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Theories about Future Magic Implications


honorblades

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I have been thinking a lot recently about the future of the Cosmere, 20-30 or so real-life years from now when we are deep into Era 4 Mistborn, Space Age Cosmere type stuff. The most interesting thing to me being, what are some of the future implications of the magic that we see right now, and how will the magic / tech we see right now evolve in the future? Allow me to explain. 

 

- The Ones Above from Sixth of the Dusk as an example of an obscured technology/application of magic. In Sixth, the Ones Above traveled to the planet through interstellar space - this is already unusual for the Cosmere as we know it, as far as worldhopping goes. We then see this unidentified civilization or group use technology to achieve magic-centric results (In this case, a translation device that can also search for Aviar.) 

-This is it could be a variety of planets - For example, this could be fabrial technology from Roshar, or an evolution of the medallion tech from Scadrial, or it could be a pure technology invention from somewhere like Taldain. ([1] [2]) What we do know, is that the Ones Above are in fact a group we have met before. ([1] [2] [3])

 

- Breaths from Nalthis can be used to give objects sentience, even objects that were never alive in the first place (the classic example of Nightblood, a Type IV Awakened entity.) This could, as others have postulated, lead to the creation of a computer that is truly alive. How would an Awakened computer differ from an AI construct, physically, spiritually, and in the cognitive realm? 

 

- Stormlight Archive occurs relatively early in the timeline of the Cosmere, and we know from this wob that "It's technically possible to make [shardblades] from other magic systems). We have demonstrable evidence of this in the case of the shardblades of Nalthian origin, but this is a good indication of other things as well.

Could a Seon, perhaps, become a shardblade? (Hint: the answer appears to be yes (wob)).

 

- We haven't even started on the Sleepless, who are "not confined to Roshar" ([1] [2]) and "will have a major role in Era 4" (3). My theory for them is that the Sleepless will be used as some sort of instantaneous communication network in the physical realm, for spaceships and such. If that theory holds true, I think it lends support that the Ones Above are, in fact, Rosharan.

 

So, I want to hear your theories on what seemingly innocuous thing in the Cosmere will have bigger implications in the Space Age Era. Put on your aluminum foil hat and just start typing.

Thanks for reading! 

Edited by vegvisr
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38 minutes ago, vegvisr said:

- The Ones Above from Sixth of the Dusk as an example of an obscured technology/application of magic. In Sixth, the Ones Above traveled to the planet through interstellar space - this is already unusual for the Cosmere as we know it, as far as worldhopping goes. We then see this unidentified civilization or group use technology to achieve magic-centric results (In this case, a translation device that can also search for Aviar.) 

My bet is on 4th era scadrians. Some sort of bronze/harmonium set up.

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3 hours ago, vegvisr said:

I have been thinking a lot recently about the future of the Cosmere, 20-30 or so real-life years from now when we are deep into Era 4 Mistborn, Space Age Cosmere type stuff. The most interesting thing to me being, what are some of the future implications of the magic that we see right now, and how will the magic / tech we see right now evolve in the future? Allow me to explain.

Hemalurgy, lot's and lot's of Hemalurgy, that is the future.

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8 hours ago, Frustration said:

Hemalurgy, lot's and lot's of Hemalurgy, that is the future.

This. Once Hemalurgy is recognised outside of Scadrial there will be spikes flying all over the place. At that point the saying "don't trust anyone pierced by metal" will really hold true. 

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10 hours ago, Frustration said:

Hemalurgy, lot's and lot's of Hemalurgy, that is the future.

Exactly. Three possibilities, however, not mutually exclusive

  1. Manufacture of an artificial spike (Awakening?)
  2. Actual observation of the spirit web
  3. Computational Hemalurgy - Rashek had no capacity to compute a lot of data. It you really go for millions of rats, a lot could be deduced
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From here:

Quote

AndrewStirlingMacDonald

So there are many--According to Sixth of the Dusk, there are many commonly known aviar talents, can you give us a couple? Like examples we haven’t seen yet?

Brandon Sanderson

Those are from the notes, I’d have to dig them out. Let’s just say they’ll be very useful for navigation in the future.

Calamity Philadelphia signing (Feb. 20, 2016)

 

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What I'm hoping to see is proper Radiant Twinborns, Scadrians with spren bonded. The synergistic potential between the different possible sets of 4 powers alone would be MADDENINGLY interesting to see even a handful of examples in Era 4. A Bronze misting alone can indeed hear Surges (like the Screamer voidspren in Kholinar during Oathbringer), and even the Rhythms (which makes me wonder about Metalborn/Hemalurgic Parshendi...).

We also have WoB that allomantic duralumin would let you super-burn Stormlight for use in a surge, which could prove destructively potent with the right application (Gamma-ray Illumination laser, anyone?). Duralumin gnats would find use in their power with that, for one.

