Garm: The Yellow Bypass of Borrst

Transit

Access to the Yellow Bypass of Borrst is as simple as finding passage either to the edge of Roshkana or Eastworrik Province. Booking a ticket on a stout ship or train is simple enough, and there are even a few zepplien services that make regular stops at the edges of the Yellow Bypass.

Travelers should, however, make plans regarding which side of the Bypass they wish to frequent before travelling, as while traversing the Bypass is far from arduous, it is time-consuming.

The Place

The Yellow Bypass of Borrst is a gigantic bridge that spans the Borrst Strait, which separates the Kingdom of Roshkana and Eastworrik Province. Originally built as a joint venture between the two nations, the Yellow Bypass declared independence from the two regions in the year 832, by their calendar, and became its own independent nation, making it the thinnest and most curvaceous nation in the world.

Building of the bridge began in 750, after a particularly tempestuous rainy season resulted in the near complete destruction of both Roshkana and Eastworrik’s trade fleets. As both nations relied heavily on shipping for their trade, they likely would have suffered complete economic collapse, had they not agreed to build a bridge across the Borrst Strait. This bridge would both allow for land trade between the two neighbors and help stimulate their local economies.

Built by a combined force of laborers from both regions, the construction took over three generations from beginning to end. The foundational pillars were built out of stones from the Jurgas Peaks, a nearby mountain range that no longer exists. The pillars were placed first, built up from carefully sunk plinths. Construction of the under-water portion of the pillars was implemented by the “Bowlheaded” 32nd and “Copperplate” 44th legions of Roshkana’s Aqualathes, the most adroit underwater builders of any nation.

Once the plinths were placed, the pillars themselves were built by seven detachments of Rough Masons, the elite builders of Eastworrik. Aided by the finest carpenters and architects from both nations, the bridge slowly began to take shape. Before twenty-five years had passed, what is now known as the Center Strip was complete, a bridge joining the two lands that was barely wider than a single cart.

Over the following generations, the combined forces of the two nations completed what is now known as the Yellow Bypass. The width of the bridge expanded, held together by strong mortars invented for the purpose, as well as clever mathematics calculated by the wise architect-sages of the era. Even now there are researchers and scholars who debate whether the Yellow Bypass could have been built without divine or magical assistance, considering the available technology and manpower at the time. Most historians and engineers agree, however, that while the physics and mathematics involved are impressive, they are not miraculous.

As the Yellow Bypass neared completion, the former relationship of Roshkana and Eastworrik began to fray as each demanded jurisdiction over various aspects of the Yellow Bypass. Law and taxation was implemented on a near ad hoc basis, with judges, soldiers, and tax collectors from each kingdom crossing each other in the thin streets. Eventually, logistical and bureaucratic entropy resulted in residents of the Yellow Bypass being subjected to multiple taxes and laws from each principality. Ultimately, both nations proclaimed themselves sole government of the Bypass and its residents.

As the residents of the Yellow Bypass chafed under this confusing rule, half-remembered orders and confusing dictates resulted in conflicts between the two nations’ officers. This culminated in the Night of Cracked Mugs, as seven separate police units and tax-collection bands engaged in a massive brawl in the Mainway. This was the last straw for the residents of the Yellow Bypass, who declared independence from both Roshkana and Eastworrik, even though their respective claims of sovereignty had not been adjudicated. Reports are that both nations were ultimately pleased to not have to worry about the Yellow Bypass anymore, and conceded gratefully.

Now an independent nation-state in its own right, the Yellow Bypass of Borrst is a land of fascinating topography. At its narrowest point — the middle apex — the Yellow Bypass measures a half-mile in width, while at its widest ends it measures a full mile wide. The north-eastern end, which borders Roshkana, is a quarter mile higher than the south-western end, and the whole structure is measured at one hundred and eighty-two miles long.

