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What's up with Spook?


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So in chapter five of BoM, we find out that Spook chose to step down after a "century of rule":
 

Steris: “Well, they would argue that they don’t need our government, as they have their own city administrations. Waxillium, many in the Basin feel that Elendel is trying to act as if our governor were some kind of emperor—something that was supposed to have ended when the Lord Mistborn stepped down after his century of rule.”

 

Spook was already in his late teens by the time of the Catacendre. Depending on when he took over (possibly right after, maybe after some time), it seems like Spook was remarkably long-lived, at least 120 years or so. It's also interesting to note his rule didn't end with his death, but instead ended with him choosing to step down.

I searched through AoL and SoS, and couldn't find any reference to Spook's date of death or tomb. To me, this raises some questions: when did Spook actually die, and how was he so long-lived?

We know that Spook was very interested in Hemalurgy, and we find out in chapter 6 of BoM that he had some disturbing thoughts on how to use hemalurgy. Marasi learns this from reading his book on the matter:
 

The Lord Mistborn advocated gathering the Metalborn who were elderly or terminally ill, then asking them to sacrifice themselves to make these… spikes, which could in turn be used to create individuals of great power.


It is of course possible, even probable, that Spook's longevity came for the same reason he became a full Mistborn and stopped being a tin savant: Sazed's tweaks right after his ascension. It might be that Sazed just gave Spook a little boost to let him live somewhat longer than an average person. Or alternately, Mistborn powers naturally lead to longevity as long as they manage to avoid throwing down with other metalborn on a regular basis.

The more interesting, if less probable, reason is that Spook was up to something with Hemalurgy. To be clear, I don't want to raise this to the level of a full-blown theory, just some interesting speculation. It might be that the full release of BoM in a few days will deny this bit of speculation (or who knows, maybe it will confirm it!).

If Spook did extend his life with hemalurgy, what does it mean? Well, I think that if Spook figured out a way to extend his life through hemalurgy (either by stealing powers and compounding, or by some other unknown means), it is surprisingly plausible that he might still be around. He would be about 360 years old at this point, not nearly as old as TLR became, but definitely very old.

I'll also point out that what Spook proposed when he wrote his book isn't that far off from what the Set seems to be up to now, although the Set is somewhat more coercive and violent than Spook initially suggested. I think it's plausible that the Set has some relation to Spook, either directly or indirectly through reading his book.

So what do you think? What happened to Spook after he stepped down from power? Did he go off to live his final years on a farm, or was he up to something else?

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Wow, I hadn't noticed that before. Maybe he spiked himself with atium and used that to Coumpound age? Maybe he's running around like Marsh is... 

The question is, would they agree with each other's methods? What if Spook is a villain/antagonist now?

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Man, this just brings whole new dimensions to the potential of the Set's awfulness, if Spook is actually orchestrating the kidnapping of his own descendants. :unsure:

I personally like to think Spook wouldn't go so low. It might be that Spook has died only recently, or lost control of his organization. That would explain why the Set seems to have switched tactics recently (assuming they've been around for a while before AoL).

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Demoux is around 300 years old as well. Perhaps Spook attained immortality the same way he did. I'd totally love to have him still kicking around, maybe as a worldhopper.

Reminds me of a joke spoiler preview of Stones Unhallowed(now Oathbringer) in which Nalan had Spook cryogenically preserved in an ice cube.

Nalan, Szeth, his sword, Spook, and Jasnah, who became friends with Szeth because of their mutual fake deaths, became a rock band(Szeth was made truthless because Rock is too sacred to be played or something) and their music summoned Susebron.

On topic: what if instead of becoming an atium compounder or something, Spook learned how to steal youth with a normal metal, and by burning the spikes he manages to reverse his aging?

Vampires in the cosmere, anyone?

Edited by DreamEternal
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I personally like to think Spook wouldn't go so low. It might be that Spook has died only recently, or lost control of his organization. That would explain why the Set seems to have switched tactics recently (assuming they've been around for a while before AoL).

 

Same here, actually. It was just an idle thought that popped into my head, albeit one that makes more sense than I'd like.

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I was gonna chime and point at pewter as the main cause too, since I'm sure it was mentioned somewhere in Mistborn that it also helped with fighting diseases a little, making it less likely of a frail old man to die of something. But I like the cadmium thing a lot more. It makes perfect sense for him to want to zone out if something gets boring. And being the Lord Mistborn, he probably had a bunch of boring meetings and stuff. :)

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Just to be a killjoy here

 

It could be a red herring. Years could be shorter on Scadrial or "The Lord Mistborns century long rule" could just be what they call the time after the final ascension. Spook didnt actually rule all those years, they are just rounding up. Or he cadmium bubbled himself.

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Yeah you guys don't forget all the character development away from a hemalurgic leaning in HoA. I don't know if Brandon would really go through all the trouble of souring Spook on hemalurgy just to bring him around years later for no apparent reason.

 

He does know its utility, though, and I can easily see the argument that goes "Hemalurgy saved his life."  I can also easily see age dulling his revulsion for it to a simple "Useful, but highly dangerous."   (See also his admonition to not use hemalurgy in experiments regarding the Spiritweb, and only to take Metalborn powers from those who are already dying, both applications that minimize the amount of collateral damage) Also in favor of him using it: The thing that made it "evil," Ruin, has been killed and subsumed into Harmony, who just so happens to be a valued ally and personal friend of Spook's, whom Spook knows would never be tempted to abuse the powers granted him by the use of Hemalurgy.  

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Would be funny if Spook pulled a holy grail dealie like in the last crusade. He pulses to guard the bands for centuries, only to be too old to stop whoever comes to get them, and die as he explains all he did with hemalurgy and how watching over the bands was his way to atone. 

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I think spook is trell.

We should make a list of who is Trell. So far the candidates are:

1. Trell.

2. Nalt.

3. Bavadin.

4. Kelsier.

5. Saze.

6. Good Ol' Rayse.

7. Ruin, or a splinter.

8. Hoid.

9. Adonalsium.

10. Anti-Adonalsium.

11. Negative Adonalsium.

12. Inverse Adonalsium.

13. Reverse Adonalsium.

14. The Doctor.

15. The Master.

16. Time Traveling Adonalsium.

17. Zombie Adonalsium.

18. Rubix.

19. The Spanish Inquisition.

20. Kaladin.

21. Renarin.

22. Voidus.

23. Morzathoth.

24. The Iluminati.

25. Aliens.

25b. Dragons

26. Southern Scadrialians.

27. Spook.

28. The Beard of the poster below.

Someone else?

Edited by DreamEternal
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