Magic System Components - Fuel

[Confused]

I suggest you read Magic System Components – General Theory before reading this post.

I follow current convention in defining “Fuel” as the power or local Investiture that causes a magical effect. Capital “F” Fuel is thus akin to a magical engine. It differs from small “f” fuel, which is a substance consumed to add energy to that engine, like gasoline adds energy to a car. I believe Shard power “fuels” the non-Catalytic magic systems, and Catalysts “fuel” the Catalytic systems, in this small “f” sense. (Again, I think Shard “power” is Spiritual Realm Investiture not part of a Spiritweb – the cosmere’s Spiritual energy.)

Feruchemy may provide the clearest example of this difference. Brandon says a Feruchemist’s Internal Investiture alone causes Feruchemy’s magical effect – time-shifting attributes:

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In the case of Feruchemy, no energy is being drawn from this other place [the Spiritual Realm]. So, you spend a week sick and store up the ability to heal. It’s a balanced system, basically obeying the laws of thermodynamics.

I interpret this to mean a Feruchemist’s Feruchemical gene – his internal Investiture – is the Feruchemist’s magical engine, his Fuel, the Investiture that causes the magical effect. But Brandon also says this:

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[E]ven what they call end-neutral is relying a little bit on the power of Investiture to facilitate…. What you put in you get out, but the power is facilitating that transfer.

Brandon says power is “how I’m dealing with things like the laws of thermodynamics.” Even in the first quote above, he describes Spiritual Realm “energy” as “my get-out for the laws of thermodynamics.”

I read these statements to mean the cosmere is not magically frictionless. A Feruchemist can’t keep whole his internal Investiture if he also uses that Investiture as the “facilitating power.” I think Feruchemy needs “a little bit” of power just to keep the Feruchemist’s internal Investiture “end-neutral” and the magical transaction thermodynamically sound.

This power is “fuel,” because it lends Spiritual energy to the magical transaction, but it is not “Fuel” because it does not cause the magical effect. The internal Feruchemical gene alone causes the magical effect, a form of local Shardworld Investiture.

I think local Shardworld Investiture causes the magical effect of every non-Catalytic system, whether such systems are “interactions with nature” or “people with magic.” Local Investiture is their Fuel, though Shard power remains their “fuel.” Power as “fuel” replaces any local Investiture used to achieve the magical effect or otherwise “facilitates” the magical effect. Power thus ensures compliance with the cosmere’s thermodynamic laws even when it doesn’t directly cause the magic itself.

I believe Catalytic systems, OTOH, use power directly to cause their magical effect. Shard power in these systems is Fuel, but the Catalysts seem to be fuel. Catalysts cause power to Invest Users by adding energy to the magical system.

Some posters call Fuel “Kinetic Investiture.” I agree as to the Catalytic systems only, since only they draw power from a different Realm: Kinetic Investiture is energy/power that is being actively (currently) used.” Brandon gives this example:

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Question: Nightblood feeds on Investiture, so could an Allomancer burning, say, steel, draw Nightblood and fuel it off that?

Brandon Sanderson: Yes, Nightblood would feed off that Kinetic Investiture.

I read Khriss’ BoM description of “an Investiture” (Ars Arcanum, “On the Three Metallic Arts – Allomancy”) to mean the moment when power moves from the Spiritual Realm into the User. Power in this moment of Realmic transition is what I believe Brandon means by “Kinetic Investiture” (that is, Investiture “in motion”).

The Nightblood example shows Kinetic Investiture Invests an Allomancer while he burns steel and the power is in transit. Nightblood intercepts this Investiture and instead consumes it. I think this example shows Kinetic Investiture doesn’t Fuel magic until it reaches its destination (the User). At that point, it becomes “static” Investiture (my word), held within the User and subject to his direction.

In summary,

Each system is powered by Fuel
Without which no magic can do.
Fuel’s usually Physical,
But sometimes it’s Spiritual,
Since Catalysts bring power too.

[@Calderis, you’re a terrible man.]

You can read the other magic component posts at General Theory, Focus, User, and Catalyst. Regards!

Edited August 28, 2017 by Confused
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