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Invested Art

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Invested Art
Related to Investiture, Shards
Universe Cosmere

“Investiture is finicky. Usually requires specific things—Intent, Commands, familiarity—to manipulate. ”

—Nomad on the manipulation of Investiture[1]

An Invested Art, sometimes referred to as arcana, is a magic system in the cosmere.[2] Invested Arts can vary wildly in their appearance, mechanics, and effects, but they all involve practitioners being Initiated and using their abilities to manipulate Investiture.[3] Planets, Shards, and the fundamental forces that make up the cosmere all affect an arcana's function and powers.[4]

Mechanics[edit]

Intention[edit]

For more information, see Intention.

“Intent matters. Intent is king. You cannot do what I attempt by accident. You must mean it. This seems a much greater law than we've ever before understood.”

—From Rhythm of War, endnotes[5]

Intention is a practitioner's explicit purpose or will when attempting to manipulate Investiture. A person reaches into the Spiritual Realm with their mind and concieves or wills something to happen.[6] All Invested Arts require Intention to some extent. In the most simplistic applications of an Invested Art, the body itself has the Intent to survive, which allows a person to use Investiture without realizing it. This is what allows Mistborn like Vin to burn trace amounts of pewter without realizing it.[7] More involved magics, however, require more specific Intentions. For an Invested Art like Allomancy, a simple explanation of the metals functions and how Compounding works is enough to create the Intention required to work the magic.[8] On the other hand, Awakening is almost as much mental as spoken. If the visualizing of the Command is not firm, the Awakened object can behave in a unknown manner or not at all. The more complex the command the more important that mental component is.[9] These two arcana--Allomancy and Awakening--make up opposite ends of the spectrum of how important Intent is for the magic to work, with most falling somewhere in between. This also follows a more general principle of Invested Arts. Invested Arts where the power is internal have more dexterity in how they can use Intent to shape the result.[10]

Hemalurgy simply requires that someone intend to make a spike when they do it. Hemalurgy has only one known mental component: that the user or Shard must be trying to do Hemalurgy (this is Ruin's intent when Spook temporarily gains the ability to burn pewter). This mental component, if not present, renders the spike to a normal metal spike and simply harms the victim.[11] When present, it controls what is stolen when used in conjunction with the correct binding point.[12] Feruchemists can use Intention to control what specific attributes they store in a metalmind. For example, a tin metalmind can store and tap a specific sense, while tin enhances all senses in Allomancy.[13] AonDor, and likely other Selish arcana, require Intention to draw the symbols required for the Art. Someone cannot draw an Aon and accidentally use Investiture.[14]

Command[edit]

For more information, see Command.

“That was common across many of the flavors and varieties of power around the cosmere. Commands, oaths, incantations…any way to focus your will, your Intent, and project it to the Investiture. ”

—Nomad's explanation of Commands[15]

Commands are words or phrases used to focus Intent when attempting to impose the practitioner's will upon Investiture.[15] The concepts of Command and Intent are fundamentally intertwined. While a person's Intent more broadly encompasses what they are trying to accomplish, the Command is the narrower words they use to express that Intent. For example, if someone creates an Awakened object with the instructions "fetch keys," the Command is exactly that whereas the Intent would include the Awakener's broader desire to escape whatever is imprisoning them and be free. The words of the Command help focus the Intent, but, depending on the Invested Art involved, the skill of the person making the Command, and other factors, the Investiture involved can also understand the broader Intent involved, not just the Command. Even people who are relatively knowledgeable about the mechanics of the cosmere, like Vasher, will conflate the Command and its associated Intent, and most of the time there is not much of an appreciable difference, though it is important for the cosmere overall that the Intent is understood and not bound by the limited form of the Command.[16]

Commands are not equally important in all Invested Arts. In Allomancy and AonDor, other mechanics exist to impose will upon Investiture. Metals in Allomancy act as a key or focus that determines which effect is created by the user. In AonDor, the effects of the power are determined by the shape of the Aon drawn. These focuses have a similar effect to Commands in how they focus power, but it is done on the scale of the magic system as a whole rather than the individual.[17]

Initiation[edit]

For more information, see Initiation.

