Harmonium

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Harmonium
Ettmetal.svg
Ettmetal (Feruchemy).svg
Metal type God Metal (Harmony)
Properties Power Metallic Arts technologies
Explode when mixed with water
Universe Cosmere

Ettmetal, also known as harmonium, is the God Metal of Harmony. It is used in some of the Southern Scadrians' Metallic Arts technologies.[1][2]

Properties

Harmonium is the condensed elemental form of Harmony's power. Alloying atium and lerasium will not give harmonium. While difficult, it is possible to obtain atium and lerasium from ettmetal, but not through mechanical means.[3]

Chemical Properties

Due to the merging of Ruin and Preservation's intents into Harmony, ettmetal's Spiritual aspect is in opposition with itself, leading to effects on the metal's Physical aspect, which makes it extremely reactive.[4][5] It reacts violently with water, similar to alkali metals. After reacting with water, residual ettmetal hydroxide is left behind, though the substance's properties are unknown.[6] The Southern Scadrians use ettmetal to create powerful bombs,[7] which the Set have been trying to replicate with limited success.[8]

Metallic Arts

The Allomantic, Feruchemical, and Hemalurgic properties of ettmetal are unknown.[9] Because of its volatile nature near water, ingesting ettmetal is likely to be fatal for Allomancers, though a full Mistborn, with access to gold Compounding, could burn it for some effect.[10] Hemalurgic spikes would also likely be difficult to create, due to the metal's reactivity, however, it is not impossible.[11]

Mechanical Uses

In conjunction with Southern Scadrian technology, ettmetal can reproduce Allomantic or Feruchemical powers within its vicinity.[12][13] The Southern Scadrians have also used the metal in primer cubes which can somehow regulate ettmetal's effects with the flip of a switch.[12] When used Allomantically, the metal is said to burn "with a pure whiteness" and will slowly be consumed,[7] in the same way it would be by a Misting or Mistborn. It is used to fuel Southern Scadrian Allomantic technology, including their airships that run via steelpushing.[7]

Trivia

  • The term "harmonium" has never been used in the stories published so far, but Brandon Sanderson introduced the term in one of his talks even before the release of Shadows of Self[14] and has afterwards confirmed that it is another term for ettmetal.[2] Marasi probably did not know the term harmonium when Allik described ettmetal to her, as otherwise the word would have translated.[7]
  • If harmonium followed the naming conventions of the other God Metals it would have been named Sazedium. However, Sazed didn't like the sound of it.[1]
  • Brandon Sanderson has described harmonium as "super-cesium" in reference to its violent chemical reaction with water.[2] Cesium, like other real-life alkali metals, is extremely reactive and will cause an explosion with water even at sub-zero temperatures. He later clarified that cesium was not intended as a direct analogue; ettmetal would theoretically be classified as an alkali metal, although it has a different melting point.[15]
  • The Mistborn Metal Dice Set from Crafty Games lists a non-canonical description of harmonium's properties, stating "Unknown in the Classic Era, Harmonium replicates the effects of nearby Allomantic or Feruchemical metals." It also lists harmonium as an Internal and Pushing God Metal.[16]

Notes

This page is probably complete!
This page contains most of the knowledge we have on the subject at this time.
It has yet to be reviewed.