The giant pillars that support the structure measure anywhere from two- to three-hundred feet in circumference, and spanning a quarter-mile to a full mile in height. The bridge itself is anywhere from ten to thirty feet thick. The stones are laid with interlocking stone and mortar, the exact shape and positioning of the stones arising from ancient mathematical ratios used by the Holy Architects of Roshkana. The capitals of the pillars are carved with ancient visages of the many Kings, Queens, and Ardants who sailed the Borrst in their great vessels, bringing trade and service to their sibling kingdoms. The bases of each are likewise decorated.

Along the sides of the Yellow Bypass lie the Grotesque Advance: sculptures of demons, dragons, holy sages, and other such visages of powerful figures. These faces were built with channels and holes, such that water drains from their mouths, eyes, ears, and noses in strong rains. So too in a strong wind do some of the faces whistle and sing. The Song of the Grotesque Advance is said to be a haunting thing, for those who are not familiar with it.

There is too a quaint folk-tale that those who live at the edges of the Yellow Bypass are demons themselves, for who else could sleep during the windy seasons when the Song is strong and constant?

Over the years, there have been several attempts to adjust or modify the Yellow Bypass, either by changing the runes and patterns on the pillars or by defacing the statuary that rims the pillar’s top. The Grotesque Advance has too been alternately augmented, defaced, and modified by kings, merchants, and anyone who can spare the expense to hire a mason. Some efforts have been more successful than others; the runes and patterns on the pillars remain as they had twenty generations ago, and the statuary has remained mostly consistent. The Grotesque Advance, however, has received new faces multiple times over the years, though only the originals remain as drains and noise-makers.

Cuisine on the Yellow Bypass is largely cosmopolitain, influenced heavily by the many travellers across it, as well as two regions it connects. Naturally, the two ends are mostly influenced by the regions they neighbor, while the center of the Bypass is largely a melting pot of a thousand different cuisines, largely supported by the local fauna.

The Yellow Bypass is made up of two distinct places: Topside and Underside.

Topside

Topside is the name given to all the buildings that reside on or adjacent to the Mainway. The Mainway is the central street that carries all foot-traffic from one end of the Yellow Bypass to the other. As you walk from Roshkana to Eastworrik, the direction to your left is “Umid,” while your right is “Surmid.” These are the old Chikurry words for east and south, so the modern translation might be “east-side” and “south-side,” regardless of the fact that the actual directions are northeast and southwest.

Naturally, if you are traveling from Eastworrik to Roshkana, these names are reversed.

The Center Strip — the ten-foot wide span that was built before the Bypass was widened — is, by custom, the boundary that separates umid from surmid. Surmid is likewise believed to be more welcoming to newcomers than umid, though this is widely considered to be an unflattering steriotype, originating from when the majority of hotels and restaurants could be found surmid.

Nowadays, the boundaries inside the Yellow Bypass are too porous and ever-shifting to be accurately placed on a map. The best one can do is talk about the Roshkana side, the Eastworrik side, and the middle.

Roshkana

The Roshkana side of the Bypass is nicknamed “The Merchant Sprawl.” With easy access to Roshkana and its nearby harbors, this side of the Bypass has seen great success as a merchant-hub of sorts, with shops and servicers of all kinds. So many, in fact, that the boundary between Roshkana and the Yellow Bypass is blurrier than most, leading to complex arguments regarding jurisdiction and taxation, similar to the issues that spurred on the Yellow Bypass’s independence.

Because of this, there is no place safer than the square half-mile that is the Merchant Sprawl; the locals desperately want to avoid any paperwork or political conflicts that may arise from criminal behavior. If you plan on entering the Bypass from the Merchant Sprawl, be sure to bring not only your passport, but also at least three other forms of legal identification and the phone number of at least one friend (not family member) who can vouch for your good character.

Upon entering the Merchant Sprawl, you will be given a temporary ID that will be the only necessary document while you browse. When you want to leave, be prepared for a similar level of scrutiny, as the border-guards make sure you haven’t stolen anything.

