Kar
| Kar | |
|---|---|
| Died | 1023 FE |
| Abilities | Hemalurgist |
| Species | Steel Inquisitor |
| Homeworld | Scadrial |
| Universe | Cosmere |
| First Appeared | Mistborn: The Final Empire |
“By allowing common men to rule your Ministry, you have unwittingly allowed corruption and vice to enter the very heart of your holy palace! ”
—Kar voices his distaste for normal people to the Lord Ruler[1]
Kar is a Steel Inquisitor in the Final Empire. At the time of the Collapse, he is the most senior Inquisitor in the Steel Ministry.[2]
Appearance and Personality[edit]
Like all Inquisitors, Kar is bald, with tattoos covering his face and spikes through his eyes.
He considers regular people inferior to Inquisitors and was pleased when, in 1023 FE, the Lord Ruler granted the Canton of Inquisition administrative authority over the rest of the Steel Ministry.[2]
Attributes and Abilities[edit]
Like all Inquisitors, Kar has access to some Allomantic and Feruchemical abilities through Hemalurgy. As a result, his powers may be weaker than those of a normal Allomancer or Feruchemist, though, if he had any Allomantic abilities prior to becoming an Inquisitor, they would instead be enhanced. As an Inquisitor, he is also easily fatigued and needs frequent rest.[2] As a former soldier, he is quite skilled at physical combat.[2]
Allomancy[edit]
Kar can burn the four physical and four mental Allomantic metals, as well as atium. He is very good at discerning detail with steel or iron and is able to make out even trace amounts of metal and read the emotions of others based on the movements of any metal on them.[2] However, seeing in this way also allows Vin to temporarily blind him by throwing a handful of metal dust at him.[1]
Feruchemy[edit]
Kar also has access to Feruchemical gold, which allows him to quickly heal the wounds he gains from fighting Vin.[1]
History[edit]
“The Inquisitors had been waiting for two centuries, carefully politicking, subtly encouraging dissension among the regular obligators. And finally, it had worked. The Inquisitors would no longer bow before the dictates of inferior men. ”
—Kar on how the Inquisitors achieved authority over the rest of the Steel Ministry[2]
Before becoming an Inquisitor, Kar was a soldier.[2]
When Vin attempts to enter the Lord Ruler's sanctum in Kredik Shaw, he and another Inquisitor are standing guard outside. She attacks and quickly wounds them, giving her time to slip inside. Soon thereafter, however, he and the other Inquisitor enter and capture her. The Lord Ruler instructs them to kill her, but they convince him to let them keep her alive, as they believe she has information relevant to their request for administrative authority over the rest of the Steel Ministry.[1]
After she is forced to burn aluminum, Kar leads Vin up to the Lord Ruler's throne room, where the lord prelan Tevidian and several other obligators are meeting. Kar alleges that Vin is Tevidian's daughter whom he failed to kill after having a relationship with a skaa woman; under pressure from the Lord Ruler's Soothing, Vin admits that this is true. As a result of his failure to kill Vin's mother, the Lord Ruler allows the Inquisitors to kill Tevidian and agrees to grant them authority over the rest of the Steel Ministry. Kar does not participate in the killing of Tevidian, but rather watches it with a smile.[1]
Kar then takes Vin back to her cell, where he informs her that her brother died while being tortured by the Ministry, but he swore that she had died years ago. He then reveals a captured Sazed and promises to torture him until Vin tells him what he wants to know about Kelsier's crew, before leaving to attend the formal transfer of authority to the Canton of Inquisition.[3]
During the official transfer of authority, Kar reflects on how carefully the Inquisitors had worked for two centuries to encourage corruption among the obligators so that, eventually, the Inquisitors would no longer have to obey ordinary men. Despite his fatigue, he remains after the meeting to discuss further with the Lord Ruler, but is interrupted by the return of Vin. Kar subdues her with realtive ease and is about to kill her with a chokehold when Marsh enters and removes Kar's Hemalurgic linchpin spike, killing him.[2]