Dreamcasting the world of The Wheel of Time
By John Fallon
Pompeii Ruins in Italty as Shadar Logoth
Once the great city of Aridhol, Shadar Logoth was destroyed during the Trolloc Wars, and now harbors an evil so great it rivals the Shadow against which the people once fought. The city is broken, but what is left standing is magnificent: marble palaces topped with huge domes, bronze fountains, statues and towers.
When looking for a filming location for Shadar Logoth, the obvious thing to do is look up some of the largest ruins in the region. Trosky Castle in Czech Republic or Grad Kamen in Slovenia are fine choices, but it didn’t do Shadar Logoth justice in terms of grandiosity. It’s a city, after all, not just a castle.
I found a better option in Italy, in the ghostly ruins of ancient Pompeii. Here you will find the ruins befitting of Shadar Logoth. Life came to a stop in this splendid Roman center nearly 2,000 years ago, when it was destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. Amazon may have to insert some new structures, but the area still has the remnants of elegant villas, modest houses, workshops, and more.
It’s a beautiful city brought to ruin. It’s perfect.