Oudeis

Brandon doesn't explain in any depth. He just says that theoretically you could use it to tap another's metal mind.

I always sorta wondered about this. Everything in the RPG book is rather vague. I don't have it in front of me, but Sanderson's note says something about how "careful reading will reveal how it's possible to use this to use someone else's metalminds", and frankly I've never seen how that's possible.

What aluminum does is store "identity", the things that make you a personality. It stores your convictions and your beliefs and your quirks and everything that makes you, you. I'm not sure if, on Scadrial rather than in the game, it's supposed to work like copper. What do I mean by that? I don't think it's like pewter where you store strength and feel weaker, then return to normal when you aren't storing; like copper, when you put the memory in the metalmind, it's there for good and you don't get the memory back just because you aren't storing; if you put an aspect of your identity in an aluminummind (which is not a fun word to type; try it) you choose something specific, like your tendency to make "your mom" jokes, and then it stops being a part of you until you tap it again. Let me clarify; this is just my supposition, and entirely unsupported so far.

So, here's the best I can think of. It requires a central belief of Feruchemy to be wrong in a believable way; basically, the rule "only the Feruchemist who stores a trait, can tap that trait" is, instead, "no one who ISN'T the Feruchemist who stores the trait, can tap that trait." Basically, to pick examples from AoL, if Miles stored some health in a goldmind, Wayne would not be able to use it; not because he isn't Miles, but because he IS Wayne. If Wayne had the ability to use Feruchemical aluminum, he could have stored the entirety of his identity in an aluminummind (man, that word) thereby temporarily not being ANYONE; this person would have no identity to let the goldmind know not to allow him access, so he could use it.

This seems like a HUGE stretch to me, and while not technically impossible it's just preposterous, but it's the best I've ever been able to come up with from the clues we've got. If anyone has a better theory, I for one would love to hear it.

Duralumin doesn't burn itself out the way it burns out other metals. Do you think that if a Misting burning nicrosil touched a Misting burning duralumin, the nicrosil would burn away the duralumin? Or would duralumin's resistance to being burst...ed(?) extend to protection from the nicrosil?

EDIT: Grammar

They (Or at least Vin, as she's the only one I remember ATM) compared it to emotional allomancy because of how subtle Ruin was in getting what he wanted, lightly pulling on their drives. It's like asking if copperclouds will sap a thug's strength or block a coinshot from pushing on metal.

I'm not sure I follow what you're saying. I get that in the first sentence you're saying that it ISN'T actual emotional Allomancy, it's just alike in one regard (subtlety), and that's why it's mentioned. I can respect that, as it's never flat out said, "this is Allomancy." That said, I still plan to try to find the specific quotes I'm looking for, sometime when I'm not at work, to support my theory that maybe it IS Allomancy.

As for the second sentence, I'm not sure that it's a fair point that you are making. I never claimed that copperclouds are the opposite of all Allomancy, but it's an established fact that copperclouds do protect you from emotional Allomancy. It's stated as an immunity, but we later learn that it's a matter of power levels. At the final ball in Fadrex City, Vin hits a Tineye and a Smoker with a duralumin-enhanced Soothing. Obviously it was strong enough that the small protection the Smoker got wasn't relevant, but the fact remains that according to the metaphysics of the book, she still should have received some protection. It's been shown that copper protection isn't a binary thing, meaning it's not a matter of "it protects or it doesn't". When Vin first practiced piercing copperclouds, she could sense Kell's power VERY VERY slightly, even though he was standing right next to her. If copperclouds provided NO protection when pierced, he should have been pounding like bongos.

It's unlikely, and even in the event that such a thing is possible (If Elend and TLR couldn't do it, we're talking HUGE amount of investure) it would take such an absurd amount of power to do it that you'd be better of burning nicrosil in the first place.

Elend never heard Ruin, so he'd have no reason to try blocking it.

Do we know Rashek thought to try blocking out Ruin? It might never have occurred to him. Or maybe he needed a duralumin-enhanced coppercloud, which would by definition be short-lived; he could only get a few moments of peace at a time, and he'd have to constantly chug vials of copper, which would be seen as a sign of weakness.

Regardless, I admitted in the original post that I realize Ruin is strong enough to pierce any coppercloud; my question was on whether or not the principle was sound. You have brought up the point that Ruin's influence was not emotional Allomancy; I accept this as valid conjecture, and I will respond by searching for the quotes from HoA that support my theory, though I concede the point that it's never flat-out said.

Does anyone out there know another source I can check (I understand that Sanderson answers specific questions in person at book-signings; has anyone asked him this?)?

Lastly, burning nicrosil wouldn't help, as that's the metal that empowers anyone you touch, not yourself.

Thank you for taking the time to consider my question!

Both Marsh and Vin (this is my first post, and I'm unsure of the etiquette; should I be citing quotes from the books?) compare Ruin's influence to Soothing and Rioting.

Someone burning copper is resistant to emotional Allomancy.

Could burning copper provide some protection from Ruin's influence? I realize that the sheer power involved makes the point moot; it's like asking if an umbrella can protect you from a lava flow. But is the principle behind it sound?

Hey, people. I'm a big fan of Sanderson's work, especially everything within the cosmere. Specifically I like discussing bizarre scenarios of metaphysics, like what various forms of Investiture would do in odd combinations or specific scenarios.