3 replies to this topic

[Chaos]

The Three Metallic Arts

There are three different magic systems, each which are "focused" through metal. Depending on the type of metal used, a different effect is achieved. In this time period, only ten Allomantic metals are known (though the Steel Ministry knows a few additional ones), so keep this in mind when role-playing: the common knowledge is that there are ten Allomantic metals. If your character knows of others, administrators must approve that it makes sense in-world that they would know this.

They are called "Allomantic metals", but really, they are shared by all Three Metallic Arts. The ten metals are iron, steel, tin, pewter, zinc, brass, copper, bronze, gold, and atium. The first eight are the "base metals", and gold and atium are considered the "high metals". Each metal is paired with another: the pure metal and its alloy. In Allomancy, one Pulls, the other Pushes. For any of the Arts, the metal must have the precise Allomantic formula for alloys or be free of impurities for the base metals, or else sickness can result.

The Arts

Allomancy - Metals are ingested, and those who are Allomancers can utilize these metals as a conduit to perform great feats.
Feruchemy - Metals must be in contact with your body. Feruchemists then can store an attribute from their body, such as strength, senses, or memories, into the metal, and they can tap upon this store later, often compounding it for greater effects.
Hemalurgy - Metals are thrust through a person, killing them, while at the same time charging the metal with a particular ability. Depending on where the spike was placed, the spike is charged with a different power. Then, the spike is stabbed into a second person. If placed correctly, that person now gains the ability of the person who died.

It should be noted that Allomancy is the only one of these Arts which is well known. Very few people know of Feruchemy, and even less know of Hemalurgy.

[Chaos]

Lore & Background

Legends all agree that Allomancy was created with the rise of the mists, but in fact, the conventional wisdom says that the Lord Ruler gave his friends and those who supported him the power of Allomancy. These Allomancers became the foundation of the nobility. The power of Allomancy is hereditary, so even after a thousand years, the nobility still become Allomancers. The Lord Ruler and his Steel Ministry go through a great deal of effort trying to keep Allomancy exclusively in the nobility.

There used to be only Mistborn, the Allomancers who could use all the Allomantic metals. Nowadays, the power of Allomancy is weaker, and there are Allomancers called "Mistings", who can only use a single metal.

Allomancers use their powers by ingesting the correct metals, which they utilize to perform great feats.

Terminology

Allomancy is a genetic trait, but even if one has a good heritage, one must go through intense trauma to awaken the ability. This traumatic event is known as Snapping. Typically, Snapping occurs through exteme pain, but it has happened with other intense emotions as well, like joy, though that is far less common. It's said that the stronger an Allomancer is, the more traumatic the event needs to be in order to Snap.

When an Allomancer activates the metal they have ingested, this is known as burning the metal. Allomancers can adjust the rate their metals burn, and when they increase the rate of burning, this is called flaring metals. However, flaring metals causes them to run out more quickly. When an Allomancer stops burning their metals, this known as extinguishing metals.

Allomantic Properties of Metals

There are eight base metals, each in groups of four: Physical metals and Mental metals. In addition, metals are either external or internal, and Pushing or Pulling. There are two high metals, gold and atium, which supposedly only Mistborn can burn.

Physical Metals

1. Iron - Lurchers
A Misting who burns iron (a Lurcher) immediately sees blue lines pointing towards sources of metal. Then, the Allomancer can Pull on those metals, and they will fly directly towards the Lurcher. If the object is heavier than you, Pulling that metal cannot bring that metal towards you; instead, you will be Pulled towards it. Lurchers cannot Pull on metal in someone's body. Typically in a squad of Allomancers, a Lurcher defends their companions from flying metal, and thus usually wear a wooden shield.

2. Steel - Coinshot
A Coinshot who burns steel sees blue lines pointing towards sources of metal. In addition, the Allomancer can Push on those metals. This makes coins an easy weapon, as they are light. When objects weigh more than the Allomancer or the metal object is against something that can't be Pushed further (such as the ground), Pushing will force the Allomancer backwards. Coinshots cannot Push on metal in someone's body. Typically in a squad of Allomancers, Coinshots are offensive weapons, shooting coins at their opponents.

3. Tin - Tineye
An Allomancer burning tin has all their senses enhanced. In addition, the mists appear more translucent to them. Tineyes are typically used as scouts or lookouts.

4. Pewter - Pewterarm (Thug)
Burning pewter enhances physical strength. While burning pewter, the Thug is able to continue fighting after receiving wounds that kill or incapacitate a normal person, though if their pewter runs out, they will likely die. Pewter burns the quickest of all Allomantic metals, so it is important to keep supplied with it. Pewter also grants greatly enhanced balance. This can allow a Thug to perform a "pewter drag"--flaring pewter so much in order to run with immense speed for long periods of time--though the Allomancer's body afterwards will be in a state of near exhaustion. Thugs, as their name suggests, provide the muscle in a squad of Allomancers.

