Trusk'our he/him Posted March 18, 2025 Posted March 18, 2025 (edited) I've proposed a few ideas before on how Resonances and Savantism might occur, and I have another theory that I think is promising. All Investiture has a frequency, a Rhythm based on the Tone of its associated Shard and the specific purpose its programed with. When a person weilds Investiture, their Spiritweb is exposed to that power's frequency- the same one that Bronze Allomancy picks up on. As Investiture will attempt to pick up and echo Tones, I believe it's not unreasonable to assume that a more refined Rhythm could be echoed as well. So, the Spiritweb of the person using the Investiture then begins to attune to the power, picking up its Rhythm and Intent. Normally this isn't a massive deal, but if another frequency is picked up they can sort of alloy in the Spiritweb, using constructive interference to become something new and useful. And thus a Resonance is born. It is also possible that a stressed Spiritweb can be affected negatively by this process if taken to the extreme. Savantism occurs when the power widens Spiritweb cracks, infusing the soul more. Spoiler https://wob.coppermind.net/events/161-words-of-radiance-washington-dc-signing/#e6931 IronCaf What other magic systems - because it seems unique from what we have seen - what other magic systems have that same, kind of, "If you use it a lot it gets better?" Brandon Sanderson So, imagine this way-- You're making a metaphor-- It is a little bit more like wedging open cracks in the soul by letting the flow come through, and the investiture comes in. IronCaf So it seems that in Allomancy, it seems to maybe enhance those cracks-- Brandon Sanderson It can open the cracks more. IronCaf Are there other magic systems like that? Brandon Sanderson Yes. IronCaf Will we see those anytime soon? Brandon Sanderson Maybe. Anytime soon? Let me RAFO that for you. Footnote: The question is a follow-up of the previous question about savantism. Spoiler https://wob.coppermind.net/events/36-arcanum-unbounded-chicago-signing/#e1563 Argent Have we seen the resonances of either Wax or Wayne? Brandon Sanderson Yes, well, Wax is really good at sculpting bullets and things away from him. Argent The bubble. Brandon Sanderson Yeah and things like this. This is playing with the fact that he is-- Let's just say that the abilities make this happen, and I’ll let you theorize on why, but it's just an enhancement to what he can do. Argent I might be wrong, but I thought you said it was because he was becoming a steel savant. Brandon Sanderson A savant, yeah, definitely, but this is what this is coming from. Argent But being a savant has to do with being really good with one power-- Brandon Sanderson Yes. Argent --and resonances-- Brandon Sanderson Being a savant has to do with using Investiture a lot, and it's starting to permeate your soul. Like we've ta-- Argent So he's more a savant with both of-- Brandon Sanderson He's used them a lot, and they are changing his soul, and so the powers are morphing and changing. Just in slight, little ways. You're not gonna see a whole bunch. But you can imagine these two separate powers are kind of becoming one to him. Argent Yeah I can see that. And Wayne? Brandon Sanderson So Wayne's is not as obvious. I'll go ahead and RAFO that right now. I believe this happens when overuse of a power tires the practitioner spiritually, just as excessive Compounding can lead to an effect similar to pewter dragging. Spoiler https://wob.coppermind.net/events/332-jordancon-2018/#e9576 Kaymyth We know that Compounding, if you do it too much, it has permanent effects on a person. Brandon Sanderson Yeah. Kaymyth Compounding for extended stretches, can it have some sort of effect similar to pewter drag, depending on the metal? Brandon Sanderson Yeah. I could say, I would say yes to that. I think this exhaustion makes small Spiritweb cracks, letting the power's Investiture seep in. Just as when a Hemalurgist is controlled by an Allomancer, the Investiture gets fully inside the Spiritweb, allowing for a greater influence on their overall spiritual integrity- slowly overwriting existing Connections, Identity, and Investiture. Basically, the natural attuning force gets out of control, leading to a corruption of the Spiritweb's natural functions, which can lead to debilitating side effects. This is not without a silver lining, however, as by attuning to you even more the power gives you far greater control and efficiency over it. As a side note, this also makes me wonder, if a Resonance is a boost to an attribute (like how Shallan's memory is enhanced or Kaladin can Connect to more Squires), does it have to come with extra Investiture? Hemalurgy requires more Investiture to enhance an attribute- if an iron spike is to graft more strength onto a Koloss, it must bear more Investiture. So, in addition to attuning the Spiritweb to certain frequencies, is there a tiny sliver of extra Investiture attached to the Spiritweb that a Resonance uses to boost attributes? Edited March 18, 2025 by Trusk'our 5
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