Difference between revisions of "Steel Inquisitor"

{{image|Inquisitor.jpg|Common binding points for creating a Steel Inquisitor|side=leftright|width=250px}}

To create an Inquisitor, metal spikes are inserted at various points in the subject's body by hammering the metal spike through the heart of a [[Misting]] or [[Feruchemist]] into the new Inquisitor; this reduces the loss of power through the Hemalurgic process due to the spike spending a minimal amount of time outside of a body. These spikes, now Hemalurgically charged, tear into and forcibly splice information from the victim to the subject's [[Spiritwebspiritweb]]. This process moves vital organs, allowing the spikes to be inserted practically anywhere without fatally wounding the subject.{{book ref|mb3|41}} The process is not painless for either person involved, as both violent changes to the Spiritwebspiritweb and having metal spikes driven into one's body causes pain. The [[steel]] spikes inserted into eye sockets allow the Inquisitor to navigate via the blue Allomantic lines from the traces of metals in everything. The spikes create a chain in an Inquisitor's body, and there is a central spike or 'linchpin' that acts as a connector to the lower and upper spikes. If this spike is removed, the Inquisitor dies. A linchpin is needed to avoid deadly side effects if four or more spikes are used on an Inquisitor.{{file ref|Hemalurgy table.jpg|Hemalurgy Table}}

Steel Inquisitors were very powerful and - with Feruchemical healing - nearly invincible. Rumors in the skaa underground held that Inquisitors were immortal, that they could see into people's souls, and that they were warriors with no equal.{{book ref|mb1|3}} However, removing spikes from an Inquisitor could effectively kill himthem, most notably the linchpin spike located between the shoulder blades. This was a weakness built into them by The Lord Ruler. Similarly, Inquisitors could not survive a beheading. Removing one eye spike is not enough to kill most Inquisitors. Inquisitors also require much more rest and sleep than a normal human would, which may be related to the burden placed upon their souls by the nature of their transformations.{{book ref|mb7|part=ars}}

Another major weakness in Inquisitors came from the Hemalurgic spikes, though this was not a problem before Ruin was released. Any spike in a person allows for influence to be more easily pushed on himthem via the tears in histheir Spiritwebspiritweb. These tears allow certain Allomancers to control a Hemalurgic construct. This weakness is also present in both [[kandra]] and [[koloss]]. This weakness allowed them to be controlled by [[Ruin]] - the more spikes they had, the greater the weakness was. However, the stronger a creature's will, the more it can resist that influence or even break free from it for a time. Because of their Hemalurgic origins, all Steel Inquisitors were able to hear the voice of Ruin.

{{image|Hemalurgy table.jpg|Possible bind points and abilities for Inquisitors{{file ref|Hemalurgy table.jpg|Hemalurgy Table}}|side=right|widthheight=300px}}

* Steel spikes: Inquisitors had five steel spikes. They had one spike in their back between their shoulder blades, which sealed together all the other spikes. Then they had one spike in each eye and two between the ribs, to give them the four Allomantic Physical Powers (iron, steel, tin, and pewter).{{book ref|mb3|5}} With the spike through their eyes, Inquisitors weren't able to see normally, but they could see via the blue lines that appeared when they burned iron or steel; in fact, it is possible that they didn't need to burn anything to see the lines.{{book ref|mb7|epilogue|4}}

* Bronze spikes: Inquisitors had four bronze spikes between the ribs, to give them the four Allomantic Mental Powers (zinc, brass, copper, and bronze).{{book ref|mb3|5}} The Ministry often made Inquisitors from people who already had the power to reveal Allomancy by burning bronze (either [[Allomancer#Mistborn|Mistborn]] or [[Seeker]]s), so that the spike would enhance that power beyond the normal amount, and allow them to pierce copperclouds.{{epigraph ref|mb3|45}}

* Atium spike: Most Inquisitors were able to see into other people's futures by burning atium.{{book ref|mb1|34}} This would've been gained by an atium spike. It was located in their chest.{{book ref|mb1|Epilogue}} Not all Inquisitors had this spike.

* Gold spike: Most Inquisitors had a gold spike between the ribs to give them the Hybrid Feruchemy ability to store health.{{ref|text=The early editions of the books said Feruchemical healing was granted by pewter spikes,{{epigraph ref|mb3|36}}, even though the hemalurgy table says pewter spikes only give Physical Feruchemical abilities.{{file ref|Hemalurgy table.jpg|Hemalurgy Table}} And the early editions didn't mention the health spike in The Hero of Ages chapter 5.{{book ref|mb3|5}}. Later editions of the books changed that to a gold spike in both places.}} Not all Inquisitors had this ability;{{wob ref|10123}} those who did often spent much of their time resting so as to store up reserves of health.{{epigraph ref|mb3|36}}

Inquisitors are often depicted as ravens in post-Catacendre artwork and are known as the Lord Ruler's wraiths "of whom only deathDeath himself remained."{{book ref|mb6|12}}

* The early editions of the books said Feruchemical healing was granted by pewter spikes,{{epigraph ref|mb3|36}}, even though the Hemalurgic table says pewter spikes only give Physical Feruchemical abilities.{{file ref|Hemalurgy table.jpg|Hemalurgy Table}} The early editions didn't mention the health spike in The Hero of Ages chapter 5.{{book ref|mb3|5}}. Later editions of the books changed that to a gold spike in both places.