Fantasy Fanfellas Ep 3: Mistborn Chapters 11-15

Summary

Fantasy Fanfellas Ep 3: Mistborn Chapters 11–15

Podcast: Fantasy Fanfellas (a spinoff of Fantasy Fangirls)
Hosts: Hayden & Stephen
Date: November 19, 2025

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Episode Overview

In this episode, Hayden (a Mistborn veteran) and Stephen (a total Mistborn newbie) delve into Chapters 11–15 of Brandon Sanderson’s Mistborn. Through their unique dynamic—Hayden guiding, Stephen theorizing—they recap the story, break down key worldbuilding and character beats, and offer lively banter on predictions, lore, and character motivations. This episode raises the stakes for Vin, the crew, and their audacious plan to overthrow the Lord Ruler, featuring daring infiltration, grisly betrayals, Allomancy deep-dives, and the introduction of enigmatic new lore.

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Chapter-By-Chapter Summary & Key Insights

[06:20] Stephen’s Humorous Recap ("Lorreth’s Ballad")

• Chapter 11:
  • The crew returns to Vin’s old hideout, finding all of her former crew members gruesomely murdered—including Kamen.
  • Sazed discusses religion with Vin: persistent, non-judgmental, and claims to “believe in them all.”
  • Notable Quote:
    Stephen: “He’s more persistent than a door-to-door solar panel salesman.”
• Chapter 12:
  • Vin attends her first noble ball, disguised as Lady Valette. She feels out of place and is overwhelmed by the pageantry.
  • Encounters Elend, a nobleman who’s more interested in his book than in her—a first for Vin, which both intrigues and annoys her.
• Chapter 13:
  • Kelsier warns Vin not to build a relationship with Elend (which, predictably, only fuels her interest).
  • Vin secretly follows Kelsier as he heads to the Lord Ruler’s palace; he catches her.
  • Kelsier gives her a bit of atium, explaining it lets you see a bit into the future.
• Chapter 14:
  • Kelsier and Vin infiltrate the palace; Vin gets her first kills, then has a terrifying encounter with Inquisitors, nearly dying in the process.
  • A mysterious ally (Sazed) saves Vin as she’s on the brink of death.
• Chapter 15:
  • Vin is gravely injured; Sazed proves to be a skilled healer, and saves her.
  • Kelsier expresses his vulnerability and doubts about their mission.
  • The mysterious “metal minds” are mentioned for the first time; Sazed hints at deeper abilities and lore.

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In-Depth Discussion and Analysis

[11:14] Theme of the Week: "Stakes"

• Hayden: The big word for this stretch is "stakes."
  • The project escalates from distant plotting to high-risk, boots-on-the-ground action as Vin barely survives her first real infiltration.
  • ("This stretch of chapters ramps up the stakes a lot. ... We are no longer just talking about the plan to overthrow the Empire—we are actively in the throes of trying to implement it. But with higher stakes comes higher risk, and we see that firsthand as Vin nearly dies in her and Kelsier’s raid of the Lord Ruler’s palace." [11:14])

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[12:01 / 19:04] Chapter Epigraphs: Worldbuilding & Foreshadowing

• The hosts read and discuss Sanderson’s cryptic epigraphs (“side quotes”) at the start of each chapter.
• They theorize about the identity behind the voice in the epigraphs, linking them to ancient lore, the “hero of ages,” and Lord Ruler’s origins.

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[12:26] Chapter 11: Aftermath and Morality

• The crew finds the whole old lair slaughtered.
• Vin’s numbness reflects the moral grays of Scadrial:
  • Hayden: “This is quite the impactful moment to me, because it drives home that this is a world of gray. In order to survive in a world like Scadrial, there’s no choice that is not fraught with peril.” [13:05]
• Kelsier reveals there are “only about 20 Steel Inquisitors in the whole Empire” (huge for power-dynamics worldbuilding).
• Sazed’s religious persistence and attitude is highlighted—he says prayers for the dead in various religions, claiming to believe in their underlying truths.
  • Notable Quote:
    Sazed (via Hayden): “I believe in them all... But I respect the truths behind them all, and I believe in the need for each one to be remembered.” [17:28]

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[19:48] Chapter 12: Vin at the Ball

• Vin’s internal monologue: She’s tempted by material freedom but stays with the crew for community—she wants to see if trust can be real.
• The ball is filled with “name brand” nobles, reinforcing social divisions.
  • Humorous aside:
    Stephen: “Are those Ray-Bans? No, I can’t talk to you.” [22:07]
• Vin becomes “invisible” among the nobles—her fear recedes as she realizes they see only the surface.
• The mysterious “Deepness” depicted in stained glass windows: hosts discuss its mythic, undefined role in the Lord Ruler’s legend.
  • Hayden: “We don’t really know much about it, if anything at all... at this point you’re like, what does that even mean?” [25:21]
• Elend:
  • First encounter; he’s disaffected, sympathetic to the oppressed, and more interested in books than socializing.
  • Vin feels “comfort” and a spark, a true teenage experience.

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[33:36] Chapter 13: Trust, Spying, and Allomancy Mechanics

• The crew worries about Vin’s interaction with Elend, fearing it compromises her cover.
• Hayden breaks down Vin’s identity struggles: for a brief moment with Elend, she’s neither Vin-the-thief nor Valette-the-noble—a glimpse of her authentic self.
  • Hayden: “…when she was with Elend … she gets a glimpse of who she actually is. And for her, that has to be one of the most disarming experiences of her entire life.” [33:26]
• Vin follows Kelsier; discovers his secret: iron bars embedded along the road so he can “fly” between Luthadel and the safehouses.
  • Stephen: “When he says let’s bounce, he literally means let’s literally bounce.” [34:48]
• Kelsier gives Vin atium—they explain its future-vision mechanic in depth.
  • Hayden: “Atium lets you see a bit into the future. … it enhances your mind, making you able to make use of all the new information.” [36:35]

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[41:32] Chapter 14: Infiltration, Allomancy Action, and Near-Death

• The Lord Ruler’s palace is surrounded by a cloud of oppressive emotional manipulation (“You feel a depression… it sucks away your hope”).
• Vin and Kelsier dispatch guards—Vin, for the first time, kills people with her Allomancy.
  • Stephen: “This is her moment right now.” [44:42]
• Kelsier’s gray morality: Rationalizes killing the guards as a moral act, but hosts debate if that’s fair.
• They find the Lord Ruler's secret room; instead, they're ambushed by Inquisitors—a terrifying fight and chase through the palace.
• Vin is badly hurt and nearly dies before being rescued.
  • Hayden reads: “Such a small, troubling thing you are… arms gripped her. Warm arms. Not the arms of death.” [50:37]

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[51:21] Chapter 15: Recovery, Lore Reveals, Kelsier's Vulnerability

• Kelsier returns in anguish to the crew’s base, feeling responsible for Vin’s condition.
• Sazed uses advanced (and mysterious) healing skills to save Vin—introducing “metal minds,” a new magic/lore element.
  • Stephen immediately obsesses over “metal minds” and starts theorizing about their function:
    Stephen: “Okay, metal mind? What the hell does that mean?” [56:05]
• Sazed also retrieved a book Vin used to block an Inquisitor’s attack—it’s written in an ancient language (Kaleni), tying this arc to the Lord Ruler’s pre-Ascension homeland.
• The "11th metal" legend is discussed—no known way to kill the Lord Ruler, but rumors persist of a mysterious solution. Kelsier admits his doubts to Dachshund.
  • Kelsier: “We can take his money, we can take his armies, we can trick him out of the city. But I still worry that we won't be able to stop him. ... I searched for two years to find a way to kill him. Men have tried everything. He ignores normal wounds, and decapitation only annoys him. A group of soldiers burned down his inn during one of the early wars. The Lord Ruler walked out as barely more than a skeleton. Healed in a matter of seconds.” [58:53]

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Lore Spotlight & Magic Breakdown

[36:35 / 38:19] Allomancy Deep Dive: Atium

• Atium: Allows the user to see slightly into the future, visualized as a “shadow” or “afterimage” of your opponent’s intentions/actions.
• If two Mistborn burn atium, infinite “possible movement” shadows appear—no advantage gained, creating a stalemate.
• Hard magic system: Sanderson’s approach is discussed in contrast to “soft” systems like Tolkien’s.

[56:09] Metal Minds & Keepers (Sazed)

• Metal minds are introduced but not yet fully explained—Sazed uses them to move at superhuman speed and to heal/sew up Vin's wounds.
• Hints at a second, distinct system of magic (Feruchemy).

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Characters Spotlight

Vin:

• Faces brutal realities—her upbringing in the gray world of crime, the violence of Mistborn action, and the seductions and perils of noble society.
• Her “first kill” and near-death experience mark huge emotional and developmental beats.

Kelsier:

• Charismatic, reckless hero with a messiah complex, now beginning to reveal vulnerability and self-doubt.

Sazed:

• The MVP (“winner of the week”), his mysterious knowledge and healing prowess become vital.
• Deep commitment to cultural and religious knowledge—shows “respect” for all beliefs, values memory over dogma.

