Kevin's Watch

Doriendor Corishev is the ruined city that lies just south of Doom's Retreat, on the fringe of the Southron Wastes.

It was once the central city of the kingdom, from which (iirc) Berek and his queen hailed.

The ruins still exist to this day, and can be toured by fleeing armies.

I was just thinking :
a) Wouldn't there have to have been ruins of other towns and cities and whatnot? Surely DC wasn't the only population centre in the kingdom?
b) How incredibly verdant must that region have been, if people would rather set up a kingdom there, than in the nearby Land?
c) Do you think the name of the city is a reference to Washington DC? (I just thought of that one)?
d) Again, if the area was lusher at the time, why was the central hub built up towards the north end, close to the Southron Range and so on. What was there? Why not further out into the Southron region (obviously prior to it wasting). There was no mention of a dried up river, or anything like that. Wouldn't it have been more effective to have the central hub as a port city? The coastline apparently goes down along the side of the Southron Wastes.

Just more thoughts.

Well, the kingdom came from the south, and spread up into the Land. The capitol may have been further south at one time, and moved up to D.C., which may have been somewhat centrally located at that time.

That's possible, DC may have been only built as a more central point as the Land was being discovered and explored.

Landwaster wrote: a) Wouldn't there have to have been ruins of other towns and cities and whatnot? Surely DC wasn't the only population centre in the kingdom?
b) How incredibly verdant must that region have been, if people would rather set up a kingdom there, than in the nearby Land?
c) Do you think the name of the city is a reference to Washington DC? (I just thought of that one)?
d) Again, if the area was lusher at the time, why was the central hub built up towards the north end, close to the Southron Range and so on. What was there? Why not further out into the Southron region (obviously prior to it wasting). There was no mention of a dried up river, or anything like that. Wouldn't it have been more effective to have the central hub as a port city? The coastline apparently goes down along the side of the Southron Wastes.

A. Probably been rebuilt, or destroyed beyond repair
B. I like pies
C. As the people in the Land had no idea that Washington DC existed, I would hazard a guess that the answer is no.
D. This question is taking too much time to read.

Landwaster wrote: I was just thinking :
a) Wouldn't there have to have been ruins of other towns and cities and whatnot? Surely DC wasn't the only population centre in the kingdom?

Perhaps it is the only one with stone walls.

Landwaster wrote: b) How incredibly verdant must that region have been, if people would rather set up a kingdom there, than in the nearby Land?

Must have been a paradise. Andelain level.

Landwaster wrote: c) Do you think the name of the city is a reference to Washington DC? (I just thought of that one)?

I think that is a strong possiblility. Or not.

Landwaster wrote: d) Again, if the area was lusher at the time, why was the central hub built up towards the north end, close to the Southron Range and so on. What was there? Why not further out into the Southron region (obviously prior to it wasting). There was no mention of a dried up river, or anything like that. Wouldn't it have been more effective to have the central hub as a port city? The coastline apparently goes down along the side of the Southron Wastes.

That is probably where the other ruins would be found. Deeper into the wastes that were once lush and green as anything else. Kind of a shame really.

This is a question where Kins expertise might help, but I think a lot of the reason the ruins of DC are still around has to do with the geography. There's not much around that's going to grow over and hide the ruins. No ivy, no kudzu, not even much in the way of grass.

No, what you have to deal with here is wind and sand (cut down the trees, and that's what you're going to get... no natural windblock, increased soil erosion, etc.). Most of DC, as we saw it with Troy, is probably sitting under at least fifty feet of sand. Also, the description of the size of the ruins didn't lead me to believe that it could have nearly been the size of such a major capitol city. I think what we saw was something like an acropolis, the city on the hill (typical city planning from what I've seen of several european cities... easier to defend, mark of status, and so on), around which the bulk of what would have then been considered DC would've grown.

Was DC the capital or just the northern-most city in the old kingdom? Both?

Regardless, I thought that the time when the old kingdom was in full flower was when the Land was still the One Forest, or at least still mostly covered by the One Forest? In this case, it would have been too difficult to carve out space for a major city in the middle of a forest, especially if it were still The Forest and Caerroil Wildwood was threatening a sing-songy eldritch ghetto-thrashing.

DukkhaWaynhim

Your title is scary.

I'd been thinking of a parallel-frame thing, but I'll leave the explaination to the non-blonde experts.

Ok I'm getting a Canberra image here. I also am interested in knowing what kudzu is. I additionally like pies. Good idea that being on a hill, DC might have been a trophy city, rather than necessarily the hub.

Also, great point about the Land being a mass of trees and stuff. That would be why they didn't colonise it immediately, they had to get the clearfelling and woodchipping industries up and running first.

Great answers, folks! Enjoyed reading it all.

Ok...alot of good points here.I think in order to answer the question other than the Washington DC inference we have to look at the history of DC as related in the illearth war.DC was the result of a northern expansion from the south,it's placement was strategic due to it's placement along a natural south running ridge on the top of large hill with mountains to it's back,the perfectly defensible place with a view of any approaching enemies.You have to look at the best defense for the best offence.Now as was pointed out by syl....I think....the area was originally verdant but through years of wood harvest and the ruin of the one forrest...the area became desolate,wind driven and dry...the best conditions to preserve a once thriving accropolis,you have to remember this place was huge and made primarily of stone...thus it was prone to preservation.Ahhh I'm over talking but I think we get the reasoning..

Yeah I picked up on that after Syl mentioned it, northern expansion from the south ... that's the bit I didn't think of!

Landwaster wrote:Ok I'm getting a Canberra image here. I also am interested in knowing what kudzu is...

Kudzu is low-growing shrubby ground-cover, which will
a) keep your topsoil from blowing away in the wind, and
b) grow like crazy and take over your country if not kept in check by careful pruning.

I believe it originated in Japan, or some other Far Eastern country.

And this is the limit of Waynhim knowledge of kudzu.

DukkhaWaynhim

I just scanned through this topic, and then thought "I don't remember posting in here!" I started reading and thought " 'Ok a lot of good points here'? That doesn't sound like something I'd say... I'VE BEEN HIJACKED!" Then I realised it's just Wonderer with the same avatar... Time for a change for baby TC perhaps?

Headline News: CovenantJr and Wonderer were twins separated at birth, and now reunited on a fantasy author's fan chat-board.

Think of the amazing coincidence that brought them together. Or was it Fate at work?

NBC has already optioned the rights to a TV movie to cover the remarkable reunion....

DukkhaWaynhim
[Weird and proud of it]

Now I'm mounted, to distinguish us... Meet my Ranyhyn, Keith.

Hi Keith