Allomancy

Allomancy
Related to	Preservation
Type	End-Positive
World of Origin	Scadrial

“Allomancy is brutal, raw, and powerful.”

—From "On the Three Metallic Arts"

Allomancy is one of the three prime manifestations of Investiture on Scadrial. Scadrians call it one of the three Metallic Arts. It is the most widespread of the Metallic Arts in the present day. People who have one or more Allomantic abilities are called Allomancers. Allomancy has many widespread effects, such as enhancing and dampening emotions, Pushing and Pulling on metals, and even temporal effects. Each Allomantic power has its own metal, which must be ingested and "burned" to activate.

Though Allomancy is hereditary, once Allomantic powers are awakened in a person, it is instinctual. All an Allomancer requires to use their power is enough of the correct metal.

Basics and Types of Allomancers

When a person is born with the hereditary Allomantic ability, they cannot burn metals until the Allomantic ability is awakened in them. The process of Allomancy being activated within a person is called Snapping. In the Final Empire era of Scadrial, Snapping required immense trauma. This was usually achieved in that age with an intense beating. It was possible for Allomancers to Snap from other intense emotion, like joy, but this was much more uncommon.^{[citation needed]} It was said that the more powerful the Allomancer, the more intense the trauma had to be to Snap. However, after the Final Ascension, Harmony changed the way Snapping operated, but it is unknown how it was altered.^{[citation needed]}

Once an Allomancer has Snapped, they will feel a reserve of power in their stomach when they have ingested a metal they can burn. The metals are usually ingested by drinking specifically prepared metal vials, which contain metal flakes in an alcohol solution. It is completely instinctual for an Allomancer to activate and burn their metal and gain its ability; it does not require training to do it (however, there is much training in using their metals properly). It is so instinctual that in some circumstances, an Allomancer can even burn metals while unconscious. An Allomancer can also burn their metals at an accelerated rate, which is called "flaring" metals. Flaring grants more power, but the reserve of metals depletes much faster, too.

An Allomancer will either be able to burn a single metal--who are called Mistings--or they will be able to burn every metal--the Mistborn. There is no natural way for a person to have, say, exactly two powers. It is either one or all of them. Each type of Misting was given a particular name depending on their ability, such as Lurcher, Coinshot, or Soother.

Savants

Allomancers who flare their metal intensely for extended periods of time may be physiologically altered by the constant influx of Allomantic power. These people are known as Allomantic savants. These people experience heightened ability with, and heightened dependence upon, whatever metal they are burning in such a manner. Under most circumstances, this was considered irreversibly damaging.

Twinborn and Compounders

After the Final Empire, Allomancy began mixing with Feruchemy. People who had one Allomantic ability and one Feruchemical ability were called Twinborn. Like Mistings, Twinborn were each given a name depending on their specific combination of abilities.

A special type of Twinborn is a Compounder--a Twinborn who has the same metal for both their Allomantic and Feruchemical abilities. A Compounder can Allomantically burn their Feruchemically charged metalmind, and in the process the Compounder gains a massive burst of the stored Feruchemical attribute. Compounders were considered immensely powerful. Though the term "Compounding" appeared in Scadrian lexicon after the Final Empire, perhaps the most famous Compounder was the Lord Ruler himself--Compounding was one reason he was so strong.

Allomantic Metals

File:Pewter chunks.jpg

When burned, pewter grants physical strength.

“There are two metals for every power. One Pushes, one Pulls--the second is usually an alloy of the first. For emotions--the external mental powers--you Pull with zinc and Push with brass. You just used pewter to Push your body. That's one of the internal physical powers.”

—Kelsier to Vin.

There are sixteen base Allomantic metals (though, despite being called "Allomantic" metals, these same metals are shared in all three Metallic Arts). The metals come in pairs: one metal is a pure metal, and it is paired with an alloy (a mixture) of that base metal. These pairs have complementary effects. Iron Pulls on nearby metals, while steel (an alloy of iron) Pushes on metals. Similarly, each base metal is classified as a "Pulling" ability, whereas each alloy is classified as a "Pushing" ability. The purity of the metals is important. The more pure a metal, the more effective they are. Alloys require precise metal percentages for maximum power. If an Allomancer burns a metal or an alloy that is impure, they can get sick, and even more severe effects happen if an Allomancer attempts to burn a metal that is not one of the sixteen.

