Question about Inquisitor-Vision

[Zath he/him]

Minor spoilers for the Mistborn books past this point.

 

 

So you know how Steel Inquisitors see the world in blue lines like the ones you see when using Allomantic Steel and Iron?  Well, my question is this: 
Does an Inquisitor have to be burning Steel or Iron in order to see this way, or is this just always "on" as a side-effect of having a Hemalurgic eye-spike that grants Allomantic Steel/Iron?

(I actually asked this question in a different thread, before I found the Q&A topic.  I sorta got an answer there...? Not really, though. )

I couldn't find any WoBs about this in the Arcanum.  If there's nothing in canon that answers this either way, then I may just have a new theory for 17S...

[Oversleep]

These two imply it needs Allomancy (besides, without Allomancy it cannot work, so I don't see why would it):

Quote

Brandon Sanderson

By the way, you probably remember form book one the way that Inquisitors see. They have such a subtle touch with Steel and Iron, and their lines, that they can see via the trace metals in everyone's bodies and in the objects around them.

The thing is, any Allomancer with access to iron or steel could learn to do this. Some have figured it out, in the past, but in current times, nobody–at least, nobody the heroes know–is aware of this. Except, of course, for Marsh.

And he chose not to share it.

source

Quote

Brandon Sanderson

Quellion Pleads with "Kelsier"

By the way, Quellion can in fact see Ruin here. When Ruin manifests himself in form, not just in voice, anyone who he's corrupted with a spike can see him with their natural eyes. (Or at least, in the case of Inquisitors, with their Allomancy.) I tried to get this across as best I could, but some readers still had trouble with it.

source

That should be enough.

[The One Who Connects he/him]

2 minutes ago, Zath said:

Does an Inquisitor have to be burning Steel or Iron in order to see this way, or is this just always "on" as a side-effect of having a Hemalurgic eye-spike that grants Allomantic Steel/Iron?

I'm fairly certain that no burn = no lines.

I also remember a WoB about Inquisitors becoming Savants out of necessity, but I can't find it, so take that with a grain of salt.

[Zath he/him]

That "in the case of Inquisitors, with their Allomancy" part of the annotation seems pretty conclusive.  Good find, @Oversleep, thanks!

 

4 hours ago, The One Who Connects said:

I also remember a WoB about Inquisitors becoming Savants out of necessity

That would totally make sense if they're burning Steel and Iron all the time just to see.  

 

4 hours ago, The One Who Connects said:

but I can't find it, so take that with a grain of salt.

I think you mean, "take that with a pinch of copper" 

 

Zath: Hey guys, I think I might have a theory!
The One Who Connects: Uh, Zath, there's kind of a big hole in your "theory".
Zath: N-no there's not... <plugs hole with a wad of chewing gum>
Oversleep: The hole's still there.
<so-called "theory" crumbles>
Zath: Rust it, I'm all out of chewing gum!