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Difference between revisions of "Atium"
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(Atium mistings were 1/16th of those who fell sick (which was 16% of the total population)) |
(→History: Expand/organize) |
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== History ==
{{image|Atium geode.jpg|side=right|width=300px|An atium geode}}
As atium is a God Metal, it does not form naturally. The metal only came to exist when [[Preservation]] stole a chunk of Ruin's power and created the Pits of Hathsin, where atium grows in crystals, to deny Ruin
During the Final Empire, atium was classified as one of the two high metals along with gold and was thought to be only usable by [[Allomancy|Mistborn]]. Though atium Mistings—known as Seers—did exist, due to the scarcity of atium and the [[Lord Ruler]]'s obfuscation, their existence was simply unknown to anyone other than a few select members of the [[Steel Ministry]].{{wob ref|8037}} The Ministry worked diligently to find atium Mistings among the nobility, including by occasionally spiking drinks at balls and causing a disturbance to see if anyone's body reacted by instinctively burning the trace amounts of metal and by slipping any non-Allomancers who join the Ministry a bit of atium and then forcing them through a series of physically-draining rituals that will induce their body to burn the metal, if it can.{{wob ref|6119}} Those found to be Seers were told of their power and often rose through the ranks of the Ministry quickly and given important positions where their power could be used for wondrous feats that would help keep people in line and enhance the Ministry's mystique and perceived power.{{wob ref|8038}}
Shortly after the fall of the Final Empire, as the [[Well of Ascension]] grew close to refilling, the [[mist]]s began their efforts to Snap people into Allomancers, though the trauma of this process was initially perceived as a form of attack or sickness. Sixteen percent of those exposed to the mists became Allomancers; most either died or recovered quickly, but one one-sixteenth of those who became Allomancers remained sick for a full sixteen days and became known as [[mistfallen]],{{book ref|mb3|36}} a consequence of the fact that they had become Seers rather than some other form of Misting. These Mistings ultimately proved crucial in Ruin's defeat, burning away the kandra atium cache before Ruin's forces gained access to the [[Trustwarren]] where it had been kept.{{book ref|mb3|81}}
After the [[Catacendre]], Sazed changed the Allomantic table back to normal and atium Mistings no longer exist.{{cite}}
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