Hashav Hayat

Many Chawarasman settle in northeastern Andaperna. Their settlements are often divided by rivers running down from the mountains into the Karet. Two settlements, Kasaka and Sekya have recently formed an alliance and are planning to promote trade and military aid for one another. As both these settlements are divided by the small river Ishnare, a decision has been made to build a bridge between them to facilitate better exchange.

In the Chawarasman language hashav means 'bridge', hayat means 'for walking across'. To prepare for building the bridge, the materials required have been gathered already, but due to a lack of experience in building bridges, the building process is on hold.

The idea to build a bridge was conceived by king Kashata the Second of Kasaka, after a merchant told him stories of bridges he had seen when travelling to Sendar for Olive oil trade with the Messellat Mdûlûn. The idea of some kind of permanent structure to enable crossing waterways kindled interest in the king and as relations to the city state of Sekya were cordial and productive, soon a treaty was worked out between them, to build something like this, too.

Amassing the material needed started a few years ago, mainly wood and bricks and reed. But no building like this had ever been built in Andaperna as crossing rivers happened either at fords or was facilitated by rafts. Thus up til now only two bridgeheads have been constructed, one by Sekya and one by Kasaka. The river is too broad to have the bridge run over it without a central pillar. Builders have experimented during the dry season to take advantage of the lower water levels, but to no avail. Suggestions have been made to transport large boulders from the mountains and sink them in the river, to make it more shallow. First attempts to do so showed, that the river is very sensitive to such changes and might significantly change its course. The current decision is, to send specialists to the Messellat Mdûlûn and study bridges there.

A bridge might prove as a significant tool to bind to city states tighter together. The technical issues at the moment prevent the plans from becoming reality. On the other hand, the course of rivers changes a lot in Andaperna, so it is also questionable, whether building bridges offers a long term solution to the issues of having rivers cut off transportation.