Elend:

• Understated bookworm noble, possibly subversive, and “book boyfriend” material—sparks Vin’s interest.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Stephen: “He can perform surgery. He’s got a bag of tricks. He’s a magician.” [14:31]
• Hayden: “I think this is an honest portrayal of someone who … has to just keep going … in the real world, … if there’s still things you need to get done, you’re still just … going to keep moving along.” [45:01]
• On burning atium:
  Hayden: “Adium makes you quite nearly invincible. It enhances your mind...” [36:35, 38:19]
• On Sanderson’s magic:
  Stephen: “I can’t stress this enough. This magic system…there’s nothing baked into the cake in this book. … He’s building all of this from the ground up.” [38:04]
• On the Lord Ruler:
  Kelsier (quoted): “He ignores normal wounds, and decapitation only annoys him.” [58:53]
• Religion:
  Sazed/Stephen: “Yes, they contradict, but they all have value in some way.” [17:33]
• Ballroom Social Satire:
  Stephen: “If you had to go to two or three [balls] a week, do you think you would kind of tap out eventually?”
  Hayden: “Mr. Brightside at every ball, I’m good.” [26:24]
• Predictions:
  Stephen: “Somebody that we know is gonna lose a leg. … Leg is something that will make a story change.” [67:05]

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[61:19] Awards: Winners & Losers of the Week

Stephen:

• Winner: Sazed ("He saved Vin and seems like a good character.")
• Honorable Mention: Elend ("Book boyfriend" worthy and intriguing character)
• Loser: The first guy Vin rejects at the ball ("the lowest of the low")

Hayden:

• Winner: Sazed ("Saved Vin, performed surgery... the intrigue around his powers propels the reader forward")
• Loser: Kelsier ("Complete recklessness... bringing Vin on the raid and risking her life unnecessarily.")

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[65:14] Predictions & Theories

• Elend: Will play a key role; Vin will sneak away to meet him.
• Kelsier & Lord Ruler: Possible unknown relationship or shared history—Kelsier’s hatred might go beyond simple revenge.
• Vin: May face lasting effects (a “Frodo-style” wound) from Inquisitor’s attack.
• Sazed/Metal Minds: Speculates about what metal minds are (“not a Mistborn, so what is he?”).
• Off-The-Wall Prediction: Someone will lose a leg.

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Closing [69:07]

• Teaser for next week: Chapters 16–19.
• Shout out to Sazed fan club members.
• Reminder to catch their interview with author Pierce Brown.
• Follow on Instagram and TikTok @fantasyfanfellas.

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Overall Tone & Takeaways

• Dynamic: Hayden’s deep lore and gentle steering play perfectly off Stephen’s irreverent humor, constant theorizing, and wild predictions.
• Accessibility: This episode is perfect for new and veteran Mistborn readers—spoilers only up to chapter 15, lots of explanation, deep dives into mechanics and foreshadowing.
• Humor & Relatability: Jokes about salsa, Princess Diaries, The Parent Trap, and more pepper the serious genre discussion, making every section engaging.
• Stakes Raised: The story turns darker and more dangerous; characters are more vulnerable, and lore threads (metal minds, the 11th metal) are deepening.

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Recommended Segments for Quick Catch-up:

• Stephen’s Recap (06:20)
• Atium/Magic System Deep Dive (36:35–39:19)
• Infiltration & Action (41:32–50:37)
• Lore & Sazed Reveal (56:09)
• Awards & Theories (61:19–68:02)

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Final Notable Quote:

“Sanderson is asking the audience: how gray can somebody be, and you still root for them as your hero?”
—Hayden [64:51]

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Transcript

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[Stephen]

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[Hayden]

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[Hayden]

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[Hayden]

Howdy, howdy ho and welcome to Fantasy Fanfellas. I'm Hayden, producer of the Fantasy Fangirls podcast and lover of all things Sanderson.

[Stephen]

And I'm Stephen, a salsa connoisseur and lover of all things fantasy.

[Hayden]

Oh my God. I okay, so Just so everybody is aware, before we started recording, Stephen came up to me with this great idea and he said, hey, listen, the first episode, I told people what I actually do. Now I'm thinking it'd be really fun if I tell them a different lie every single episode.

[Stephen]

That's not a lie, though. It's a real thing. I am a salsa connoisseur.

[Hayden]

Connoisseur, or like, a connoisseur implies that, like, you have actual skill. Is that true?

[Stephen]

I mean, I like to think of myself as a skilled man when it comes to Satan's juices.

[Hayden]

So, yeah, maybe we should go with, like, a student of salsa.

[Stephen]

Fine, let me start. Let me take that again. Hi, I'm Steven, a student of salsa and lover of all things fantasy.

[Hayden]

And we are here today to dive so, so deep into chapters 11 through 15 of Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn. A quick reminder, I am serving as your professor of all things Sanderson to not only the audience, but also to Steven, because he has not read Mistborn before.

[Stephen]

That's right. So this podcast will only have spoilers for the chapters we read each episode. Which means if you're starting Mistborn but have yet to finish it, this is the podcast for you. One last thing before we get started here, this is a new podcast, as you've probably noticed, so if you want to help get the word out, please give us a follow on Instagram and TikTok at fantasy fan Fellows. There's going to be a lot of content you're not going to want to miss.

[Hayden]

Okay, Stephen, it is your time. Please put your salsa shoes away, burn your metals, and let us know from your perspective what happened in the chapters 11 through 15 of Mistborn.

[Stephen]

Chapter 11, the chapter starts with our main characters. K Cup and Vin damsel at her old stomping ground, looking through dead bodies. Like, after you've cleared a cave in the game Skyrim and are now just trying to build up your inventory. Then this dude named say so Cesar says, I don't know. Heihei's friend talks to Vin about religion. Again, dude's more persistent than a door to door solar panel salesman. She asks him which one he believes in, and he's like, I love them all. Like a mother when she's asked who her favorite child is. Okay, fine, you love them all, but we know there's one you like the least.

[Hayden]

Mom.

[Stephen]

Anyway, later they find this dude named Kamen who looks like he's playing a very gruesome game of Go Fish. He's also dead. Oh, no. And apparently he knew about Vin Damsel's power and was using her all along. Chapter 12. Vin is all dolled up and feeling bonita. Which means now it's time to go undercover as a lady. Like she's Sondra Bullock in Miss Congeniality. So she goes to a ball and is more in awe of the surroundings there than I was the first time I walked into a Nebraska furniture mart. It's literally the best, best place ever. And at some point, many dudes ask her to dance. But she turns them all down one by one. Like the popular girl at the high school dance who's only waiting for the quarterback to ask her memories. Then she sees her father, of all people, but he doesn't know who she is or that she exists, which is honestly the work of a dick. Literally. Anyway, then she flees to a nearby balcony to have a moment to herself and is approached by another guy. Can a girl get some freaking peace around here, please? But he doesn't seem interested in her. And now that annoys her women, am I right? But honestly, I totally get that because I'm not interested in you at all. But I want you to be interested in me, so I feel special. Anyway, he tells her that she reminds him of his father, which is a weird pickup line, but let's go with it, I guess. They chat for a little bit. And honestly, I like this guy. I don't trust him, but I like him. I'm the problem. Also, his name is Elland, so I'm not a fan of that. But he's a reader, so who cares about the name? Chapter 13. K Cup talks to Vin Damsel about how she shouldn't build a relationship with Elend. They could complicate things. By the way, don't tell a teenage girl to do that, because now she's going to do the opposite of that. Sir. Then Kelsier leaves to do a mission. Vin decides she wants to go secretly follow K Cup to see where he is. So she burns metals along the way, playing supernatural grasshopper behind Kelsier so he doesn't spot her. So basically, basically, they're going up, up, up. It's their moment, you know, together they're glowing. Gonna be. Gonna be golden. Anyway. But he sees her, obviously, like a child at bedtime, who thinks they're being sneaky, but you can literally hear them and see them go to bed. Kids. Then Kelsier gives Vin some atm. And that's when we learn that ATM lets you see into the future. Kind of like Nicholas Cage in the movie Next. It also enhances your mind, like the pills from that movie Limitless. Anyway, then Vin Damsel convinces K Cup to let her go with him to the Lord ruler's castle. Chapter 14. Now they're heading into the Lord Ruler's castle. I don't know what this guy looks like, by the way, but I keep picturing Lord Farquaad and that makes my heart happy for some reason. While they're there, they kill some people and Vin has her first kills. They grow up so fast, don't they? Then they run into a steel inquisitor. It grabs Kelsier, and then it says to Vince, I've been looking for you. Okay, calm down. Halloween Rhysand. Then K Cup and Vin Damsel fight several of these trick or treat things, and Vin loses Kelsier somehow. And then she gets stabbed by one of them. Like Frodo got stabbed by the Ring Wraith before Aragorn chased them away with all his daddiness. Anyway, then some random guy steps in and saves her. Chapter 15. Cut to Kelsier, who made it out. And back to the clubs shops, which sounds kind of like a cheapo golf store. Honestly. It turns out it was say Zed that say Ved. Then, further proving Heihei's point that he is a good character. Fine, I'll bite. He brings her to Kelsier. She's not in good shape. She has Covid or whatever. Also, Sezet is conveniently a surgeon. Cue the theme song to Grey's Anatomy, I guess. So he performs a Whipple on her and sends her off to bed. Then K Cup gets more vulnerable than a middle schooler who just got pantsed in the cafeteria by the bully a grade above him and admits he's worried about the Lord Ruler. He's afraid they can't win this. He also believes that the Lord Ruler is hiding something in his room. Like that NSYNC album no Strings Attached, that I didn't want my friends to know I had and absolutely loved and listened to every freaking day of my life.

