Editing Bilming

{{settlement
|image= Wax and Wayne by Gerard Segura.jpg
|region=Elendel Basin
|world=Scadrial
|universe=[[Cosmere]]
|books=[[Mistborn Era 2]]
}}

{{quote
|Many in Elendel thought they had let the people of Bilming grow too independent—and in recent years, it had become the one city in the Basin that could legitimately rival Elendel.
|[[Marasi Colms]]{{book ref|mb7|20}}
}}
'''Bilming''' is a port city in the [[Elendel Basin]] on [[Scadrial]].{{map ref|Elendel Basin}} A center of industry, it is the only major port city in the Basin other than [[Elendel]].{{book ref|mb6|15}} The city's symbol is a tortoise,{{file ref|New Ascendancy broadsheet.jpg|''The New Ascendancy'' broadsheet}} and residents are referred to as "Bilmingers."{{file ref|The Two Seasons broadsheet.jpg|''The Two Seasons'' broadsheet}} Bilming is the location of the [[Set]]'s base in {{date|348|PC}} when the group aims to destroy the Elendel government and prove themselves to [[Autonomy]].{{book ref|mb7|19}} The presence of the Set in the years leading up to this drives certain political and cultural changes in Bilming, which finds itself caught in the crossfire; Telsin and the Set manipulate things from the background as part of their scheme to take over the planet.{{book ref|mb7|19}}{{book ref|mb7|22}}

== Geography ==
The city of Bilming is located on a peninsula on the [[Sea of Yomend]].{{map ref|Elendel Basin}} A railway connects it to Elendel but not to others of the outer cities;{{map ref|Elendel Basin}} its port alone allows it to circumvent this rail monopoly.{{book ref|mb7|20}} At a contrast to the docks in Elendel which are relatively sheltered from large waves, Bilming is located such that it experiences rougher seas right up to its docks.{{book ref|mb7|52}}

{{sidequote
|Here on the promontory that Bilming occupied, the waters chopped and churned, crashing against the docks. No wonder the Bilming navy was made up of such hulking metal monstrosities.
|[[Waxillium]]{{book ref|mb7|52}}
|side=left|size=300px
}}
== Landmarks ==
Bilming maintains a large fleet of clipper ships and cargo ships in its "impressive" harbor, and around {{date|342|PC}} it adds a new type of warship known as the [[Pewternaut]] with armored hulls and gun turrets.{{file ref|New Ascendancy broadsheet.jpg|''The New Ascendancy'' broadsheet}} In addition, the city boasts an elevated rail line, which makes it unique among the other parts of the basin.{{book ref|mb7|19}} The rail is an exceptionally quick mode of transportation through the city, and it is equipped with cushioned seats and private compartments.{{book ref|mb7|42}}

The Bilming City Records and Research Building is an example of the modern architecture found in the city. Made of a silvery metal, it is designed with many windows in the exterior walls and houses novel glass-walled rooms within.{{book ref|mb7|29}}

Since its economy boom, Bilming has become a metropolis with outlying suburbs.{{book ref|mb7|20}} Its tallest building is a skyscraper at the center of the city called Independence Tower, nicknamed the Shaw because it is reminiscent of the spires of [[Kredik Shaw]].{{book ref|mb7|58}} The tower is some seventy or eighty stories high, with continuing construction evident on the top during {{date|348|PC}}.{{book ref|mb7|20}} This tower is the [[Set]]'s central hub of activity and features heavy fortifications with the capability to detect [[Cognitive Shadow]]s.{{book ref|mb7|39}} Originally, the Set plans to use it as a launching point for a rocket intended to destroy Elendel.{{book ref|mb7|58}}

One of the Set's hidden training compounds is located in Bilming.{{book ref|mb6|epilogue}} Likely, this compound is connected with the caverns under the city which include places for secret research and are the location of the [[Community]].{{book ref|mb7|47}} The caverns have known entrances at Independence Tower, the [[Dulouis Building]], and a tire factory at the outskirts of town owned by [[Basin Tires]].{{book ref|mb7|39}}

