Difference between revisions of "Investiture"

The term '''Investiture'''{{wob ref|1072}} has only seen in-world use in or by the [[Seventeenth Shard]], [[Scadrial|Scadrians]], [[Vasher]], [[Riino]], the [[Herald]]s, and [[spren]]. Most who refer to Investiture use terminology specific to the world in which they reside; Feruchemists refer to the process of Investing a [[Metalmind]] as 'chargingfilling', and [[Windrunner]]s refer to the process by which they create [[Lashing]]s as 'infusing'.{{wob ref|5528}} Most characters using this term understand more cogently that the [[cosmere]] encompasses worlds and systems of magic other than their own.

Investiture transcends the three realms: Physical, Cognitive, and Spiritual that comprise most of the cosmere. In the Physical Realm, Investiture is known to exist in solid, (i.e. [[atium]] and [[lerasium]]), liquid ([[Perpendicularity|Shardpools]]), and gaseous material forms (Preservation's Mists, Stormlight, BioChromatic Breath). For some reason, all solid Investiture is metallic, the result of one of the laws governing the cosmere.{{wob ref|9291}} Most often these appear due to influence by a [[Shard]] holder, however some formations occur in a more natural way. Investiture works in a similar fashion to energy in that it follows its own laws of thermodynamics. It is not possible to destroy Investiture; it can only be redistributed.{{wob ref|1649}} Large amounts of Investiture concentrated in a specific location tend to pierce a hole in the three realms (Spiritual, Cognitive, and Physical) and create a Perpendicularity. Large amounts of Investiture can also create a time dilation.{{wob ref|13425}}{{wob ref|13453}}

While a key is generally used, [[Shard]]s can also choose to use their Investiture to power magic: [[Endowment]] breaks pieces off itself to resurrect the [[Returned]], and [[Preservation]] powers Vin's Allomancy with the Mists; some magics, such as [[BioChroma]] and [[Feruchemy]], deal with the use of power that already exists within a human (be that naturally or by Shardic intervention). Others lack an explicit key; instead of pulling power directly from a Shard, Surgebinders draw from the Investiture of highstorms, and direct it through their bond with their spren, similarly to [[fabrial]]s.

The intent of a user is very important to several magic systems, these magic systems require a mental component to function. Some, like Hemalurgy, simply require that someone intend to make a spike when they do it, and others, like Awakening, require complex images created in your mind with the spoken command to function. Hemalurgy has only one known Mental component and that is the user or [[Shard]] [[Ruin]] must be trying to do Hemalurgy (It's 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. When present it controls what is stolen when used in conjunction to the correct binding point. Awakening is almost as much mental as spoken. If the visualizing of the command is not firm then, 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. In Surgebinding, the mental component has varying degrees of necessity depending on the [[Surge]] used. [[Surgebinding#Illumination|Lightweaving]] requires an extremely clear image in a user's mind to create an illusion with the appropriate appearance, but with [[Surge]]s like Gravitation the user does not have to have any idea of what they are doing; the Surge will do the same thing regardless. Some [[Surge]]s do require simply that the user wish it to happen. Often with [[Surgebinding]] this can be accomplished by instinctively pushing [[Stormlight]] into something.

It has been confirmed that at least one BondBonds other than the [[Nahel Bond]] will provide powers to the constituent entities of that Bond. What these powers are is unknown, and will not be of the ten [[Surge]]s. At this time only theThe seon bond is confirmed to do this, as the Nahel bond and the seon bond are very similar.{{wob ref|6928}}

In the ''[[Alloy of Law]]'' Ars Arcanum, the [[Khriss|author]] categorizes the three [[Metallic Arts]].{{book ref|aol|part=ars}} Every type of Investiture can be classified along these categories.{{wob ref|1084}}