Mark Lindberg Posted January 1, 2015 Report Share Posted January 1, 2015 So, I just finished my reread of the Mistborn trilogy. Specifically, I just finished Hero of Ages, and I found a quote that struck me. It's from page 660 in the mass market paperback edition. I've included the quote with a little around it for context here: (Hero of Ages spoiler as well...) “Does this not mean, then, that Preservation has returned?” “That is impossible,” Haddek said. “Preservation’s power remains, for power cannot be destroyed. His mind, however, was all but destroyed— for this was the sacrifice he made to imprison Ruin.” “The sliver remains,” another reminded. “The shadow of self.” “Yes,” Haddek said. “But that is not Preservation, just an image— a remnant. Now that Ruin has escaped, I think we can assume that even it has been destroyed.” “I think it is more,” another began. “We could—” Sazed held up his hands, getting their attention. “If Preservation has not returned, then has, perhaps, someone else taken up his power to use in this fight? Is that not what your teachings say will happen? That which has been sundered must again begin to find its whole.” Sanderson, Brandon (2011-02-01). Mistborn Trilogy (Kindle Locations 33604-33612). Tom Doherty Associates. Kindle Edition. [Emphasis added] The phrasing is so unusual and interesting, I can't but help think it's got to have something to do with the title of the upcoming book. Has anyone noticed or speculated about this before? 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Tavash Shar Posted January 1, 2015 Report Share Posted January 1, 2015 Good Catch. No Idea to draw from it yet. Let me stew. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hoidhunter Posted January 1, 2015 Report Share Posted January 1, 2015 I haven't read that part of the story since the title of the book was announced...so I never noticed. Interesting. Megalodon gets an up vote for paying attention to detail... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oudeis Posted January 1, 2015 Report Share Posted January 1, 2015 It's a point I mention in some of my Fedik theories. Since the book is called Shadows of Self and the mist spirit is apparently a Shadow of Self, I have hopes that we'll learn more about the black mist spirit from Alendi's time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Haradion Drogon Posted January 1, 2015 Report Share Posted January 1, 2015 I caught this on Second Reading - but couldn't make head or tail of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curiosity Posted January 1, 2015 Report Share Posted January 1, 2015 What if this is pointing to Slivers? Kelsier returning, anyone? Someone controlled the power in between when Leras died and when Vin took it up, and he basically functioned as a stronger sliver than Leras did. (My usage of the word sliver is probably not in tune with the canon definition, though...) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oudeis Posted January 1, 2015 Report Share Posted January 1, 2015 ...I find it unlikely that the Kandra First Generation were saying to themselves, "Yeah, but Kelsier, amirite?" It was pretty clear from context that they were talking about Preservation, how he was almost gone, that he had left his shadow of self behind but that it was probably already dead. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fallen Rope Posted January 1, 2015 Report Share Posted January 1, 2015 Ati could have a shadow that survived. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hoidhunter Posted January 2, 2015 Report Share Posted January 2, 2015 You may all be right. Bear in mind that the title of the next book is Shadows of Self...not Shadow of self. We may encounter a few different slivers trying to push the story around. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mckeedee123 Posted January 2, 2015 Report Share Posted January 2, 2015 You may all be right. Bear in mind that the title of the next book is Shadows of Self...not Shadow of self. We may encounter a few different slivers trying to push the story around. We learned from the SLC Comic Con transcription that Miles and Taan were probably being manipulated by some dead people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RawToast225 Posted January 3, 2015 Report Share Posted January 3, 2015 (edited) My takeaway from it is that slivers are shadows of the shards. When Preservation was a sliver of his former self, he only held the power of Gold, the Allomantic metal that allows you to see your past. The most useless of them all. Edit: I know it's not a complete theory, but the series isn't complete either. I can be right, still. Edited January 3, 2015 by Arthur Dent Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oudeis Posted January 3, 2015 Report Share Posted January 3, 2015 ?? Huh? Where does Preservation ever see his own past? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RawToast225 Posted January 3, 2015 Report Share Posted January 3, 2015 No, he is just left with a shadow of what he once was and only holds one of the powers of Allomancy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oudeis Posted January 3, 2015 Report Share Posted January 3, 2015 ...Again, where are you getting this information from? What is the source that informed you that he only possesses one of the powers of Allomancy? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
natc Posted January 4, 2015 Report Share Posted January 4, 2015 Judging from what the Lord Ruler achieved during his Ascension with just that fraction of power, I am inclined to believe that Preservation is not limited to allomancy, and is essentially all-powerful save for having an upper limit to his investiture capacity. The cap seems to be so high like the other shards that it is mostly irrelevant, and the stuff just recycles itself after use like conservation of energy behaves in normal physics, but since he actually weakened himself relative to Ruin it definitely exists. With how Rashek also screwed up with it though it probably doesn't come with instructions and is storming difficult to control (damnation, I'm subconsciously using Rosharian curse words now >_>) without an average shard's millennia of practice. Also, shards in general can power each other's magic (e.g. atium), so the individual systems are probably more control schemes arbitrarily assigned for human use than actual limitations for our godly fellows here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hoidhunter Posted January 4, 2015 Report Share Posted January 4, 2015 (edited) No, he is just left with a shadow of what he once was and only holds one of the powers of Allomancy. sorry dude...but there are several times in the story that the "mist spirit" ie, leras's cognitive shadow...used emotional allomancy to manipulate the characters. I think you may be looking at this the wrong way... mckeedee123...I kind of breezed over the transcript looking for a few specific things...but I remember something like this being mentioned. any theories to posit on who may be doing the manipulating? Ati? Leras? Rashek? Kelsier? Vin? Considering the unsavory nature of Miles' and Taan's actions I would have to lean towards that stupid ginger Ati... Edited January 4, 2015 by hoidhunter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RawToast225 Posted January 4, 2015 Report Share Posted January 4, 2015 Psh, I know I was just testing y'all. Yeah.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mistdork Posted January 4, 2015 Report Share Posted January 4, 2015 (edited) "Shadow of self" in the context of the original they quote may very well be talking about the fact that Leras no longer had a body and was only a cognitive shadow (and one with very little awareness at that) by the point that Vin let Ruin escape. This means that the title could refer to a lot of cognitive shadows running a muck on Scadrial; thus you have multiple shadows causing havoc or at least messing with Wax's mind a bit. So, this quote and the title are talking about cognitive shadows specifically, and probably not just Splinter-ones... I expect that after we read it we'll have a lot better understanding of cognitive shadows in general, how much they all like 'ghosts', and why some people stick around while others move on. What keeps them there, I imagine personally these shadows must have something (regret, religion, responsibility, Investiture, etc.) that keeps them bound to the world. A bit like other myths about ghosts and spirits that haven't yet moved on, though, of course they have a solid and somewhat...scientific explanation as to why this can happen (related to the cognitive/spiritual realms in some fashion) while these myths aren't nearly as tight... Edited January 4, 2015 by Nymp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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