[BoM] That power source

[Ari he/him]

So we find out in the latter half of the book that southern Scadrians use something they call Ettmetal to power their technology, which doesn't agree with water. This means it's most likely a Group 1 metal- lithium, sodium, potassium, rubidium and caesium. However it is specifically mentioned that the metal explodes on impact with water, which would suggest Caesium, which has the most violent reaction to water.

 

If Ettmetal isn't some sort of special Invested metal, we suddenly have another allomantically-related metal that can't be burned like silver.

 

Or is it perhaps that the southern scadrians have access to Lerasium, which we never saw react with water?

 

Thoughts?

[ParadoxicalZen he/him]

Have we seen atrium react with water? Not saying it is, but I can't understand why a god metal would react with it.

Question; does it react with violently before in its raw form or after it has been smelted for a particular function, or whilst electricity is running through it

[Kav]

Pretty sure it can't be Atium or Lerasium. If those reacted as ettmetal does with water, your head would explode as soon as you put it in your mouth before you could even swallow the stuff!

[Irkutsk he/him]

There are theories that it might be Harmonium, or perhaps an alloy of Harmonium. The whole "explodes in water" thing does seem to indicate a group 1 Metal, but I can't see Brandon breaking his whole system of 16 metals in 4 quadrants.

Perhaps Ettmetal is in fact a group 1 metal, but it is not burnable by Mistborn. In this case, it would be Invested like other metals on Scadrial, but not allomantically useful outside of the mechanical metallic arts.

[Charononus]

There are theories that it might be Harmonium, or perhaps an alloy of Harmonium. The whole "explodes in water" thing does seem to indicate a group 1 Metal, but I can't see Brandon breaking his whole system of 16 metals in 4 quadrants.

Perhaps Ettmetal is in fact a group 1 metal, but it is not burnable by Mistborn. In this case, it would be Invested like other metals on Scadrial, but not allomantically useful outside of the mechanical metallic arts.

This is honestly what I thought was going on with it.

[Charlie.x.3000]

However it is specifically mentioned that the metal explodes on impact with water, which would suggest Caesium, which has the most violent reaction to water.

Thoughts?

Technically, anything below Potassium "explodes" in water, and I highly doubt Ettmetal is Cesium, considering Cesium burns upon contact with water vapour in the air. I think potential candidates are Potassium or Sodium. These two due to their abundance in the crust. (The flying pontoons had a lot of the Ettmetal in them)

[aon he/him]

I was wondering if rather than a Metal, it's an actual solid form of Investiture itself, somewhat like Stormlight on Roshar?

An Allomancer 'burns' a Metal allowing her to access the Investiture of Allomancy. What if Ettmetal is a physical piece of this Investiture, it would then explain how devices are then fueled by it. I would then presume the runes and etchings on devices would be some sort of Focus, working similarly to AonDor, causing the Investiture to copy the Intent/vibrations that the Allomancer causes?

 

Just because they call it a Metal, doesn't mean it necesseraly is - Although equally it could be Harmony's Metal I suppose.

Edited January 30, 2016 by aon

[Beyond]

Another possibility for ettmetal is uranium, which, in its metal form is quite exothermic chemically with water. It would make sense for it to be a power source and be able to be in a bomb capable of destroying a city.

Being the last natural element on the periodic table, that could make it the "final metal" referenced by Miles.

Edited January 30, 2016 by Beyond

[Charononus]

So we find out in the latter half of the book that southern Scadrians use something they call Ettmetal to power their technology, which doesn't agree with water. This means it's most likely a Group 1 metal- lithium, sodium, potassium, rubidium and caesium. However it is specifically mentioned that the metal explodes on impact with water, which would suggest Caesium, which has the most violent reaction to water.

 

If Ettmetal isn't some sort of special Invested metal, we suddenly have another allomantically-related metal that can't be burned like silver.

 

Or is it perhaps that the southern scadrians have access to Lerasium, which we never saw react with water?

