Silver Bridge

The Silver Bridge is a bridge that spans the Arauros river in the city of Coroa. The bridge is famous across the Aurelian Empire and wider Vedar and connects the east and west halves of Coroa and the island of Arta. The original bridge was constructed by the Elders thousands of years before the rise of the Empire.

Etymology
There are many theories behind the origin of the bridge's name, though the most popular is that it was originally named the Silvine Bridge after Lady Faenya Silvine, who died during the Aelderi Schism. Over the centuries, this name gradually shifted into the current name.

There are some in the present day, especially amongst conservative High Elves, that use the term 'Silvine Bridge' in opposition to what is referred to as the 'human butchering' of the name. However, there is little recorded evidence that the bridge was ever referred to by this name, and in fact this may be an example of historical revisionism.

History
The original bridge was constructed around 3,000 Prior to Reformation. The few surviving records from this time hail it as a symbol of unity in the Elders' divisory politics of the time, having been constructed and financed by a coalition of Prides.

The bridge was only slightly damaged during the Schism as both sides sought to maintain the crossing of the Arauros (the Drukherine to maintain access into central Vedar, and the Thalassians to have a single defensive point on which to focus at a stage in the war in which they were superior).

The bridge was more severely damaged during the Battle of Coroa as some orcs sought to destroy it to prevent pursuit by the combined Aurelian/Elven forces. Due to agreements made by Tullus Iulius, Coroa was opened to trade once the orc threat had been dealt with. Tolls placed on merchants crossing the river were used to fund the repair of the bridge.

Culture
The Silver Bridge is a symbolic link between the two halves of Coroa and the island of Arta, site of the imperial citadel and Temple of Oa. It links the principal institutions of the empire situated in 'the city' and western side, such as the Coroan institute of the Aurelian College of the Arcane and Legion headquarters, with the districts of Moorgate, Campus, the docks of Kirrus and the Warren, where a large proportion of the inhabitants are non-Citizens of the Empire and where merchants, traders and foreign diplomats live and work. Apart from its place in fiction, the romantic appearance of the Silver Bridge has made it the subject of many paintings and engravings.