River of Gold Locks

Before the construction of the locks, the river that ran from Lake Aur to the sea ran shallow and flat for nearly 40 miles before it wound a circuitous route down, dropping several hundred feet over its course through rocky rapids and steep-sided channels. Using techniques developed from studying the Hyperborean-built Canal of the Pharaohs in Khemit, the engineers of Alcaldar cut a new path for the river, straight to the sea, via a series of locks. They named this the River of Gold Locks.
Using this new route, ships can be raised from the level of the Great Ocean Ûthaf to the plateau of Lake Aur. From there they can sail (or be rowed or towed) against the current into Cordona Lake, and then downriver to the west where they enter the Sinnar Ocean. An adjoining set of locks serves the needs of ships traveling east, making it possible for traffic to flow in both directions at the same time. Small villages along the canal house people with the expertise to work the locks (and repair them if necessary) and small military forces to guard the locks (and the engineers), as well as a few people who cater to ships’ crews by providing food and sundries while they wait through the slow process of traversing a lock. Entrance to the lock system is controlled by the authorities at Sallavinera, and they also have protective chains they raise each evening over the entrance to the locks so that no ships can pass through without authorization.

Type

Canal lock