Metalmind Avatar

[Trusk'our he/him]

In the Cosmere, an Avatar is a semi-independent portion of Investiture split off from a Shard. It can exist and act of its own accord, but it can ultimately be overwritten and controlled by the Shard. 

Spoiler

https://wob.coppermind.net/events/467-youtube-spoiler-stream-2/#e14744

Alex M

What's the difference between avatar and Splinter?

Brandon Sanderson

These are all very weird terms that I'm just using.

*mistakenly answering for Sliver* A Sliver is a person who has held the power of a Shard, and then let go of it. A briefly held time, holding the infinite power of a Shard, but no longer does. So what does that do? That changes your soul, and leaves markers on it. It's a real physiological thing.

An avatar is... a Shard manifesting a semi-autonomous piece of themselves that is still connected to who they are. An avatar, for instance, of Autonomy - depending on how Autonomy creates that avatar - might know, might not know, but they are still an aspect, they are still part of Autonomy. And when you get down to it a part of them knows that, and it's almost a god roleplaying, but in a way that only a Shard, or a lowercase-g god in the Cosmere, can do.

Brandon Sanderson

*realizes that he answered for Sliver earlier, and clarifies*

A Splinter is a piece of a Shard that is fully autonomous, where an avatar is not. So something that is Splintered does not consider itself - and would not be considered by the definitions  - an actual piece of it [the Shard], and has free will. So once it has free will, and/or could develop free will (because some of the Splinters haven't gotten there yet), but is fully cut off from the direct control and self-identity of the Shard, then it is called a Splinter.

So, by this ruling, is a Metalmind essentially an Avatar of a Feruchemist?

The Metalmind has its own separate "body", but shares an Identity with the Feruchemist and can be drawn back to them at will, assuming they can maintain contact. 

I know this isn't a perfect simile given that a Feruchemist clearly isn't a Vessel, but could Feruchemy perhaps be utilizing this mechanism in the same way Nalthian Awakening uses base Cosmere principles? 

Maybe an Unsealed Metalmind is just an extension of this idea, expanding the Feruchemist's influence through a more fully Splintered portion of their Spiritweb. 

Edited March 2, 2025 by Trusk'our

[therunner he/him]

I would say no, simply because in no way is Metalmind even semi-independent. It is just storage of Investiture, just one keyed to particular person.

Maybe eventual Awakened Metalmind's could count, but I suspect that those have sufficiently separate Identities that Feruchemist could not take them over.

[Entr0pic He/him]

By that definition, I’d consider a metalmind an avatar, because it didn’t specify that the avatar had to be sapient or sentient.

[Duxredux he/him]

Well... we're talking semi-autonomous. That probably rules out metalminds in the same way I wouldn't consider the random beads of Lerasium left in those pots to be avatars.

For clarification, let's pull up the Coppermind section.

Quote

Avatar Creation

Shards can also create avatars, personas that can act independently of them.^[28][183] Avatars can be of any gender, race, and species, regardless of the original Vessel creating them, and can be formed at a considerable distance from the main body of the Shard, with many different avatars able to exist on a single planet.^[17][184] Though a Shard can create them directly, avatars can also form without a conscious decision on the Shard's part, though the Shard is still aware of what is happening.^[183] When created directly, however, they can be instilled with specific traits.^[128] Some avatars are self-aware, while others are not, although the parent Shard will always be aware. Though some would call these avatars Splinters, it is not clear whether they truly fit the definition.^{[28][185][186]}

An Avatar can be a form of self-aware power split off from the Shard, or can be a person heavily Invested and chosen to act as an emissary of their will.^[28][187] Different Vessels have different views on turning people into their avatars, with ones such as Bavadin creating many all across the cosmere, while at the same time having ones like Rayse see the Investment of people into avatars to be beneath him.^[168]

Avatars are, in a way, considered to be Shards in their own right.^[188] Known ones include Patji and the Sand Lord, both of Autonomy.^[189][190] It is difficult but possible for someone to become a Vessel of an avatar.^[185]

I'll note that I disagree with the statement that Avatars are considered to be Shards in their own right based on that WoB. Otherwise I would lean towards a defintion of an Avatar as a persona, even if not a particularly self aware one, not just a lump of Investiture split off. I could see the Mists in Era 1 operating like an Avatar, maybe. Of the basic powers, I would guess Type III BioChromatic objects would be the closest analog to an Avatar as the Awakener splits off a portion of their soul to do a task independent of themself with the ability to draw it back on Command. Metalminds in contrast simply seem to be Investiture Identity locked in a not dissimilar way that some Investitures are keyed to the related Shard.