Thor

Isn't Denth a Returned? So, technically, he has the Royal Locks but he can change anything about his appearance, not just his hair?

Yeah, this is also what I think as well. I even put a question on the Ultimate Questions thread dealing with this. Remember that the Mist Spirit is corporeal (mostly) and it is a manifestation of Preservation, who's mind (Leras) is broken/damaged. A Shard who's holder's mind isn't broken may be able to become completely corporeal and the body that appears may look like the original being who ascended.

Only by the general populace. The Steel Ministry would occasionally spike drinks at noble parties with small amounts of Atium and then cause a disturbance (like having an Inquisitor show up) and then look for signs that people were burning Atium instinctively, then take those that were burning it aside and offer them positions in the Ministry.

Meh, just wait till a Gold compounder is around and then have them create the Health. With a high enough population there might be plenty of Gold compounders alive for hospitals (and pay them a lot, of course). Good point on the "healing" of the spiritweb after the spike is removed, Kurkistan Still, there are questions about what happens to a person who's spiritweb is disrupted after they die (which won't be answered till we know more about the afterlife of the Cosmere.)

Maybe. That requires two donors and the initial storing of health to start compounding might kill the person who needed to be saved. Not to mention the trauma of a spike being planted (depending on the bind point and size of the spike, of course.)

Not necessarily, especially in regards to capital punishment. If the person gives their consent, one might equate it to assisted suicide or being an organ donor (depending on how much the personality of the person is changed/any spiritual effects, based on interactions with the Spirtual realm) but death row harvesting of spikes is probably something that goes too far (though, maybe not). I was wondering about something related to the Marsh line: would it be possible to communicate with the spiritweb of the person who was taken by the spike via some magic system (think Hoenheim from Fullmetal Alchemist)?

True, but Allomancy and Feruchemy don't steal/tear souls apart. In a place with a confirmed afterlife (via Sazed), is ripping a soul into pieces ethical (with the knowledge that stealing a piece of a soul without killing someone will change them)? Hemalurgy brings up some very unsettling questions.

Well, mine is fairly easy, being the Norse deity. I choose it due to my Scandinavian heritage and the fact that I was almost named Thor by my parents. That name website also has my given name's meaning correct: "tiler of roofs." Doesn't particularly fit me...

Mistborn - Kar - If I have to choose a larger POV then Marsh, but Kar's 3-4 paragraphs of POV are VERY interesting. Warbreaker - Vasher Elantris - Raoden Way of Kings - Dalinar Alloy of Law - Wax

Oh, right. *facepalm* Guess I wasn't thinking about that correctly. My fault for not being in a mechanics class for five years or so. As far as the planetary geography questions: my original idea was based off of the annotation that Chaos posted (I placed the Final Empire at a latitude near 30 degrees, at a decent altitude [2500 m or so] though that is probably too low now that I think about it. Your suggestion of Europe is much better.) but then I drew the wrong conclusion from some research on my new idea. (The rotational axis has no bearing on the magnetic pole's location is what I missed.) Oh well, learn/correct every day. Probably, though just turning the planet at a speed necessary to hide the Final Empire from the Sun before everyone burned to death, no matter what direction, causes more problems than just a messed up day/night cycle (though, with Vin being a deity, I don't think it matters too much.)

Since Chaos is not feeling like it, I guess I will take a shot at the astronomical questions. The Magnetic North Pole of Scadrial is located at the Well of Ascension and the other group of humans is indeed at the Magnetic South Pole. And, good point. I had an idea that Luthadel, and thus the Final Empire, are at a rather low latitude (30 degrees), but, after some research, this doesn't really work. Perhaps Scadrial doesn't rotate around its magnetic axis? Other than the incredibly weird physics involved (due to magnetic interactions, probably not possible in our reality. Shards, they mess things up.), this would seem to fix all the problems. If the rotational axis is similar to the Earth's rotational axis, then the Final Empire can exist at a non-polar latitude. Originally, it was probably similar to Earth's (there have been some papers recently that suggest that severe axial tilts, at either extreme, will prevent life), though I am not sure on the current tilt. The planet was probably turned in a direction that it doesn't normally rotate at, with any of the ideas. Vin doesn't know much (anything) about astronomy and probably just moved the planet to whatever would save the people. If true, then the other half of the ring is burned, as the ash from the ashmounts is the main reason that the Dominances aren't burning, while the location on the planet contributes less, imo (when the ash is removed, everyone burns in a few seconds, even Pewter burners.) This is one of the problems with the physics of Pushes/Pulls. There are some threads on here that have taken stabs at it, but I don't think anything conclusive has been found. Idea: perhaps the coin is pushed closer to the Mistborn who is less powerful (1/3rd the total distance between the Allomancers, closer to the weaker one), as that would be the location where the forces would balance, assuming the distance factor in Allomantic forces is linear, as opposed to quadratic/exponential/etc.. Therefore, when the forces are resolved (meaning that after the object reaches an equilibrium, the force rebounds on the Allomancers), the stronger Allomancer is pushed back some distance and the weaker Allomancer is pushed back twice that distance because the equilibrium is closer to the weaker Allomancer, meaning he gets the majority of the force exerted by the two. (This doesn't really make much sense with Physics, but Allomancy doesn't work to well at that anyway: pushing [non-allomantically] on a steel wall just means that I don't move the wall because I don't have enough strength. Pushing on a wall rebounds the force of the Push to me, which makes no sense in our world.) If the distance factor is non-linear, then the difference could be much greater (I am inclined to think that the distance factor is non-linear, as I will explain below.) This would also work if one includes weight (mass is the correct term in this case, though). Assume that there are two Allomancers, but one is on a rather strict diet (100 lbs) and the other is fine (200 lbs). If both have the same Allomantic strength, then the situation is the same as above, and the lighter Allomancer is Pushed twice as far as the heavier one (as mass is linear, I hope). This introduces an interesting dynamic if the distance factor is non-linear, as a stronger Allomancer can win in a Pushing contest against a more massive opponent (Vin vs. Kelsier), though in similar strength situations, the heavier Allomancer will most likely win. Also take into account that bracing and positioning helps a lot in Allomancy. Even having better footing (as opposed to the opponent) would give quite an edge in a Pushing battle. Welcome to the 17th Shard! Seems like you will fit in nicely here.