[Hayden]

Wow, Stephen, that was amazing. I also, you bringing up Limitless had me thinking Bradley Cooper would be a low key, good casting of Kelsier in a Mistborn movie.

[Stephen]

Would he?

[Hayden]

Yeah, the charm.

[Stephen]

I could see that. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I like that.

[Hayden]

Yeah. Or, you know, you could go the Matthew McConaughey direction.

[Stephen]

I. Maybe. But I don't want Kelsey walking in going, all right, all right, all right. Let's burn some metals, man.

[Hayden]

We gotta kill the Lord Ruler.

[Stephen]

We gotta kill that Lord Ruler.

[Hayden]

Shame and now it is time for us to dawn our Miss Cloaks and dive so, so deep into what happened in this stretch of chapters. But first, my one big word for today is stakes. And I'm not just talking about beef. I'm talking about the stakes of our story. This stretch of chapters ramps up the stakes of lot. We're no longer just talking about the plan to overthrow the Empire. We are actively in the throes of trying to implement it. But with higher stakes comes higher risk, and we see that firsthand as Ven nearly dies in her and Kelsier's raid of the Lord Ruler's palace. And with that, let's burn our metals and dive deeper into chapters 11 through 15. Okay, Stephen, please give us the epigraph for chapter 11.

[Stephen]

It seems Rasheck represents a growing faction in terrorist culture. A large number of youths think that their unusual powers should be used for more than fieldwork, husbandry, and stone carving. They are rowdy, even violent, far different from the quiet, discerning terrorist philosophers and holy men that I have known. They will have to be watched carefully, these terrorist men. They could be very dangerous if given the opportunity and the motivation.

[Hayden]

Chapter 11. The crew has rushed back to Kamin's old lair. And to put it mildly, the scene is grisly. We're not going to go much into details here, but every one of the old crew members is dead. And not just dead. They're like, dead dead. Mutilated. The thought among the crew is that there must have been an inquisitor following Ven leading to the lair. And Ven stands there looking at this terrible sight and doesn't quite know what she's supposed to feel. She stood looking over the death, feeling numb. What should her reaction be? These were the men who had mistreated her, stolen from her, beaten her. And yet these were the men who had sheltered her, included her, and fed her when others might have simply given her to the whoremasters. This is quite the impactful moment to me, because it drives home that this is a world of gray. In order to survive in a world like Scadrial, there's no choice that is not fraught with peril.

[Stephen]

Yeah, I like that quote when she gives that, because it just shows you. I mean, they are horrible, but they also did some good things. And I feel like kind of, we all kind of do that in our lives with certain people. Absolutely.

[Hayden]

I mean, think about a breakup you've had, right? No matter how terrible the person is, when they leave, there's going to be those moments where you're like, I don't really want to be back together with them. But you know what? It's kind of weird just to be by myself. Right?

[Stephen]

Yeah. There's like a sense of nostalgia that you miss and that kind of stuff.

[Hayden]

Absolutely. Now, not all of the crew is with them. Some of the less physically imposing members, like Breeze, Yeddin, and Clubs stayed behind because it would be too dangerous if whoever did this was still around. However, Vin notices that Sazed tagged along, which is rather odd to Vin. If he's with them, that means he must have some capability of defending himself in some way. Stranger still, Seiza doesn't seem too bothered by the carnage. If he was just a mere servant who was used to staying home during the action, this would be an overwhelming sight. Let's just clock that for later. Steven, as we're going through this moment, are you starting to see, oh, there might be something a little bit more to say, Zed going on here?

[Stephen]

I. I know you're trying to sell me on Sayzed. I get it. Okay. Every episode you're like, oh, what about this buddy? Okay, He's a door to door preacher. I know that he can, according to what I said earlier, he can just carve up people. He can perform surgery. He's got a bag of tricks. He's a magician.

[Hayden]

Yeah. So now onto a not super important detail, but one that I think is interesting nonetheless. We get an interesting tidbit from Kelsier about the number of Steel Inquisitors that exist. Quote, there are only about 20 steel inquisitors in the whole of the final empire, and half of them are out of Luthadel at any given time. Now, this is interesting to me because these are the Lord Ruler's strongest soldiers. So he feels comfortable having only 20 of his strongest soldiers at any one time in order to keep the empire at bay. So to me, that gives us a little bit more insight into just how powerful these Inquisitors actually are.

[Stephen]

Yeah. And they're creepy looking. Right. They get stuff in their eyes. I don't know how they see. Are they. Do they run off of sonar?

[Hayden]

You know, that is a possibility.

[Stephen]

Are you saying that as somebody in the future, knowing that it's not sonar?

[Hayden]

Well, I'm gonna say it's because you've.

[Stephen]

Read the book and I have not.

[Hayden]

It could be a type of sonar, but I don't want to say anything more.

[Stephen]

What do you mean a type of. There's only one type of sonar, and it's sonar. Right.

[Hayden]

Moving on. As the crew secures the location, making sure the coast is clear, then hears a low mumbling coming from Sazed. When she asks what he's doing, he tells her he was saying God damn it, he was saying a prayer of one of the many religions he knows of. This guy will not rest.

[Stephen]

I'd like to tell you about Jesus.

[Hayden]

He's what I a regular Joel Osi over here.

[Stephen]

He's just a good. He's a good Samaritan. He's just walking around trying to share the kindness of heaven.

[Hayden]

A death chant of the Kazi. It is meant to awaken the spirits of the dead and entice them free from their flesh so that they may return to the Mountain of Souls. He glanced at her. I can teach you of the religion if you wish, Mistress. The Kazi were an interesting people, very familiar with death. Sayza, brother, now is not the time to ask men if she's heard of the Lord.

[Stephen]

Hey, maybe this is the perfect if you're hurting, hey, come to me, all who are weary. Maybe you could throw that out there. Sayzed.

[Hayden]

Oh my God, Sayzed, over here. He's looking at the blood. He goes, amazing.

[Stephen]

I want him to sing hymns. That's what I want. That should be a skit Somehow.

[Hayden]

In all seriousness though, this turns into a lovely exchange quote. Then shook her head. Not right now. You said their prayer. Is this the religion you believe in then? I believe in them all. Then frowned. None of them contradict each other. Sayzed smiled. Oh, often and frequently they do. But I respect the truths behind them all, and I believe in the need for each one to be remembered. Then how did you decide which religion's prayer to use? Then asked to which Sazed says that one merely seemed appropriate.

[Stephen]

I like this. This part of the story. I like how he described yes, they contradict, but they all have value in some way. They have cultural things. They have importance. And I like the fact that he incorporated that.

[Hayden]

And I think, especially in a world like Scadrial that is so bleak, so dark, Sayzed sees how the point of religion is not for your belief to be right. The point of it is for you to have something to believe in in the first place. After some time, the crew tries to reason who could have given away the location of the lair? And suspicion moves to none other than Then the fucking Yella belly himself came in.

[Stephen]

The yellow belly.

[Hayden]

So Kelsier goes on the move to find him. We are now in Kelsier's pov. Kelsier is now searching the streets for Caiman if you'll remember, Kelsier had charged Caiman's old crew with, quote, turning Caiman into a beggar. And this is when we as readers get a real look at the absolute squalor of ska life. There are malnourished children and beggars with various afflictions everywhere. After a while, Kelsier finds Kamin, but he's no longer alive. He's been tortured and hung, his body serving as a public reminder of the empire's power. Now, I'm not here to rub dirt in anybody's eye. Nobody deserves this.

[Stephen]

Should we bring out the balloons? Is that what we're saying?

[Hayden]

I'm glad that we are never going to have to deal with this guy ever again. On to chapter 12. Stephen, if you could please read the epigraph for chapter 12.

[Stephen]

Sure thing. What would it be like if every nation, from the isles in the south to the terrace hills in the north, were united under a single government? What wonders could be achieved? What progress could be made if mankind were to permanently set aside its squabblings and join together? It is too much, I suppose, to even hope for single unified empire of man. It could never happen.

[Hayden]

We are now in Vin's pov. Ven has been training to be a little lady. She will be attending noble balls as lady valet Renault. We see her in noblewoman finery, and she is still not quite used to wearing all this nice stuff. And even more unsettling to her still is the fact that she, quote, owns all of this stuff. It was bought with crew funds, you know.

[Stephen]

You know, it made me feel like. Like, have you ever put on, like a leather jacket and you feel like, I can't pull this off?

[Hayden]

Oh, absolutely.

[Stephen]

There's no jean jacket. But if I put on a leather jacket, who am I, Fonzie? O, calm down.

[Hayden]

Me. One time I went into a. In the Bishop Arts district. You know, that area in Dallas.

[Stephen]

No, this sounds very bougie for my small town.

[Hayden]

No, it's not even bougie. It's like the arts district, essentially. And they have these little shops, you know, lining the street. And I saw in the window, I saw this. This really nice. What looked like linen button down shirt that I really liked. So I went inside, I was like, hey, is that for sale? And the woman looks at me and she goes, yeah, it is, but it's $400.

[Stephen]

She just knew you couldn't afford it.

[Hayden]

And I said, okay, I'm. I'm good. Thank you.

[Stephen]

I like how she just called you out. I can Tell by the way you walked in here, you're not gonna pay for.

[Hayden]

You don't smell like the money. You need to buy this shirt.

[Stephen]

Oh, no, that would have made me. I would be like. I would have paid double. But you've upset me. I'm leaving.