{{image|Wax and Wayne by Gerard Segura.jpg|side=right|height=250px|[[Wax]] and [[Wayne]] overlooking Bilming}}
==History==
=== Friction with Elendel ===
Bilming was created as part of the reshaping of Scadrial during the [[Catacendre]].{{book ref|mb6|21}} A little over three hundred years later, its status as an alternative port to Elendel, which had set itself up as the undisputed capital of the basin, began causing some friction between the two cities. Elendel's governor [[Replar Innate]] at one point promised to raise tariffs on imports that came from Bilming, but it never happened.{{book ref|mb5|5}} In {{date|342|pc}}, Lord [[Bastien Severington]], the mayor of Bilming, invited a number of senators from Elendel to the introduction of the [[Pewternaut]]s as a gesture of friendship, only to have a senator named [[Inis Julien]] publicly call them pointless "toys."{{file ref|New Ascendancy broadsheet.jpg|''The New Ascendancy'' broadsheet}} That same year, [[Devlin Airs]] spoke to [[Waxillium Ladrian]] at [[Kelesina Shores's party]] and warned him that civil war was brewing.{{book ref|mb6|15}} Wax listened to Lord Severington give an anti-Elendel speech at the party and realized that Bilming had enough power to spearhead a conflict.{{book ref|mb6|14}}{{book ref|mb6|15}} The establishment of trade relations with the [[Malwish Consortium]] subsequently led Bilming to great prosperity, as most of the trade came in through the city. By {{date|348|PC}}, the economy was booming and there was a large amount of construction.{{book ref|mb7|20}}

=== The Set's Presence ===
The [[Set]] began establishing its presence in Bilming by at least {{date|341|PC}}, in which year it brought [[Allomancer]]s kidnapped from Elendel there to live in the cavern system underneath the city.{{book ref|mb7|56}} Residents of Bilming began noticing earthquakes in {{date|343|PC}}. In explanation, the city published news of a new subway system and began hiking taxes to fund it. However, at the same time the Bilming Transportation Authority also expanded the elevated rail system and the highways.{{file ref|The Two Seasons broadsheet.jpg|''The Two Seasons'' broadsheet}} In reality, the tremors were a result of the Set testing its bombs in the caverns.{{book ref|mb7|33}} [[Gave Entrone]] became lord mayor of Bilming in {{date|346|pc}} after proving himself the right kind of person to stand up to Elendel.{{book ref|mb7|27}}

{{sidequote
|PRIDE IN PROGRESS. OUTER CITIES SELF-RELIANCE MOVEMENT.
|From a billboard in Bilming{{book ref|mb7|20}}
|side=left|size=250px
}}
Tensions with Elendel rose even higher with the passage of the [[Elendel Supremacy Bill]] in {{date|348|pc}}.{{file ref|The Two Seasons broadsheet.jpg|''The Two Seasons'' broadsheet}} The same year, [[Marsh]] went to Bilming looking for [[atium]] and heard rumors of some unexpected happenings which he later related to Wax and his companions.{{book ref|mb7|28}} [[Marasi]] and the Elendel constabulary conducted a sting operation in Bilming, which the Set used as propaganda against Elendel by saying their constabulary was meddling in outer cities affairs.{{book ref|mb7|23}} Local papers inflated the operation's failure, further inflaming people against Elendel.{{book ref|mb7|31}}

The Elendel senate formed a council on the Bilming crisis,{{book ref|mb7|31}} where they shared news of Bilming's efforts regarding railroad blockades, recruitment fliers for "security forces" spread throughout the [[Roughs]], and warships.{{book ref|mb7|38}} In the meantime, Wax, [[Wayne]], Marasi, and [[Moonlight]] investigated [[Tobal Copper]]'s disappearance in the city;{{book ref|mb7|30}} the trail of evidence led them to confront [[Maraga Dulcet]], after which the group split up.{{book ref|mb7|32}}{{book ref|mb7|34}} Marasi and Moonlight rescued the political prisoners and the [[Allomancer]]s secreted away by the Set into the caverns, bringing to light concrete evidence of the Bilming government's corruption.{{book ref|mb7|50}}{{book ref|mb7|epilogue|1}} Wax and Wayne fought their way through Independence Tower and eventually made their way to the [[Pewternaut]] A16, stopping it from delivering its payload and starting a civil war ostensibly in the name of the outer cities.{{book ref|mb7|61}}{{book ref|mb7|71}}

== Culture ==
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.{{file ref|The Two Seasons broadsheet.jpg|text=''The Two Seasons'' broadsheet}}

