Mistborn- A Collection of Theories and Speculations

Compounding

This is my first book on WattPad, so I decided to write about something that I love. I am compiling a collection of theories regarding the series Mistborn, by Brandon Sanderson. Please bear with me as I am still familiarizing myself with WattPad and its writing tools and techniques. Feel free to point out any typos or grammar mistakes that I make.

Now to this section's topic, Compounding. Now, if you've read the first Mistborn novel, The Final Empire, you know about Feruchemical compounding where you feruchemically store an attribute in a metalmind, then burn the metalmind through allomancy, gaining the feruchemical power tenfold what it was stored as. This form of compounding has been confirmed by the novels, but are we supposed to believe that we have 3 magic systems on Scadrial and there is only one combination that results in something spectacular? I don't think so.

While looking around on the 17th Shard forums I found a post by 18th Shard on Nov 18, 2013*. He sets forth his ideas and he comes up with 5 basic rules for compounding as follows:

1. Each Metallic Art has specific benefits and disadvantages to using it.
2. Compounding doesn't change the output of the magic, only the form in which it comes.
3. Compounding gains both the disadvantages and the benefits of the TRANSIT magic system.
4. Compounding is done by beginning one magic system, then, before completing it, beginning a second system, then utilizing the Investiture.
5. Both magic systems must be able to be used by the initiator and the utilizer of the power (who are the same person until you add Hemalurgy in to it).

I would like to add my own, which is:
6. All magic systems have two stages (for which you could achieve #4)

I will try to explain each point as he did...

First: Each Metallic Art has specific benefits and disadvantages to using it.
Allomancy(+): Power is gained from the process.
Allomancy(-): Consumes the metal that is used.
Feruchemy(+): Can store an attribute for later use. Can tap at a much higher rate than the rate at which it was stored
Feruchemy(-): Can only tap as much as is stored
Hemalurgy(+): Can grant powers to those that did not previously have them
Hemalurgy(-): Both the giver and receiver must be spiked. Power is lost due to hemulurgic decay. Bind points must be known for it to work.

Second: Compounding doesn't change the output of the magic, only the form in which it comes. For example, in the traditional allomantically-powered Feruchemy compounding if you were to store speed and burn it, you would obtain speed and NOT the allomantic investiture of the metal**.

Third: Compounding gains both the disadvantages and the benefits of the TRANSIT magic system. The transit system refers to the one performed second, the one that powers the other. For example, in allomatically-powered Feruchemy compounding you gain the benefits, a boost in power, and the disadvantages, the metalmind being consumed.

Fourth: Compounding is done by beginning one magic system, then, before completing it, beginning a second system, then utilizing the Investiture. So in AlloFeru compounding (that's what I'm calling it now) an attribute is stored, starting Feruchemy, but then Allomancy is begun (burning the metalmind) before Feruchemy is completed (tapping the metalmind).

Fifth: Both magic systems must be able to be used by the initiator and the utilizer of the power. So in AlloFeru compounding (I like it!) a person must have an allomantic ability in the same metal as a feruchemical ability. The initiator and the utilizer are the same person until Hemalurgy comes into play.

Sixth: All magic systems have two stages. Fairly straightforward, but there was some debate on the forum.
Allomancy: 1st- burn metal
2nd- obtain investiture
Feruchemy: 1st- store attribute
2nd- tap attribute
Hemalurgy: 1st- spike giver of power
2nd- spike receiver

Ok now that we've got rules out of the way, let's look at possible combinations of magic systems. 18th Shard sets forth 6 possible compounding methods (which I have given my own names) as follows:
1. AlloFeru- Allomancy powering Feruchemy: Store in a metalmind, burn metalmind
(+): Gain in investiture of feruchemical attribute (10x feruchemical charge).
(-): Metalmind is consumed in the process. Must have allomantic and feruchemical abilities in same metal.
2. FeruAllo- Feruchemy powering Allomacy: Burn metal, store allomantic attribute in a metalmind
(+): Can have allomantic abilities without burning metals. Can also tap allomantic abilities at very high rates.
(-): Metal still must be burned in order to store allomantic power. Must have allomantic and feruchemical abilities in same metal.
3. AlloHema- Allomancy powering Hemalurgy: Spike someone, burn spike, gain power.
(+): Boost in hemalurgic quality stolen.
(-): Consumes spike, so one can only have the ability until the spike runs out. Must be misting of spike's metal.
4. FeruHema- Feruchemy powering Hemalurgy: Spike someone, store power from spike, tap from metalmind to use.
(+): One can tap the ability without needing to have the spike in them (uncertain). One is able to tap ability without running out (uncertain).
(-): May need to spike the receiver (uncertain). Must have feruchemical abilities in spike's metal.
5. HemaFeru- Hemalurgy powering Feruchemy: Store attribute in metalmind/spike, stab receiver, they tap attribute.
(+): People can share or donate attributes to others.
(-): Both the giver and receiver must have the same feruchemical ability. Must know hemalurgic bind points. Giver does not get back saved investiture used in storing.
6. HemaAllo- Hemalurgy powering Allomancy: Burn metal, somehow store allomantic power in spike, spike someone to give them allomantic ability for as long as metal was burned.
(+): Can give allomantic abilities to others.
(-): Both giver and receiver must have the same allomantic abilities. Must know hemalurgic bind points. Giver does not receive allomantic abilities.

Ok, so that concludes his original ideas regarding compounding. There is some debate on the forums, and so I will try to give the thoughts on each type of compounding from the forums as well as my opinions in succeeding chapters (excepting AlloFeru compounding).

Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed it. Follow me for more Mistborn theories and ideas, and don't forget to comment your Mistborn theory ideas!

Thanks,

MistbornLlama
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Sources

*17th shard forum post:

http://www.17thshard.com/forum/topic/4633-compounding-mechanics/?fromsearch=1

**AlloFeru compounder receives only feruchemical attributes:

http://www.17thshard.com/forum/topic/4323-seattle-signing-report-out-101413/page-5#entry68265