Shard Energy Usage

[arandomperson1234]

In different places, Shards were stated to either have large, but finite amounts of investiture, or else infinite amounts of investiture. The fact that Preservation was stated to have slightly less investiture than Ruin because he put more into Scadrial's people makes me think that the first more accurately describes the situation.

Does empowering people take investiture away from the Shard? If someone took up the power in the Well of Ascension and used it to make everyone on Scadrial into a mistborn, would it weaken Preservation? If the Ghostbloods start exporting stormlight in large amounts off Roshar, would it weaken Honor? Would natural population growth and the development of investiture-based technologies (medallions, fabrials, etc.) drain the shards further? Do the shards have enough investiture to sustain civilizations with trillions, quadrillions, or even more people, with lots of power users and magitech?

When someone gets allomantic pewter via a hemalurgic spike, who powers the usage of pewter by that person, Preservation (because Allomancy is of Preservation) or Ruin (because Hemalurgy is of Ruin)?

[Werewolff Studios he/him]

40 minutes ago, arandomperson1234 said:

In different places, Shards were stated to either have large, but finite amounts of investiture, or else infinite amounts of investiture. The fact that Preservation was stated to have slightly less investiture than Ruin because he put more into Scadrial's people makes me think that the first more accurately describes the situation.

Does empowering people take investiture away from the Shard? If someone took up the power in the Well of Ascension and used it to make everyone on Scadrial into a mistborn, would it weaken Preservation? If the Ghostbloods start exporting stormlight in large amounts off Roshar, would it weaken Honor? Would natural population growth and the development of investiture-based technologies (medallions, fabrials, etc.) drain the shards further? Do the shards have enough investiture to sustain civilizations with trillions, quadrillions, or even more people, with lots of power users and magitech?

When someone gets allomantic pewter via a hemalurgic spike, who powers the usage of pewter by that person, Preservation (because Allomancy is of Preservation) or Ruin (because Hemalurgy is of Ruin)?

As far as I understand it, each Shard has access to an infinite amount of Investiture, as they draw power from the Spiritual Realm, which is infinite (as far as we understand) as all Investiture eventually returns there. However, there is a finite amount that a Vessel can command at any one time, which is what prevents one Shard from accessing all Investiture at once and basically becoming Adonalsium. 

So Preservation doesn't have less Investiture than Ruin, but the Shard has placed some of that finite access into the humans they created, causing them to tend towards preserving more than ruining. So you would be correct - if a Shard made everyone on Scadrial a Mistborn it would weaken them somewhat. Exporting Stormlight though would not weaken Honor as the Spiritual Realm exists everywhere (though considering that specific Shard's been splintered, it wouldn't make much difference). 

The real kicker is that, even the finite power that a Shard is able to access, is capable of doing things like moving planets, creating and destroying geography and environments and maintaining magic systems (in Roshar's case) for thousands of years. It's such a massive well of power for any civilization to drain. It's kind of like wondering if humanity will ever get to the point where we use up all the energy within the universe. Theoretically it's possible, but is it plausible? 

Also, there's a difference between using Investiture and a Shard assigning Investiture. When Investiture is accessed and 'burned', it will eventually return to the Spiritual Realm to be used again. Even people who have Hemalurgic spikes will eventually die (in most cases - looking at you Marsh ) and whatever Investiture they had within them goes back into the Spiritual Realm. 

To answer that specific Hemalurgic question, it would still be Preservation powering the magic as far as I understand it, because you've essentially stabbed the Allomancer part of someone's soul onto yourself, making you an Allomancer. Ruin's power is drawn upon to cause that tear within the spiritweb itself. I could be wrong with this interpretation though, and welcome any critique. 

Hope that helps a little!

 

Edited January 12, 2023 by Werewolff Studios
Grammar

[alder24]

Not all Allomancy is fueled by Preservation - Atium and it's alloys are fueled by the Atium, Ruin investiture, itself.

Spoiler

Brandon Sanderson

Atium's Mechanism

Atium is, indeed, different from the other metals. When you burn most Allomantic metals, it opens a conduit through which you can draw upon Preservation's power and use it in very specific ways.

Atium doesn't do that. Atium is, itself, a fuel. When you burn it, the metal itself provides the power. A subtle distinction, I know, but it has to do with where the power is coming from. Most Allomancy is fueled by Preservation, but atium and malatium are fueled by Ruin.

This metal doesn't quite belong on the table where it has been placed.

The Hero of Ages Annotations (April 1, 2010)

I doubt making everyone into Mistborn would weaken Preservation - this rewrites Spiritual DNA of a person, making connections, but they are not invested with pure investiture (I think so), but they have connections in Spiritweb that allow them to use Aloomancy

Spoiler

Blightsong

Would it be harder for Jasnah to Soulcast a Knight Radiant?

Brandon Sanderson

Yes.

Questioner

Would it be harder for her to Soulcast a Mistborn?

Brandon Sanderson

Yes, Investiture resists Investiture. It's harder for her to even Soulcast a person than a rock, right?

Questioner

Is a Mistborn Invested?

Brandon Sanderson

The Mistborn, while they're burning the metal. They are not specifically Invested when they are not burning. When the Investiture becomes active, then yes. Before, no.

Blightsong

So Kelsier, he stayed around longer, not because he was Invested, but because he had the potential to use Investiture?

Brandon Sanderson

Over time using the magic will Invest you, on Scadrial. Most of the power is not coming from, on Roshar the power isn't coming from the person either [he cut himself off, so I assume this is how it works on Scadrial even though he didn't finish his thought] so I'm going to have to back up on that one and say, yes, the Mistborn are as Invested as a Knight Radiant, because in both cases the majority, bulk, of the power is coming from somewhere else, but there is the Spiritweb. Investing the wrong term, but you have all these connections in the Spiritual Realm, so yanking you away from them, or rewriting them is harder.

Questioner

Would they be harder with more Stormlight or metals burning?

Brandon Sanderson

Yes, yes. That would increase the difficulty ratio. For instance, wearing Shardplate is gonna be a great barrier, right, and things like that so yeah. The problem is like, Invested is the wrong term for that, their Spiritweb is connected in different ways.

OdysseyCon 2016 (April 8, 2016)

Investiture used by Allomancy returns to Preservation, so it isn't weakening him

Spoiler

Master_Moridin

Why does Preservation fueling Allomancy not weaken Preservation compared to Ruin?

Brandon Sanderson

Because the power, once used, returns to him--much as water, after passing over a turbine, continues on in its system.

17th Shard Forum Q&A (Sept. 28, 2012

 

Also, about hemalurgy - during the final battle in HoA, when Elend fights Marsh, Elend's allomancy was fueled directly by Vin and it looked like Ruin was doing the same to Marsh.

I do agree with the explanation above, but this fight makes me think that Ruin could fuel hemalurgic allomancy if needed.

Edited January 12, 2023 by alder24

[IlstrawberrySeed]

Brandon confirmed that both can fuel all three metallic arts, though Ruin is better at fueling hemalugy and Preservation better at Allomancy. They can probably fuel foreign magic as well.