Iron

File:Iron.png

The allomantic symbol for iron

Iron is the external physical pulling metal. An allomancer burning iron can pull bits of metal toward his center of mass, and can also use iron to sense the presence of metal nearby. Ironpulling is not dependant on magnetic forces or allomantic power--any metal can be pulled. Feruchemists can use iron to store physical weight, and when used as a hemalurgic spike, iron steals physical strength.

Allomantic Use

Ironpulling is the art of using iron to pull on metal. There are two general rules for ironpulling, which also apply to steelpulling, it's paired opposite. The first rule is that the strength of your pull is roughly proportional to your physical weight. This means that larger allomancers can generally ironpull and steelpush more powerfully than a smaller counterpart. While proportional, the force exerted by an ironpull is much greater than the allomancer's weight, allowing them to pull themselves through the air by pulling on a piece of metal that weighs more than they do (or is anchored to something that does). The second rule is that metal that is at least partially inside a person's body cannot be affected by iron. Both of these rules can be overcome by a sufficiently strong allomancer, however.

Of the two external physical metals, iron is by far the less flashy. Utilized by a misting, iron is generally used as a purely defensive mechanism, cancelling out the efforts of enemy coinshots by ironpulling enemy projectiles into a wooden shield. Iron is also less useful by itself in jumping, since using iron requires a large, well anchored piece of metal at your destination. Both metals performance is greatly enhanced when used in tandem, allowing feats like those performed by Kelsier in his battle with the inquisitor.

A misting who can use iron is called a Lurcher.

Feruchemical Use

Iron, when used by a feruchemist, can be used to store physical weight. This is not accomplished by changing the Feruchemist's mass, but by changing the force of gravity on the Feruchemist. This change does not effect things that the Feruchemist is wearing, but is great enough that a feruchemist storing weight can safely fall great distances, as the feruchemist's surface area is sufficient to slow the fall to safe speeds.

A feruchemist tapping weight can grow proportionally heavier than their size. Although this is not as useful as storing weight in many cases, it has significant martial applications. Specifically, by tapping iron during key moments, the feruchemist can add force to their blows, and can use added weight to withstand attacks.

Hemalurgic Use

When used as a hemalurgic spike, iron can steal the physical strength of the person killed by the spike. Increasing the number of spikes increases the strength of the recipient, but at the cost of twisting the body and mind of the person who receives the spikes.

Koloss are created when a living human is wrapped in a koloss skin and implanted with 4 iron spikes. This gives the koloss incredible strength, but the process effectively destroyed their minds, leaving them incapable of complex logic, and extremely vulnerable to Ruin's control.

The kandra blessing of potency is comprised of two iron spikes. Like all kandra blessings, the blessing gave the mistwraith sentience, with the added benefit of physical strength and endurance.