Author Topic: reference questions regarding Steel Inquisitors  (Read 2228 times)

Inkthinker

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reference questions regarding Steel Inquisitors
« on: August 30, 2008, 05:12:46 AM »
Hey all, I was doodling a Steel Inquisitor and came up with some questions about their design... and then I thought, "I bet there's some cats on Brandon's board that know this stuff."

It seems easier to pester you guys, anyway, and probably faster than asking the man himself.  ;D

First off, I know there's a set number of nails, and that two are in the eyes, one vertical down the spine at the base of the neck, and one in the heart (or is it just the center of the chest?). How many nails are there in total, and do we know where they're located? Are they all of different sizes, or do the nails stick out as spikes in other places besides the back of the head?

What references are there to what the Inquisitors wear? I seem to recall a mention of black robes... what else have we got? Do they ever carry weapons, like staffs? There's tattoos around the eyes, but is there a reference to what those tattoos look like (cover art doesn't count, since it's generally the case that the cover artist hasn't read the book or spoken with the author, but if there's something visual that's been stated as canon by Brandon, I'll take it).

Let me know what we know about 'em, so I can do a better design that stays true to the books. Any input is welcome, but page references are especially useful cause it'll guide me to where I can look up this stuff myself.

Miyabi

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Re: reference questions regarding Steel Inquisitors
« Reply #1 on: August 30, 2008, 05:31:05 AM »
What I know:

1 - There are 11 spikes, 2 through eyes, 1 lynch pin, and the rest in the chest.

2 - There isn't much description of their robes or their tattoos, just that they're there.

3 - They have obsidian axes.
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Czanos

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Re: reference questions regarding Steel Inquisitors
« Reply #2 on: August 30, 2008, 06:25:54 AM »
At least the spike that goes through the heart protrudes a little from the front of the chest. (Or was it the back? I'll have to read Zane's description again.) As for the tattoos, they're supposedly very intricate, like all ministry tattoos, branching out from the eyes and covering part or most of the forehead. Also, they have one red streak among the black, to designate them as members of the Canton of Inquisition. I think most of the spikes are about the same size, and there are two in the head, one in the spine, and eight in the chest. (Theorized that they're all in different organs, but we have no idea where exactly other than in the chest area.) As for weapons, lengths of wood affixed with obsidian make for their axes. (Though I always imagine the one Kell uses to kill that Inquisitor as a more traditional style battle axe.)

Actual refrences  . . .

Quote from: Mistborn: The Final Empire pg 42
“Stay calm,” Kelsier said, trying to force himself to do the
same. The Inquisitor looked toward them, spiked eyes regarding
Kelsier, before turning in the direction that Camon and the
girl had gone. Like all Inquisitors, he wore intricate eye
tattoos—mostly black, with one stark red line—that marked
him as a high-ranking member of the Canton of Inquisition.

Quote from: Mistborn: The Final Empire pg 253
Vin gasped in pain. There was a sickening sound as the
creature pulled his weapon free of her body; it was a length of
wood affixed with sharp obsidian blades. Vin grasped her
side, stumbling backward, feeling a terrifying amount of
warm blood seeping from the wound.

And there might be some good descriptions in Kell's fight as well, just for general info. Also might be some good ones when Marsh is introduced in Mistborn: The Well of Ascension but I don't get that one back until Monday.
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Inkthinker

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Re: reference questions regarding Steel Inquisitors
« Reply #3 on: August 30, 2008, 08:41:58 AM »
Thanks! Here's what I came up with:

http://inkthinker.deviantart.com/art/Mistborn-Steel-Inquisitor-96465004

Sorry I can't post it in-line, but I'll see what I can do after I get home and can access my server. I'll probably put it into the regular Fan Art thread, though, just to keep things tidy

If anyone else comes up with more details, feel free to post about 'em. I'm sure this isn't the last time I'll want to draw one of these guys.

-EDIT-
posted in the fanart thread. Check it out.
« Last Edit: August 30, 2008, 01:33:50 PM by Inkthinker »

Reaves

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Re: reference questions regarding Steel Inquisitors
« Reply #4 on: August 30, 2008, 02:45:54 PM »
I think Sanderson actually posted some "fan art" he did himself of an inquisitor! In the Art Thread no less! Its no masterpiece but you may want to take a look. Now I'm gonna head over to that very same thread and check out what you did I am already a huge fan of your stuff!
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Inkthinker

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Re: reference questions regarding Steel Inquisitors
« Reply #5 on: August 31, 2008, 12:16:03 AM »
He did? Now I've got to hunt that down...

