A weird question on the metals in Era 2

[TheDoomsday]

OK, people are probably going to just write this off. But I had a small question.

In Era 2, Atium and Malatium were taken out, and 4 new metals were put in. However, this means that the temporal metals are now gold, electrum, bendalloy and cadmium.

Bendalloy and cadmium have very different abilities than gold and electrum. And all the other pairings are for the most part, opposites. The opposite of gold and electrum have already been discover in Era 2, so it stands to reason that bendalloy and cadmium are NOT part of the same set.

I propose this: there are 2 other metals. They create speed bubbles around someone else. Gold and electrum are actually part of a different 16, being paired with atium and malatium.

Thoughts?

[Merrickz]

Atium is stated as a God Metal, Part of Ruin like Lerasium. It is said to alloy with all 16 base metals hence Malatium. Not to mention chemically Electrum is an alloy of Gold and Bendalloy is an alloy of Cadmium.

I admit the effects are different but they are both related to time (temporal).

It's an interesting idea but it doesn't quite fit with the way Brandon has set up the magic system so far.

[Pagerunner]

13 minutes ago, TheDoomsday said:

OK, people are probably going to just write this off. But I had a small question.

In Era 2, Atium and Malatium were taken out, and 4 new metals were put in. However, this means that the temporal metals are now gold, electrum, bendalloy and cadmium.

Bendalloy and cadmium have very different abilities than gold and electrum. And all the other pairings are for the most part, opposites. The opposite of gold and electrum have already been discover in Era 2, so it stands to reason that bendalloy and cadmium are NOT part of the same set.

I propose this: there are 2 other metals. They create speed bubbles around someone else. Gold and electrum are actually part of a different 16, being paired with atium and malatium.

Thoughts?

This has actually come up before. When you think about it, only the Enhancement quadrant has the Internal and External metals having similar effects. Pewter/tin aren't like steel/iron, and copper/bronze aren't like zinc/brass. 

Atium is not like the other metals; not only because it isn't a real-life metal. It also has many Allomantically viable alloys, which have various mental and temporal effects.

[TheDoomsday]

6 minutes ago, Merrickz said:

Atium is stated as a God Metal, Part of Ruin like Lerasium. It is said to alloy with all 16 base metals hence Malatium. Not to mention chemically Electrum is an alloy of Gold and Bendalloy is an alloy of Cadmium.

I admit the effects are different but they are both related to time (temporal).

It's an interesting idea but it doesn't quite fit with the way Brandon has set up the magic system so far.

Yeah, I guess. It just seems so weird that Atium and Malatium seem to link to Gold and Electrum much better than Bendalloy and Cadmium do.

[The One Who Connects]

8 minutes ago, TheDoomsday said:

Bendalloy and cadmium have very different abilities than Gold and Electrum. And all the other pairings are for the most part, opposites.

I propose this: there are 2 other metals. They create speed bubbles around someone else.

You should look at the rest of the table again. The left half of the Allomantic Abilities Chart is the only section that really follows that logic of self/someone else.

• Top Left:
  • Steel/Iron push/pull on other things.
  • Pewter/Tin push/pull on yourself.
• Bottom Left
  • Chromium/Nicrosil are to others what Aluminum/Duralumin is to yourself.
• Bottom Right Section is all about yourself:
  • Gold only shows your own past.
  • Electrum only shows your own future.
  • Speed bubbles are centered on yourself...
• And all the powers in the Top Right relate to others.
  • Copper protects you from the emotional manipulation of others.
  • Bronze lets you sense magic being used by others.
  • Emotional Allomancy can only be used on other people..

It's an interesting connection you've just had me make (this point started out similar to what Pagerunner just said about the Enhancement Quadrant.)

Speaking of which, what do you think of it being looked at this way @Pagerunner?

---

1 minute ago, TheDoomsday said:

Yeah, I guess. It just seems so weird that Atium and Malatium seem to link to Gold and Electrum much better than Bendalloy and Cadmium do.

It's because Malatium is an alloy of Atium and Gold, so it's got that similarity to both.

[TheDoomsday]

I understand I am wrong, but thanks for the replies!

[Kaymyth]

It's also worth noting that Brandon himself has stated that the Era 1 tables are in-universe, created by people who were working with limited information. They were trying to jam in the metals they knew into a pattern without considering the possibility that there were additional metals they simply didn't know about. Rashek probably knew about them, of course, but given the power involved with the temporal metals he had every reason to make sure that information was not released to the public.