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Biological Investiture


Bugsy

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From the books, we know that all of the magic systems rely on investiture. We also know that in order to manipulate the cognitive aspect of an object, you need to “bribe” it with investiture. Because the cosmere is subject to the laws of thermodynamics, however, it is unlikely any object can just spontaneously change at will; instead, I propose the investiture used to “bribe” the object is actually used as a catalyst to restructure and build upon or destroy existing cognitive components. In this case, the more investiture one has, the greater changes they can accomplish because they are providing more energy by which the change can take place

 

We also know that drawing investiture from or through someone usually results in some sort of physical sensation. For example, a radiant conducting stormlight feels invigorated, while an allomancer feels a burning sensation in their stomach. In these cases, only those who can act as a channel for the investiture due to a ‘broken’ spiritual aspect can use it.

 

Where does the system of Forgery fall into this? There is no visible source of investiture, nor is there any sensation in the artist. Anyone can be a forger as well, so no broken soul is required. The Dor cannot be the source, as due to its uncontrolled nature, it would need a strong conduit and would still appear to physical senses solely from its sheer power. The stamp itself is unlikely to be the source of investiture in my opinion because it can be crafted of nearly any substance. On top of that, certain types of materials are praised only for their ability to be shaped, and not for their ability to maintain a Forgery. The stamp also doesn't degrade upon application, which it logically would if the magic drew upon the material’s inherent investiture.

 

The only other constant of Forgery is the ink used. This ink, according to TES, must be fresh and organic, and animal ink works better than that of plants (14%). This means that not only do animals and plants contain investiture, it is not solely contained within the body of the organism but rather all of its organic byproducts.  This is supported by the fact that when the bloodsealer makes a stamp to activate the lifeless, he uses Shai’s blood as ink, and she feels a painful sensation in the previous location of the wound, which would be the sensation felt by the source of investiture in this case.  The reanimation of lifeforms is also a much greater forgery and would therefore require a greater source of investiture than ordinary forgeries, namely that of a human’s investiture, which is logically high to produce sentience.

 

This biological investiture would likely be related to, or possibly even the same as, the investiture that grants life and sentience. I also feel it is likely that it’s exuded into the world around the person. It is likely exuded mainly on a cognitive level, attaching to preexisting cognitive aspects of objects, building upon or altering them, which would explain why conscious thought could alter the cognitive, and why it takes time for an object to establish  a cognitive view of itself as a whole.

I’d love to hear any feedback on this idea! :)

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I don't have access to it at the moment, as I am on my phone, but we do have explicit WoB that Forgery is powered by the Dor. Sorry.

Adding to this, I've seen a WoB that says a very little amount of investiture is used in Soulforgery.

My latest thoughts on Soulforgery is that it is basicly soul casting without using investiture. When someone soulcasts they basicly create a new spirit web for an object and then pump investiture into it, which causes the new soul to override the old one. When someone should forges an object, because it has such a little amount of investiture running through it, they can only make small tweaks that only last if the old soul recognizes the new part of the soul as less abrasive, or as abrasive as the old connections. This is achieved by making the new connection as similar or as likely as the old one.

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I don't have access to it at the moment, as I am on my phone, but we do have explicit WoB that Forgery is powered by the Dor. Sorry.

 

Here you go Weiry:

 

Interview: Sep, 2012Sweetness
Does Forgery use the Dor?
Brandon Sanderson
Yes
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Edited by Iron Eyes
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I don't have access to it at the moment, as I am on my phone, but we do have explicit WoB that Forgery is powered by the Dor. Sorry.

  

Adding to this, I've seen a WoB that says a very little amount of investiture is used in Soulforgery.

My latest thoughts on Soulforgery is that it is basicly soul casting without using investiture. When someone soulcasts they basicly create a new spirit web for an object and then pump investiture into it, which causes the new soul to override the old one. When someone should forges an object, because it has such a little amount of investiture running through it, they can only make small tweaks that only last if the old soul recognizes the new part of the soul as less abrasive, or as abrasive as the old connections. This is achieved by making the new connection as similar or as likely as the old one.

  

Here you go Weiry:

Whelp, there goes that theory... :P Back to the drawing board ;)

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