Marsh (Mistborn)

Summary
Marsh, later known as Ironeyes or Death is a half-skaa Seeker from the Final Empire on Scadrial, the brother of Kelsier, a Steel Inquisitor, and later a cultural symbol of death in Post-Catacendre Scadrial.

History
He was born in 980 FE, four years before his younger brother Kelsier, both born to a noble father and skaa mother. Their mother kept them alive by pretending that she was noble so that their children would merely be considered illegitimate noblemen instead of half-breeds. However despite her best methods, he eventually found out, and she was killed. This event instilled a deep hatred for noblemen in the brothers, which would become the driving force in their lives.

Like his brother, he hated injustice from a young age. With Marsh acting as the head of the Skaa Rebellion while Kelsier was off leading his thieving crew.

He, along with Kelsier, was in love with Mare. Although she would eventually go to marry Kelsier. This only worked to further put a wedge between the two brothers.

Eventually Kelsier and Mare were captured during a failed attack on Keredik Shaw, getting them sent away to the Pits of Hathsin. This was the final nail in the coffin for Marsh, and he quit rebellion, believing it to be futile and only got the people he loved killed.

After Kelsier Snapped and went back to rebellion in 1019 FE, Marsh felt determined to finally make a difference, and joined in the fight against the Lord Ruler alongside his brother.

In 1021 FE, he gave himself to join the Steel Ministry in order to help Kelsier's Crew in their rebellion against the Steel Ministry and the Lord Ruler. He quickly began to reveal important Ministry secrets to the rebellion using secret messages and drop sites. It is through him that things such as the Soothing Stations situated around Luthadel slums were discovered.

He was the one who worked to teach Vin how to properly use Allomantic Bronze.

Eventually, Marsh began to feel that he was being watched over by the Ministry, that they had grown suspicious of him.

They set up a meeting at a site he was supposed to inspect for suitability as a soothing station. However, when the crew arrived, they discovered only a headless corpse, butchered by Inquisitors, and assumed Marsh dead. He left a note in a chair leg talking about how he was worried that he was found out.

In truth he was being watched over by the Canton of Inquisition, who desired him for his skills as a Seeker, because Inquisitors who were Seekers had the special ability to pierce Copperclouds. They took him in and recruited him into their numbers, making him into a Steel Inquistior. Despite these, he continued to support the rebellion behind the scenes.

Post-Collapse
Following the downfall of the Final Empire and the beginning of Elend's rule in Luthadel, Marsh led Sazed to the Conventical of Seran, though notably acted quite strangely compared to his former self. This led to the discovery of Kwaan's Inscription, although he stopped Sazed from translating it on the spot, and had him make a rubbing.

Following this, he disappeared.

Following this disappearance, he went about the world massacring many alongside the other Inquisitors, having Ruin's influence began to touch him more and more.

He was found again after the Siege of Luthadel, waiting in Keredik Shaw. Sent by Ruin to distract Sazed and prevent him from warning Vin about giving up the power at the Well of Ascension. This led to the two getting in a fight to the death, with Marsh having the upper hand. He nearly killed the terrisman before he was struck against the head by a dueling cane wielded by a pewter-enhanced Hammond, leaving him unconscious.

War of Ash
After the release of Ruin and the start of the War of Ash, he became an unwilling puppet of Ruin, wreaking destruction across what little of Scadrial was still habitable. In his few short moments of clarity, he attempted to commit suicide, though was never successful in doing so.

During his fight with Vin in Keredik Shaw, he was able to gain a moment of clarity, due to the help of Kelsier, and tear out her hemalurgic earing. This allowed the mists, and the full power of Preservation, to flow into her, allowing her to Ascend and become the Vessel of Preservation.

Shortly following this, Ruin reasserted control and sent him to the Battle of Hathsin. This led him to fight with Elend Venture, and he managed to behead him in his Ruin-controlled rage. This got rid of the last thing that Vin had to live for, leading to her sacrificing her life to destroy Ruin's Vessel and prompt the Catacendre.

