From: matthew.malthouse@guardian.co.uk
Subject: Re: (urth) One more New Sun IAQ
Date: Wed, 9 May 2001 15:02:09 +0100



On 22/04/2001 14:18:42 Talarican wrote:

>(Shadow XXXV) As the players approach the Piteous Gate, Dr. Talos points out
>the abundant undeveloped meadowlands still available for use within the
>Wall. Baldanders shakes his head and replies "They were not for the growing
>of Nessus". What did Baldanders believe they were for? What WERE they for,
>then?


I take Baldander's "were" as deliberate, he's talking of the past. Then add what
we know of Nessus growing upstream - quite normal for urban areas with poor
sanitary planning where the wealthy who can afford to build do so where the
waters are less poluted, but an event of the (relatively) low-tech society much
later than that which built the wall originally.  Plus the human tendancy to
symetry along with hints about the early shape of Nessus.

What I get from all this odd arithmatic is that by design the wall was to
enclose not only the space port and city but also sufficient hinterland to feed
the population.  Think like the outer wall around the farm land at Minas Tirith.

So if originally there was both city and farm land with the wall the
contemporary reason for not building nearer than the Last Inn would be to
maintain a cordon or killing ground for clear fire from the Autarch's soldiers
housed within the wall.  This suggests that the emphasis has changed from
defending Nessus to containing it and its population.

Now, absolute off the wall speculation this but: the wall is circular is it not?
I can recall no hint at all in the text and it's likely that non exists but
might it originally have supported some hemispherical "force field" defence?  In
a society that could build it and which had functional space ships a defense
against ground attack - however impressive a defense - seems incomplete and
inadequate.

Matthew



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