 

Thoughts?

I've been thinking about this,  with how they made bombs out of the stuff as well,  and considered them quite destructive.  It can't be a group 1 metal for this.  It has to be something else as these metals do explode in water,  however the explosion is quite weak compared to any other explosive.  Primitive TNT is better.  This makes the ending of the book questionable if ettmetal is a group 1 metal.

[Pagerunner he/him]

I've been thinking about this,  with how they made bombs out of the stuff as well,  and considered them quite destructive.  It can't be a group 1 metal for this.  It has to be something else as these metals do explode in water,  however the explosion is quite weak compared to any other explosive.  Primitive TNT is better.  This makes the ending of the book questionable if ettmetal is a group 1 metal.

I've also been thinking about this. Is the bomb an actual bomb? Is the explosion due to the chemical or nucular (fine, nuclear) properties of the metal? Or is it a magical bomb, where it uses the Investiture from ettmetal to power a massive Steelpush, one that would be strong enough to affect trace metals in stones, bodies, and what-have-you?

[VoltCruelerz he/him]

Personally, my guess is that Ettmetal is either Harmonium or metallic Hydrogen. I'll knock out the possible options as I see them.

The first thing that came to mind was an alkali metal as they're known to explode on contact with water. That said, burning a small cube of the stuff wouldn't give off enough energy to keep an airship aloft. They're also not so good in the city-destroying department as other options, at least not with real-world technology.  If Sodium somehow granted Allomantic replication, then a Sodium bomb would probably just replicate a really really really strong steelpush or something.

Largely due to the fact that they can destroy cities, Uranium and Plutonium are next on the list of metals to consider. Both could conceivably be tapped into somehow Allomantically to allow that energy to be siphoned off for use by an airship. That said, they've been flying planes powered by these things for a minimum of ten years based on what the captain said. They'd know about radiation sickness by now if it were enriched Uranium or Plutonium and would have stopped using it. Being a pilot of an airship is a prestigious job. Dying of radiation sickness would tend to make a job very much not prestigious. That said, the blue lighting in the castle does seem an awful lot like Cherynkov radiation to me. Another major flaw with this idea is that the Southerners don't seem to be terribly advanced. Their airships have gas lamps, not electric ones, plus they haven't already explored and conquered the planet which they would have if they were well into the nuclear age. I highly doubt a civilization at their tech level would have the technology to enrich Uranium or breed Plutonium.

Fortunately, there might be an explanation without having to resort to God-metals: Metallic Hydrogen. Assume you manage to pack in the Hydrogen tightly enough that it becomes metallic and that somehow the nature of it being such prevents it from instantly exploding. You now possess a very dense hunk of matter that can be used as an energy source with relative ease without being radioactive, probably behaves a lot like an alkali metal (maybe exposure to water could cause the outer layer to sublimate, creating a very large, very hot bubble of Hydrogen gas that will probably make a nice fireball upon contact with the air), and could be turned into a city-destroying bomb using real-world technology. On top of that, while I have no idea how dense metallic Hydrogen would be, it could literally be burned for fuel. The airships were noted to have gas lamps, not electric ones. Perhaps they're burning sublimated Hydrogen rather than methane as one might otherwise assume. The only real question here is how to make the stuff since Scadrial isn't a gas giant, but it's conceivable that a bunch of Coinshots or Lurchers working together might be able to create some.

There's also the possibility that it's Harmonium. First, we know that the last book in Era 1.5 will be called the lost metal, presumably a reference to Atium. That said, Atium doesn't glow and neither does Lerasium. The combination of two opposing God-metals, though? Think about what happens when you mix Florine and Cesium. An alloy of two opposing God-metals sounds like the sort of thing to me that could constantly glow while not actually being radioactive. On top of that, we know that their ships burn the fuel and God-metals burn Allomantically, if not chemically. Since burning Lerasium gives one Allomancy, the idea that an alloy of it could be used to create remote Allomancy isn't too far-fetched. On top of that, the recent midnight release passes had images of the insignia for Harmonium on them. The issue with this though is that the Southerners never thought to try purifying it into Lerasium to make themselves Mistborn. Surely someone would have gotten some trace Lerasium on their fingers and ingested it by now. That said, since Sazed took up both shards, perhaps Atium and Lerasium don't exist anymore, leaving only Harmonium.  That still doesn't fix all the problems though.  Supposedly, ingesting Harmonium would turn one into a full Feruchemist which the Southerners don't seem to be.

