Allomancy

Allomancy is one of the three magic systems in the Mistborn fantasy novel trilogy, and is the most prominent. People capable of Allomancy are known as Allomancers. Allomancers have the ability to "burn" (or use) metals, in order to fuel a variety of physical and mental enhancements and abilities. For an additional burst of power, they may flare, or burn their metal especially quickly, consuming it at an accelerated rate, but gaining greater benefits in return. A person who can only burn one metal is known as a Misting. If a person is born with the ability to burn more than one metal, they can burn all Allomantic metals, and are known as Mistborn.

There are 16 metals that Allomancers are able to use: 8 basic metals (4 base metals and 4 alloys) and 8 Higher metals (4 base metals and 4 alloys). There are also 2 additional metals referred to as 'God metals' that sit outside of the main 16, which have as many as 16 alloys each, including Malatium. All these metals must be pure when ingested, and the alloys must be mixed to specific proportions. If the metals are impure or mixed incorrectly the Allomancer could become very ill or possibly die.

The Allomantic metals come in four groupings of four metals: Physical, Mental, Temporal, and Enhancement. Each of these four groupings has two base metals and their corresponding alloys, which in turn have a related ability. Each metal produces an Internal or an External, a Push or a Pull effect.

History
It is speculated that during the time of Alendi, Allomancy was in its infancy. There were no known Mistborn, and Alendi was one of the few Mistings in existence. When Rashek took the power of the Well of Ascension however, he condensed some of its energy into the metal Lerasium which when ingested allowed him and several of his closest friends and allies to become Mistborn. The subsequent generations of these people were also Mistborn, and Allomancy slowly spread.

However, in time, Allomancers became less potent. People were no longer born capable of Allomancy, but had to be "snapped" into realizing their power. Usually this happened via an extremely traumatic event. Because of this, nobles developed a tradition of beating their children nearly to death in order to check for this ability. Also, Mistings who only had access to one Allomantic ability started being born. Even Mistborn were no longer as powerful as their ancestors.

Three hundred years after the rise of Harmony, Allomancy has diluted to the point where Mistborn no longer exist. However, Mistings are more common. A few Mistings are also capable of using one Feruchemical ability; these people are called Twinborn.

Allomatic Savants
Individuals who flare their metals intensely for extended periods of time may be physiologically altered by the constant influx of Allomantic power. These Allomancers are known as Allomantic Savants. These people experience heightened ability, and heightened dependence upon, whatever metal they are burning in such a manner. Without powerful external intervention, it is believed that this process is irreversible. One example of an Allomantic Savant is Spook.

Basic Metals
The metals and alloys below are the 8 basic Allomantic metals. The metals here form two groups: external and internal. External metals allow a Misting or Mistborn to exert control over their environment. Internal metals allow a Misting or Mistborn to exert better control over their body.

Steel
Coinshots have the ability to burn Steel, which allows them to "Push" on nearby metals. This can allow them to make metallic objects that weigh less than they do to fly through the air away from them (using coins, for instance, as weapons). For metallic objects which weigh more than they do, this can cause them to be pushed away from the object. It was generally assumed that a Coinshot could not Push on metals that pierce or are otherwise contained in the body of another Allomancer (e.g., ingested metals), however it can be achieved by an exceedingly powerful Allomancer or Hemalurgist.

Aluminum and several of its alloys cannot not be "Pushed" or felt by a Coinshots; thus a Coinshot can be killed by an aluminum bullet.

Iron
Lurchers have the ability to burn Iron, which allows them to Pull on nearby metals. This can allow them to make metallic objects that weigh less than they do to fly through the air toward them. For metallic objects which weigh more than they do, this can cause them to be pulled toward the object. It was generally assumed that a Lurcher could not Pull on metals that pierce or are otherwise contained in the body of another Allomancer (e.g., ingested metals), however it can be achieved by an exceedingly powerful Allomancer, or a Hemalurgist.

Aluminum and several of its alloys cannot be "Pulled" or felt by a Lurcher.

Tin
Tineyes have the ability to burn Tin, which allows them to enhance all five of their senses. Tineyes are often used as lookouts and scouts because they can see in near-darkness. A major flaw of burning is that if a sudden loud noise or bright light appears it can render a Tineye stunned for a short time. Tin also gives mental "stability" allowing the person to utilize all of the information that it provides and allowing them to assess a battle situation quicker than a normal person. The increase given compares in no way to the mental increase given by atium.

Pewter
Pewterarms, or Thugs, have the ability to burn Pewter, which allows them to greatly enhance their physical capabilities. While burning pewter, a Thug can fight or perform physical labor longer than any normal person, and is also many times stronger than his or her normal self. This enhanced strength also allows a Thug to shrug off wounds that would kill or incapacitate a normal person. Pewter-burning also provides a Thug with an increased sense of balance and vastly increased speed and dexterity. A Thug performing a "pewter drag" can run for many hours at speeds up to approximately that of a galloping horse. This is extremely draining on the Allomancer's body and will require the Allomancer to burn pewter after completing the pewter drag itself, just to keep the person's body from collapsing in near-death exhaustion.

One danger for a Thug is when the Thug carrying something that he or she normally could not carry and he or she runs out of pewter to burn, the object he or she is carrying will crush him or her, causing serious injury. Another danger is that a Thug who shrugged off earlier wounds could succumb to said wounds when he or she runs out of pewter to burn.

Bronze
Seekers have the ability to burn Bronze, which allows them to determine if someone is using Allomancy in the immediate area. With practice, an Allomancer can determine the location of the other Allomancer, which metal the other Allomancer is burning, and to what extent the other Allomancer is burning his or her metal. An extremely powerful Allomancer can penetrate the copperclouds of other weaker Allomancers, but only if they (the more powerful Allomancer) are given a Hemalurgic spike for Bronze and had natural Bronze Allomancy.

Copper
Copperclouds[1], or Smokers, have the ability to burn Copper, which allows them to hide themselves and others from "Seekers" by dampening Allomantic vibrations caused by burning metals. The area hidden by a Smoker is known as a coppercloud (hence the name). In strike teams, Smokers are extremely helpful to keep from being caught by a Seeker, or a Mistborn burning Bronze. Exceedingly powerful Mistborn or Seekers can pierce copperclouds and feel the dampened allomantic vibrations. The only known cases are Vin as she was pierced with a Bronze hemalurgic spike (in the shape of an earring) and the Steel Inquisitors, because they were usually Seekers and had a Bronze Hemalurgic spike.

Zink
Rioters have the ability to burn Zinc, which allows them to inflame the emotions of those nearby. This can be used to incite riots(hence the name) or to enhance any emotion of the target. A Rioter can affect a single person or all the individuals in a particular area.

In Alloy of Law, it has been revealed that when one's head is being protected by aluminum or its alloy, he or she cannot be affected by the riot effect of zinc.

Brass
Soothers have the ability to burn Brass, which allows them to soothe or guide emotions in a particular direction. A Soother can affect a single person or all the individuals in a particular area.

In Alloy of Law, it has been revealed that when one's head is being protected by aluminum or its alloy, he or she cannot be affected by the sooth effect of brass.