-EDIT

Found it:

http://www.timewastersguide.com/forum/index.php?topic=5585.150

That's pretty interesting... I had not seen that, and it does provide some insight into exactly what Brandon means when he describes the spikes or nails. He has them protruding slightly further from the sockets than I had imagined. It also gives me a jumping point for the tattoos around the eyes.

Very useful! Thanks for pointing it out!
« Last Edit: August 31, 2008, 12:22:35 AM by Inkthinker »

SarahG

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Re: reference questions regarding Steel Inquisitors
« Reply #6 on: September 02, 2008, 05:54:10 PM »
To be honest, Ink, I like your depiction of Inquisitors better than the author's.  Does that make me a bad fan?  :)

As for placement of the chest spikes, I've always pictured them in two vertical rows, near the center of the body.  The reason for this is that the lynchpin spike connects them to the eye spikes, so I pictured them as touching the lynch spike in the back.  However, this is certainly not canon, and as I think about it, it's probably not even true, because I don't believe the lynchpin spike extends all the way up into the back of the head, to touch the eye spikes.  Anyway, that's the image I have, but I'm guessing it doesn't matter much anyway for illustration.  As Ookla said on the fanart thread, the Inquisitors don't go around bare-chested, because if they did then people would know about their chest spikes.
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Reaves

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Re: reference questions regarding Steel Inquisitors
« Reply #7 on: September 02, 2008, 09:21:14 PM »
for some reason i thought for the longest time the only visible spikes were the eyes and back. I actually thought all the others were completely inside the body!! Geez i feel like an idiot.
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Inkthinker

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Re: reference questions regarding Steel Inquisitors
« Reply #8 on: September 02, 2008, 10:53:10 PM »
To be honest, Ink, I like your depiction of Inquisitors better than the author's.  Does that make me a bad fan?  :)

Yes! Yes it does.

 ;D

No, I kid. Honestly, I want my depiction to be as close to the author's as possible. I enjoy making up elements and adding my own twists, but only within the areas left open to interpretation. If Sanderson describes something specifically, then that's what I should go with.

Quote
As for placement of the chest spikes, I've always pictured them in two vertical rows, near the center of the body.  The reason for this is that the lynchpin spike connects them to the eye spikes, so I pictured them as touching the lynch spike in the back.  However, this is certainly not canon, and as I think about it, it's probably not even true, because I don't believe the lynchpin spike extends all the way up into the back of the head, to touch the eye spikes.  Anyway, that's the image I have, but I'm guessing it doesn't matter much anyway for illustration.  As Ookla said on the fanart thread, the Inquisitors don't go around bare-chested, because if they did then people would know about their chest spikes.

Until someone tells me specifically, I think their location is open to speculation, to a point. I know the linchpin spike goes down at the spine, because Brandon describes it in the book 3 prologue (I think) as being located vertically at the top of the spine.

I'm pretty sure that we'll learn a lot more about Hemalurgy and the Inquisitors in book 3. Or at some point EUOL will step in here and clear it all up for us.

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Re: reference questions regarding Steel Inquisitors
« Reply #9 on: September 03, 2008, 12:26:36 AM »
The books are a textual medium. If you're adapting into a different medium, you have to make adjustments suited to the new medium. Costumes and muscles and whatnot are not as important in text as they are in visuals. If Mistborn were adapted into a graphic novel, Brandon would want it to be visually...well, cool (within what's appropriate for the necessary mood).

Of course, Inkthinker's less-accurate and more-accurate renderings are both quite cool.
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Miyabi

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Re: reference questions regarding Steel Inquisitors
« Reply #10 on: September 03, 2008, 07:21:41 AM »
While on that topic I think Ink could potentially do an amazing job with a graphic novel.  Although I have only seen him draw what could be single cell pages.  Maybe try a page or two of cells for us Ink?
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Inkthinker

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Re: reference questions regarding Steel Inquisitors
« Reply #11 on: September 03, 2008, 10:15:22 AM »
Heh. The thing about comics work is that it's a lot more work. It's like doing 6 or 7 drawings instead of just one, and maybe some of them are simpler drawings, but there's no less of them for all that. And then you do it 16-32 more times (150-200 if you're going for a graphic novel, which Tor almost certainly would).

I enjoy comics a LOT (loyal to my LCS, hit 'em every Wednesday like clockwork, buy way too much manga at the bookstore), and I've wanted to work on them for a long time, but they are a FULL-TIME gig... to do them well, and in a timely fashion, requires nothing less than a solid day of work for every page.
« Last Edit: September 03, 2008, 10:23:56 AM by Inkthinker »