[SoS] Steel Gives Mental Speed?

[Lightspine]

Hey guys I'm a bit confused over whether or not feruchemical steel gives mental speed as well as physical speed. I know that Zinc already stores mental speed, which would indicate that steel doesn't, but the uses of steel shown in SoS seem to imply that steel does store mental speed.

In SoS, Bleeder uses feruchemical steel to start a deadly gunfight. She makes 4 accurate shots from different parts of the room so quickly that nobody realizes she's shooter. Later in the book, when she's "assassinating the governor" she uses feruchemical speed:

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Bleeder moved among the men, firing. They tried to fire back, doing more damage to their friends than they did to her.

It was over by the time the report from the first gunshot had faded in Wax's ears. Men lay goraning and bleeding on the floor, and Bleeder was through the whole and heading down the steps.

Immediately after this, she uses her speed, but Wax is inside one of Wayne's speed bubbles and is able to observe her:

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The kandra stood alone before the door to the saferoom. She looked at Wax, smiled, and became a blur.

But her speed only lasted a fraction of a second. Soon after she'd begun tapping her metalmind, she slowed back down. Wax caught sight of her just as she unlocked the door to the governor's saferoom, using a key she shouldn't have. She pulled the door open with a flourish, then glanced back at Wax, shaking her head. She obviously thought she was still a blur moving with incredible speed. And she was.

Wax had simply joined her.

One of the fallen bodies stirred, and Wayne pushed back his hat, showing a grin.

All this seems to imply to me that the steel is speeding up Bleeder's thoughts. Otherwise, she wouldn't be able to react in the way that she is, shoot as precisely, or unlock a door while moving at such a speed.

And, in case you're wondering, Bleeder could not be using both steel and zinc simultaneously during these passages. She only has one hemalurgic spike, in order to stay out of Sazed's influence, so it's impossible for her to have more than one feruchemical power at a time.

Is this some inconsistency in Brandon's writing? Those are rare. I can't find any WoBs on the subject. If this is the case, what advantage does a full feruchemist get in using zinc instead of steel? Is zinc more efficient at granting mental speed than steel is? Or does zinc improve mental capability in other ways as well? (like speed of problem solving/critical thinking)

Edited July 29, 2018 by Lightspine

[Calderis he/him]

It does. There's overlap, but Zinc does more mentally. Steel only gives what you need to not kill yourself. 

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Alteroden

With [Feruchemical] zinc, you get mental speed. How is that any different from [Feruchemical] steel, except without [physical] speed?

Brandon Sanderson

I think of the mental speed actually turning you into... Let's say you sped up your body, and you wanted to figure out some really complex equations.

Alteroden

So it lets you have intuitive leaps.

Brandon Sanderson

Right. It basically turns you into Ken Jennings. That's how I imagine it.

Kurkistan

So it's not like bullet time?

Brandon Sanderson

No... It'll bullet time a little bit, it certainly will, because you're thinking faster than everyone else, but it has applications beyond bullet timing. Bullet time is really--

Kurkistan

That’s steel’s thing?

Brandon Sanderson

That’s kind of steel's thing. They kind of overlap on that one, because the steel thing... But yeah. It's more like "I think fast, but my reaction speed is not sped up".

source

 

[Wandering Investor]

While it doesn't say so in the text, I got the impression that zinc stores not only mental speed but also some intelligence/active memory. Storing in Zinc is described as making someone dull minded. So its not only storing mental speed, but perhaps also some smartness with it. So tapping that should give mental speed and intelligence. Wax for instance is described as tapping zinc and then considering a dozen scenarios. Wax is smart so maybe he could do it, but being able to consider in depth details on a dozen different plans off the top of his head without any preparation seems a bit more than normal. I imagine it as a side effect granting some increased intelligence and the ability to remember/consider more things at once, similar to how tapping weight from iron also gives one the strength/durability to withstand their own weight, but doesn't make them resistant to any additional weight.

