Koom Valley: Difference between revisions

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'''Koom Valley''' is located north of [[Ankh-Morpork]]  in the near Ramtops. It is the site of the oft-told  [[Battle of Koom Valley]] and several more battles over the centuries, always between dwarfs and trolls.  
'''Koom Valley''' is located far north of [[Ankh-Morpork]]  in the near Ramtops. It is the site of the [[Battle of Koom Valley]] and several more battles over the centuries, always between dwarfs and trolls.  


The Battle of Koom Valley was the only battle in history where both sides supposedly ambushed the other, ending in a stalemate, with both sides endlessly accusing the other of treachery during peace talks. This occurred when the ancient dwarven king [[B'hrian Bloodaxe]] came to meet the ancient [[Diamond King|Diamond]] king of the trolls, to sign a peace-treaty, ending centuries of warfare between the two races. During the course of the peace talks, hot-heads on both sides instigated fighting that expanded beyond the leaders' grasp. In the midst of the battle, the most relentless rain Koom Valley ever endured stormed the valley for weeks and flooded the valley, quelling the fighting. In the aftermath, [[B'hrian Bloodaxe]] and some of his followers became trapped under the valley with [[Diamond King|Diamond]] and some of his trolls. Several of them passed the time playing [[Thud]], until eventually all were dead. The bodies can still be found below Koom Valley, encased in stone.
This wide valley is "basically a big drain, thirty-miles of soft limestone rock, edged by mountains of harder rock" — the Ramtops. The soft valley floor is constantly eroded by the rapidly flowing Koom River and by hundreds of encircling waterfalls. Water thunders down into the valley from a height of half-a-mile from "The Tears of the King" falls. The valley is riddled with sinkholes, pits, and caves; the landscape is changing constantly as waters flow above ground and below, making boulders shift and uprooting whole trees. Tourists often get lost, sustain injuries, and even die when hiking the valley. After the events of {{T!}} the Valley has become a tourist attraction; however, it is still a dangerously unstable place to walk.
 
The valley is basically a big drain, thirty-miles in circumference, surrounded by the foothills of the Ramtops. It is riddled with pits and holes; the landscape is changing constantly as waters flow above ground and below, making boulders shift and bits fall into other bits. Tourists often get lost, sustain injuries, and even die when hiking the valley. After the events of [[Thud!]] the Valley has become a tourist attraction; however, it is still no less dangerous.


A map of the valley was sketched by hiker [[Eric Wheelbrace]] in his book [[Walking in the Koom Valley]].
A map of the valley was sketched by hiker [[Eric Wheelbrace]] in his book [[Walking in the Koom Valley]].


After visiting Koom Valley, the maddened artist [[Methodia Rascal]] created "The Rascal" a 50-foot panascopic depiction of The Battle of Koom Valley, with annotations in the margins. The Ramkins eventually donated the painting to the Royal Art Museum. In {{T!}} the painting was stolen from the Royal Art Museum.  However, all was not lost, for when Sybil Ramkin was a schoolgirl she created a scaled-down replica of the painting.
After visiting Koom Valley and hearing voices, the maddened artist [[Methodia Rascal]] created a 50-foot panascopic illustration of the valley, showing in detail the  [[Battle of Koom Valley]], with annotations in the margins. The Ramkins eventually donated the painting to the Royal Art Museum (see {{T!}}).  When [[Sybil Ramkin]] was a schoolgirl she created a scaled-down replica of the painting.


Lady Sybil's school friend Bunty Wainsbury lives on the outskirts of Koom Valley with her husband, the local magistrate.
[[Sybil Ramkin|Lady Sybil's]] school friend [[Bunty Waynesbury]]  lives in [[Ham-on-Koom]] on the outskirts of Koom Valley with her husband, the local magistrate.


==Annotations==
==Annotations==
Koom Valley seems to be another redundancy joke, ''combe'' or ''coombe'' (Welsh: ''cwm'') being an old word for a valley of that shape. See also the Forest of [[Skund]].
Koom Valley seems to be another redundancy joke, ''combe'' or ''coombe'' (Welsh: ''{{wp|cwm (landform)|cwm}}'') being an old word for a valley of that shape. See also the Forest of [[Skund]].


It may also convey connotations of Doom Valley.
It may also convey connotations of Doom Valley.
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[[Category:Discworld geography]]
[[Category:Discworld geography]]
[[de:Koomtal]]
[[de:Koomtal]]
{{stub}}

Latest revision as of 11:46, 9 September 2021

Koom Valley is located far north of Ankh-Morpork in the near Ramtops. It is the site of the Battle of Koom Valley and several more battles over the centuries, always between dwarfs and trolls.

This wide valley is "basically a big drain, thirty-miles of soft limestone rock, edged by mountains of harder rock" — the Ramtops. The soft valley floor is constantly eroded by the rapidly flowing Koom River and by hundreds of encircling waterfalls. Water thunders down into the valley from a height of half-a-mile from "The Tears of the King" falls. The valley is riddled with sinkholes, pits, and caves; the landscape is changing constantly as waters flow above ground and below, making boulders shift and uprooting whole trees. Tourists often get lost, sustain injuries, and even die when hiking the valley. After the events of Thud! the Valley has become a tourist attraction; however, it is still a dangerously unstable place to walk.

A map of the valley was sketched by hiker Eric Wheelbrace in his book Walking in the Koom Valley.

After visiting Koom Valley and hearing voices, the maddened artist Methodia Rascal created a 50-foot panascopic illustration of the valley, showing in detail the Battle of Koom Valley, with annotations in the margins. The Ramkins eventually donated the painting to the Royal Art Museum (see Thud!). When Sybil Ramkin was a schoolgirl she created a scaled-down replica of the painting.

Lady Sybil's school friend Bunty Waynesbury lives in Ham-on-Koom on the outskirts of Koom Valley with her husband, the local magistrate.

Annotations

Koom Valley seems to be another redundancy joke, combe or coombe (Welsh: cwm) being an old word for a valley of that shape. See also the Forest of Skund.

It may also convey connotations of Doom Valley.

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