“Never try to burn a metal that isn't one of the ten. I warned you that impure metals and alloys can make you sick. Well, if you try to burn a metal that isn't Allomantically sound at all, it could be deadly.”

—Kelsier to Vin (note that more metals were discovered after Kelsier's time than ten)

In addition to Pulling and Pushing classifications, there are external and internal metals. External powers influence things outside an Allomancer's body, while internal powers influence the Allomancer. This naturally divides the sixteen Allomantic metals into four groups of four metals each: physical, mental, temporal, and enhancement powers. Each quadrant has a metal and alloy pair of an external power, and another pair of internal powers. For example, the external physical powers are iron and steel, while the internal physical powers are tin--which enhances the Allomancer's senses--and pewter--which enhances the Allomancer's physical attributes.

There are also two "God Metals", lerasium and atium, which do not fit in the modern Table of Allomantic Metals. Atium was famously classified as a temporal metal during the Final Empire era by the Steel Ministry, but this was shown to be flawed. The God Metals are essences of the two Shards on Scadrial, Preservation and Ruin, and can be used to craft sixteen more alloys per God Metal. They are effectively a thing of legend during the time after the Final Empire.

Allomantic Metals

Basic Metals

These elemental metals and their alloys below are the eight basic Allomantic metals.

Physical Metals

Iron (External)

An Allomancer burning iron is able to Pull on nearby metals. This can allow them to make metallic objects that weigh less than they do to fly through the air toward them. For metallic objects which weigh more than they do, this can cause them to be pulled toward the object. It was generally assumed that an Allomancer could not Pull on metals that pierce or are otherwise contained in the body of another living being (e.g., ingested metals), however it can be achieved by an exceedingly powerful Allomancer.

A Misting who can only burn iron is known as a "Lurcher".

Steel (External)

An Allomancer burning steel is able to "Push" on nearby metals. This can allow them to make metallic objects that weigh less than they do to fly through the air away from them (using coins, for instance, as weapons). For metallic objects which weigh more than they do, this can cause them to be pushed away from the object. It was generally assumed that an Allomancer could not Push on metals that pierce or are otherwise contained in the body of another living being (e.g., ingested metals), however it can be achieved by an exceedingly powerful Allomancer.

A Misting who can only burn steel is known as a "Coinshot".

Tin (Internal)

An Allomancer burning tin is able to enhance all five of their senses. A major flaw of burning tin is that if a sudden loud noise or bright light appears it can render an Allomancer stunned for a short time. Mistings burning tin are often used as lookouts and scouts because they can see in near-darkness.

A Misting who can only burn tin is known as a "Tineye".

Pewter (Internal)

An Allomancer burning pewter is able to greatly enhance their physical capabilities. While burning pewter, an Allomancer can fight or perform physical labor longer than any normal person, and is also many times stronger than his or her normal self; this applies not only to their muscle strength, but to the strength of their bones, skin, etc. This enhanced strength also allows an Allomancer to shrug off wounds that would kill or incapacitate a normal person. Pewter-burning also provides an Allomancer with an increased sense of balance and vastly increased speed and dexterity. An Allomancer performing a "pewter drag" can run for many hours at speeds up to approximately that of a galloping horse. This is extremely draining on the Allomancer's body and will require the Allomancer to burn pewter after completing the pewter drag itself, just to keep the person's body from collapsing in near-death exhaustion.

One danger for someone burning pewter is when carrying something that they normally couldn't carry and they run out of the metal, the object they are carrying will crush them, causing serious injury. Another danger is that an Allomancer who shrugged off earlier wounds could succumb to said wounds when they run out of pewter to burn.

Ideal allomantic pewter has a tin:lead ratio of 91:9.^{[citation needed]}

A Misting who can only burn pewter is known as a "Pewterarm" or "Thug".

