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.

Geography

South of Terris (not clear how far). Land is mostly flat without mountains, and looks dreary.
Between the isles in the South to the Terris hills in the North.
Nor did it come from the great nations to the east or the fiery empire of the West. Which implies that Khlennium and Kordel are situated relatively central.

"Rashek moved the Well of Ascension, obviously. It was very clever of him—perhaps the cleverest thing he did. He knew that the power would one day return to the Well, for power such as this—the fundamental power by which the world itself was formed—does not simply run out. It can be used, and therefore diffused, but it will always be renewed.

So, knowing that rumors and tales would persist, Rashek changed the very landscape of the world. He put mountains in what became the North, and named that location Terris. Then he flattened his true homeland, and built his capital there."

Conclusion: Khlennium was situated south of what became Luthadel.

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 an unknown time. A couple of years later, Kwaan came to realize that Alendi fit the Terris prophecies and must be the Hero of Ages. Initially the other Worldbringers met Kwaan with scorn but after a while, during which Alendi fueled these rumours and Ruin slightly altered the prophecies to fit Alendi, 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 several nations (including Terris), some by diplomacy and others by conquering them. Except for a few dissenters, Alendi was able to create a general unity on Scadrial under reign of Khlennium.

After Alendi spent a decade leading armies, the Terris Worldbringers decided that Alendi, the assumed Hero of Ages, should set forth to the Well of Ascension and give up its power in the name of the greater good. However, Kwaan realised that some being deceived them all by altering the prophecies, but he couldn't convince Alendi that the power at the Well should not be released. Therefore he instructed his nephew Rashek, a Terris packman who was Alendi's guide in the Terris mountains, to kill Alendi before they reached the Well of Ascension. Rashek did this, and used the Well's power himself.

During the Final Empire

Khlennium after ascension ...
When Rashek returned from the Well of Ascension, he actively impersonated someone he was not, presumably Alendi.

//

During the classical era of Scadrial, Khlennium was a city and kingdom of great importance. It eventually came to be ruled by Alendi, who was presumed to be the Hero of Ages. Under his leadership, Khlennium united with several nations (including Terris) through both diplomacy and conquest in order to combat the growing threat of the Deepness.

After the Ascension, Rashek, impersonating Alendi, assumed the throne of Khlennium.

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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