Theory: Investiture of aluminum

[Bugsy]

In MB, aluminum has 2 unique properties. One is that it removes metal stores from the body, and the other is that it "blocks" external allomancy; aluminum hats prevent emotional allomancy, aluminum itself cannot be directly affected by iron or steel, and aluminum also would not show an atium shadow (According to WoB). 

 

Another example of something that resists external physical allomancy is a Keeper's metalminds. It's explained that the more of an attribute a Feruchemist invests, the harder it becomes to manipulate. As aluminum is impossible to manipulate, it suggests that aluminum inherently has investiture to make it so.

 

Aluminum also appears to mitigate the powers of shards; it has a significant deletory effect on both the powers of Preservation and Ruin. Not only does it prevent allomancy (the power of Preservation) from functioning properly and removes allomantic stores entirely, it also negates the power of Ruin by not forming atium shadows. The fact that aluminum can completely negate the powers of shards suggests that another shard must be enabling it to do so.

 

Finally, I've always found it odd that Atium as a God Metal has no real compliment in allomancy. (Lerasium is not numbered among the 16 main metals and therefore should not be counted as a component of allomancy, but rather a cause or provider.) If aluminum were a God Metal, it would maintain the patterns of paring found among the rest of the metals

 

Note that if aluminum were invested, it would have to be by a shard with the ability to mitigate the powers of other shards, and as of now there does not seem to be a likely candidate who has been revealed.

[Khyrindor]

There have been theories saying that Aluminum was the weapon created against Adonalsium.

[Yata]

None of the God Metals are part of the "16 Metals of the Metallic Arts".

 

Anyway the Alluminium's oddity must has something different than "He has a lot of Investiture" because in some Magic System the Alluminium doesn't resist at all better than other materials.

 

Some (and at the moment I find myself with them) think that Alluminium has not Spiritual Ascpect and the cause of its peculiar effect is just this.

[Rustbringer]

Could it be because the chemical smelting of bauxite that creates aluminium separates it from its spiritual aspect. Note how it isnt a naturally occuring substance as opposed to alloys. Its molecular structure is very different in a metallic form its mineral. Note also that the lord ruler received the knowledge of its traits and existence while wielding the well of ascension and made the only source in the world of aluminium his ashmounts. Which his inquisitors used to pacify metalborn captives.

I theorise that it creates something realmatically unstable that steals investiture to cement its paradox in the cognitive realm. Kind of making up for its lack of innate investiture missing from spiritual aspect. Think, maybe in the same way that nightblood behaves when activated(albiet not so spectacularly)burning investiture chaotically. Or
Secret History spoilers

also how certain folk were drinking a certain blue liquid to subsist in scadriels cognitive realm in MB secret history

Edited February 13, 2016 by Voidus
SH spoilers tagged

[Bugsy]

None of the God Metals are part of the "16 Metals of the Metallic Arts".

 

Anyway the Alluminium's oddity must has something different than "He has a lot of Investiture" because in some Magic System the Alluminium doesn't resist at all better than other materials.

 

Some (and at the moment I find myself with them) think that Alluminium has not Spiritual Ascpect and the cause of its peculiar effect is just this.

Ah, I was under the impression that Atium and Malatium were both included in the 16. I can only think of 14 others (copper, bronze, steel, iron, zinc, brass, tin, pewter, aluminum, duralumin, gold, electrum, chromium, and nicrosil. What are the other 2, out of curiosity?

[Yata]

Ah, I was under the impression that Atium and Malatium were both included in the 16. I can only think of 14 others (copper, bronze, steel, iron, zinc, brass, tin, pewter, aluminum, duralumin, gold, electrum, chromium, and nicrosil. What are the other 2, out of curiosity?

Cadmius and BendAlloy, I suppose you didn't read the Wax & Wayne book

Atium and Malatium was "fake temporal metal" Preservation switched them with the right temporal metal, to make possible the born of Atium and Malatium misting (something like artificial misting).

But without manipolation, the right temporal metal was Cadmius and bendalloy.

Edited February 12, 2016 by Yata

[Bugsy]

Cadmius and BendAlloy, I suppose you didn't read the Wax & Wayne book

Oh yeah, completely forgot those... Thanks, lol.