Mental Metals

Zinc (External)

An Allomancer burning zinc is able to inflame the emotions of those nearby. This can be used to incite riots (hence the name zinc Mistings go by) or to enhance any emotion of the target. The Allomancer can affect a single person or all the individuals in a particular area.

Smokers are immune to the effects of rioting whilst burning copper, and aluminium lining in hats also blocks emotional Allomancy.

A Misting who can only burn zinc is known as a "Rioter".

Brass (External)

An Allomancer burning brass is able to Soothe or guide emotions in a particular direction. An Allomancer can affect a single person or small group with great effect or all the individuals in a particular area with only a vague effect, but not themselves. It is not strictly mind control, only emotional manipulation.

Smokers are immune to the effects of brass whilst burning copper, and aluminium lining in hats also blocks emotional allomancy.

A Misting who can only burn brass is known as a "Soother".

Copper (Internal)

An Allomancer burning copper is able to hide themselves and others from "Seekers" by hiding Allomantic vibrations caused by burning metals. The radius of effect around an Allomancer burning copper is known as a "coppercloud" (hence the name copper Mistings go by). In strike teams copper burning Allomancers are extremely helpful to keep from being caught by a Seeker, or a Mistborn burning bronze, though a Mistborn or Seeker pierced with a bronze Hemalurgic spike can pierce copperclouds and feel the dampened Allomantic vibrations. In addition, by burning copper, one is immune to emotional Allomancy (though this immunity is not shared by others within the coppercloud). When using Allomancy, Mistborn will usually burn this metal first before using other metals in order to hide their Allomantic powers from Steel Inquisitors or other Allomancers. Copper burns slowly, so many Mistborn continue to burn copper most if not all of the time.

A Misting who can only burn copper is known as a "Coppercloud" or "Smoker".

Bronze (Internal)

An Allomancer burning bronze is able to determine if someone else is using Allomancy in the immediate area. With practice, an Allomancer can determine the location of the other Allomancer, which metal the other Allomancer is burning, and to what extent the other Allomancer is burning his or her metal. An Allomancer under the influence of Hemalurgy (bronze-stolen) is able to pierce the "invisibility" of copperclouds.

A Misting who can only burn bronze is known as a "Seeker".

Higher Metals

These metals are known as the higher Allomantic metals. Previously thought to be exclusive to Mistborn, it has been revealed that Mistings of the higher metals are possible.

Temporal Metals

Cadmium (External)

An Allomancer burning cadmium can subtly pull on time in a bubble around them, stretching it and making time pass more slowly inside of the bubble.

A Misting who can only burn cadmium is known as a "Pulser".

This metal was still unknown by the end of The Hero of Ages.

Bendalloy (External)

An Allomancer burning bendalloy can subtly push on time in a bubble around them, compressing it and making it pass more quickly inside of the bubble.

A Misting who can only burn bendalloy is known as a "Slider".

This metal was still unknown by the end of The Hero of Ages.

Gold (Internal)

Gold allows an Allomancer to see what they might have been if they had made different choices in the past. It is rarely used due to possible severe emotional trauma.

A Misting who can only burn gold is known as an "Augur".

Electrum (Internal)

An Allomancer burning electrum is able to see into their own future. Burning Electrum is also an effective means of countering an Allomancer burning Atium.

Ideal allomantic electrum has a gold:silver ratio of 9:11.^{[citation needed]}

A Misting who can only burn electrum is known as an "Oracle".

Enhancement Metals

Chromium (External)

An Allomancer burning chromium is able to destroy another Allomancer's metals, just like aluminum does to one's self.

A Misting who can only burn chromium is known as a "Leecher".

This metal was still unknown by the end of The Hero of Ages.

Nicrosil (External)

An Allomancer burning nicrosil can cause a target Allomancer that is currently burning metals to burn them in a brief, intense flash. While similar to duralumin, nicrosil differs only because duralumin is an Internal metal (targeting the Allomancer burning it), and nicrosil is an External metal (which targets other Allomancers).

A Misting who can only burn nicrosil is known as a "Nicroburst" (Nicro).

