Considering that Vilcabamba is a real life city once inhabited by the Peruvian Inca, it makes me curious about its depiction in the Tomb Raider games. I have three ideas that could potentially explain the entire ordeal:
There's only one Vilcabamba in the TR universe, and it's the one depicted in TR1, strictly ruled by Qualopec.
Aside from their coincidental name, there are two separate Vilcabambas that don’t have much of a connection to each other. However, it's possible they could share a connection; for example, the real life version might've served as a diversion for the one in the Andes as a form of protection against Spanish colonisation of the Americas.
There appears to be two distinct Vilcabambas, but they're actually connected in ways that've been lost to time (e.g. a labyrinthine complex of subterranean tunnels) and are awaiting rediscovery.
I'm leaning more towards the third idea or an excellently crafted combination of the second and third ideas. However, the first one I presented could also be plausible because there's definitely some significant alternative history stuff within the lore of Tomb Raider and its sequels.
I went probably the easiest route myself and just made it the TR-equivalent of the real-life Incan Vilcabamba. Just like, say, Area 51 in real life must be pretty different from Area 51 in TR. So basically what you said at the end.
But if you want to have two separate Vilcabambas, you can totally have it be a coincidence, because there already *are* two in real life. Apart from the ruins in Peru, there's also a Vilcabamba in Ecuador, which is a still living city. And as far as I know (unless I'm mistaken), they're not connected in any way apart from having the same Incan name. (So I suppose it's like having several different cities names Springfield in the US.) So having, coincidentally, a third city with the same name sounds plausible.
The connection also sounds like a cool idea though! Either by physical connection, or perhaps just historical - perhaps they had to move for some reason, but named the new city Vilcabamba as well. Or they are just two halves of one city, even if it's not visible nowadays anymore. (The tunnels sound fun!). From your options, I think I like the third one the best too, even if it's not like that in my own headcanons :D
Honestly, valid. We all have our own unique interpretations of the same concept. A lot of possibilities arise when playing around with ideas that are presented in fictional media. A series like Tomb Raider encourages deep thinking for those who know where to look. While it may seem straightforward on the surface, it becomes much more complex the deeper one delves into it. I'm a sucker for that kinda thing!
I didn’t even know there was another Vilcabamba located in Ecuador! It was apparently used as a retreat for Incan royalty, which is really interesting. They also have a mountain called Mandango, which is said to protect the village from natural disasters like earthquakes. Maybe I can incorporate the village into my AU Atlan lore somehow…
Yeah, I'm more into the third idea that the two Vilcabambas are one and the same, but they're separated for some enigmatic reason. I’ll take some time to dig into the history of Vilcabamba in Peru because it'll provide great inspiration.
Yeah there's a lot of little bits in the games that you can dig through using actual history and come up with... so much. (And if you add the AoD notes, because Murti did a lot of research himself, it's an endless well of possibilities!)
And the Vilcabamba in Ecuador is actually famous for having long-living people (whether it's true or not), which could be a fun connection to long-living Atlanteans. Like perhaps this Ecuadorian Vilcabamba has some Atlantean descendants with more concentrated bloodline to actually still be affecting them now? (Hmm now I'm getting ideas for my own headcanons.)
Have fun digging! :D
Murti's notes are like a treasure trove of lore and inspiration! I have to give that man a lot of respect for being passionate and doing his research to help create something that had a troubled development. Tomb Raider will endlessly fascinate me because of the infinite possibilities that arise when thinking about its lore and how it can connect to various aspects of its already established history.
Oooo very neato! I'm intrigued by the concept that the Atlans have descendants, even if most or all of them are hybrids for whatever reason, such as mingling with humans after the fall of Atlantis out of desperation and necessity to continue the existence of their race.
It's always fun to generate more ideas through conversation. I find that there are times when talking to someone about a writing project helps me conjure up new stuff.
Yeah Murti's dedication is amazing! And because those are just notes, not finished plot, there are conflicting ideas, which I love because you can choose what you like. And also I myself have conflicting notes as my ideas develop, so it's fun to see that's a normal process :D
I see Atlanteans as humans myself in my headcanon, so for me it's more like preserving specific lineages which they considered prestigious. Huh, and their descendants might not even know why at all, they might just have vague legends or traditions about their ancestors that would be half "wrong" (simply warped over the millennia). Maaan, first create headcanons about Atlantis, and then create legends passed down through oral tradition that'd be changed almost beyond recognition. That could be fun!
Oh yeah, talking with someone else can definitely help with new stuff! :)