Mental Metals

5. Zinc - Rioter
An Allomancer burning zinc can Pull on other peoples' emotions, Rioting them and making the emotions more intense. Rioters may select one emotion or many of them, and can also Riot many people at once, though it is challenging. However, a Rioter cannot Pull on his or her own emotions.

6. Brass - Soother
An Allomancer burning brass can Push on other peoples' emotions, dampening them. Soothers may select one emotion or many of them, and can also Soothe many people at once, though it is more challenging. A Soother can get a similar effect as Rioting by Soothing away all unnecessary emotions except the one that is to remain dominant. However, a Soother cannot Push on his or her own emotions.

7. Copper - Coppercloud (Smoker)
Burning copper hides Allomancy from others. A Smoker creates a coppercloud, which is an area where the Allomancy is hidden. In addition, Smokers burning copper are immune to emotional Allomancy, though other people in the coppercloud do not gain that immunity as well. Copper burns the most slowly of all Allomantic metals, so it can be burned virtually all the time.

8. Bronze - Seeker
An Allomancer burning bronze can sense the use of Allomancy in the nearby area. Seekers do this by listening to the "Allomantic pulses", or bronzepulses, that other Allomancers give off. With practice, a Seeker can determine the location of the other Allomancer, which metal the other Allomancer is burning, and the rate at which the Allomancer is burning it.

High Metals

9. Gold
Gold allows an Allomancer to see what they might have been if they had made different choices in the past. The illusion gold causes appears as a faint shadow, which the Allomancer can touch. It is rarely used due to possible emotional trauma.

http://www.17thshard...etals/atium.png 10. Atium
A Mistborn burning atium can see a few moments into the future, and enhances the Allomancer's ability to accept and process this additional information. This ability makes atium the most powerful of the Allomantic metals, for a Mistborn will be able to see precisely what their opponents would do, making them invincible. However, atium burns the most quickly of all metals. To counter atium, an enemy Mistborn must also be burning atium. This shows you what the other person will do, but knowing that will change what you do, which will change what the other person will do, and so forth, effectively canceling out the benefit of atium.

This is what people know of the high metals in the current time, but in fact there are Mistings of these types as well, though most are undiscovered. Since the Lord Ruler obfuscated that fact, it's believed only Mistborn can burn the high metals.

Special Allomancers: Savants

When an Allomancer flares metals continuously for a long period of time, the Allomancer actually transforms their physiology. With most metals, the effect is slight. Seekers often become savants without knowing it. Tin savants gain an incredible amount of sensory information. Iron and steel savants can sense more subtle sources of metal within the body, as Inquisitors do.

Becoming a savant does not turn an Allomancer like the Lord Ruler or some kind of god. It won't make an Allomancer into one as strong as those early who existed in the early Final Empire. Allomantic power is a different quality entirely. For those who are incredibly strong with Allomancy, like the Lord Ruler, certain rules in Allomancy are not so rigid. Copperclouds can be pierced, and metals can be manipulated inside someone's body

[Chaos]

Lore & Background

Feruchemy is the only of the Metallic Arts that existed long before the Lord Ruler's Ascension. It is a genetic ability found in the ancient people of Terris, but now that most Terrismen are eunuchs because of the Lord Ruler's breeding programs, Feruchemists are now exceedingly rare.

Feruchemists wear metals on their body, and depending on the type of metal, they can store particular attributes into the metal which they can draw upon later, like a kind of battery. The larger the piece of metal is (and the closer it is to Allomantic purity), the more of that particular attribute can be stored. A Feruchemist can draw upon their metals in increased, compounded qualities, but the faster they do this, the lesser returns they receive. Only the Feruchemist who stored those attributes can draw upon them later, however. Like Mistborn, Feruchemists can utilize all of the metals.

Terminology

A metalmind is what Feruchemists' call a piece of metal where they can store human attributes in. Each metalmind is named after the type of metal it is, for example: ironmind, pewtermind, coppermind, goldmind.

When a Feruchemist places something in the metal, it is known as storing. A Feruchemist's power comes from his or her own body, so if a Feruchemist was storing strength, that Feruchemist would must remain weak during that time. When a Feruchemist draws upon his or her metalminds, it is called tapping.

Feruchemical Properties of Metals

1. Iron - Stores Physical Weight
Storing weight does not store actual mass in your body--that remains the same. When a Feruchemist stores weight, they store the way gravity affects their body. Storing iron, then, can be used to lighten yourself, which can makes falls less harmful.