{{sidequote
|This wasn't a rural backwater; Bilming was a metropolis in the making.
|[[Marasi Colms]]{{book ref|mb7|20}}
|side=right|size=300px
}}
In {{date|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.{{book ref|mb7|20}}{{book ref|mb7|32}} The overall effect is that of "mass-produced individuality."{{book ref|mb7|39}} In fact, the new style taking over the city comes from a [[wikipedia:Brutalist_architecture|brutalist]] movement on [[Taldain]] which has been brought to [[Scadrial]] by Autonomy's influence.{{book ref|mb7|20}} In her drive to impress Autonomy, [[Telsin]] plans on making the whole world like Bilming in this regard.{{book ref|mb7|35}} The Bilming government advertises on billboards all over the city in a bid both to popularize the modernization of the city and to promote ill feelings toward Elendel.{{book ref|mb7|20}}

Bilmingers are characterized by their own distinct accent,{{book ref|mb7|10}} and they also have a particular way of dressing.{{book ref|mb7|39}}{{book ref|mb7|42}}

== Politics ==
{{quote
|Lord mayor of Bilming was an important position—probably the most important one outside of Elendel.
|[[Waxillium]]{{book ref|mb7|27}}
}}
As one of the [[Elendel_Basin#Outer_Cities|outer cities]], Bilming largely resents the role of [[Elendel]] in governing the Basin. Its location as a port city allows it to take a forward role in opposing Elendel's supremacy, and it begins building a fleet of warships even before it can reasonably adopt the guise of defending the basin from the [[Malwish Consortium]].{{file ref|New Ascendancy broadsheet.jpg|''The New Ascendancy'' broadsheet}}{{book ref|mb6|15}}{{book ref|mb7|19}} In addition, the Bilming government employs its own chemists and has its own military.{{book ref|mb7|30}}{{book ref|mb7|33}} By {{date|348|PC}}, Bilming has become the main representative of outer cities interests.{{book ref|mb7|3}}

The [[Set]] is happy to inflame the city's grievances against Elendel, and the political situation lends itself well to them establishing a base in Bilming. The organization becomes so entrenched in the city that it effectively has control over it.{{book ref|mb7|22}} As part of her plot against Elendel involving a [[harmonium]] bomb, [[Telsin]] forges letters from Elendel senators that she plans to reveal after the bomb's detonation to make it look like Elendel blew itself up. Bilming would then "reluctantly" have to access the technology used in the bomb to be able to defend the basin from the Malwish Consortium.{{book ref|mb7|46}}

Bilming has a local government consisting of a mayor and a council made up from different political parties.{{book ref|mb7|50}} [[Bastien Severington]] serves as mayor at least from {{date|342|PC}} until {{date|346|PC}}, when [[Gave Entrone]] takes over the position.{{book ref|mb6|15}}{{book ref|mb7|27}} During Entrone's term, [[Pielle Fromed]] acts as head of the opposition in the Bilming Council and the local advisor to the senate. Entrone's alliance with the Set, however, gives him the power to shut down opposing viewpoints. Pielle and several others who disagree with the governor's actions are kidnapped and taken to the caverns under the city.{{book ref|mb7|50}} It isn't until after [[Waxillium]], [[Marasi]], and their companions foil the Set's plots against Elendel and Telsin's bid to impress [[Autonomy]] that the constabulary in Bilming begins to accept evidence of Gave Entrone's malfeasance.{{book ref|mb7|epilogue|1}}

The [[Ghostblood]]s also have a presence in the city, with three agents residing there during {{date|348|PC}}. They assist Marasi in stopping the Set in order to save the planet from Autonomy.{{book ref|mb7|40}}

== Notable Citizens ==
{{for|:Category:Residents of Bilming|a full list of residents}}
{{columns|
* [[Gave Entrone]]
* [[Kyndlip Ternavyl]]
* [[Pielle Fromed]]
* [[Tobal Copper]]
}}

==Trivia==
* The city is presumably named after [[Brandon]]'s editor, [[Joshua Bilmes]].

== Notes ==
<references />
{{complete|[[User:Truthwatch3r|Truthwatch3r]] ([[User talk:Truthwatch3r|talk]]) 20:55, 21 October 2023 (UTC)}}
{{Mistborn|Era 2}}