Badger Buildings: Part Two in a Case Study of Worldbuilding in the Redwall Series

Hi everyone!

Here is part two of a series analyzing worldbuilding in the Redwall series by Brian Jacques. If you haven't read the first post yet, here is the link. Today, we will be thoroughly analyzing the two main locations of the Redwall series along with a brief about lesser, general locations throughout the books. Because this focuses on architecture, it will be a guide for you to learn how to develop your locations, emphasizing buildings, in your story.

WARNING: This series will contain blurbs from the actual books, so there will be multiple spoilers in this series. If you are planning on reading this series and want to avoid spoilers, please proceed with caution.

Breakdown of worldbuilding: Structures

When it comes to worldbuilding, you're going to want to make sure you have structures your characters live in or visit. As a result, it will be important they are adequately described to portray your world as realistic. 

Materials

The materials a building is made from will provide a certain mood for the setting. For example, Redwall Abbey is made from blocks of red sandstone, invoking an image of certain religious buildings in Russia or the palaces of China. The stony nature also gives it an air of regality and creates the image of a castle, which is ironic because a subplot in one of the books deals with the characters discovering the ruins of a castle underneath the abbey.

Alternatively, the mountain fortress of Salamandastron, which was a coastal stronhold built into a volcano, gives off an entirely different feel. The mountain is minimalistic in nature since its main halls and rooms were made from ancient caves and lava tubes, though there are additional rooms and towers carved into it. The grey volcanic stone gives it a unique feel, which creates unique character conflicts of individuals being called to Salamandastron, conquering it, or attempting to run away from it because of its isolation, strategic position, and history.

Ambiance

Redwall is an Abbey, which has a religious connotation to the structure. While Jacques did not detail much about the spiritual beliefs of the animals in the series, this builds a Medieval feel to the series because of abbeys' other purpose: abbeys and monasteries used to be institutions where intellectual individuals gathered, which reflects the capabilities of the abbey having detailed records about its history and that of Mossflower Wood. 

Now, contrast that to the fortress of Salamandastron. Because of the seismic activity, the inhabitants of Salamandastron had established themselves as master weaponsmiths. The mountain also receives a lot of traffic by pirates, coastal nomads, and sailors, which makes it the second most-important location in the world of Redwall. 

While the Redwallers are not pacifists, their need to fight for survival seems rare, leaving them in peace most of the time. However, Salamandastron, with its many invading fleets and bandit nomad clans frequently attacking it, gives off a more militant feel.

Moreover, some locations, such as many isolated homes of animals or small kingdoms, lack elaborate buildings, and are largely natural in their appearance. They used thatched or wicker buildings, if there are any permanent structures, or stretch pieces of cloth between trees. Moles, rabbits, and hares are also reported to have small burrows that remind me of Tolkien's Hobbit-holes. This harmony with nature gives it the feeling of rural England or North America, where large stretches of nature dominate the landscape while old, small buildings are scattered between the fields.

History (optional)

The history of a building also plays a role. What Redwall and Salamandastron both have in common are unique, complicated histories. They both have portions that are unexplored or sealed off, mysterious features that even the eldest, wisest, and most scholarly of the inhabitants cannot explain, and both have engaged in numerous, important wars, skirmishes, or land-changing events. As a result, both have epic tales of individuals who had lived there that inspire a strong sense of community and attachment to the locales.

Additionally, Redwall abbey was built on top of the ruins of a fortress that was the headquarters of an evil empire. The founders had demolished it, and built on top of the land, drawing the sandstone from a nearby quarry. The aftermath of these events are referenced in later books, which create additional sub-plots.

How Should One Utilize This Analysis of Structures to Enhance Their Own Writing?

Materials are important for a structure, and different materials are used depending on the purpose of a structure. Additionally, the nature of the inhabitants will affect the types of materials used since nomads will want portable, simple structures while a king may want a more elaborate residence.

When developing a location in your story, it is important to think about the connotations and ambiance. While the following scenario is not entirely possible, it seems less likely that an intelligence officer would meet with an underworld information dealer in a luxury apartment highrise during rush hour rather than an abandoned warehouse in the industrial zone of the city at midnight. So, when writing fantasy, make sure that the locations are consistent with the events. Additionally, certain locations have certain energies or tropes associated with them, so keeping these consistent will add realism to your story. Planning the layout of a structure in addition to the materials used can 

History is also important, as it plays a role in why a particular structure may be important. Developing a history of a location, even if it is as broad as a geographical region and as shallow as an important battle took place there or was the site of a historical empire, can have a significant impact on plot arcs in your story if the history contributes.

With that, that is all I have for today. Thank you for reading and happy writing!