While this is true, Allomantic/Feruchemical spikes don't seem to change personality very much or at all (see Marsh). I am pretty sure I have suggested this before...ah, found it, specifically the last spoilered section. Very interesting stuff from that Q&A. I only wish that I was paying more attention so I could have gotten in a few questions of my own.

Kredik Shaw is located at the magnetic north pole of Scadrial (specifically, the Well of Ascension). Depending on one's view, the Well is either the source of Scadrial's magnetic field or is coupled with the field, since Rashek dragging the Well to where Luthadel now is changed the magnetic field of the planet. The true north pole of Scadrial is rather far away, in my opinion, "north" of the Terris Dominance. Based on the climate, I would say that Kredik Shaw is probably located at a similar latitude to Pheonix, AZ, but at a higher elevation: the high temperatures in the summer, combined with snow in the winter, suggests fairly high altitude (as does the presence of Aspen trees, which don't survive at low elevation.) Additionally, the fact that the sun does not disappear for months at a time (or have ridiculously short days) suggests that Luthadel is far south of Scadrial's arctic circle, assuming a fairly low rotational tilt (the Earth's is around 23 degrees, iirc.) By adjusting for Scadrial's proximity to its star, the latitude moves northward and the altitude decreases, but not enough, I think, to move Luthadel much farther north than Boise, ID. As for the Mists being influence by the field, dunno. There have been a few other threads on here speculating on what would happen if an Allomancer tried to Push/Pull on a piece of wire that had electricity running through it, but I don't think they came to any conclusions. Edit: Subject-verb agreement is my bane!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctor_Who

Sael "I will search the northern wall," I say to the others, and begin to search the wall: 15. [ooc]Prestidigitation is your friend, Satsuoni.[/ooc]

It has been put forward before (by myself, among others, I believe), and does carry some merit. Let me see if I can dig up the thread where I put forward my idea...Ah, here it is: Link. Most of my thoughts are in the second post in that thread. Additionally, Brandon has said that Hoid is NOT a holder of a shard of Adonalsium, but something else. (Being vague, of course.)

Looks pretty interesting. One point to bring up about Allomancy: depending on the time frame, Allomancers should be MUCH stronger than the original trilogy and all Allomancers should be Mistborn (or incredibly weak Mistings from before the Ascension) and probably as strong as or slightly weaker than Elend, due to Lerasium. (Not sure how the RPG would represent this, as I haven't gotten around to buying it.)

Sael I walk into the room, trying to not gag again [Fort Save: 10] and failing. After recovering, I turn to Turjan and say "I support a search and it may shed some light on where the troglodytes ended up." [ooc - Sorry for not posting, just finished my finals yesterday, so I should be able to post frequently again.]

My thoughts: Remember that TLR is rather racist. Actually, now that I think about it, he is probably a Terris (specifically Feruchemist) supremacist, with a very firm belief in a "strong rule over the weak" ideology, rather than being racist against a specific people (though, he does seem to hate the Khlenni a lot.) Thus, in his view, beings who are "superior" (noblemen, in this case) shouldn't fraternize with "weaker" beings (Skaa). As he is their god, he decided that everyone should follow his rules, ergo, the banning of Skaa-noblemen relationships. My 2 clips. Edit: Ninjas!!!!

Sael "Urgh," I gag on the stench as the door opens, but I keep my spear ready, quickly look over the room and back up, closing the door when I am out of the doorway. Fort Save: 14 Spot: 8 Those poor people...