Initiation is the process by which a person is chosen to gain the ability to access a manifestation of Investiture (and/or the process of actually gaining such access).[3] Vessels can choose to alter how Initiation for their Shard's magic works to some extent, subject to some limitations determined by the underlying mechanics.[18] The method of Initiation varies between different manifestations, but there are cosmere-wide principles underlying the different methods: in order for a person to be Initiated, it is generally necessary for their soul to have some degree of "damage", creating cracks in their spiritweb that Investiture can rush into and fill, thereby linking them to the magic.[19] Some magic systems make it much easier than others to achieve this.[18]

Resonance[edit]

For more information, see Resonance.

Resonances are additional powers or effects gained by people with access to more than one Invested Art or Surge.[20] This occurs because powers manifest slightly differently when paired with another power. Both the powers themselves will work slightly differently and the additional resonance will appear.[21] An example of a resonance is the mnemonic abilities found in the Lightweavers of Roshar.[22] Resonances dilute as the number of powers a person has increases, so a Mistborn would not have any.[23] Hemalurgy also does not provide resonances, even if only two powers are granted via spike.[24]

Creation[edit]

“The level of corruption of a soul that was possible in ancient days is no longer viable; if too many spikes are added, souls stop gaining powers. Marsh doesn't think this is a conscious decision on Harmony’s part. Indeed, I think this is beyond the conscious abilities of even a Shard.”

—Khriss's musings on the changes in Hemalurgy[25]

Invested Arts in the cosmere are a naturally occurring combination of the planet itself, any Shards Invested on the planet, and the pre-Shattering arcana and physics that exist across the cosmere.[4] As a result, a Shard's death does not functionally change an Invested Art, even if the arcana uses that Shard's Investiture or Intent.[26] An Invested Art can also exist or be discovered on planets that don't have the Shard associated with it in residence. This process is best illustrated by Hemalurgy. To use Hemalurgy, a practitioner must be in line with Ruin's Intent. However, Hemalurgy can be discovered and used on planets where Ruin does not have an active presence, and Hemalurgy still exists with a few notable changes in mechanics after Ruin's death and the formation of Harmony.[27]

The amount of influence a Shard has on a magic system can be examined through a few different changes that have occurred to Invested Arts and the amount of control different Shards have had on those changes. As part of the plan to defeat Ruin, Preservation altered Allomancy as a clue for mankind.[28] Preservation replaced cadmium and bendalloy with atium and malatium among the Allomantic metals.[29] One-sixteenth of those who fell sick from the mists remained sick for sixteen days, Snapping into atium Mistings.[30] Similarly, Harmony healed Spook's savantism, changed him from a tin Misting to a Mistborn,[31] and altered how Snapping works.[32]

Conversely, the changes in Hemalurgy after the Catacendre are not a conscious choice on Harmony's part, but is instead a side-effect of reigning in Ruin's nature within Harmony. The lack of Hemalurgic decay and the limit on the number of spikes a person can be granted via spikes are a result of modern souls not accepting as much of Ruin's influence, which previously could've warped souls past recognition.[25]

Before his death, Honor placed limits on the powers of the Bondsmiths.[33] The extent to which Shards are capable of controlling the Invested Arts associated with their power is unclear, but a living Shard can actively influence it in some way.

Classification[edit]

Within each Invested Art, the spiritwebs of the practitioners can be viewed as a closed system. The Investiture used to create an effect can come from one of the following three categories within the closed loop.

End positive
When practicing an end-positive Invested Art, the practitioner draws in power from an external source.[34] The practitioner gains power from the external source. The Investiture is positive in that it adds -- in most cases temporarily -- power to the practitioner. Most Invested Arts are end-positive.[35]
End-neutral
For an Invested Art to be considered end-neutral, power is neither gained nor lost[34]. A practitioner manipulates power that already exists or power that comes from themselves.
End-negative
In the practice of an end-negative Invested Art, some power is lost.[34] End-negative Investiture is very rare.[35]

While every Invested Art can be classified along these categories,[35] it is most useful when applied to the Metallic Arts.[36] Allomancy draws Investiture from Preservation in a similar way to AonDor pulling power from the Dor; both are considered end-positive since they add power to the Allomancer or Elantrian. Allomantic atium draws power from Ruin's concentrated Physical form, but is still considered end-positive as the power comes from an outside source. Feruchemy is end-neutral, since the amount of Investiture remains constant. Hemalurgy is end-negative. Investiture held in a spike outside the body decays.[34]