2. Steel - Stores Physical Speed
Tapping steel will allow the Feruchemist to move at amazing rates.

3. Tin - Stores Senses
Tapping a tinmind gives the Feruchemist enhanced sensory perception. However, this will not allow the Feruchemist to see in the dark; rather, it enhances what eyesight/senses are already there. In addition, tapping tin will not make the mists more translucent, as an Allomancer burning tin would.

4. Pewter - Stores Physical Strength
Tapping a pewtermind will cause a Feruchemist's muscles to grow far larger than they would be normally.

5. Zinc - Stores Mental Speed
Tapping a zincmind will give the Feruchemist the ability to think much faster than a normal person

6. Brass - Stores Warmth
Tapping brass will make the Feruchemist feel warmer.

7. Copper - Stores Memories
When storing memories, the Feruchemist loses all recollection of that information he or she stored. Typically, Keepers (modern-day Feruchemists) would have many copperminds, keeping specific index copperminds to locate particular pieces of information.

8. Bronze - Stores Wakefulness
Tapping bronze will make the Feruchemist feel more awake.

9. Gold - Stores Health
By tapping a goldmind rapidly will heal wounds, but the expense of gold means that most Feruchemists do not have massive goldminds to tap from.

http://www.17thshard...etals/atium.png 10. Atium - Stores Age
Storing age is usually a fairly useless endeavor: in order to be young for a time, a Feruchemist needs to stay older for a time. It can, however, be useful for disguising a Feruchemist's identity.

[Chaos]

Lore & Background

Hemalurgy is the most mysterious of the Metallic Arts, creating some of the most exotic things in the Final Empire. At its core, it involves stealing powers from one person and giving it to another. In order to do this, a metal spike must be stabbed through one person's body and then placed in the second's. The placement of the spike determines what power charges the spike. As such Hemalurgy is the most complex of the Metallic Arts, and the Steel Ministry has experimented for centuries with little success at finding new places to stab Hemalurgic spikes and new spots to lay them in the target. Typically, the correct placement of a spike is a vital organ, so the person who had their power stolen from invariably dies.

After the spike pierces through the initial person and is Hemalurgically charged, the Law of Hemalurgic Decay states that the spike loses some of its potency. The longer a spike is outside a body, the weaker it becomes. Thus, when the Steel Ministry creates an Inquisitor, the spikes are outside of a person for as little as possible.

Hemalurgic Constructs

Inquisitors are created from nine to eleven spikes, which are charged with various Allomantic or Feruchemical powers. For more information on Inquisitors, see[[ ]]
Koloss are created from four spikes, each charged with human strength. By twisting the power of creation and putting into a human, the target is extremely warped, turning them into this strange koloss. No one can be blamed for not knowing koloss came from humans, given that they appear so alien.
Kandra are created from two spikes, both charged with the same human attribute. To the kandra, this is known as a Blessing. Unlike koloss, however, these spikes are placed into mistwraiths. Instead of twisting a person as is the case with koloss, this gives the kandra sapience.

Hemalurgic Properties of Metals

Iron - Steals Human Strength
Steel - Steals Allomantic Physical Powers
Tin - Steals Human Senses
Pewter - Steals Feruchemical Physical Powers
Zinc - Steals Human Emotional Fortitude
Brass - Steals Feruchemical Mental Powers
Copper - Steals Human Mental Fortitude
Bronze - Steals Allomantic Mental Powers
Gold - Steals Feruchemical Temporal Powers*
Atium - Steals Allomantic Temporal Powers**
Aluminum - Steals Allomantic Enhancement Powers

*Presumably. This fact is currently uncorroborated with canon and is subject to change
**Not entirely factual. Atium is special in this regard. However, in this present time in history, the Steel Ministry believes atium has this property.

Side Effects of Hemalurgy

When an Allomancer can sense Allomantic pulses through a coppercloud (known as piercing a coppercloud), it is most usually due to a Hemalurgic spike. It's simply a matter of Allomantic strength to pierce copperclouds, so if a Seeker has a spike charged with Allomantic bronze, that essentially makes them twice as powerful, allowing them to overpower a coppercloud.

Hemalurgy is a destructive art. It twists the body into something almost inhuman. This twisting is how Inquisitors survive with spikes through their eyes and other vital places, and explains why koloss look so strange.

Ruin constructed Hemalurgy with a flaw: each spike creates holes in the mind, making them easier to manipulate. Through powerful emotional Allomancy, one can Push on a spiked creature's emotions so hard that they literally become under the Allomancer's control. Indeed, the spikes in the koloss were what allowed the Lord Ruler to control them. Kandra also can be controlled in this way, but as Allomancers decreased in power, this knowledge was forgotten.