Do Steel Inquistors need to burn metals? *Possible Spoilers*

[darxbane]

That could mean that the Lord Ruler was a shield of sorts.  He could limit Ruin's influence on those he controlled.  Once he died, there was nothing to prevent Ruin from taking over the Inq's.  TLR might not have even known just how dangerous using Hemallurgy could be to him.  Either that, or believed he was powerful enough to prevent it.  He was nothing if not arrogant.

[Comatose]

Ruin definately gained more power when Vin killed the lord ruler: the mists came during the day and started killing, and the Inquisitors lost free will.  Taht however makes me wonder, Zane's apparently been hearing the voice of "God" all his life and Vin's mother heard voices too when the Lord Ruler was still alive.

[Shost]

i think maybe Ruin's influence was weaker when the well itself was weaker. it seemed to gain power as the well did rather than just with the lord ruler's death (though i'm sure it helped that he couldn't take the power for himself). i think Ruin just had limited influence and used it for things like Zane, Vin, and Vin's mother and  possible very subtle manipulations of the inqs (he couldn't be too obvious or the lord ruler would just purge them).

[darxbane]

These are all good points, although I just realized that we have strayed away from the original point of this topic a little bit.  I think we have unearthed more possible evidence that Hemallurgists don't need to burn metals.  If we accept that Alendi used Hemallurgy to secure his power, and Allomancy was not yet known (or forgotten), then Alendi must have used his powers without burning metals, at least not in the same way an Allomancer does it.

[Shost]

hmm...but would his powers have even been similar to an allomancer's? i don't think they would have been but i could be wrong (its not too uncommon). i think inqs are some kind of hybrid between hemallurgy and allomancy and they still have to burn metals. its just difficult to say what exactly a hemallurgist could do if he weren't so dependant upon allomancy like the ones we've seen in the modern era.

[darxbane]

It's all going to be speculation because there is too much we don't yet know.  My logic goes towards balance.  We know that Allomancers have to burn metals to use the power.  This destroys the metal, so more is needed to continue.  Feruchemists must store the power to be used when needed, and so must pay a price as well.  I think someone dying to imbue power to a metal object that is then jammed into you is payment enough.  The Inq's powers are great, and it seems that anyone can become like them.  The most powerful magic has the highest cost.  Push, Pull.  Internal, External.  Again this is speculation.  I could be way off here.

[Shost]

i suppose its possible. i mean the sacrifice could just alloy the inqs to burn the spikes without ever burning them away.

[Comatose]

It also says Inquisitors need to rest often, what does that have to do with things?  Oh, and I am almost done me reread.  I jsut got past the part where Elend meets up with the Terris refugees, and the man says the inquisitors took the bodies of the keepers with them, what could they be planning.  It also says they were leading Koloss, which means they have figured out the secret like Vin did.

[darxbane]

Resting often.........let's just throw this out there.  Maybe that is another side effect of their power.  Maybe instead of burning metals, they use the energy of their own bodies.  So using Hemallurgy is akin to running a marathon.

I think the Inquisitors knew all along how to control the Koloss.  They probably acted as the Lord Ruler's field generals when the Koloss were summoned.

[Comatose]

That would make sense, Hemalrugy being like a Hybrid between Allomancy and Feruchemy.  Think of this.  The Inquisitors store attributes in thier spikes, but must rest to do it, but instead of storing feruchemical attributes, the store Allomantical powers.
 I think the Lord Ruler probably would be able to control all the Koloss at once, he had that massive soothing, remember?

[Comatose]

Or, maybe it's the reverse.  They suck the Allomantical powers out of the metals inside them and into their bodies.  The main downfall of Allomancy is that the burner can't get the power in bursts like the feruchemists can (without duralumin that is)  So that would explain why the Inquisitors are so powerful, they can suck the power out in short burst without Duralumin, and then they need to rest while they wait for their metals to "recharge," just like the Well that's controlling them.  Wow what a brain burst!

Hemaglobin=blood
Metalurgy= metals
Hemalurgy= blood metals

[darxbane]

That is my point exactly.

[Vintage]

If I could add something to this thread... We know that the blood is produced by the marrow in the spine, right (or something like that, me and science we divorced decades ago) ? It's a living thing, too. It does it and that's all. Maybe the Inquisitors need to rest often so the metal could remix with their blood ? A rejuvenation rest, pretty much like feruchemy ? It would not need to use up the spikes they have since it would regenerate itself. That could also explain why, by pulling the eleventh spike out of the spine, the poor thing (sic) dies on the spot since it would disrupt the normal flow balance between blood and metals ?

[darxbane]

That is true, although all bones in the body have marrow.  The pelvis is actually the biggest producer of red blood cells.  I think that the spike severs the spinal cord when implanted.  The spike then becomes a lynch pin.  There's probably more to it than that, but it makes sens to me.

[Comatose]

That's what I think too, but perhaps there is something special about the back spike, after all that's the only spike Zane has isn't it?