Allomancer with a Larkin: Terrifying?

[Halyo_Alex]

So, I realized this shortly after reading some of the pre-release chapters for RoW (not going to spoil them) because they reminded me of Chiri-Chiri and the Larkins in general, and their ability to consume Investiture and get bigger.

If there was an Allomancer around, could a Larkin feed on their allomantic power output to grow? Sort of like how Nightblood will consume an Allomancer's allomantic effect while burning to feed himself instead of consuming their soul. If that's the case, an Allomancer could intentionally feed a Larkin and turn it into a Lanceryn (er... If that's actually how you spell that/what a fully grown Larkin is called), and be the Rosharan equivalent of a Dragon Rider or something absurd like that, instead of having to give it Stormlight periodically via spheres or highstorms. Of course, Allomantic strength becomes the deciding factor in how quick the Larkin would grow, then, so a direct Lerasium mistborn burning every metal at once (barring aluminum and duralumin) would probably be the most effective type of allomancer to feed a Larkin with.

Just a random shower-ish thought I had and wanted to put out there for consideration.

[+Invocation]

That brings up another question: (also RoW spoilers tho)

Spoiler

Can Dalinar just infuse a larkin and stimulate its growth?

 

[Halyo_Alex]

4 hours ago, Invocation said:

That brings up another question: (also RoW spoilers tho)

  Hide contents

Can Dalinar just infuse a larkin and stimulate its growth?

 

...Oh.
Oh storms.
...Now I can't unsee Dalinar riding into battle on a Chasmfiend-sized Larkin.

[Gears]

Could a Feruchemist charge a larkin by storing or tapping metalminds? Either the metalmind simply doesn't get filled because the larkin devours it, or as soon as the Feruchemist taps the metalmind, the larkin will feast on the attribute. Do storing and tapping actually use Investiture? 

What about shades? Could a larkin devour a shade in its entirety? Would taking a larkin to Threnody cleanse the planet? Would it be moral to uproot a way of life to save the people from near-certain death? 

Breath. Would a larkin drain the Breath from people who have it, or only from a person actively Awakening? Could a Returned even be near a larkin?

Elantris. I would imagine that Aons would be rendered inactive and soulstamps just wouldn't take effect. 

Hoid. I have absolutely no idea, but I want to see it.

[Hoidolasium]

On 7/30/2020 at 9:40 PM, Gears said:

Do storing and tapping actually use Investiture? 

Feruchemy is perfectly end-neutral - you get out exactly what you put in. 

On 7/30/2020 at 9:40 PM, Gears said:

Would taking a larkin to Threnody cleanse the planet?

Yeah, but what's on the main continent? It's clearly not just Shades since they deal with them fine on the subcontinent.

On 7/30/2020 at 9:40 PM, Gears said:

Breath. Would a larkin drain the Breath from people who have it, or only from a person actively Awakening?

I don't think Larkin can take Investiture from anything that isn't releasing it, although that's really just my headcanon.

[Halyo_Alex]

4 hours ago, Hoidolasium said:

Feruchemy is perfectly end-neutral - you get out exactly what you put in. 

Yeah. Even the extra investiture needed to tap huge amounts comes from the feruchemical reserve itself, so it actually becomes slightly end-negative at high output rates.

4 hours ago, Hoidolasium said:

Yeah, but what's on the main continent? It's clearly not just Shades since they deal with them fine on the subcontinent.

"The Evil," which afaik is a splinter of Ambition. So, a lot of Investiture to consume, for sure, but if the Larkin could stay safe long enough, it would probably be able to eat it all.

Or you could send Nightblood over there to Destroy the Evil...

4 hours ago, Hoidolasium said:

I don't think Larkin can take Investiture from anything that isn't releasing it, although that's really just my headcanon.

I think it works on the same realmatics as Chromium allomancy (leeching), so I'd imagine it's similar on a case-by-case basis. Not exactly the same, I'd say, but very comparable.

[+Bzhydack]

12 hours ago, Halyo_Alex said:

Or you could send Nightblood over there to Destroy the Evil...

Briliant! Use Nightblood to clean Threnody. But is Nightblood capable of absorbing whole Splinter?

[Innovation]

Breaths are sticky. Once they are put in an object, they stay there forever. Stormlight, on the other hand, has been described as “wanting to flow.” In the same sense that you (presumably) can’t change Stormlight into Breaths, a Larkin probably would not be able to steal Breaths from people. Even if it could, Larkin consume Stormlight. They have likely evolved to do so, and may have some trouble consuming other types of Investitiure.  

[+Bzhydack]

1 minute ago, Innovation said:

In the same sense that you (presumably) can’t change Stormlight into Breaths,

You can use Stormlight and Breaths to fuel the same thing - this is why Vasher/Zahel is now on Roshar, he fuel his Returned Breath with Stormlight. Investiture can be converted one into other, with less or more trouble.

Quote

Starsight Release Party (Nov. 26, 2019)
#4 Share Copy

 

Play/Pause

 

Mason Wheeler

So, Vasher has been on Roshar to live off the Stormlight. Does he know about larkins?

Brandon Sanderson

He has heard of larkins.

Mason Wheeler

How afraid of them is he?

Brandon Sanderson

He is happy that are all supposedly extinct. They would kill him.

So yes, Larkin can feed on Breaths.

[Innovation]

Returned feed on Investiture, not Breath. Awakening uses Breaths. Vasher can fuel his Returned Breath with Stormlight, but my theory is that he cannot awaken with it, considering the properties of Stormlight compared to Breaths. 

