Iron Anemia Aluminium Savant

[Argenti he/him]

Recently, I remembered, oh hey, we have metals in the body! Assuming the Mistborn is aware of these metals, do you think aluminum or chromium would burn them off? Given how iron deficiency is relatively common for people, particularly women, do you think someone who had become an aluminum savant or had been chromiumed a lot would have iron anemia? 

[CtrlAltDepressed]

12 minutes ago, Argenti said:

Recently, I remembered, oh hey, we have metals in the body! Assuming the Mistborn is aware of these metals, do you think aluminum or chromium would burn them off? Given how iron deficiency is relatively common for people, particularly women, do you think someone who had become an aluminum savant or had been chromiumed a lot would have iron anemia? 

An interesting thought. I would think that the iron in your bloodstream would be distinct (either spiritually or chemically or both) from the iron you ingest for allomancy. Kelsier mentioned to Vin that if she did not allomantically burn her metals before going to bed that they would be biologically burned (by the stomach) and result in metals sickness.

I think thats an indication that you would not get iron anemia as the aluminum would not burn off the biological iron in your bloodstream, only what is in your stomach for allomantic burning. I know there is the possibility of burning metals that arent in your stomach, but that seems like you need to specifically decide to do that. 

There could also be something to Scadrians having more metals in their bloodstream than other worlds (residual effects of ash changes), and combined with investiture generally resisting sickness, I dont think iron anemia would be an issue.  

[alder24]

1 hour ago, Argenti said:

Recently, I remembered, oh hey, we have metals in the body! Assuming the Mistborn is aware of these metals, do you think aluminum or chromium would burn them off? Given how iron deficiency is relatively common for people, particularly women, do you think someone who had become an aluminum savant or had been chromiumed a lot would have iron anemia? 

I don't think so. Iron in your bloodstream doesn't just sit by itself, alone. It is bound to other molecules or proteins like Transferrin, or Hemoglobin. It's not a pure element anymore, it isn't Allomantically valid. If a tiny bit of impurity makes an alloy Allomantically useless, then a huge molecule full of other stuff will make bound iron impossible to burn. Look at the structure of Hemoglobin, that's a lot of things bound to that iron:

Spoiler

 

[Tamriel Wolfsbaine]

1 hour ago, alder24 said:

I don't think so. Iron in your bloodstream doesn't just sit by itself, alone. It is bound to other molecules or proteins like Transferrin, or Hemoglobin. It's not a pure element anymore, it isn't Allomantically valid. If a tiny bit of impurity makes an alloy Allomantically useless, then a huge molecule full of other stuff will make bound iron impossible to burn. Look at the structure of Hemoglobin, that's a lot of things bound to that iron:

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Is something going on with aluminum that allows it to see potential investiture as well as kinetic investiture... just not all of it... 

Like aluminum can tell if a metal is allomantically viable... is that only in the person or is it all allomantically viable metals?  If you are an aluminum gnat could you still purge your body of a gut full of other allomantic metals?  

Yet it doesn't instantly burn metalminds so long as they are not being used... even though they are considered allomantically viable in someone who can burn them.  

Would Miles burning aluminum affect his gold minds differently than Wayne burning aluminum because Wayne can't actually burn gold?  I know Brandon said that compounding works because it becomes a new alloy only available to the user so long as they can burn the metal they are storing in.  

Furthermore I assume aluminum would wipe the stormlight out of a person with ease but it doesn't hit biochromatic breath until it is being activated to become kinetic investiture somehow?  

I really want there to be a road map to what it is doing and acting like but it doesn't seem there ever will be one.  It is a metal to suit the narrative more than one to make fast rules.  It also appears all of the other metals in that quadrant act and work differently too. Duralumin / nicrosil only affect what the user is currently burning... but aluminum and chromium target all metal period.  

Edit: come to think of it. If wax is nearly always storing into his iron metalminds the chromium cube should have wiped his stores as well if it follows that pattern of aluminum as well. 

Edited March 19 by Tamriel Wolfsbaine

[alder24]

15 minutes ago, Tamriel Wolfsbaine said:

Is something going on with aluminum that allows it to see potential investiture as well as kinetic investiture... just not all of it... 

We don't know and Brandon doesn't know it himself what aluminum really does to metals in your body - does it burn them away or just break their Connection to SR. Metal has no power of itself, it glows in CR or to Shardic eyes because it's a conduct to SR which power seeks. That's probably why aluminum (and chromium too) can interfere with that, metal is just too close to SR.

Spoiler

Questioner 1

Does aluminum actually make the metals disappear, like, be metabolized? Or does it just cut the Spiritual connection?

Brandon Sanderson

So... I haven't actually canonized that... I've gone back and forth. For a while, I said it got rid of them. And there may even be... But the more I thought about that, the more it doesn't make much sense.

Questioner 1

It doesn't. Especially the way that duralumin works, it doesn't really make sense.

Brandon Sanderson

And so, I've been kind of pushing the other way. Since I haven't said it in-world, it's not truly canon, but I believe I've answered other fans saying that it burns them all away in a flash, and we might need it to do that, for future things. So, I'm undecided.

Questioner 2

It needs to get rid of them, but a path to sever the connection at the same time.

Brandon Sanderson

One of the big problems is, if it only severs the connection and leaves the metals, than you have heavy metal poisoning from some of the metals.

Questioner 1

But if it makes them burn away, that doesn't work the same way as duralumin. Duralumin only burns the ones you're burning.

Brandon Sanderson

Yeah. I kinda have to err back on the side of "it gets rid of them," just we don't have to deal with metal poisoning, but I've kind of been wavering a little bit, thinking, "Is there a better way to explain this."

LTUE 2020 (Feb. 15, 2020)

 

Spoiler

Zmann966

Is the metal on Scadrial specially Invested? Can an Allomancer use metals from other planets?

Brandon Sanderson (Part 1/Part 2)

Metal is a key, not the source of power itself. Most is not specially Invested. It glows because of the power seeking to come through it, not because of the power within it.

#SandersonChat Twitter Q&A with Audible.com (Feb. 4, 2016)