Tattoos as Metalminds

[Jaaaaaade]

I'd assume that a pile of dust can't be a metalmind, because each grain would act as a separate storage device, but all of them would probably be too small to do anything. That would imply, in turn, that a tattoo couldn't be a metalmind either, because it's not a coherent piece of metal, rather it's a bunch of separate bits of metal.

 

However, to give a counter argument, if forging concepts can apply to feruchemy, then the pile of dust might not work because the dust wouldn't see itself as a coherent object, but the metal in the tattoo would probably be stable enough to see itself as a whole, thereby binding all the different specks together, realmatically, and thereby providing enough storage space to be useable

 

Actually... I like that forging perspective. That would help explain why, say, the copper ring a ferring is wearing doesn't give them access to the thirty lb block of copper in their backpack. Not only are they separate, but the objects see themselves as separate. But if they could be made to see themselves as the same specific thing, then maybe remote feruchemical access might be possible.

 

Dust should still work, feruchemically. Allomancers swallow tiny shavings and sprinkles of metals, and they work as a single reserve. You'd store tiny little fragments of feruchemical charge in each one, but you could still draw them out in a single burst. This leads to a whole new question though; Is feruchemy conductive? Would the whole pile of metal dust store the charge, or only the particles you were touching at any given moment?

 

If it is conductive, you could easily make a thin wire and connect a ring to a huge slab in your backpack. Feruchemy doesn't seem to be affected by how much surface area is touching you, just the quantity of metal and purity.

 

I disagree with the feasibility of tattoo metalmind. the metals contained in the ink, as far as I know, are metal ions, possibly bound in complexes to other organic molecules. there's plenty of metal ions that will give intersting colors that way. there's a demonstration for students where you take some copper salts and change their color in a half dozen ways just by replacing the ligands. But for feruchemy? you need metallic metal. an aggregate of metal atoms bound reciprocally by a metallic bond. 

This can be taken either way. For something to be in a metalic bond, it's got to be a bunch of metal nuclei in a sea of delocalised electrons. The charge carriers flying around easily jump from metal to metal, through a pile of dust, if a charge is running through it. Feruchemy could flow with the electrons, this could be why the whole metal stores the charge, not just the atoms on the surface tin contact with your skin.

 

On the other hand, feruchemy probably doesn't suffer from electrical resistance, like a huge amount being pulled through a very thin wire all at once. If it was electricity, the electrons just bump into each other and give off a huge amount of heat. From this, we can gather that feruchemy is absolutely nothing like electricity or magnets or computers, so I have absolutely no idea if it does conduct or not. 

[king of nowhere]

On the other hand, feruchemy probably doesn't suffer from electrical resistance, like a huge amount being pulled through a very thin wire all at once. If it was electricity, the electrons just bump into each other and give off a huge amount of heat. From this, we can gather that feruchemy is absolutely nothing like electricity or magnets or computers, so I have absolutely no idea if it does conduct or not. 

Or maybe no one tried to tap a large enough power through a sufficiently thin metalmind to notice any resistance. Maybe there would be a noticeable resistive effect if the contact between the bodyy and the feruchemist was on a very small area. intersting thought.

[Jaaaaaade]

I've got another one, zinc face cream, could you use it to store up small amounts of mental speed? It most likely wouldn't work if it needed a flowing charge, but it works as metallic atoms touching the skin.

Where it gets confusing is what happens when it gets absorbed. Say you have a bit of feruchemy stored up when you first apply it. Later, it's drawn into your skin. Could you still use the charge if it's the same atoms of metal, but in your blood stream? That would make a much more reliable emergency metalmind, as long as you use it before you pass it out of your system.

[king of nowhere]

I've got another one, zinc face cream, could you use it to store up small amounts of mental speed? It most likely wouldn't work if it needed a flowing charge, but it works as metallic atoms touching the skin.

Where it gets confusing is what happens when it gets absorbed. Say you have a bit of feruchemy stored up when you first apply it. Later, it's drawn into your skin. Could you still use the charge if it's the same atoms of metal, but in your blood stream? That would make a much more reliable emergency metalmind, as long as you use it before you pass it out of your system.

I'd say you could store a bit into it. however, when it get absorbed into your bloodstream, it will gradually get degraded, so you'll lose it after a while. you can put it on before going on a mission as a sort of ace in the hole, but you can't use it as a permanent storage

[Nihilist]

Not only would the metal not be solid and connected, but it would also be impossible to get enough metal in the skin.

 

If you're not familiar with the industry or process involved, there's really not that much ink in a tattoo.  A single ink cap holds 1-2 ml of ink by volume.  40-70% of it is a suspension fluid (water, witch hazel, etc.).  So in the long run, a small 2 oz. bottle of ink can last for weeks.

 

If it were possible to use a modern tattooing machine do it, the needles would be almost instantly dulled by the abrassive metal dust...making the tattoo not only excrutiatingly painful, but also turn the skin into hamburger...making it bleed more than normal.  A good tattoo will heal just like light road rash...it oozes as it heals...so it'd lose metal that way.  This problem would be intensified with dull needles.

 

So, as a whole, no...it would not work.  Even if the metal didn't have to be solid and whole.

 

Now, one option would be to implant metal under the skin.  Sazed has several rings shot into his body, then uses them when theyre inside him to heal.  Why not take it a step further and do this on purpose?  Sub-dermal implanting is somewhat popular in the here and now, but it has been around for thousands of years.  So you could manage to do it that way.

[Kadrok]

Necrothread!!!

 

Also:

Now, one option would be to implant metal under the skin.  Sazed has several rings shot into his body, then uses them when theyre inside him to heal.  Why not take it a step further and do this on purpose?  Sub-dermal implanting is somewhat popular in the here and now, but it has been around for thousands of years.  So you could manage to do it that way.

 

Yep, we know (though I was under the impression that a lot of metals would break down over time in the body). I just wanted something with style. Metal nodes are cool and all, but not nearly as cool as MAGIC TATTOOS. Thank you for your input on tattoo feasibility. I guess I'll go eat the chocolate of disappointment....

[Oudeis]

I don't think they touch your blood, a requirement for Hemalurgy.

They specify in the books that they must only touch the blood as they enter you; from then on, your body can heal around it, and as long as it's still inside your body, it works as a spike.

 

And YES, you bleed when you get a tattoo. I assure you.