So has anyone else wondered why it is that Vandalia Citadel has apparently suffered so much? I mean, it seems to be one of the furthest citadels from the High Bleaks and First Warren both.
The only thing that I want to know about Vandalia is how it's spelled/pronounced. In my copy of Ember Rising, it's spelled "Vandalia" on the map and "Wandalia" in the book. I presume it was just a typo but I'm still unsure as to which it is in reality.
Language changes, York in the UK at one point was Jorvick, and before that Eoforwic. As time passes, Dopple's Point could become Dobble's Point, as names change as generations pass, and the names become corrupted by new pronunciations, and as people (or rabbits) move about, and intermingle and marry (as surely the local rabbits and the Treckers did) and as their languages and pronunciations become conflated. Look at English people in the UK and the US can and do pronounce place names differently.
Well, this is why you go for a PhD. So that, in the middle of the night when you can not sleep you spend time researching why places exist, to write overly complicated explanations for a question that a simple answer would suffice. When you should probably be sleeping or doing real work.
Just because Vandalia is far away from the High Bleaks and First Warren does not mean that it is in a safer location, there is a lot the maps and the books do not tell up about the world of the Green Ember. Do to that I will apply what I know about history and the reason for the development of cities and military fortifications, and for both it all about location, location, location. Cities and fortifications are not developed for any old reason or in any old place, they exist in that location for three major reasons (at least in the time eras in our history most like the quasi Medieval/Renaissance/Early Modern time era the books are set in), either for trade, to exert political or military control, or protect strategic locations. To explain, I will examine several different locations in the real world, first will be London. London exists because of trade, it is at the head of navigation (the farthest an ocean-going vessel can sail up a river) on the Themes. Because this is the farthest any seagoing vessel can go up the river the Romans established London not only to be able to trade but also to control the trade on that river. Another reason for the establishment of a city or fortification is to control or protect trade on established trading routes, an example of this is Kerak Castle in Jordan. The other major reason for the establishment of cities or fortifications is to exert political or military control or a region, Urquhart Castle in Scotland and Edward I’s castles in Whales are good examples of this, as all those were built to pacify a region and gain control of that area. The final reason to build a city or castle (most likely a castle) is to protect a strategic location, Bothwell Castle in Scotland was to guard a strategic crossing point (a ford) of the River Clyde.
Now that we have discussed WHY things like castles are built, let us consider Vandalia Citadel. The maps, do show roads, and one thing jumps out right away, Vandalia is on a major (the only marked) north-south road, and it is in a region of hills/mountains and it near(ish) a river. This means that Vandalia is very strategically important, as it A) defends a major route for trade, the road, and maybe the river as well (I think it is safe to assume there are other realms of rabbits out there and trade happens). B) It might be in a region of mineral exploitation (say iron mining) that needs to be defended, C) it might defend passes and or a river crossing. I also think that it is safe to say that Vandalia also asserts political and military control over the region. All of this combined means that Vandalia is very important, and is likely under a lot of military pressure, as its fall would hurt the Resistance a great deal, and grant Morbin greater economic as well as military and political control over the woodlands, and as an added befit could interdict or cut off any trade the Resistance engaged in with other realms and regions. This is why, I would imagine, that Vandalia has suffered so much.
I hope that helped and was not too dense if anyone wants a greater explanation I can do so if desired. Let me know if my explanation helped at all, or just left you more confused. If you would like a short but interesting primer for some of this I would suggest David Macaulay book “Castle” and the PBS adaptation, which discusses a fictional Welsh castle built under the direction of Edward I.
The only thing that I want to know about Vandalia is how it's spelled/pronounced. In my copy of Ember Rising, it's spelled "Vandalia" on the map and "Wandalia" in the book. I presume it was just a typo but I'm still unsure as to which it is in reality.
He certainly have a well-though conclusion that seems to be right on spot.
Just because Vandalia is far away from the High Bleaks and First Warren does not mean that it is in a safer location, there is a lot the maps and the books do not tell up about the world of the Green Ember. Do to that I will apply what I know about history and the reason for the development of cities and military fortifications, and for both it all about location, location, location. Cities and fortifications are not developed for any old reason or in any old place, they exist in that location for three major reasons (at least in the time eras in our history most like the quasi Medieval/Renaissance/Early Modern time era the books are set in), either for trade, to exert political or military control, or protect strategic locations. To explain, I will examine several different locations in the real world, first will be London. London exists because of trade, it is at the head of navigation (the farthest an ocean-going vessel can sail up a river) on the Themes. Because this is the farthest any seagoing vessel can go up the river the Romans established London not only to be able to trade but also to control the trade on that river. Another reason for the establishment of a city or fortification is to control or protect trade on established trading routes, an example of this is Kerak Castle in Jordan. The other major reason for the establishment of cities or fortifications is to exert political or military control or a region, Urquhart Castle in Scotland and Edward I’s castles in Whales are good examples of this, as all those were built to pacify a region and gain control of that area. The final reason to build a city or castle (most likely a castle) is to protect a strategic location, Bothwell Castle in Scotland was to guard a strategic crossing point (a ford) of the River Clyde.
Now that we have discussed WHY things like castles are built, let us consider Vandalia Citadel. The maps, do show roads, and one thing jumps out right away, Vandalia is on a major (the only marked) north-south road, and it is in a region of hills/mountains and it near(ish) a river. This means that Vandalia is very strategically important, as it A) defends a major route for trade, the road, and maybe the river as well (I think it is safe to assume there are other realms of rabbits out there and trade happens). B) It might be in a region of mineral exploitation (say iron mining) that needs to be defended, C) it might defend passes and or a river crossing. I also think that it is safe to say that Vandalia also asserts political and military control over the region. All of this combined means that Vandalia is very important, and is likely under a lot of military pressure, as its fall would hurt the Resistance a great deal, and grant Morbin greater economic as well as military and political control over the woodlands, and as an added befit could interdict or cut off any trade the Resistance engaged in with other realms and regions. This is why, I would imagine, that Vandalia has suffered so much.
I hope that helped and was not too dense if anyone wants a greater explanation I can do so if desired. Let me know if my explanation helped at all, or just left you more confused. If you would like a short but interesting primer for some of this I would suggest David Macaulay book “Castle” and the PBS adaptation, which discusses a fictional Welsh castle built under the direction of Edward I.