[ARARITA]

seriously - please don't give spoilers for Secret History - i had no warning and now I'm upset

[Voidus]

seriously - please don't give spoilers for Secret History - i had no warning and now I'm upset

Yeah, as long as it's a comment not a whole topic Secret History can be discussed outside of the subforum but please use spoiler tags when you do so as with any newly released book.

[Rustbringer]

My sincere apologies. Im not up to the etiquette with this discussion board just yet. Nor am i very computer literate tbh, but yes i now do know how and when to spoiler tag. Thanks for the explanations on your edits Voidus.

Forgive my faux pas good sirs

[Observer]

Aluminum is also impossible to Forge in TES. Seems the metal just straight up repels Investure somehow, which is why I'm thinking it might tie into how Adonalsium was killed.

Interestingly, there was a WoB saying the only way to get Aluminum on Roshar would be to Soulcast it, telling us that it's not only absent on that planet, but also can be created using Investure. Does that mean it would resist Aons, but could be created by them regardless? Could be the idea was to create something that you could produce en-masse with Investure, but couldn't be fought with the same.

[Yata]

Aluminum is also impossible to Forge in TES. Seems the metal just straight up repels Investure somehow, which is why I'm thinking it might tie into how Adonalsium was killed.

Interestingly, there was a WoB saying the only way to get Aluminum on Roshar would be to Soulcast it, telling us that it's not only absent on that planet, but also can be created using Investure. Does that mean it would resist Aons, but could be created by them regardless? Could be the idea was to create something that you could produce en-masse with Investure, but couldn't be fought with the same.

This is one of the reason about "Spiritual Emptyness" of the Aluminum:

The Forgery works editing a Spiritual Aspect of an Object and if the Aluminum hasn't Spiritual Aspect it would be immune.

The SoulCasting seems to works through a "Cognitive Editing" and the Allumin may be Soulcasted.

A Shardblade may cut Aluminum like any other material (this exclude the Aluminium's "high Investiture").

Also the Immunity to Steel/Iron Allomancy may be explained through this, because we know the Steel-sight works through the Spiritual Realm.

[Oversleep]

A Shardblade may cut Aluminum like any other material (this exclude the Aluminium's "high Investiture").

Do we know it?

Also the Immunity to Steel/Iron Allomancy may be explained through this, because we know the Steel-sight works through the Spiritual Realm.

I thought steelsight is Cognitive.

[Yata]

Do we know it?

I thought steelsight is Cognitive.

I remember WoBs about, at the moment I can't find them, but when I catch them I will post them here ;-)

[Alfa]

Atiumsight at least is Spiritual.

[Ari]

This is one of the reason about "Spiritual Emptyness" of the Aluminum:

The Forgery works editing a Spiritual Aspect of an Object and if the Aluminum hasn't Spiritual Aspect it would be immune.

The SoulCasting seems to works through a "Cognitive Editing" and the Allumin may be Soulcasted.

A Shardblade may cut Aluminum like any other material (this exclude the Aluminium's "high Investiture").

Also the Immunity to Steel/Iron Allomancy may be explained through this, because we know the Steel-sight works through the Spiritual Realm.

 

A good clue as to what's going on is that in Well of Ages we have an in-world comment by Vin that silver is also allomantically inert, (exactly the same term later used for aluminum, which makes me wonder why Silver isn't equally as rare and expensive...) and can't be Pushed or Pulled, and silver does some pretty interesting things in Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell. I would assume aluminum would have similar effects if they had access to it.

 

If so, it can't be anything relating to the alloying process, as silver is a chemical element.

Edited February 16, 2016 by Ari

[natc]

I don't recall her ever saying that about pushing and pulling actually.

[Stormgate]

I am fascinated with exactly how well aluminum neutralizes Investiture, including the possibility that it was the weapon against Adonalsium. I currently think that it may transfer Investiture from the Spiritual Realm to the Cognitive Realm, but I have very little evidence of this. Basically, it's because the Cognitive Realm on Sel is very dangerous, and there is a lot of Cognitive Investiture floating around.

