Character Analysis
(Avoiding Spoilers)
Grew up… rich, as a member of the noble Venture family. However, money can't buy happiness, and despite being the heir to the family’s fortune, Elend and his father don't care much for each other. Elend despises his father’s way of doing things – especially his idea to beat a younger Elend to find out if he had magic powers. He didn’t.
Living… in Luthadel, the capital city. Elend spends his time annoying his father, reading, and secretly meeting with a group of young noblemen who want to change the political system. The Lord Ruler rules over a tyrannical, oppressive government, and Elend would especially like to see a democracy in its place.
Profession… nobleman, but he’s not very good at it. Elend's completely unrepentant about it, though, bringing books to balls when he comes at all. When newcomer Vin asks him about it, he just tells her, “My behavior is… deplorable. Unfortunately, I'm quite prone to such bouts of deplorability. Take for instance, my fondness for reading books at the dinner table.”
Interests… philosophy and politics. Elend spends all his time reading, but it's not poetry he's interested in. Rather, Elend’s dedicated to the idea of building a more egalitarian society, and he hopes to find some good ideas from his books. He’ll have to run that idea by the tyrant Lord Ruler, of course, but why think that far ahead?
Relationship Status… single. He has yet to meet a noblewoman who interests him. Vin does, though, and she doesn’t seem interested in just his title, so perhaps Elend has finally found someone he could love.
Challenge… putting his idealistic dreams into action. Elend has always wanted to change the world. But when Vin offers him a chance to actually do it, will he be able to come out of the library and put his money where his mouth is?
Personality… sarcastic, idealistic, and intelligent. Elend constantly disappoints his father, getting into scrapes and flouting etiquette, but Elend doesn't mind; he sees Lord Straff Ventire as nothing more than an emotionless and harsh man. A true scholar, Elend enjoys talking about lofty ideals and political theory, but it remains to be seen whether he has the fortitude to make his dreams a reality.
Get to Know him in...
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For a thousand years the ash fell and no flowers bloomed. For a thousand years the Skaa slaved in misery and lived in fear. For a thousand years the Lord Ruler, the "Sliver of Infinity," reigned with absolute power and ultimate terror, divinely invincible. Then, when hope was so long lost that not even its memory remained, a terribly scarred, heart-broken half-Skaa rediscovered it in the depths of the Lord Ruler's most hellish prison. Kelsier "snapped" and found in himself the powers of a Mistborn. A brilliant thief and natural leader, he turned his talents to the ultimate caper, with the Lord Ruler himself as the mark. Kelsier recruited the underworld's elite, the smartest and most trustworthy allomancers, each of whom shares one of his many powers, and all of whom relish a high-stakes challenge. Only then does he reveal his ultimate dream, not just the greatest heist in history, but the downfall of the divine despot. But even with the best criminal crew ever assembled, Kel's plan looks more like the ultimate long shot, until luck brings a ragged girl named Vin into his life. Like him, she's a half-Skaa orphan, but she's lived a much harsher life. Vin has learned to expect betrayal from everyone she meets, and gotten it. She will have to learn to trust, if Kel is to help her master powers of which she never dreamed. This saga dares to ask a simple question: What if the hero of prophecy fails?
