Difference between revisions of "Koloss"

The '''koloss''' are a bestial race of creatures on [[Scadrial]], created by the [[Lord Ruler]] through the use of [[Hemalurgy]].{{book ref|mb3|37}}{{book ref|mb3|40}} During the time of the [[Lord Ruler]], koloss serve as a powerful, fiercely loyal army to him, thanks in no small part to the fact that they can be controlled through the use of [[Allomancy]] by any powerful [[Allomancy|Mistborn]] or group of [[brass]] and/or [[zinc]] [[misting]]s. {{book ref|mb2|54}}{{book ref|mb3|3}}{{epigraph ref|mb3|21}}.

The koloss are physically very large and very powerful. Koloss have blue skin and red eyes. {{book ref|mb2|19}} A full-sized koloss could grow to be as tall as twelve feet. A young koloss has as much skin as it would come to have in its later life. Because of this, the younger a koloss is, the fatter it appears, due to having so much baggy skin covering itself. The skin itself doesn't hold terribly firmly to the koloss' body.{{book ref|mb2|19}} As the koloss grow taller, their skin tears and fits tightly to them. An ancient koloss will have little to no skin at all, being covered instead in leather wrappings.{{book ref|eltania}}. A koloss continuously grows until its death. When it reaches about twelve feet, its heart can no longer sustain its body, and it dies shortly thereafter.

The addition of four spikes containing the strength and a portion of the [[spiritweb]] of four other people causes them to grow in physical strength far beyond human limits as well as making it possible for them to continue growing in size until they can no longer physically support their own bodies and their hearts give out. The four spikes also have the effect of reducing their intelligence to almost that of a basic animal. These spikes can be reused, however, they are subject to Hemalurgic decay, meaning that the power in the spikes diminishes with each re-use, which allows for more of the koloss' humanity to remain.{{epigraph ref|mb3|40}}

The spiking, however, only affects them in the [[Physical Realm]]. When they appear in the [[Cognitive Realm]] after death, they look exactly like the humans they were before being spiked.{{citemsh ref|6|2}}

Because of this, after the Lord Ruler's control over the koloss ends, many of the koloss attack nearby human inhabitants in an attempt to make more Kolosskoloss. When [[Vin]] visits a Kolosskoloss camp, they request for her to give them more Kolosskoloss. She does not know how, but they expect a human to be able to provide them with more Kolosskoloss, since that is what they have experienced in the past.

In the post-Catacendre era, Kolosskoloss became a self-reproducing species. When two koloss reproduce, the offspring are born koloss-blooded.They can also breed with human and produce koloss blooded hybrids. This means that they are physically strong, with a mottled granite-like complexion and blue skin.{{book ref|mb4|5}} A semi-offensive term for them is "'''kig'''".{{book ref| mb6|}} Furthermore they continue to grow taller throughout their lives. They heal quickly and are often less intelligent than average. They become a full koloss once they accept the spikes.{{wob ref|1417}} [[Wax]] estimates [[Tarson]] to be young purely by his short but stocky frame.{{book ref|mb4|19}}

After the [[Lord Ruler]]'s death, [[Jastes Lekal]] invented some fake wooden coins and by "paying" with the coins, he recuitedrecruited an army of koloss. The koloss carry the coins in a small sack and would kill each other for them.{{book ref|mb2|19}} This is probably caused by the re-using of the spikes which increases their intelligence to the point that they can understand economy values.

After [[Harmony]]'s [[Final Ascension|Ascension]], however, the koloss were transformed into a tribal race that could breed, which lived in the [[Roughs]].{{wob ref|1381}} As a true breeding race, Kolosskoloss raise koloss-blooded children. Those who chose can turn into full koloss at the age of twelve in a coming-of-age ritual where they choose to accept the requisite spikes or not. Those who do not accept the spikes leave, and live outside the tribe. Additionally, outsiders can choose to become koloss through this ritual.{{wob ref|1417}}

The changes in the Kolosskoloss and their breeding subsequently allowed some koloss-blooded to become allomancersAllomancers.{{book ref|aolmb4|6}} How this is achieved is unknown, but Kolosskoloss with the powers of allomancyAllomancy appear to be known in the [[Roughs]] enough to be recognized. {{book ref|aolmb4|11}}

Since the Kolosskoloss are no longer required to fight for anybody, they are able to live longer lives. This allows for the development of Kolosskoloss ancients, who have little to no skin at all. They are enormous, have no noses or lips, and their eyes appear to bulge. They survive only by wrapping themselves in leather to keep in their blood. While their intelligence is still at the level of the average Kolosskoloss, they are looked after by the tribe and given respect similar to that of a tribal elder .{{book ref|eltania}}.