History Literature / MistbornSecretHistory

* IntangibleMan: Kelsier is, with a bit of effort, able to pass through structures in the physical realm.

* ExactWords: Kelsier notes that Preservation calls himself ''a'' god, not god. It was his first tip there were things going on far beyond him.

** Also retroactively turns Vin and Elend's deaths sticking into this. When Sazed/Harmony said he couldn't ressurect them in ''The Hero of Ages'', it wasn't because resurrection with an intact body and present soul was beyond him, it was because they'd moved on before he had become Harmony and had the chance.

* ItsPronouncedTropay: InUniverse, when Kelsier has trouble pronouncing something, [[LeaningOnTheFourthWall it is explained to him and the audience]]. The Ire is pronounced I-ree. [[spoiler:Turns out the name is [[{{Literature/Elantris}} the Aon for "Time".]]]]

The story is relatively short, but packed full of yummy ''[[Franchise/TheCosmere Cosmere]]'' geekery, including Hoid's real name (maybe?), the name of another previously-unrevealed Shard of Adonalsium, a brief glimpse into the use of the Cognitive Realm (aka. [[Literature/TheStormlightArchive Shadesmar]]) to travel between worlds, and the fact that there are entire organized societies of Worldhoppers out there, including a group of scavengers with a fortress in the Cognitive Realm.

-->'''Vin:''' How much [of [[MistbornTheOriginalTrilogy it]]] was about [[ThePowerOfFriendship us]]? And how much was about [[NeverBeHurtAgain you]]?\\

'''''WARNING: {{Late Arrival Spoiler}}s abound for Literature/MistbornTheOriginalTrilogy.'''''

Released just after Literature/TheBandsOfMourning, Literature/MistbornSecretHistory is, as the name implies, a ''secret'' {{Franchise/Mistborn}} book. [[WordOfGod According to the author,]] its ''very existence'' is a bit of a spoiler, and in the foreward he begs new readers not to read it if they haven't read Literature/MistbornTheOriginalTrilogy yet, as it completely spoils the major plot points of the trilogy. It also contains a minor spoiler for Literature/TheBandsOfMourning. If you haven't read these books, please don't read this article yet. '''You have been warned.'''

The story is relatively short, but packed full of yummy [[Franchise/TheCosmere Cosmere]] geekery, including Hoid's real name (maybe?), the name of another previously-unrevealed Shard of Adonalsium, a brief glimpse into the use of the Cognitive Realm (aka. [[Literature/TheStormlightArchive Shadesmar]]) to travel between worlds, and the fact that there are entire organized societies of Worldhoppers out there, including a group of scavengers with a fortress in the Cognitive Realm.

* AdmiringTheAbomination: One early sign that Preservation runs on BlueAndOrangeMorality rather than being "the good guy" per se is that he is actually a big fan of [[EvilOverlord the Lord Ruler.]] Sure, [=TLR=] is horribly evil and insane, but as the world's only immortal he's also a thing of beauty to Preservation, who hates nothing so much as when things break down and die.

* AndTheAdventureContinues: In the epilogue, Kelsier still hasn't settled down and has recruited another crew member, setting up events in Literature/BandsOfMourning.

* BatmanGambit: Kelsier plays a two-layered one on Ruin. First he has Spook send a message to Vin, knowing that [[spoiler:Ruin will send Marsh to intercept the messenger to maximize the cruel irony of his brother thwarting his plans]]. Which where the second layer comes in: [[spoiler:the message was intended for Marsh all along, as Kelsier was gambling on his brother having the strength of will and character to break free of Ruin for just one moment when it mattered most to save the world]].

-->'''Vin:''' How much [of [[MistbornTheOriginalTrilogy it]]] was about [[ThePowerOfFriendship us]]? And how much was about [[NeverBeHurtAgain you]]?
-->'''Kelsier:''' [[SincerityMode I don't know]].

* DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu: Kelsier ends up decking [[spoiler: both Ruin and Preservation at different points in the story.]]
* DidYouJustScamCthulhu: Remember when [[spoiler: Marsh killed the messenger carrying Spook's message to Vin, read it, and ended up using the knowledge thereon to rip out Vin's earring at just the right moment]]? Yeah. Turns out Kelsier set that whole thing up behind the scenes, and Ruin fell for it.
** Earlier, Kelsier managed to trick Preservation into revealing that there was a way to avoid being drawn Beyond just yet, and [[spoiler:does something similar with Sazed to confirm that he ''can'' return to life]].
* DimensionalTraveler: Known as ''worldhoppers'' in Literature/TheCosmere. Kelsier meets several in his journey. Kriss and Nazh from the Seventeenth Shard, as well as [[spoiler: a group of Elantrians (and their servants)]] called the Ire. He also runs into Hoid, of course, who lambastes him for destroying the Pits of Hathsin, since that in turn destroyed the easiest dimensional travel point on the planet.
* DontFearTheReaper: Preservation greets the spirits of all who die on Scadrial as they briefly manifest in the Cognitive Realm, comforting them as they pass Beyond.
* EldritchAbomination: Ruin's power manifests as this in the Cognitive Realm. Since he swallows the entire sky, overlaps with BadMoonRising and TotalEclipseOfThePlot.

** At the end of the story, Kelsier is also told that Sazed can bond with Ruin-the-Shard because he's spent the last year learning to embrace its positive qualities: the ability to let go and accept that all things must pass. That means that Ruin-the-character was actually telling the truth about embodying those qualities earlier, and so was not completely without virtues even if they tended to be overshadowed by [[JerkAss his]] [[EvilGloating other]] [[OmnicidalManiac attributes.]]
* FantasticFlora: Plants grow in the cognitive realm anywhere there is water in the physical world for long enough. Kelsier even sees plants growing from a cup of water at one point.

* GuileHero: Kelsier was equal parts this and ActionHero in Literature/MistbornTheFinalEmpire. Now, with no body and no Allomancy, guile is pretty much all he has left.

* ItsPronouncedTropay: In Universe, when Kellsier has trouble pronouncing something and [[LeaningOnTheFourthWall so has it explained to him and the audience]]. The Ire is pronounced I-ree. [[spoiler: Turns out the name is [[{{Literature/Elantris}} the Aon for "Time".]]]]

** Hoid is normally unable to hurt people, but [[spoiler: can beat down Kelsier when he tries to stop him since he's already dead. Hoid even notes that he didn't actually hurt Kelsier, Kelsier just [[YourMindMakesItReal thinks he did]]]].

* MagicEater: All cognitive realm entities appear to eat Investiture to a certain extent: even the spirits of objects require it to sustain them when they are far away from their physical counterparts. And it's now confirmed that Elantrians live off of pure investiture, which they drink like a potion. This leads to the somewhat hilarious image of an Elantrian cognitive fortress trailing what looks for all the world like a glowing plug off into the distance: the spirits of the stones making the fortress need the power source to remain strong.

* PoorCommunicationKills: Kelsier learns about Vin's earring early on, but is unable to communicate the knowledge to anyone.
** Also retroactively turns Vin and Elend's deaths sticking into this. When Sazed/Harmony said he couldn't ressurect them in Hero of Ages, it wasn't because resurrection with an intact body and present soul was beyond him, it was because they'd moved on before he had become Harmony and had the chance.
* POVSequel: Essentially recaps the last two books of Literature/MistbornTheOriginalTrilogy from Ghost!Kelsier's perspective.

* SummoningArtifact: The Ire have a device best described as this, a glowing ball of pure connection that will let them attune to Preservation and snatch the shard when the current holder dies. [[spoiler: Kelsier steals it, and uses it himself.]]
* UnfinishedBusiness: Kelsier does everything possible to become a ghost rather than pass on entirely. [[{{Determinator}} It was not easy]]. He had to trick Preservation to even find out it was possible, and then work out how, all within the few minutes he had before he passed on automatically.

* YouWillKnowWhatToDo: When Kelsier gets a vision of possible futures, he's not able to hold all on to of the relevant knowledge. He knows that in order to stop Ruin from destroying the world, he has to [[spoiler: visit the Ire and steal something from the Elantrians]], but no details beyond that.

* {{Deicide}}: Khriss says that [[spoiler:the original sixteen Shardholders worked together to murder Adonalsium. Their reasons varied, from naked lust for power to a simple belief that it was the only option left]]. And, of course, Ruin is slowly killing Preservation over the course of the story.

