User blog comment:Zathronas/Speculative author: The Grimm and the next season/@comment-5217560-20141012061957/@comment-24891101-20141013022732

But it's not just natural barriers. The natural barriers allowed the existing kingdoms to survive, which they promptly reinforced via massive civil engineering projects. From Roman's map, Vale is very clearly walled, and protected very well indeed, by fortifications, men, and weapons. Think on the scale of the Anti-Kaiju Wall from Pacific Rim. And we've had no indication that the military would be ineffective. Force is force. Mountain Glenn failed because they did not properly expand the fortifications out.