Week One: Mapping Imagined Worlds

"Assignment for Next Week: Read one of the Books of Oz from the original canon. Using any of the maps of Oz as a general container, select a specific area and create the map of a small village that exists in that spot. Using detailing that is consistent with the OZ canon, write an entry for the Oz travelogue that describes the village and some of its most prominent inhabitants. 

''Include some details of the most significant buildings and describe some of the domiciles of the important townfolk. Use at least one character from the canon to help populate the village but make sure it contains some original characters that you invent. Don't use a specific place already described in the books, do some building out of the canonical Oz World."''

An 'Excerpt' from The Emerald City of Oz
Dorothy, Bellina, and Toto reluctantly left the pleasant and accommodating village of Bunnybury with its high marble walls, but it really was time for them to get going. They waved goodbye to the Keeper as they left and made their way back along the narrow path to the signpost. Toto appeared a bit restless from being cooped up inside with Bellina and the Keeper and bounded and scrambled around more than was necessary. He would stray off the path and circle eventually circle back around to it but each time the little dog seemed to wander a little bit farther.

“Toto you silly dog, we need to stay on the path,” Dorothy chastised, stepping off the path herself to retrieve her wayward dog. But as she looked around in the overgrown grass, she could see no hide nor tail of the little black pup. “Toto!” Dorothy called, stepping just one more step away from the narrow path when the earth gave way and seemed to disappear beneath her. She squealed and tumbled, falling into a large hole that had been hidden from her view by the overgrown grass of the forest. She heard the distant startled cluck-clucking of Bellina as she slid down and down the hole. Then, she suddenly landed with a responding thump at the very bottom of the hole. Dorothy stood, or stood as much as she could, for the small cavern she now found herself in was not quite tall enough to stand up straight in, but was bigger than she could have anticipated. It was, however, dreadfully dark. There was a small shaft of light that came down from the hole from which she fell, but it did not do much to inform Dorothy of her surroundings. She felt something brush against her leg, and although she could not see particularly well, a following bark informed her that she had found Toto.

“Now look what you’ve done,” Dorothy sighed at the mutt. Toto whined and she scratched his head to comfort him. Now they just had to find a way out. “If only we had a bit more light.”

As if on command, the small cavern suddenly filled with warm light. Dorothy blinked at the sudden brightness and looked around to see where it had come from. At the end of the small cavern she could now see an opening leading somewhere further underground, and blocking that opening was a small squad rabbits, just as queer as the ones she had just left behind, or perhaps even more so. There were five in the party, two of which carried large, flickering lanterns, the source of the light, two of which carried sharp and dangerous looking spears, and one who stood at the front, carrying two curved and jagged blades. All of the pointy ends of the weapons were currently pointed at Dorothy and Toto. “State your business, intruder,” snarled the rabbit with the blades. Although on closer inspection, she was quite a queer rabbit, or perhaps not even a rabbit at all. She looked like a rabbit, but was a quite a bit larger; still shorter than Dorothy herself but larger than the rabbits of Bunnybury. She was colored a dusty brown, with a few white patches here and there and had beady black eyes which were focused on Dorothy. She stood upright as the bunnies of Bunnybury, and it wore garments, but of a much more tattered and plain sort. She and her companions also seemed to be wearing small sets of leather armor on their shoulders and breasts. But perhaps the most apparent oddity of these not-rabbits where their large and varying antlers that grew from the tops of their heads. Dorothly was so enchanted by their magnificent antlers that she forgot that the most dangerous looking not-rabbit had asked her a question. It pressed closer to her, blades drawn.

“I said, state your business, or be convicted of trespassing and rightly punished,” the not-rabbit repeated. Dorothy brushed off her clothes and made to address the not-rabbit.

“I am Dorothy, Princess of Oz and friend of Ozma. I did not mean to intrude upon you, I was following my dog and we both happened upon here by way of falling. You see, I am a bit lost and was only trying to find my way back to the rest of my friends.” The not-rabbit looked to her compatriots and signaled for their weapons to be stowed. Then she turned to Dorothy.

“I am General Dustyfur of the Jacklope Contingent of Jackalow,” the Jackalope returned briskly, performing a quick bow to Dorothy. “I can tell that you are being sincere in your circumstance and apologize for our aggressive actions, but as prey creatures you understand that we must be vigilant.” General Dustyfur turned toward the opening. “Come, we will take you to High Commander Wolpertinger of Jackalow. He will decide how to aide you and your dog to get you safely back to your friends.”

“Toto can come too? In Bunnybury he wasn’t allowed to come, on account of him scaring all the rabbits.” All of the Jackalopes bristled and grew tense at the mention of Bunnybury. General Dustyfur  glanced back and glared at Dorothy.

“Well we jackalopes are not as timid and cowardly as the pampered weaklings of Bunnybury. You’ll do well not to talk about that place around here,” she spat in contempt.

“Well, that’s quite rude, the people of Bunnybury were lovely to me and my friends and I think it unfair that you say things like that. Just because they live in a nice place and don’t have to live underground anymore,” Dorothy defended, crossing her arms. General Dustyfur whiled around, her two blades gripped tightly in her paws.

“It is because of the lovely rabbits in Bunnybury that we must live underground,” she hissed, turning away from Dorothy and starting to lead the party out of the small cavern. The tunnel on the other side of the exit hole was wide and tall enough for Dorothy to stand fully upright as they walked. Toto kept close at her heals and one of the lantern bearing jackalopes walked along behind her as they went.