These categories don't always apply well to other Invested Arts because of differences in how the system is defined when analyzing the net gain or loss of Investiture. Awakening is also considered end-neutral, even though color is lost.[37] If defining the system as a single practitioner, Awakening could appear to be either end-positive or end-negative depending on whether they give or receive Breaths.[36] However, the same number of Breaths will exist across all Awakeners, and Breath is what fuels the magic, therefore it is considered end-neutral.[38][37] Surgebinding is a magic system whose classification is debatable by arcanists. Surgebinders typically use Investiture that already exists in the system in the form of spheres to power their magic. Functionally, however, putting Investiture in a sphere merely causes a time delay between adding it to the system and using it to fuel powers, as seen when Radiants pull Investiture directly from the highstorm or Honor's Perpendicularity to fuel abilities. As such, most arcanists accept end-positive as the proper Surgebinding classification.[39]

Most Invested Arts are end-positive,[36] with some end-neutral.[35] End-negative Invested Arts are extremely rare, with only Hemalurgy and one currently unknown one classified that way.[40]

Recurring abilities[edit]

Many of the powers exhibited in the cosmere are a natural part of the cosmere's physics. As a result, powers often have similar effects across different planets despite a Shard influencing how the power is administered and accessed.[41] As people in the cosmere become more aware of other planets and magic systems, they start to use the same terminology to describe similar magics from different sources. The follow describes some of the commonly seen magics and the principals that guide them despite the source.

Healing[edit]

Many magic systems in the cosmere are able to heal a person from damage. This includes physical wounds[42] or sprains,[43] and can even heal fatal damage.[44][45] Limbs and body parts can be regrown as well.[46] Healing can also be used to recover from poisoning,[47] sickness such as a cold or cancer,[48] chronic diseases, such as poor eyesight,[49][50] tiredness,[51] and even damage to the soul.[52] Constantly healing from wounds can leave the user invulnerable to pain.[53] Most forms of extreme healing don't care much about what is done to the physical body, as long as the person's spiritual template is in power at the time.[54] Some magic systems are better at healing than others.[55]

When healing the soul, such as a missing piece cut off from a Shardblade, a new patch of soul will be created.[56][57] Healing wounds to the soul is much more Spiritual Realm based.[58] If a magic is strong enough to heal from pieces of a body, it will try to heal from the biggest piece.[59] If the body was perfectly cut in half, a random half would be chosen to heal from. Not every magic system is capable of healing soul wounds.[58] If the soul leaves the body and is then healed, the soul will not return and the physical body will be the only thing healed, leaving the person dead.[60][61][31] If a soul is healed but not reattached properly, the person will leave a glowing afterimage when they move,[62] though it is only visible to those who are highly Invested or connected to the Cognitive Realm.[63]

Memories can be restored via healing, as they are stored with the Cognitive version of a person.[64][65]

Perception[edit]

Healing works by using the three versions of the user's self; their Physical, Cognitive, and Spiritual version.[66] Healing typically heals the Physical version by matching it to their ideal Spiritual version, which is filtered through the lens of their minds (Cognitive version). Almost all forms of healing in the cosmere are filtered through the perception of the user.[67][60] This applies to both internal and external forms of healing. When someone is healing someone else, both of their perceptions matter.[68] If a person hasn't accepted a wound as a part of themselves, they can still heal it regardless of how long they've had it.[69] However, even if a wound is recent, if the person has changed their mindset to see it as a part of themselves, they will not be able to heal from it.[70][71] Perception can also have users change their body to match their identity, such as a transgender person changing their biological sex,[72] or a human changing into a singer.[73] There are a few magic systems that are an exception to this rule.[74]

Highly Invested individuals can shift their Spiritual self to more closely match their Cognitive self, making self-perception more important in the process. This allows for the healing of old wounds if the person doesn't view them as being part of themself, something that is impossible with less Invested individuals.[75]

Limitations[edit]

While a number of things can be healed, there are certain limitations. Disorders like depression that are a part of a person's personality will not be cured.[76][77] Electrical stimulation of muscles, such as being electrocuted, will not be healed as it's not doing any harm and it's how muscles normally work.[78] Aging and certain genetic diseases can also not be healed.[79]

Many, if not all, magical healing processes are stopped by aluminum. If aluminum is in the wound, it makes it impossible for wounds to heal around the aluminum until it is removed from the body.[80]

Lightweaving[edit]