[Hayden]

So in theory, Ven could just leave with all the jewelry and the boxing she got from Cayman, and she could just leave. Live out her life by herself for decades. So why isn't she leaving? Rean's training told her that these men were fools. But she was tempted, enticed by the possibility that Kelsier and the others offered. In the end, it wasn't the wealth or the jobs thrill that made her stay. It was the shadowed prospect, unlikely and unreasonable, but still seductive, of a group whose members actually trusted one another. She had to stay. She had to know if it lasted or if it was, as Ryne's growing whispers promised, all a lie. Okay, folks, it is time for the ball. And Vin is nervous as Sezad takes her up the steps of keep Venture. And they start heading inside. Vin feels a complete lack of confidence in herself. After all, she felt at home. Flying through the mists, that was no problem. But facing Nobles face to face, that's a bridge too far. But as Nobles begin to look her up and down, analyzing her dress and other finery, Vin realizes that that was all they really saw. They didn't see a street sca. So in that way, Vin is invisible. And this change of perspective releases Vin from her paralyzing fear.

[Stephen]

They're name brand people.

[Hayden]

Yeah, exactly. They're like.

[Stephen]

It's like. Hey, are you with those sunglasses? Are those Ray Bans? No, I can't talk to you.

[Hayden]

Yeah, is that Lululemon? I see you're in.

[Stephen]

It's perfect.

[Hayden]

Come right up. So the plan for this ball is simple. Ven has her own table by herself, and she is to eat her dinner. Slowly, after dinner, men will likely start coming over to her to ask her to dance. But shit, Sayzed never taught her to dance. But no worries. It's totally fine for Vin to politely decline. Where were you through all this, Steven? You could have been teaching her the salsa from the beginning.

[Stephen]

Yeah, totally. I could have connoisseur her with my salsa. Or however you conjugate that for sentence. I like this part of the story because I love balls. Wait, let me back up. Hi. I like. I like going to balls. As you probably know. I like going to fantasy balls and stuff. And yeah, this was like, ooh, this is up my Alley, I would have a good time.

[Hayden]

I love these parts as well, because one, it's a change in setting. Two, we're really getting a look into the politics and. And the. The higher class side of this world.

[Stephen]

Yeah, yeah.

[Hayden]

Three, this just gives me, like, Pride and Prejudice vibes. I love it so much. So anyways, as Vin politely declines these dance invitations, they'll just think that Vin is a little lady from the country who's unaccustomed to the balls of the big city. As Ven takes in the sight, she looks up at the stained glass windows that line the halls of Venture's mansion, many of them depicting the Lord Ruler and his ascension. Quote. Central to many of the windows was the Deepness. Black, or in window terms, violet. It was formless, with vengeful tentacle like masses creeping across several windows. Ven looked up at it, along with the brilliantly colored depictions of the Lord Ruler, and found herself a little bit transfixed by the backlit scenes. What was it, she wondered. The Deepness. Why depict it so formlessly? Why not show what it actually was? She never really wondered about the Deepness before, but Sazed's lessons left her wondering. Her instincts whispered, scary scam. The Lord Ruler had invented some terrible malice that he'd been able to destroy in the past, therefore earning his place as emperor. And yet, staring up at the horrible, twisting thing, Ven could almost believe. What if something like that had existed? And if it had, how had the Lord Ruler managed to defeat it? Steven, we don't know much about the time before the Lord Ruler or this mysterious Deepness. Do you have any inklings about what might be going on here?

[Stephen]

Hold on. Refresh my memory. What the hell is the Deepness? Because I've seen this word and I don't really know. I mean, that's my. That's my answer. I don't know what the Deepness is.

[Hayden]

We are in a point in our story where we don't really know much about it, if anything at all. Yeah, all we know, at least from this scene, is that the idea is that the Lord Ruler defeated, quote, the Deepness, and that's what allowed him to ascend as the Emperor.

[Stephen]

So he defeated the Nothing. Because depth is a nothing. I defeated the depth. What do you mean? Like, you defeated a bucket of nothing?

[Hayden]

Yeah, I'm trying to, you know, I'm putting myself in your shoes and trying to remember where I was when I was first reading this. And at this point, you're like, what does that even mean?

[Stephen]

Yeah, I defeated the Deepness. Okay, buddy, why don't you go back to your room? Just go back to your padded room and drink water.

[Hayden]

Yeah. It's like defeating the air.

[Stephen]

Yeah. That's shadow boxing is what he's doing.

[Hayden]

Yeah. Anyways, as suitors arrive to ask Vin for a dance, we learn from Seza that there are balls basically every night. And many nobles come to every single one. The balls are, after all, a prime reason people come to Luthadel. If one is in town and there is a ball, and there almost always is, one generally attends, especially if one is young and unmarried. You won't be expected to attend quite so frequently, but we should probably get you up to attending two or three a week. Two points here. One, I don't think I've said the word balls so many times in my life.

[Stephen]

Get used to it.

[Hayden]

And two, Stephen, I go out maybe once a month, a quarter, and I'm exhausted. Now, I know you go to balls all the time.

[Stephen]

They call me the Mr. Mr. Ball. No one calls me that.

[Hayden]

But if you had to go to two or three a week, do you think you would kind of tap out eventually?

[Stephen]

No, as long as they played Mr. Brightside at every ball, I'm good. It's like a regenerative thing. Oh, okay, cool. I'm recharged.

[Hayden]

Yeah, that's the equivalent of drinking a vial of medals for you.

[Stephen]

There we go. That's my burning medals. It's just Mr. Brightside.

[Hayden]

But now, Sazed leaves to the servants quarters to be on the lookout for valuable gossip, leaving Ven alone. As Ven takes in the scene by herself, she notices one attending obligator in particular, and it turns out it's her father. You see, Ryne had found him in Luthadel and snuck Ven to take a quick look at him, and so she was able to recognize him here. After some time, Vin's boredom gets the best of her, and she decides to go up to a balcony and take in the view. But suddenly, she's startled by the voice of a young man. Now, see, here's the problem with going to refill your cup of wine. The problem is you return to find that your favorite spot has been stolen by a pretty girl. Now, a gentleman would move on to another place, leaving the lady to her contemplations. However, this is the best spot on the balcony. It's the only place close enough to a lantern to have good reading light.

[Stephen]

I like the way this guy talks. I'm just gonna throw it out there. I like this guy. Oh, yeah, I'm assuming he comes up later in the story. He wouldn't just throw in this character, old Brandy Sandy, for no reason.

[Hayden]

I mean, listen, I suppose it's technically a spoiler, but, yes, we are going to see this guy again. You can tell from the way. From how witty he is. A character you never see again is not going to be as witty or as charming as this.

[Stephen]

No.

[Hayden]

And then instead of carrying on the conversation or flirting with Vin, he starts reading a book. How rude. To which Vin thinks, quote, isn't he going to pay me any attention at all? Then thought, puzzled at her own annoyance, maybe I should have worn a fancier dress. And I love this moment so much because then her whole life has had to act very tomboy. And this is the first moment where she's like. Gets to be just like a teenage girl for once in her whole life. But after some prodding from Then, he introduces himself as Ellen. Vin is interested in Ellen, unlike the other men who she couldn't have shooed away faster.

[Stephen]

She's just looking for a guy that'll make her foot pop.

[Hayden]

Yes. Oh, I. I love that we're extending the Princess Diaries. There's another Princess Diaries reference coming, just so you know. Oh, yeah, absolutely.

[Stephen]

I love that movie.

[Hayden]

It's actually, I'm more proud of this reference that you're going to hear later than the one that we did last week.

[Stephen]

I'm primed and ready for it. Then let's go.

[Hayden]

As their conversation continues, Vin learns that this man doesn't care much for a house venture. They're an ostentatious lot, even for high nobility. They can't just have a party. They have to throw the best party. Never mind that they run their servants ragged setting it up, then beat the poor things in retribution when the hall isn't perfectly clean the next morning. And this sympathy for servants is very interesting to hear from a nobleman, but let's clock that for later. Steven, do you have any idea about why Ellen has a little bit of more sympathy for ska?

[Stephen]

Because he's a good guy, probably.

[Hayden]

Good guy. Okay. I like that. I like that.

[Stephen]

Yeah. You don't sound like you believe that, though.

[Hayden]

No, no, no. I think that's based on the information that we have. That's a good guess.

[Stephen]

Let me go ahead and input this then. Perhaps he's a Mistborn.

[Hayden]

Okay.

[Stephen]

And he knows that she is somehow a Mistborn and comes from the scar background, and he's trying to buddy up with her for reasons to get to Kelsier. Maybe he knows more than he's letting on about Vin.

[Hayden]

Yeah, okay. Okay. I like that. Guess after Vin leaves to meet back up with Sazed, he is quite surprised to find out that she was chatting with Ellen. After all, he's not just a nobleman, but heir to house venture. Record scratch. The chapter is capped off by two sweet moments. The first is in how Vin describes Ellen. To seize he was a bit annoying in a pleasant sort of way. And then, as they're leaving, Vin burns tin and looks up at the balcony they had just been chatting on. She got one more glimpse into the main chamber as she retrieved her shawl and she burned tin, squinting against the light and seeking the balcony above. He held the book closed in one hand, and she could have sworn that he was looking down in her direction. She smiled and let Sayzed usher her to their carriage. Now, Steven, if you could read us the epigraph for chapter 13.

