Trellium Hemalurgy's Mechanics

[Trusk'our he/him]

In The Lost Metal, we see that Trellium spikes are used by Set Members to sidestep being Controlled by Harmony, but they are still able to be controlled by Autonomy. We also see that Allomancers with Trellium spikes are still able to use Allomancy, which is powered by utilizing a Connection to Preservation to draw on Preservation's Investiture (or possibly Ruin's, if the power is granted by a Hemalurgic spike). 

This left me confused, since an individual would need a Connection to Harmony in order to utilize their powers, but that leaves them open to influence and even outright control if they bear more than three Hemalurgic spikes.

Trellium must then, I figure, rewrite one's Connection, transferring it from whatever Shard they were Connected to before and Connecting them instead to Autonomy since an individual must be Connected to something. The Set's Allomantic powers are probably powered entirely by Autonomy's Investiture, since Allomancy would still need a Shard to fuel them, and those pierced by Trellium wouldn't be Connected to Harmony anymore, and thus wouldn't be able to draw on its Investiture.

I bet that if this is the case, Trellium-other Godmetal alloy would rewrite one's Connection to any Shard that the Trellium was alloyed with, similar to how Lerasium can grant a Connection to and powers from any shard when alloyed with that Shard's metal.

[alder24]

Preservation wasn't able to control Mistborns in Era 1, even Vin wan't doing this to Elend, so I don't think this Set has to avoid this connection. This is too weak. Cracks in the spirit web are what allows Harmony or Shard to take control, and until they reach 4 spikes, Harmony can't take control. Trellium probably just makes new cracks too infused with Autonomy investiture for Harmony to see it and break through.

If the connection to Preservation was transferred to Autonomy, and it was Autonomy who fuels Allomancy, then I think their eyes would be constantly glowing red as this is a kind of corruption of investiture. (not so sure about this one, probably I'm wrong here, as Marasi and others were using Dor and Shardpool, Dor was unkeyed however, Shardpool who knows)

But the idea of Trellium rewriting connection might be a good one.

[Elder]

Worth noting:

Pa’alm functioned on a single Trellium Spike.  The other Kandra said she was crazy, but she seemed pretty lucid.  Like her issues had nothing to do with any kind of mental illness.  Compare to Re’luur (totally butchering names I heard in audiobooks) who is hardly coherent.  I propose that Trellium Spikes are specifically designed to function with one spike so that Harmony has no claim.  At least for Pa’alm and her chimaeras.

Another odd attribute.  Correct me if I’m wrong, but was Bleeder able to hemalurgically communicate with Wax?  And Wax could communicate with Telsin.  That seems new.

I suggest that Trellium based Hemalurgy has less potential for Hemalurgic control, and more to do with Hemalurgic independence. No one gets control per se and communication is much less restricted.

found a WoB:

 

Spoiler

 

Questioner

I wanted to ask about Paalm’s spike. Is it that one specifically that allowed her to hide from Harmony or would it happen with any sort of...?

Brandon Sanderson

It was because she was not using one out of any metal that he knew, was a big part of it. She couldn't have done that with any spike. Taking one out helped a bit, but a non-Harmony spike it had to be… What you’re seeing there is a weird hack of the magic system intentionally that was built to do that

 

https://wob.coppermind.net/events/74-shadows-of-self-san-jose-signing/#e7773
 

Basicallly, Trellium was created for the specific purpose of messing with Harmony.  
 

Spoiler

Explains why it does what it does to Harmonium

 

Edited February 16, 2023 by Elder

[cometaryorbit]

Bleeder could indeed communicate with Wax. However, there's the deep Connection (since she was formerly Lessie) there to confuse matters. Wax and Telsin also presumably have a significant Connection, but from what Harmony says it seems like by default/by design trellium spikes would let you talk to Telsin-in-the-process-of-becoming-Trell.

[Elder]

Going through TLM for the second time, and in the beginning, it’s suggested that a Trellium Spike allowed a Hemalurgic Bloodmaker to heal even when according to an experienced bloodmaker he shouldn’t be able to: the ability to heal head trauma even without consciousness.   
 

this may be a function of Autonomy allowing powers to function of their own volition.