Speaking of Duralumin Gnats and their powers finding uses, my theory of Power Sharing Medallions could come to fruition later on in the cosmere. Basically, a Medallion with F-Aluminum and F-Nicrosil that someone uses to put their natural-born metal power inside an Unkeyed Nicrosilmind, and then pass that Medallion to the receiver who then taps the power back out of that Unkeyed Nicrosilmind. It would be like a Nalthian Breath transfer, but for allomancy and feruchemy. Duralumin Gnats wouldn't need to be spiked Hemalurgically to give their allomancy to other mistings or other magic users.

Also with Seons needing something to "pull them more into the Physical" to become a Shardblade, I wonder if that could be achieved with some sort of Connection manipulation, either with a Bondsmith or perhaps some trickery with F-Duralumin. If a Seon could "touch" a medallion and use it, an F-Duralumin medallion filled with Connection to the Physical realm from a person might be usable for that.

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On 4/24/2020 at 10:17 PM, Halyo_Alex said:

What I'm hoping to see is proper Radiant Twinborns, Scadrians with spren bonded. The synergistic potential between the different possible sets of 4 powers alone would be MADDENINGLY interesting to see even a handful of examples in Era 4. A Bronze misting alone can indeed hear Surges (like the Screamer voidspren in Kholinar during Oathbringer), and even the Rhythms (which makes me wonder about Metalborn/Hemalurgic Parshendi...).

We also have WoB that allomantic duralumin would let you super-burn Stormlight for use in a surge, which could prove destructively potent with the right application (Gamma-ray Illumination laser, anyone?). Duralumin gnats would find use in their power with that, for one.

Speaking of Duralumin Gnats and their powers finding uses, my theory of Power Sharing Medallions could come to fruition later on in the cosmere. Basically, a Medallion with F-Aluminum and F-Nicrosil that someone uses to put their natural-born metal power inside an Unkeyed Nicrosilmind, and then pass that Medallion to the receiver who then taps the power back out of that Unkeyed Nicrosilmind. It would be like a Nalthian Breath transfer, but for allomancy and feruchemy. Duralumin Gnats wouldn't need to be spiked Hemalurgically to give their allomancy to other mistings or other magic users.

Also with Seons needing something to "pull them more into the Physical" to become a Shardblade, I wonder if that could be achieved with some sort of Connection manipulation, either with a Bondsmith or perhaps some trickery with F-Duralumin. If a Seon could "touch" a medallion and use it, an F-Duralumin medallion filled with Connection to the Physical realm from a person might be usable for that.

I want this now, but I have to wait thirty years.

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On 4/24/2020 at 11:17 PM, Halyo_Alex said:

What I'm hoping to see is proper Radiant Twinborns, Scadrians with spren bonded. The synergistic potential between the different possible sets of 4 powers alone would be MADDENINGLY interesting to see even a handful of examples in Era 4. A Bronze misting alone can indeed hear Surges (like the Screamer voidspren in Kholinar during Oathbringer), and even the Rhythms (which makes me wonder about Metalborn/Hemalurgic Parshendi...).

We also have WoB that allomantic duralumin would let you super-burn Stormlight for use in a surge, which could prove destructively potent with the right application (Gamma-ray Illumination laser, anyone?). Duralumin gnats would find use in their power with that, for one.

This is exactly the type of stuff I am wondering about. I feel like, unless things go terribly horribly wrong on Roshar, there is a good chance of some people of Scadrian heritage eventually settling there. I agree, there's definitely some awesome power combo potential there, we just might have to wait a while to see it.. 

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On 4/24/2020 at 5:53 AM, Dancer said:

This. Once Hemalurgy is recognised outside of Scadrial there will be spikes flying all over the place. At that point the saying "don't trust anyone pierced by metal" will really hold true. 

You are certainly correct on this one, but it's just so.. evil. I am also wondering exactly how much experimentation would be required to correctly steal the attributes you want from someone - didn't Rashek experiment with it for hundreds of years and only find a few new bind-points? 

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41 minutes ago, vegvisr said:

You are certainly correct on this one, but it's just so.. evil. I am also wondering exactly how much experimentation would be required to correctly steal the attributes you want from someone - didn't Rashek experiment with it for hundreds of years and only find a few new bind-points? 

He only found 3 uses for Hemalurgy. and additionally there are bind points that he couldn't use because the powers hadn't been found yet.

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Oh this is fun.  I think Threnody's unknown magic system has potential.  We know that shadows can move through the CR(MB SH) and Nazh has that weird ghoostgun(Nici Savage short story).  Can't wait to see those guys.  I also think that sand masters are overlooked in terms of their capacity to do synergy with mechanical systems.  I want to see a coinshot in self powered power armor.

