Cadou Canal

"Don't be deceived - the Cadou may look calm, but it is of the same sea as all the rest, and it will drag you to the end just as fiercely."
"... What?"
"It's got a strong current, you fool."

— Yllas Duphendri to a confused tourist

The Cadou is a salt-water canal in the Laslin city of Vilaen, bisecting the city north-south. It flows towards the World's Edge, and is the heart of the city's commerce and industry. Though two bridges allow for easy travel between the city's two halves, many still prefer to travel by boat, which affords greater access to the branch canals found in the Cadou's southern reaches.

Construction

This canal exists in the space between the various foundations of Vilaen which rise above the surrounding ocean, and has changed in form over the centuries as the city has grown. In its oldest areas in the south, it is a consistent 30m wide, with smaller branch canals at staggered intervals heading east and west. The Cadou becomes less regular further north, with various new blocks of the city widening and narrowing it along. It is widest at its 'source' in the north, where it opens into a haphazard port and then out into the rest of the ocean.
Despite its considerable length, there are only two bridges across the Cadou. The first and most famous is the Cadou Arch, a 30m long single arch bridge that passes quite high above the river and necessitates stairs on either side to reach its pedestrian deck. The Doragen Bridge further north spans a wider 60m stretch, helped by its more modern construction, making it far more preferable for those transporting goods by cart.

Uses

Shipping is the primary purpose of the Cadou, seeing the majority of its inner-city trade and transport of goods and people. Beyond that, the flow of the canal towards the south is used to power many machines and contraptions along its banks. Some farming is done around the canal, though its salty waters need to be desalinated to be remotely useful, making rainwater farming more common. Fishing is also common, relying on fish that seek the shade under the city rather than the typical fare caught in the open ocean.

History

The Cadou Canal is presumed to have been built at the same time as the old quarters of the city, due to the obvious similarities in construction in its eastern and western banks. For much of its early existence, there was no way to cross the canal by foot due to its oceanic depths preventing an reasonable bridge supports. This changed in 2723, when the Cadou Arch was opened to the public. Though records of the time show a mixed reception to its 'monolithic' structure in comparison to bridges spanning the smaller branch canals, the Arch swiftly became an adored local landmark in the city's south.
Such was the love for the familiar behemoth that when a freak storm caused the Cadou Arch to collapse in 3208, the possibility of replacing the bridge with a more modern and efficient design was refused outright by the citizens of Vilaen, and by a majority of the Vilaen Council. As a result, the bridge was rebuilt in 3220 as close to the original specifications as possible, though with some minor modifications that would hopefully ensure its stability moving forward.
The previously proposed modern bridge was eventually built over the canal, far further to the north, albeit many decades later. The Doragen Bridge was opened in 3268 as a more transport-friendly alternative to the Cadou Arch, owing to its greater width and ease of access by wheel. Uniquely compared to the Arch, the Doragen is able to raise its span from both sides to allow larger ships to continue south.

Width

30-79 metres

Age

Anywhere between 1500 and 2000 years

Type

River

Location under

Vilaen

The Last Line Cover by Isaac Thompson & Valdemaras D.

Etymology

As with many old place names in Vilaen, the exact meaning of the name 'Cadou' is unclear to many. However, the definition is not as important as the widely held belief about the names origin, which is that it was named for a long-destroyed natural river. This "Cadou River" is believed to have flowed through the home town of the nigh-mythical architects of Vilaen, and inspired the construction of the canal in the first place.
Though this is treated as straight fact in the city, any evidence to would have supported it no longer exists, presumably taken over the World's Edge centuries ago.

We've always done things a little differently in Vilaen. While the other cities have divisions between those who are closest to the Edge and those who are farther away, we additionally bear an east-west split over the Cadou.
Why? Well, Albathania's out east, right? Most of our trade comes from that way. Though the bridges mitigate that somewhat, there'll probably always be this divide.

— Caiphine Aldercrown, Heiress Sontair