This metal was still unknown by the end of The Hero of Ages.

Aluminum (Internal)

A Mistborn who burns aluminum causes all of their other metal reserves to be drained instantly, leaving them powerless.

A Misting who can only burn aluminum is known as an "Aluminum Gnat" as they gain no discernible effect from burning their metal.

Duralumin (Internal)

A Mistborn that burns duralumin causes a reaction with any of the other metals they are currently burning to create an exceptionally large flare of the metal, consuming the remaining supply. It does not burn away all metals at once, but rather, any metal being burned alongside it. The exact degree to which duralumin enhances the next metal burned is unknown but appears to be massive; for example, duralumin enhanced pewter could cause a massive burst of strength (allowing Vin to easily kill a Pewterarm with a single headbutt), but was unable to burn away sleeping drugs.

A Misting who can only burn duralumin is known as a "Duralumin Gnat" as they gain no discernible effect from burning their metal.

God Metals

Atium (External)

Previously thought to only be a higher metal, it is also revealed in the third book (The Hero of Ages) that atium is actually the physical form of the god Ruin that Preservation locked away when he placed Ruin in the Well of Ascension. It is described as being a dark, beadlike bit of metal.^{[citation needed]}

Atium is the most valuable metal in the world, and it is slowly mined from the Pits of Hathsin. The metal is mined by prisoners of the Lord Ruler, as using Allomancy near the atium-producing crystals shatters them. This metal allows the Mistborn to see a few seconds into the future, thereby allowing them to anticipate the moves of an opponent. It also enhances the mind to cope with and understand these new insights, effectively turning a Mistborn invincible for a short time. Atium burns very quickly.

The only known counter to atium is to burn it yourself, showing you what the other person will do. However, this in turn changes what you will do, which changes what the other person will do, creating a confusing "vortex" of atium shadows. One could also burn electrum, which creates multiple atium shadows, though does not allow the burner to see the similar shadows around their opponent.

In the second book (The Well of Ascension) it is revealed that if someone burning atium attacks someone not burning the metal there is a way to combat the atium-burner. The person being attacked can allow their attacker to begin intercepting their future move before they make it allowing the victim to change what they are doing, and as the attacker is aware that the victim has no atium to burn they will see their victim's atium shadow "split" into two separate attacks causing a presumably fatal outcome.

Burning atium in combination with duralumin allows a Mistborn to see the ultimate effects of their immediate actions, and act accordingly.

It is possible to alloy atium with one of the other sixteen Allomantic metals to create another alloy with a different Allomantic ability, such as malatium which is atium alloyed with gold.

A Misting who can only burn atium is known as a "Seer".

Malatium (External)

Malatium is an alloy of atium and gold which allows an Allomancer to see who another person was in the past. This metal is referred to in legend as the Eleventh Metal. It is described as being silvery white in color.^{[citation needed]}

Lerasium (Internal)

Lerasium is greenish metallic bead that allows the burner (which can be anyone) to become a Mistborn, allowing them access to all of the Allomantic metals. These beads are the source of all Mistborn, and this trait ends up being genetic; whereby the descendants of a Mistborn have a chance of becoming either a Mistborn or a Misting without the need of burning lerasium. These descendants are not born with the ability of Allomancy, and will show no signs until some traumatic event causes them to 'Snap' there by allowing them the ability to burn Allomantic metals.

Pure lerasium when ingested will turn the user into a Mistborn, whereas lerasium alloyed with one of the other sixteen Allomantic metals will turn the user into a Misting of the metal used in the alloy. Sanderson has stated, in the annotations to the novels, that this is not the 'primary' use of lerasium, and that it would have an entirely different effect if burned by a Mistborn.

Lerasium is not actually one of the sixteen Allomantic metals, though it is clearly related. In The Hero of Ages it is revealed that these beads are actually parts of the god Preservation's "body".

Note: Lerasium can be burned, but the effect is unknown.

External links

• Mistborn: The Final Empire Annotations
• Mistborn: The Well of Ascension Annotations
• Mistborn Roleplaying Game (Crafty Games)
• Allomantic Metals Poster'