How could the Lord Ruler POSSIBLY die?

[Vortaan he/him]

Well the reason I think the Lord Ruler didn't use his luck, was I don't feel he ever felt physical harm warranted it. This is supported for two reasons. He LETS kelsier ram a spear through him. This is first because he easily heals from it, and secondly to hammer into the populace "YOU.....CAN'T.....KILL.....ME". Which is more psychologically damaging? Seeing someone dodge your blows, or seeing that even if you land them, it does nothing? As to why Vin was able to kill the Lord Ruler was hubris. The Lord Ruler felt confident that no one could push on pierced metal because no one HAS been able to for years. It is hammered in repeatedly throughout the book that no one can push or pull on pierced metals. Just like how it is hammered in that no one can pierce copperclouds. In his pride the Lord Ruler assumed he was complete in his success in destroying any knowledge of either of those facts being incorrect. So he would have nothing to fear from Vin, because in his mind, she plain and simple wouldn't have been able to push on his metal at all since its pierced in his arms. 

 

The thing is... at this point there's nothing to prove, really. There's no populace to intimidate, there is just a traitor Inquisitor and an assassin to deal with. With how pragmatic we see Rashek being in the creation of and maintenance of his empire, you'd think he'd learn that if you send someone to be killed, and they make it back to threaten you again, don't let them live for any longer than you possibly have to the second time.

 

As for the Hemalurgy charge thing, I'm really starting to equate a Hemalurgic charge to Breath. If that's the case, the size of the spike is probably similar to having something in human shape, ie not necessary but makes the process easier and cheaper.

[Shaggai]

The thing is... at this point there's nothing to prove, really. There's no populace to intimidate, there is just a traitor Inquisitor and an assassin to deal with. With how pragmatic we see Rashek being in the creation of and maintenance of his empire, you'd think he'd learn that if you send someone to be killed, and they make it back to threaten you again, don't let them live for any longer than you possibly have to the second time.

 

As for the Hemalurgy charge thing, I'm really starting to equate a Hemalurgic charge to Breath. If that's the case, the size of the spike is probably similar to having something in human shape, ie not necessary but makes the process easier and cheaper.

The thing is that Rashek has never learned that because every time it's happened, they haven't been able to harm him at all. Double gold does wonders, and when you can Steelpush on their literal blood they can't do anything. Why waste the effort to kill them instantly when there's nothing whatsoever they can do to you?

[Vortaan he/him]

The thing is that Rashek has never learned that because every time it's happened, they haven't been able to harm him at all. Double gold does wonders, and when you can Steelpush on their literal blood they can't do anything. Why waste the effort to kill them instantly when there's nothing whatsoever they can do to you?

 

Conversely, why drag it out when you have a whole city of skaa to get to killing?

[Shaggai]

Conversely, why drag it out when you have a whole city of skaa to get to killing?

 

Because he doesn't care. He can just Soothe them all into the ground, kill a few, whatever. None of it matters.

[bartbug he/him]

Also, recent WoB has said that the amount of charge in a hemalurgic spike is also very, very small, considering what you would expect it to be. Also, I've asked him, and size does matter, it's just that no one on Scadrial has ever really come close to approaching its limit.

[Observer]

Look, have we answered the question yet? TLR died because he was mildly insane from thousands of years of living under Ruin and his own actions, he was quite justifiably confident that nobody was good enough with Steel or Duralumin to get rid of his metalminds, or even would know enough to tell what they were. He wasn't tapping Luck because he felt he wouldn't need it (being god), he wouldn't use it (taking hits is scarier than dodging), and he probably couldn't compound it (importing a lot of metal tips off bad people). We have word of Brandon that the Lord Ruler isn't totally invincible in any case. If somebody managed to totally separate his head from his body in one go, he would die because his brain wouldn't be connected to the goldminds. His insane power didn't help him at all the night he died, because he was busy venting at an irritating but harmless Mistborn who dared defy him, and when she suddenly pulled on Preservation and shoved his metalminds out the window, no amount of Ironpulling was going to get them back. TLR didn't really mess up anywhere beyond deciding to leave Vin alive for two more minutes than he could have. Beyond that, he was screwed over by both Ruin and Preservation. Did I miss anything, because it looks to me like TLR was very much capable of dying here, and nothing was really off.

