File:Four Cities.jpg

Summary[edit]

Kabsal's evidence of the existence of the Almighty included this drawing of four cities and noting their natural symmetry.

It includes drawings of Akinah, Thaylen City, Vedenar, and Kholinar.

The picture and accompanying text that Kabsal shows Jasnah and Shallan after his demonstration with the sand on the vibrating plate. Shown is a bird’s eye view of the four cities in question. Akinah looks like a flower, with a round center building and ten large city blocks around it like petals. Thaylen City is roughly diamond shaped with large roads running from the four points towards the centre. Two roads follow the contours of the city, one closer to the outer edges and one further in. Kabsal is taking some creative liberties in describing this as a star. Vedenar’s centre has six roads that start at the centre of the city and point outwards. These roads don’t run all the way to the edges of the city but terminate halfway in triangular shaped squares. This gives each the look of an arrow pointing out from the centre. Each of the tips is connected to its closest neighbour by a short semi-circular road. And to the next tips over by a longer semi-circular road. The whole thing looks a bit like how the petals of a rose are nested together. Kholinar I find hard to describe, it doesn’t have as clear a pattern as the others and I don’t recognize the windblades in this picture. The whole city is shaped like a rounded triangle, with the tip pointing up. In the centre of the city are several blocks that form a triangle with the tip pointing down. This divides the city in three sections. Each of the sections has its own layout. In the middle of each of the city’s three sides is a gate with a large open square close by.

Transcription[edit]

“Analysis of four world cities and their underlying forms based on city plans found in the archives of the Palanaeum, Kharbranth.

Akinah

When one removes the current streets and main byways of Akinah, Thaylen City, Vedenar, and Kholinar and combines the street blocks into larger shapes, leaving behind the natural rock formations upon which these cities were originally built, the underlying pattern of the stone becomes more clear.

Thaylen City

The divine ten-part symmetry of Akinah is accentuated when the shape of the city is viewed from above, Amidst the lines of Thaylen City, a star pattern emerges. Twisting streets of Vedenar become an organized pattern of arrows and circles.

Vedenar

In the case of Kholinar, even the city walls follow the contours of the subcartograpal rock formations know as the windblades. The walls incorporate the formations, using them to augment the defensive strength of the city.

Kholinar

I am left wondering if this is a strange coincidence. And if not, then what doe sit all mean?

-- The Scholar, Kabsal”

—transcription