[Stephen]

I know that I shouldn't let a simple Pac man perturb me. However, he is from Terrace, where the prophecies originated. If anyone could spot a fraud, would it not be he? Nevertheless, I will continue my trek, going where the scribbled auguries proclaim that I will meet my destiny. Walking, feeling Rasheck's eyes on my back. Jealous, mocking, Hating.

[Hayden]

So we have a little bit of conflict now.

[Stephen]

You know what I would like to know? Who is saying these things? That's what I want to know. I'm about as clueless as clueless is.

[Hayden]

You. This whole time, your one mission has been this. To know who is saying these things.

[Stephen]

Well, you're. I'm reading it every time. Like, I really wish I knew whose voice this is.

[Hayden]

Yeah.

[Stephen]

Is it a guy? Should I be reading it more feminine? Should I be yelling it? Should I be screaming it? Should it be quiet?

[Hayden]

Well, what's so interesting about epigraphs? At least when I was first reading it, sometimes I looked forward to the epigraphs more than the actual chapter.

[Stephen]

Oh.

[Hayden]

Because I literally had no idea what it was. And I was like, I need to figure out what's going on. So here we are. We are in Ven's POV and we are back at mansion. Renau, Sazed and Kelsier are not happy that Vin chatted with Ellen. They fear that her being seen associated with someone as important as Ellen would draw undue attention to her, jeopardizing her cover. But then doesn't want to never talk to him again. There had been something odd about him, something Vin hadn't admitted to Sayzed she'd felt Comfortable with Ellen. Keep in mind, to this point, she hasn't even really felt comfortable with Kelsier and the crew yet.

[Stephen]

That's true. But she feels more comfortable with Kelsier. Maybe not initially, though. I was trying to think maybe this. Maybe this guy's a misborn and you have that connection. But she didn't have that initially with Kelsier. She had to, like, work into that for sure, to prove himself to her.

[Hayden]

And to be fair, maybe, maybe more so. What happened was her having that experience with Kelsier and the crew Paved the way for her to more quickly feel comfortable with Ellen in the first place. Looking back on the experience, she realized that for those few moments, she hadn't really been Lady Villette, nor had she been Vin. For that part of her, the timid crew member was almost as fake as Villette was. So this is really interesting because we know that for most of her life, Vin had been living in survival mode. And now she's going over to this area as Lady Villette. Where she's having to pretend to be some noble person. But when she was with Ellen, for those few moments, she gets a glimpse of who she actually is. And for her, that has to be one of the most disarming experiences of her entire life.

[Stephen]

I would imagine she has a little identity realization.

[Hayden]

And she's literally 16 years old. So she doesn't exactly have the best.

[Stephen]

Tools going on at 16. You don't want to throw more into it.

[Hayden]

And things get even more High school after Lord Renau is like, quote Ben. He probably doesn't even really like, like you. Quote it is unlikely that Ellen Venture has any real interest in you. He is known to be a court eccentric. He is probably just trying to heighten his reputation by doing the unexpected. But anyways, there's no time for dilly dallying. Kelsier is off for a nightly mission, causing some protestation from then. And he gives a classic quote followed by a sick burn. That's the funny thing about arriving somewhere, Vin, he said with a wink. Once you're there, the only thing you can really do is leave again. Get some sleep. You're looking a bit ragged.

[Stephen]

With the zingers.

[Narrator/Advertiser]

Yeah.

[Hayden]

Vin won't just let Kelsier run off in secret like that, though. So she pretends to retire to her bedroom, but instead leaps into the mist and follows Kel. And what she notices as she's following him is that there's a secret to how Kelsier gets to and from Luthadel to Feliz. So fast. There are metal bars embedded in the earth all down the road. Meaning that instead of walking to and from Luthadel, Kelsier has been leaping, slash, flying, cutting a ton of time off of his trips.

[Stephen]

And whenever he says let's bounce, he.

[Hayden]

Literally means let's literally bounce.

[Stephen]

Literally bounce.

[Hayden]

Finally, Ven makes it to Luthadel, hot on Kel's tale. And as she starts to lose him among the many buildings of the of the city, someone grabs her shoulder and it's Kelsier. As the two start chatting, we get the much expected hey, you can't follow me from Kelsier. But we also learn that Elend is not an allomancer, so that throws your theory right out the window, Steven. So as I said, Elland is not an owlmancer. He's just your normal run of the mill nobleman. Kelsier and Vin get in an exchange about trust and why Kelsier is off going to places in secret. Ven's argument is all about trust. If Kel trusted her, he'd tell her where he's going. But Kelsier's claim is that he doesn't want the crew to worry, especially since some missions are more dangerous than others, particularly the one he plans tonight. He is going to sneak into the Lord Ruler's palace and Ven wants to go. So after some convincing from Ven, Kelsier decides to let her join him and hands her a small bead of metal. It's Atium, the 10th and most powerful known allomantic metal. Kel instructs Ven to burn it as he starts walking forward. Kelsier seemed to fuzz slightly to her eyes. Then a translucent wraith like image shot out into the mists in front of him. The image looked exactly like Kelsior, and it walked a few steps in front of him. A very faint trailing afterimage extended from the duplicate back to Kelsior himself. It was like a reverse shadow. The duplicate did everything Kelsier did, except the image moved. First it turned and then Kelsier followed its same path. The image's mouth began moving. A second later, Kelsier spoke. Adium lets you see a bit into the future. Or at least it lets you see what people are going to do a little bit in the future. In addition, it enhances your mind, allowing you to deal with the new information, allowing you to react more quickly and collectively. The shadow stopped. Then Kelsier walked up to it, stopping as well. Suddenly the shadow reached out and slapped her and Vin moved reflexively, putting her hand up. Just as Kelsier's real hand began to move, she caught his arm mid swing. While you're burning Adium, he said, nothing can surprise you. You can swing a dagger knowing confidently that your enemies will run right into it. You can dodge attacks with ease because you'll be able to see where every blow will fall. Adium makes you quite nearly invincible. It enhances your mind, making you able to make use of all the new information.

[Stephen]

First of all, it gives you like Peter Pan abilities where your shadow comes to life and can live a life of its own. Basically, it's more of like what you're doing in the future, but it's still like another you kind of a thing.

[Hayden]

Yeah, I kind of envision it as like if you ever see like a montage in a movie where, like, people are like, like it's like the after image of people like going in like super fast speed and so you can see like a split second into the future. So you're literally going to see like clones of the person that you're fighting. And that will tell you that would.

[Stephen]

Just throw me off even more. Who am I looking at?

[Hayden]

But you're thinking of that through Steven's mind. With Adium, it enhances your mind and allows you to react to that new information.

[Stephen]

I get the big bucks, Hayden. Gotta think also like this. I can't stress this enough. This magic system, there's nothing baked into the cake in this book. Like, you don't a lot of other books just take things for granted, like, oh, we're gonna use just general magic. He's building all of this from the ground up. I have never heard anything like this before.

[Hayden]

No, exactly. And this is the difference between a hard magic system and a soft magic system.

[Stephen]

Erect versus a flesh. Yeah, this is an erect magic system right here.

[Hayden]

Sanderson's magic systems are all very, very hard. A hard magic system is one that has very set rules and are explicitly explained to you. Whereas soft magic, something like Lord of the Rings, like when you see Gandalf using magic, it's just. Just magic. Whenever you read a Sanderson book, expect to be dealing with some very hard magic.

[Stephen]

Boner magic.

[Hayden]

I'll be really interested to see if that makes the final cut. Next, dozens of images of Kelsier shoot from his body, all springing in different directions. That's because Kelsior himself starts burning adium. If two Mistborn both use adium at the same time, it becomes impossible for either to get the advantage because there begins to be far too Many possible movements to calculate.

[Stephen]

Sounds like a stalemate basically.

[Hayden]

Exactly. Yeah. So let's say you and I are fighting, right? I start burning adium. I see your one shadow coming out and telling me what's going to happen next. But then you start burning adium yourself. All of a sudden, before my very eyes, multiple shadows are going to start moving around because. Because your brain is now enhanced, you are starting to see the possibilities. It's like a never ending mirror, essentially. And with that, it's time for Kelsier and Ven to sneak into the Lord Ruler's palace. Kelsier says, quote, I don't intend to meet the Lord Ruler, but I do intend to sneak into his stronghold. I think I know where we might find a clue on how to defeat him. Can you please read us the epigraph for chapter 14? This is like elementary school, where your. Where your professor calls on you to read.

[Stephen]

Yeah, that was my least favorite part about school. I'd always like my voice be like, yeah, yeah, sure. Perhaps it is due to the pressure of knowing that I must somehow bear the burden of an entire world. Perhaps it is caused by the death I have seen, the friends I have lost, the friends I have been forced to kill. Either way, I sometimes see shadows following me. Dark creatures that I don't understand, nor wish to understand. Are they perhaps some figment of my over text mind? Okay, is this somebody trying ATM at him for the first time? Shadows? He doesn't know what's going on. Yeah, because we just talked about ATM and its effects on people, right? And now we're going into this epilogue.

[Hayden]

This is Sanderson's version of gaslighting us.

[Stephen]

Because this I'm calling this is his BS moment right here. Yeah, Brandon Sanderson person moment. He's pulling some BS right now.