[Lightning he/him]

But are you sure he's really dead?  

[Chrono she/her]

The Lord Ruler displayed plenty of signs of being mentally unstable. One need only look at the plaque underneath the Canton of Resource in Fadrex City to see proof of this. He waffles back and forth between being the humble hero who's done everything for his people and the arrogant god figure. Having Ruin grind against your brain for over a thousand years can't be good for your mental health. Heck, when Vin goes up against him, he sounds exhausted more than anything else. Ruin's been wearing away at him for centuries; he easily could have influenced him to take more risks.

[Baine he/him]

 He waffles back and forth between being the humble hero who's done everything for his people and the arrogant god figure.

 

Rashek was never exactly a humble person. The person everyone thought TLR was, Alendi, was the humble hero you're probably thinking of.

[Moogle]

We have word of Brandon that the Lord Ruler isn't totally invincible in any case. If somebody managed to totally separate his head from his body in one go, he would die because his brain wouldn't be connected to the goldminds.

 

This is interesting, because Hoid would apparently regrow his head if he got beheaded. It's probably the same thing going on with him, though.

[Shaggai]

This is interesting, because Hoid would apparently regrow his head if he got beheaded. It's probably the same thing going on with him, though.

Perhaps some sort of passive Cognitive healing, not requiring any sort of direction? The need to specifically perform the healing is what makes it possible to kill TLR and Surgebinders.

We know from Szeth that outside forces can resurrect someone who's dead, so presumably a similar thing is going on with Hoid, except constant.

[Chrono she/her]

Rashek was never exactly a humble person. The person everyone thought TLR was, Alendi, was the humble hero you're probably thinking of.

 

I'm fully aware of that. But his plaque certainly makes him "sound" humble and noble. There's a lot of "Look what I've done for you. I'm sorry I can't do more." But then he follows that right up with, "Oh, and you need to stop rebelling, because I obviously know what is best for you. Isn't this system I've made perfect?" Rashek wasn't ever really humble, but the tone of his plaque varies wildly paragraph by paragraph. He's benevolent and loving (I wish I could do more, this is all I'm able to do to help you) and then suddenly judgmental and arrogant (Why do these people rebel?). This is dichotomy that I'm talking about.

[happyman he/him]

I can suggest at least one reason why TLR wasn't as overpowered as he could have been:

 

Getting access to the other metals meant revealing those powers to some of his subordinates, either the Inquisitors or the obligators, and potentially to others via spies or other forms of espionage.  If he let that information get a little bit loose, it could eventually get all the way lose.  At some point, the risks of letting the information go and losing control of the populace was bigger than the risk of somebody taking him out with the powers he had already revealed.

 

Or in other words, TLR was already absurdly overpowered with what he had.  Possibly he considered the other powers a threat to him.

 

Obviously, both Aluminum and Atium were exceptions, but there are good in-story reasons for those exception, Atium to keep Ruin in check and Aluminum because its power is so useless on its own.

[Chaos he/him]

Personally, I always wondered why the Lord Ruler didn't just seize control of his Inquisitors and immediately kill Vin. All of his other powers aside, he could definitely control Inquisitors if he could control all the koloss. In Hero of Ages, I believe either Elend or Vin tries to seize control of an Inquisitor, and the only reason they can't is because of Ruin. It'd be so easy for the Lord Ruler to do this that he really must not have expected anyone to figure out he was a Feruchemist (perhaps because he thought he exterminated it well enough), or that an Inquisitor would ever betray him. Still, he probably should've just immediately seized Marsh the second his betrayal happened.

[Cstryon he/him]

It all comes down to pride, being so powerful it's ridiculous, and possibly loosing his mind due to Ruin trying to influence him for a thousand years.

Though I'm guessing you could avoid insanity by storing and tapping identity, and compounding it might be the same as a kandra with the blessing of presence.

He was caught off guard because he had nothing to worry about (with good reason) and he didn't know that someone would be able to absorb the mists.