Steel on the other hand increases your mental perception and speed in accordance with your physical speed, otherwise you wouldn't be able to control yourself while moving fast.

[Spaceferring he/him]

@Wandering Investor Have you read Bands of Mourning? If not, don't read the spoiler:

Spoiler

At the end of BoM, we have a scene where Marasi taps steel, and later Wax taps zinc. It should be enough to compare, but then again, I think we can agree that the Bands are, special.

This is actually a repeating conflict between my brother and I, but

Spoiler

In BoM, Marasi is literally in bullet time.

I think that after a certain threshhold, steel slows down your perception of time and you can act on it, but with zinc, I always picture it as just being able to process everything so much faster, hence

Spoiler

That moment in BoM where Wax taps zinc. I think that Brandon is trying to convey the expression of him thinking super fast and stops the narrative to describe Wax's thoughts that all happen in a blink of an eye.

That's my theory, but it is strange. *hums and rubs his chin*

[Wandering Investor]

1 hour ago, Spacefaring Ferring said:

@Wandering Investor Have you read Bands of Mourning?

My example was from Bands of Mourning, so yes.

[Spaceferring he/him]

On 8/1/2018 at 8:47 PM, Wandering Investor said:

My example was from Bands of Mourning, so yes.

Sorry, forgot that for a moment.

[Daydam he/him]

I think it's kind of like what happens with Feruchemical iron. You become heavier, but your body also becomes just strong enough to avoid getting crushed by its new weight. Same happens with Allomantic atium, it enhances your mind so you can process all the new information without feeling overwhelmed. Maybe steel makes your mind work as fast as the rest of your body, whereas zinc simply speeds up your thought process.

[tmnsquirtle]

14 hours ago, Daydam said:

I think it's kind of like what happens with Feruchemical iron. You become heavier, but your body also becomes just strong enough to avoid getting crushed by its new weight. Same happens with Allomantic atium, it enhances your mind so you can process all the new information without feeling overwhelmed. Maybe steel makes your mind work as fast as the rest of your body, whereas zinc simply speeds up your thought process.

Honestly, I think this is generally how all of his magic systems work, at least to an extent.

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This post has been reported for attempting to skirt the rulesyeahdiomedes

What limits are there on how fast someone with steel Feruchemy can go? Like is it more based on the limits of what the body can survive?

Brandon Sanderson

Yes, I will dig into that eventually because I actually have to run the math and just decide. It’s certainly, *pause* there are hard, very hard limits, let’s just say that. But the body generally is...I fudge Feruchemy a little bit, where I allow the body to adapt to what it’s doing for most Feruchemy. Otherwise I just couldn’t use it for very much.

https://wob.coppermind.net/events/9-calamity-philadelphia-signing/#e7602

Here's another that's a bit better at explaining what I'm talking about:

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Questioner [PENDING REVIEW]

I'm just curious about Steelrunners. I have to ask, assuming they have physical limitations?

Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW]

They do. We can't go Speed Force on this sort of thing. Wind resistance is still a thing, and stuff like that.

Questioner [PENDING REVIEW]

Bodily, their bodies--

Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW]

Yeah. So, most magic in the cosmere will strengthen your body to let you use the magic to an extent, but-- Yeah, there's some pretty strong limitations.

Questioner [PENDING REVIEW]

If you had a steel/steel Twinborn racing a pewter/steel, would you say that the pure steel, or the pewter burning to enhance their body-- in a short race?

Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW]

Who would win? Probably pewter then, at that point. I would have to have Peter-- I wouldn't do it myself, make Peter run the math, and see what he comes up with. Those are the sort of things I go to him with.

source

 

So yeah. I don't know if he's implied that the whole "magic has slight side effects to make using it easier" in any WoBs, but he's certainly talked about it with feruchemy, and I think it wouldn't be unreasonable to assume it was universal.

EDIT: He actually totally confirms this in the WoB I just posted. I need to read more carefully.

Edited August 8, 2018 by tmnsquirtle