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8 hours ago, Halyo_Alex said:

Yeah but those are 2 spikes in a mistwraith, I'm talking 4 copper spikes in a human, like how a Koloss is 4 iron spikes in a human.

TLR wanted stupid minions with a built-in self-destruct.

18 hours ago, vegvisr said:

You are certainly correct on this one, but it's just so.. evil. I am also wondering exactly how much experimentation would be required to correctly steal the attributes you want from someone - didn't Rashek experiment with it for hundreds of years and only find a few new bind-points? 

Looking for new bind points was likely his mistake. And he had an ideological problem correcting mistakes.

Look how an Inquisitor is made. They have pins, like the lynchpin spike that make no sense on their own. You cannot understand an advanced construct by adding up the spikes. They interact.

6 hours ago, Karger said:

We know that shadows can move through the CR(MB SH)

Sort of. They may need living officers with mechanical aids or bonds to pull that off. Though you are raising and omitting a point. How did they get into the CR?

6 hours ago, Karger said:

and Nazh has that weird ghoostgun(Nici Savage short story).  Can't wait to see those guys.

When did he get that? He was ready to pull a knife against Kelsier.

6 hours ago, Karger said:

I also think that sand masters are overlooked in terms of their capacity to do synergy with mechanical systems.  I want to see a coinshot in self powered power armor.

Iff they find a way to recharge their sand. Then they got a cheap form of semi-telekinesis.

 

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3 hours ago, Oltux72 said:

Sort of. They may need living officers with mechanical aids or bonds to pull that off. Though you are raising and omitting a point. How did they get into the CR?

We don't know that. The IRE have anti shadow defenses.

3 hours ago, Oltux72 said:

When did he get that? He was ready to pull a knife against Kelsier.

He had it in Era two.  Don't know when and how he got it.

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13 hours ago, Karger said:

He had it in Era two.  Don't know when and how he got it.

Let me expand. Is this just very old technology or very new technology? Is it a relict of Threnody's original technology that got lost when the Evil struck or has there been a major breakthrough on Threnody? It would make sense for somebody going into the CR by some freak accident to be wearing his personal weapon or device that can be used as a weapon. But if Nazh gets a new device from Threnody, Threnody must have developed a way to reopen travel into the CR.

That he did not draw it against Kelsier could be explained by such a weapon simply not working in the CR.

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1 hour ago, Oltux72 said:

Let me expand. Is this just very old technology or very new technology? Is it a relict of Threnody's original technology that got lost when the Evil struck or has there been a major breakthrough on Threnody?

Or is some theoretical thing from Threnody that only Silverlight has figured out...

1 hour ago, Oltux72 said:

That he did not draw it against Kelsier could be explained by such a weapon simply not working in the CR.

Or that he was relaxing at home not preparing for a mission.

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1 hour ago, Karger said:

Or is some theoretical thing from Threnody that only Silverlight has figured out...

But where would Silverlight find a Threnodian ghost? Assuming they would not just use a normal cognitive shadow. These people ought to have some ethics.

1 hour ago, Karger said:

Or that he was relaxing at home not preparing for a mission.

On a world where a Shard is in death throes, a most dangerous Shard has been released recently after thousands of years of captivity? With the Ire reported to be around?

I am afraid if there ever was an opportunity to be armed as heavily as possible, that will be it.

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1 hour ago, Oltux72 said:

But where would Silverlight find a Threnodian ghost? Assuming they would not just use a normal cognitive shadow. These people ought to have some ethics.

They might be able to nab one from the cognitive side. 

1 hour ago, Oltux72 said:

On a world where a Shard is in death throes, a most dangerous Shard has been released recently after thousands of years of captivity? With the Ire reported to be around?

Out of range near the conclusion of a prolonged shardic reselling match that was still taking the efforts of both parties.  Khriss being Khriss would have taken reasonable safety measures but it is not like is Ruin got on the loose their was anything Khriss could do if he actually wanted to kill her.

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20 hours ago, Karger said:

Out of range near the conclusion of a prolonged shardic reselling match that was still taking the efforts of both parties.  Khriss being Khriss would have taken reasonable safety measures but it is not like is Ruin got on the loose their was anything Khriss could do if he actually wanted to kill her.

If she were fully unarmed, I would buy that. But she carried a pistol. No, if you go armed at all, you go as heavily armed as possible.

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32 minutes ago, Oltux72 said:

If she were fully unarmed, I would buy that. But she carried a pistol. No, if you go armed at all, you go as heavily armed as possible.

She had it strapped to her side she was not carrying it around.  Khriss is a professional scholar not a soldier.  Because of this she needs a weapon that is easy to use in an emergency(a gun). Nazh only needs a knife because he has more field experience.  A unloaded gun is not useful in an emergency.  Basic firearm safety requires not leaving a loaded weapon lying around.  Also there is such a thing as overkill.

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