Zinc is one of the eight basic metals. Its alloy is brass.
Zinc in Allomancy
In Allomancy, zinc gives the ability to intensify the emotions of others, an ability called "Rioting". It is the external mental pulling metal; its complement is brass, the external mental pushing metal.[1] A Misting who can use only zinc is called a Rioter.
When burning zinc, an Allomancer can target the emotions of a group of people or focus on only one. They choose one emotion or a group of emotions and riot those emotions. The net effect is the same as Soothing the opposite emotion.
Like Soothers, Rioters are often mistrusted by those who know about their power. However, neither Rioters nor Soothers can force anyone to do anything or control their mind.
Zinc in Feruchemy
In Feruchemy, zinc can be used to store mental acuity. The Feruchemist can chose to spend time pouring mental clarity and speed of thought into a zinc metalmind. In exchange, the metal mind can be tapped later to gain increased mental speed.
Note that storeing in a zincmind only increases the speed of thought of the user. Not the actual intelligence. Think of the feruchemists mind as a rat running through a maze. The rat make several wrong turns, before reaching the end. When tapping, instead of only making right turns, the rat is running faster.
Sazed spent the last days of the Siege of Luthadel storing up attributes in a variety of metalminds, in preparation for the upcoming battle. As a result, he had to concentrate very hard to perform even the simplest of tasks, such as eating. Carrying on a conversation was slow and cumbersome, since he had a very hard time following a train of thought. It is not clear if storing mental acuity is always this difficult, or if Sazed was storing up the attribute especially quickly because of the extreme circumstances.[2]
Zinc in Hemalurgy
Zinc grants a Hemalurgist emotional fortitude.
Notes
- ↑ Allomantic Table of Metals
- ↑ The Well of Ascension, Chapter Fifty