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Bridge crew

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Bridge crew
Slaves by Artur Felipe Mósca.jpg
by Artur Felipe Mósca
World of Origin Roshar
Universe Cosmere

The bridge crews, crewed by men known as the bridgemen, were originally an expendable workforce used for hard labor and cannon fodder. They later become an infantry battalion, but retain the name "bridge crews" as their official unit name.

Under Highprince Torol Sadeas, the bridge crews carry large, heavy bridges in order to allow his soldiers to cross the chasms of the Shattered Plains.[1] The bridgemen consist mainly of slaves, deserters, thieves, foreigners, and some men who joined because they had nowhere else to go.[2] The bridgemen were treated as expendable and incurred heavy casualties with every bridge run.

The bridge crews are later transferred to the control of Highprince Dalinar Kholin, where they become a battalion of soldiers in Kholin's army. In this capacity, they are commanded by Captain Kaladin Stormblessed, with Bridge Four as its premier unit and headquarters.

Under Highprince Sadeas[edit]

This shows how the bridges Sadeas' uses work. It looks like a technical blueprint, except for the rather dramatic interpretation of a bridge run at the bottom. The annotations on this drawing are done in women's script rather than English. In the top left of the drawing we have a faceless bridgeman drawn from the front and back. He's wearing sandals, short pants that go down to his knees and are tied with a rope, and a sleeveless vest with heavy padding on his shoulders. He has impressive calves. We also so the bridge four glyph here, resembling an arrow-shape with a circle in the tip piercing a lightning-bolt like line. There's also Sadeas' glyph: five vertical lines that start parallel at the bottom but then curve towards the center line at the top. It looks roughly like a tower, or perhaps a claw reaching upwards. Next we get several technical drawings of a bridge from different angles, as well as drawings of bridgemen carrying the structure. The bridges are more complicated structures then the flat boards I personally pictured. They look more like ramps. Shaped like flat trapeziums. There is a broad base at the bottom, the shorter deck at the top, and short ramps at the front and back connecting to the two. So anyone going over goes up a bit, then down again. It's in the space between the top and bottom that the bridgemans' heads go when they run. The bottom isn't solid wood, it looks more like the rafters under a roof. Planks stick horizontally out of the side of the bridge at regular intervals. These are used to shove the bridge forward when it has been put down. There is a small diagram explaining how a bridge run works in five steps. 1: a straight run to the edge of the chasm 2: put the bridge down 3: push the bridge across 4: bridge is now fully across 5: bridgeman run back towards the rest of the army for cover. Finally, the third bottom of the page has a large, dramatic but not very detailed drawing of a bridge run. On the left is a formation of Alethi soldiers. They wear Roman-style armour: conical helmets with straight nose protectors, shoulder armour made out of several pieces of metal, metal breastplates, heavy skirts that go to below the knee, and sandals. Their breastplates are hard to see because they are all carrying large rectangular shields with Sadeas' glyph on them, forming a solid shield wall. They all have long spears. In the middle of the scene the bridgeman have their bridge halfway across the chasm. They and the bridge are peppered with arrows from the Parshendi on the other side of the chasm. The bridgeman at the back are still pushing but the ones at the front have all been shot and are draped over the bridge and the handles. One is plummeting onto the chasm. Several are running away from the bridge only to be felled by arrows. It's very dramatic. On the other side of the chasm the Parshendi are armed with short recurve bows. They have quivers slung along their hips. and are not standing in any sort of formation. Their helmets are simple skullcaps with long, wild hair coming from beneath. At the very bottom of the page is the glyph of the ardent who made this drawing. The centre of the glyph is an arrow shape similar to the bridge 4 one, but it has a circle at the base and two lines at the top, curving away from the arrow's point. It looks a bit like a mountain piercing the clouds.
by Ben McSweeney

Origins[edit]

The unique geography of the Shattered Plains required the armies to cross many chasms to reach the battlefields. Highprince Torol Sadeas employed a large number of bridgemen to transport his army's temporary bridges. The bridgemen were also used as cannon fodder for the Parshendi bowmen.[3]

The bridgemen were split into 40 bridge crews, each carrying one bridge.[4] Each bridge crew was comprised of approximately 35-40 men.[1] The most notable crew was Bridge Four: initially known for being the worst crew with the highest casualty rate,[5] they are later noted for their excellence and innovation to bridge warfare while under the command of Kaladin.[6]

Organization[edit]

Gaz was the bridge sergeant, reporting directly to Brightlord Lamaril.[7] After Lamaril is executed, Brightlord Matal takes nominal command of the unit, although his wife Brightness Hashal is the one who is actually commanding the unit.[8] Within each bridge crew, the men appointed their own bridge leader, but they lacked an overall command structure or allegiance to anything except their own self-preservation.

Functions[edit]

For bridge crews' tactical use, see War_of_Reckoning#The_Use_of_Bridges_Between_Plateaus.