[Yata]

A good clue as to what's going on is that in Well of Ages we have an in-world comment by Vin that silver is also allomantically inert, (exactly the same term later used for aluminum, which makes me wonder why Silver isn't equally as rare and expensive...) and can't be Pushed or Pulled, and silver does some pretty interesting things in Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell. I would assume aluminum would have similar effects if they had access to it.

 

If so, it can't be anything relating to the alloying process, as silver is a chemical element.

Silver is just a Metal that isn't a gateway to Metalic Arts, like it would be the Platinum. But it has no strange effect with Allomancy (or other Metallic Arts) at all.

It can be Pushed and Pulled without any trouble.

If the Silver is immune to Push/Pull, It will worth a Fortune and used aganist Misting/Mistborn... Instead it is viewed like "useless".

Edited February 16, 2016 by Yata

[Oversleep]

It's interesting that Aluminum is both Alllomantically inert (resists Allomancy) but is one of the Investiture (Allomantic/Feruchemical/Hemalurgic) Metals.
I was under impression that silver was also Allomantically inert, but that doesn't make sense given high demand (and high taxes) for aluminum. Silver would also be used that way.

[Nethseäar]

It's interesting that Aluminum is both Alllomantically inert (resists Allomancy) but is one of the Investiture (Allomantic/Feruchemical/Hemalurgic) Metals.

I was under impression that silver was also Allomantically inert, but that doesn't make sense given high demand (and high taxes) for aluminum. Silver would also be used that way.

 

A good clue as to what's going on is that in Well of Ages we have an in-world comment by Vin that silver is also allomantically inert, (exactly the same term later used for aluminum, which makes me wonder why Silver isn't equally as rare and expensive...) and can't be Pushed or Pulled, and silver does some pretty interesting things in Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell. I would assume aluminum would have similar effects if they had access to it.

 

If so, it can't be anything relating to the alloying process, as silver is a chemical element.

 

The issue is that there are two definitions for 'Allomantically Inert,' and neither silver nor aluminum fits both definitions.

Definition 1: Cannot be safely Burned / does not give Allomantic power.

Definition 2: Cannot be Pushed or Pulled by Allomantic Steel or Iron, does not cast an Atium shadow, and blocks emotional Allomancy.

Silver fits definition 1 -- you CANNOT get Allomantic power from silver. Burning it will just make you sick, or possibly kill you.

Silver does not fit definition 2 -- you CAN Push and Pull silver.

Aluminum fits definition 2 -- you CANNOT Push or Pull aluminum, it does not cast an Atium shadow, and it blocks emotional Allomancy.

Aluminum does not fit definition 1 -- you CAN safely Burn aluminum, and it will grant Allomantic power (power to remove Investiture -- usually Allomantic stores -- from your body).

Thus, silver is, itself, useless to Allomancers.

As an aside, silver was originally intended to fill the role of tin as the Internal Physical Pulling metal -- it would enhance physical senses when Burned. This was because Sanderson was misled to believe that pewter was an alloy of silver. Tineyes were therefore originally called Silvereyes. However, since silver was not a component of pewter, and Sanderson wanted Pulling-Pushing pairs where the Pushing metal was an alloy of the Pulling metal, silver was replaced by tin, which is a component of pewter.

Notably, silver does have an Allomantic use as part of gold's alloy; electrum is an alloy of gold and silver. And, as Ari said, it comes in handy on Threnody, per Shadows for Silence.

I look forward to learning more about aluminum, for sure. It is very interesting that it has all of those odd properties, and yet is still (otherwise) a standard metal in the Metallic Arts. Not even the God metals have such odd properties. And yet, it can be Soulcast.

 

 

 

[...]

A Shardblade may cut Aluminum like any other material (this exclude the Aluminium's "high Investiture").

Also the Immunity to Steel/Iron Allomancy may be explained through this, because we know the Steel-sight works through the Spiritual Realm.

Do we know it?

I thought steelsight is Cognitive.

Steel lines manifest in the Spiritual Realm. (That doesn't necessarily exclude manifesting in the Cognitive, but given what we've seen of the Cognitive in WoR and MB: Secret History, I doubt it).

Per Shardblades cutting aluminum --  I remember reading that they could, but was unable to find WoB to that effect. Instead, here's a whole thread of Shard-wonderings.

Edited February 16, 2016 by Nethseäar