While not an official government, the Merchant Sprawl is organized by an association of merchants who establish the rules and regulations of the market. They insure all goods and trades are legal and fair, and review any prospective merchants who wish to join. They work with both the governments of Roshkana and the Yellow Bypass to maintain stability and ensure a safe and profitable atmosphere for tourists and locals alike.

Be sure while you are visiting that you take a large collection of notes and scrip. You will find a lot to entice and enamor you among the shops and stalls of the Merchant Sprawl, and most of the merchants will only take notes.

Eastworrik

Arriving from Eastworrik, you will find yourself in a sea of restaurants, theatres, tour-groups, and hotels. The Eastworrik side of the Yellow Bypass has devoted itself to the tourist industry wholesale, and has become quite the cosmopolitan place, though at a painful cost.

I suppose I shouldn’t be snide or cynical; there are lots of people in the world, and they all want and enjoy different things. For myself, however, I have always found my joy in the quiet and sincere. To me, the Eastworrik end of the Yellow Bypass has become annoyingly performative, with glowing signs and polished windows all designed to pull in the casual tourist. Little of the rich Chikurry culture remains unscathed; the restaurants all have menus catering to foreign palates, the theatres all perform the old favorites from other lands, and the hotels have all been remodeled with the everyday aesthetic of a tourist’s expectations.

I recognize that this may seem a strange complaint after detailing the Merchant Sprawl on the Roshkana side of the Yellow Bypass without so much as a side-comment; There is just as much sorrow in a bastardized culture leaning into its heritage as a means of exoticizing itself for those same tourist notes.

And let it not go unsaid, there are still places on the Eastworrik side of the Yellow Bypass where you can taste the local cuisine and see the local culture; you just have to walk off the beaten path a bit. Tourists might feel awkward at the extent to which wandering is required to truly experience the Yellow Bypass. Alleyways and dead ends abound on the Eastworrik side, and a great many shops can only be found by the curious.

Center

The center portion of the Yellow Bypass is perhaps the most unvarnished example of the Bypass’s unique culture. While the two ends of the bypass are affected by their proximity and regular interactions with both Roshkana and Eastworrik, the middle of the Bypass only ever deals with people who are traversing from one to the other. Visitors and tourists rarely take the time to linger, as there is little obvious interest in the Bypass’s seat of local government, industrial districts, and local residential areas.

This is an unfortunate mistake. The central area of the Yellow Bypass is a perfect place for those who wish to relax and take in the local sights without the pressure of tourism. Grab some coffee, tea, or swabit at a local café and wile away the hours watching the seabirds wheel above your head. Grab a small plate at a street-vendor and wander Longgarden to see what flowers happen to be in bloom. Stop off at the Museum of Local History and pick up one of the travel maps that will take you on a historical tour of food, architecture, noble marriages, or anything else that strikes your fancy.

Underside

Many foreigners know Underside only as a ramshackle den of the poor and work-class. This is a terrible misrepresentation of what the Underside truly is.

Due to the limited space available for expansion, the Yellow Bypass has only ever grown in two directions; up and down. The taller buildings in the cental quarter of the Bypass is indicative of the former, while Underside represents that latter. Building down has always been an easier and more cost-effective method for expansion, thanks both to the large sturdy pillars, which provide effective foundations for construction; and to the closer proximity to the ocean, which provides food and other resources.

In fact, the Underside is the primary source of food and water for the entire Yellow Bypass. Were it not for the fishers, hunters, and craftsfolk of the Underside, the Yellow Bypass may not have been able to declare independence from both Eastworrik and Roshkana.

The stereotype of Underside being a place of poverty is doubtlessly due to its weatherworn and pragmatic aesthetic, especially when compared to the solid stonework of topside. All along the Yellow Bypass, twenty-eight ladders and staircases made from stone or wood allow travel from the sun-kissed topside to the gigantic shaded web of interconnected wooden shacks and huts. Wooden bridges and walkways weave back and forth through the air, allowing access to the clusters of small buildings that stick beehive-like to the mighty pillars of the Yellow Bypass.

