| The Eternal City | |
|---|---|
|
Location |
Underneath the Thames River in London |
|
Built |
Roman times |
The Eternal City is a large underground city that lies beneath London, more specifically, the Thames River. It is huge, expanding a huge cavern underground, with many features. However, it is abandoned and filled with plague from the Plague Snails that thrive there. Despite being abandoned, it is guarded by the Styx Division patrols with their Stalker dogs. Will Burrows and his brother Cal enter it during book 1, and it appears in some of the later books.
History and role in the series:[]
The Eternal City was built thousands of years ago as a stronghold underground by the Bruteans (Trojans). Topsoil London was built above. However, the City's entrances were eventually blocked up and the stones marking them were lost. The City was then abandoned after that to the current day. The ancestors of the Styx lived in the City (and possibly expanded it), but a plague made them escape and go to The Colony. Over the centuries, the Styx have occasionally done work in the Eternal City, such as having the Scientists collect plagues for testing and use on Topsoil.
Tunnels:[]
After talking to Uncle Tam, Will and Cal form a plan to escape the Colony through the Eternal City. Will has to go through it without a mask though, as he gave his to Cal. They go through a maze of tunnels until they eventually find the City. Will becomes awed by the grandeur and splendor of the forgotten place. He and Cal avoid the Styx Division and head Topsoil, to stock up on supplies and make sure Will is healthy. When they go back, a thick fog is obsurring their vision. The Styx Division then catches them and a Stalker bites Will's arm. Bartleby fights it off while Tam and Imago shelter them. When the Crawfly and Styx Division catch them, Tam and the Crawfly duel withough respirators. Tam wins, but stays behind in the City to fight off the remaining Styx, dying in the process. Will, Cal, and Imago flee the Eternal City and head into the Labyrinth.
Closer:[]
The Eternal City isn't explored again until Closer. Drake and Eddie plan to plant pestecide bombs there to kill the Plague Snails that make the Styx's viruses. They access the City through a Topsoil entrance. Much like Will, Drake is amazed by the abandoned sight, which Eddie navigates him through. The duo knocks out a Styx Division patrol and sets the pesticide bombs. The planted bombs work successfully, and the Plague Snails are killed. However, Drake learns the truth about Eddie (he killed a close friend of his while he was younger), and he knocks him out with a poison dart, leaving him in the City. Drake escapes with Chester through the Labyrinth.
Terminal:[]
The Eternal City appears one last time in the final book. During the Recall War, the Styx blew open the cavern above the City. This causes a large portion of London to get destroyed while the Thames pours into the huge void. The explosion kills the Prime Minister and his cabinet of assistants, plus an unknown amount of Topsoilers. The water from the Thames then flows through the Labyrinth and heads towards the Colony. The Eternal City is no more.
It is unknown what happens to the Eternal City's massive void after the Recall War.
Description[]
Everywhere...the stone was decorated with carvings and inscriptions. And he saw the decay; the masonry was crumbling and fractured. It cried out with abandonment and neglect. Yet the buildings still sat proudly...they had an aura of immense power to them. Power...and an ancient and decadent menance.
-Tunnels
The Eternal City as depicted in a Polish interactive game of the series.
Despite its state, the Eternal City still has a type of power to itself. It was presumably built in Doric or Corinthian styles, as Will noted the pillars' design and the style of buildings. Towers, squares, and palace-like buildings are everywhere. The whole city glows a bright green due to bioluminescent plants growing around the cavern
Native Creatures[]
- Plague Snails
- A carnivorous fungus capable of moving around
- Bioluminescent plants
Minecraft Map[]
There is an Eternal City-themed map for the video game Minecraft. You play as Will, trying to find your father and the Eternal City while escaping from the Styx. The gameplay videos can be found at this link: