Burning Unsealed Metalminds

[Mage he/him]

First of all, I'm a little confused on the difference between unkeyed and unsealed metalminds, but until I hear otherwise I am going to use the term unsealed for a metalmind filled by someone who was simultaneously putting all of their identity into an aluminummind.

So, I was recently re-listening to the era 1 audiobooks, and was listening to the scene where Vin tries to burn one of Sazed's metalminds (pewter I think). When she describes how it feels, Sazed informs her that it is how it feels to attempt to tap another feruchemist's metalminds. This made me wonder what would happen if someone made an unsealed metalmind, then gave it to a misting of the corresponding power and the misting burned it. I think it would burn and they could access the power inside because it isn't tuned to any identity. I don't think there would be the need for nicrosilminds, because the power of burning metals is already there, and the relevant feruchemical power is never used. This would make unsealed metalminds extra valuable to mistings.

I don't know how economicaly feasible it would be, but I think that it would work in theory.

[Karger he/him]

4 minutes ago, Mage said:

First of all, I'm a little confused on the difference between unkeyed and unsealed metalminds, but until I hear otherwise I am going to use the term unsealed for a metalmind filled by someone who was simultaneously putting all of their identity into an aluminummind.

Quote

Unkeyed Metalminds

An unkeyed metalmind is a special kind of metalmind that anyone with the relevant Feruchemical ability can access. They are created through manipulation of Identity, such as through aluminum Feruchemy. Whereas a conventional metalmind is keyed to the Identity of the Feruchemist who created it, unkeyed metalminds are not attuned to any specific individual's Identity.^[12] Due to the nature of Intention in the cosmere, an individual must be aware of an unkeyed metalmind's nature before they can use it.^[26]

Unsealed Metalminds

An unsealed metalmind is a special kind of metalmind that anyone can access.^{[27][fn 2]} The exact method of their creation is unknown, but it involves nicrosil Feruchemy and something referred to as an Excisor. Unsealed metalminds are formed of nicrosil and one or more other metals. The nicrosil grants the user the ability to use the other metals.^[28] Unsealed metalminds see widespread use among the Southern Peoples of Scadrial, but perhaps the most famous example are the fabled Bands of Mourning.^[12][15]

4 minutes ago, Mage said:

I think it would burn and they could access the power inside because it isn't tuned to any identity

That is the working theory.  We don't actually know what is going on with unsealed metalminds though so it would not surprise me if something existed that could stop this.

 

[Mage he/him]

Okay, so the term I should have been using was unkeyed. This is like the gold bracelet full of health that only Wayne could use. Unsealed is like the medallions. So in order for an allomancer to access the investiture inside a metalmind, said metalmind would only have to be unkeyed to be burned by an allomancer with the corresponding metal, it wouldn't need to be unsealed because that involves nicrosil and other complicated stuff.

Edited June 21, 2020 by Mage

[+robardin he/him]

10 hours ago, Mage said:

Okay, so the term I should have been using was unkeyed. This is like the gold bracelet full of health that only Wayne could use. Unsealed is like the medallions. So in order for an allomancer to access the investiture inside a metalmind, said metalmind would only have to be unkeyed to be burned by an allomancer with the corresponding metal, it wouldn't need to be unsealed because that involves nicrosil and other complicated stuff.

Correct. Any Augur Misting could burn a piece of Kelesina's bracelet and get a bunch of healing. But with no ability to shunt off any excess to another goldmind, or back into the original one inside them, and I'm not sure what happens to someone who "overtaps" a goldmind.