“The rabbits in that town are not as nice as you have been lead to believe,” the General continued. “I myself once lived in Bunnybury, as did some of the other Jackalopes here. Many of us were born to normal rabbit parents, and we looked like normal rabbits when we were younger but grew antlers as we grew older.” The little squad continued walking down the tunnel.

“They didn’t make you leave because you had antlers did they?” Dorothy queried. The General smiled ruefully. “At first no one minded. The antlers were odd and unnatural for many, but so were rabbits wearing clothes and living in civilized society to begin with. That wishy-washy Rabbit King was excited for something new and wild in Bunnybury at first. But then he and everyone else soon began to worry. Glinda, when creating Bunnybury, had asked specifically for all white and pink eyed rabbits. We jackalopes were not only not-rabbits, but many of us were predisposed to fur colors and patterns that were not strictly white. The normal rabbits of Bunnybury worried that us being there would drive them out of Glinda’s good graces and she would no longer protect the city with her magic if she ever found us there.” The squad arrived at a large wooden door with brass bars and bolts. General Dustyfur turned to Dorothy.

“We were asked to leave, and when we did not, we were forced to leave. Those of us driven out banded together and founded our own village deep underground and called it Jackalow. She pointed with a paw to the sign above the large wooden door that proclaimed exactly that. THE PROUD VILLAGE OF JACKALOW it read. Dorothy did not know how to respond. She did not wish to think ill of the rabbits of Bunnybury, but she also did not agree with what they did to the jackalopes. General Dustyfur seemed to understand her silence and sighed. She turned back to the door and made a series of knocks and scratches on its surface. After a few moments the massive door creaked slowly open and the party entered the underground village.

Dorothy stared in awe at the large cavern they now found themselves in. The top of the cavern was high above them and it was filled with enough light to almost make it feel like they were outside and it was daytime. The door creaked shut behind them and Dorothy saw a strong doorman jackalope turning a large crank that apparently open and closed the heavy door.

Jackalow was a surprisingly bustling town. Dorothy saw jacklopes of many colors and fur patterns all with unique and different swirling, curling, branching, or broad antlers. They all wore much less splendid apparel, and looked to essentially be wearing peasant clothes of cheap but sturdy materials. Male and female jackalopes alike work tunics and breeches. A few here and there had dresses and coats on, but clearly function was more important than fashion to the citizens of Jackalow. Dorothy also spotted a few other jackalopes dressed in leather armor like the General’s, assumedly other members of the Jackalope Contingent.

General Dustyfur continued to lead Dorothy through the crowds of Jackalopes as Dorothy continued to observe the city, turning her attention to the humble but architecturally remarkable buildings that made up the village. All of the houses and buildings in Jackalow seemed to be carved out of stone and built into the walls of the cavern. There were stone staircases that lead to levels and levels of decently size stone houses and locales. Thick wood made for doors and for bridges that connected some of the upper levels to one another. Strong metal framed the cavern, presumably to hold it all up. Dorothy could also see brass adornments and other intricate metalwork adding a slightly more artistic flare to the otherwise minimalist stone buildings. Buildings that weren’t directly attached to the walls of the cavern were carved out of or built into thick stalagmites on the cavern’s floor. Dorothly also caught sight of many other large wooden doors on the sides of the cavern, indicating there were other branching tunnel systems that all lead to this central city.

General Dustyfur lead Dorothy up a huge flight of stone steps to the larges structure in the cavern. It was reminiscent of a temple, with many intricately carved pillars depicting jackalopes. Inside, the stone floor was polished to a reflective shine and her footsteps echoed loudly in the vast and empty entryway. They arrived at a large set of double doors, that two guards opened upon seeing the General and a stranger.

“The High Commander Wolpertinger will host you from now until you depart,” she stated as they waited for the enormous doors to open. “You will be given food and respite and then he will send you with others who can lead you out and back to the path you were on.” The doors fully opened then and the two went inside, Toto following, but the rest of General Dustyfur’s squadron staying behind. Inside the doors was what Dorothy could only classify as a throne room, although it was the least decadent throne room she had ever seen, being use to the splendor of the Emerald Kingdom.

There was a large, polished wood table right in front of a heavy, high backed chair that was only moderately adorned with brass. Sitting in the chair was a very large reddish brown rabbit-like creature. He was larger than any of the jackalopes Dorothy had seen and had more queer attributes than just antlers. His antlers were magnificent thick and broad like a moose’s, and the sharper tines were tipped with metal. He had large, vicious looking fangs that jutted out of his mouth, even while closed. And the strangest and perhaps most magnificent thing about him were the large, sleek, eagle-like wings that were folded at his back. He wore splendid and beautifully crafted leather armor and there was a thick green cloak, that he was not wearing, but was draped over the arm of his chair. He was imposing for sure and a tad ferocious looking, but Dorothy could see that his eyes were kind.

“High Commander, my apologies for the unannounced visit. This is Princess Dorothy of Oz, friend of Ozma. My squadron found her while on patrol in the southwest tunnel. “ The Wolpertinger stood from his chair and spread out his arms.

“Welcome,” he boomed in a deep, throaty voice, “Princess Dorothly to Jackalow. How may I be of service to you.”