Bridge
Gateway of the Ocean
The city-state of bridge was founded on a large Terran-made branching bridge that spans the straight that connects the western ocean and the inner sea. The bridge itself is made of three spans connected in a Y shape with a citadel in the middle.
The people of bridge are originally settlers, squatters, bandits, and other undesirables who took up residence and started building shanty towns on the ruins. Eventually the location became a proper city. Today bridge is seen as a triumph of commerce that nearby kings eye greedily and a place where vast wealth flow through the hands of many. A place where people try to find their fortune and will either strike gold or possibly be struck down by the status quo.
Demographics
A typical person who lives in bridge is usually a merchant or trader, though everyone from wealthy guild owners and nobility to the poor and homeless can be found. Humans make up roughly 40% of the population with the other races making up the rest.
Government
Ruled by a council which is heavily influenced by the three neighboring kingdoms. Other council seats are controlled by guild leaders, influential nobles, and occasionally the well-to-do. The council elects a ruler who is given the title of Count, who becomes a type of executive officer with limited legislative ability. The council is empowered to make decisions without approval of the Count.
Defences
At the intersection of the three spans is a citadel with defensive walls and fortifications. At the entrance to each span is a gate which can be shut in the event of an attack. Draw bridges control whether large ships can pass through and can be raised to prevent passage over the bridge itself. Between archways are chains which can be raised to prevent smaller ships from passing through.
Industry & Trade
The highest portion of income for bridge comes from taxes and tariffs on trade as the city controls nearly all land and sea trade between many kingdoms. As materials can be easy to find many people have started up factories and businesses on Bridge itself, though imports from all over the world can be found here.
Infrastructure
The bridge itself is 400 feet wide wide with the middle 150-200 feet being used for transportation such as roads, sidewalks, and railways. On the sides of the surface people have built homes, businesses, and factories. The housing is generally cramped with the poor living in the underbridge. Transportation around bridge is either walking or taking light rail through the center of the street. Heavy rail also runs through bridge but has fewer stops.
There are several harbors which are accessed via stairs that run either through large support structures or on scaffolding on the outside from sea level to the main surface. Here you can find house boats, ocean fairing vessels, and even gondolas.
History
The original structure was built nearly 1000 years ago by the Terran Empire to enable easier trade via land and to control the waterway between the western ocean and the inner sea. After the fall of the Empire there were three rival nations fighting over control of the bridge. After three hundred years of switching hands eventually the three nations agreed to allow bridge to become independent.
Architecture
Bridge is made up of three spans; The northwestern span is 5 miles long, the northeastern span is 6 miles long, the southern span is 10 miles long. Each span is 400 feet wide and made of two layers of archways. The bridge itself is primarily made of stone arches with adamantine reinforcement. Each lower archway is approximately 125 feet above sea level and spaced 75 feet apart. A second set of arches, called the underbridge, are about 12 feet tall and was originally used as a maintenance and utilities type area. On top of the second set is the main city that carries buildings, trains, and commuters. Every 1.5 miles a draw bridge can be found to allow larger ships to pass through, though not all are in operation.
Buildings are typically made out of scrap metal and wood, though newer buildings will be made out of stone, glass, and metal. Architectural styles are influenced by the surrounding neighborhoods but are made for a temperate climate.
Alternative Name(s)
Fantasy Panama
Type
Capital
Population
95,000
Location under
Owner/Ruler
Owning Organization
Characters in Location
Remove these ads. Join the Worldbuilders Guild
Comments