Triumvirate

I believe, IIRC, that it was the latter. Ruin and Preservation are so diametrically opposed, that in order for one to do just about anything, they needed the permission/cooperation of the other. Also, their very situation of being two very-opposite Shards was a rarity; Brandon pointed out that it's not common to have two opposites like that (or something like that.) @Chaos, still mulling over your post.

Huh... Kelsier dying was a shock, the awexome-'Quisitor that Marsh became, the Rashek (Feruchemistry/Allomancy mix = long life) thing was great... The one thing that I think was one of the greatest "This post has been reported for attempting to skirt the rules" moments was the earring. Masterful. A twist in plain sight for the entire novel, and all of a sudden it was... Wait, I think that was the Hero of Ages, actually. Scratch that.

But are the "magical powers" intrinsic to the individual (thus in line with your statement... spiritual DNA, mayhaps?) or to the metal being used? (actually, I think it's the former; being born a Seeker, Mistborn, etc) The last part makes a modicum of sense. Different ways of looking at it, I s'pose. Thanks.

Hmm... I coulda sworn I've seen a topic like this somewhere else. Lots of good ideas. Some thoughts: - I love RTSes more than life itself, so I'm in full agreeance. Don't care what part of the cosmere, I'll play it (though WoK is sounding like the most likely candidate; for Mistborn a 1st/3rd-person Something makes the most sense) Speaking of which: - Steel/Iron Lines: perhaps in addition to the lines (thickness/brightness/length), the game could provide a special coloration of the target to show mass/proximity/direction? (i.e. metals grounded/heavier than you are red, metals free/lighter than you are blue, etc) - Fatigue Meter: I think due to the presence of Pewter, you would almost have to include some kind of "Fatigue Meter" like in most detailed RPGs (Oblivion, D&D, Harvest Moon, etc); i.e. a meter that is full (stamina) and depletes as you do things or get hurt; burning Tin could make you fatigue slightly faster, but Pewter's main use would be to extend fatigue (as well as to defend against possible OHKO's... the list goes on!!) - Game in General: something like the Ratchet & Clank (<3) "Quick-Select menu"; you hold a button and the game goes into a "light-pause" (can still see the action, but dimmed, with a lightly-UIed menu up), showing a menu of either Metals to Burn (set up a sequential list) or Objects to Pull/Push (similar), you 'make your order', then it works like a toggle; release the button and the game "unfreezes", menu disappears, and you enact the actions. - Game in General: Most of all, I would want this game to not be a "God of War" remake. All sorts of respect to a well-made game, and granted, Mistborn is decidedly gruesome in many of it's descriptive fight/kill-scenes, but I honestly don't think that's necessary or even good in a game like this. IMHO.

^Extremely-long-and-official-sounding-topic-title-for-a-not-so-nearly-long-or-official-question! ~~~ So I've been thinking. Read through Mistborn for a second time, and still unanswered. And as I've attempted to theory-craft a video game concept borrowing heavily from Brandon's concept (in Mistborn) of the Shards of Preservation and Ruin, it has caused me to question something fundamental. Namely, the actual meaning behind their names. With Ruin, it's relatively easy; his name makes it clear he's out to "ruin" things (although I think the loose in-book definition of "intelligent decay/entropy" is more appropriate). He's a force of decomposition, de-organization, tearing things apart, breaking things down into their simpler, constituent parts. However, (and this is where I run into problems), the same doesn't seem to be true for Preservation. Namely, that her his name doesn't indicate precisely what she he does (sorry, I recognize it's a guy (except for that bit with Vin), but "Preservation" has always sounded feminine to me...). To me, Preservation is akin to Conservation (of mass/energy, etc); you 'preserve' or 'conserve' or 'save' something, keep it in stasis, halt decay... and growth. Something that is Preserved can neither grow or die, it's stuck or frozen (for better or worse). Thus, at best, even in a world without Ruin, under Preservation nothing would change (including creation); everything would just remain "in the same state in which it was after it was created" (= Garden of Eden). In a world with both Ruin & Preservation, you have "entropy whenever preservation slips up", essentially; still no creation. So how does this "working together, Preservation and Ruin (with their powers combined) made mankind"-thing work? Moreover, how is Allomancy (a magic system which involves ever-used-and-disappearing stores of metal) related to Preservation; if anything, that's Ruin's field. (which lends well to the (completely-incorrect) thought of Feruchemistry <-> Preservation; think about it. You store an attribute, you tap it at varying intensities, but net overall gain/loss of a given attribute is nil. Very Preservation-y, if you ask me . But that's another argument.) ~~~ TL;DR - How come Preservation can "make" things at all; shouldn't she be completely aligned with homogenousness (word?), conservation and homeostasis? And why isn't Feruchemistry linked with Preservation?

^Exactly. Seriously, can you imagine "going alone"? Would've freakin' been killed by that first Octorok. In fact, I'm surprised Parlin lasted as long as he did. Also, glad I'm not the only one to think this.

Welp, finished Way of Kings and Warbreaker. Very impressed and excited (also glad I can finally surf these forums without worrying about spoilers!). Way to go, Brandon.

What are you talking about? Parlin was obviously of much greater importance than as Vivenna's early companion, or even dying to provide motivation... He was a blatant Legend of Zelda reference!

/fanboy Well, I just finished the Mistborn trilogy after a 2-year hiatus, and while I truly enjoyed it, learned new things and got re-wrapped up... I must admit I miss the buzz of the "first-time through". Don't get me wrong. I'm still just as enamored with the writing, worldbuilding, and w-awexomeness (needed another "w", for alliteration's sake...). However, knowing all of what was going to happen was a bit of a buzzkill. That being said, I must remark again on just how freakin' amazing it all is. No one's perfect (including authors), but I'm consistently impressed by how everything's set up in his books. I really look forward to Warbreaker and Way of Kings (especially because they are new). I am even more awed to find that all his books are interconnected; that fact alone makes me go through his books with a new eye. /endfanboy So, anyone else reliving that original awe recently?

Hmm... To be honest, I only remember how I started with Mistborn; I'm relatively sure I read Elantris first, but not sure how. Anyway, I remember getting into a discussion with a local member of my church congregation (lawl, of all the places) and learning that he was a big scifi/fantasy fan as well. After trading a few favored authors, he asked if I had heard of Brandon Sanderson. When I said no, he offered to lend me each of the books in turn so I could read them. While I don't remember it all, I do have a single record of my intense love for the series: "Sunday, Aug. 5th* - Got Mistborn 3! --> Tuesday, Aug. 7th - Finished Mistborn 3!". Probably could've finished it faster, if not for cursed sleep. Oh, and life. Suffice it to say, I was pretty dang hooked. Just something about the well-defined, engaging and complex magical systems, intricate character arcs and the infamous "Brandon Sanderson Avalanche" that had me nearly sweating by the last few chapters... But hey, I imagine I'm preaching to the choir here. So yeah. Now I'm dealin with my most recent of flabbergasting revelations; all his books are related somehow?! Still grappling with the sheer awexomeness of that one.