Feruchemical Purity

[Seonid he/him]

@Outis,

 

I think that the consensus is that Sazed put the extra bit of Ruin's power into the Koloss, to make them sentient, like Preservation did with humans.

 

I agree completely on the spike, though. I'm not convinced that it gives Wax the ability to burn pewter at all.

[Oudeis he/him]

I think that the consensus is that Sazed put the extra bit of Ruin's power into the Koloss, to make them sentient, like Preservation did with humans.

 

 

Were they non-sentient beforehand? They weren't terribly clever, but they were definitely self-aware.

[Seonid he/him]

On thinking back, sentient may have been the wrong attribute. What Sazed did was to make them a completely separate and self-sustaining species. Whereas before, koloss sentience came from their human origins, now they are a completely separate race, even perhaps a separate species (although the existence of interbreeding makes that claim a little complicated). They are no longer twisted humans, but a new creature. Whatever exactly he did to accomplish this, whether that was granting sentience or the ability to reproduce or, most likely, a whole combined set of physiological and spiritual changes (to remove the effects of Hemalurgy), it would require Investing in the koloss. As I believe I have understood the consensus (although maybe there isn't one, and I am projecting a unified theory where one does not exist), the extra bit of Ruin's power was invested into the koloss to make them a true separate creature from humans.

[Oudeis he/him]

On thinking back, sentient may have been the wrong attribute. What Sazed did was to make them a completely separate and self-sustaining species. Whereas before, koloss sentience came from their human origins, now they are a completely separate race, even perhaps a separate species (although the existence of interbreeding makes that claim a little complicated). They are no longer twisted humans, but a new creature. Whatever exactly he did to accomplish this, whether that was granting sentience or the ability to reproduce or, most likely, a whole combined set of physiological and spiritual changes (to remove the effects of Hemalurgy), it would require Investing in the koloss. As I believe I have understood the consensus (although maybe there isn't one, and I am projecting a unified theory where one does not exist), the extra bit of Ruin's power was invested into the koloss to make them a true separate creature from humans.

 

Okay. I'm going to remain healthily skeptical until I see a WoB, but I acknowledge that this is a perfectly valid theory.

[killersquirrel59 he/him]

As for the earrings, it is possible that once you stick a spike into a body, the spike stops leaking even if you then take it out.

 

This is possible, however it makes little sense when considered in context. The Inquisitors were so concerned with the Spikes losing power that they felt the need to pound the spikes directly through one person and into another. This implies a very fast (at least initial) rate of decay. This is why for the same reason a slow rate of decay makes no sense. It doesn't work to have one set of hemalurgic spikes be so unstable that they must be pounded directly from one into another and other spikes that hold their charge for years without trouble. If the danger of decay was simply in the initial insertion, Inquisitors wouldn't wait to round up all 11 Mistings/Mistborn needed to make an Inquisitor before beginning the process. They'd spike into either random other people, each other or the other subjects (I could totally see them facing two subjects face to face on the table and spiking them both into each other simultaneously), then immediately kill those people leaving the spikes behind to build a stockpile of, ready to use at their leisure when they found new Inquisitor candidates. 

[king of nowhere]

This is possible, however it makes little sense when considered in context. The Inquisitors were so concerned with the Spikes losing power that they felt the need to pound the spikes directly through one person and into another. This implies a very fast (at least initial) rate of decay. This is why for the same reason a slow rate of decay makes no sense. It doesn't work to have one set of hemalurgic spikes be so unstable that they must be pounded directly from one into another and other spikes that hold their charge for years without trouble. If the danger of decay was simply in the initial insertion, Inquisitors wouldn't wait to round up all 11 Mistings/Mistborn needed to make an Inquisitor before beginning the process. They'd spike into either random other people, each other or the other subjects (I could totally see them facing two subjects face to face on the table and spiking them both into each other simultaneously), then immediately kill those people leaving the spikes behind to build a stockpile of, ready to use at their leisure when they found new Inquisitor candidates. 

well, not so simple of course. maybe once you get spiked the spike loses power if someone else is spiked with it. as long as you are the only one using it, it won't decay. maybe when you are spiked you bond the spike in some way, and as long as it is near to you (note that both vin and wax always kept their earrings with them even when they weren't using them) it won't decay.

You can probably argue that wax's ring hadd passed many owners during its 300 years of life; but in fact, that earring wasn't a powerful spike at all, it only gave wax a moderate boost, and needed the mists to fuel.

I know, it's not a perfect explanation, but it's the best one available

[killersquirrel59 he/him]

well, not so simple of course. maybe once you get spiked the spike loses power if someone else is spiked with it. as long as you are the only one using it, it won't decay. maybe when you are spiked you bond the spike in some way, and as long as it is near to you (note that both vin and wax always kept their earrings with them even when they weren't using them) it won't decay.

You can probably argue that wax's ring hadd passed many owners during its 300 years of life; but in fact, that earring wasn't a powerful spike at all, it only gave wax a moderate boost, and needed the mists to fuel.

I know, it's not a perfect explanation, but it's the best one available

Hmmm. I never really thought about that. A bonding factor would make a lot of sense and explain most of the problems away. It doesn't answer everything but it works if you don't look at it too closely. I think I have a new head canon. Thanks for that.