Post-Catacendre
After the Catacendre, he became known as the last of the Inquisitors, the personification of Death, and a figure of worship in the religion of Sliverism. In the following centuries, he served as an agent of Harmony, though has been rarely seen by humanity. Keeping himself alive through a mixture of Gold Feruchemy and Atium Compounding.

He is known to have investigated the Southern Continent.

In 342 PC, he gave Waxillium Ladrian a book on Hemalurgy, written by Spook, through Marasi Colms.

Inquisitor
As an Inquisitor he had his mind and personality warped by Hemalurgy and by Ruin's touch.

He became a violent and sadist monster.

However, he remained, deep down, aware of himself and his former sense of human morality. His will was very strong, and he was able to resist Ruin more than anybody else, to the extent that he required more Hemalurgic Spikes than the other Inquisitors in order to be controlled.

Human
He is described as looking much like his brother, with blonde hair, hazel eyes, and a hawk-like face. His gaze was described as quite piercing, which is what earned him the nickname of "Ironeyes".

Inquisitor
As an Inquisitor he is pale and has spikes of various metals across his body. Most notably two large spikes in his eyes, which run through his head and out the back of his skull. Around his eyesockets, he has Steel Ministry tattoos.

His head is shaved bald, and his face is clean shaven.

Kelsier
He is Kelsier's older brother, though the two never truly got along with one another. However, they worked together through a shared hatred of the nobility and desire to overthrow the Steel Ministry.

Marsh resents Kelsier because Kelsier had success with the skaa rebellion soon after Marsh quit being its leader. He also does not approve of Kelsier's very violent methods, killing without a second thought.

Kelsier himself is not fond of Marsh, however, he still loves him. He also was deeply effected when he found evidence that Marsh could be dead.

Vin
He acted as a teacher to Vin, teaching her how to properly use Bronze Allomancy, and teaching her more about Allomancy in general.

Powers and Stats
Name: Marsh, Ironeyes | Ironeyes, Death, The Last Inquisitor

Origin: Mistborn

Gender: Male

Age: 41 | 387

Classification: Human, Half-Skaa, Allomancer, Seeker | Steel Inquisitor, Hemalurgic Construct, Allomancer, Feruchemist, Hemalurgist, Compounder, Personification of Death (Alleged)

Powers and Abilities: Seeker = Extrasensory Perception via Bronze Allomancy (He is able to feel the pulses produced by the use of Allomancy around him) Steel Inquisitor =

Allomancy
Extrasensory Perception via Bronze Allomancy and "Steelsight" (He is able to feel the pulses produced by the use of Allomancy around him, he is also capable of seeing through seeing the blue allomantic lines which can be seen around the world), Superhuman Physical Characteristics and Regeneration via Pewter Allomancy (By using Allomantic Pewter, he is able to greatly enhance his physical strength and stamina, and gains mild regenerative capacity), Metal Manipulation via Steel and Iron Allomancy (By burning Allomantic Steel or Iron he is capable of pushing or pulling on nearby metals), Enhanced Senses via Allomantic Tin (Burning Allomantic Tin allows him to greatly enhance all of his senses to superhuman levels),

Feruchemy
Regeneration via Gold Feruchemy (by Tapping Health he is capable of regenerating from injuries that would otherwise kill him), Age Manipulation and Longevity via Feruchemical Atium (By compounding Atium he is capable of keeping himself young for centuries)

Weakness: None Notable | As a Steel Inquisitor, and therefore a Hemalurgic Construct, he is extremely vulnerable to control by Shards and powerful Allomancers. Those strong enough are capable of what is essentially complete control of his mind and body. He has a linchpin spike located between the shoulder blades, removing this would kill him. This weakness was greatly assuaged after the release of Ruin, where Inquisitors began protecting the linchpin with a metal plate between their shoulderblades.