That makes me really wonder what causes a God-metal to possess the Allomantic attributes that it does. Why does Lerasium grant Allomancy? Why does Atium grant future-sight? Why does Harmonium copy Allomancy? What would Raysium do? Aonium? Tanavastium?

 

In the end, I think the answer will be Harmonium, but I really want it to be metallic Hydrogen instead.  It just seems to fit better, IMO.

Edited January 31, 2016 by VoltCruelerz

[Charononus]

Personally, my guess is that Ettmetal is either Harmonium or metallic Hydrogen. I'll knock out the possible options as I see them.

The first thing that came to mind was an alkali metal as they're known to explode on contact with water. That said, burning a small cube of the stuff wouldn't give off enough energy to keep an airship aloft. They're also not so good in the city-destroying department as other options.

Largely due to the fact that they can destroy cities, Uranium and Plutonium are next on the list of metals to consider. Both could conceivably tapped into somehow Allomantically to allow that energy to be siphoned off for use by an airship. That said, they've been flying planes powered by these things for a minimum of ten years based on what the captain said. They'd know about radiation sickness by now if it were enriched Uranium or Plutonium and would have stopped using it. Being a pilot of an airship is a prestigious job. Dying of radiation sickness would tend to make a job very much not prestigious. That said, the blue lighting in the castle does seem an awful lot like Cherynkov radiation to me. Another major flaw with this idea is that the Southerners don't seem to be terribly advanced. Their airships have gas lamps, not electric ones, plus they haven't already explored and conquered the planet which they would have if they were well into the nuclear age. I highly doubt a civilization at their tech level would have the technology to enrich Uranium or breed Plutonium.

Fortunately, there might be an explanation without having to resort to God-metals: Metallic Hydrogen. Assume you manage to pack in the Hydrogen tightly enough that it becomes metallic and that somehow the nature of it being such prevents it from instantly exploding. You now possess a very dense hunk of matter that can explode, probably behaves a lot like an alkali metal (maybe exposure to water could cause the outer layer to sublimate, creating a very large, very hot bubble of Hydrogen gas that will probably make a nice fireball upon contact with the air), and could be turned into a city-destroying bomb using real-world technology. On top of that, while I have no idea how dense metallic Hydrogen would be, it could literally be burned for fuel. The airships were noted to have gas lamps, not electric ones. Perhaps they're burning sublimated Hydrogen rather than methane as one might otherwise assume. The only real question here is how to make the stuff since Scadrial isn't a gas giant, but it's conceivable that a bunch of Coinshots or Lurchers working together might be able to create some.

There's also the possibility that it's Harmonium. First, we know that the last book in Era 1.5 will be called the lost metal, presumably a reference to Atium. That said, Atium doesn't glow and neither does Lerasium. The combination of two opposing God-metals, though? Think about what happens when you mix Florine and Cesium. An alloy of two opposing God-metals sounds like the sort of thing to me that could constantly glow while not actually being radioactive. On top of that, we know that their ships burn the fuel and God-metals burn Allomantically, if not chemically. Since burning Lerasium gives one Allomancy, the idea that an alloy of it could be used to create remote Allomancy isn't too far-fetched. On top of that, the recent midnight release passes had images of the insignia for Harmonium on them. The issue with this though is that the Southerners never thought to try purifying it into Lerasium to make themselves Mistborn. Surely someone would have gotten some trace Lerasium on their fingers and ingested it by now. That said, since Sazed took up both shards, perhaps Atium and Lerasium don't exist anymore, leaving only Harmonium.

