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The Star Bridge, originally named the Karlyn Bridge, was an ancient dwarven bridge that crossed the Vudlur river in eastern Amn.[2][1][note 1]

Location[]

The bridge carried the Eshpurta Road over the Vudlur, positioned halfway between Keczulla to the west and the Axe Bridge to the east.[1]

Structure[]

The Star Bridge was a massive stone structure that spanned the widest possible floodheight of the Vudlur, of identical design to the nearby Axe Bridge. It was built of highly resilient stonework, such that by the 14th century DR it bore only the slightest traces of wear and tear, mostly from recent heavy cart traffic. It was decorated with the heavily faded runes for Karlyn Bridge on the railing stones, with the star symbol granting it the later name.[1]

History[]

The bridge was built around −5500 DR by the dwarves of the High Shanataran realm of Korolnor as part of their great network of surface projects. It was inscribed with the name Karlyn Bridge, in honor of the warrior Karlyn.[1][2]

Long after the fall of Shanatar, humans from Calimshan settled the region and discovered the twin bridges. With little dwarf artifice to compare it to, the true origins of the Karlyn bridge went unknown despite being widely used by travelers. Only the careful examination by scholars and dwarves of the bridges' eroded runes eventually revealed the fact that the bridges had originated in the ancient dwarven age of Shanatar.[1]

Appendix[]

Notes[]

  1. There is some confusion in the sources as to which dwarven bridge, either the Axe Bridge or the Star Bridge, crosses the Vudlur and to which spans the Splendarrllur. Lands of Intrigue: Book 2: Amn, on page 38, claims that the Axe Bridge crosses the Vudlur, yet it makes no mention of the Star Bridge. Page 43, on the other hand calls the Star Bridge the western bridge (Vudlur) and the Axe Bridge the eastern bridge (Splendarrllur). The map included with the Lands of Intrigue box set shows this latter arrangement, as does the Forgotten Realms Interactive Atlas map of Amn. Lost Empires of Faerûn on page 118 further complicates it with the mention of the Star Bridge over the Splendarrllur and the Axe Bridge over the Vudlur.

References[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Steven E. Schend (August 1997). “Book Two: Amn”. In Roger E. Moore ed. Lands of Intrigue (TSR, Inc.), p. 43. ISBN 0-7869-0697-9.
  2. 2.0 2.1 Richard Baker, Ed Bonny, Travis Stout (February 2005). Lost Empires of Faerûn. Edited by Penny Williams. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 118. ISBN 0-7869-3654-1.
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