The Liverpool Avalon is about as big as an Avalon can get. Most are small little one-shop affairs, like Eustace’s shop in Springfield.
The Liverpool Avalon is about as big as an Avalon can get. Most are small little one-shop affairs, like Eustace’s shop in Springfield.
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Now, now, Ike. Remember that Madame U pronounced Roc, Ziz, Simurgh and the like to be real. It’s not the number of people who’d like to stretch their
legwings now and then we’re talking about. ;-)I… accept the author’s Word of God, but people IN UNIVERSE saying “Liverpool is the biggest Avalon” feels wrong both from a logistical standpoint and rather… Eurocentrist.
The Eurocentrist point stands on its own. These people aren’t connected much, it seems, and “the biggest in Europe” and “the biggest in the world” are two very different things. I would more expect to find the largest Avalon in heavier populated regions like China or India. Or perhaps places where it’s easier to hide a population of powered shapeshifters and “monsters” like South America. I’d actually expect to find the ABSOLUTE largest somewhere in Africa, where humanity has been in close contact with non-humans for the longest.
From a logistical standpoint the Liverpool Avalon seems…nice? But, like, it seems replicable, and able to be scaled up somewhat. The magic involved wouldn’t be unknown, and they already solved most of the other problems.
It should be remembered that medallions were only distributed to European mythicals, and Avalons themselves themselves only exist to unite medallioned creatures. Other mythical species don’t have the same commonalities (or desires) to unify under dedicated communities the way the European creatures do.
Seems most non-European creatures have some kind of shape-shifting or illusory magic on top of that, do they also don’t need to learn how to integrate eith humans since they do so more or less naturally.
Yeah? Avalons are a European thing, same as medallions. Only a select few non-European species have medallions. Basically all Chinese mythical creatures are capable of shape-shifting, even in the actual mythology, it’s just a much more common thing over there.
what about wonderland?
I know Eustace is a Fox Totem. What would a Maned Wolf Totem look like? Show me the Leggy Boy Totem!
My current headcanon is that the avalon title is limited to safehouses or communities within a human populated area. Dogpatch, Wonderland, the harpy island Tony’s mother is from, and other villages or gatherings of mythical peoples either have their own designation or none at all. From what we have seen from the comic thus far I imagine that there are lots of unincorporated mythical communities out in the wilds of the world where humans rarely visit.
A previous reader question established that there is no governing body managing all of the disparate Avalons, and thus there is no real shared record of what mythical communities are out there. So who’s to say that there are not lots and lots of gatherings that have a larger population than the Liverpool Avalon.
Now I am imagining an avalon in the catacombs of Paris. A lot of those are inaccessible you know… So that would make it plausible to have a large underground avalon.
There’s also jungles that are almost completely inaccessible, so more avalon spots!
If there are not that many, how do they survive (gene diversity)?
1) Interbreeding with other species of mythicals and humans thanks to medallions.
2) You only need about 5000 members for a viable population.
Here’s a thought; what if some of the larger theme parks are actually built around different Avalons? Some have rather sophisticated underground facilities that could easily be segregated to allow both privacy and habitation areas. Heck, I wouldn’t be entirely surprised if some facilities, like Dogpatch or abandoned towns, are actually at their core, Avalons. Nearly abandoned skyscrapers in some cities, underused industrial parks? Really; world wide, there are enough abandoned, discontinued, or out right hidden locations, that a fairly substantial population of sentiments could hide and live fairly complete lives. Imagine how many costumed characters in some theme parks might actually be cryptic sentients in disguise. Wouldn’t it be amusing to find certain extremely tall, furry characters are actually sasquatches wearing masks?
Have you read Phil Foglio’s ‘The Night Sherriff’?
Not giving spoilers, but a sub-theme runs the question of what if a colony of gnomes ran maintenance at Disneyland? Among other THINGS.
Ack. misspelled ‘Sheriff’. oops
I would think that our National Parks in America can hide a TON of stuff, Then there is the Devil’s Hole, a cave so freaking large that when earthquakes happen all the way across the earth we can see it in the hole. (It can’t be explored due to this, it might be the biggest cave system ever.) I could guess that it could hold an avalon. Plus it is isolated in the desert. Then there is Yellowstone of course, and other national parks like that with a LOT of acres of woodlands and empty places. Like just acres and acres of empty desert people never walk or ride across. Perfcect for avalons!
How about a Yule cat? I’m for the version that eats the people without new clothes. Would a Yule cat be a fashionista?
Wait havent we seen that there are islands that are sanctuary’s? Also who knows how big wonderland is, not that there are that many people willing to explore the wylds of wonderland.
I think there was also very, very brief mention of underwater cities full of aquatics, but can’t recall if it was the comic itself or one of these sketch arcs.
Still, even when they got mentioned, I think there was a disclaimer that they basically have zero to do with the land for security anyway.
Just need Alec popping up to be all, “Actually, have you ever red Journey to the Centre of the Earth? That’s totally about the world’s biggest avalon underground! I swear! Bugbears guard it!”