Ah good! I had forgotten about Alendi, Rashek and Penrod (I was even reading the passage with Penrod getting spiked and missed it...) Edit: I think it has been said that Alendi's spike was a Bronze one, like Vin's, so he could sense the Well. Also, one other very important thing I missed from the AoL release Q&A: Moar!! Hemalurgic spikes leak the invested (to use Realmatic terminology) power over time. The exact rate of loss is unknown (though it may be related to the physical size of the spike) and it is also unknown if there is a minimum amount of power that can still be held in a spike (Consider a Pewter spike, with Feruchemical Gold attached, left outside of a host for 100 years. Would the spike still give the Feruchemical power?) If one cuts a Hemalurgic spike in two, each part of the spike has half of the power. Likewise, a Hemalurgic spike can be cut into many different pieces, each containing a very small amount of power. (The Pathian earrings in AoL are sliced up Inquisitor spikes.) I don't remember the exact location of the Pathian earrings' quote but I believe it is mentioned in one of the interview threads. The first part is from the Tor Q&A in January 2011:

Sael "Very well. The untrapped door gets my vote, as well. As soon as everyone is ready, I will open the door and move in." I position myself at the front of the door and wait for everyone else to get into position.

I agree with Commander Spoonface: a lot of the information we have on Hemalurgy has been dragged out of Brandon in interviews. The only real information that HoA (and a small amount in WoA and TFE) gives is the basics. Anything deeper requires interview material. Stuff to add (a lot of quotes are spoiled for length ): You can Feruchemically store and tap a Hemalurgic spike without any problems (Marsh uses one of his spikes as a Steelmind in HoA, iirc, with no noticeable side effects) but Allomantically burning a Hemalurgic spike causes...issues. Interviews contain slightly different answers (stolen from the Brandonothology site): A slightly Realmatic description of Hemalurgy (October 2009 Barnes and Noble): The actual "stapling" quote (Reddit 2.0, September 2011): While not explicitly stated, it is assumed that Hemalurgy can be used to steal magic from other shardworlds. The Alloy of Law Ars Arcanum points towards this, and then we have the following question and reply from Josh's Interview, May 2010: And another question (from the HoA thread on TWG, October 2008): Further speculation by members of this forum seems to seal the deal. (Look at any of the topics on Hemalurgy in the Cosmere section and this will probably be referenced.) Other implied/guessed at ideas: Human Attribute spikes warp the host (physically and mentally) greater than the Allomantic/Feruchemical spikes. (Koloss/Kandra vs Inquisitors) Inquisitors are basically the same person, mentally, minus the trauma of being spiked. See Marsh when not being controlled/influenced by Ruin and Kar's PoV section during the ending of TFE. Exposition: However, Kandra and Koloss are radically different from the original being. Kandra gain sapience while Koloss lose most of their higher level of reasoning (before the Koloss started to reuse the spikes they were probably even more bestial). Physically, Inquisitors change slightly (to accommodate the spikes), Koloss change quite substantially (I am still lost as to where the original Koloss skin comes from, as new Koloss have old skin spiked onto them, per HoA), and Kandra don't really change physically, they just have a driving force for changing their shape, due to sapience. Known bind points [bind Point Location (Metal, Power, Example)]: (Please mention any other known sites!) Earlobe (Bronze, Bronze Allomanty, Vin) Eye Sockets (Steel, Unknown but presumably Iron/Steel Allomancy, Inquisitors) Upper Arm (Bronze, Bronze Allomancy, Quellion) Shoulder (Steel, Pewter Allomancy, Spook) Upper Back, between shoulder blades (Steel in HoA [Possibly different in TFE], Unknown, Inquisitors) [Linchpin spike] Between Ribs (Steel/Bronze, Unknown but presumably the base 8 Allomantic powers, Inquisitors) Chest, possibly heart (Elend isn't a doctor, so his speculation here is suspect) (Pewter, Feruchemical Speed, Inquisitor beginning of HoA) Chest (Unknown, Unknown, Inquisitors at the end of HoA [specifically Marsh]) Chest (Steel, Allomantic Steel, Zane) [Can't remember the exact location for his spike and I don't have WoA with me atm...] Shoulder (Varies, Human Attributes, Kandra Blessings) [Note that all canon Blessings have been located in what equates to a shoulder on the Kandra.] I may have some more to add on later. I will go take a look through some of the older threads for Hemalurgy speculation...

Sael "What should we do about the orcs? Once we think that through we can decide on what door to choose. We should at the very least ask them how long they have been in here and if they have entered either of the rooms."

Nope, not insulting at all. It is rather complimenting, in fact. I think a lot of the readers were thinking Hemalurgy at first with the kidnapping (I know I did), but I failed to take Sazed into account at the time (and Marsh, as well). Both of them would make certain that almost all knowledge of Hemalurgy was either destroyed or at the very least hidden with beings who know the consequences of splicing souls together, Kandra. As Thought says, Kandra/mistwraiths do have bind points, though it is unknown whether the corresponding bind points are in similar locations for humans (ex: a Bronze spike goes into the Human earlobe to grant Allomantic Bronze, do Kandra have a Bronze bind point in the earlobe? or is it somewhere else?)