Question/rant about Sazed’s copperminds

[Ale the Metallic Conjurer he/him]

I want to write a few stories that detail what Sazed and Vin’s Ascensions may be like with modern Brandon’s style of writing the phenomenon. Sazed’s Ascension involves the information in his copperminds, so I need to include that. But something I was curious about is what Sazed’s copperminds contained besides his religions.

Sure, religions were Sazed’s speciality but they’re not the only thing stored in his copperminds. We know that Tindwyl specialized in the biographies of pre-Ascension generals, kings, and emperors. They would’ve included leaders like King Wednegon, advisors or colleagues or scribes who wrote the biographies, and likely a potential timeline for the rise of koloss armies. Ancient places like Darrelnai and FellSpire would’ve been attached to them, as well as the significance of Alendi and Rashek being known as “the Conqueror.” 

And yet, the only coppermind information that Brandon made relevant in the Words of Founding was Sazed’s religions… What the hell. Do Sazed’s copperminds just… not contain memories besides his religions? We know that’s not the case, so where’s the goddamn worldbuilding??? Where are the Basin historians studying the Words of Founding for what happened before the Final Empire? Where are the Pathian theologians studying the ancient religions? Or even the Survivorists studying ancient revolutionaries?

I mean, does alchemy even exist on Scadrial?

[Treamayne]

On 5/23/2024 at 4:39 AM, Ale the Metallic Conjurer said:

as well as the significance of Alendi and Rashek being known as “the Conqueror.” 

Doubtful there is much on this topic, besides the Logbook and Kwaan's Plate - as both names were new to Sazed when the Logbook was found in TFE (Kwaan), and the Plate was found in WoA (Alendi).

However, if you meant TLR's time as Conqueror after visiting the well, the Keepers did have some records from the first and second centuries of the Final Empire (before they had been refounded), but not enough to know that the Ministry teachings about why he made people Mistborn was false (not his friends and supporters - it was bribes to rival kingdoms to subjugate them) - WoB (technically HoA Annotations to Ch 62):

Spoiler

Brandon Sanderson

The First Noblemen Weren't Rashek's Friends

I'm curious to know if anyone figured out the logical problem with the Terrismen becoming nobility. It's what everyone assumed, and it's been mentioned in the previous books. Everyone knows that the Lord Ruler made his friends into Allomancers.

Only, he didn't. That's simply a fabrication he allowed to continue as rumor, then become fact, so that he could cover up the origins of the kandra. The men who became the first Allomancers were actually foreign kings. Rashek knew that he could conquer the world if he needed to—but he also knew that it would be a lot easier to rule that conquered world if he had allies and kingdoms who joined him out of desire, not out of fear. So, he offered Allomancy to the royal families who would give their allegiance to him. Once he showed off his own power as a Mistborn, he managed to get several important monarchs to throw their weight behind him. They got to be Allomancers.

The Hero of Ages Annotations (Feb. 25, 2010)

 

On 5/23/2024 at 4:39 AM, Ale the Metallic Conjurer said:

And yet, the only coppermind information that Brandon made relevant in the Words of Founding was Sazed’s religions…

Not True. The only parts shown on-screen in HoA during the ascension were the Religious bits, but even the epigraph has:

Spoiler

The book contains a short record of the events that led up to the world dying and being reborn, along with some musings I have made about the history, philosophy, and science of recent occurrences. If you look to your right, you will find a much larger group of books in the grass. These contain all of the knowledge—repeated verbatim—that was contained in my metalminds. Let the knowledge of the past not be forgotten.

There are at least 80 Volumes in the Words of Founding (but the total count has not been revealed - Vol 80 is just the highest reference so far), including science, math, history, etc. They have been quoted or referenced throughout Era 2 (e. g .SoS Ch 13, BoM ch 24). Much is being reserved for future use. WoB:

Spoiler

Questioner

The Words of Founding. What does it contain besides the religions, technological advancements, and layout for Elendel? Is there anything special in there?

Brandon Sanderson

There's some other cool stuff in there that eventually I'll talk about.

Questioner

But nothing specific?

Brandon Sanderson

Nothing I'm going to be able to...

Questioner

I was going to say general outlines. Does that cover the basics of it?

Brandon Sanderson

That definitely covers the basics of it, yeah. There was stuff from Sazed's metalminds. A lot of that stuff that was in there. Basically everything that was in there, he tried to get in the books. And then some other additions. Such as Elendel, which he created as a basin for life and things. And stuff like that. They are very interesting. These guys are here recording everything I have to say. So I have to watch myself.

Orem signing (Sept. 22, 2012)

Throughout Era 1 he is shown accessing his Coppermind for medical knowledge, and in HoA he accesses them to learn enough engineering and hydrodynamics theory to understand the reservoir and the mechanism used to fill it from the canals in Urteau. 

On 5/23/2024 at 4:39 AM, Ale the Metallic Conjurer said:

I mean, does alchemy even exist on Scadrial?

Depends on your definition of "alchemy" - Scadrial has a rich heritage of experimental metalurgy, but if you mean potions and elixers, then no. (Elantris Spoilers)

Spoiler

That's a thing in Hrovell, during Elantris - but we don;t have much information on it yet.

Quote

Francis Ocoma

In Elantris, are Forton's "potions" magical, or is he using natural substances?

Brandon Sanderson

They are invested. (Magical.)

General Twitter 2016 (Jan. 17, 2016)

 

 

Edited May 27 by Treamayne
SPAG/Spoilers