[Hayden]

We are back in Vin's POV then, and Kelsier stand before Kreddick Shaw and Vin notices an oppressive feeling as they approach. Quote, the spikes and towers had a foreboding cast in the damp, misty night, like the ash blackened bones of a long, weathered carcass. Looking at them, Vin thought she felt something. A depression, as if simply being close to the building was enough to suck away her hope. We will learn that this is actually the Lord Ruler's emotional allomancy at work to placate all those who enter his home.

[Stephen]

That's like a. Yeah, it's like a shield or whatever.

[Hayden]

We have seen Vin use emotional allomancy on one person. We've seen Breeze use it on multiple people instead. The Lord Ruler is using allomancy on an entire palace. So that gives you an idea of just how powerful this guy is.

[Stephen]

Yeah, I had the theory in the beginning that he's not powerful. He's just like the guy behind the curtain. Not really able to do much, but that has kind of been blown holes in.

[Hayden]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. At this point, it's. Yeah. So anyways, their target is a room within the center of one of the far right spires. And this is a room that Kelsier has some harsh memories of. You see, this is the very room that Kelsier was trying to sneak into on the night he got caught and sent to the Pits of Hathsin. Quote, that's what we're going to find out. Once every three days, and today isn't one of them, The Lord Ruler visits this chamber. He stays for three hours, then leaves. I tried to get in once before. Three years ago. @ the time, we thought the Lord rulers stored riches in the room. I don't think that's true now. But I'm still curious. The way his visits are so regular is so odd. Something's in that room then. Something important. Maybe it holds a secret to his power and immortality.

[Stephen]

It's like a rose. Like the Beast. You know what I mean?

[Hayden]

Yeah, Rose or the Bachelor.

[Stephen]

That's not what I was going. The Bachelor doesn't have power from the rose, does it? Maybe it does.

[Hayden]

No, the rose gives him all the power. Rose is what keeps him in a power dynamic with all the women that come to the villa anyways. We then come to find out that the last time Kel tried to break in, there were Inquisitors there waiting for him. So someone must have tipped them off as the two make their way to their destination, then notices that there's no outer wall protecting the palace. And she thinks to herself, of course they don't. Who would dare attack the Lord Ruler? This just adds to the mystique of the Lord Ruler and his power. He is supposedly so powerful that usual methods of defense are simply not needed.

[Stephen]

I mean, and everybody in his palace is under the imperious curse also. So.

[Hayden]

Yeah, literally. And it's not long before they start running into guards. So in usual Kelsier fashion, he starts killing all of them, even using a candelabra in a very creative way to take some of them down.

[Stephen]

You know what's funny? This is how my mind work works. Whenever I kept reading candelabra, I was thinking chupacabra. Those are not the same thing at all. But I was just envisioning beating with.

[Hayden]

Chupacabras and the Latino folklore, the chupacabra.

[Stephen]

Yeah. Welcome to my brain.

[Hayden]

That's amazing. But this is a big moment for our girl Vin. This is her first real action with fighting with her. Allomancy. Quote. A soldier turned toward Vin, and she reacted without thinking. She burned steel and threw out a handful of coins. She pushed, and the missiles shot forward, tearing through the guard's flesh and dropping him. She burned iron. Pulling the coins back to her hand, she turned with a bloodied fist, spraying the room with metal. Dropping three soldiers, Kelsier felled the last with his impromptu staff. This is Van's first time killing another human. Before, it had always been up to rean.

[Stephen]

Yeah, this is a good part of the story where she starts really progressing in her abilities. I always like when. When the main character who's coming into their own starts really just becoming a badass. And I feel like this is her moment right now.

[Hayden]

Oh, for sure. And I. I mean, I think this is an honest portrayal of someone who. How someone might experience killing someone for their first.

[Stephen]

Yeah, yeah. I can't imagine. Can you imagine killing someone?

[Hayden]

She doesn' have time to truly react to the feeling of what it's like to kill someone. She has to just keep going. And, you know, I think sometimes in media, it's portrayed as someone kills someone, they're like, oh, my God, what have I done? But in all actuality, if there's still things you need to get done, you're still just. You're going to keep moving along.

[Stephen]

Yeah. Therapy later, killing now.

[Hayden]

Yeah, exactly. I cannot imagine the copay for the Luthadel healthcare system.

[Stephen]

Like, how practical you're being right now. What is the copay?

[Hayden]

After the room is cleared, Vin is understandably shaken by the experience, so she kind of saved her reaction until later. Kelsier lays a hand on her shoulder and says, quote, these were evil men. Vin, he said, every Scar knows in his heart that it is the greatest of crimes to take up arms in defense of the final empire.

[Stephen]

Well, are they, though? Because they're under this. They're being emotionally manipulated by the lord ruler.

[Hayden]

I think that's a very fair point. And also I don't appreciate this moment from Kelsier because he doesn't know what someone's situation is. Some people are forced to make a decision that might not feel great on the inside in the interest of taking care of themselves or their family. Like, we see this all the time in the real world. So Kelsier is Thinking very black and white.

[Stephen]

Here he is. And he. The same stipulations can be placed on him for the actions he's taking.

[Hayden]

Oh, absolutely. The pair finally make it to their destination. And it's an odd little area. Quote, six braziers burned with open flames at the corners of the large dome roofed chamber. In contrast to the simple corridors, this room was covered with silver inlaid murals. Each obviously represented the Lord ruler. They were like the windows she had seen earlier, except less abstract. She saw a mountain, a large cavern, a pool of light, and something very dark. Kelsier strode forward and Vin turned. The center of the room was dominated by a small structure, a building within the building. Building ception. Ornate with carved stone and flowing patterns. The single story building stood reverently before them. All in all, the quiet, empty chamber gave then a strange feeling of solemnity. So Kelsey reaches for the door. And on the other side is an inquisitor.

[Stephen]

Just like last creepy that would be though. You're not waiting, you're not ready to see. And it's got things in it. It's just a scary looking thing. And all of a sudden it's like a human. It's a demon, basically.

[Hayden]

It's like Jason from Halloween.

[Stephen]

Yeah, but a little worse.

[Hayden]

And as Kelsier tells Vin to run, two other inquisitors reveal themselves on both sides. They are royally. Kelsier is lifted by his throat by the nearest inquisitor. And it tells Vin that he'll kill Kelsier quickly if only she'll tell him who her noble parent that sired her is. But Kelsier always has a trick up his sleeve. He takes his knife and lodges it in the inquisitor's neck and breaks the bone of the arm that's holding it. Him. Now released, he launches his coin pouch at Ven, sending her flying closer to the exit. And with that, Vin books it, trying to escape. What happens next is a wild chase as the inquisitor pursues her. And remember, no one, not even Kelsier, is supposed to be as powerful as an inquisitor.

[Stephen]

So can these things die? That's the thing, I don't know that we've seen one die.

[Hayden]

We're unsure, honestly. The rumor is that they're immortal. Okay, but nobody is really sure, right? So in a fight, Ven is toast. As Ven is trying to escape, she runs through one of the arched doorways and finds herself in a small room with an altar. The inquisitor pulls some small metal triangles out of a bowl and pushes them Towards Ven. I mean these. At this point, these are basically bullets coming at her. She ducks. But these things would be trouble if they hit her in her frantic state. She looks to the altar in the room and finds a leather book. This is perfect for her to use to block the triangle being shot at her. And even better, she remembers that she has adium, so she burns it. But dammit, the Inquisitor has some too, because as she burns it, hundreds of shadow images shoot from his body. Adyem will be of no help here. And as if things couldn't get worse, a squad of troops show up waiting on the other side for her. But these poor bastards don't have adium. So Vin is able to duck and weave through them like she's a professional tag player. But wait, there's more. Right as she turns the corner, another inquisitor is waiting for her and he stabs her in her lower side with his patented axe like weapon. As Ven's senses start to dull from blood loss and pain, she realizes that the exit is just a short distance away. She stumbles through, feeling the rain and mist against her skin. But of course, the Inquisitors follow. Ven uses iron to pull on one of the many spires of the palace to get distance from the Inquisitors. Inquisitors then jumps from spire to spire, narrowly avoiding the inquisitors each time. And I think it's appropriate for me to read the last few lines of this chapter, line by line. She was too weak to move, too weak to do more than shiver in the puddle of water, clothing plastered to her skin. The Inquisitor turned toward her. Such a small, troubling thing you are, he said. He stepped forward, but Vin could barely hear his words. It was growing dark again. No, it was just her mind. Her vision grew dark, her eyes closing. Her wound didn't hurt anymore. She couldn't even think. A sound like shattering branches. Then arms gripped her. Warm arms. Not the arms of death. She forced her eyes open. Kelsier, she whispered. But it wasn't Kelsier's face that looked back at her, streaked with concern. It was a different, kinder face. She sighed in relief, drifting away as the strong arms pulled her close, making her oddly safe in the terrible storms of the night.

[Stephen]

You know who I thought that was? Initially, before I figured it out, I thought it was the book boyfriend guy.

[Hayden]

From earlier in the Ellen and his strong arms.

[Stephen]

That would have been a nice little plot twist, but I was not right.

[Hayden]

I love the way you're Thinking, Stephen.

[Stephen]

I'm gonna keep thinking that way, I guess.

[Hayden]

Could you please read us the epigraph for chapter 15?

[Stephen]

I don't know why Kwan betrayed me. Even still, this event haunts my thoughts. He was the one who discovered me. He was the terrorist philosopher who first called me the hero of ages. It seems ironically surreal that now, after his long struggle to convince his colleagues, he is the only major terrorist holy man to preach against my reign.

