Feruchemical Storage

Lore & Background

At its core, Feruchemical storage operates on a strict law of conservation and exchange. To gain an advantage later, a Feruchemist must first sacrifice that same attribute in the present. This process is known as investing; for example, to store strength, a user must weaken themselves until they are nearly frail, locking that physical potential into their body's metal alloy. The stored attribute remains dormant until the user chooses to tap it, at which point the effect is amplified based on the duration of the investment. If one stores weight for a year, tapping it might allow them to become incredibly light for a single second. This magic system was once widespread among the common folk before the Lord Ruler's rise, but its practice became restricted and misunderstood over the centuries of the Final Empire. The Kandra, creatures created by the Lord Ruler, utilize a form of Feruchemy to store memories and physical traits in their metal spikes, though they lack the ability to tap these stores for amplification in the same way humans do. The interplay between storage and tapping creates a dynamic rhythm of weakness followed by overwhelming power, making it a discipline that requires immense foresight and self-control.

In Their Own Story

The rain slicked the cobblestones of the Warrens as Kelsier leaned against the damp brickwork, his breathing shallow. He had spent three days in a state of deliberate frailty, storing every ounce of his cognitive sharpness into a small vial of pewter hidden within his tunic. To an observer, he looked like a broken man, his mind foggy and slow, barely able to track the movement of the Inquisitors approaching down the alley. But as the first spear tip gleamed in the gloom, Kelsier smiled. He reached for the metal, not to burn it, but to tap into the reservoir he had built. In an instant, the fog cleared. His thoughts accelerated, racing faster than a hummingbird's wings. The world seemed to slow down around him as his mind processed the attackers' movements with terrifying clarity. He didn't just see their strike; he saw the trajectory of the next three seconds before it happened. With a speed that defied his earlier frailty, he sidestepped the spear, his mental agility turning a near-certain death into a dance of precision.

Reader's Guide

Feruchemical storage requires a specific metal alloy corresponding to the attribute one wishes to store, such as steel for weight or iron for strength. The user must first invest time in their own body, reducing that attribute until they reach a state of depletion. For instance, storing speed makes the user move painfully slowly, while storing age causes them to physically age rapidly. The duration of storage determines the magnitude of amplification upon tapping. Storing an attribute for a long period allows for a massive, short-term burst when retrieved. However, the total amount of power gained is strictly limited by what was invested; one cannot create energy from nothing. Once tapped, the user returns to their normal state, and the stored reserve is depleted. Famous users include Waxillium Ladrian, who utilizes steel storage for weight manipulation to enhance his jumping and falling capabilities in combat. Tactical applications are diverse: storing memory allows for perfect recall of past events, while storing health can heal fatal wounds by drawing upon a previously healthy state. Limitations include the danger of over-investing (becoming too weak to act) and the inability to store attributes that do not have a direct physical or mental counterpart.

Did You Know?

• Sazed, a Keeper, specialized in religion and stored knowledge in his Feruchemical copperminds, which he used to reshape the world into a new paradise of blue skies, green foliage, and rainbow flowers.
• The Lord Ruler created storage caches containing food and water in cave complexes beneath certain cities, each one providing directions to the next, as preparation for Ruin's escape.
• Spook became a tin savant due to incessantly flaring tin, causing his body to adapt to constantly flared tin.
• The kandra use Hemalurgic spikes to store memories and physical traits, but cannot tap those stores for amplification like human Feruchemists.
• Elend Venture gained his Mistborn powers through a bead of metal found in the Well of Ascension.