Extraplanetary colonies

[+Oltux72]

I was wondering about the upcoming space age of the Cosmere. And I wondered how this would work in terms of settlements.

Let's look at the current (SA cycle 1 / W & W era) situation.

1. Magitech (fabrials, medaillons, awakend objects) are being developed
2. These technelogies will become a fundamental building block of the cultures they are developed in (North Scadrial so far is the exception)
3. They depend on unique resources. Allomancy and Feruchemy can operate everywhere. Medaillons cannot be built everywhere. You need Harmonium.

Hence it looks to me like Cosmere imperialism cannot have settler colonies (except to a limited extent from Scadrial). Anybody from Sel is powerless off world. The requirement for getting a Breath is residence on Nalthis. If you are a Singer your children will have to return to Roshar to get a form and you cannot just change out of mateform.

And in every case the mother world will perpetually control a vital resource. No Scadrian colony can revolt and declare independence without cutting itself off the Harmonium supply. How will this look politically?

[ScadrianTank]

2 hours ago, Oltux72 said:

These technelogies will become a fundamental building block of the cultures they are developed in (North Scadrial so far is the exception)

That so far is important because the last time we saw them, Idrians were not fond of Awakening, and some cultures on Sel didn't like Elantrians that much. It will take time for every culture to adapt to the magitech. 

2 hours ago, Oltux72 said:

Medaillons cannot be built everywhere. You need Harmonium.

Do we know that for a fact? IIRC, to make one, you have to blank your Identity, then store the ability to use another power in a nicrosil metalmind. There doesn't seem to be much need for harmonium.

2 hours ago, Oltux72 said:

Hence it looks to me like Cosmere imperialism cannot have settler colonies (except to a limited extent from Scadrial). Anybody from Sel is powerless off world. The requirement for getting a Breath is residence on Nalthis. If you are a Singer your children will have to return to Roshar to get a form and you cannot just change out of mateform.

And in every case the mother world will perpetually control a vital resource. No Scadrian colony can revolt and declare independence without cutting itself off the Harmonium supply. How will this look politically?

It does look like homeworlds will have a lot more influence over their colonies, and Scadrians have the largest advantage in the long run. The proximity and Connection requirements for Invested resources make it easier to settle their own systems with a large difficultly spike anywhere further. 

Colonization strategies would have to adapt to this by producing more tools that don't require Invested power sources, for example, the medallions or Nalthian awakened blades. If a colony can switch over to mostly using conventional technology once it's established, then independent colonies might be more common than we fear. But I agree, a colony going completely independent is unlikely - the best they can hope for would be pledging themselves to a different Shardworld. It really depends on whether they can remain self-sufficient by using only conventional tech or not.

[+Oltux72]

1 hour ago, ScadrianTank said:

That so far is important because the last time we saw them, Idrians were not fond of Awakening, and some cultures on Sel didn't like Elantrians that much. It will take time for every culture to adapt to the magitech. 

They won't. It would be extraordinarily unlikely for all cultures in the Cosmere to survive up to its space age. Vasher was a fool, frankly.

1 hour ago, ScadrianTank said:

Do we know that for a fact? IIRC, to make one, you have to blank your Identity, then store the ability to use another power in a nicrosil metalmind. There doesn't seem to be much need for harmonium.

For the small wearable ones, no, we don't know for sure. The starter cubes and the big ones that drive the air ships, yes, they are confirmed to use Harmonium. Maybe I should have used clear definitions.

1 hour ago, ScadrianTank said:

It does look like homeworlds will have a lot more influence over their colonies, and Scadrians have the largest advantage in the long run. The proximity and Connection requirements for Invested resources make it easier to settle their own systems with a large difficultly spike anywhere further. 

Settle, yes, rule, no.

That is the other side of the coin. The natives are in deep trouble. They cannot learn how to make magitech weapons, or rather, they can, but it does them no good. If you rule First of the Sun, you will control the supply of Aviars. If you rule Scadrial, you'll control the supply of Harmonium and maybe Atium. There is nothing conquered worlds can do about that.

In fact, if you rule multiple worlds, you will have the synergies of their aracane arts working in your favor. It seems like the Cosmere is built for empire.

1 hour ago, ScadrianTank said:

Colonization strategies would have to adapt to this by producing more tools that don't require Invested power sources, for example, the medallions or Nalthian awakened blades.

But they do. Breaths come from Nalthis. You cannot make new Blades without resources from Nalthis.

1 hour ago, ScadrianTank said:

 If a colony can switch over to mostly using conventional technology once it's established, then independent colonies might be more common than we fear.

Actually, I do not fear that. It looks like an interesting consequence to me.

1 hour ago, ScadrianTank said:

But I agree, a colony going completely independent is unlikely - the best they can hope for would be pledging themselves to a different Shardworld. It really depends on whether they can remain self-sufficient by using only conventional tech or not.

Well, no. Imperial powers usually do not react with approval to declarations of independence. You need to fight their troops. And here I see a shift of the power balance.

[ScadrianTank]

3 hours ago, Oltux72 said:

But they do. Breaths come from Nalthis. You cannot make new Blades without resources from Nalthis.

I meant that you don't have to keep Awakened constructs supplied Investiture for them to work.