Background: Old
London Bridge was completed in 1209 AD and then demolished in 1831 AD. This was a stone bridge that crossed the River
Thames. Shops were built on each side of
the road deck, with homes built above the shops and over the road desk. These homes were between 2 and 6 floors above
the road desk. Those structures created
a series of enclosed hallways above the road deck, separated by spaces open to
the outside. A drawbridge in the center
of the bridge allowed ships with tall masts to pass between the two bridge
sections.
Notice the drawbridge of the left of the bridge
Use as a party Bastion:
Imagine that if a party constructed a similar structure, they could
charge tolls on people and vehicles using their bridge. The PCs would also charge rent for the shops
on either side of the road desk, as well as rent on apartment and hotel rooms
above the road deck. Their headquarters,
above the shops and road deck, would have commanding views of the river. The size of their bastion is determined by
the width of the road deck along with how long the bridge is from end to end.
As a travel route, the party’s Bastion would act
similar to Star Trek: Deep Space 9.
Adventure possibilities would pass on the road and river of the Party’s
Bastion.
One or more druids could cover the massive structure
with flowers, shrubs, and trees similar to the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. Water for the plants could be taken up to the
top floor by mechanical or magical water pumps.
Bridge Chapels: “Chapels
were occasionally built on bridges to be available for the spiritual needs of
travelers, who would give thanks for safe arrival in a town after a long and
difficult journey.” On Old London Bridge
one elongated bridge pier was constructed for the “Chapel of St Thomas on the
Bridge”. This bridge chapel was built
near the center of Old London Bridge, extended out from the main deck at a right
angle. Medieval bridge chapels were once
common for European bridges, but are now rare.
 |
| Chapel of St Thomas on the Bridge |
A party owned bastion above a river could include one or more water wheels for creating hydropower mechanical energy for grinding grain and fulling cloth. Water wheels also power bellows at blast furnaces as well as trip hammers at the metal smith’s forge. With hydropower, these simple machines never get tired and run at a steady rate. By having NPCs process raw materials into consumer goods at the party’s bastion, it creates passive income for the party.
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