Gaelon River Bridge
Ancient dwarven engineers constructed the massive stone bridge that fords the width of the Gaelon River at the Trader’s Way crossing and bisects the town bearing the same name. The dwarves who built the span left the area long ago only to be replaced by humans with a smattering of half-elves, halflings, and a few dozen hill dwarves. These people reside in an unwalled settlement of timber homes, stone warehouses, inns, and tanneries centered around an impressive wharf of wooden docks along both riverbanks. The town’s tanneries enjoy a stellar reputation for producing exquisite leather and vellum products, which are sold in Endhome. The city’s bookbinders and scribes in the Wizard’s Academy covet these materials for their texture and durability.
The bridge’s location on a major shipping intersection for river barges and overland caravans brings a steady stream of merchants and traders into the bustling community. For the most part, the docks of “River¬bridge,” as it is locally called, run barges and keelboats up and down¬stream, including some of the nearby tributaries, to collect grain from the many granges lining the riverbanks and deliver it to Endhome for sale abroad. The waterborne traffic predominately ships grain from the local granges lining the river to Endhome for sale abroad. The captains and owners of the vessels engaged in this enterprise joined forces to create the “Keelcaptains’ Guild,” an organization that maintains warehouses and flophouses for their ships’ cargo and crew. When a competing entity from Endhome attempted to establish a rival guild, the buildings owned and operated by the Endhome outfit burnt to the ground on three separate occasions under inexplicable circumstances. The newcomers apparently got the message, and they wisely abandoned the endeavor.
Nonetheless, Endhome officially maintains a military and economic presence in Gaelon River Bridge, even though the town elects its own mayor to manage local matters. The current incumbent, Mayor Darius Bittersby, settles minor disputes among the residents and handles small administrative matters, but Pivion Partridge, the emissary of Endhome stationed within the town, makes all major decisions. He and three of his subordinates regulate the market to prevent price gouging and other scams from disrupting commerce. Meanwhile, the 50 soldiers and several engineers under his command maintain and protect the bridge, the riverbanks, and the Trader’s Way to ensure the free flow of trade through the area. When his troops cannot disprove rumors circulating through town, Pivion sometimes turns to adventurers for help, asking them to check out the latest story making the rounds in the community. Right now, Pivion seems concerned about a series of alleged vulchling attacks in the area.
Settlement
Gaelon River Bridge
Alternative Names
Riverbridge
Owning Organization
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