Sixteen

[Tasty Flesh]

I don't really know if this is a new theory persay, but it's not something I've seen talked about it, so I'd like to hear your thoughts on it.

A couple of things on the metallic arts, and a theory about metals. 

We have a complete table of allomantic effects, relating to the 16 allomantic metals, but Atium and Lerasium don't fit into this table. Furthermore, this table seems to be complete, considering what we know about Sixteen, and it's relationship to the Cosmere as a whole, as well as the words of Preservation.

Although Sazed could have changed the table, it is unlikely that he added more metals to it.

Atium and Lerasium never did fit on this table. They have a separate table that they fit on. A table of the 16 God metals. Just as Ati (as Ruin) created Atium, and Leras (as Preservation) created Lerasium, other Shards could invest their own metals if they wanted, and this would fill out the other table of 16. 

The Spike found in MeLaan, which Harmony was unable to identify, is one of these metals (I theorize Bavadium), for example.

Please let me know if you have any critiques, or anything to add to this.

Edited February 15, 2016 by Tasty Flesh

[Yata]

Yeah the God metals don't take place in the Allomantic Table.

The "Standard Allomancy" works burning the 16 mondane Metals, an Allomancer drains power from Preservation itself and the metal works like gateway/limitator for the power and filter it in an Allomantic Effect (steelpush, ecc...)

But if you may burn a metal that is a souce of power of its own (a Gods Metal) you actually Hack the Allomancy, while you burn a God Metal you get nothing from Preservation, instead you use the metal itself as source of power (because it's actually pure Shard's power).

Every God Metal may be used as pure metal or as alloy. Every God metal may creates 16 Alloys with any other Mundane Metal.

For example the Malatium is actually an Alloy of Atium and Gold.

 

Anyway I don't know if it possible to speak about Shadow of Self outside of the Spoiler tag now. To avoid problem I suggest you to put the last part into Spoiler Tag

[Tasty Flesh]

Every God Metal may be used as pure metal or as alloy. Every God metal may creates 16 Alloys with any other Mundane Metal.

 

Anyway I don't know if it possible to speak about Shadow of Self outside of the Spoiler tag now. To avoid problem I suggest you to put the last part into Spoiler Tag

Interesting thing I didn't consider! That allows for, well, 16² possibilities for allomancy, if it's true, so, well, wow.

 

Yeah, I wasn't sure about the policy for SoS spoilers, but best to air on the side of caution, suppose!

[Oversleep]

Interesting thing I didn't consider! That allows for, well, 16² possibilities for allomancy, if it's true, so, well, wow.

 

Yeah, I wasn't sure about the policy for SoS spoilers, but best to air on the side of caution, suppose!

Actually it would mean 18*16 metals. 16 base metals + 16 pure god metals + 16 * 16 god metal alloys. It gets worse when you allow for god metal alloys of god metal alloys (like lerasium alloy of malatium, for example).

You may want to check this. I believe paragraphs 1, 5 and 6 are relevant.

[Tasty Flesh]

Actually it would mean 18*16 metals. 16 base metals + 16 pure god metals + 16 * 16 god metal alloys. It gets worse when you allow for god metal alloys of god metal alloys (like lerasium alloy of malatium, for example).

You may want to check this. I believe paragraphs 1, 5 and 6 are relevant.

Oh dang. that is so many possibilities it makes my brain hurt. 

Thanks for the link to that! Really good post, and interesting theory. 

[amulligan99]

Another thing you might want to consider is each shard might have their own system and metal if they take place on scadrial so now it becomes 16×16×16 different power combinations thats 4096. That's 256 different metals imagine swallowing all of that.

[Ari]

Another thing you might want to consider is each shard might have their own system and metal if they take place on scadrial so now it becomes 16×16×16 different power combinations thats 4096. That's 256 different metals imagine swallowing all of that.

 

Except we know none of the other shards are physically present on Scadrial right now, so that's not happening. Wheras sparing some investiture to make solid into a metal is rather easy, if you have the co-operation of the Shard in question.

[Stormgate]

Except we know none of the other shards are physically present on Scadrial right now, so that's not happening. Wheras sparing some investiture to make solid into a metal is rather easy, if you have the co-operation of the Shard in question.

Like Honor? I'm thinking Shardplate.

[Ari]

Like Honor? I'm thinking Shardplate.

 

You should in fact be thinking Shardblades in that case. Being physical metal manifestations of Spren, they're technically made of tanavastium. No idea what Shardplate is atm.

[Stormgate]

You should in fact be thinking Shardblades in that case. Being physical metal manifestations of Spren, they're technically made of tanavastium. No idea what Shardplate is atm.

That is why this is called Cosmere Theories. I can't say that Shardblades aren't Tanavastium, just that Shardplate would be considerably easier to test Allomantically.

[Tasty Flesh]

You should in fact be thinking Shardblades in that case. Being physical metal manifestations of Spren, they're technically made of tanavastium. No idea what Shardplate is atm.

