Difference between revisions of "Allomancy"

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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.{{cite}} 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.{{cite}}
 
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.
{{quote|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.{{ref|b|mb1|c|7}}}}
 
There are sixteen base Allomantic metals, which are typically ingested by the Allomancer from specifically sold vials which have metal flakes in an alcohol solution. 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.
 
{{quote|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{{ref|b|mb1|c|7}} (note that more metals were discovered after Kelsier's time than ten)}}
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