Preservation
also known as Mist Spirit, spirit of the mist, figure of mist
A power of preservation paired with Ruin in the deep past of Scadrial. Harmony mentions both as halves of what he now holds: from Preservation he gains the ability to hear Wax's thoughts through the earring, from Ruin the ability to speak through it. MB2:SoS:Ch 7
A power named in the kandra religion as the force the kandra themselves belong to, paired with and opposed to Ruin to whom the humans are appointed. MB1:WoA:Ch 33 superseded at MB2:SoS:Ch 7
A vaguely human shape made of mist itself, holding form just long enough to step toward a watcher before unravelling, carrying an Allomantic pulse on bronze that Vin can sense through her own copper. It is not a ghost: an unseen part of it can take hold of a person's arm with a cold that does not leave and drive pain through the head, hard enough to knock Vin out a third-storey window. And it watches her on purpose. MB1:WoA:Ch 13 superseded at MB1:WoA:Ch 33
A vaguely human shape made of the mist itself — cloudy, long-headed, holding form just long enough to step toward a watcher before unravelling. It carries an Allomantic pulse on bronze that Vin can sense even through her own copper, and her coins pass right through it. MB1:WoA:Ch 3 superseded at MB1:WoA:Ch 13
Known facts
- harassed-logbook-heroVin confirms from the logbook that the same dark, smoke-formed figure followed the prophesied hero across his journey a thousand years ago — visible only to him, watched but rarely attacked, and able to affect the physical world when it chose: it once placed a knife in the chest of one of his companions, a man named Fedik, whom Rashek later accused the hero of stabbing himself. The hero, like Vin now, was forced to decide that the figure was not a hallucination.MB1:WoA:Ch 16
- tries-to-stab-elend-in-his-sleepThe mist spirit is seen for the first time holding a tangible weapon — it slips into the tent at dawn and raises an insubstantial blade over the sleeping Elend before Vin parries the blow. She thereafter warns Elend to travel by day and watch for the figure in the mists.MB1:WoA:Ch 51
- appears-to-elend-pointing-northThe figure of mist appears on the canal road to Elend as he travels south toward Luthadel and points north — away from the city — for as long as Elend stands alone with it. He feels an unnatural calm from it that he takes for an Allomantic Pull. The figure dissolves when Spook returns.MB1:WoA:Ch 56
- stabs-elend-to-stop-vin-releasing-the-powerStanding beside the Well in the moment Vin is about to decide, the figure of mist slashes Elend open across the gut — its first deliberate physical attack. The aim, as Vin later understands, was to force her to take the power and use it to heal him rather than release it into the void.MB1:WoA:Ch 58
Events
- MB1:WoA:Ch 3 Forms in the mist a few feet from Vin on the rooftop; takes a step toward her, dissipates when she shoots coins through it.
- MB1:WoA:Ch 13 Found inside a dark third-storey room with a vantage on Vin's rooftop, holding form as a writhing shape; takes Vin's arm with a cold she can still feel after the fall, drives pain into her head, and is gone the next moment.
- MB1:WoA:Ch 51 Steps inside the tent in the morning mist, stands over the sleeping Elend with an insubstantial blade raised, meets Vin's eyes with hateful invisible eyes, parries her dagger with a tangible weapon, and fades as the sun finally burns the mist away.
- MB1:WoA:Ch 56 Steps out of the mist in front of Elend and points north, then dissolves when Spook approaches.
- MB1:WoA:Ch 57 Forms at Sazed's desk over the book and the torn scrap, then points toward the palace and leads him into the mist-killed streets; remains outside Kredik Shaw's doors as he runs in alone.
- MB1:WoA:Ch 58 Stands beside the pool — its first appearance outside the open mist — and slashes Elend across the gut when he walks toward it unarmed.
- MB1:WoA:Ch 59 Looms above Vin in the empty pool chamber, points her to the crushed disk and the bead of metal at its centre, then motions her to feed it to Elend rather than swallow it herself.
Backreferences
- summaryMB2:BoM:Ch 22
- factJaggenmire
- summaryMB1:HoA:Ch 11
- summaryMB1:HoA:Ch 13
- summaryMB1:HoA:Ch 15
- summaryMB1:HoA:Ch 16
- summaryMB1:HoA:Ch 20
- summaryMB1:HoA:Ch 27
- summaryMB1:HoA:Ch 28
- summaryMB1:HoA:Ch 45
- summaryMB1:HoA:Ch 55
- summaryMB1:HoA:Ch 56
- summaryMB1:HoA:Ch 57
- summaryMB1:HoA:Ch 58
- summaryMB1:HoA:Ch 60
- summaryMB1:HoA:Ch 61
- summaryMB1:HoA:Ch 62
- factMist sickness
- summaryMB1:HoA:Ch 71
- factAtium
- factVin
- summaryMB1:HoA:Ch 75
- factTerris Religion
- summaryMB1:HoA:Ch 76
- factVin
- factVin
- factAtium
- summaryMB1:HoA:Ch 77
- factVin
- summaryMB1:HoA:Ch 81
- factVin
- summaryMB1:HoA:Ch 82
- factVin
- factHarmony
- summaryMB2:TLM:Ch 15
- factHarmonium
- summaryMB2:TLM:Ch 20
- summaryMB2:TLM:Ch 47
- factNon-Lethal Hemalurgy
- factNon-Lethal Hemalurgy
- factHarmony's Sword
- summaryMB2:TLM:Ch 62
- factWaxillium Ladrian
- summaryMB2:SoS:Ch 7
- factHarmony
- summaryMB2:SoS:Ch 10
- factBleeder
- summaryMB1:WoA:Ch 3
- summaryMB1:WoA:Ch 13
- summaryMB1:WoA:Ch 16
- factPreservation
- summaryMB1:WoA:Ch 24
- summaryMB1:WoA:Ch 33
- factkandra
- factRuin
- factkandra
- summaryMB1:WoA:Ch 46
- summaryMB1:WoA:Ch 49
- summaryMB1:WoA:Ch 50
- summaryMB1:WoA:Ch 51
- factPreservation
- summaryMB1:WoA:Ch 56
- factPreservation
- summaryMB1:WoA:Ch 57
- summaryMB1:WoA:Ch 58
- factPreservation
- summaryMB1:WoA:Ch 59
- factElend Venture
- summaryMB1:WoA:Epilogue
- factElend Venture
- factRayse
- factLeras