(urth) traveling north

[James Wynn]

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.