Lightweaving refers to different illusory powers across the cosmere. So far, Lightweaving has been seen in detail as both a part of Surgebinding and AonDor. These two Invested Arts use wildly different methods to do so. In Surgebinding, Lightweaving starts as an instinctive process that the practitioner is not aware they are doing. After practice, Lightweavers learn to forge a Connection with the person or object they want to make an illusion of. This is often done through art or acting. Once the Connection is formed, the Lightweaver is able to create an illusion.[81] AonDor's Lightweaving is far more regimented and precise. The Elantrian starts with Aon Shao and add a significant number of modifiers to get the desired Lightweaving.[82] This is how AonDor as a whole works.[83] Yolish Lightweaving is the third type of Lightweaving that is known to exist in the cosmere, and the version that predates the Shattering, but little is known about its mechanics.[84]

Known Invested Arts[edit]

Invested Art Planet Shard Books
Allomancy Scadrial Preservation Mistborn
Feruchemy Scadrial Preservation, Ruin Mistborn
Hemalurgy Scadrial Ruin Mistborn
Awakening Nalthis Endowment Warbreaker
AonDor Sel Devotion, Dominion Elantris, Tress of the Emerald Sea
Dakhor Sel Devotion, Dominion Elantris
ChayShan Sel Devotion, Dominion Elantris
Forgery Sel Devotion, Dominion The Emperor's Soul, Mistborn Era 2
Bloodsealing Sel Devotion, Dominion The Emperor's Soul
Surgebinding Roshar Honor, Cultivation The Stormlight Archive
Voidbinding Roshar Odium The Stormlight Archive
Old Magic Roshar Cultivation The Stormlight Archive
Sand mastery Taldain Autonomy White Sand
Starmarks Taldain Autonomy White Sand
Hion Komashi Virtuosity Yumi and the Nightmare Painter
Microkinesis Yolen Unknown Dragonsteel
Yolish Lightweaving Yolen Unknown Dragonsteel
Aether Dhatri, Lumar None Tress of the Emerald Sea, Mistborn Era 2

Notes[edit]