Scadrian Physiology
As a Scadrian born Post-Ascension, but Pre-Catacendre, he possess a physiology constructed to deal with the constant ashfall, with microbes in his lungs working to break down the ash to prevent things such as irritation, suffocation, cancer, or silicosis, or any of the countless other possible effects.

The lungs are also constructed differently, but not to an extent that they would be unrecognizable as human lungs.

Steel Inquisitor Physiology


As a Steel Inquisitor, he has various aspects to his being and physiology that greatly differ from ordinary beings.

Whilst he has no eyes, with them being pierced through by large spikes, he is still capable of vision, albeit in an altered form. With him able to see via the blue Allomantic lines from the traces of metals in everything. Likely related to the same lines that Steel and Iron Allomancers can see, which fits with the Steel used for the spikes used for the eye sockets.

The spikes in question, despite apparently going through his organs, do not actually do so. With the body shifting around the spikes in order to allow them to survive with them.

He has a linchpin spike located between the shoulder blades, removing this would kill him. This is an intentional weakness built into Inquisitors by the Lord Ruler. This weakness was later removed following the release of Ruin, where they began to wear metal plates stuck between their shoulder blades, covering the spike.

Along with this, following the release of Ruin, his Metal Vision was enhanced greatly. To the extent that he could see the metals contained in blood.

Weakness to Emotional Allomancy
As a Hemalurgic Construct, he is very vulnerable to the effects of Emotional Allomancy, with powerful enough Allomancers, or those enhanced by Duralumin, are capable of taking control of him in mind and body. This is due to the tears in the Spiritweb created by the Spikes, allowing outside influence to more easily break in, and is a weakness also present in the Koloss and the Kandra.

This is also the manner in which Ruin was capable of speaking into his mind and controlling him. Taking advantage of the tears in his Spiritweb to use him as a puppet. Due to his large quantity of Hemalurgic Spikes, this control is nigh-absolute following the release of Ruin.

Metallic Arts
As a Steel Inquisitor, he was given many Hemalurgic spikes, giving him access to various forms of Allomancy and Feruchemy not previously available to him. He gained many more spikes than were usual for an Inquisitor, twenty-one, instead of the usual eleven. Some of the spikes Marsh has have granted him the abilities of Allomantic steel, iron, pewter,[ tin, brass, zinc, duralumin, and atium, as well as granting him the abilities of Feruchemical pewter, steel, gold, and atium.

These are gained by five steel spikes; one spike in their back between their shoulder blades, which sealed together all the other spikes, and one spike in each eye and two between the ribs. Four Bronze Spikes, between the ribs; another Gold Spike between his ribs; an Atium Spike in the chest; Pewter Spike in his heart; and an Electrum spike. Along with seven other spikes.

As an Allomancer, he is physiologically immune to the poisoning that could occur with the various different metals that he could consume.

Allomancy = He has gained the ability to use far more Allomantic abilities than he could as a human. Getting the additional ability to use Steel, Iron, Pewter, Tin, Brass, Zinc, Duralumin, and Atium.

Bronze
Bronze, when burned, allows one to hear/feel the pulses of Allomancy, or rather any sort of Kinetic Investiture, used in his proximity. This allows him to tell when others are using Allomancy. If he focuses, he would be able to make out what metal exactly is being burned.

Before being made into a Steel Inquisitor, he was unable to pierce Copperclouds.

Do to already having access to Bronze Allomancy, his Bronze-Invested Bronze Hemalurgic Spikes greatly enhanced his already present abilities. This allows him to pierce Copperclouds without the need to enhance his abilities with Duralumin.

Steel
Steel allows him to see blue lines connecting to all surrounding metals, which allows him to push metals away, in a straight line, from his "centre of self," referring to his centre of gravity in his case.

This allows him to shoot out metallic objects like bullets, with force proportional to his own mass, and the amount of steel burned. Smaller objects, like coins, are easier to push at great velocities due to their small mass in comparison with his own mass.

If the metal that he pushes on, or the object it is being pushed against, is sufficiently heavier than himself, it would lead to him being pushed away. Allowing for a sort of form of flight.

