Mechanics of Copper and possible interference with Surges

[The Technovore]

So in a re-read of mistborn I was struck by the fact that a-copper doesn't just mask rhythms but also makes the user immune to emotional allomancy, and to me that strikes as something very interesting. I went through the archive trying to see if there was anything about copper messing with various forms of Invested magic, and I found that it would mess with singers and spren, but what about Radiants?

For example, would a Smoker very near to a Lightweaver be able to dispel an illusion? Or perhaps be resistant if a Windrunner/Skybreaker tried to lash them to the sky? My line of thinking is that copper burning makes the smoker themselves act like a heavily invested object that's difficult to manipulate. Other types of allomancy don't directly affect another person except for bronze, zinc, and brass, (and possibly nicrosil/chromium but we have no confirmation of that, do we?) and copper blocks all of that. Along that line of thinking, a Smoker would also be resistant to surges directly affecting them, right? It would be difficult to target them with a surge, and if copper flaring (which has been RAFO'd repeatedly) extends that ability to those in the coppercloud, that would be very interesting.

So in the end my question is: Do we have any WoBs or information concerning Smokers being able to interfere with surges? Or any WoBs or information about Smoker's allomantic immunity to brass/zinc also applying to nicrosil/chromium? Because I can't find any in the archive myself.

[Dunkum]

I don't know of any, but i'm inclined to agree with you on it.  I suspect the following things: 1. someone burning copper would be harder to affect with surges and 2. copper will interfere any use of a surge (or other investiture) that crosses he boundary of the copper cloud.  for a low investiture use, like an illusion, it might prevent or dispel it altogether, for more powerful uses, it will just make them harder

[+Harrycrapper]

I'm not 100% on this, but I could see copper masking someone from an alerter fabrial. I could also see it diminishing/preventing emotion spren from being attracted to people inside the bubble, both in and outside of Shadesmar. As for blocking the Surges, I think you'd need aluminum, not copper. 

[Quantus]

Copper is fundamentally an Internal effect, so I dont think you can use it to actively disrupt external effects like a Lashing or Lightweaving, especially physical effects like those, ay more than it would shut down Steelpushing. That sort of thing a more active and/or physically present Barrier like Plate or Aluminum (I think).

Effects that are more cognitive or Spiritual in nature (and/or require some sort of trans-realmic effect) might be be blocked. Things like Shallan's supernatural Memory that can be warped by an Unmade could probably also be warped by an active Coppercloud  The language via Connection maaaybe, but Bondsmiths are implied to be just plain OP.  Im curious if it could be used to suppress the Squire Bond as if the Radiant were too far away?  You could potentially hold somebody in a cloud to prevent them from forming a Bond, and maybe prevent them from summoning a Shardblade.  

[Dunkum]

5 hours ago, Quantus said:

Im curious if it could be used to suppress the Squire Bond as if the Radiant were too far away? 

oooh, I hadn't thought of that, but probably.  maybe not fully, but it would likely weaken it some, which I'd guess ould weaken the squire's abilities

[+Oltux72]

Anything that requires communication would make most sense. If copper clouds work similar to shrouding aviars, they will block communication between third parties. We know this because animals hide from telepathic predators under roosting trees of wild aviars. Soulcasting involves ordering the cognitive representation of an object to become something. If you cannot communicate with it, I have a hard time seeing how that would work.

[Honorless]

Not immune, just resistant. Given how bronze Allomancers can hear the Rhythms, I wonder if copper might also interact with the Rhythms (directly, I mean, not just in the sense that all Allomancers, and other magic users for that matter, give off a certain pulse or Rhythm. Copperclouds do hide pulses/Rhythms given off by Allomancers, as well as probably other magic users, somehow). Given that Rhythms seem to correspond to emotions (and indeed Rioters and Soothers might also manipulate emotions via the Rhythms), interference between the copper & emotional Allomancy seems quite plausible.

Copperclouds should be able to interact with other magic systems too, beyond the Singers and spren's natural Invested abilities, but the interference should still be minimal, I think and not an effective counter. I think Copperclouds might act as a Rhythm scrambler, or rather encryptor. 

Edited March 22, 2021 by Honorless

[Kingsdaughter613]

I think a Coppercloud could interfere with the bond between human Radiants and Spren. 

I do not think it would interfere with the bond between Radiants with  gemhearts and their Spren. This is due to the Spren residing inside the Radiant, as opposed to having an external Connection.

[Aspiring Writer]

Copperclouds didn't protect others from emotional allomancy, just the user. And remember that while a coppercloud hid allomacers, it didn't prevent them from using their abilities. Coinshoits could still shoot coins at them, and seeing as we don't see Copper burners wearing metal armor, that includes inside the cloud.