> I'd be shocked if the Creek and the Stream are navigable
> through Sartar in anything larger than a kayak.
While I tend to agree about the Stream, I'm less sure about the Creek. Neither Creek nor upper River are very interesting for riverine traffic because of the barrier formed by the Upland Marsh, anyway.
However, Durulz barges are hardly any larger than a two-men kayak. And they don't have to carry their crew, either...
> RW example: [...]
> During my commute to work I pass three sets of locks. At least one
> would pose an absolute block to navigation without the locks, which
> AFAIK are far beyond Lunar technology.
I wouldn't think so. Canals with locks were built by the early Hanseatic League cities in northern Germany already in the 12th century, in a country quite recently colonized/christianized for good. The Netherlands probably had done so even earlier...
All the technology you need is basic canal digging/dam building (you'll have to redirect the river while building the lock), advanced masonry or use of burnt tiles, and the same technical ability you need for a stout city gate. Effectively, two strong gates join into a "v" pointed against the higher water level. If you want to open them, you'll have to equalize water levels by either letting in or letting out water.
Both lock entrance and lock exit ought to be fortified, but I think even a palisade-like construction to keep the water from gnawing away the dike would do.
In the case of a running (i.e. strongly replenishing) waterway, you'd have to have an overflow canal next to the lock - basic irrigation technology.
Redirecting a river wasn't even a sore test on Visigoth engineering skill after the death of King Athalarich, for his burial below the Busento.
IMO such a project would have been well within Sartar's builders' skills. Given the type of traffic to be expected (duck rafts/barges and occasional newtling reed boats), this or even a quayside would probably have been overkill.
> The problems facing navigation get worse as you approach a
> river's source. With less water volume sandbars and fords can
> get in your way. As the terrain gets hilly the grade of the
> river steepens and (most importantly) become irregular, creating
> rapids and waterfalls. The difficulties will also vary by
> season; the rivers are probably navigable in water season but
> impossible in fire season, for instance.
Best navigability downriver would be early Sea Season, best upriver early Fire Season. Upland moors have a sponge-like effect and provide a fairly steady source of water over many half-seasons (to avoid the ungloranthan term months). Norwegian water electricity uses creeks way to little to even ponder kayaks.
IMO the Stream Valley has very little rise from Duck Point to Quackford, and probably again not much after a short portage near Pegasus Plateau to Wilmskirk. The main reason why the river trade ends at Duck Point would be that nobody wants uppity ducks frequenting their places. (The duck humakti event in KoDP always annoys me...)
> Canonical sources state that the Oslir is navigable as far as
> Furthest, but that doesn't mean there are not several portages
> involved to bypass troublesome stretches of the river.
Oslir barges probably are flat-bottomed, raft-like tubs whose main system of propulsion would be haulage from the land.
Unpassable flats become less so if your magic can provide an undine (of whichever type of magical realm) to provide an extra two inches of water, and these barges are run by river worshippers. For a reason...
> The sixty mile portage to get to Alda Chur is three day's
> journey by foot or horse; a caravan would take a week even
> with a good road. IMHO that's a big barrier.
Especially since Alda-Chur lies atop a plateau, and a little bit north of the navigable part of the River. A much longer haulage is from Aldachur to Duck Point, even if the roads are better.
> Remember that most trade in ancient/medieval times was in
> luxury goods precisely because overland transportation was
> difficult, expensive, and risky.
In medieval Europe, most of the risk and cost resulted in the huge number of borders and local potentates one had to bypass. In Issaries- (or Etyries-) friendly places like Sartar the tolls are well balanced.
> The Lunar quartermasters will have to unload their boats and
> carry their supplies several times through wilderness infested
> with bandits, Broos, Dragonewts, and hostile aborigines. You'll
> also need to feed the horses and mules, not to mention the troops
> guarding the caravans.
I'd suppose that overland traffic uses about four to five times the number of draught beasts as beasts of burden, maybe two times if wagons are used.
> If you're interested look up the effects of the Nile's cataracts
> on Egyptian history.
The Nile is special in providing a steady upriver wind almost throughout the year, eliminating most of the need for hauling draught beasts (or people).
> I'd guess that half the Sartar garrison's troops are involved
> in securing their supply lines.
I suppose that half the Sartar garrisons' troops are supplied by subverted Sartarite merchants, and that their defense against an interruption of supplies would be a decent stock (unless the quartermasters are unusually corrupt) and in-time intervention from Tarsh. It took Fazzur about three weeks to bring a major force into position below Larnste's Table from Tarsh, so I guess that two to three weeks of essential provision ought to be ready at the garrison at any time. (Ought to, not necessarily are.)
> That includes caravan escorts, garrisons of forts at the
> loading/unloading points and at the supply dumps, and troops
> helping to secure local supplies through tax collection. It's
> feasible, but it is also a major burden on the Lunars. A smart
> Lunar commander would have a year's supplies stockpiled in case
> of trouble, but that stockpile is finite and vulnerable.
And perishable, to boot. And this doesn't even take into account Lunar achievements like the Everlast Biscuits...
Also, such a huge supply would be an excellent reason for desperate hungry clans to raid such military encampments, leading to much bloodier uprisings.
Occasional raids on supply lines provide an excellent excuse to pillage, rape etc. the supposed culprits, and to keep up the spirit of the forces.
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