Essoville was a small town in southern Detina. When Duke Edward of Arlington invaded southern Detina during the Detinan Civil War, he offered Southron forces battle at Essoville. The southrons, commanded by a "mead-swiller", decisively defeated the Army of Southern Parthenia, the first major strategic defeat suffered by that army since Edward had taken command of it a year earlier. One of Edward's subordinate commanders, Bell, permanently lost the use of one arm during the battle.
Literary comment[]
Essoville is analogous to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, where the Army of the Potomac won its first major victory over the Army of Northern Virginia in July 1863. The name is a pun: Both Esso and Getty are oil companies which operate gas stations in Pennsylvania. The name of the province analogous to Pennsylvania, however is not revealed.
