"That's usually a pretty solvable sort of problem, especially if I'm free to make whatever claims I need - if there was a pillar holding up part of the span or if it used to connect with a path that's crumbled off the side of the mountain I can replace those; if it needs a tunnel dug I can dig one, things like that. I do have some trouble extending a claim over large bodies of water, is the main situation where I might not be able to help you with that - rivers are often fine but lakes usually aren't."

"I'm sure someone will be annoyed at not being able to bridge the Bay of Catazar, but these lakes here are probably the largest body of water in Urizen; there are rivers in the valleys and I suppose they might form lakes somewhere, but it's unlikely to be anywhere relevant.

It sounds like our first step is to let you install a local bridge between here and the ruins, let you charge would-be archeologists whatever you're inclined to, and then we'll have some evidence to take to the Senator?"

"Sure, that sounds like a good starting point."

Adolphus returns, having wheedled a handful of various ingots and little bottles out of the lady in the workshop. "Uh, where did you want the samples? I've got all the artisan materials, she wouldn't let the ring of ilium out of her sight but she's got one, she said we should go stare at some construction projects if we want the rest because she doesn't keep any that's not in use."

"Just there is fine." He focuses for a moment, and then he's holding a similar handful, and then he's not. "Thank you. - I can't do the weltsilver or the iridescent gloaming, they have something going on that I can't quite match. The rest should be enough for my purposes, though."

That's... an interesting set. Normally Autumn can't do any of the forest materials. Maybe it's a Day thing, both weltsilver and iridescent gloaming are pretty Night aligned...

"Did you want to come to the bridge site, Gallius? I can probably take it from here, you can come and inspect the finished project."

"If that's acceptable to our guest? Actually, do fetch Prudentia before you commit to anything, she'll probably have opinions on style and placement."

"You can come along, sure. And I can always change the aesthetics around later, that's not especially costly." He stands; he's still damp but noticeably less muddy. "I might change it to white granite later, too, once I've seen some."

Gallius considers correcting the entity that actually he wanted to head off and get some work done, like drafting a letter to the Senator that didn't sound completely insane, but then decides he'd actually like to come see the build and be sure he wasn't just being completely played before he put any effort into that.

"Adolphus," he starts, and Adolphus guesses what he's going to say, nods, and hurries off.

The Arbiter leads the small party over to the jagged, rocky edge where the previous bridge was destroyed. The span involved is not small - the bridge was a marvel of engineering strung between two adjacent mountains.

"I believe the last one used mithril in the suspension cables," he explains.

Adolphus is off to fetch Architect Prudentia, who isn't terribly fond of being interrupted but 'Gallius is getting a herald to rebuild the sky-bridge to the Hall of the Risen Sun' is enough to get her out of her workshop.

Kiraavi's avatar walks right up to the edge of the mountain; someone who'd be meaningfully injured by falling would generally be rather more cautious of such a situation, but it's not a concern of his. The ground under his feet changes, subtly, as he contemplates the area. "I see, yes. I can do something similar, if you'd like."

"I'm happy to defer to Prudentia in this matter, I think she's heading here from the workshop now."

Indeed, Prudentia arrives fairly swiftly thereafter, and quite fearlessly strides up to Kiraavi at the cliff edge.

"I hear you're replacing the bridge. Do you have a good idea of the specifications? The last one you could barely get a pack llama down, it would be lovely to have one that can take an ox cart."

"We haven't discussed them, but I bet I can get it wide enough for two wagons to pass."

Prudentia looks grudgingly impressed. "I think this is still the best place for it, you'll probably want to anchor it a ways back, we've mostly stabilised this cliff with a little white granite cement here and there, but I don't trust it to bear the load of a huge bridge." She turns and strides over to Gallius. "What are you paying - it? Where are the materials coming from?"

"Him," replies Gallius. "Also there will be a toll booth, and he hasn't requested any materials - other than the samples you handed Adolphus earlier - which he replicated perfectly, other than the weltsilver and iridescent gloaming."

"Huh. Well, let's see if he can do mithril."

It's so nice when he gets to show off.

He paces at the edge for another few moments, eyeing the far side of the chasm, and then the surface they're standing on converts itself to solid white granite. It's surprisingly quiet as the new bridge extends itself across, easily wide enough for two wagons and a bit of foot traffic alongside, with the far side converting to granite as well where it touches and for a considerable ways around. The pillars and cables - of a bright mithril-steel alloy similar to the sentinel's armor - come in next, followed by small house-sized structure just off the path made of a darker, blue-tinted stone that complements the aesthetics of the bridge and surrounding mountain, with a sign out front proclaiming it 'Tolls and Waystation' in... some kind of script; it's as inexplicably understandable as Kiraavi's voice.

Adolphus blinks a few times, as if he can't believe what he just saw.

Sextus narrows his eyes and peers at the construction suspiciously, as if he expects it to go away if he disbelieves in it hard enough.

Gallius does not look taken aback because he has a lot of practice in not looking taken aback. He does start mentally composing that letter to the Senator. Which should probably be short enough to go out by priority heliopticon...

Prudentia taps the ground with one foot, then crouches down to touch it, then gets out a small metal hammer from the folds of her robes and rings it against the ground.

"Kiraavi, wasn't it? I think we might need to... consider the economic implications..."

It's not actually possible to see if the Sentinel is impressed through the armour, but the Sentinel is impressed. And somewhat worried.

"I'd rather you not dig that up; it won't hurt me, exactly, but it will cost me something to replace it. If you just mean the economic implications of having good roads wherever you'd like, I'm in favor."

"No, I mean the economic implications of being able to create White Granite on demand!

If it does have a cost to replace then at least it is a little more explicable - presumably you are creating a localised portal and bringing this through from a stockpile?

I am absolutely not digging your bridge up, it's notoriously difficult to salvage once it's been used in a construction.

How cheap is it to just - manifest a cartload?"