yet, the earring is unaffected. Also of note is that, despite always wearing the earring, she never once senses it as a reserve.

 

Presumably, then, we're missing a link. Some condition must be met. If it is, you are able to sense metal piercing your body as a reserve, and aluminum/duralumin are able to affect it.

 

We've got WoB that Inquisitors can do these things, but some Inquisitors also have duralumin. Either they never burn duralumin and steel, or they have a way of not losing all four of their spikes which grant the physical allomantic powers when they burn duralumin and steel.

 

Basically, we know very little. The one fact that we do know is, it's not as simple as just burning aluminum while metal is piercing your body. Perhaps there's something a Gnat could do that would grant him the power to destroy a sword stuck in him, but he cannot be constantly burning aluminum awaiting this event, and burning it as a permanent protection against emotional allomancy doesn't work, either.

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From a few paragraphs later: "My metals! She searched desperately inside, but she found nothing. She couldn't feel any metals, not even the one she had ingested moments before."

 

As it was a "bit of metal" shoved into her mouth, not a vial that might have contained only a flake or two, presumably even if it isn't instant, it burns even faster than atium.

 

Thank you for the quote about the earring. The fact remains that in Well of Ascension, she does burn duralumin while her earring is in, and burns bronze. Yet, the earring is unaffected. Also of note is that, despite always wearing the earring, she never once senses it as a reserve.

 

Presumably, then, we're missing a link. Some condition must be met. If it is, you are able to sense metal piercing your body as a reserve, and aluminum/duralumin are able to affect it.

 

We've got WoB that Inquisitors can do these things, but some Inquisitors also have duralumin. Either they never burn duralumin and steel, or they have a way of not losing all four of their spikes which grant the physical allomantic powers when they burn duralumin and steel.

 

Basically, we know very little. The one fact that we do know is, it's not as simple as just burning aluminum while metal is piercing your body. Perhaps there's something a Gnat could do that would grant him the power to destroy a sword stuck in him, but he cannot be constantly burning aluminum awaiting this event, and burning it as a permanent protection against emotional allomancy doesn't work, either.

Darn it! You're right about the matals. That's a bummer.

Just to clarify the whole thing, I sent a message to Mr. Sanderson to see what he says. There's so many discrepancies! D:

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That's exactly what I was about to point out. We have WOB that Hemalurgic spikes can't be burned.

 

 

Q. So you can inhale something, or inject something … what about spikes? Could you like burn a spike that was-?

A. Yes, you could, but not if it’s Hemalurgically placed or Hemalurgically charged. 

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I'm pretty sure that sanderson said you could burn your own hemalurgic spikes, but it would be so painful you'd pass out immediately.

 

As for the rest, aluminium burning itself has already been covered by many, and it debunks that theory. Not being sure if an aluminium gnat can get rid of other metals is also possibly one, although we have no confirmation either way. We don't know if aluminium would act fast enough to vaporize a sword striking through your chest - it oes appear to be instantaneous, but one thing is burning a few flakes of finely divided metal, another is burning a whole sword.

 

But there's another wrong thing in the op, although it is not relevant to the theory

Before the battle began, he consumed a fairly large amount of aluminum to ward against emotional allomancy

 

It doesn't work like that. burning aluminium don't protect you from mental allomancy. instead, wearing an aluminium foil around your head protects you from mental allomancy. And I suppose covering another metal with aluminium foil would prevent it from being sensed allomantically, although there is no direct evidence of this.

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So although I do not think this theory would work, for reasons I would have to spend a whole lot more time researching and fleshing out before I could post, what I would like to ring in on however is that the aluminum WOULD burn away other reserves ingested regardless the individual was a mistborn or misting, simply because that is how Chromium functions. It states Chromium works like aluminum but on other allomancers when touching them. If aluminum mistings could only burn away aluminum because they are an aluminum misting, then a chromium misting would only be able to burn away chromium in other people. At least that is my logic on the subject. 

Edited by Pathfinder
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You wouldn't be able to burn away spikes, but I think it might be possible to burn away a sword. As in, it's plausible. If you have A LOT of Aluminum which we know to be expensive, then I think it would work. You guys got stuck on the spikes thing. If they can't be pushed out of their bodies then I don't think you would burn away a spike. 

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So here is a thought I had. I know Brandon is quoted in saying that an aluminum savant could get to the point of removing impurities from their body, but I was thinking, if it makes you metabolize your metallic reserves, what happens if that reserve isn't the correct balance of metals? It has been stated that if a misting or mistborn burns a metal with the incorrect ratio it could make them sick, or even kill them. So I know it is a jump, but if it immediately metabolizes them all, and assuming a standard steel sword possibly doesn't have the correct ratio to be a burnable steel, even if the aluminum could make the sword go poof, could that kill the aluminum gnat because he is metabolizing a non allomantically proportioned steel? Did what I write make any sense? lol

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So although I do not think this theory would work, for reasons I would have to spend a whole lot more time researching and fleshing out before I could post, what I would like to ring in on however is that the aluminum WOULD burn away other reserves ingested regardless the individual was a mistborn or misting, simply because that is how Chromium functions. It states Chromium works like aluminum but on other allomancers when touching them. If aluminum mistings could only burn away aluminum because they are an aluminum misting, then a chromium misting would only be able to burn away chromium in other people. At least that is my logic on the subject. 

Not necessarily. It could very well be that Chromium doesn´t let the misting burn away anothers balances as much as it makes their target metabolize their reserves. So Chromium opens up the channel and then (for example) a thug losses his pewter, because that´s what the targets spirit web is programmed on.

