What happens if a Misting igests a bead of lerasium alloyed with another metal?

[kroen]

For the sake of the example, let's say a Coinshot ingests a bead that's a lerasium/iron alloy. What would happen? There are two options, none of which seem right:

 

1. He loses his steel burning ability and becomes a Lurcher.

2. He gains an iron burning ability in addition to his steel burning ability.

 

1 doesn't seem right because it's weird that you'll have your Allomantic power switched.

2 doesn't seem right because we know the only way to burn more than one metal other than being a Mistborn is with Hemalurgy.

Edited May 6, 2013 by kroen

[Phantom Monstrosity]

According to the RPG, you replace it completely.

 

Brandon's said that there's no canonical way to have two metals besides being a mistborn or involving hemalurgy

http://www.17thshard.com/forum/topic/2759-non-mistborn-allomancers-who-can-burn-multiple-metals/

 

I had asked him about the 1 or all metals question while he was signing, and he said that there is no canonical way to burn more than one type of metal without being Mistborn or involving Hemalurgy. When he was originally writing Mistborn he had it so that people could only burn one metal, period. No mistborns. And then a he was writing he wanted to have some characters be obviously more powerful and the Mistborns were, well, born.

 

 

That said, there's an open question of whether this is just a 'canonical way' that takes into account that nobody has any lerasium. 

Edited May 6, 2013 by Phantom Monstrosity

[kroen]

Tnx, although this raises another question: What happens if someone (Misting or not) ingests two lerasium beads, each alloyed with another metal, at the same time? Is the first bead that touches your stomach make you a Misting of that metal, and then the second one replace it? or will the two cancel each other out?

[Phantom Monstrosity]

Tnx, although this raises another question: What happens if someone (Misting or not) ingests two lerasium beads, each alloyed with another metal, at the same time? Is the first bead that touches your stomach make you a Misting of that metal, and then the second one replace it? or will the two cancel each other out?

Whichever one you burned second, presumably.

[Senor Feesh]

Seeing as Lerasium is re-writing your sDNA, I can totally see a second Lerasium allow re-writing so you only have one metal (basically re-structures your sDNA to give access to the new metal, whilst the write-over removes the old ability). I picture it as there is precisely one part of your sDNA which is applicable. Lerasium re-writes this component to give you access to a power. If you ingest another alloy, or pure Lerasium, it over-writes the same segment, so the original code is lost.

 

Unsatisfying, but plausible, and fits with what we have from WoB.

[kroen]

Whichever one you burned second, presumably.

So it's a conscious burn then? So what happens if you burn them simultaneously? or is it simply not possible?

[Phantom Monstrosity]

So it's a conscious burn then? So what happens if you burn them simultaneously? or is it simply not possible?

http://www.17thshard.com/forum/topic/2383-qa-with-brandon-sanderson/page-5

 

Quote

3. If two people grabbed the hilt of a Shardblade at the same time and then it got knocked out of their hands, which one could resummon it?

The one it's bound to.

 

Same deal.

[kroen]

"The one it's bound to." And who is it? I didn't read SLA so this answer doesn't really help me.

[Senor Feesh]

I believe this is partly a dodge, by not committing to explaining the process, but it implies that somehow one person - and only one - gets the blade. Likewise, if you burned two Lerasium alloys, PM suggests that only one would take. Which one? We don't know.

[Aniki]

What if the Lerasium was alloyed with two metals in the same bead?

[Satsuoni]

There is a possibility that one would become a Mistborn that is particularly weak in all but two metals. As in " burns, but can barely push a coin in his hand" weak.

[kroen]

What if the Lerasium was alloyed with two metals in the same bead?

I think it would have no effect. We already know from Wax and the from the real world that alloying a metal creates an entirely new metal. In this case, it would be an unusable metal.

[Senor Feesh]

I think it would have no effect. We already know from Wax and the from the real world that alloying a metal creates an entirely new metal. In this case, it would be an unusable metal.

 

Agreed. Kelsier tells Vin in the very first book that metal alloys have to be specially prepared in the correct ratios, otherwise you could end up ingesting something not only unusuable Allomantically, but potentially poisonous.

[kroen]

Agreed. Kelsier tells Vin in the very first book that metal alloys have to be specially prepared in the correct ratios, otherwise you could end up ingesting something not only unusuable Allomantically, but potentially poisonous.

