The Gargoyle Bridge in the Blight Swamp
by Robin
For the Research of my Karameikos 1 mile hex map. I came upon a faint notice in the works of Irving Galvez
A unmapped bridge over the Achelos river in the middle of the Blight Swamp of Karameikos, close to the Burned ruins of the village Gorica.
Quote from the above Source;
GORICAGaerical THE BURNED TOWN The veterans of the Harrowing found a small town with a palisade on a strategic overlook of the Achelos River… near the Gargoyle Bridge. The new town, Gorica, is burned to the ground and the populace slaughtered. After a frustrating war fighting an unseen enemy, the Thyatian Tribune Marcus Polika brokered a cease-fire with a promise for humans to never again build on the river. This was known as the Blood River War. The town is nothing more than moldering ruins that are haven for foul undead. Not all the buildings have collapsed. Some floors are solid and can safely support persons. Junk is scattered throughout the buildings that remind standing. A group of 15 Ghouls inhabit this ruins.
Quote from Irving himself in mail with me;
It is a bridge to cross the river use to go to the villages. I didnt create that i took it from a site. I dont remember which, but is a site that talks about a campaing. I think there are real gargoyle guarding the bridge.
Quote from me;
to keep it logical it is then best to keep it a wooden bridge with gargoyles terrorizing it ...maybe these gargoyles are placed here by Bargle to limit the use of the already existing bridge
It is then best to assume the bridge is at or just above water level and any ship must open it themselves by hand...and here the gargoyles placed by Bargle come in...
He does not want peeking eyes on his secret experiments up river. Only those showing a specific item/symbol can pass safely. What do you think of this idea.
Quote from Irving himself;
It is ok. I also think this bridge could be use also by the cayman to trade
Final thought; The Caymen, being little and similar in build as Gargoyles(without wings) know how to trick the gargoyles. they cloak themselves with blue-grey mud and wear a wingshaped cloak. Only in this composition the Caymen can cross the river. the Gargoyles do not react as they deem them gargoyles...even if they draft cart, bags, and such. The caymen know not to carry weapons or large objects, they bind these and pull them behind themselves like drafting a cart.
Added; Vessel with a height of 4.5' above the water can co underneath the bridge without opening it. Those higher must allow someone to go to one of the embankments, sneak as carefully as possible up to the bridge and pull one of the ropes to the left of the picture(minimum strength 15, and average weight or more), thereby lifting the bridge. he/she must hold this until the vessel is passed, and then escape the gargoyles as soon as possible. Rumours speak there are about 40 in the region, which attack anyone using the bridge (ie. passing through, opening/closing or traversing it. persons or vessels beside the bridge wikll not be attacked, so low boats can still pass without any danger
Note to Gorica to Gaerical change.
both sources seemed to contradict, yet were important enough to bring character to the overall 1 mile hex map.
There wee two Gorica settlements from the fanon sources, one upriver up the Achelos at the ford to Riverfork Keep and Luln road, and another on Irving's source in theBlight Swamp
Gorica was originally created by Agathokles (Giampaolo Agosta) for his campaign here and in this adventure (zip file you can download) then used by Sturm and also by religon here.
Apparantly you chose instead to place it in the Blight Swamp for you own campaign reasons.
the Gorica on the Achelos is still an active settlement, but has no bridge, and thus no Gargoyle Bridge, but only a fort, according the maps of the region made by Agathokles,
Irving's Gorica in the Blight Swamp does have the bridge, although neither the destroyed village nor the bridge were mapped
And as such I had to rename one of them.
The best to rename then would be the one in the swamp, as it is of less importance to have the same name, socio/hisoric/economic based in the sense of the Karameikan history.
Playing with the name and latin I came upon this
Gaea-rical = lottery - Many historical => end translation = Historic Lotery that sounds Thyatian...and makes sense...To the Thyatians who also settled here before the Bloodwars of 911-914AC, as otherwise it does not fit logic, could have tried to make this a town and earning lots of money by taxing the vessels passing by. I think the lizardmen, being intimidatd by the Thyatian Town would have ignited the Blood War, destroying Both the new town and the Gorica Village up north(and caused much more harm to the region, only being supressed themselves with the Blight Swamp War of 950AC.