The culture of Underside is more segregated than that of Topside. Without the constant flow of tourists, travelers, and the stabilizing influence of the Mainway, the communities of Underside tend to gather around the pillars, where larger huts can be build and a greater number of shacks can be sustained.

Across the entire length of the Yellow Bypass, there are a total of eight major established “towns,” not counting the cliff-city on the Eastworrik end. The four largest are roughly equidistant from both each other and the edges of the Bypass, the largest being The Cluster, a massive structure of no fewer than a thousand houses, shops, inns, taverns, and seven separate “plazas.”

Travel from town to town is as varied as most travelers can handle. There are at least five major bridges of varying quality and safety, but this is considered a pauper’s method of travel, both because of its free cost and its comparatively risky nature. Note, the risk isn’t from the bridges breaking or collapsing — the Long Spiders are too skilled to allow such a thing to happen — but because the winds can be terribly strong under the Bypass, and have a tendency to come without warning.

Towards the middle of the Bypass, sliding along long ropes on wheeled swings is available, followed by long staircases or rope elevators to reach your desired level. Air-boats and balloons are also used, though tend to be more expensive. These range from large barges to luxury personal platforms for leisure and tourist travel.

• The Long Spiders

  The Long Spiders are a specially trained organization dedicated to the unique methods of survival required in the Underside. Originally a loose guild of fishermen, carpenters, and acrobats, the Long Spiders were finally organized into an official guild in the year 203. In accordance with their charter, the Long Spiders provide transport to the people of Underside, and food to the whole of the Yellow Bypass.

  Both fishers and divers draw food from the ocean; the seabed surrounding the pillars is quite fertile, with teaming schools of fish, mollusks, and eels. There are large forests of kelp and giant towers of coral, each with their own biomes of flora and fauna. In the early years of the Yellow Bypass, fisherfolk would descend the carved-out staircases to reach the sea-level to fish and hunt sea-birds. Nowadays, carefully designed counterweights allow metal-and-wood elevators to ferry the Long Spiders to their docks.

  Hunting sea-fowl was done with longbows and arrows with thin rope tied to them, but recent methods include buckshot and large nets drawn between the pillars, as well as line-arrows — very light arrows that are made with strong twine affixed to the end.

  In addition to food, the Long Spiders maintain the “ropes.” This is a catch-all term for all the ropes, wooden braces, and metal clamps that keep the architecture of Underside secure. This includes the bridges and wheel-cars that allow the citizenry to travel from one pillar to another. They control the elevators, pilot the barges, and have an exacting knowledge of the thousands of different ropes and lashings that comprise the Underside. As a sailor knows the sea, the Long Spiders know the ropes. It is said an expert Long Spider can know exactly where and when a rope will break simply by tugging on it once.

  As an organization, the Long Spiders are easily recognizable with their green silkskin jackets and white strip wrapped joints. Most wear the Long Spider badge, and will be more than happy to provide assistance to any Traveler who is uncertain of where they are or how to best get to their destination.

Accommodations

There are multiple locations for travelers to rest themselves all along the Yellow Bypass. Depending on your plans, you may want either to find hotel nearer the middle of the Bypass, or towards ether end.

If you hope to spend most of your time sightseeing and experiencing the local culture, you will want to find a hotel near the center of the Bypass. I would suggest The Mid-Rest, a large hotel with reasonable prices for longer-staying vacationers. The rooms are cozy and well furnished, and the location offers easy access to several points of note. The proprietor is a boisterous woman by the name of Latt, who is a cheerful sort. While she certainly knows the value of discretion, I found myself spending quite a bit of time with her during my first trip to the Yellow Bypass. I make it a point to say hello every time I visit.

