Elendel Basin

Elendel Basin
by Isaac Stewart
World	Scadrial
Universe	Cosmere

The Elendel Basin is a lush, fertile basin created by Harmony during the reshaping of Scadrial to allow civilization to build itself back up over just a couple of generations. It is named after Elend.

Geography

Most of the population of the northern hemisphere of Scadrial was centered in this area, either in the capital Elendel, or in the surrounding cities and countryside. The Basin is surrounded by mountain ranges: Channerel Range and Faleast Range to the north, and Seran Range to the south. There are passes leading out into lands the rugged frontier lands known as the Roughs. The Roughs are much less fertile than the Basin, because Harmony didn't design them to be fertile like Elendel.

The Basin's coastline matches up with the coastline in the Final Empire.^{[citation needed]} One can see that the peninsula that contains Bilming is the same peninsula on the Final Empire map, just west of the Ashmount Doriel.

Some of the major cities besides Elendel are Mycondwel, Tathingdwel where the Terrispeople live, Alendel, Wyllion, Dazarlomue, Drypost, Rashekin, Vindiel-Cameux, Doxonar, Doriel, Tarier, Elmsdel, Garmet, New Seran, and Bilming. There is a small farming settlement, Dulsing, which the Set is interested in. It grows excellent tomatoes . The Basin is bordered by the Sea of Yomend and the Sea of Lennes to the west. All rivers lead to Elendel, in the center.

Because it is lush and fertile, few people want to move beyond the Basin. There is a whole culture living in the southern hemisphere, but there is little communication between the two civilizations.

Politics

The Basin is governed by a council of representatives of noble houses and trade guilds known as the Senate. The heads of noble households represent their houses, while guild representatives are democratically elected from within the guild. The senate is similar to, and presumably based on the Assembly formed by Elend Venture to govern Luthadel immediately after the skaa rebellion.

Early on, Elendel was stable and the outer cities were rural and peaceful. Later on, the workers of Elendel became extremely unhappy at their government. There was eventually a police takeover when Mayor Innate declared the city under martial law, and therefore the police were legally in charge, and had the authority to replace Innate. Many of the other cities however, are still very angry at Elendel, and claim that the government there is corrupt. All the rivers go through Elendel, and all the railways go towards it. This enables Elendel to levy taxes on all the other cities' goods.

Interestingly, some sort of flat-tax is placed on all cities by the city of Elendel for government and infrastructure, though this money goes exclusively towards guards at docks and maintaining railroads. This money does not pay for things like the Governor's salary. However, Elendel also taxes all goods traded through Elendel, and it is implied that this is what pays for things like government salaries. The outer cities consider this unjustified, not without reason. The Basin was designed with canals like the spokes of a wheel, and the first railroads followed the canals. All commerce at this point must go through Elendel, so unless goods are shipped exclusively along one 'spoke' they are taxed. The money of Elendel is used to maintain and expand the rail network, and it is in Elendel's best interest that everyone continue being forced to trade through them. There is civil unrest in the outer estates as they are taxed, but have no say in how that tax money is spent, especially as the money is flagrantly being used to maintain Elendel's hegemony.

Most cities have their own local administrations. With the apparent exception of commerce and infrastructure, there does not seem to be an overarching government, though constabularies seem to have a degree of camaraderie.

Notes

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