Usuaria:Ladymxdnight/Khlennium

{!{nation |ethnicity=Khlenni |ruler=Alendi |era=Classical Scadrial |world=Scadrial |universe=Cosmere |books=Mistborn Era 1 }} Khlennium was both a city and a kingdom during the classical era on Scadrial.

“ Khlennium, that great city of wonder.”

—Alendi's journal.

History

Classical Scadrial

During the classical era on Scadrial, Khlennium was a city and kingdom of importance.

Although Alendi came to lead Khlennium later in his life, he was not born there. Certain circumstances forced him to leave his home village and led him to Khlennium. It is likely that these circumstances started exactly sixteen years before the Well of Ascension was refilled and included the first signs of the Deepness.

During his first months in Khlennium, Alendi met the Worldbringer Kwaan, and became his assistant for a while. A couple of years later, Kwaan became convinced that Alendi must be the Hero of Ages, because he seemed to fit the Terris prophecies. At first the other Worldbringers met Kwaan with scorn, but after Alendi fueled the rumors of him being the Hero of Ages even the other Worldbringers became convinced.

At some point in time Alendi became king of Khlennium, possibly by marrying the previous king's daughter. Under the growing threat of the Deepness, Alendi united a lot of nations (including Terris), some by diplomacy and others he needed to conquer. Except for a few dissenters, Alendi was able to create a general unity on Scadrial under Khlennium.

After a decade of leading armies Alendi set forth to the Well of Ascension.

//Rashek killed Alendi and used the Well's power instead.

During the Final Empire

Khlennium after ascension ...

Culture

The city of Khlennium was regarded as one of “wonder”. It was a cultural hub, with many different people -- both(make this more inclusive) Khlenni and Terris, including Terris Worldbringers (such as Kwaan). Among its monuments was the great Khlenni library. It had marvellous architecture -- magnificent cathedrals, stained glass windows, broad halls. Their architectural and civil engineering prowess allowed them to build grand structures and cities. They also had other technologies, such as pocket watches. The Khlenni had their own language -- their word for the Hero of Ages was Rabzeen. Men wore tailored gentlemen’s suits; ladies wore gowns.. Many young Terrismen adopted Khlenni fashion, rather than their furs, while in the cities. The Terris viewed the Khlenni as their oppressors. (useful?) The Khlenni government included a council, of which Helenntion was one of its last survivors. After ostensibly defeating the Deepness, the Lord Ruler -- Rashek, masquerading as Alendi -- took the throne of Khlennium and claimed to have made his trusted friends into noblemen, the descendants of whom were the nobility of the Final Empire. This was not actually the case -- (return to this)

Alendi's Journal

• Yet, it amazes me that anyone would give heed to a man who speaks such hatred. [Rashek] has never seen Khlennium, yet he curses the city. He does not know me, yet I can already see the anger and hostility in his eyes.
• Khlenni, the language of Khlennium—the ancient, pre-Ascension homeland of the Lord Ruler.
• Many think that my journey started in Khlennium, that great city of wonder. They forget that I was no king when my quest began. Far from it.

I think it would do men well to remember that this task was not begun by emperors, priests, prophets, or generals. It didn't start in Khlennium or Kordel, not did it come from the great nations to the east or the fiery empire of the West.

• You could say that circumstances forced me to leave my home behind — certainly, if I had stayed, I would now be dead. During those days — running without knowing why, carrying a burden I didn't understand — I assumed that I would lose myself in Khlennium and seek a life of indistinction.
• When we first met, [Kwaan] was studying one of his ridiculous interests in the great Khlenni library — I believe he was trying to determine whether or not trees could think.
• Though many Terrismen express a resentment of Khlennium, there is also envy. I have heard the packmen speak in wonder of the Khlenni cathedrals, with their amazing stained-glass windows and broad halls. They also seem very fond of our fashion — back in the cities, I saw that many young Terrismen had traded in their furs and skins for well-tailored gentlemen's suits.

Kwaan's Inscription

• I met Alendi first in Khlennium; he was a young lad then, and had not yet been warped by a decade spent leading armies.
• I employed [Alendi] as an assistant during his first months in the grand city.
• It wasn't until years later that I became convinced that Alendi was the Hero of Ages. Hero of Ages: the one called Rabzeen in Khlennium, the Anamnesor.
• I have a young nephew, one Rashek. He hates all of Khlennium with the passion of envious youth. He hates Alendi even more acutely—though the two have never met—for Rashek feels betrayed that one of our oppressors should have been chosen as the Hero of Ages.

WoA

• “The biography of Helenntion,” Tindwyl said. “One of the last survivors of the Council of Khlennium.”

Words of Founding

• [TLR] was able to take elements from a dozen different cultures and apply them to his new, "perfect" society. For instance, the architectural brilliance of the Khlenni builders is manifest in the keeps that the high nobility construct. Khlenni fashion sense—suits for gentlemen, gowns for ladies—is another thing the Lord Ruler decided to appropriate.

I suspect that despite his hatred of the Khlenni people—of whom Alendi was one—Rashek had a deep-seated envy of them as well. The Terris of the time were pastoral herdsmen, the Khlenni cultured cosmopolitans. However ironic, it is logical that Rashek's new empire would mimic the high culture of the people he hated.

• Yet, other elements of imperial culture were a complete contrast to Khlennium and its society. The lives of the skaa were modeled after the slave peoples of the Canzi. The Terris stewards resembled the servant class of Urtan, which Rashek conquered relatively late in his first century of life.
• I have already mentioned that Rashek chose to use Khlenni architecture, which allowed him to construct large structures and gave him the civil engineering necessary to build a city as large as Luthadel.
• Pocket watches—another Khlenni appropriation—that were made in the tenth century of the empire were nearly identical to those made during the first.

HoA

• Breeze stood up straight. “That’s easy, kandra,” he said, waving his cane. “Everyone knows that when the Lord Ruler took the throne of Khlennium, he made his trusted friends into noblemen. That’s why the nobility of the Final Empire were so pampered—they were the descendants of Rashek’s good friends.”

NOTE: WoA and HoA Ars Arcanum referred to Khlennium as an ancient kingdom and Alendi's homeland