There are also accommodations in the Underside, most notable being the Down Pillow; a cozy hostel with only eight rooms. They offer a simple breakfast menu and cleaning services, all for a reasonable price. The building itself is only a few minute’s walk to the nearest Topside ladder. If you plan of spending any extended period of time in the Underside, or are traveling on a budget, the Down Pillow is an excellent option.

On the Roshkana edge of the Yellow Bypass, the favored place for discerning tourists is the Kiismin Hotel, named after a band of local guardsmin who perished during the War of Resurgence. While the Kiismin is a fine hotel, I personally prefer the Tenth Door Hotel. It is significantly cheaper, while still having clean rooms, plenty of amenities, and only a few minutes walk further away from the Center Strip. I also prefer their drinks menu, as they prefer stocking local liquors, wines, and ales.

The Eastworrik side of the Yellow Bypass has more hotels than you can shake a stick at. My favorite is the Red Raven, one of the smaller hotels in the area. Their watchword is luxury, and while their rooms are larger than most tourists may feel is necessary, there is no denying their casual flair for the aesthetic. Their kitchen is also one of the finest, with an extensive menu catering both to local and foreign cuisines.

Things to Do

Daytime

Topside

Pick up any brochure on the Yellow Bypass and you’ll learn about a hundred different spots to spend your time. I will only repeat a few suggestions, as every tourist will have to curate their own trip towards their preferences.

Lovers of foreign food will find several cafés that serve local cuisine. One of my favorites is Hashmog’s Den, a bistro some three lengths in from the border, on the corner of B avenue and Dolomite street. Owned and operated by a lovely couple, Hashmog’s Den serves some of the best Lave po Duch in all of the Yellow Bypass.

Architecture lovers should take the time to visit the Pirhall and the Seat of Council, both in the middle of the Bypass. These two buildings comprise the local government, the Pirhall being where day-to-day bureaucracies are performed, while the Seat of Council is where official assemblies and affairs of state are managed on a bi-monthly basis. The buildings themselves are unchanged from their construction generations ago by the Holy Architects and the Rough Masons of antiquity. The Hall of Ungar’s Pride is particularly renowned for its historical and aesthetic value.

Locally, residents call the parks and plazas all along the Yellow Bypass “gardens.” Longgarden is the largest, situated near the center of the Bypass, but I personally find the Cliff Gardens the more breathtaking. Nearer to Roshkana, the Cliff Gardens is a fabulous place to see a local collection of flora from the surrounding region. Be sure to visit in the warmer months when the calisthanths are in bloom.

There are several lookout points across the whole of the Bypass, should you wish to take in the expansive horizon. Be aware though that the local climate makes fog, rain, and other obscuring forms of weather common.

Lastly, the Krop is a café along the Center Strip between E and F avenue that has some of the best Swabit outside of Flororenghashst. The proprietor, a Mr. Hogbody, regularly engages with his customers, and has been known to sit down and share a casual meal with them, regaling everyone in earshot about his escapades as a young newcomer to the Bypass.

Underside

The Underside is not particularly focused on tourist attractions. There are several lookout points that give excellent views of the Borrst Strait, but the architecture of Underside is not conducive to sightseeing. Even the ordinarily marvelous view of the Borrst Strait is often masked by fog or weather, making the view no better than what one might see on Topside.

Instead, tourists could take one of the several pillar tours that span the entire Bypass. Starting at one end, these tours highlight the feats of engineering that resulted in the Bypass’s distinct construction. Many also include the construction of the Underside on their tours, explaining how, when, and why each of the eight towns was built.

Perhaps my favorite is the Agnaton Pillar Tour, a surprisingly interesting trip that focuses exclusively on the pillar one closer to Roshkana from the center. Starting at the bottom and climbing upwards, the tour alternates between recounting the historical drama surrounding the pillar’s construction, and the engineering techniques and unplanned events that resulted in the pillar’s unique construction. By the top of the pillar, the tour becomes a cultural showcase, highlighting some of Underside’s historical influences. The tour ends at sundown with a free drink at The Apex Chum, one of the most reliable beer-café’s in Underside.