* GodIsInept: The only qualification needed to be a Shardholder is [[spoiler:being able to kill the previous holder of the position]]. This has absolutely nothing to do with whether or not someone is actually capable of using that kind of power rationally or effectively, and it shows.

** Also retroactively turns Vin and Elend's deaths sticking into this. When Sazed/Harmony said he couldn't ressurect them in Hero of Ages, it wasn't because resurrection with an intact body and present soul was beyond him, it was because they'd moved on before had become Harmony and had the chance.

* That time when Spook heard Kelsier's voice urging him to go on, just after he had pulled the hemalurgic spike out? That really ''was'' the real Kelsier speaking to him. Likewise, that dream he half-remembered when he was waking up from unconsciousness, the one that made him send a message to Vin about Ruin's ability to control people through spikes, was sent by Kelsier.

* WhatTheHellHero: The first thing Kelsier does after realizing he's talking to "God" (Leras as Preservation) is deck him in the face and call him out on standing by and letting the Lord Ruler run rampant. Leras, impressed, just comments that [[RefugeInAudacity nobody had ever punched him after their death befire]].

** Earlier, Kelsier managed to trick Preservation into revealing that there was a way to avoid being drawn Beyond just yet, and [[spoiler: does something similar with Sazed to confirm that he ''can'' return to life]].

** When Kelsier is travelling, he notes that, while he has no Allomancy to boost his travelling speed, he doesn't get tired unless he thinks about how tired he ''should be''.

* ClippedWingAngel: Kelsier is able to take up the power of Preservation to keep Ruin from splintering the Shard, but he can't use it properly. Not only is he weaker because he has no connection to the physical realm, his soul is so tied to Ruin that the Shard actively fights against him. As a result he is barely able to slow Ruin's attempts to destroy the world down.

* NecessaryEvil: Ruin makes the argument that the change, entropy and death he brings is necessary, as without it Preservation would keep the world in eternal stasis, and no one would be able to experience death's release. While he has a point, him wanting to destroy the world is, as Kelsier points out, is going to far.

* SealedEvilInACan: Ruin is sealed in the Well of Ascension, of course. Kelsier ends up sealed in there with him. They don't end up interacting much, but Kelsier is able to spy on some of his attempts to stretch beyond his cage.
** Also discussed and played with. Apparently Ruin actually ''isn't'' actually inside the Well of Ascension in any meaningful sense, and the well has accumulated as a natural process. But the huge amount of power collected there, and the fact that it was released in the first place to imprison Ruin, leaves it with a connection to Ruin that makes it act like a gateway anyway.
* ScrewThisImOutOfHere: When Khriss and Nazh meet Kelsier in the Cognitive Realm and learn what exactly is happening with Ruin and Preservation, they decide to get out of dodge and leave Scadrial.

* WorldOfSilence: Ruin says to Kelsier at one point that Preservation should be happy he's destroying the world, since this trope would be the result, allowing Preservation to have the realm of stasis and stability he desires.

* SummoningArtifact: The Ire have a device best described as this, a glowing ball of pure connection that will let them attune to Preservation and snatch the shard when the current holder dies. [[spoiler: Kelsier steals it, and uses it himself.]]

* GoIntoTheLight: When a person dies on Scadrial, the Cognitive Realm acts like an AfterlifeAntechamber where their soul is greeted by Preservation and resides briefly before being drawn to the Beyond automatically, though those with power, like Metalborn, especially powerful ones, can stay a bit longer, and Slivers could stay forever in theory, Kelsier himself staying by binding himself to the Well, though he is alone in wanting to stay. No one knows what the Beyond is like, even the gods, and they cannot bring someone who goes there back.

* MagicEater: All cognitive realm entities appear to eat Investiture to a certain extent: even the spirits of objects require it to sustain them when they are far away from their physical counterparts. And it's now confirmed that Elantrians live off of pure investiture, which they drink like a potion.
** This leads to the somewhat hilarious image of an Elantrian cognitive fortress trailing what looks for all the world like a glowing plug off into the distance: the spirits of the stones making the fortress need the power source to remain strong.

* UnfinishedBusiness: Kelsier does everything possible to become a ghost rather than pass on entirely.
** {{Determinator}}: It was not easy. He had to trick Preservation to even find out it was possible, and then work out how, all within the few minutes he had before he passed on automatically.