[Hayden]

We are back in Kelsier's pov. And Kelsier has escaped and made it back to clubs shop. And he is angry. Do you like my baby voice, Steven?

[Stephen]

I'm Jess.

[Hayden]

You're like, if I just say yes, he'll move on.

[Stephen]

No, it's good. It was. It was nice baby voice. It was some of the best baby voice I've ever heard, actually.

[Hayden]

He is feeling a mixture of anger and self loathing at himself for allowing Vin to come with him. There's a little moment that happens here as the crew are like, what the hell were you thinking? Dachshund says by the lord ruler, Kelsier. This is just a throwaway line by Dachshund, but it hits Kelsier hard. If even his closest confidant swears by the lord Ruler, if everyone speaks of him as if he's a God, how can they be this?

[Stephen]

You know what? Maybe this goes into the thing I'm going to say at the end. Okay. But I feel like there may be a relationship. Not a relationship like a relation to the lord Ruler. Like a sibling rivalry type thing. I don't know.

[Hayden]

Between Kelsier and the lord Ruler.

[Stephen]

Yeah. Yeah. There's some sort of something going on because he. There's a different type of hatred that he has or different type of. I don't know. He feels a certain way about the lord Ruler that most people don't feel.

[Hayden]

Right, Right. And he seems to feel some kind of responsibility to be the one to finally end all of this.

[Stephen]

I mean, he was in the pits. Right?

[Hayden]

Right. And remember that his wife died because of that.

[Stephen]

So maybe it's just that aspect then, rather than some sort of relationship. A relationship? No.

[Hayden]

But I think it's important what you're touching on, that everybody has been affected in a negative way by the Lord Ruler. But Kelsier has this hero complex that is making him want to pursue this in a way that not really anyone else is. All these feelings going around. And on top of all that, as Kelsier knows, Vin, the only other Mistborn on their side, is supposedly dead. So they also lost one of their best assets to the crew tonight, if he's correct. But Lesser Born comes rushing in and delivers some news with the eloquence of Shakespeare himself. Someone's coming out the night with the calling, and the crew thinks, this is it.

[Stephen]

Where art thou, Romeo?

[Hayden]

They think that the inquisitors have found them. But the door slams open and in comes none other than my baby boy. Say it.

[Stephen]

Here we go again, talking about the Lord.

[Hayden]

For once in his life, Sayzed is not talking about religion. And even more importantly, he has. Then I need to pause because I just realized something. You know how we keep comparing then to Mia Thermopolis? That means that Sazed is her Joe.

[Stephen]

The. The gut.

[Hayden]

Yeah, the guy who rides the. The. What is that called? The limo.

[Stephen]

Yeah. He's like a butler.

[Hayden]

Yes, he's like the wise butler.

[Stephen]

There's always like a fun. Like these 90s movies, early 2000. There's always like a good butler. Like. You ever seen the Parent Trap? The good butler in that movie. That's a good movie. I like that butler. There's a butler in Mr. Deeds. He's cool.

[Hayden]

So I have a story about the Parent Trap. So what's the name of the. She's not a maid. She's the one who, like.

[Stephen]

Oh. Jessie.

[Hayden]

Jesse. Jesse was my sexual awakening as a child.

[Stephen]

That was it.

[Hayden]

Her and her like her denim button downs and everything.

[Stephen]

Man, we found your type.

[Hayden]

I'm in love with her. But there's no time for celebrating because Vin is cooked. Her skin is clammy and pale, and it's clear that she is not in good shape. However, Vin is lucky because she is in the hands of the goat himself. Turns out as a keeper, Sazed is very skilled as a surgeon. After pouring some liquid pewter down Vin's throat to replenish her strength, Sazed goes to work stitching her back together and finally placing a bandage on her wound. What's interesting about this is that we learned that allomancers can subconsciously burn metals. Meaning as long as Vin has a reserve pewter, it can help keep her strength up even if she's unconscious. And with that, Sayzed asks Ham to take Vin to her bed. Okay.

[Stephen]

Old freaking pork meat. I don't like him. I don't know why I don't like him. Ham should. I like Ham? Are you gonna tell me at least this, mister?

[Hayden]

I think you should. Yeah. I don't understand why you have this vendetta against him.

[Stephen]

I don't know either. It's just maybe I don't like Ham. I mean, I have something wrong with.

[Hayden]

Him, and his name is hilarious. I don't understand what the problem is. Problem is here.

[Stephen]

Fine. He'll be a loving pork meat from now on then.

[Hayden]

Okay.

[Stephen]

I love pork meat. He's a great character.

[Hayden]

Okay, now that all the excitement is over, how the did Sayzed save then Magic after a fashion. Well, Saza tells Kelsier that he noticed Vin was out of bed in Mansion Renau and immediately hurried to Luthadel as soon as he could. He also mentions quote, I used up an entire metal mind to make the trip with haste. I was still too late.

[Stephen]

Okay, metal mind? What the hell does that mean?

[Hayden]

This is another one of those situations where Sanderson has mentioned something that he has not yet explained. It's not that I'm not explaining it, it's that the author literally has not explained.

[Stephen]

Okay, so I'm not supposed to know what this is?

[Hayden]

I am not at liberty to say.

[Stephen]

Here we go.

[Hayden]

In fact, it was in my next. My next line.

[Stephen]

Oh, then please speak now.

[Hayden]

We don't quite know what a metal mind is to this point, but I should have waited. I'm sorry. As we move along, we will learn that there is much, much more to say, Zed than meets the eye. What's interesting here, we have learned that these metal minds, quote, unquote, allowed Sazed to get to Luthadel much faster than a normal human being. And two, we also know that he was able to incapacitate a steel Inquisitor in some way. So these powers that he receives, they allow him to do multiple different kinds of things.

[Stephen]

So he's not a Mistborn?

[Hayden]

No.

[Stephen]

He's not a Misling?

[Hayden]

No.

[Stephen]

He's a metal mind. Or he has a metal mind. He knows.

[Hayden]

I. I will clear this up for you. This one thing I will clear out for you, should you. Metal mind is a thing.

[Stephen]

A thing.

[Hayden]

A thing that somebody has. Yeah, yeah. So like, as opposed to like a Mistborn is a person, and metal mind is an actual thing that you have. And by the way, do you remember the book that Vin used to block the Inquisitor's metal attacks? Well, Sayzed brought it with him.

[Stephen]

Was it a Bible? Sayzed?

[Hayden]

No wonder he prioritized getting it back.

[Stephen]

Right?

[Hayden]

And interestingly, it's written in Kaleni, the language of Kilnium, which you'll remember, has been mentioned in the chapter seven epigraph. You see, Colenium is the ancient pre ascension homeland of the Lord Ruler. So while tonight was a total disaster. This book means there's a chance it wasn't entirely for nothing. As Sazed leaves to get some rest, we get our first real sign of vulnerability from Kelsier. Turns out he's not as steadfast in the plan as he projects. I've avoided talking about the Lord Ruler to the others, kelsier said, but I'm worried. The plan is good, but I have this terrible, haunting feeling that we'll never succeed as long as he's alive. We can take his money, we can take his armies, we can trick him out of the city. But I still worry that we won't be able to stop him. Dachshund frowned. You're serious about this Eleventh Metal business, then? Kelsier nodded. I searched for two years to find a way to kill him. Men have tried everything. He ignores normal wounds, and decapitation only annoys him. A group of soldiers burned down his inn during one of the early wars. The Lord Ruler walked out as barely more than a skeleton. Healed in a matter of seconds.

[Stephen]

That part I was like, okay, if this is true, I've I like this character now, and I want to know more about him. Even though he's the evil guy, I'm a sucker for a good evil guy.

[Hayden]

Yeah, and you're like, what even is this? Like, what's his deal? Like, to our knowledge.

[Stephen]

Deal?

[Hayden]

Man, we know that Almancy can allow you to do plenty of things, but to regenerate your entire skin? Yeah, like that is crazy. Anyways, moving on with the quote. Only the stories of the 11th metal offered any hope, but I can't make it work. That's why I had to go back to the palace. The Lord Ruler's hiding something in that room. I can feel it. I can't help but thinking that if we knew what it was, we'd be able to stop him. Wow.

[Stephen]

Because we mentioned kilinium earlier, and I have the chapter seven epigraph pulled up if you want me to read it.

[Hayden]

Please.

[Stephen]

I'll read the second half where it talks about it says, yet it amazes me that anyone would give heed to a man who speaks such hatred. He has never seen Kilnium, yet he curses the city. He does not know me, yet I can already see the anger and hostility in his eyes. So it doesn't really give you an explanation of Colinium, but that is the first mention of it in chapter seven epigraph.

[Hayden]

Interesting. So whoever is is the person speaking in these epigraphs, we can assume is someone either from Colinium or likes Colinium, likes it as a city because he's talking about this other person, looks at him and he sees the hatred in their eyes. So there's potential that this could actually be the Lord Ruler speaking from the horse's mouth, from the doctor, from the mouths of babes.

[Stephen]

Are you say that that's a Bible quote, I think. Are you religifying me right now?

[Hayden]

I just come on to the next episode. Like my head completely Shakespeare.

[Stephen]

Oh, no.

[Hayden]

Oh, wow. That was a short but packed chapter. Stephen, I. I don't know about you, but when I first read this book, this chapter stood out to me among the others. To this point. This is where the stakes are raised, the intrigue is ramped up, and our quote, hero Kelsier's weakness is shown in a way we have yet to see before.

