hemalurgist

A hemalurgist is a practitioner of hemalurgy, a magical discipline described in Brandon Sanderson’s Mistborn series. Hemalurgy centers on metal spikes and the manipulation of Investiture, the magical power that underpins Allomancy and Feruchemy. A hemalurgist seeks to steal and implant powers or attributes from one being into another by encoding them into a spike and transferring them through a performative act of piercing.

The process typically involves obtaining a spike charged with a specific trait or power from a donor who possesses that attribute. The charged spike is then implanted into a recipient, allowing the donor’s Investiture to flow into the recipient and grant or augment abilities. The effects can range from simple new powers to significant enhancements, and the practice can create unstable or dangerous outcomes for the recipient or others connected to the spike.

Hemalurgists are often portrayed as controversial figures within the world, because their craft involves killing or harming others to fuel power and can create unstable, morally troubling consequences. In the Mistborn narrative, the discipline plays a pivotal role in several plots and conflicts, including the creation of powerful agents who wield multiple spikes to extend their abilities.

Overall, hemalurgy and its practitioners exemplify a dark, highly regulated branch of Investiture manipulation within the Cosmere, distinguished by its reliance on sacrificial mechanisms, the transfer of powers, and the ethical hazards it raises.