Bilming
Bilming | |
---|---|
Region | Elendel Basin |
World | Scadrial |
Universe | Cosmere |
Bilming is a port city in the Elendel Basin on Scadrial.[1] It is the only major port city in the Basin other than Elendel, and it is a center of industry.[2] The city's symbol is a tortoise.[3]
Geography
Bilming is located on a peninsula on the Sea of Yomend.[1] A railway connects it to Elendel.[1]
Landmarks
Bilming maintains a large fleet of clipper ships and cargo ships in its "impressive" harbor, and it has recently added warships known as "Pewternauts" with armored hulls and gun turrets.[3]
One of the Set's hidden training compounds is located in Bilming.[4]
The tallest building in Bilming is a skyscraper at the center of the city known as Independence Tower. It is nicknamed the Shaw, as it bears resemblance to the spires of Kredik Shaw. It is one of the Set's central hubs of activity and features heavy fortification with the capability to detect Cognitive Shadows such as Kelsier.[5] This building was intended to be used by the Set as a launching point for a rocket intended to destroy Elendel.[6]
History
Bilming was created as part of the reshaping of Scadrial during the Catacendre.[7]
Relationship with Elendel
Bilming's status as an alternative port to Elendel appears to have caused some friction between the two cities. Elendel's former governor, Replar Innate, once made hollow promises about raising tariffs on imports that come from Bilming.[8] Lord Bastien Severington, the mayor of Bilming, invited a number of senators from Elendel to the introduction of the Pewternauts as a gesture of friendship, only to have a senator named Inis Julien publicly call them pointless "toys".[3]
In 342 PC, Devlin Airs spoke to Waxillium Ladrian at Kelesina Shores's party and warned him that civil war was brewing.[2] Wax listened to Lord Severington give an anti-Elendel speech at the party and realized that Bilming had enough power to spearhead a conflict.[9][2]
Culture
The establishment of trade relations with the Malwish Consortium leads Bilming to great prosperity, as most of the trade comes in through the city. By 348 PC, the economy is booming and there is a large amount of construction.[10] However, residents of Bilming hold a deep distrust of Malwish technology, which is pushed by a propaganda campaign in broadsheets such as The Two Seasons. They consider their unsealed and unkeyed metalminds to be a form of nefarious witchcraft that puts them and their loved ones in danger.[11]
In 343 PC the city begins to be characterized by a regular pattern of modern buildings with calculated differences which are erected in the place of older, more individual ones.[10][12] The overall effect is that of "mass-produced individuality."[5] In fact, the new style taking over the city comes from a movement on Taldain called "brutalism" which has been brought to Scadrial by Autonomy's influence.[10] In her drive to impress Autonomy, Telsin plans on making the whole world like Bilming in this regard.[13]
Trivia
- It is presumably named after Brandon's editor, Joshua Bilmes.
Notes
- ↑ a b c Map of Elendel Basin
- ↑ a b c The Bands of Mourning chapter 15#
- ↑ a b c The New Ascendancy broadsheet
- ↑ The Bands of Mourning epilogue#
- ↑ a b The Lost Metal chapter 39#
- ↑ The Lost Metal chapter 58#
- ↑ The Bands of Mourning chapter 21#
- ↑ Shadows of Self chapter 5#
- ↑ The Bands of Mourning chapter 14#
- ↑ a b c The Lost Metal chapter 20#
- ↑ The Two Seasons broadsheet
- ↑ The Lost Metal chapter 32#
- ↑ The Lost Metal chapter 35#