Discovery of Metalborn?

[MerlinArcane]

Hello, this is a quick thread about curiosity basically. We know that to become an allomancer, you swallow a load of metals and, at least BC, beat to an inch of your life to make you Snap. Then you burn the metals. Harmony changed how Snapping works because he didn’t like it, so how does one find out they’re a Allomancer? Is it institutional, where kids in school are given metals to try and burn? 

 

And how about Feruchemy. Assuming it doesn’t require any form of Snap, how does one discover they’re one? Do you just stop by the Village and the Terris people give you some minds to hold? How do you find out you’re metal born? 

[Treamayne]

Welcome to the Shard. Be sure to let us know if you introductionthread or profile (or here) which books you have or have not read (whichever list is shorter - seems like you have not read White Sand yet? Anything else?) just in case a thread would delve into spoiler territory.

42 minutes ago, MerlinArcane said:

Hello, this is a quick thread about curiosity basically. We know that to become an allomancer, you swallow a load of metals and, at least BC, beat to an inch of your life to make you Snap. Then you burn the metals. Harmony changed how Snapping works because he didn’t like it, so how does one find out they’re a Allomancer? Is it institutional, where kids in school are given metals to try and burn?

And how about Feruchemy. Assuming it doesn’t require any form of Snap, how does one discover they’re one? Do you just stop by the Village and the Terris people give you some minds to hold? How do you find out you’re metal born? 

Here's Brandon's WoB on Era 2 snapping:

Spoiler

Quote

Storm Cellar

We know Snapping is not the same in Mistborn Era 2.  We know Wayne knew he was a slider, but could not afford bendalloy for his early life. How do the poor skaa know they can burn rare metals?  Is there a ceremony, or a formal process of testing skaa for metal powers?

(The assumption is that nobles can just give their children a mix of metals to see if any of them are reactive.)  

Brandon Sanderson

There are lots of ways--remember that lots of groups are seeing Allomancy as valuable to them, and are actively recruiting.  There's no formal process, at least not for everyone, though some houses do have them. But there are events, even at fairs and the like, where you can get a vial and see if you feel anything--in exchange for promises of service if you do turn out to have abilities.  Beyond that, just like getting gold foil to put on food is not horribly expensive in our world, getting little bits of many of these metals is not THAT expensive. It may not give you enough power to do anything useful, but it can be enough to tell.

Miscellaneous 2018 (Oct. 14, 2018)

Quote

Oversleep

Is it possible to Soothe/Riot so hard that the person Snaps due to extreme emotions caused by emotional Allomancy?

Brandon Sanderson

I hadn't considered, but yes, that should work.

Stormlight Three Update #5 (Nov. 21, 2016)

 

I cannot find any references on how Snapping relates to Feruchemy, or a testing process for new Ferrings/Feruchemists.

Hope that helps

[Duxredux he/him]

So I can't talk about the very first Feruchemists, but even in the days of Alendi and Rashek, Feruchemy was found exclusively among the Terris people and the Terris have always been an isolated people. As Feruchemy is genetic like Allomancy, add in isolationist groups and Keepers who literally can remember every genealogical tree, and odds are the Synod and Keepers are constantly on the lookout for more Feruchemists. New Feruchemists were probably scouted and tested by other Keepers.

Quote

Chaos (paraphrased)

Since the dawn of Scadrial, why was Feruchemy isolated in a single distinct population in the world, namely the Terrismen? Allomancy, while rare within the population of Scadrial, at least was not isolated to one population, it was spread evenly, it seems. What is special about the Terrismen that only they get the power of Feruchemy? Does it have something to do with the previous Ascensions before Rashek, with the guardian keeping the power for a time?

Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

It's all in the spiritual DNA, which is passed on like normal DNA. However, they are a separate people. They've kept themselves isolated, similar to the Jews in our world. When I asked he said there have been some Feruchemical-mistings [Ferrings] in the past, but they are very rare.

Ancient 17S Q&A (May 1, 2010)

In Era 2, the Terris village was trying consolidate the bloodlines to increase the odds of a full Feruchemist born to their population, so they likely were also trying to track and find Feruchemist. Sometimes it's as simple as knowing that a parent was a Feruchemist like Wayne.

Edited December 20, 2023 by Duxredux
Clarity

[Ale the Metallic Conjurer he/him]

6 hours ago, Duxredux said:

So I can't talk about before pre-Classical Scadrial, but even in the days of Alendi and Rashek, Feruchemy was found exclusively among the Terris people and the Terris have always been an isolated people. As Feruchemy is genetic like Allomancy, add in isolationist groups and Keepers who literally can remember every genealogical tree, and odds are the Synod and Keepers are constantly on the lookout for more Feruchemists. New Feruchemists were probably scouted and tested by other Keepers.

I don’t want to bring current events into this but since Brandon made an analogy with the isolationism of the Jews, I have to wonder if ancient atrocities happened to the Terris ancestors. 

[Duxredux he/him]

2 hours ago, Ale the Metallic Conjurer said:

I don’t want to bring current events into this but since Brandon made an analogy with the isolationism of the Jews, I have to wonder if ancient atrocities happened to the Terris ancestors. 

They were oppressed, but absolutely nothing can compare to what one of their own members did to the Terris people. We know this because the World bringer of Classical Terris had any sense of dignity, respect, or autonomy at all.

Quote

"I have a young nephew, one Rashek. He hates all of Khlennium with the passion of envious youth. He hates Alendi even more acutely—though the two have never met—for Rashek feels betrayed that one of our oppressors should have been chosen as the Hero of Ages. "

Well of Ascension, Epigraph 53

Ironic that Rashek himself transformed every living Keeper into mentally crippled blobs of Mistwraith, instituted the breeding program inflicting centuries of atrocities on the Terris, all the while adopting the fashion and architecture of hated Khlennium. To all appearances, Khlennium conquered all and absolutely subjugated the Terris, hence why Rashek could be mistaken for Alendi.

Quote

"He was able to take elements from a dozen different cultures and apply them to his new, "perfect" society. For instance, the architectural brilliance of the Khlenni builders is manifest in the keeps that the high nobility construct. Khlenni fashion sense—suits for gentlemen, gowns for ladies—is another thing the Lord Ruler decided to appropriate.

I suspect that despite his hatred of the Khlenni people—of whom Alendi was one—Rashek had a deep-seated envy of them as well. The Terris of the time were pastoral herdsmen, the Khlenni cultured cosmopolitans. However ironic, it is logical that Rashek's new empire would mimic the high culture of the people he hated."

Hero of Ages, Epigraph 26

Edited December 20, 2023 by Duxredux