Kaldwin's Bridge

Kaldwin's Bridge is a location in Dunwall. Originally commissioned by Emperor Euhorn Kaldwin, father of the late Empress Jessamine Kaldwin, it spans the Wrenhaven River and is home to various figures of commerce and art, such as Pratchett, the distributor of Pratchett Jellied Eels. The bridge was later fortified with new Sokolov technologies, such as floodlights, as a precaution against ocean-based attacks.^[1]^[2] During Dishonored, the bridge is on mandatory lockdown, and most of the buildings in the area are abandoned, ruined or run down. Although the bridge used to be a favored landmark, popular with poets, lovers, and vacationers,^[2] during the time of the plague it gained a darker reputation, as many people used the bridge to commit suicide.^[3]

Corvo Attano visits the bridge during the mission The Royal Physician to abduct Anton Sokolov.

Details[]

The bridge is divided into four sections:

Southside Gate[]

Train02 — View of the Southside Gate area from a train car.

The Southside Gate area is mostly made up of abandoned apartments. The City Watch patrols the streets near the docks and buildings, and leading from the local warehouse is an elevated and electrified track for cargo trains. A small drawbridge, protected by two guards, can be found along the river. It leads to another abandoned apartment containing a weeper.

Drawbridge Way[]

As its name suggests, Drawbridge Way is where the well-known drawbridge is located. However, other places of note can be found in this area, as well. Pratchett, the wealthy owner of a successful cannery, lives on the southern end of Drawbridge Way, maintaining a clean and elegant home, in stark contrast to many of the buildings on the bridge, which are run-down and stripped bare. The Mad Survivor, another resident of the area, lives in an apartment nearby. There are also many abandoned apartments, and in addition to the normal City Watch, wolfhounds can be spotted patrolling the area, as well. Though there is some indication that a few thugs stayed in an apartment on the south side, a pair of live thugs can be found to the north of the drawbridge, along with a small City Watch checkpoint, and it is not uncommon to find river krusts attached to the undersides of small bridges. Access to the river is blocked off by a fence, whose gate is locked, and a holding pen can be found on the south side in the area right off the drawbridge.

The drawbridge itself is heavily guarded, arc pylons installed in both bridge stations and the open area in front of the bridge on its south side. At the top of each station is a lever that can be used to raise and lower the drawbridge. Both levers are locked, requiring a key to be used. Both stations are made up of many levels, and in addition, the north tower contains a holding cell and the whale oil power source connected to the bridge's floodlights.

Midrow Substation[]

The Midrow Substation controls the bridge's power and is distinguished by three large turning wheels. An open control station can be found nearby. The area is relatively small compared to the others, but it is heavily guarded, the City Watch very thoroughly patrolling the streets and areas behind the buildings, and a wall of light has been erected on the north side of the station.

Curiously, a small section of the area, located after the wall of light, is left completely abandoned. A large industrial building can be found here, along with the corpses of civilians who sought refuge within its walls, only to be killed off by the plague and rats.

North End[]

The North End is home to Anton Sokolov's Safehouse, as well as an internment area for Sokolov's test subjects, guarded by a wall of light. The streets are lightly patrolled, only containing a few City Watch Guards and Officers, and the docks are left completely open. Numerous abandoned apartments containing hidden loot are located here, some more difficult to reach than others. Unlike the previous areas, the North End has a high number of destroyed buildings, such as apartments missing walls or floors. A secret room behind a brick wall can be discovered in the first apartment found upon entering the area. It can be opened by turning the nearby faucet three times, but in addition to loot, it also holds a swarm of rats. A safe filled with ingots can also be found in this section, hidden behind a painting of the Lord Regent. The combination can be obtained by freeing the survivors trapped behind a wall of light below it.

Trivia[]

The bridge is very similar to the old London Bridge, built during the Middle Ages. Houses and shops were built atop of it, and a drawbridge in its middle section allowed passage to tall ships upriver.^[4]
- The old London Bridge also had waterwheels and water pumps built on the North section to provide energy, similarly to Midrow Substation on Kalwin's Bridge.^[5]
- The shape of the drawbridge section shares more similarities with Tower Bridge.^[6]
Before the construction of Kaldwin's Bridge, another, smaller bridge used to be in the same spot.^[2]
According to the map of Kaldwin's Bridge the first section is called "Southside Gate". The street signs found in the area, however, will read "North End". This is probably a developmental oversight, as the Southside Gate sign can be found in the game's files but is unused.
- The compass in the newest version of Dunwall's map found in Dishonored 2 points to the west instead of north, which has the bridge going from west to east and contradicts the name of its end sections.^[7] However, the compass on the map is wrong, compared to directions in all other materials (the first two novels and texts in Dishonored 2).
According to the Heart, people died while building the bridge.^[8]