 

So here is a thought I had. I know Brandon is quoted in saying that an aluminum savant could get to the point of removing impurities from their body, but I was thinking, if it makes you metabolize your metallic reserves, what happens if that reserve isn't the correct balance of metals? It has been stated that if a misting or mistborn burns a metal with the incorrect ratio it could make them sick, or even kill them. So I know it is a jump, but if it immediately metabolizes them all, and assuming a standard steel sword possibly doesn't have the correct ratio to be a burnable steel, even if the aluminum could make the sword go poof, could that kill the aluminum gnat because he is metabolizing a non allomantically proportioned steel? Did what I write make any sense? lol

Depends on what exactly causes the sickness. How I see it it would be either tuning in to the wrong metalic structure, in which case the damage should be done, or badly "programmed" Investure causes harmful side effects, which Aluminium might prevent. Given the purpose of Aluminium I would guess it is the second option but that´s only a hunch.

Edited by Edgedancer
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You wouldn't be able to burn away spikes, but I think it might be possible to burn away a sword. As in, it's plausible. If you have A LOT of Aluminum which we know to be expensive, then I think it would work. You guys got stuck on the spikes thing. If they can't be pushed out of their bodies then I don't think you would burn away a spike. 

The problem is the speed at which you can burn. Even with duraluminium, a vial of metals lasted a few seconds to vin. and a vial is a few grams at most. a sword is several kilos. a mistborn impaled by a sword could try to burn the sword, but even with duraluminium it would take him some 15 minutes. which is waaaay too late to avoid being stabbed. We have no idea of the rate at which alumminium dissolves your metal reserves, but it is difficult that it would be fast enough to dissolve several kilos of metal in less than a second. even if it takes only 5 seconds to burn away a sword, it would still be too late to avoid being impaled.

 

So here is a thought I had. I know Brandon is quoted in saying that an aluminum savant could get to the point of removing impurities from their body, but I was thinking, if it makes you metabolize your metallic reserves, what happens if that reserve isn't the correct balance of metals? It has been stated that if a misting or mistborn burns a metal with the incorrect ratio it could make them sick, or even kill them. So I know it is a jump, but if it immediately metabolizes them all, and assuming a standard steel sword possibly doesn't have the correct ratio to be a burnable steel, even if the aluminum could make the sword go poof, could that kill the aluminum gnat because he is metabolizing a non allomantically proportioned steel? Did what I write make any sense? lol

The way I see it,  aluminium would be safe because you don't "burn" the metals, you dissipate them. duraluminium with a wrong mixture would probably kill you, but aluminium do not cause you to burn the metals. you don't get the buff, you shouldn't get the illness either.

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The first two are pretty clear. It's absolutely possible to burn a spike. There's another one I've heard that spells it out even more clearly, though I cannot find it. Basically these are talking about burning a spike for its hemalurgic charge, like burning a metalmind for the feruchemical charge. There's a WoB that expressly states that an Inquisitor could, for example, burn a Steel spike, not for the hemalurgic charge but just as though it was any normal allomantic steel reserve.

 

Out of a sense of completeness, I will add that it also mentions that specifically for an Inquisitor, burning a spike would cause so much pain you'd black out. We do not know if this would also happen for a non-Inquisitor.

 

...Kind of makes the idea of being a Koloss lurcher interesting...

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The problem is the speed at which you can burn. Even with duraluminium, a vial of metals lasted a few seconds to vin. and a vial is a few grams at most. a sword is several kilos. a mistborn impaled by a sword could try to burn the sword, but even with duraluminium it would take him some 15 minutes. which is waaaay too late to avoid being stabbed. We have no idea of the rate at which alumminium dissolves your metal reserves, but it is difficult that it would be fast enough to dissolve several kilos of metal in less than a second. even if it takes only 5 seconds to burn away a sword, it would still be too late to avoid being impaled.

 

The way I see it,  aluminium would be safe because you don't "burn" the metals, you dissipate them. duraluminium with a wrong mixture would probably kill you, but aluminium do not cause you to burn the metals. you don't get the buff, you shouldn't get the illness either.

Only one of those can be right, if aluminum does not burn the metals, then they can be gone instantly. Also in the coppermind it is stated as,

 

 

Burning aluminum causes the body to instantly metabolize its metal reserves without any other effect

No effect means no sickness from bad metal, also instantly.

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Only one of those can be right, if aluminum does not burn the metals, then they can be gone instantly. Also in the coppermind it is stated as,

No effect means no sickness from bad metal, also instantly.

the coppermind also states that duraluminium causes you to burn your metal "instantly", but we know the actual burn last a few seconds. When vin get drugged and she uses duraluminium-pewter, she has a moment when she feels ok, then she sees her pewter running out. when she uses duraluminium+bronze, she senses breeze pulses for a few seconds, she would feel nothing if it was "instantaneus". The point is that "instantly" in common language just mean very fast, or much faster than other related processes.

I'd say the rate of disappearence of metals when burning aluminium is not canon.

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well here is a question for everyone, are we viewing metabolizes as in burning, or metabolizes as in digestion?

I will add to that. When we talk about burning metals, doesn't that mean accessing the power of Preservation. Brandon has told several times that metals are only a gateway to access the power. So do the metals disappear from the allomancer stomach after "burning"? I tried to find a WoB only it but couldn't. Aluminium when "burned" is believed to block the power entering through other metals. So do the metals themselves vanish or only the power flowing through them vanishes? If only the power vanishes but not the metals then a non-savant aluminium gnat won't be able to make a sword struck into him vanish even if other conditions are met. Edited by Twenty@20
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