[Stephen]

Yeah, this is the part of the book, at least in my head, where things begin to pick up. We've had the first 15 chapters of world building and character building and all that. That was all necessary. Somewhat slow, but necessary. And now I feel like we're going to get into like the main part of the story that. Where things start shifting and changing.

[Hayden]

And with that, we'll pick back up next week. Stephen, it is time. We must bestow the winner and loser of the week awards to some of our favorite and least favorite characters. Would you like to go first?

[Stephen]

Sure. Okay. I'm gonna give you this. I feel pressured, but also I chose this. Okay. I'm gonna say the winner is sayzed or Sazed. Okay. It's him. Simply because I didn't know he had these abilities and I still don't know what they are. But he's more of an interesting character to me now. Plus, he saved Vin and I think that's not a small thing. He seems like a good character. I'll give him the win. I also would like to give a close second to our new book boyfriend. Oh, Ellen.

[Narrator/Advertiser]

Yeah.

[Stephen]

Because I find him fascinating and I want to know more about him.

[Hayden]

Okay, cool.

[Stephen]

So in my. He's a winner in my heart.

[Hayden]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. An honorable mention.

[Stephen]

Honorable mention. The loser, I'm gonna say is the first guy that been rejected at the ball. Cuz that is just like the lowest of the low. Because the second guy being rejected is like. Okay, well, the first guy was rejected. That's. That's. That makes sense. Third guy. Even better. The first guy. Just nothing. Oh, I came over here to talk to you and you rejected me.

[Hayden]

Dude.

[Stephen]

I know what that feels like.

[Hayden]

This guy Is probably like. He probably is. Like, if he was living now, today, he would be like an app developer in Silicon Valley or something.

[Stephen]

He'd be making billions.

[Hayden]

And he walks up to this country bumpkin who's at her first ball and she rejects him. That is an excellent poll for a loser. Yeah, I love that. That was amazing. Okay, I'm going to give out my winner and loser of the week. Stephen, I. I'm sorry, I. I can't. I can't give it to anybody else. But says, you gave it to him.

[Stephen]

All, all three weeks, didn't you?

[Hayden]

No, I gave it to him the past two.

[Stephen]

Oh, yeah, you gave Kelsey the first week.

[Hayden]

And I'm a man of my word too. I'm consistent because I gave Cayman loser of the week the past two times. But in fairness, I didn't want to give loser of the week to Cayman after he dies.

[Stephen]

You didn't make a rule that anytime.

[Hayden]

He'S mentioned now, I did, but I don't want to speak ill of the dead. And so I, I let it. I let it be. But as you said, he saved then and performed surgery on her. He is like a. The McSteemy of Mr.

[Stephen]

He's. Yeah, that's a good way of putting. Yeah, exactly.

[Hayden]

I also love how his character is being used as a plot point right now because the intrigue around his powers is so mysterious and it really propels the reader forward because we have so little information about it. It moves you forward, forward.

[Stephen]

I love vague characters that are unraveled very slowly throughout the book and it's just more intriguing and it makes for a good story.

[Hayden]

Absolutely.

[Stephen]

I don't want to know all about the character in the beginning because then you have nothing to really.

[Hayden]

Of course, of course.

[Stephen]

Gets too predictable.

[Hayden]

And now my loser, Kelsier. I think this goes without saying. Complete recklessness. Not only going into the palace, but also bringing then with him. He had this whole thing about like, I'm going to let you go because I know if I tell you, you know, you're just going to sneak in behind me. That is not an excuse. Like you have to find a reason, a way to keep her from following you.

[Stephen]

Yeah, that's a good point. He didn't tell anybody else he was going there because he was worried about the crew. And then he takes the 16 year old.

[Hayden]

Yeah, it's ridiculous.

[Stephen]

Yeah. We're seeing some vulnerability and some, some holes in his thinking. He's not this shiny new thing anymore.

[Hayden]

Yeah.

[Stephen]

Which I also like to see flaws in my characters.

[Hayden]

Oh, I 100% agree. It would be so much more boring if Kelsier was perfect.

[Stephen]

Oh, yeah, that's not a good story.

[Hayden]

Yeah, absolutely. And I mean, Sanderson is asking the audience. It's like, how. How gray can somebody be? And you still root for them as your hero. So, Stephen, now is my favorite time of the episode. It is time for you to reach into your foggy, foggy crystal ball and tell me what you think is going to happen next in our story.

[Stephen]

Okay. So book boyfriend Ellend is gonna play a key role, I think. My thought is that Vin is going to try to sneak away from the crew, particularly Kelsier, to try to meet with him at least once.

[Hayden]

Okay.

[Stephen]

Because he's already. She's already been told, don't meet with him.

[Hayden]

Okay.

[Stephen]

And I feel like she's gonna feel like she has to sneak away. I don't think Kelsier is going to. I think he's gonna probably know she's doing that without her knowing that he knows.

[Hayden]

Yeah.

[Stephen]

And so he'll probably spy on her, but I think that's gonna happen. She'll find a way to try to sneak away and meet with this dude. I also feel like maybe he has. We could go one of two ways with this character. He can either be working for the Lord Ruler undercover. I feel like that's too simple and too lame for this book.

[Hayden]

Yeah.

[Stephen]

He may be doing his own thing for different reasons, but somehow come with them at the end to work together to try to defeat the Lord Ruler. But he's got his own motives. Right now. I don't know really know where to go with this guy. I know I'm intrigued by him, and I feel like Vin is going to try to do all she can to get to him somehow. Also put this down. But now I think I'm going to change it. Kelsier is somehow, maybe if not related to the Lord Ruler, he knows him from the past somehow. Maybe.

[Hayden]

Okay.

[Stephen]

There's got some sort of bloodline going on here.

[Hayden]

Okay.

[Stephen]

Maybe. Also, I think Vin is going to have this Frodo experience where she has this long lasting side effect from the creepy dude stab.

[Hayden]

And so the end of the final book is going to be her going on the ship to the with grand.

[Stephen]

And he's in the book Gandalf.

[Hayden]

Spoiler alert, by the way, what kind.

[Stephen]

Of cameo is this, buddy? No, not necessarily that, but she's gonna walk with a limp or something. Or maybe she has a new magical power or depending on what this. Do we know anything about what? These daggers or swords are made of.

[Hayden]

That that the inquisitors have? Yeah, I think it's. They're just kind of like the non descript, like standard glass daggers that.

[Stephen]

So they're not enchanted?

[Hayden]

No, not to our knowledge.

[Stephen]

So that's. With that.

[Hayden]

Okay.

[Stephen]

Something is wrong with her. Forever now. Also, I feel like there's going to come a time soon where she gets entranced by the emotional thing that the Lord ruler is putting out in his palace and she starts doing his work somehow. And then the last one, I don't know why this was just so off the wall. I feel like it's gonna happen. Somebody that we know is gonna lose a leg. What? I don't know. I was feeling it as I was finishing the last chapter. Like, you know what this book feels like? Somebody's gonna lose a leg. It may be because I watched how to Train youn Dragon yesterday and he loses a leg at the end of it. Maybe that's it. Maybe it's just me, you know, prophesying the future of this book.

[Hayden]

Okay, so let me get this straight.

[Stephen]

Yes.

[Hayden]

Among all the theories that you have and all the. The speculation that has been going through your head, the thing that shot out among all the others was. You know what? This story is ripe for someone losing a leg.

[Stephen]

Right? No, it's not that flowery. It's just maybe, you know, I got a feeling maybe I'm riding on like onyx or fourth wing or something because somebody loses a leg in that book.

[Hayden]

Okay, all right.

[Stephen]

I don't know. Leg is just A finger is nothing. A finger is like Boondock Saints. Homeboy gets his fingers.

[Hayden]

Wait, a leg is nothing or a finger is nothing?

[Stephen]

A finger is nothing. A leg is something that will make a story change.

[Hayden]

Say that to somebody who's lost a finger. Finger, Steven. I make up.

[Stephen]

Okay, you're right. But a leg is more. You gotta agree, I lose my. If you get to pick a finger or a leg, I'm going finger every day.

[Hayden]

Yeah, you're right. Yeah, I suppose you're right.

[Stephen]

Yeah. So that's just my wacky throw in. If somebody loses a leg, I am going to.

[Hayden]

If somebody loses a leg, I will. I will.

[Stephen]

You've read the book, though.

[Hayden]

Yeah, I have read the book. Okay. I'm telling you right now, it's wrong.

[Stephen]

It's not gonna happen. You know, I'm gonna throw a wacky one in every freaking time.

[Hayden]

Professor Vague has become professor crystal clear in this one instance. Okay, everybody, that is it for episode three of our deep dive of Mistborn.

[Stephen]

And hey, if you like this, go ahead and check out our interview with Pierce Brown right now on our feed and episode four will be coming out Wednesday, November 19th. Also, please be sure to give us a five star rating and review on your podcast platform and give us a follow on Instagram and TikTok at fantasy fanfellas.

[Hayden]

And lastly, if you loved this episode and you have friends who are official card carrying members of the Sazed Fan club, go ahead and share this episode with them. Okay, see you next episode for chapters 16 through 19 by that did not go over well. Let me go back when I was writing it, it was going to be hilarious and then it didn't. But wait, there's more.

[Stephen]

Excuse me, Hayden Dies.

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