Redwall Compendium

com·pen·di·um (k

m-p

m)
n. pl. com·pen·di·ums or com·pen·di·a (-d

)

A short, complete summary; an abstract.
A list or collection of various items.

-Dictionary.com

The Compendium is actually a medieval research project I started in July 2001. It connects Redwall components with their real-life (and usually medieval) counterparts, giving information on both, while giving me an excuse to research medieval times in preparation for writing more medieval fantasy (both currently ongoing stories as well as future ones). Below is information on each individual section of the Compendium.

The Compendium began as the Beastiary. I'd had the idea for a site with information on Redwall species in our world and in the Redwall world when I first stumbled on the ROC, back in 1997, but I was terrible at making websites, and it never got off the ground. When I came back to the ROC in June 2001, I decided to make the Beastiary. Then I got more ideas for other Redwall resources, and I've always had poor self-control, so... but that's a different story.

You may have realized that the word is supposed to be "bestiary," not "beastiary." Why'd I misspell it? Well, I thought it'd look more Redwall-ish if I used "beastiary." After all, the Redwallers say "everybeast" this and "otherbeast" that, and it just seemed to fit. (I'll tell you a secret- the real reason is that I made the Beastiary banner and misspelled it on that, and then was too lazy to go back and fix it...)

Once the Beastiary was finished, I had an idea for another real world/Redwall resource: a weaponry resource. (You'd think I liked working myself to death... bright idea, indeed.) So the Armory was born, and as I was working on it, I had many other ideas for future research projects. That was when I created the Compendium.

Technically, I finished the Armory on January 4, 2002. But it rounds off to December, and that keeps me to my self-imposed deadline of three months per section. With this slow dial-up internet (I was spoiled by my cable modem back in Massachusetts), that deadline may lengthen quite a bit - especially since my parents decided I've been spending too much time on the computer and are limiting my computer time...

I decided the most interesting section looked like the Redwall Troupe - ships and strategy and architecture aren't exactly fascinating to me. So I began the Troupe, which is pretty much a cultural resource. Clothing, music, entertainment, recording, art, etc.

Actually, I began the Troupe at the tail end of January and finished it on May 4th, but that's close enough to February and April that I just rounded it off. Like the Armory, that kept me to three months per section as well.

For the next section, I held a visitor poll. It was either the Blueprints, the Shipyards, or the War Room, and people chose the Blueprints. Architecture...! Why would people want to read about architecture?! It turned out not to be too boring - just tedious on occasion, is all. The Blueprints holds information on Redwall and medieval architecture - castles, forts, religious buildings and the like.

I started the Blueprints in late June but since I always seem to round the dates off to the next month, I rounded this one to August ahead of time. It was completed on time for once - October 31st. Wow, an improvement.

Once finished, the Shipyards will be about all things nautical, from ships to docks to navigation.

The ROC University contains interviews, articles, and tutorials from all over the ROC, all about the ROC.

This'll hold information on Redwall and medieval medicines, herbology, wilderness survival, etc.