Mazandabad

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The Mazandabad Bridge is in Inirthak's southwestern corner. It spans the Foronir River where looking east are the crags and tunnels leading into Typhalumus, and west Laucentar's ancient, and much desired timber. The area's current bridge, the Mazandabad is the sixth iteration of bridges built in a five mile area, the narrowest part a half-mile torrent. The ruins of the other bridges dot the shorelines for miles in each direction. The first two were built in the Demon Spawn War by the Covenant. Later in the war, the Covenant strategy was to let Demogorgon overextend himself, which he did. Demogorgon's advance across Hells Womb and up the Sorrow Pass into the Northern Hordelands necessitated crossings. The Covenant destroyed their bridges when they retreated to the river's western side. Demogorgon had boats and rafts made. These were anchored with chains and ropes, with the fast, frothing torrent dangerous then as it is today. While this went on, with demons and Covenant forces battling it out, a more permanent bridge was fabricated. This was to be the assault bridge, built quickly with magic and hard labor. Once this was up, and after Demogorgon's forces captured the other side, a better, and more solid bridge got under construction. After the Demon Spawn War, there was no civilization in the area to maintain a bridge known as Demogorgons Toe. With seasonal melts of the Giant Steps bringing heavy flooding, this bridge fell into ruin halfway into the Lith-Crillion Era.

In the Second Epoch, the Orchish Empire built a new bridge, this one to harvest Laucentar's steely pines and open a more efficient and cheaper trade route with the Naram-Gunal city-state. At the time, the primary trade route was fifty miles north at Kangjald. This northern trade route tended to be slow and expensive, with goods and people moved across the river, hundreds of feet above in cable cars. The bridge built by the Orchish Empire lies two miles south of Demogorgons Toe. To acquiesce their neighbors fears of it being used to attack them, it was designated a trade bridge, with Naram-Gunal given naming rights. Unlike its predecessor, this bridge was not built to defend against artillery fire, destructive magic, and attacks by watery leviathans under Covenant command. It was named Mazandabad after a trading family that loyally served the Kingdom of Phlehorn. Since that time, the bridge changed hands several times, usually in the big wars that have swept through the area into the conflict-prone Sorrow Pass.

Each of the bridges built in this area were difficult projects. The river runs fast and deep. One legend says this part of the Foronir was dredged out by watery creatures answering one of Athena's generals, this to make it hard for the demons to anchor their multi-span bridges and fortress pylons. The difficulty in building bridges, even with magical aid, along with the desire to control the trade and movement of people, is the reason the Mazandabad Bridge is the only permanent crossing for a hundred miles in either direction.

The toll for using the bridge is 1 silver piece per creature, and 5 gold piece per wagon.