Difference between revisions of "User:Thurin/Luthadel"

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'''Luthadel''' was the capital city of the [[Final Empire]] on [[Scadrial]]. It was governed by the [[Lord Ruler]] for over a thousand years. After the [[Collapse]], Luthadel became the capital city of the [[New Empire]].

Snow wasn't common around Luthadel before the Deepness, or else it was just an icy slush.{{book ref|mb1|29}} <br>

 

Even noblemen and thieves reluctant about entering Mists. Ambient starlight diffused by Mists was enough to see most times.{{book ref|mb1|5}} <br>

Mist.({{expand}}with{{book ref|mb1|7}}) <br>

"Outside, the sunlight was nearly gone, and diaphanous patches of mist were beginning to form in the air. They hung like ghosts, slowly growing larger, extending their influence as night approached."{{book ref|mb1|27}} <br>

 

To prevent the city being buried, skaa workers gather the ash and throw it in the River Channerel.{{book ref|mb1|2}} <br>

Sometimes ash from the city was carted and piled out of the city, instead of thrown in the river.{{book ref|mb1|8}} <br>

The River Channerel runs straight through Luthadel.{{map ref|Luthadel}} <br>

Fellise acted as a small suburb-style city an hour outside of Luthadel.{{book ref|mb1|6}} <br>

The Cracks: one of many skaa slums.{{book ref|mb1|10}} <br>

Commercial district was for fortunate skaa and less fortunate nobles, tried to ignore each other. Luthadel had a lot of squares, and the larger ones often had fountains.{{book ref|mb1|11}} <br>

 

== Culture ==

Skaa are shorter than nobles. Nobles could get allomantic powers, skaa only if they had a noble ancestor somewhere in the last five generations.{{book ref|mb1|21}} <br>

"Technically, the Lord Ruler owns the skaa, but the noblemen rent them, and are allowed to kill as many as they want." Skaa aren't people to nobles.{{book ref|mb1|22}}

| You don’t have any friends in the underworld. You’ll never have any friends in the underworld!

| Vin's memory of Reen{{book ref|mb1|3}}

}}

As the place closest to the Lord Ruler, and thus the most riches, Luthadel has more corruption among the skaa population than any other city in the Final Empire.{{book ref|mb1|18}} The larger portion of the underground consists of thieves, crews, whores and beggars, but fewer in number are the [[skaa rebellion|skaa rebels]] whose goal was not personal gain but to resist the Final Empire.{{book ref|mb1|4}} However, life is hard for these people. Most brothels kill their skaa whores periodically to keep the Inquisitors placated.{{book ref|mb1|22}} Scavenging is difficult in Luthadel,{{book ref|mb1|3}} and only skaa with severe disfigurements are allowed to beg.{{book ref|mb1|11}} Men in the underground often spent months without their family to protect them,{{book ref|mb1|22}} as they would be safe and hidden when the man got caught, especially if he was a Misting because then the Inquisitors would wipe out his entire bloodline at all costs.{{book ref|mb1|24}}

==== The Lord Ruler ====

{{for|Lord Ruler}}

Attended executions in black carriage drawn by a pair of massive white stallions.{{book ref|mb1|26}} <br>

His Soothing is strong enough to influence someone burning copper.{{book ref|mb1|27}} <br>

In Luthadel, especially in the slums, there were many soup kitchens. Local skaa earned meal tokens for the time they worked, and in their short break at midday they could spend these tokens for a meal. Local lords/nobles, owners of a local forge or mill, paid these kitchens to avoid the costs of providing on-site meals. The kitchen owners was paid directly, so he saved as much as possible on ingredients, resulting in food as tasty as ashwater.{{book ref|mb1|10}} <br>

Luthadel had skaa corpse crews that took care of the disposal of dead bodies.{{book ref|mb1|11}} <br>

Condemned men (and women) were sent to the Pits of Hathsin, not clear what the criteria were though.{{book ref|mb1|21}} <br>

People, both skaa and nobles, needed permission to pass through Luthadel's gates.{{book ref|mb1|24}} <br>

Occasionally, executions took place, often when a thieving crew was captured, or just random skaa (even just women and children) as examples for the entire population. The ringing of bells announced this, and all men in the city, both skaa and noble, were required to attend them, or else the punishment would be death. These took place at the Square of the Survivor, but a lot of skaa stood further away in other streets. Bleachers were set up for the nobility.{{book ref|mb1|26}}

Executions could go on for hours. Normally there would be any kind of denunciations or explanations, but not always. The Ministry just left the corpses and bloodied water in fountains right there.{{book ref|mb1|27}} <br>

 

== Military ==

=== City Defenses ===

Luthadel was the only city in the Final Empire that was allowed to have a city wall.{{book ref|mb3|25}} This stone wall was massive — only the largest koloss were barely able to mount it{{book ref|mb2|53}} — but during the entire reign of the Lord Ruler no army has ever marched on Luthadel.{{book ref|mb1|19}}{{book ref|mb1|26}} Battlements were built on top,{{book ref|mb1|8}} with the occasional watchtower{{book ref|mb2|52}} in which presumably the stairwells were located.{{book ref|mb2|51}} <br>

 

Besides the regular troops and archers of the Luthadel Garrison, the Steel Ministry had hazekillers in their service,{{book ref|mb1|33}} and archers who used obsidian-tipped arrows,{{book ref|mb1|34}} to fight rebellious Allomancers. On top of the forces in Luthadel, the Lord Ruler and the Steel Ministry could marshal literally millions of troops from all throughout the Final Empire if the need arose.{{book ref|mb1|19}}

 

== Quotes ==

{{quote

|Luthadel is the dirtiest, most crowded city in the Final Empire.

|Luthadel wasn't like most other cities; its population was enormous.

|Luthadel{{book ref|mb1|26}} }}

 

== Trivia ==