A magical bridge across the
River Severin located in the city of
Lifworðig in
Creoda. The bridge is made of stone and magic - a powerful earth spirit was bound to hold the stones in a high arch over a thousand years ago. It's name comes from the golden gleam of the magic, which is visible where the mortar would be in a mundane bridge. It is also a reference to the importance the bridge has for trade and commerce in
Ynys.
One interesting custom is called "Feeding the Bridge". There is a shrine at the center of the bridge in honor of the spirit who holds it together. Merchants who visit the city will bring stones to the shrine and gift them to the bridge. They say that if the spirit is pleased with the stone, it grants them special insight and business acumen, allowing them to be more successful in their trading. The bridge prefers stones that have come from distant marketplaces, especially those that are major centers of trade themselves. The stones are incorporated into the body of the bridge itself, no matter how many are deposited at the shrine.
Aurelian Coins
The Aurelian Coins are extraordinary artifacts that challenge the notion of the unattainable. The Aurelian Bridge believes that all things are for sale, and was offended at the concept of things beyond the reach of monetary transactions. In response, it crafted a set of coins, each one attuned to purchase something that most people believe to be impossible to buy.
The Aurelian Coins embody a paradoxical duality, as they offer the purchase of intangible concepts and experiences. However, their usage comes at a steep and esoteric price, reinforcing the principle that nothing of true value can be acquired freely. These coins transcend the boundaries of reality, warping minds, rewriting histories, and manipulating the fabric of existence itself.
Each coin holds a unique power and a haunting story. The Coin of Verum Amor rewrites the histories and minds of two people, making them perfect soulmates for another, granting true love. Other coins can purchase innocence, time, or respect. But all the coins have a cost to using them. They impose a new reality over the one that had previously existed, changing the past everything associated with the purchase. But the memories of the previous reality still linger in
The Dream realm, and people will still catch fleeting glimpses of that lost reality. Parents mourn children who were never born, and people find themselves confused and disoriented by something they knew to be true, but never was. The purchaser remembers both realities clearly, but everyone else only retains fragments, mostly manifesting in dreams. For some people, this is enough to rock their sanity hard enough that they lose all hold of it. There can be other, unanticipated effects as well, as the coin's rewrite of history and people can change personalities, obliterate individuals, reverse death, and shift the course of history itself.
When the coin is used, it returns itself to circulation by rewriting itself into a new place and time. Many times, the coins return themselves to the Bridge, as if they had never left. Other times the coins have been traded or inherited, or simply turn up somewhere without explanation. If you find a coin, you can bring it to the Bridge and offer to exchange it for another, or simply give it as an offering - the Bridge always rewards the return of a coin. If you wish to purchase one from the Bridge, you can attempt to negotiate. The Bridge believes that everything is for sale, for the right price. But the prices it extracts for one of its coins is both steep and esoteric. Caveat Emptor.
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