Investiture

This page or section deals with theories or speculation.

Please read carefully and note that this is not necessarily canonical.

Investiture describes the principle on which all of Brandon Sanderson's magic systems in the Cosmere are based. It means that people or objects are Invested with magical power.

Terminology

An official definition of the term has not been given yet.

Meanwhile, the term Investiture is a generalized term used by the Seventeenth Shard. In the Cosmere, so far, they are the only ones with knowledge of the term Investiture. On the Cosmere worlds different terms are used to describe the application of magic, depending on its appearance. For example, the Feruchemists of Scadrial - who are able to invest metalminds - refer to the process as 'charging' the metalmind. A Surgebinder with acces to the Three Lashings refers to the Investiture as 'infusing' a person or an object.

The term can be used as a verb or an adjective. The Feruchemist invests his metalmind, which then becomes an invested object. By Awakening a rope, the Awakener Invests the rope, which becomes an Invested object.

Categories of Investiture

In the Alloy of Law Ars Arcanum, the author categorizes the three Metallic Arts. Every type of Investiture can be classified along these categories.

End-positive Investiture

When practicing an end-positive Investiture, the practicioner draws in power from an external source. The practicioner gains power from the external source. The Investiture is positive in that it adds - in most cases temporarily--power to the practicioner. Most types of Investiture are end-positive.

Examples for end-positive Investiture are Allomancy and very probably AonDor.^{[clarification needed]}

End-neutral Investiture

In an end-neutral Investiture, power is neither gained nor lost. The praticioner disposes about his amount of power, making it neutral in that power that is invested into an object, can be withdrawn to reinstall the orginial amount of power.

Feruchemy is end-neutral. Awakening is end-neutral.^{[citation needed]}

End-negative Investiture

In the practice of an end-negative Investiture, some power is lost. It is negative in that it removes some power from someone. End-negative Investiture is very rare.

Hemalurgy is end-negative.

Investiture of people

Generally, humans are not Invested. However, on some worlds, a Shard has invested humans. For example, Preservation gave part of his power to humans to make them sentient. On Nalthis, people are born with Breath. Both cases are called Innate Investiture.

Under specific conditions, some humans are Invested with more power than others. This bigger amount of power usually enables these humans to perform an Investiture themselves. In general one can say that the bigger the amount of power a human has, the more powerful an Investiture he can perform. For example, a Mistborn has a very big amount of power, enabling him to use all Allomantic metals. A Misting has a lesser amount of power, but still more than anyone with Innate Investiture. That's why he is only able to use one Allomantic metal.

The conditions required to getting invested with a bigger amount of power differ from Shardworld to Shardworld. It is assumed that the intent of the respective Shard influences these conditions. On Scadrial you get the bigger amount of power by genetics. On Sel it's the Shaod (among other things), on Roshar it depends on how you act.

A human with enough power can invest other people or themselves. A Surgebinder can Lash people to the ceiling or himself to a wall.

Investiture of Objects

Objects are not Invested in their original state. They can get invested through an Investiture performed by a Shard or by a human having met the above-mentioned requirements. An Invested object gains magical properties. Examples for invested objects are:

• filled metalminds of a Feruchemist
• a charged Hemalurgic spike (Vin's earring, Wax's earring)
• any Awakened object, especially Nightblood
• Shardplate and Shardblade
• a Forger's Seal

An Invested object usually can't be influenced by another Investiture.

Manifestations of Investiture

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