During hunts for gemhearts, bridgemen will carry the bridge and place it to the next plateau. While the army is crossing the bridge, they have time to rest, but they will need to run and get ahead of the army once everyone passed. During such runs, positions in the front is preferred because of fresh air and better sight. Bridgemen will take turns for positions in a fair manner. However, if the next plateau is occupied by Parshendi forces, bridge crews will face heavy fire and almost always suffer heavy casualties because they act as easy targets to attract fire away from the main forces. Positions at the rear, which are better shielded against arrows, are preferred in this case, although the survival rate is very poor for every position.[7] People who refuse to follow the rules will be forced to run in the front; the position at the center is referred to as the "deathpoint" due to its high mortality rate. New recruits are often stationed at the deathpoint since they are considered expendable.[7][1] Bridgeleaders have some power over the position arrangements and typically take the best positions for themselves.[5][7]

In normal times, the bridge crews act as man power and do various unwanted duties in the war camp. Among them is the chasm duty, which requires people to scavenge for weapons, armor or spheres from the chasms.[9]

Under Highprince Kholin[edit]

After Kaladin saves Highprince Dalinar Kholin's life, Highprince Kholin repays him by securing the release of the entire bridge crew unit from Highprince Sadeas. He does this by giving his Shardblade, Oathbringer, to Highprince Sadeas in exchange for the bridge crews' freedom.[10]

Following this, Highprince Kholin offers money and freedom to every member of the bridge crews, along with the opportunity to join Kholin's army as soldiers.[11] Very few bridgemen take Kholin's offer to leave, and Kholin is left with a full thousand-man battalion.[4]

After the bridge crews are freed by Kholin, they all immediately recognize Kaladin as their leader.[11] Highprince Kholin formalizes this by appointing Kaladin as their commander with the rank of captain.

Organization[edit]

Captain Kaladin re-organizes the bridge crews into twenty platoons of fifty men each, with each platoon named from Bridge One to Bridge Twenty, in memory of their previous life.[4]

Bridge Four, Kaladin's original bridge crew, becomes their premier unit as well as headquarters platoon. Initially, forty members (two from each Bridge) are chosen to be trained directly by members of Bridge Four. These forty members are then seeded back to their original Bridges, promoted, and help train the remainder of their Bridges, with assistance from Bridge Four.

Innovations[edit]

Under Captain Kaladin's command, the bridge crews have implemented a number of innovations to warfare.

Due to Kaladin's background in medicine, he has trained some members of the bridge crews in battlefield medicine, leading to the first deployment of combat medics on the battlefield.

Kaladin also creates a modernized command structure for the bridge crews. A typical Alethi army is organized around a very small number of lighteyed officers with a moderate amount of "citizen officers," the Alethi term for a non-commissioned officer.[12] Since the bridge crews have no lighteyes, and also because Kaladin believes this command structure to be lacking, he creates the position of lieutenant between himself and the sergeants who lead platoons. Additionally, he is considering expanding the size of his non-commissioned officer corps by adding the additional rank of "master sergeant."[4]

Bridges[edit]

Bridge One
Gets assigned two more men when Lopen joins Bridge Four[3]
Bridge Two
Lost eleven members in one run[13] ?[14] They become guards for House Kholin[15]
Bridge Three
Their leader Bussik asks Gaz to let them skip stone-gathering and then scowls at Kaladin[16]. Gets assigned four more men when Lopen joins Bridge Four[3]
Bridge Four
Bridge Six
Gets assigned five more men when Lopen joins Bridge Four[3] Matal offers Four to cross on Six while Four want to defect[17]
Bridge Seven
Watched Bridge Four and nineteen other crews leave one day after escaping just barely[7] Gets assigned four more men when Lopen joins Bridge Four[3] They arrive unscathed one run thanks to Kaladin[18]
Bridge Eight
Kaladin visits them during a run[19]
Bridge Eleven
Guard Elhokar when he asks Kaladin to join his return to Kholinar[20]
Bridge Thirteen
Dalinar's guards during wedding[21] and Rial is introduced[22], they hesitate letting Shallan be alone with Elhokar but are dismissed[23] They all become Teft's squires[24]
Bridge Fourteen
Gets assigned six more men when Lopen joins Bridge Four[3]
Bridge Seventeen
Pitt apologises to Kaladin for his treatment of Bridge Four during the runs[25] They improve with training[26] They become guards[15] Four took their bridge at one point[27]
Bridge Eighteen
They arrive unscathed one run thanks to Kaladin[18] Vet isn't a good commander though many of the bridgemen only stayed after being freed because they didn't want to make choices.[26]
Bridge Nineteen
They recover and become a unit[26]
Bridge Twenty
Is targeted by the Parshendi brutally[19] sergeant Creer brings a message to Navani about Fen, his twin brother doesn't wear glasses[28]

Notes[edit]

  1. ↑ a b c The Way of Kings chapter 6#
  2. ↑ The Way of Kings chapter 30#
  3. ↑ a b c d e f The Way of Kings chapter 32#
  4. ↑ a b c d Words of Radiance chapter 2#
  5. ↑ a b The Way of Kings chapter 9#
  6. ↑ The Way of Kings chapter 64#
  7. ↑ a b c d e The Way of Kings chapter 17#
  8. ↑ The Way of Kings chapter 43#
  9. ↑ The Way of Kings chapter 27#
  10. ↑ The Way of Kings chapter 69#
  11. ↑ a b The Way of Kings chapter 73#
  12. ↑ The Way of Kings chapter 46#
  13. ↑ The Way of Kings chapter 21#
  14. ↑ The Way of Kings chapter 38#
  15. ↑ a b Words of Radiance chapter 56#
  16. ↑ Oathbringer chapter 21#
  17. ↑ The Way of Kings chapter 67#
  18. ↑ a b The Way of Kings chapter 62#
  19. ↑ a b The Way of Kings chapter 53#
  20. ↑ Oathbringer chapter 37#
  21. ↑ Oathbringer chapter 4#
  22. ↑ Oathbringer chapter 16#
  23. ↑ Oathbringer chapter 51#
  24. ↑ Oathbringer chapter 122#
  25. ↑ Words of Radiance chapter 31#
  26. ↑ a b c Words of Radiance chapter 46#
  27. ↑ Words of Radiance chapter 87#
  28. ↑ Oathbringer chapter 109#
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