Question on Inquisitor Spikes

[Waffles]

Do inquisitors go blind if they run out of steel?

[Quantus he/him]

Or Iron, but yes they arent able to see normally and need to burn to see the lines, it's not a permanent/constant effect.  

Edited April 28, 2021 by Quantus

[GoWibble he/him]

So Marsh mentioned being blinded from the sensory overload (when he was first spiked), and this WoB leads me to believe that Inquisitors can burn their spikes for steelsight if needed

Quote

17th Shard

Can you burn the spikes? Like, Allomantically? For example, could they burn the steel in their head spikes?

Brandon Sanderson

I considered that and I eventually decided that they could, but it would be an excruciating process that would probably knock them unconscious simply by doing it.

17th Shard

Would they be able to tap?

Brandon Sanderson

Would they tap them? They can use them as metalminds, yes.

17th Shard Interview (Oct. 3, 2010)

Kar also mentions that his spikes hurt, which could be this, albeit not quite passing out because of pain.

Edited April 28, 2021 by GoWibble

[Weltall]

If they don't have steel or iron they can't 'see' but if they also have spikes granting powers like A/F-Tin they could do what Spook does in most of Hero of Ages and get around without needing sight. We also know that A-Atium doesn't require eyesight to function so it's possible you could use that or A-Electrum as an additional means of navigation in the absence of steel/iron, possibly F-Chromium too but we don't know enough about that one.

But in general I expect that Inquisitors get very good at regulating their metal use so they don't risk going 'blind' in critical situations.

Edited April 28, 2021 by Weltall

[Kingsdaughter613 she/her]

The Iron/Steel lines are spiritual. My guess would be that having a spike in the eye alters the person so they can see those spiritual lines from the spiked eye. Otherwise there’s no real explanation for why Kelsier can see metal lines in only HALF his vision, with a spike that (presumably) grants Connection to the physical realm.

Note that Kell would see the lines with both eyes if he was burning iron/steel and Wax doesn’t notice the sensation of burning metal.

[Quantus he/him]

On 4/28/2021 at 2:07 PM, Weltall said:

But in general I expect that Inquisitors get very good at regulating their metal use so they don't risk going 'blind' in critical situations.

Agreed.  And given how trace dietary metals were some of Vin's early source, it seems possible that they could burn their "natural" iron reserves in an emergency, at least until anemia sets in.  Sort of a magic/Iron equivalent of a starving person's body eating their own muscle mass.  

[ScadrianTank he/him]

I was under the impression that they didn't need to burn metals to see at all. As @Kingsdaughter613 said, Kelsier only perceives blue lines from the eye with a spike. 

[+Bzhydack he/him]

On 30.04.2021 at 7:21 PM, Quantus said:

Agreed.  And given how trace dietary metals were some of Vin's early source, it seems possible that they could burn their "natural" iron reserves in an emergency, at least until anemia sets in.  Sort of a magic/Iron equivalent of a starving person's body eating their own muscle mass.  

Also, if they have F-Tin, they can store their steel-sight and use if they run out of metal for some reason.

But also I think they don't need metal or need very Small amounts of it to see.