The Cluster is likely the best option for tourists looking to shop, though all of the other seven towns have a good collection of services as well. There is no established “market center” in the Cluster, so be aware you may need to wander a bit to find whichever shops or merchants you are looking for. If you’re not in the mood to happen-upon, you are ever only a few minutes away from a Long Spider who will gladly point you towards the fastest route.

Diving is a common sport in the Underside, though be aware that the divers of the Yellow Bypass are experts. Please pay attention to their warnings, and do not attempt to dive from anything over a level 3, no matter your experience with cliff-diving — at least, not until the veteran diving locals have had the chance to assess your skills and decide if it is safe for you to do so.

Evening

Topside

The evening will likely clear the fog from the Borrst Strait, but for reasons I’ll explain later, I would opt for a visit to Underside for late-night sightseeing.

Nighttime is when the Night Bypass View rides open for business. Get yourself a reservation and relax as you are carted down the entire Yellow Bypass in a vintage carriage. Both educational and “quiet” are available. You can also book a shorter ride with a designated drop point, if, for example, you spent the day walking from your hotel to one end of the Bypass, and would like a luxurious ride back to your bed.

At sundown, the Bypass poks open. A local term, poks are are best translated as “beer-cafés”. These are comfortable spots where a person can spend hours sitting and talking, or drinking an evening pint while munching on a small evening plate of food. They are all open-air, though some have recently included a covered area for those who prefer to stay out of the weather. This is the perfect way to end a busy day, watching the sun set while enjoying some of the finest nibbles the Yellow Bypass has to offer. The most famous pok, Din Warrin, (literally, the Home of Pleasant Memories) tends to get full early in the evening, so I always stop off at Kres’s Tap, on the Roshkana side.

The Reliquary is a cozy theatre on the corner of D avenue and Schist street that exclusively performs historical plays and songs from Chicurry’s turbulent past. They also run a small school to train actors in the local performance traditions, and their shows are always worth a visit. For those who are not theatrically inclined, the Dance Floor provides night-long music performances and has plenty of room for dancing of all styles.

Underside

The aforementioned lookout points are doubly splendid at night, when the stars reflect off the surface of the rippling strait and the moon sets the pillars of the Bypass aglow. Clusters of luminescent coral and schools of fish turn the area around the pillars into forests of light. If you visit during the winter, you might see schools of migrating fang-rays with their glistening backs and flashing tails giving the scene a ghostly quality. Ancient folk-legend says that the fang-rays are psychopomps, ferrying departed souls to the next world.

Strolling along the bridges and ropes of Underside at night is generally discouraged due to the risks involved. Instead, a small industry of night-riding has emerged in recent years. Special cables and ropes allow for light-wood carriages to slowly slide from one pillar to the other, providing a gentle and comfortable opportunity to watch the stars within the comfort of a cozy yet luxurious carriage.

During the night, The Cluster loses its claim as the best tourist spot, as all eight of the towns have excellent beer-cafés. These are more common in the Underside, largely due to an old cultural understanding that beer-cafés are a lower-class pastime, as opposed to upper-class activities like dances, balls, and recitals. Few place any stock in this nowadays, the division of the two kinds of activity now largely traditional. I personally believe the best pok in the whole of the Yellow Bypass is the Annig Tysosh (literally, the Thirsty Stool) in the Tofflig pillar town. The drinks are only marginally more expensive than other poks, and the food is surprisingly delicious for its simplicity. It also has one of the better views in the Underside.

Street music is common in Underside, though dancing is largely avoided, again, due to the risks involved. Singing is encouraged, however, and the concept of a singular singer is a strange one in Bypass culture. Be aware that if you stop to listen to any music, either on the street or in a pok or pub, you will be looked at crosswise if you do not sing along.