Inquisitor using Electrum in Book 1? *spoilers*

[Eric]

Because we have no direct evidence to the contrary. We also have no direct evidence that they have no Allomantic gizzard, no second stomach for metal reserves, nor conscious control over production of digestive fluids, but these are all equally viable options for creatures sufficiently engineered by the Lord Ruler during his possession of the power of Preservation. While you raise an excellent point, it is one we can't put to the test beyond mere speculation.

Now I really wish Vin and Elend had dissected the one that had Steel Feruchemy... And now I'm disturbed at my own brain.

Edited February 24, 2012 by Eric

[Thought]

We have no direct evidence that Inquisitor's weren't just burning atium, either. However, I will admit, there are at least specific tests for if Inquisitor's could have been burning electrum.

In HoA, Sazed reads the plate that TLR gave the formula for Electrum on. He clearly states that he shared the knowledge of the metal with no one. Thus, if the Inquisitor's were burning Electrum, they must not have know that it was electrum. Further, for them to have mistaken Electrum for Atium, they must never have encountered Atium. While Atium was rare, it was still sold, used by mistborn, used by the ministries to find atium-mistings, and was worn by TLR. Inquisitor's must have come into contact with Atium, even if they didn't burn it themselves. Indeed, some were probably atium mistings or mistborn who had burned it before. Furthermore, the description of Atium was common enough that they should have know what would happen if they burned it. Electrum doesn't produce the same effect. Thus, they must have realized that other people called atium wasn't the "atium"/electrum that they were burning.

Or, in short, if we trust the plates that TLR left, then the Inquisitor's could not have been burning electrum. If they weren't burning electrum, then in the given cases that sparked this thread, they must have been burning atium. If they were burning atium, then they must have previously swallowed it. If they had previously swallowed it, they were either willing to let their digestive juices break it apart, or they weren't afraid of that happening at all.

[Thor]

We have no direct evidence that Inquisitor's weren't just burning atium, either. However, I will admit, there are at least specific tests for if Inquisitor's could have been burning electrum.

In HoA, Sazed reads the plate that TLR gave the formula for Electrum on. He clearly states that he shared the knowledge of the metal with no one. Thus, if the Inquisitor's were burning Electrum, they must not have know that it was electrum. Further, for them to have mistaken Electrum for Atium, they must never have encountered Atium. While Atium was rare, it was still sold, used by mistborn, used by the ministries to find atium-mistings, and was worn by TLR. Inquisitor's must have come into contact with Atium, even if they didn't burn it themselves. Indeed, some were probably atium mistings or mistborn who had burned it before. Furthermore, the description of Atium was common enough that they should have know what would happen if they burned it. Electrum doesn't produce the same effect. Thus, they must have realized that other people called atium wasn't the "atium"/electrum that they were burning.

Or, in short, if we trust the plates that TLR left, then the Inquisitor's could not have been burning electrum. If they weren't burning electrum, then in the given cases that sparked this thread, they must have been burning atium. If they were burning atium, then they must have previously swallowed it. If they had previously swallowed it, they were either willing to let their digestive juices break it apart, or they weren't afraid of that happening at all.

While I disagree with the Electrum theory (I don't think that someone burning Electrum makes an Atium burner see multiple shadows, but I haven't gotten around to writing up the reasoning), the obligators were the ones who set up the plates so they knew about Electrum. While the Inquisitor's might not have known (as TLR knew they could be corrupted by Ruin), I think it is fairly likely that they did know of Electrum.

[Aeshdan]

While I disagree with the Electrum theory (I don't think that someone burning Electrum makes an Atium burner see multiple shadows, but I haven't gotten around to writing up the reasoning), the obligators were the ones who set up the plates so they knew about Electrum. While the Inquisitor's might not have known (as TLR knew they could be corrupted by Ruin), I think it is fairly likely that they did know of Electrum.

We know electrum makes an atium-burner see multiple shadows. It's storming canon!

