Hideon's Canal

One of the great wonders of the world. A monument to Vardanian ingenuity and persistence. But the Canal is much more than that. Its is the lifeline of the Heartlands. The artery that keeps Vardania's heart beating.

— Unknown

Among the endless rugged hills and thick woods of the Heartlands, one may come across an amazing sight. A massive band of blue, in between two smaller bands of grey. It jarringly cuts through the landscape from horizon to horizon. An unnatural river of titanic proportions. One of the great man-made wonders of the world. This is Hideon's Canal.

History

Canals have been one of the prime ways of transportation and communication within the Heartlands since time immemorial. Nets of smaller canals connect the various towns of an area before combining into larger waterways that lead to a regional hub, usually a larger city.
Some of them connect to further canals which lead to one of the seven great metropolia of Vardania. However, these systems were usually confined to one region or province. As a result, there was a multitude of separate systems throughout the Heartland.
That was until Hideon, later named the Builder, came to power. From 1515 DA on, he set about restoring the Heartlands to their former glory. Extensive projects did away with damage accumulated over several decades of war and misrule. The crown jewel, a massive canal which would combine the hundreds of smaller systems into one giant network. Preparation and construction would take up the entirety of his reign.
While the canal largely followed the dried bed of an ancient river, it still required a monumental effort. Several hundreds of thousands of labourers were mobilized and the construction would drain his realm of almost all its wealth. A true monument and in future centuries and invaluable asset, the canal's construction looked more a curse to those involved with it.

Construction

Stretching over one and a half thousand kilometres, Hideon's Canal forms the spine of the Heartland's water system. Every waterway in the region will inevitably combine with it. It begins a short distance south of the river Sirryn, the water coming from several underground streams, some of which had previously flowed into the river. A series of valves and pumps enable the redirection from said streams, which can be used to decrease or increase the amount of water flowing into the Sirryn.
The regions natural elevation, the northern Heartlands being higher than its southern counterpart, makes it easy in some places to keep the water flowing. In other places, various locks and floodgates ensure a controlled flow. There are grids and basins to collect debris and garbage and the Canal Guard, a separate branch of the army, patrols its banks, keeping it both clean and safe to travel. After passing the city of Moira, it connects to the Anrin, an underground river which eventually flows into the Solryn.

They tell you how it is a wonder equal to any in this world. A true testament to Vardanian prowess. What they don't tell you are the names of over one-hundred and fifty-thousand people. Workers and slaves. Each of them lost their lives, trying to complete this...wonder.

— Emelia Valerian

Alternative Names

The Blue Road

Type

Canal

Parent Location

The Heartlands

Red River
Aside from communication and trade, the Canal also serves as a defensive structure. On average over sixty meters wide, one can only cross it via an array of draw bridges at various points or via boat. It effectively secures one-half of the Heartlands should the other fall.
Attempting to cross the canal when opposed is guaranteed suicide. And even an unopposed crossing, if no bridges are available is a lengthy and risky operation. Circumnavigating it means marching around the edges of the region and will take several weeks at best.
Over the centuries, the canal has seen many would-be conquerors attempt and fail a crossing. Latest of them, Henrik Andrael who tried to force a crossing during the Tyrants War and saw his army decimated by a force only a tenth the size of his own.

by Gourd .