The Ultimate List of Questions for Brandon

[Kurkistan he/him]

Modified the question to be more specific and use only metals that are allomantically active. 

 

My theory is that burning aluminum changes the identity the available metals within a Mistborn. If not controlled they become inert, but a skilled allomancer may be able to change common metals into more useful alloys.  

 

That's... actually a rather interesting idea. Wrong, though, if the MAG is anything to go by, because it describes Aluminum as burning away/consuming all of an Allomancer's metals, not even being so ambiguous as "rendering inert".

[Windrunner he/him]

1) What benefit does an aluminum savant get? Yes, I know this would normally never happen because aluminum burns itself up. Suppose a mad scientist with a willing Mistborn test subject shoved a feeding tube down the Mistborn's throat to pump in a continuous stream of aluminum, replenishing it steadily so there's always a new unburned supply. Add another tube to pump out excess water if necessary. What would he discover? Alternatively, what would Sazed with his Shard-granted knowledge know?

Ha, that IS a little silly of a method. However, on the extreme end of aluminum, I have in the notes the possibility of cleansing the spirit of unwanted effects of other investitures. You'd get really good at this, and maybe even be able to cleanse the body of other impurities.

I think this might hint at an answer. When you become a savant, you've pumped up your ability to draw power through the metals (at a cost to yourself) to make it more powerful. If aluminum savants can cleanse the spirit, perhaps all regular aluminum does is a cleanse of the physical body? Removing all extra impurities or whatnot?

[Isomere]

Fascinating quote Windy, unwanted effects of investitures... so many possibilities. 

[Phantom Monstrosity]

I'll point out that a mistborn CAN burn nonallomantic metals.

It is just a very bad idea.

He turned back toward her. “Before I forget, there are a couple more things you should know about Allomancy.”

Vin nodded.

“First,” Kelsier said, “remember to burn away any unused metals you have inside of you at the end of the night. Some of the metals we use can be poisonous if digested; it’s best not to sleep with them in your stomach.”

“All right,” Vin said.

“Also,” Kelsier said, “never try to burn a metal that isn’t one of the ten. I warned you that impure metals and alloys can make you sick. Well, if you try to burn a metal that isn’t Allomantically sound at all, it could be deadly.

...

“It’s not that simple,” Kelsier said. “You remember how I told you never to burn a metal that wasn’t one of the ten?”

Vin nodded.

“Burning another metal can be deadly,” Kelsier said.

“Even getting the wrong mixture in an alloy metal can make you sick. If I’m wrong about the Eleventh Metal...”

“It will kill you,” Vin said quietly.

Kelsier nodded.

I haven't got a response back (since emails take a long time to sort through), but when I asked for a copy of Mistborn prime and Final Empire Prime I also asked Brandon if it was possible for a persistant-but-dim mistborn to become a savant in a bad alloy. Depending on if that gets answered... well, I have a theory that if becoming a savant starts tearing channels into your spiritweb, you might be able to create entirely new configurations by flaring the right combinations of non-allomantic/badly alloyed metals. Basically burning a new path into your soul. Edited May 26, 2013 by Phantom Monstrosity

[Senor Feesh]

On what basis does a Shard choose which planet to settle/colonise? Do they have any specific criteria they look for? Edit: Beyond the capacity to support human life, I mean.

Edited May 26, 2013 by Senor Feesh

[ROSHtafARian]

If all currently living Returned were willing for whatever reason, is there some way they could all give their Divine Breaths to Susebron in such a way that they merged with his own and all congealed into one large Splinter, possibly with its own Intent?

[Leuthie]

First question before that one: Does Susebron have two Divine Breaths at the end of Warbreaker?

Edited May 28, 2013 by Leuthie

[Meg]

First question before that one: Does Susebron have two Divine Breaths at the end of Warbreaker?

 

 

Why do you think he has two Divine Breaths then? Because Lightsong died immediately? 

 

(My thoughts under the premise that you answer "yes"

I personally don't think, that Susebron has two Divine Breathes after being healed by Lightsong, because there were other persons in the history of Hallandren that were healed by Returned. If the Returned would give away their Divine Breath due to healing somebody, they would (wouldn't they?) create a new Returned then? If so the Hallendren Gods could much more manipulate their Court, because they could chose their successor by healing somebody they chose due to this reason and not because of necessitate. 

 

As for I think that it's Endowments choice who returns I, too, think, (s)he gets the Divine Breath back that (s)he invested in that Returned who now healed somebody. (What would explain that the Returned dies immediately, too.)

[ROSHtafARian]

First question before that one: Does Susebron have two Divine Breaths at the end of Warbreaker?

 

LOL, I considered the same thing Leuthie, but my gut impression is no, because I figure Endowment wouldn't be Splintering off pieces of itself as often as it does if it wasn't sure those Splinters would return to it.  So I assumed the 'default' process of giving someone your Divine Breath to heal them would automatically result in the Splinter rejoining its parent Shard as soon as its Intent was fulfilled, and since Lightsong's Breath did heal Susebron, that energy was expended and the 'used' Splinter rejoined Endowment.