[Thought]

... the obligators were the ones who set up the plates ...

Perhaps: we don't know who was the one who put them there. Given how honest Rashek was being (such as talking about how Ruin was making him crazy), it seems unlikely that he intended for any of his servants to see it. He did include a warning for any obligator who might stumble upon it, too, which further indicates that he was trying to keep the knowledge secret even from them.

[Eric]

He also talks about how he writes it on a steel sheet and had it scribed by Obligators on the full sized plate, and specifically how the voice taunted him about revealing his weakness. Also how that was the very reason he did it in the end: to spite Ruin. The knowledge got out.

Edited February 24, 2012 by Eric

[Thought]

He also talks about how he writes it on a steel sheet and had it scribed by Obligators on the full sized plate, and specifically how the voice taunted him about revealing his weakness. Also how that was the very reason he did it in the end: to spite Ruin. The knowledge got out.

Was that the Fadrex plate?

Anywho, it seems highly unlikely that the knowledge got out. We have statements by TLR that he is trying to keep electrum under wraps. We have statements by TLR that he'd punish anyone who disseminated the knowledge. We have TLR effectively exterminating technologies he didn't like. We have the proposed users of this technology being some of TLR's favored servants. If there was anywhere that the knowledge should not have existed, it is in the hands of anyone in TLR's government.

However, we do have a lovely example of knowledge on the plate being out: malatium. Unfortunately, I haven't read the story describing how Kelsier got that information, but from what I've gathered, it was not ultimately from TLR's plate. If that is correct, then it took a god-like being to get knowledge from one plate to the outside. That sets a high standard for electrum.

[Eric]

Details of how Kelsier came across Malatium:

Actually, it was a random Mistborn noble secretly searching for other metals by forcibly testing them on skaa. We know from him working with Malatium that he was a. wealthy, and b. working with gold. He may have found electrum as well, but not had it recorded in the data Kell found.

So while it took a godlike entity to get the information to Kelsier, the plate wasn't the only place it existed.

Edited February 25, 2012 by Eric

[Thor]

We know electrum makes an atium-burner see multiple shadows. It's storming canon!

Quote please. AFAIK, Electrum makes the Electrum burner see shadows of himself. IIRC, no one has been burning Atium and fighting someone who burns Electrum. (Elend burns Electrum while standing by Yomen in HoA, but we never see it from Yomen's PoV.) My hypothesis is that Electrum makes the burner give off no shadow to an Atium burner, as opposed to one shadow (normal) or multiple shadows (both burning Atium).

Also, I believe it is stated in the annotations/HoA that TLR did have obligators set up the plates. IIRC, there is mention of Ruin telling TLR that he was being foolish for letting his servants see what he was writing, though TLR felt that this was good, since it was making Ruin angry. Very ninja'ed.

Edited February 26, 2012 by Thor

[Eric]

Quote please. AFAIK, Electrum makes the Electrum burner see shadows of himself. IIRC, no one has been burning Atium and fighting someone who burns Electrum. (Elend burns Electrum while standing by Yomen in HoA, but we never see it from Yomen's PoV.) My hypothesis is that Electrum makes the burner give off no shadow to an Atium burner, as opposed to one shadow (normal) or multiple shadows (both burning Atium).

Hero of Ages, page 394: "Elend burned electrum, giving himself a bubble of false atium shadows. Yomen hesitated immediately, looking confused." (Emphasis mine.)

The wording is a pretty strong indication that it actually shows your future images to atium burners as well.

EDIT: Misspelled the name of my favorite Obligator. For shame.

Edited February 26, 2012 by Eric

[Aradel]

As far as I understand, electrum shadows work the same way that Vin used her perception to give off two shadows in her fight with Zane.

You see one possibility with electrum and that allows you to do something different, giving off another shadow, then another, and another... and anyone burning atium sees the same time shadows you do. Plus the time shadows of everything else in motion.