Iron
Iron allows him to see blue lines connecting to all surrounding metals, which allows him to pull metals towards him, in a straight line, towards his "centre of self," referring to his centre of gravity in his case.

This allows him to pull metallic objects towards him with force proportional to his own mass, and the amount of steel burned.

If the metal that he pulls on, or the object it is being pulled against, is sufficiently heavier than himself, he himself would be pulled towards it.

Pewter
Pewter, when burned, allows him to greatly increase his physical strength and stamina. It also increases reaction speed and gives them resistance to hot and cold temperatures.

This increase is also able to increase his speed greatly, even able to contend with the speeds of a galloping horse.

Pewter Dragging
Pewter Dragging is a process wherein one flares Pewter for a very long period of time. This is very dangerous for the Allomnacer, not only because it can lead to Savantism, but also due to the fact that it holds off all of the fatigue which forms over the period of Dragging, which all collapses onto them in the end, causing extreme fatigue or even death.

Several days of rest and sufficient food are required to replenish the Allomancer afterwards. This can also even kill the Allomancer.

This is the fastest burning basic metal.

Tin
'Tin allows him to enhance all of his senses.

Tin is the second longest lasting metal.

Brass
Brass allows him to weaken various emotions of those around him. This is not mind control, as it cannot fundamentally change how a person feels, it can only take the emotions that already exist in an individual, and soothe or weaken them.

Zinc
Zinc allows him to strengthen various emotions of those around him. This is not mind control, as it cannot fundamentally change how a person feels, it can only take the emotions that already exist in an individual, and Inflame or incrase them.

Duralumin
Duralumin allows him to greatly enhance the effects of the Allomantic Metals burned in conjunction with it.

Atium
Atium allows him to see briefly into the future as Atium Shadows moving slightly in front of an object. It also enhances ones ability to process and react to the large flood of information from this.

This can be interfered with by another person that can see the future in some capacity, most notably another person burning Atium or Electrum. This causes the Atium Shadows seen to begin to spread out into infinity, due to a feedback loop of reacting to each other's futures, each person trying to predict a future the other has just changed. Thus, they don't see one nigh-absolute possibility, but rather a multitude of futures that could have been.

This makes it essentially impossible to predict which it would be, nullifying the advantage.

Aluminium, and its alloys, due to their allomantically inert properties, do not possess Atium Shadows.

Burning Atium with Duralumin allows one to see further into the future, by looking straight into the Spiritual Realm.

This burns at an even faster rate than Pewter.

Feruchemy = He was not originally able to access Feruchemy, but was given the ability to via Hemalurgy.

Steel
Steel allows him to store speed, when storing he would be forced to move extremely slow, however, when tapping it he is capable of moving an extremely fast velocities in a short period of time. This also increases his reaction speed and ability to process what is going on as he moves.

He is capable of Compounding this metal. Thus be able to reach incredibly high speeds even compared to other Steelrunners.

While this allows him to move at extreme speeds, and survive the G-forces of said speeds, he is limited by air resistance.

Gold
Gold allows him to store and tap health. This allows him to heal from any toxins or diseases, and regenerate from nearly any wound, even those that would normally kill a person.

Atium
Atium allows him to store youthfulness, allowing him to keep himself younger, even for multiple centuries.

This is known to be the method in which he kept himself alive over the years, and he is known to know how to, and makes frequent use of, Atium Compounding.

Compounding
Compounding is the name given to the process of, in essence, using Allomancy to fuel Feruchemy, allowing one to create a positive feedback loop. This can be done when one is able to use both the Allomantic and Feruchemical attributes of the same metal. It allows one to get far more of a Feruchemical attribute out of a given metal than they would be able to through ordinary Feruchemy.

The way in which he was able to survive for the three centuries following the Catacendre was through the Compounding of Atium, keeping him young. This is the same process through which the Lord Ruler kept himself young.

Key: Seeker | Steel Inquisitor