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Being a TinEyes - Mistborn Arc 1


Soulcaster05

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Hi Guys!

The newest member of the 17th Shard, at your service. :)

So I was re-reading Mistborn Arc 1, and I found something strange. Maybe it's just that I haven't noticed/realised why it's perfectly valid, so humor me please!

When someone burns Tin, their physical senses are enhanced - they can see clearer, hear lower volumes, etc. 

Within a Coppercloud, all usage of Allomancy is hidden - nobody can feel anyone give Allomantic pulses. I assume this doesn't apply to anyone being able to discern conversation within a Coppercloud, right? A Tineye should be able to hear things going on within a Coppercloud.

Spoiler

Throughout the "Hero of Ages", Vin and Elend keep discussing in low voices (one such example is Vin and Elend discussing their plan to sneak Vin into the Fadrex City's cache right before they enter the Canton building for a ball). Obviously Yomen has Tineye hidden listening for such conversations.

How do our main characters get away with some of their plotting?

Edited by Soulcaster05
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I think you are basically correct: a coppercloud won't prevent a tineye from hearing what is going on within, because a coppercloud blocks investiture not physical sounds.

to your other question, tineyes still have limitations, and soft speech blocked by walls, or surrounded by other sounds will be harder and harder to hear.  A good tineye might be able to pick out one soft conversation amongst dozens, an a savant could probably manage it, but just your average tineye would have trouble.  likewise for walls and additional distance - the more obstructions and distance between the source of the sound and the listener, the harder it is to hear, same as for anyone, really, its just that the tineye has a better baseline because of their enhanced senses.  Most of the crew have experience with mistbron and tineyes, and would generally be familiar with what a tineye's limitations are, and would probably be able to keep themselves unheard by any but a savant.

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Welcome!

That's correct, Copperclouds dont block all Allomancy, rather they keeps somebody using Bronze from detecting the use of investiture, but Copper wont affect physical phenomena like sound.  So a good old fashioned eavesdropper would still be a danger to them. But in that case our own cold war tactics should work, like thick walls and lots of background noise (one of the benefits of scheming in an active workshop).  It's also worth noting that Tin is one of the more problematic powers in allomancy, in that there is a pronounced risk of dependency and overload, and unlike Feruchemy you have to boost all 5 senses together.  Those downsides make it less likely for them to have to worry about blanket surveillance, and if their enemies know enough to put a listener on their hideout then it's all over already. 

 

 

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Bear in mind that for most of the story the protagonists have multiple people able to use A-Bronze. As long as they use it before a coppercloud goes up (or they're standing outside it) they can tell if someone in the vicinity is trying to spy on them with A-Tin and plan accordingly if they aren't already in an environment that will make the Tineye's job difficult.

Also, welcome to the Shard!

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