Luthadel Assembly
| Luthadel Assembly | |
|---|---|
| Type | Council |
| World of Origin | Scadrial |
| Universe | Cosmere |
The Luthadel Assembly is the ruling council of Luthadel that is established as part of King Elend Venture's new government after the Collapse.[1]
Origin and Powers
Following his ideas of a fair government Elend creates a constitution with the aim of giving the skaa a chance to get involved in politics. This parliament is called the Assembly. It consists of 24 members, including 8 skaa workers, 8 nobles (including the king) and 8 tradesmen.
Members of the Assembly
“The Assembly was only twenty-four men, but getting them to agree on anything was almost more challenging than any of the problems they argued about. ”
—Elend's thoughts[1]
There were twenty-four members, split into three eights, representing the Nobility, the merchant class, and the newly-freed skaa population. The named members include the following.
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History
During the Siege of Luthadel
When King Straff Venture brings his army to Luthadel to retake the city from his son Elend, the Assembly becomes a threat to Elend's ability to function as king. Taking into consideration the coming winter, the scarcity of food and wood/oil to heat the tenements and, before all, the fact that there are only twenty thousand, mostly untrained, of their soldiers in the city, the Assembly wants to give the city to Straff. With effort, Elend is able to convince the majority of the Assembly to give him time to set up a meeting with his father. Elend is sure that Straff won't attack the city. Then a second army comes to Luthadel, headed by another King, Ashweather Cett, making the Assembly even more nervous. Cett makes his way into the city and is allowed to take residence in one of the abandoned Noble's Keeps. Now two armies besiege Luthadel.
When a third army -- an army of twenty thousand Koloss, led by King Jastes Lekal -- arrives, Elend still tries to convince the Assembly to stay with diplomatic efforts, avoiding a battle that would be desperate and cost a lot of lives.
When a meeting with Straff is finally arranged, the Assembly schedules a meeting at the same time, knowing that Elend couldn't participate and -- in his absence -- depose him, appointing Lord Penrod as new king. They then decide to accept Straff as their emperor, although he would never get the city.
After the Battle
At the end of the Battle of Luthadel, Vin forces King Ferson Penrod to swear allegiance to Elend. Vin and Elend reign as Emperor and Empress of the New Empire, while Penrod is allowed to keep his throne,[2] and the Assembly retains its power, subject to an imperial veto.[3] Elend later uses the Assembly as a model for setting up parliamentary councils in the other cities he brings into his empire.[4][5]