My First Theory: Iron/Steel Feruchemical Duality (AoL Spoilers)

[MistLord]

Soo... this is my first theory, so please go easy on me. 

 

Steel Feruchemy was the first thing to strike me as odd when reading the Mistborn books. Whereas all the other metals accounted for some quantifiable, scientific attribute, the idea of being able to speed was very off. Speed - which is the result of inertia, wind resistance, force to accelerate, etc,. It also struck be as odd that while Steel and Iron are partners in Allomancy (Push and Pull), Iron and Steel are two fundamentally different ideas, being that of weight and speed. 

 

This is where my theory starts.

 

Reading Alloy of Law for the first few times, I began to realise that certain Feruchemical effects are insulated to the user, as when Wax comments that his own body is strengthened in some way when he taps Iron as his own body doesn't collapse under his own weight (and he is able to easily lift his arms above his head). The inverse becomes true as well, as he also comments that when storing his Ironminds that he couldn't store too much lest his own clothes begin to weigh him down.

 

Here's the important part: This basically means that whatever weight Wax becomes, his own idea of his weight in relation to himself is the same. It is merely the effect on his environment that shows how much he weighs. 

 

So when Wax becomes lighter, everything seems heavier, and vice versa.

 

This is where the idea of Steel minds came from. Essentially, it does what iron minds do in reverse - storing it makes you seem heavier to yourself, while tapping it makes you feel as light as a feather. It is easy to equate this to speed. 

 

So essentially, iron minds store the 'external weight' - your weight in relation to everyone else, whilst steel minds store a kind of 'internal weight' - your weight in relation to yourself (except in reverse, where storing makes you seem heavier). 

 

(this came from me wondering why Wax never stored his iron minds to make himself faster, till I realised his speed was the same no matter how much he stored or tapped)

 

 

EDIT: As Skaa points out, my underlined summary was a bit misleading. Updated (though it doesn't sound as crisp now   ). From Brandon's viewpoint, I suppose the added benefits while tapping should always be more than that of storing, which is why it's that way (otherwise people will just be constantly storing). From a realmatic viewpoint... I suppose it takes more energy to make you seem lighter than it is to feel heavier (think lethargy).

Edited April 9, 2014 by Aldurnamiyanrandvora

[bartbug]

This is a really great first theory. Well thought out, and it fits reasonably well in a realmatic sense. Have an upvote.

[Tempus]

I agree, I like this theory. Can you extend it to other feruchemical properties easily?

[skaa]

There's only one problem I see here: If steelminds store "internal weight", then storing would make the person faster (since he'll feel lighter the more "internal weight" he stores) while tapping would make him slower (since he gains "internal weight"). But Steel Feruchemy does the exact opposite in that storing makes you slower and tapping makes you faster.

[MistLord]

There's only one problem I see here: If steelminds store "internal weight", then storing would make the person faster (since he'll feel lighter the more "internal weight" he stores) while tapping would make him slower (since he gains "internal weight"). But Steel Feruchemy does the exact opposite in that storing makes you slower and tapping makes you faster.

Sorry, you're right: Steel stores whatever countermeasure there is to 'internal weight', making you seem heavier, while tapping makes you seem very light, and therefore able to move faster. Just bad wording on my part. Will update OP. 

[MistLord]

I agree, I like this theory. Can you extend it to other feruchemical properties easily?

 

Sorry for the long wait, Tempus. I've actually been thinking long and hard on what you mean. 

 

The only thing I could think of is this (and please bear with, this won't be fully formulated, and if I do refine this properly, I'll post it later).

 

I'll refer to allomancy with this.

 

Within allomancy, we know that each metal is paired - one Pulls, and one Pushes - as is the case of external mental metals, where we have Brass is the Pushing metal that Soothes emotions. 

 

If we take these predefined concepts of what is a Pushing and what is a Pulling metal, we find that Steel would be Pushing. By this logic, we will assume that Pushing metals affect one internally (your perception of an attribute) while Pulling metals affect one externally (your attribute on the world). 

 

Now if we assume these more or less groundless deductions are correct, we can take this concept of Pushing and Pulling to the other metals. In Brass and Zinc, Pushing and Pulling metals respectively - where Brass Feruchemically stores warmth and Zinc stores 'speed of thought'. Taking my new concepts into play, Brass would be the metal that affects one internally , and Zinc affects one externally. Brass we can understand, as by storing warmth - or rather your perception of what is warm (from the Ars Arcaneum, "storing makes you cool") is definitely what would fall into what we understand to be 'internal'. However, it is hard to understand how 'speed of thought' would be an external attribute. I bring back the previous definition however "Pulling metals affect one externally (your attribute on the world)". The speed of your own thoughts relative to yourself would definitely be at a standstill, but in relation to the rest of the world, there would definitely be a change. I would say this would be an affirmation on that half of the theory. 

 

Unlike Steel and Iron, where weight is the same attribute that's stored but in a different manner, Brass and Zinc store something far less similar. In may be possible that it is something to do with one being a relationship between Brass relating to the peripheral nervous system while Zinc relates to the central nervous system. If I ever do a full theory, I'll post of it in full. 

 

Hope that wasn't too much of a mouthful, and apologies for the lack of structure... 

[PorridgeBrick]

I wouldn't bother with Feruchemical brass or Feruchemical electrum. The only reason they have the powers they have is because Brandon accidentally switched up the two and doesn't want to retcon the error. Try testing the theory on pairs that were meant to have their attributes, like Tin and Pewter, Aluminum and Duralumin, Copper and Bronze, etc.

[Kurkistan]

Not so fast, Porridge. Brandon might have made a mistake initially, but as of this moment the idea is that the feruchemical metals are split up Realmatically. So it may be that exactly how Heat ends up being Cognitive is a little twisty, but it should still be such at the end of the day.

[MistLord]

The only trouble I'm having with pairings is Cadmium and Bendalloy. The similarities of oxygenation of blood along with nutritional storage seem like they are an almost Allomantic pairing rather than a Feruchemical one. The rest more or less fall in line (except Chromium, because I'm not confident of how 'fortune' is stored, but it seems similar enough to external investiture). 

 

Also, on note of Electrum and Brass, I'm sure if Brandon did provide some logic towards the pairings of metals, then they must still be able to be hand waved as fitting the formula somehow (as I don't believe Brandon would be so lax as to not retcon something like that).