Using aons to draw other magic systems

[Sirscott13]

So this theory popped into my head when trying to think of using other magic systems on other planets. I have a whole theory in my head about how breath and stormligjt are similar catalysts to access the investiture in their systems such as consuming storm light instead of breath or possibly using breath to surgebind.

Then I thought of the magics on sel and scadrial.

I started to theorize that maybe an alantrian could use allomancy or fetich emu by drawing an aon shaped like the allomantic metal Symbols or the feruchemical metal symbols. I think this would be how an élantrian could use investiture on scadrial. I have trouble imagining how allomamcy or feruchemy could be used on other planets, but then I rembered in WoR when hoid slips a powder into his drink. Maybe the metals burning remains the catalys in other systems, but that you would need stormlight along with the metal to use it...

I don't know honestly. I just wanted to hear some other theories on how one could hack a magic system from another world. Could be fun coming up with stuff

[Argent]

I started to theorize that maybe an alantrian could use allomancy or fetich emu by drawing an aon shaped like the allomantic metal Symbols or the feruchemical metal symbols.

 

Fetich Emu, the Fourth Metallic Art!

 

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EDIT

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On a more serious note now. I think we have a WoB somewhere that, technically, you can use any Shard's Investiture (a.k.a. power) to fuel any other Shard's magic system. Except in most cases it's really really difficult (source). I think the first thing we need to do if we want to figure out how plausible Aonic Metallic Arts or Metallic Aons are, is to look at how those magic systems work behind the curtains. We don't know as much as we would like, and I know even less than that because I've been obsessed with The Stormlight Archive, but I'll try anyway.

 

Part 1: Aons and the Dor

The Aons work by essentially providing an outlet for the power of the Dor. We know close to nothing about the Dor, but last I checked we were treating it as the sum the free Investiture / power from the Splintered Shards of Devotion and Dominion. A little bit like Harmony, but without the Shardholder. This power, which is mostly spiritual in nature (but partially cognitive and physical as well), exerts some form of magical pressure on the cognitive and physical realms. The pressure on the cognitive realm is likely what makes Realmatic Transportation to and from Sel difficult; the pressure on the physical one is what makes Aons (and other magic in-world systems) work. As an Elantrian, Raoden can open a door, a conduit for the Dor by drawing an Aon - and the shape of the Aon determines how the Dor's power is going to manifest itself in the physical realm (as light, a blast of force, a column of fire, etc). It's worth noting that the Dor is a very localized source of Investiture, however - using it outside Sel will be damnation near impossible. And on top of that, it looks like you would need to have the right Spiritual DNA to draw Aons, except your sDNA at birth doesn't seem to matter - the Shaod takes care of rewriting you in a way that would allow you to stab the air and draw pretty lines. The other magic systems on Sel might not have the same requirement (e.g. I was left with the impression that anyone could be a Forger and anyone could turn into a Dakhor monk).

 

Part 2: The Metallic Arts

Now, the Metallic Arts - and let's look at Allomancy in particular. I am a little fuzzy on the details here (Scadrial is the world I know the least about), but if I recall correctly there are three components to a successful Allomantic "spell cast":

1. The "caster" has to have the right Spiritual DNA. If you don't have the right genes, you will never be able to have dichromatic eyes. If you don't have the right "spiritual genes," you will never be able to perform Allomancy.
2. The "caster" has to have Snapped. There is a ton of cosmere lore about Snapping, and I barely remember any of it, so I'll ignore this requirement for now. 
3. The "caster" has to have metal available.

Assuming those three prerequisites are met, the Allomancer can proceed to burn the metal they have. I seem to remember that the actual realmatic explanation involved something about a lock and key model, where you need the metal is the Allomancer's key, used to unlock Preservation's Investiture. Similar to how the Aons serve as a conduit to for Dor, really. You burn a given metal, and that allows you to (temporarily) touch (a single aspect of) the power of Preservation.

 

Note: somebody should really check my realmatic theory here.

 

Part 3: Crossovers

Assuming I am mostly correct in my brief summary of those two magic systems, there are certain things that would need to happen in order for a crossover between them to occur.

• If you want to draw Aons on Scadrial, you are probably screwed. Aon Dor requires proximity to Elantris, and if Raoden's Aons grow weak when he is in Theod, hen being on another planet is pretty much a no-brainer: he won't be able to touch the Dor. 
• Using the Metallic Arts on Sel, now, that's more interesting. First you would need to have the right sDNA - either because you were born in the right family from Scadrial, or because you ate and burned a bead of lerasium (because it rewrites your sDNA to allow you to tap into the power of Preservation). Second, you would need to Snap - unless you went the lerasium route, then you are fine. Obviously, you would need some metals - maybe taken from Scadrial, we don't yet know whether any iron is okay for Pushing, or whether it has to be iron from Scadrial. The only thing left, you need to tap into the power of Preservation by burning the metal of your choice... and we have no idea whether that's going to work. My guess is that it will, because the Metallic Arts are not dependent on which region (of Scadrial) you use them from, but we don't know whether distance affects Allomantic strength. It's possible that it does. 

Hey, look, I wrote a thousand words to say what I could've said in a single tweet - it's probably only going to work one way (Metallic Arts on Sel). 

Edited March 18, 2014 by Argent