I wonder what happens if a Feruchemist stores/taps a metal with an incorrect ratio.

Edited May 7, 2013 by kroen

[Senor Feesh]

I would presume either it's impossible, or a poor rate of storage and tapping compared to correctly alloyed metals. Possibly also diminishing returns.

[Nepene]

What if the Lerasium was alloyed with two metals in the same bead?

 

Assuming it was a usable metal, it might have some effect other than increasing your allomantic power.

[Phantom Monstrosity]

What if the Lerasium was alloyed with two metals in the same bead?

Your head explodes.

[king of nowhere]

so if a mistborn burns an alloy of lerasium, he get demoted to simple misting?

Now I'm picturing an evil overlord forcing his enemies to take an alloy of lerasium and aluminium

 

How about trace impurities in lerasium? at what point do those traces impurity become enough to make you become a misting and not a mistborn?

[kroen]

so if a mistborn burns an alloy of lerasium, he get demoted to simple misting?

I don't think so. The reason there's a switch with Mistings is because it's impossible to burn more than one metal without being a Mistborn or involving Hemalurgy. But a Mistborn can already burn all of the metals. So if he wasn't 100% at that metal, the alloy would make him 100% at that metal. And if he already was, then the main effect which we know nothing about would take place. You can still demote useful Mistings to Gnats, though.

[Phantom Monstrosity]

so if a mistborn burns an alloy of lerasium, he get demoted to simple misting?

 

Personally, I think it's more likely that it just enhances their ability with that particular metal, but I could easily see it demoting them as well.

 

 

Of course, the table says "In alloyed form, [Lerasium] produces various expanded physical and enhancement effects, (including the creation of mistings)". 

 

I'm personally of the belief that there's a difference between a lerasium-dominant alloy (which probably makes misting) and a normal-metal-dominant one (which probably does the physical/enhancement stuff), but that's not really supported by much of anything.

 

Since atium+lerasium appears to be a nonstarter for becoming a feruchemist, my gut instinct is that alloying a feruchemically charged metal with lerasium could make you a ferring.  No idea what would make you a full feruchemist, besides maybe a lerasiummind/lerasium alloy.  I suppose technically Sanderson's never explicitly said you can only ever have one feruchemical ability, so it might just be a 'chuck every metalmind you can into it' deal..

[Abevan]

I was under the impression that Lerasium (and the alloys) had effects beyond simply turning people into Mistings/Mistborn. If that's the case, wouldn't a Mistborn burning a Lerasium alloy just get the additional effects?

[Voidus]

I was under the impression that Lerasium (and the alloys) had effects beyond simply turning people into Mistings/Mistborn. If that's the case, wouldn't a Mistborn burning a Lerasium alloy just get the additional effects?

It does have other effects, but it's not something anyone can do, I believe Brandon said he doubted anyone would know how to get them without extra knowledge.

 

BRANDON SANDERSON

By burning it you gain access to those powers. It rewrites your spiritual DNA, and there are ways to do really cool things with lerasium that I don't see how anyone would know

[Phantom Monstrosity]

It does have other effects, but it's not something anyone can do, I believe Brandon said he doubted anyone would know how to get them without extra knowledge.

I think that's just pure lerasium (both god metals have an ability beyond their allomantic/feruchemical/hemalurgic ones).

 

Mallerasium is a terrible name, but the 'various expanded physical and enhancement effects' could be just about anything.

[Voidus]

Ah, sorry didn't read the alloys part of the question well I'd assume that any extra effects from the alloys if they exist would be equally difficult to determine.

[Isomere]

When someone first burns steel they would not be able to use it well enough to levitate. That takes practice. It's possible that you can consciously control they way you use Lerasium to rewrite your Identity however you choose, but that would take practice. If this is correct, the people we have seen were just reflexively burning the metal, like the unconscious Elend reflexively burned pewter to heal his body. The default seems to rewrite your sDNA and link your Identity perfectly to Preservation. But if you knew how, I think you could use a pure bead to become a feruchemist. Now if you mix another metal in, that might add some specific restrictions and limit what parts of Identity get changed.

Cosmere

for that matter, I think if you hade Investiture from all 16 shards and knew how to use Lerasium well enough you could map your Identity with links to all 16 at once!