Nysisus and Muriel
The ancient Ayorhans used their relics and cyphers recovered centuries earlier to build two impressive canals to connect the Long Sea to the Meridian Sea. Each canal is made of remarkably durable synth stone, and were built to run for eons. At almost 5000 years old these canals still operate and have complexes below the that still move the water and operate the locks. Automatons still repair and maintain the canal, ignoring everyone and everything around them. (to tamper with either automaton or gain entry to the machinery within is punishable by death).
Nysisus is the canal that can be found cutting through the plains of Besseam, with a port in Hatwen and Wena. there are 8 locks across the canal between these two ports. Each lock is big enough to hold 8 galleons. Each lock usually takes 2 hours to pass through. Midway through the canal is the city of Besseam and it has a large port on either side of an artificial lake. This canal flows only from the Long Sea toward the Meridian Sea. Ships pay between 20 and 200 gold per lock they pass through based on their size. Military ships may be denied, and they must pay 1000 gold to pass unless passage is specifically called out in an official treaty. The steward of the lock and her office collect fees and are the sole arbitrators of what to charge and to who, but they are bound by treaties with all three cities along this canal. Along the canal are farms, settlements and villages. sailors waiting to traverse the lock may be tempted to jump ship and have shore time, most captains force their crews below decks to discourage temptation and fraternizing with other ships.
Muriel is the other canal that flows from the Meridian Sea to the Long Sea and begins in the City of Kadi and ends in the city of Sira. The Muriel canal only has two locks and has less hilly terrain to cut through, it however is longer and was cut to avoid larger obstructions. Muriel has the same fees and treaties but a different steward who runs it. the entry to the canal on the Meridian Sea side is in a delta swampy region. The city of Kadi is some distance away, and occasionally pirates or raiders may try some piracy on ships waiting to enter. Privateers and some naval ships may patrol looking for raiders. The entry of the canal is protected with cannons and more recent fortifications, but the pirates are well aware of the range of those defenses. The city of Kadi does have a great port for transferring cargo, and a fort to protect the harbor. The City of Sira is split by the canal and has several ancient bridges over it, tall enough even masted galleons can pass under at full sail. Sira's port is also used for transferring cargo and docking while waiting in line to transit the canal.
Purpose / Function
Connects the Meridian Sea to the Long Sea. Nysisus is around 197 miles long. Muriel is 215 miles long. There is no other way to enter the long sea and the larger basin of the interior seas of Henob, Lettha, Podoor, and Shavari.
Alterations
At each lock there are a series of towers built of stone and run by the Canal Guild. These towers are 100' tall and there is one on either side of the canal. These towers were built to after technology failed and passage through the canal had to be paid in gold. These towers house the guards and toll collectors for the guild. The guild is made up of representatives from all of the cities along the canals. The guards are mercenaries. Each city sends an armed detatchment to collect their share of the tolls.
Tolls are collected by basket, winch and small craft depending on how crowded the lock is. This process ususally happens as the ships are entering the lock. The tolls are stored in a vault in the basement of each tower. Every tower over the centuries has been the target of a heist, and as the heists have become more sophisticated the wards, cyphers and protections around the vaults have had to increase too.
Architecture
Made entirely of synth stone and metal it has been hit by countless storms, accidents, attacked in war, and one or two ship explosions. This material has been barely scratched and within a few weeks the automatons that tend it repair it like new.
The shape of the canal is 300 yards wide and 80' deep, the water line is usually at least 20'. At each lock the canal is 100 yards wide, and is 900' long. Each lock has 2 pairs of massive synth and metal doors. The rim of the canals are only 30' wide. The banks or rim are made of synth and have large iron and synth tie downs and winches to help maneuver the ships into position for the lift. At each lock is a vertical tower. this tower will give commands in accented common to the sailor and will even call out ships by name.
History
It has been recorded that the canals were started in 546 and 551 both as a important infrastructure work to replace roads, but as an important monument to the success of the Ayorhah peoples. It is recorded that the Muriel canal was completed in 577, and Nysisus was operational in 578. Competition between the competing city states building their canals put more an more resources into completing them, but in the end the Muriel had less cutting and fewer locks to construct.
The canals have framed an alliance and confederacy of the cities along them for centuries. There have been wars and blockades over the canals and many groups have tried to invade to take control of them over the centuries, no one other than the cities there have held them. Too much trade and transport flows through the area for them to be blockaded for long before some kind of armistice or negotiation happens.
In 4421 the Githyanki made a rare concerted effort to try to blockade and raid the ships huddled in the bays along Meridian Sea. The blockade lasted about 2 years, and eventually even the hobgoblins got tired of the lull in their trade, and invaded the Yanki peninsula. The Githyanki were then banned from Ayorhahan ports for 20 years.
Tourism
Many sages, philosophers, engineers, numeriamancers, and other adventurers will make a pilgrimage to see the ancient wonder of the canals. Thousands of sailors have seen it, some will get a tattoo to commemorate their first traverse.
Founding Date
546 for Nysisus and 551 for Muriel
Type
Canal lock
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