Vandau
Anvil of War
Classification (multiple allowed)
Mining World
Sector / Segmentum
Segmentum Obscurus
Description
A mining world, home of the First Vandauer Shaft Rifles. Whoever works underground on Vandau hangs his tally on a nail; a tally keeper issues the tallies and takes them back. Among the ranks the regiment was called “the Fourth Level”, after a level of the mine. The world’s tithe is collected by ship; training does not take place on Vandau but aboard the troop transport “Steadfast Purpose”.
First mentioned in: “Two Tallies” (story no. 57); also in nos. 41 and 58.
First mentioned in: “Two Tallies” (story no. 57); also in nos. 41 and 58.
Fauna & Flora
Bare mountain slopes with pit heaps, birches on the oldest heaps; jackdaws nesting in the winding shafts, and pit ponies that have not been needed for years and are fed all the same.
Population & Society
Some millions of miners who each day carry a brass tally: a number, no name. Whoever goes down hangs it on the hook above the cage, whoever comes up hangs it back on its nail on the board, and the tally keeper issues and takes back the tallies until the count balances in the evening. Training takes place not on Vandau but aboard the “Steadfast Purpose”.