  1. ↑ The Sunlit Man chapter 13#
  2. ↑ General Reddit 2020
    — Arcanum - 2020-11-24#
  3. ↑ a b Elantris Ars Arcanum#
  4. ↑ a b Skyward San Diego signing
    — Arcanum - 2018-11-07#
  5. ↑ Rhythm of War chapter 72#
  6. ↑ Firefight Chicago signing
    — Arcanum - 2015-02-20#
  7. ↑ YouTube Spoiler Stream 4
    — Arcanum - 2022-06-16#
  8. ↑ Worldbuilders AMA
    — Arcanum - 2015-12-03#
  9. ↑ Warbreaker chapter 46#
  10. ↑ Bands of Mourning release party
    — Arcanum - 2016-01-25#
  11. ↑ Holiday signing
    — Arcanum - 2015-12-12#
  12. ↑ The Hero of Ages chapter 42#
  13. ↑ /r/books AMA 2015
    — Arcanum - 2015-05-25#
  14. ↑ Leipzig Book Fair
    — Arcanum - 2017-03-24#
  15. ↑ a b The Sunlit Man chapter 21#
  16. ↑ Shardcast Interview
    — Arcanum - 2021-01-23#
  17. ↑ JordanCon 2021
    — Arcanum - 2021-07-16#
  18. ↑ a b When Worlds Collide 2014
    — Arcanum - 2014-08-09#
  19. ↑ Barnes & Noble B-Fest 2016
    — Arcanum - 2016-06-11#
  20. ↑ Lucca Comics and Games Festival
    — Arcanum - 2016-10-28#
  21. ↑ Arcanum Unbounded Chicago signing
    — Arcanum - 2016-12-06#
  22. ↑ Firefight Phoenix signing
    — Arcanum - 2015-01-21#
  23. ↑ /r/Stormlight_Archive
    — Arcanum - 2016-10-05#
  24. ↑ Skyward Chicago signing
    — Arcanum - 2018-11-16#
  25. ↑ a b The Lost Metal Ars Arcanum#
  26. ↑ Hero of Ages Q&A - Time Waster's Guide
    — Arcanum - 2008-10-15#
  27. ↑ Dragonsteel 2022
    — Arcanum - 2022-11-14#
  28. ↑ The Hero of Ages chapter 71 epigraph#
  29. ↑ TWG Posts
    — Arcanum - 2009-01-20#
  30. ↑ The Hero of Ages chapter 81#
  31. ↑ a b The Hero of Ages epilogue#
  32. ↑ General Twitter 2011
    — Arcanum - 2011-11-14#
  33. ↑ Rhythm of War chapter 111#
  34. ↑ a b c d The Alloy of Law Ars Arcanum#
  35. ↑ a b c d 17th Shard Forum Q&A
    — Arcanum - 2012-09-25#
  36. ↑ a b c JordanCon 2016
    — Arcanum - 2016-04-23#
  37. ↑ a b Words of Radiance Chicago signing
    — Arcanum - 2014-03-22#
  38. ↑ Stormlight Three Update #5
    — Arcanum - 2016-11-21#
  39. ↑ Stormlight Three Update #5
    — Arcanum - 2016-11-20#
  40. ↑ Arcanum Unbounded San Francisco signing
    — Arcanum - 2016-11-30#
  41. ↑ YouTube Spoiler Stream 4
    — Arcanum - 2022-06-16#
  42. ↑ The Bands of Mourning chapter 14#
  43. ↑ Oathbringer chapter 10#
  44. ↑ The Bands of Mourning chapter 17#
  45. ↑ Oathbringer chapter 72#
  46. ↑ Words of Radiance chapter 87#
  47. ↑ Oathbringer chapter 18#
  48. ↑ Salt Lake City Comic-Con 2014
    — Arcanum - 2014-09-04#
  49. ↑ Pocatello signing
    — Arcanum - 2013-12-09#
  50. ↑ Words of Radiance chapter 89#
  51. ↑ The Alloy of Law chapter 15#
  52. ↑ Oathbringer chapter 37#
  53. ↑ The Alloy of Law chapter 13#
  54. ↑ /r/books AMA 2015
    — Arcanum - 2015-07-06#
  55. ↑ Salt Lake City signing
    — Arcanum - 2014-03-29#
  56. ↑ Firefight signing Chicago
    — Arcanum - 2015-02-20#
  57. ↑ Goodreads: Ask the Author Q&A
    — Arcanum - 2014-08-13#
  58. ↑ a b Calamity release party
    — Arcanum - 2016-02-16#
  59. ↑ General Reddit 2013
    — Arcanum - 2013-02-20#
  60. ↑ a b Arcanum Unbounded release party
    — Arcanum - 2016-11-22#
  61. ↑ The Hero of Ages chapter 82#
  62. ↑ Oathbringer chapter 90#
  63. ↑ Arcanum Unbounded Fort Collins signing
    — Arcanum - 2016-11-29#
  64. ↑ Mini-Con 2021
    — Arcanum - 2021-11-23#
  65. ↑ Rhythm of War chapter 84 epigraph#
  66. ↑ Orem signing
    — Arcanum - 2018-03-10#
  67. ↑ Calamity release party
    — Arcanum - 2016-02-16#
  68. ↑ Skyward Chicago signing
    — Arcanum - 2018-11-16#
  69. ↑ Skyward Houston signing
    — Arcanum - 2018-11-19#
  70. ↑ Words of Radiance Seattle signing
    — Arcanum - 2014-03-08#
  71. ↑ Oathbringer interlude I-13#
  72. ↑ Legion Release Party
    — Arcanum - 2018-09-19#
  73. ↑ YouTube Spoiler Stream 5
    — Arcanum - 2022-12-02#
  74. ↑ Shadows of Self London UK signing
    — Arcanum - 2015-10-19#
  75. ↑ Tor Instagram Livestream
    — Arcanum - 2020-11-25#
  76. ↑ Firefight San Diego signing
    — Arcanum - 2015-01-20#
  77. ↑ Warsaw signing
    — Arcanum - 2017-03-18#
  78. ↑ Legion Release Party
    — Arcanum - 2018-09-19#
  79. ↑ Stormlight Three Update #5
    — Arcanum - 2016-11-29#
  80. ↑ Words of Radiance signing Philadelphia
    — Arcanum - 2014-03-21#
  81. ↑ Rhythm of War chapter 32#
  82. ↑ Elantris chapter 49#
  83. ↑ Firefight Phoenix signing
    — Arcanum - 2015-01-21#
  84. ↑ Mini-Con 2021
    — Arcanum - 2021-11-22#
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