User blog comment:MyOpinion:/Redwall's future/@comment-2065021-20100515232012

Yep, true true. As mentioned before, it all depends on the point view of one. We don't know anything about Mossflower, except for that it's there. But, with respect, Jacques has actually stated himself, that he mostly based it on the British Isles. Even the culture was parodied in the books (Well: kilts, claymores, vikings, christian mission church). Okay, these must have come from >somewhere<; though definitely not from Redwall or Salamandaston either.

Now, theoretically, gunpowder is not too difficult to make in the first place; especially not on Mossflower's continent. The arid plains in the south (Loamhedge) are ideal for salpetre production by the composition of droppings, terrain, and climate.

Therefore, I =don't= see any reason, why a culture, which brought up such a variety and expertise in e.g. shipbuilding, and cut_and_thrust arms production, or even manufacturing paper, should be unable to draw up salpetre (China did... about 1500 years ago). And, after all, the crossbows are surely done no justice either. Way too few of them. One, in fact.

ps. When I referred to the sabers, I merely meant, that they weren't regularily used in the human time span (usually by light cavalry) before the introduction of firearms. And... that the Salamandastroneans have the inhuman flexibility to develop sabres, albeit the lack of gunpowders or horses, only enforces my point, that they are flexible enough, to discover gunpowder sometime later too.