StanLemon Posted December 30, 2020 Posted December 30, 2020 Hey all, not so much a hypothesis as observation but it is interesting the relationship with the Mental metals and Rhythms. Copper and Bronze in particular have been mentioned a couple of times. Copperclouds stop Allomantic pulses but according to Brandon they can also stop Rhythms and Bronze can allow an Allomancer to hear Rhythms. This all but states that the pulses of Kinetic Investiture are Rhythms. Brandon even likes the line of thinking of Copper giving "counter Rhythms". https://wob.coppermind.net/events/117/#e1600 https://wob.coppermind.net/events/134/#e2031 https://wob.coppermind.net/events/406/#e14501 This plus references in Stormlight make it clear that there are multiple categories of Rhythms. Emotions, Planets, Kinetic Investiture, etc. Additionally Zinc and Brass can affect how a Singer can attune to Rhythms https://wob.coppermind.net/events/175/#e8424 Interestingly though Connection Feruchemy can allow one to interpret the Rhythms of someone speaking to them. https://wob.coppermind.net/events/56/#e753 Even more interesting is that enough Connection can do to a Koloss or Kandra what powerful Soothing/Rioting does https://wob.coppermind.net/events/356/#e10524 And lastly, Copperclouds have some not fully specified effect on Spren. https://wob.coppermind.net/events/387/#e12639 And we also learn in Rhythms of War the importance Rhythms and Connection have for Spren. This is where my hypothesizing comes in. I think that all Mental metals utilize Rhythms in some fashion. When Vin first burns Copper she describes it as feeling like a vibration within her body. My guess is that as Pulling metal it creates a discordance of Rhythms within the person and that surrounding Rhythms get messed up similar to how a pebble dropped into a pond will create a disruption in a specific spot but won't affect waves further out. This is how I've rationalized it being an Internal metal yet having an external affect. I kind of wonder if Copperclouds would affect Spren like The Siblings defenses though that might be tinfoil hat thinking. Bronze on the other hand Pushes the Allomancer to be able to sense Rhythms, particularly those involved with Kinetic Investiture in contrast to Singer's focus on emotional Rhythms. RoW seems to imply from Navani's perspective that even a human can hear them, it's just much more difficult. Then we get into Zinc and Brass. This somewhat contradicts the WoB above about how Rhythms don't determine your mood but I think that is inaccurate, or at least not the full story as we have seen how the Rhythms of Odium seem to affect how Singers (particularly Venli) feel and it seems difficult for her feel differently than the Rhythm she's attuned to. An interesting part of that WoB though is that Rhythms are a direct connection to the Spiritual Realm. This has me thinking that what Soothing/Rioting affects the amplitude so to speak of peoples' emotional Rhythms by making a special Connection between you and who you are Soothing/Rioting. By making certain emotional Rhythms 'louder' or 'quieter' so to speak they change the emotional strength in the person. Never removing or creating emotions, just the intensity of it. I know this might be way off but it feels that this seems plausible at least. What are your thoughts? 2
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