Bilming

Bilming
by Gerard Segura
Region	Elendel Basin
World	Scadrial
Universe	Cosmere

“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

Bilming is a port city in the Elendel Basin on Scadrial. A center of industry, it is the only major port city in the Basin other than Elendel. The city's symbol is a tortoise, and residents are referred to as "Bilmingers." Bilming is the location of the Set's base in 348 PC when the group aims to destroy the Elendel government and prove themselves to Autonomy. 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.

Geography

The city of Bilming is located on a peninsula on the Sea of Yomend. A railway connects it to Elendel but not to others of the outer cities; its port alone allows it to circumvent this rail monopoly. 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.

“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

Landmarks

Bilming maintains a large fleet of clipper ships and cargo ships in its "impressive" harbor, and around 342 PC it adds a new type of warship known as the Pewternaut with armored hulls and gun turrets. In addition, the city boasts an elevated rail line, which makes it unique among the other parts of the basin. The rail is an exceptionally quick mode of transportation through the city, and it is equipped with cushioned seats and private compartments.

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.

Since its economy boom, Bilming has become a metropolis with outlying suburbs. 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. The tower is some seventy or eighty stories high, with continuing construction evident on the top during 348 PC. This tower is the Set's central hub of activity and features heavy fortifications with the capability to detect Cognitive Shadows. Originally, the Set plans to use it as a launching point for a rocket intended to destroy Elendel.

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

by Gerard Segura

Wax and Wayne overlooking Bilming

History

Friction with Elendel

Bilming was created as part of the reshaping of Scadrial during the Catacendre. 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. In 342 PC, 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." That same year, Devlin Airs spoke to Waxillium Ladrian at Kelesina Shores's party and warned him that civil war was brewing. Wax listened to Lord Severington give an anti-Elendel speech at the party and realized that Bilming had enough power to spearhead a conflict. 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 348 PC, the economy was booming and there was a large amount of construction.

The Set's Presence

The Set began establishing its presence in Bilming by at least 341 PC, in which year it brought Allomancers kidnapped from Elendel there to live in the cavern system underneath the city. Residents of Bilming began noticing earthquakes in 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. In reality, the tremors were a result of the Set testing its bombs in the caverns. Gave Entrone became lord mayor of Bilming in 346 PC after proving himself the right kind of person to stand up to Elendel.

“PRIDE IN PROGRESS. OUTER CITIES SELF-RELIANCE MOVEMENT.”

—From a billboard in Bilming

Tensions with Elendel rose even higher with the passage of the Elendel Supremacy Bill in 348 PC. 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. 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. Local papers inflated the operation's failure, further inflaming people against Elendel.

The Elendel senate formed a council on the Bilming crisis, where they shared news of Bilming's efforts regarding railroad blockades, recruitment fliers for "security forces" spread throughout the Roughs, and warships. In the meantime, Wax, Wayne, Marasi, and Moonlight investigated Tobal Copper's disappearance in the city; the trail of evidence led them to confront Maraga Dulcet, after which the group split up. Marasi and Moonlight rescued the political prisoners and the Allomancers secreted away by the Set into the caverns, bringing to light concrete evidence of the Bilming government's corruption. 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.

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.

“This wasn't a rural backwater; Bilming was a metropolis in the making.”

—Marasi Colms

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. The overall effect is that of "mass-produced individuality." In fact, the new style taking over the city comes from a brutalist movement on Taldain which has been brought to Scadrial by Autonomy's influence. In her drive to impress Autonomy, Telsin plans on making the whole world like Bilming in this regard. 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.

Bilmingers are characterized by their own distinct accent, and they also have a particular way of dressing.

Politics

“Lord mayor of Bilming was an important position—probably the most important one outside of Elendel. ”

—Waxillium

As one of the 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. In addition, the Bilming government employs its own chemists and has its own military. By 348 PC, Bilming has become the main representative of outer cities interests.

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. 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.

Bilming has a local government consisting of a mayor and a council made up from different political parties. Bastien Severington serves as mayor at least from 342 PC until 346 PC, when Gave Entrone takes over the position. 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. 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.

The Ghostbloods also have a presence in the city, with three agents residing there during 348 PC. They assist Marasi in stopping the Set in order to save the planet from Autonomy.

Notable Citizens

For a full list of residents, see :Category:Residents of Bilming.

• Gave Entrone
• Kyndlip Ternavyl
• Pielle Fromed
• Tobal Copper

Trivia

• The city is presumably named after Brandon's editor, Joshua Bilmes.

Notes

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Truthwatch3r (talk) 20:55, 21 October 2023 (UTC)