traveling north

James Wynn · 07 Jun 2010, 20:06 · from 2010-June.txt.gz

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From: crushtv at gmail.com (James Wynn)
Date: Mon, 07 Jun 2010 15:06:20 -0500
Subject: (urth) traveling north
In-Reply-To: <4C0D3932.5000805 at io.com>
References: <4C06DFE0.3040805 at sky.com>	<4C06E4C7.7020706 at sky.com><476916.92692.qm at web50707.mail.re2.yahoo.com><4C0AF273.7070303 at sky.com><009b01cb0535$75580760$9ace4a0c@rclackey><4C0C3D9C.4000106 at sky.com><006901cb0606$65730bc0$90cd4a0c@rclackey>	<AANLkTilZiqh--d3doAdMSKvpqq-lrOvb7loq2MYcKTwb at mail.gmail.com>	<00a301cb066a$9953d820$99d24a0c@rclackey>
	<4C0D3932.5000805 at io.com>
Message-ID: <4C0D513C.1090705 at gmail.com>

On 6/7/2010 1:23 PM, Jeff Wilson wrote:
> Obviously the Wall doesn't stop aerial assault, the Ascians could have 
> used some flyers that were subsequently destroyed by the Commonwealth 
> forces. 

Is that really obvious? The thickness of the wall suggests that it's 
purpose is not merely a physical barrier against ground-based assaults. 
Otherwise, if an invading force  over-topped it, the wall would become a 
high-ground from which to launch a more successful assaults on the rest 
of the territory.

The wall might be constructed *primarily* to prevent aerial and 
space-based assaults through some sort of protective dome (which is 
unnecessary in Severian's time). The Ascians might have been far more 
technologically advanced in Typhon's time. Anyway, protecting a city 
with a "mere" wall in Typhon's time strikes me as a bizarre anachronism.

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