The realmatics behind Awakening

[Chiberty]

Brandon has previously stated awakening to be an end-neutral magic system, and this seems to hold for awakening's passive effects from the heightening, but does not seem to explain the kinetic effects. He has said that this classification system is not totally accurate. I think that awakening could be better described in parallel to allomancy and feruchemy, the two magic systems we (or at least I) understand the best so far.**

Awakening components:

1. Breath - Investiture and Connection. Breath is known to be a form of Investiture, and it provides Connection to the Shard.
   1. Relation to allomancy - Being an Allomancer. Allomancers have there powers as a result of a strong, specific Connection to Preservation.
   2. Relation to feruchemy - Tapping a metalmind. This is most similar to tapping Identity. Although Breath has a different effect than Identity, when you receive it, it stays stuck to you until you use it.
2. Color - An extra cost. Something that gets used up, while not providing a significant amount of possible fuel for magic.
   1. A - The metal is "burned away," but doesn't provide the Investiture behind the allomancy.
3. Command - Intent and key. You have to be trying to say a command, it has to be said a specific way, and you need to visualize its effect.
   1. A - You decide to burn a metal, and the metal has to be a specific alloy/element.
   2. F - Same as A but with tapping/storing in place of burning.
4. A host - The Breath needs something to hold it, and things close to life are ideal.
   1. F - Attributes are stored as Investiture in metalminds.
5. Fuel - Heightenings don't need this and are the "neutral" part of awakening--a natural, passive effect of the Investiture. On the other hand, something needs to be fueling BioChromatic entities. Types I and IV both consume Breath. Types II and III cannot be powered by Breath because they output energy without consuming any Breath. This leads me to believe that they are likely powered directly by Endowment's Investiture.
   1. A - Powered directly by Preservation's Investiture - similar to BioChromatic entities II and III.
   2. F - Fueled by the attributes of your body that have been converted to Investiture, but it is facilitated via another Investiture source - similar to Heightenings.
   3. Surgebinding - Consumes Stormlight to fuel their magic - similar to BioChromatic entities I and IV. (hmm... not like we've seen this similarity before... *cough*Vasher and Nightblood*cough*)

**Okay... I compared it to Surgebinding too.

Edited April 20, 2020 by ChickenLiberty