Aluminum and Magic

[Truthwatcher Ferring]

I'm not sure if this is important but I've noticed that aluminum has only been confirmed to actually stop end positive magic systems.

 

End Positive Magic Systems:

In allomancy aluminum destroys metals and cannot be pushed or pulled with iron or steel. It also can protect a person from emotional allomancy.

In Forgery (another end positive magic) Ralkalest (which has be theorized to be aluminum) cannot be forged with a soul-stamp.

 

End Neutral:

In Feruchemy aluminum can be used to store identity (although we've never seen it used).

 

End Negative:

In Hemalurgy aluminum can steal allomantic enhancement powers.

 

 

 

Does anyone have an explanation to this?

[the winter system]

I think that Aluminum is some sort of "anti"-Investiture. The Feruchemy aspect makes sense too, because it takes away the Identity of someone in exchange for stronger Identity later (this is a hypothisis because we don't know that much about it) and Identity is related to Investiture. 

[Moogle]

Aluminum can be burned in Allomancy, an end-positive system, but I think you might be on to something.

 

My own musings on aluminum mechanics: I'd guess aluminum acts more as a "block" in the Spiritual, such that you can't form connections through it. It stops the blue lines in Allomancy, which have been speculated to be 'highlighted' Spiritual connections that you're playing with. Emotional Allomancy would be similar, though you can't see the lines when burning zinc or brass.

 

Perhaps this is because aluminum has an unusually strong 'identity', which means it is a strong (well, weak), independent metallic element that don't need no connections. It would explain why aluminum involves identity so much in Allomancy/Feruchemy, purging external influences (to revert you to your 'identity') in Allomancy and playing with your identity in Feruchemy.

 

Because you can't form a connection to it or through it, you can't Forge it (also: its identity is so strong that it can't be Forged?), but you don't need a connection to it to burn it or use it as a metalmind because it would become part of you Cognitively?.

 

I don't know. There's issues with the above. I want to learn whether or not aluminum can be cut with a Shardblade...

Edited October 13, 2014 by Moogle

[Oudeis]

A question i have for Mr. Sanderson is if

the metal used to blunt Shardblades

Is ralakest.

Also,

Soulcasting, an end-positive arcanum, is the only way to get aluminum on Roshar.

[Redbird]

If aluminum is like an object with high investiture, very difficult to effect with investiture, would lashings be able to move it?

In that same sense, what would happen if a shardblade cam in contact with aluminum, and could it be awakened?

Edited October 14, 2014 by Redbird3000

[Incheoul]

If i recall correctly, the things they used to "sheathe" shardblades would change form and mold to the shardblade.  So I don't think its simply aluminum but it could be involved or a part of it.

[Sandastron]

These are some good theories, however, don't we have a WOB somewhere that aluminum messes with Feruchemical Gold? I don't know where it is but I'm pretty sure I read it somewhere.

[Link Start]

These are some good theories, however, don't we have a WOB somewhere that aluminum messes with Feruchemical Gold? I don't know where it is but I'm pretty sure I read it somewhere.

 Yes we do. I think it is in the fixed topic at the WoR forum. Wounds won't magically heal around an aluminum bullet until it's pulled out.

[Moogle]

These are some good theories, however, don't we have a WOB somewhere that aluminum messes with Feruchemical Gold? I don't know where it is but I'm pretty sure I read it somewhere.

 

It's true. This also supports the "aluminum has a strong identity" theory: Feruchemical gold heals by changing you to your Cognitive ideal, and the Aluminum refuses to be changed.

[Youngy]

There was a WoB on the Aluminium messing with the Allomantic/Feruchemical healing. But it was by accident from memory, he said it on accident when he misinterpreted another question. 

[Link Start]

There was a WoB on the Aluminium messing with the Allomantic/Feruchemical healing. But it was by accident from memory, he said it on accident when he misinterpreted another question. 

 He thought the question was about bloodmakers when it was about thugs. But then he said it would be the same for both, thugs and bloodmakers.

[Shaggai]

If i recall correctly, the things they used to "sheathe" shardblades would change form and mold to the shardblade.  So I don't think its simply aluminum but it could be involved or a part of it.

Yeah, to me this suggests that there are some sort of spren in the guards.

[Oudeis]

I always just took that as, aluminum is a malleable metal.

 

EDIT: It reminds me of a scene from an anime called Inuyasha. There's a wolf demon named Kouga, and my friend told me he had the power to control wolves. So the wolves are attacking this fox, and he yells, STOP! ... And then proceeds to walk over and physically drag the wolves off of the fox.

 

Technically, she was right. He was controlling the wolves. I had assumed she meant mystically, but it turns out she simply meant that he would physically grab them and drag them where he wanted them to go.

 

Just so, they say, "the metal molded itself to the Blades" and it's possible they mean in some bizarre, inexplicable mystic way... or they really could just mean "it's a really soft metal and it can be shaped around the Blade easily."

Edited October 24, 2014 by Outis

[Argent]

I find it unlikely that the sheaths would fold and bend to accommodate the various sizes and shapes of Shardblades by natural means, and still remain impervious to their cut. No, I think their properties are magical. Plus, didn't someone say that the sheaths were artifacts of old, made of an unknown metal? Aluminum is known to the people of Roshar.

[Moogle]

The person Shallan gives her aluminum necklace to in order to free her brother is instantly recognized as aluminum. Zahel does say they don't know what the sheathes are:

“This isn’t the same at all,” Zahel said, waving down one of the ardents walking past. The man was carrying a Shardblade with metal guards over the sharp edges, one of the ones the king provided for training use. Zahel took the Shardblade from the ardent, holding it up.

Kaladin nodded his chin at it. “What’s that on the Blade?”

“Nobody’s sure,” Zahel said, swiping with the Blade. “Fit it to the edges of a Blade, and it will adapt to the shape of the weapon and make it safely blunt. Off the weapons, they break surprisingly easily. Useless in a fight on their own. Perfect for training, though.”

 

I'm still inclined to think they're aluminum, since it fits their weakness... but I don't know. The evidence points otherwise in a lot of places.

Edited October 24, 2014 by Moogle

[Link Start]

 Aluminum doesn't break that easy, as it bends. I don't think this is aluminum, otherwise, why go through all the trouble to build half-shards when you can line your shield/armor with it? If aluminum coudn't be cut by shardblades, somebody would've noticed.
Also, it's not that soulcasting is the only way of obtaining aluminum on Roshar. It's more likely that they don't have the technology to refine it yet. Here on earth it was still more expensive than gold even after the industrial revolution, and unavailable before. Scadrial had it, but they are more advanced in metallurgy and were in the beginning of an industrial era before TLR took over (gunpowder and canned food).

Edited October 25, 2014 by Link Start

[Redbird]

Maybe it is the way aluminum reacts to the level and type of investiture in the shardblade, kind of the way god metals are normal metals with a spiritual layer.