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daarkknight
Seeker
USA
66 Posts |
 Posted - 30 Dec 2012 : 14:14:27
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I'm doing research for my game, and my group has decided to search for a lost keep in the Fields of the Dead. They've decided that the easiest way to get there is to go with a caravan leaving Arabel and heading towards Baldur's Gate.
Looking at MT's wonderful Western Heartlands/North map (to refresh my memory), I was trying to decide which would be the most likely route taken by a caravan. But I wanted to open up the discussion to all of you, either as opinion or fact-based (due to me forgetting a source that describes such activities).
IMO, the two most likely routes (both beginning from Huthbuth in western foothills of the Storm Horns and ending in Elturel as the terminus point of the two paths, since from there it's one way to Baldur's Gate) are:
1 - past Darkhold to Hluthvar, then north around the Reaching Woods through Hill's Edge, Hardbuckler, Triel and finally to Elturel. Or...
2 - along the Storm Horns, with the locations of Eagle's Peak, Wyvernhunt, Old Axe, down to Proskur, Easting and Iriaebor, then heading northwest near Berdusk to Elturel.
Route 1 is the more direct path, but runs just past Darkhold. Route 2 is much longer, but is more road than trail, and goes past/through at least two cities (Iriaebor and Berdusk).
So what does everyone think?
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"That's it!"
Quote attributed to Talor Stormhammer, paladin of Helm, when fighting a frost giant. |
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 30 Dec 2012 : 15:01:49
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The first one is the more lucrative route, but more dangerous.
Because the second route is more 'civilized' it is less dangerous, but your goods will get taxed more because of it.
These are exactly the kinds of decisions RW businesses make everyday (and have been for thousands of years). You can probably find caravans using either (although I'd be suspect of one willing to ride past Darkhold).
In the novel Crypt of the Shadowking a group traveled from Iriaebor to the Fields of the Dead to find something, and they stayed in the village of Asher (mentioned ONLY in that book and placed on my map). The Fields of the Dead were once known as Indoria (a duchy of Calimshan, believe it or not). From Iriaebor, it took them four days to reach Berdusk (avoiding roads), then six more days to reach Elturel, and then three more days to reach Asher. Hope that helps. |
"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone
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Edited by - Markustay on 30 Dec 2012 15:02:54 |
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daarkknight
Seeker
USA
66 Posts |
Posted - 30 Dec 2012 : 15:29:55
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It does a lot. In fact, I just picked up the Kindle version of Crypt of the Shadowking Friday night to reread again (since it's been nearly 20 years since I last read it).
Plus there is the fact that the basis of my campaign is stopping Shar and Cyric from killing Mystra, and Iriaebor is where the center of the Shadowking's power was during the two books featuring Caledan Caledorien. So between those two books and The Shadow Stone I am trying to brush up on all of my "shadow" knowledge... |
"That's it!"
Quote attributed to Talor Stormhammer, paladin of Helm, when fighting a frost giant. |
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Cormyr/Baldur's Gate Caravan Routes
