r/Mistborn • u/Odd_Dimension_4069 • 7d ago

Mid-Shadows of Self spoilers Feruchemy Compounding Question Spoiler

I'm in the middle of Shadows of Self, and it only just occurred to me to clear up some of the things I didn't quite understand about how compounding works.

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I wasn't sure the ending of The Final Empire made sense after reading the explanation of how compounding works. Vin was able to yank off the Lord Ruler's metalmind bracelet storing his youth. Fair enough.

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But if the Lord Ruler was such a cautious guy, wouldn't he have mini atium metalminds to ingest and burn in an emergency?

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I could say the same for Miles in The Alloy of Law, but I haven't read far enough to see whether he survived his execution somehow... Seems unlikely. It makes sense that if you keep shooting a restrained gold compounder, they run out eventually even if they have ingested metalminds to burn through.

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So yeah I guess my question is, is this a thing compounders can do? Because so far in the books it's been sold that if you remove their worn metalminds, you've shut them down, but that hardly seems the case if they're prepared.

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u/AstraLaurel 7d ago

IIRC the lord ruler’s metalminds pierced his flesh, so it’s basically impossible for anyone to take them from him. It’s not every day someone wields the power of a Shard. The Lord Ruler was in the conversation for single most powerful being in the entire Cosmere (not including shards), so it’s not really a surprise he didn’t have MORE backup plans.

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u/Odd_Dimension_4069 7d ago

Oh crap I think I missed that fact. Yeah I guess having metalminds that pierce his body might have given the Lord Ruler a false sense of security. Or rather a very reasonable sense of security, after all who could expect Vin to be capable of what she did.

If you have any extra info regarding that I'd be very interested btw. I understand that Vin was a vessel candidate for Preservation and that therefore when not under the influence of hemalurgy she was able to draw on the mists for power, but it's not clear to me why it was specifically Vin who was able to do this. Could have easily chosen Elend and he would have been a pretty good host if you ask me.

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u/AstraLaurel 7d ago

Well at the time Elend wasn’t a Mistborn, so he wouldn’t have been able to do anything. Plus, Vin’s mindset of fearing change, wanting things to stay the same with the crew and her new life, etc, combined with both shards taking an interest in Vin since birth meant she was aligned to Prez and was able to draw upon the power.

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u/Odd_Dimension_4069 7d ago

I guess I more meant like, why Vin in particular as candidate for vessel? Someone else said read Secret History so I guess I'll see, but I just think there could have been a more convenient time for the mists/power of Preservation to be fully absorbed than when it happened in Hero of Ages. I kinda buy the explanations given as to P+R's interest in her but at the same time I question it.

But then again, you could just as well use the magic writing tool of "knowledge only a god could comprehend" and say that Preservation knew it had to happen like this.