Difference between revisions of "Feruchemy"

Feruchemy came into existence contemporaneously with the other Metallic Arts, [[Allomancy]] and [[Hemalurgy]], as a result of the interactions between the planet [[Scadrial]] and its [[Shard]]s, [[Preservation]] and [[Ruin]], and the planet [[Scadrial]] itself.{{wob ref|5269|''Hero of Ages'' Q&A|date=2008-10-15}} Unlike Allomancy and Hemalurgy however, which are each closely attuned with one of the Shards, Feruchemy is equally attuned to both and represents the balance between them. Feruchemy was also the only art in widespread use prior to the [[Ascension of the Lord Ruler]].{{epigraph ref|mb3|34}} The ability to use Feruchemy emerged among the [[Terris]] people, but, due to their insular nature and reluctance to interbreed, never spread to the general population of [[Classical Scadrial]].{{wob ref|5514|Ancient 17S Q&A|date=2010-05-01}} During this time, there was a holy order of Feruchemist scholars, known as the [[Worldbringers]], who served as teachers and bearers of knowledge throughout the world.{{book ref|mb2|30}} Not every Feruchemist was a member; however, with many havinghad much more mundane vocations, such as being herders or mountain guides.{{book ref|mb1|22}}

During the Ascension of the Lord Ruler everyall living FeruchemistFeruchemists (although not those with recessive Feruchemical genes), with a few notable exceptions, were transformed into [[mistwraith]]s by [[Rashek]], a Terris herdsman and Feruchemist.{{epigraph ref|mb3|68}} Rashek, having discovered Allomancy and transformed himself into a Mistborn and claiming to be the [[Hero of Ages]], declared himself a god and launched a campaign to consolidate the world under his control. As part of this effort, Rashek instituted policies to heavily restrict the Terris people, which eventually grew into a breeding program designed to exterminate all genetic traces of Feruchemy. He did this specifically because he feared the prospect of the genes for Feruchemy intermixing with those of Allomancy and potentially creating a rival of comparable power to himself.{{book ref|mb1|epilogue}} Despite this, the Terris resistance worked tirelessly to thwart the efforts of Rashek, then known as the Lord Ruler, in a variety of ways., Theprimarily two main avenues of this wereby tricking the breeders into including people with hidden Feruchemical talents, in order to ensure their continuation in the population, and theby formation ofcreating the [[Keeper]]s, an order of Feruchemists dedicated to finding and securing knowledge from before the Lord Ruler's rise to power.{{book ref|mb1|22}}{{book ref|mb2|30}}

Following the death of the Lord Ruler and the [[Collapse]] of the [[Final Empire]], the [[Synod]], the leaders of the Keepers and the ''de facto'' ruling council of Terris, emerged from secrecy and the Keepers were dispatched across the Empire to teach the people all thatabout the knowledge they had preserved.{{book ref|mb2|7}} Unfortunately, this "victory" was relatively short-lived as; about a year later, the [[Steel Inquisitor]]s, under the influence of Ruin, attacked and slaughtered the Synod and all but [[Sazed|one of the Keepers]], creating [[Hemalurgic]] spikes from them in the process to increase their own powers.{{book ref|mb2|56}}

After the [[Catacendre]], the surviving Terris began to interbreed with the general population. As a result of theThe genes for Feruchemy mixingbegan withto thosebreak for Allomancyapart, theas genesa forresult Feruchemyof beganmixing towith breakthose apartfor Allomancy. Whereas before people had either the ability to use all of the Feruchemical abilities or none of them, Ferrings, who could use only one (analogously to [[Misting]]s), began to appear.{{wob ref|4696|''Alloy of Law'' Seattle signing|date=2011-11-11}} Conversely, Feruchemists with all of the Feruchemichal abilities, now referred to as "Full Feruchemists", have disappeared, howeverthough the Terris community isbegan to workingwork on creating one through careful breeding of Feruchemical lineages.{{book ref|mb6|3}} This period also saw an explosion of Feruchemical and Allomantic research, with; a number of new metals, and their Feruchemical attributes, were discovered, with the Spiritual abilities being of particular interest to the the Terris community.{{book ref|mb4|part=ars}}

Feruchemy is an end-neutral manifestation of Investiture that allows the user to convert certain attributes into Investiture and store itthem in metal, that they are in physical contact with, whichand canto belater retrievedretrieve atthem afrom laterthe point in timemetal. As an end-neutral art, Investiture is not gained from an outside source (as it is in end-postive arts) and Investiture is not permanently lost (as it is in end-negative arts).{{book ref|mb4|part=ars}} Ordinarily, when a Feruchemist is tapping an attribute at the same rate it was stored, they are able to get out exactly what they put in, for example if they store 50% of their strength for one hour they can tap that and be at 150% of their strength for one hour. However, if the Feruchemist taps at a greater rate, then some of attribute is lost, to facilitate the compression of the Investiture. This means that a Feruchemist who stores 50% of their strength for one hour couldmight only be able to stay at 200% for about 25 minutes, rather than a full half hour. The more a Feruchemist compresses the attribute, the more is lost.{{wob ref|6126|''Hero of Ages'' Q&A|date=2008-10-15}}

