Feats of Engineering: Steer the Vuchar around Il Aluk

[DeepShadow of FoS]

My campaign takes place several years after the Gaz's, so I'm always looking for ways the world had moved on. Since we steered into Darkon, I've been wondering about the prospect of a great engineering project to redirect the Vuchar River so that it doesn't flow through Il Aluk. This would be a huge undertaking of course, but it's very necessary for the life and health of the domain. Not only does the river come out of the Shroud flowing with rotting fish, but it's stifled trade.

What would such a feat of engineering be called? Where would the river go instead, and how would it progress? Stairstep locks? Waterfalls? Who would sponsor such a project, and who might oppose it?

[Mischief]

My campaign takes place several years after the Gaz's, so I'm always looking for ways the world had moved on. Since we steered into Darkon, I've been wondering about the prospect of a great engineering project to redirect the Vuchar River so that it doesn't flow through Il Aluk. This would be a huge undertaking of course, but it's very necessary for the life and health of the domain. Not only does the river come out of the Shroud flowing with rotting fish, but it's stifled trade.

What would such a feat of engineering be called? Where would the river go instead, and how would it progress? Stairstep locks? Waterfalls? Who would sponsor such a project, and who might oppose it?

Deadpan tone "Magna Fossa"

The Erie Canal, a series of locks and aqueducts, seems like a good model. Maybe with magic other methods could be feasible to levitate water against gravity. If you are feeling crazy, maybe Azalin decides to go under and the river winds through underground lakes and flies along ancient lava tubes like Jules Verne's Journey to the Center of the Earth.

Azalin himself has the most stake in where the river goes - his castle is the structure most affected by a course change. Closer to his castle and forest with a southern route, or further with a northern run through the bogs? It depends on what he sees as the risks and rewards. Does he want to control more of the river, versus living people and a route to invade nearer his threshold? Building through the northern bogs might lead to that "twisted skein" algal disease outbreak S- was talking about.
Traffic probably picked up along the southern road to compensate for the loss of the river, so some inns there might be quite upset, but everyone established will be happy to have the river back in action because the overall economy will probably increase. Taxes might be a problem. The nobility might grumble, but the anticipated wealth from better trade should help some. Residents who never directly profited from the river might object for selfish reasons - maybe some of Martira Bay and Western Darkon who don't care about Eastern Darkon that much or would like to see that region's power diminished complain about the project disproportionately benefiting them and the levy isn't allocated fairly. In summary, a lot of the objection takes the form of: "What a grand and noble project, but..."

Money will attract rivals: architects competing for Azalin's favor, bidding wars between suppliers, itinerant cities where workers stay will have to pop up and be protected against attack - Death probably won't take the loss of the Vuchar lying down. etc.

[DustBunny]

A lot depends on who is doing the work.

If it's Az, you can just say 'Done'. Even if he doesn't wave his fingers and summon undead to start digging, simply say 'Do this' to the citizens, the amount of magic at his command (dig, move earth, disintergrate, lyre of building, etc) means something equivilant to the Suez canal could be built in a week.

Now if it's a private venture - things can get a lot more interesting and it would not be cheap. Apart from having to get Az's approval, the sponsors have to raise the funds, get workers, obtain equipment, etc. even before the ground is broken. And how they raise that money could bring it's own problems. Apart from having to pay it back (with interest) resulting is heavy tolls, the other investors could have their own agenda resulting in nasty politicing and compromises.

Apart from Death not being happy if the project went ahead, think of what happens when a major bypass is put through an area.
Small villages which have popped up to support land trade would wither and die, you would get new towns arising along the bypass to service the merchant trade. Some areas would have an increase in revenue making the local nobles happy, while other would have revenue dry up and resort to desperate measures to raise tribute.

And also what sort of construction is it? Just a basic ditch for the river to flow in which barges can go up and down, or a fully built bypass with locks, stone cladding, docks, etc?

Ans as Mischief mentions, you have the bogs surrounding the area whould can do nasty things (and are difficult to build anything in) to any bypass.