Investiture's echoes, Connection, and Unsealed Metalminds

[Trusk'our he/him]

I have another proposal for how Unsealed Metalminds are manufactured and how the mechanics of such work.

We know from Navani's experiments in RoW that Investiture likes to pick up and echo things, right?

Well, I'm now thinking that this may be tied to how Unsealed Metalminds are created by the Southern Scadrians.

When a Feruchemist stores an attribute in a Metalmind, it is keyed to their Identity. I think that this is like how two radios can be in tune to each other at the same frequency, where the stored attributes echo the Investiture Pulses of the attribute and Identity (personalized frequency, essentially) of the Feruchemist. 

However, I think that more than just Identity is echoed. 

We know from the Hemalurgy table that Connection and Identity are somehow linked together so much that a duralumin spike is capable of stealing either one (not sure if it's a choice like Atium or all like Lerasium). I think that this points to the idea that when a Feruchemist stores an attribute it resonates to their Connections as well as Identity, potentially making the Metalmind have Connections of its own that mimic the Feruchemist. 

This also fits with the idea that Feruchemical duralumin is somehow utilized in the creation of Unsealed Metalminds, at least the ones used by the Southern Scadrians.

So, here's my current theory; a Metalborn uses an Unsealed Nicrosilmind to store their own power in another empty Nicrosilmind. They simultaneously blank their Identity and Tap a blanked Connection to their user.

Because there is a strong Connection to the practitioner remembered by the Metalmind, this Blank Connection tries to reach out to the person holding it, much like how their translation medallions work. This Connection works to bond the user and the medallion, effectively plugging the power of the Metalmind directly into their Spiritweb, much like what is done through the Nahel bond.

There is an Identity possessed by the Metalmind, but I think it's possible that this is just a natural evolution of Investiture being left alone so that it develops more of a mind, and since it was originally blanked, the new Identity forms to allow its Connections to bond with users. It's also possible Identity isn't blanked at all, and is merely sidestepped as Spren and their Radiants do.

Excisors are the only thing left out, but I suspect them to simply be an Unsealed Nicrosilmind that allows for other powers to be stored. In fact, perhaps this is why only a few powers can be turned into medallions as of yet; the Metallic Arts are very rare amongst the Southern continent of Scadrial, so perhaps the first Unsealed Metalminds brought by Kelsier are able to copy a few powers, such as brass, and a few other Feruchemists have been born over the centuries to allow things like iron medallions. 

In any case, this is all highly theoretical right now, but personally I think it has merit.

Thoughts?

Edited July 24, 2024 by Trusk'our