That makes me really wonder what causes a God-metal to possess the Allomantic attributes that it does. Why does Lerasium grant Allomancy? Why does Atium grant future-sight? Why does Harmonium copy Allomancy? What would Raysium do? Aonium? Tanavastium?

Something tells me burning a chunk of Raysium to find out would be an exceptionally bad idea.

[Full Metal Rithmatist]

Given that the metal directly provides the POWER to fuel allomancy itself ( since all the other metals do not provide power themself )and presumably the only thing that can power allomancy is the power of preservation so the only metal that could therefore directly power allomancy would be lerasium, a lerasium alloy or harmonium. one must assume for now at least that the metal is harmonium.

 

 

This seems more likely to me as reading the newspaper articles printed in the book it would seem there is currently no word for harmonium in the northern language, thus why the word ettmetal would not translate.

 

 

Still its all guessing at this point.

Edited January 31, 2016 by Full Metal Rithmatist

[natc]

Well, I'm pretty sure any shard can power any system with some hoop-jumping . . .

[Full Metal Rithmatist]

Well, I'm pretty sure any shard can power any system with some hoop-jumping . . .

Its common enough that it pretty much has to be native to scadrial

[emailanimal he/him]

I have a nit-picky question. Why name all other god metals by the vessel names: atium, lerasium, (and putative, tanavastium, raysium, etc...), but then use Harmonium and not Sazedium? 

 

PS. As for the metal, I am in the alkali metal camp: potassium or sodium sound right to me.

Edited January 31, 2016 by emailanimal

[natc]

Sazed apparently likes that name more. That's the only excuse

But yeah, ettmetal pretty much is probably native. Just saying that allomancy can be powered by nearly anything.

Rusts, I'm sure you can probably somehow use stormlight for allomancy with a bit of hackery.

Edited January 31, 2016 by natc

[Full Metal Rithmatist]

Also given that a lot of things in the newspaper ( broadsheet ) printed in the book have been relevant to the story somehow - one of the things on the broadsheet is "does harmony have a metal ?"

[Heir of the Void he/him]

Something tells me burning a chunk of Raysium to find out would be an exceptionally bad idea.

 

I see no way this could end poorly.

And I though it would be a good idea to mount an allomantic particle beam on a Chasmfiend (totally could work), so clearly by judgement can be trusted.

[VoltCruelerz he/him]

I see no way this could end poorly.

And I though it would be a good idea to mount an allomantic particle beam on a Chasmfiend (totally could work), so clearly by judgement can be trusted.

I now have an image in my mind of Kaladin riding a chasmfiend into battle with Allomantic cannons and shields strapped to it.  Thank you for that image.

[christianlathaire]

Does no one else see the pun potential for it being Cesium? Leras had Lerasium, Ati had Atium. Sazed must have Sazium.

[Full Metal Rithmatist]

Does no one else see the pun potential for it being Cesium? Leras had Lerasium, Ati had Atium. Sazed must have Sazium.

 

saz/ces ium.

 

its almost genius.

 

Cesium is pretty much the only alkali metal that EXPLODES in water to rather than just burns.

[Charononus]

saz/ces ium.

 

its almost genius.

 

Cesium is pretty much the only alkali metal that EXPLODES in water to rather than just burns.

Drop some others in water and you'd claim they explode too.  They're just weaker.  

[emailanimal he/him]

Also given that a lot of things in the newspaper ( broadsheet ) printed in the book have been relevant to the story somehow - one of the things on the broadsheet is "does harmony have a metal ?"

 

 This, together with the Khriss appearance I consider to be gentle fandom trolling.

[Voidus]

Clearly it's just a god metal and the reason it explodes in water is because it's powering the salt found therin, which as any Sharder knows is infact the most powerful of all metals, the Epic God Metal.