(BoM spoilers) Theory: attempting to tap a nicrosilmind makes you a nicrosil ferring

[DeadFencer]

I can't explain how everyone was suddenly able to use the nicrosilminds any other way. Perhaps metalborn ability is like a tunnel leading from a person to Harmony. The more powers you have, the wider the tunnel. Nicrosilminds temporarily widen this tunnel. However, using it once permanently widens the tunel.

[Szeth]

I would assume that they were "blank" nicrosil metalminds, much like Wayne's "blank" goldmind.  The Blank Nicrosil acts as a buffer of sorts, allowing you to use a blank metal that you can't already.  For instance if Wayne's goldmind had a blank nicrosil inlay as well then anyone could've used it.  As it was only bloodmakers could use it without the buffer.

 

Allrik mentions that 3 is the the most common 'max' number of powers a medallion can bestow, though there are very rare and expensive medallions that have 4 powers.  He has to continually swap out his medallion when talking to Marasi because one is nicrosil/iron/duralumin(connection), and the other is nicrosil/iron/brass(warmth)

 

edit: i should clarify a bit further - nicrosil is not a "power" like the other allomantic and feruchemical abilities.  It is simply "investiture" and even though not everyone *is* invested, all life in the cosmere has the *potential* to be invested.  As a result anyone can make use of a blank nicrosil metalmind in order to access other abilities in blank metalminds/hemalurgic spikes

Edited February 8, 2016 by Szeth

[natc]

But feruchemical nicrosil is just that: a feruchemical ability allowing you to store and tap investiture. The investiture itself is universal, but the ability to retrieve it is supposed to be an in-built genetic trait of the person. Even if the investiture doesn't reject you, how do you retrieve it without the proper ability?

[rabidhexley]

But feruchemical nicrosil is just that: a feruchemical ability allowing you to store and tap investiture. The investiture itself is universal, but the ability to retrieve it is supposed to be an in-built genetic trait of the person. Even if the investiture doesn't reject you, how do you retrieve it without the proper ability? 

I have this question as well, as it's the only thing about the nicrosil that I feel is left unexplained. Everything about the entire process of how people can input/acquire abilities from nicrosil makes sense *except* for the question of how is a non-nicrosil ferring able to tap into it in the first place. Without something to explain this the basic logic makes it seem like you'd have to be a nicrosil ferring at the very least in order to use something like the bands of mourning.

 

The only explanations to me are that because it's investiture that's being tapped, identity-blank nicrosil metalminds somehow act differently from other types of metalminds. That maybe because the investiture itself forms the connection, a filled nicrosil-metalmind doesn't demand a prerequisite investiture in order to use it like other metalminds do. Instead acting as a sort of conduit between people and metalminds/magical capabilities that they can't naturally use.

 

Or, alternatively, there's some trick to making these devices that hasn't been revealed to us yet. The issue being the book didn't really provide anything hinting that it's either of these explanations, which makes it feel kind of plot-holey (or worldbuild-holey). Hopefully we can get a reason from Sanderson at some point.

Edited February 10, 2016 by rabidhexley

[Moogle]

Stormlight spoilers:

Surgebinding fabrials on Roshar hardly need their operators to tap from nicrosilminds. It would not be surprising to me if you did not need to tap from a nicrosilmind to use the medallions.

[Shardbearer]

But Moogle, Fabrials and Feruchemy aren't at all the same. Feruchemy is genetic. Fabrials don't have this requirement, or any other conditions for use as far as we know.

[DocHoliday]

Stormlight spoilers:

Surgebinding fabrials on Roshar hardly need their operators to tap from nicrosilminds. It would not be surprising to me if you did not need to tap from a nicrosilmind to use the medallions.

Yet they DO use up the Investiture powering them, in the same way the Bands appear to.

Ill have to re-read Wax's moment of Godhood, but I'm pretty sure he makes mention of his Nicrosil-mind running low.

[feldi]

I think that when you fill a Nicrosilmind you technically stop being a ferring (because you are correctlly storing that very ability) so that makes it to a Blank Blank metalmind that doesn't need you to be the same person or a ferring

[Yata]

Brandon said to us, that there is a "trick" the Southern know to made the metalmind think you have the right power.

Probably the trick may be used with every other metalmind, but the effect would be less cool... after all a Golmind with this Trick will be a Goldmind where you can tap Health but you can't store it... It may have a lot of applications.

I think it would be how the Metallic Arts will be exploited in the future Scadrial's Economy