The type of metal determines what attribute can be stored within it. Pieces of metal that have been charged by Feruchemists are referred to as '''metalminds''' in general, or more specifically as the type of metal with an added "-mind" suffix. The act of charging, or Investing, a metalmind is referred to as '''storing''' whereasand the act of retrieving the stored attribute is referred to as '''tapping'''.{{book ref|mb4|part=ars}}

While in general aA larger piece of metal will be able to store more of an attribute, but the scaling is not consistent. Ratherlinear; there are certain thresholds of size where the amount of attribute that can be stored increases.{{wob ref|234|JordanCon 2016|date=2016-04-23}} If a metalmind is broken, the stored attribute will be split among the pieces.{{wob ref|4087|/r/fantasy AMA 2013|date=2013-04-15}} It is possible to store and tap ausing molten piece of metal (setting aside the conventional hazards of touching molten metal) which would have some effect on the stored Investiture.{{wob ref|6217|''Shadows of Self'' release party|date=2015-10-05}} If the molten metal is mixed to form an alloy, however, the Investiture will become inaccessible, even if the alloy in question is Feruchemically viable. In the eventIf the alloy is Feruchemically viable, a Feruchemist will not be able to store as much of an attribute as they could in an identically-sized metalmind, as: while the original Investiture is inaccessible, it does still take up "space" in the metalmind.{{wob ref|3969|General Reddit 2016|date=2016-11-11}}

Ordinarily, a Feruchemist's stores are keyed to their [[Identity]] and are inaccessible to another Feruchemist. However, anotherother FeruchemistFeruchemists couldcan sense the presence of the original Feruchemist's stores.{{book ref|mb1|epilogue}}

An '''unkeyed metalmind''' is a special kind of metalmind that anyone with the relevant Feruchemical ability can access. They are created through manipulation of Identity, such as through aluminum Feruchemy. Whereas a conventional metalmindsmetalmind areis keyed to the Identity of the Feruchemist who created it, unkeyed metalminds are not attuned to any specific individual's Identity.{{book ref|mb6|3}} Due to the nature of intention in the cosmere, an individual must be aware of an unkeyed metalmind's nature before they can use it.{{book ref|mb6|17}}

An '''unsealed metalmind''' is a special kind of metalmind that anyone can access.{{wob ref|2112|General Signed Books 2016|date=2016-01-26}}{{ref|group=fn|text=The [[Mistborn Adventure Game]] refers to these as "universal metalminds". Due to the potentially confusing nature of that term, and the fact that "unsealed metalmind" is a term from Brandon himself, the Coppermind uses the latter.}} The exact method of their creation is unknown, but involveit involves nicrosil Feruchemy and something referred to as an [[Excisor]]. Unsealed metalminds are formed of nicrosil and one, or more, other metals. The nicrosil grants the user the ability to use the other metal, or metals. {{book ref|mb6|20}} Unsealed metalminds see widespread use among the [[Southern Peoples of Scadrial]], but perhaps the most famous example are the fabled [[Bands of Mourning]].{{book ref|mb6|3}}{{book ref|mb6|21}}

Following the Catacendre, and the emergence of Ferrings, it is possible for individuals to be born with a single Allomantic ability and a single Feruchemical ability. These individuals are known as [[Twinborn]]. When an individual's abilities share a metal, they are capable of Compounding. Even when they do not, however, the interaction between the two abilities creates an effect, known as a [[Resonance]].{{book ref|mb5|part=ars}}

As withLike any Invested object, a metalmind resists Allomantic Ironpulls and Steelpushes. ThisThe strength of resistance rangesis based on the level of Investiture stored in the metalmind. A metalmind with only a small amount of stored attribute might resist only slightly, whereas a fully charged metalmind will be effectively immune.{{book ref|mb5|7}}

An individual who has Feruchemy as a result of a Hemalurgic spike can access the metalminds of the Feruchemist who was used to create the spike, as the spike contains enough of the original Feruchemist's Identity. If that spike is split and implanted into to two different people, they would each be able to access the original Feruchemist's metalminds, but they would not be able to share metalminds as their own Identity would interfere.{{wob ref|872|Worldbuilders AMA 2015|date=2015-12-7}}

An early version of Feruchemy, then referred to as "Hemalurgy", appeared in [[Final Empire Prime|''Final Empire'' Prime]]. During the development of ''[[Mistborn: The Final Empire]]'', Brandon realized that Feruchemy would work very well as the magic system for Sazed and the Keepers, so he imported it into that novel and added the restriction of storing attributes in metal.{{annotation ref|mb1|chapter=22-1}}