 

Basically, I'm betting that with the proper knowledge or awareness, a Returned could give their Divine Breath to someone else intact, without using it to heal them, but there's no way to heal someone with a Divine Breath AND let them keep that Breath intact afterwards.

[realmatist]

What are lerasium's hemalurgical and feruchemal powers?

 

Note: asked this at a signing, said he had it in his notes but had forgotten.

[kroen]

What are lerasium's hemalurgical and feruchemal powers?

 

Note: asked this at a signing, said he had it in his notes but had forgotten.

Maybe lerasium allows a Feruchemist to permanently store his or her Feruchemy in the metal. Then, going by the fact that's lerasium is a metal anyone can burn, it can also be a metal anyone can draw from. So if a Feruchemist stored his Feruchemy in a lerasiummind, anyone could then draw it and become a Feruchemist permanently.

 

As for Hemalurgy, perhaps it steals youth? (making the guy it stole from X years older, depending on the size of the spike, and making the guy who receives it X-Y years younger. Y is the amount of power lost during transition, as Hemalurgy is end-negative.)

Edited May 30, 2013 by kroen

[Phantom Monstrosity]

What are lerasium's hemalurgical and feruchemal powers?

 

Note: asked this at a signing, said he had it in his notes but had forgotten.

It's apparently material for the next couple of trilogies.  It's been RAFOed several times as well...

[skaa he/him]

As for Hemalurgy, perhaps it steals youth? (making the guy it stole from X years older, depending on the size of the spike, and making the guy who receives it X-Y years younger. Y is the amount of power lost during transition, as Hemalurgy is end-negative.)

 

I like this. Lerasium acting as a temporal metal in Hemalurgy would mirror Atium's temporal nature in Allomancy.

 

Edit: I suppose I should contribute a question. What is up with Steris' weird behavior? Is it just a case of Asperger's syndrome, or did someone mess with her Spiritual Connection somehow?

Edited May 31, 2013 by skaa

[Senor Feesh]

Can Lifeless perceive colours?

[Kurkistan he/him]

Can Lifeless perceive colours?

 

Ooh, good one.

[Senor Feesh]

Ooh, good one.

 

Thanks - this is actually from my partner's speculations on Lifeless Returned - she's not read any Cosmere, but she's pretty well informed because I don't shut up about it...

[Starspren]

Can you awake your own hair?

[Phantom Monstrosity]

When Vasher took away that girl's memories, did he end up able to remember everything that happened while she was kidnapped?

[Otto Didact he/him]

I just got an answer to the question about why Nightblood can read minds but Shards can't. Brandon said that it depends on the Shard's focus--Ruin can't read minds, but Preservation can when you're connected to Preservation in a special way. So, some Shards can read minds while some can't.

[Phantom Monstrosity]

Cool! Quick question: did he use the word 'focus' or 'intent'?

Edited June 4, 2013 by Phantom Monstrosity

[Otto Didact he/him]

He used the word "foci." He said that the different foci of the Shards affected their ability to read minds.

[Kurkistan he/him]

I suppose "foci" could be interpreted as a talking about the specialties and predilections of the Shards, rather than their "focuses" in the Realmatic sense.

[Phantom Monstrosity]

Man, I just had a couple of ideas for awakening, but not sure if 'asking if x is plausible' is really that good a thing for the ultimate questions or not.  I guess I'll let the thread decide if they're sufficiently awesome to make the cut.

 

Could a mad Awakener Scientist take a big plaster cast in the shape of a human, fill it up with human blood, and make a T-1000 style shapechanging Lifeless?  [if so], about how many Breath would that take?  Would it need to find bones like a kandra?

 

And

 

The closer something approximates your own body, the easier it is to awaken, so (assuming you had sufficient Breath) could you store Breath in, or Awaken, your own shadow? 

 

 

Asking about the shadow is an interesting question about cognitive domain stuff and perception - while shadows aren't anything physical, they have one heck of a weighty cognitive definition for people, and presumably an Identity very closely tied to yours.  And it'd be an interesting place to hide normal Breath as well.

Edited June 9, 2013 by Phantom Monstrosity

[kraefzke]

I couldn't find these questions in this thread or anywhere else. If they have been answered or rafo'd already, I deeply apologize:

 

Did Adonalsium have a holder like its shards now have? Or was he/she/it sentient on his/her/its own? Or was'nt it sentient at all?

 

Can a shard and its holder be seperated again without dying? (aided/unaided? willingly/unwillingly?)

 

Was Hoid Adonalsium's holder?

 

Edit: Typos

Edited June 13, 2013 by kraefzke

[Kurkistan he/him]

Do objects "distend" the surface of time bubbles as they straddle the border, but are still either completely in or completely out? So a Pulser standing next to a train wouldn't be able to bubble anyone "through" the train's interference, the surface of the bubble trying to wrap around it instead.