The cover image of the pod-cast 'Welcome to Night Vale'
| “ | We have nothing to fear except ourselves. We are unholy, awful people. Fear ourselves with silence. Look down, Night Vale. Look down and forget what you've done." | ” |
—Town motto[1]
Night Vale is a friendly desert town where the sun is hot, the moon is beautiful, and mysterious lights pass overhead while everyone pretends to sleep.[2]
Location
Night Vale is located somewhere in the American southwest, surrounded by empty desert, near Desert Bluffs.
Hiram McDaniels and Carlos both describe Night Vale as hard to find. Hiram's violet head claims to have searched for the town based on "whispers" and "rumors" and "vague directions."[3] Carlos called Night Vale "a place that is difficult to leave, and difficult to enter." He also remarked, "I don't even remember how I got to Night Vale in the first place. I mean, where is Night Vale, even?"[4]
Cecil Palmer, however, says Night Vale is "perfectly located [...] between several vertices," which is why the town often receives visitors.[5]
The only Night Vale grocery store mentioned is a Ralph's, which is the the name used for the Southern California locations of Kroger's. In The Registry of Middle School Crushes, Joshua trees are mentioned; they are native to the Mojave desert in southeastern California, southern Nevada, northeastern Arizona, and extreme southwestern Utah.
Nearby towns
Citizenship
It seems to be relatively easy to become a citizen of Night Vale. When Route 800 is shut down, Night Vale Community Radio announces to non-citizens, "Congratulations! You now live in Night Vale!" Newcomers receive a New Citizen Welcome Packet and mandatory orange poncho from City Hall.[6]
Despite the town's welcoming nature, citizens seem to be sensitive to the presence of outsiders; Carlos is repeatedly described as such.[7][4] Some visitors are regarded with suspicion,[5] while others are not.[8][9] Hiram McDaniels, who lived outside of Night Vale until he was thirty years old,[3] seems to escape scrutiny, as do the dreaded Glow Cloud[10] and you.[9]
It is not advisable for Night Vale natives to leave Night Vale. Doing so may lead to the strangeness of Night Vale "infecting" the native's new chosen home. The effects can be reversed if the native returns to Night Vale.[11]
History
Night Vale was founded in 1745. Four groups of settlers had come to the site of Night Vale then left. The fifth group "looked at each other, shrugged, and plopped down their stuff," thus marking the beginning of Night Vale. Early settlers of Night Vale included peace-loving imperialist conquerors and religious leaders who wore "soft meats crowns" made of inverted organs strung around the head.
The Night Vale City Council, then known as the Town Elder Council, first met in 1824. Its composition was precisely the same as on the present day. All records of this meeting were destroyed.
While Night Vale has seen many minor disasters that killed most of its population, no single disaster has been mentioned that would have disestablished the continuity of Night Vale as a city, the City Council, or the mayor's office. However, one of the prophecies insists that the mayor's office will become vacant no later than 2022 and remain vacant until at least 2052.[12]
Life and culture
The citizens of Night Vale, the majority of whom are human, are very tolerant of all sorts of death, disaster, supernatural creatures and occurrences, and government intrusion. There are occasional exceptions, such as Steve Carlsberg, who gets very concerned about government conspiracies and often attempts to call out the logical absurdities taking place in the town. If Cecil Palmer is to be believed, though, it's perfectly normal for the government to produce everything up to and including sandstorms that cause doppelgangers. Night Vale has a seemingly one-sided rivalry with the nearby town of Desert Bluffs.
Events
- Bluegrass Festival[13]
- Citywide Fitness Fair[1]
- Dot Day[10]
- Fried Chicken and Cigarette Fair[1]
- History Week [12]
- Solemnity Fest[14]
- Sorrow Songs Singalong[15]
- Valentine's Day[16][17]
- The Night Vale Shakespeare in a Pit Festival[11]
Organizations
Professional and Benevolent Organizations
- Intelligence Group International[1]
- National Rifle Association[2]
- Night Vale Business Association[2]
- Night Vale Press Corps[18]
- Night Vale SPCA[19]
- Night Vale Spiderwolves[18]
Government Agencies
- Animal Control[10][20]
- Night Vale Council for Commerce[15]
- Night Vale Department of Transportation[21]
- Night Vale Parks and Recreation Department[15]
Notable locations and facilities in Night Vale
The communities and geography of Night Vale
- Science District[11]
Parks, museums, and landmarks
- Children's Science Museum[5]
Education, infrastructure, and government facilities
- Night Vale Senior's Center[1]
Stadiums and convention centers:
- Abandoned Missile Silo[16]
- Downtown Convention Center[23]
- Night Vale Stadium[24]
Businesses
The City Council is the preeminent political power in Night Vale; they tightly control all local commerce. However, when StrexCorp was the supreme power in Night Vale, the corporation simply owned the vast majority of the following businesses outright.
Roads
Residents
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Episode 10 Feral Dogs
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Episode 1 Pilot
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Live Episode Condos
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Episode 49B Old Oak Doors Part B
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Episode 18 The Traveler
- ↑ Live Episode The Debate
- ↑ Episode 16 The Phone Call
- ↑ Episode 39 The Woman from Italy
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Episode 13 A Story About You.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Episode 2 Glow Cloud (episode)
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 Welcome to Night Vale: A Novel
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Episode 7 History Week
- ↑ Episode 27 First Date
- ↑ Episode 79 Lost In The Mail
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 Episode 11 Wheat & Wheat By-Products
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 Episode 12 The Candidate
- ↑ Episode 17 Valentine
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 Episode 19A The Sandstorm (Part A)
- ↑ Episode 9 "PYRAMID"
- ↑ Episode 43 Visitor
- ↑ Episode 21 A Memory of Europe
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 Episode 15 Street Cleaning Day
- ↑ Episode 14 The Man in the Tan Jacket (episode)
- ↑ Episode 3 Station Management (episode)