Yeah, I think Shardblades would be more likely in that case than Shardplate. Especially considering that Half-Shards are able to be created, meaning that one could theoretically create Plate without direct investiture.

[Oversleep]

Yeah, I think Shardblades would be more likely in that case than Shardplate. Especially considering that Half-Shards are able to be created, meaning that one could theoretically create Plate without direct investiture.

Half-Shards are nowhere near the Shardplate. They can take one hit from the Blade and then are gone; Shardplate regenerates, imbues user with some enhancements; as for the "without direct Investiture", I have to remind you that destroyed part of Shardplate explodes in molten metal and gaseous Stormlight - it's likely that, similarly to the Blades, Shardplate is made of solid Investiture.

Edit: (as Tasty Flash noted) It seems that Radiants can summon and desummon their Plate, as Dalinar noticed in his vision. I think that dead Plate and dead Blade are just Physical objects, unable to be desummoned and summoned. However, discovery of adding a gem to the Blade allowed the dead spren to resuscitate a little by synching up to the heartbeat. While Shardplate also has addition of gems as fuel cells, it seems it's insufficient to revive the Plate to the point of it being bound to the user.

Edited February 16, 2016 by Oversleep

[Tasty Flesh]

Half-Shards are nowhere near the Shardplate. They can take one hit from the Blade and then are gone; Shardplate regenerates, imbues user with some enhancements; as for the "without direct Investiture", I have to remind you that destroyed part of Shardplate explodes in molten metal and gaseous Stormlight - it's likely that, similarly to the Blades, Shardplate is made of solid Investiture.

I seem to recall them being able to take more than one hit from a blade, though being considerably weaker than Plate itself, although I could be wrong.

The enhancements though are a very good point, it does certainly differentiate it from the half-shards.

Nonetheless, I think it still shows that, theoretically, and with enough research, Shardplate could be created. Half-shards are only the first step in that process.

I don't think Plate is solid Investiture. 

Then again, it seems radiants may have been able to summon their plate, as as Dalinar sees in his visions the Radiant seemingly summoning their Helmets.

So, perhaps! I always thought of them differently, but that could very well just be mistakes on my parts.

[Irkutsk]

I seem to recall them being able to take more than one hit from a blade, though being considerably weaker than Plate itself, although I could be wrong.

The enhancements though are a very good point, it does certainly differentiate it from the half-shards.

Nonetheless, I think it still shows that, theoretically, and with enough research, Shardplate could be created. Half-shards are only the first step in that process.

I don't think Plate is solid Investiture.

Then again, it seems radiants may have been able to summon their plate, as as Dalinar sees in his visions the Radiant seemingly summoning their Helmets.

So, perhaps! I always thought of them differently, but that could very well just be mistakes on my parts.

Personally, I support the idea that shard plate is made of lesser Spren, like windspren.

As for half-shards, I think the reason they can withstand a hit from a shardblade is that they are essentially fabrials pumped full of absurd amounts of stormlight, and therefore investiture. Not as much as a shardblade, but a whole lot more than a Broam. It's the same principle as why metalminds are resistant to allomantic pushes- highly invested objects can't be easily influenced by magic systems. Half-shards have a lot less investiture than shardplate, because they aren't made of actual Spren, but it is enough to withstand a hit from a shardblade.

[Yata]

Personally, I support the idea that shard plate is made of lesser Spren, like windspren.

As for half-shards, I think the reason they can withstand a hit from a shardblade is that they are essentially fabrials pumped full of absurd amounts of stormlight, and therefore investiture. Not as much as a shardblade, but a whole lot more than a Broam. It's the same principle as why metalminds are resistant to allomantic pushes- highly invested objects can't be easily influenced by magic systems. Half-shards have a lot less investiture than shardplate, because they aren't made of actual Spren, but it is enough to withstand a hit from a shardblade.

I agree with it, but there is no need of a "absurd amount of Investiture" to stop a Shardblade, after all also a Metalmind may stop it.

Edited February 17, 2016 by Yata

[Irkutsk]

I agree with it, but there is no need of a "absurd amount of Investiture" to stop a Shardblade, after all also a Metalmind may stop it.

I don't know much about fabrials, but I would assume this is the difference between fabrials and metalminds. Fabrials channel investiture, while metalminds store it physically inside themselves. The way half-shards work is they are putting that investiture into the shield itself, to block shardblades. At least I assume.

Do we have word on if a shardblade could cut an infused gemstone?

[Tasty Flesh]

I don't know much about fabrials, but I would assume this is the difference between fabrials and metalminds. Fabrials channel investiture, while metalminds store it physically inside themselves. The way half-shards work is they are putting that investiture into the shield itself, to block shardblades. At least I assume.

Huh. I never really thought of the difference that way, but it's a good, and important, point. 

I think that a gemstone would take two cuts from a Shardblade. First, to sever the investiture, and second to dun stone itself.