Player’s Bastion based on Old London Bridge and bridge chapels (revised)

What is a Bastion:  A whole chapter of the 2024 Dungeon Master’s Guide is dedicated to Bastions, a new system where players can build their own base of operations and run it with the help of hirelings. Whether your player characters are clearing out an ancient fortress so they can move in, renovating an old wizard’s tower, or pitching in to buy a tavern together, they’ll find countless possibilities for customizing their stronghold.

Exploring Bastions from the 2024 Dungeon Master’s Guide | Dungeons & Dragons (dndbeyond.com)

Background:  Old London Bridge was completed in 1209 AD and then demolished in 1831 AD.  This structure 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 on the left of the bridge.

Use as a player Bastion:  Imagine your player character or player characters have constructed a similar structure.  Then, 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 player’s Bastion would be similar to Star Trek: Deep Space 9.  Adventure possibilities would pass on the road, as well as on and under the 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.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bridge_chapel

The Chapel of St Thomas on the Bridge was a bridge chapel near the center of "Old" London Bridge in the City of London and was completed by 1209.

There are other examples of bridges with two or more floors.  This is the Ponte Vecchio, a medieval stone closed-spandrel segmental arch bridge over the Arno, in Florence, Italy.

The Ponte Vecchio is a medieval stone closed-spandrel segmental arch bridge over the Arno, in Florence, Italy.

Please post a short comment on my blog describing your player characters bridge bastion.