[+Bzhydack]

3 hours ago, Innovation said:

Returned feed on Investiture, not Breath.

Breaths ARE Investiture. And Investiture CAN be converted one into another. Noone yet know how to do that, but it can be done.

https://wob.coppermind.net/events/379/#e12667

https://wob.coppermind.net/events/102/#e977

[Shardsplinter]

On 2/8/2020 at 0:10 PM, Bzhydack said:

You can use Stormlight and Breaths to fuel the same thing - this is why Vasher/Zahel is now on Roshar, he fuel his Returned Breath with Stormlight. Investiture can be converted one into other, with less or more trouble.

So yes, Larkin can feed on Breaths.

Ever since I read this I can't get out of my head the image of all the main characters doing some sort of breefing( that Rysn it's participating on For some reason) and suddenly brave and serious Zahel walks in just to leave terroriced screaming "hey that devil creature away from me" looking at Chiri-Chiri. Imagine the surprise and confussion in everyones's faces lol

[NoctemSanguis]

On 8/2/2020 at 5:43 AM, Bzhydack said:

Briliant! Use Nightblood to clean Threnody. But is Nightblood capable of absorbing whole Splinter?

It might be possible, but so far Bradon has RAFOed this.

Quote

Oudeis16

We've seen people Ascend. If it were in the position to do so, could Nightblood take up a Shard?

Brandon Sanderson

This is a RAFO, as I'm not specifically willing to comment on whether or not power that has become self-aware (Seons, Nightblood, Spren) can Ascend or not.

/r/books AMA 2015 (June 24, 2015)

 

[Halyo_Alex]

On 8/21/2020 at 8:49 PM, NoctemSanguis said:

It might be possible, but so far Bradon has RAFOed this.

 

Personal hypothesis is that you need at least a decent Connection to the Physical realm to Ascend, and a weak one will mean you can't use the Shard properly

[Mistborn Secret History]

Spoiler

(a la a certain Cognitive Shadow)

 

[spaidapig]

On 2.8.2020 at 11:43 AM, Bzhydack said:

Briliant! Use Nightblood to clean Threnody. But is Nightblood capable of absorbing whole Splinter?

I think this should depend on how highly invested the Splinter is. Spren ans Aons are also considered splinters and a shardblade is able to kill Spren. This was confirmed via WoB and we actually see Kaladin destroy a Voidspren in OB. So after all, Nightblood is like a Shardblade so destroying and absorbing Splinters should be no problem for him.

Quote

Pinpoint

Can Shardblades kill spren?

Brandon Sanderson

Theoretically, yes.

Footnote: Kaladin uses Syl to kill a voidspren in Oathbringer.
Words of Radiance release party (March 3, 2014)

 

 

To Larkins and other Types of Investiture

On Scadrial:

On 31.7.2020 at 3:40 AM, Gears said:

Could a Feruchemist charge a larkin by storing or tapping metalminds?

I'm not 100% sure, but when a Feruchemist stores an attribut it is stored via Investiture. It is called End-neutral because the Investiture doesn't come directly from a Shard, but is provided by the Feruchemist himself. AND it isn't lost, the metalmind will hold the charge forever, unless it is tapped.

That the metalmind really holds Investiture can be seen in Mistborn, as Wax isn't able to push on an charged metalmind, and the fact, that a metalmind could block Shardblades, because Investiture resist other Investiture.

So theoretically, as Larkins feed of Investiture, they could simly "eat" the charge from the metalmind.

Considering this WoB, it came to my mind, that maybe a Larkin cannot feed off Identitiy-locked Investiture like metalminds or awakened objects.

Quote

coltonx9

Are there types of Investiture that the larkin can't consume?

Brandon Sanderson

Yes, I would say that there are, but it's going to depend on the state they're in. Pure Investiture, a larkin is always going to probably be able to grab, but lots of people can get pure Investiture. Kinetic Investiture they're are gonna have a good chance at being able to grab, but they can't get everything.

Idaho Falls signing (Dec. 29, 2018)

 

On top, I think that a Larkin could be able to drain the Investiture from a Hemalurgic Spike. If this is really possible, would they loose their Hemalurgic use ans simply return to a normal metalspike?

The third metallic art, allomancy, only uses Investiture when the metal is burned and I think this is where the Larkin will interrupt. So an allomancer starts burning his metal, but with a Larkin nearby he cannot use allomancy. But the metal per se should not be effected.

 

On Nalthis:

On 31.7.2020 at 3:40 AM, Gears said:

Breath. Would a larkin drain the Breath from people who have it, or only from a person actively Awakening? Could a Returned even be near a larkin?

I see no problem in Larkins draining Breaths from people and I think that Returned should really fear the presence of Larkins. Would people from Nalthis end up as a drab when they meet a Larkin? Seems pretty nasty to me.

Other question: Can it feed off awakened objects?

If yes: Nightblood vs. Larkin seems pretty interesting to me.

Also, could a Larkin drain Breath from a Lifeless? Imho this could be working.

 

On Sel:

On 31.7.2020 at 3:40 AM, Gears said:

Elantris. I would imagine that Aons would be rendered inactive and soulstamps just wouldn't take effect. 

This is exactly would I thought of too.

 

On Taldain:

Spoiler

We know another creature that feeds off Investiture. I belive that the Sandlings on Dayside can live by consuming the Investiture from the Sand in the desert.  

Could a Larkin drain Inverstiture from the Sand?

We know that there are microbes in the Sand that turn it white and they can hold the Investiture that is "raining" down from the Dayside sun.

So I assume that a Larkin could eat that Investiture as well.