Lightning Rail

The most dramatic implementation of the techniques of elemental binding is in the propulsion of large vessels. Starting with the invention of the lightning rail coach, the concept of elemental propulsion has grown and improved over the past one hundred eighty-seven years, creating a network of moderately fast travel across the continent of Khorvaire—and beyond.
The lightning rail, developed to connect the unified kingdom of Galifar and replace the King’s Road, provided the first easy means of travel and shipping across the continent of Khorvaire. It took many years for the artificers of the dragonmarked houses to apply the principle of the lightning rail coach to other endeavors, first to sailing ships and later to flying ships. Both of these vessels were only developed during the final decade or so of the Last War, and were never produced for warfare or on a large scale.
The poor can pay a mere 1 cp per mile to travel in a steerage cart, a shared room with simple benches designed to fit as many people as possible. Those with the means usually go for a modest fare, paying 3 cp per mile for passage in rooms with comfortable seating and access to dedicated sleeping rooms and modest food. Finally, the wealthy can pay 1 sp per mile of travel for comfortable rooms with proper beds and access to fine dining.
The Lightning Rail Distances table provides the distance between various stops on the lightning rail line, including the time taken and costs. Most lightning rail journeys stop at each station along the way for 1 hour. To determine the statistics of a given trip, add the distances, times, and cost of each line together, adding 1 hour to the time for each stop along the way. The result of each is the corresponding total of that trip.

Lightning Rail Rates

Carriage	Cost
Steerage	1 cp / mile
Standard	3 cp / mile
First Class	1 sp / mile
Cargo	1 cp / mile / 100 lb.

Lightning Rail Distances

Khorvaire

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A map of the continent of Khorvaire

Starting Station	End Station	Distance	Time	Cost (Steerage)	Cost (Standard)	Cost (First Class)
Brelish Lines
Sharn	First Tower	46 mi.	1 1/2 hours	4s 6c	1g 3s 8c	4g
First Tower	Wroat	258 mi.	8 hours	2g 5s 8c	7g 7s 4c	26g
Wroat	Hatheril	557 mi.	18 hours	5g 5s 7c	16g 7s 1c	56g
Hatheril	Sword Keep	117 mi.	4 hours	1g 1s 7c	3g 5s 1c	12g
Sword Keep	Fort Light (Thrane)	83 mi.	3 hours	8s 3c	2g 4s 9c	8g
Wroat	Starilaskur	711 mi.	24 hours	7g 1s 1c	21g 3s 3c	71g
Hatheril	Starilaskur	249 mi.	8 hours	2g 4s 9c	7g 4s 7c	25g
Starilaskur	Vathirond	222 mi.	7 hours	2g 2s 2c	6g 6s 6c	22g
Vathirond	Aruldusk (Thrane)	195 mi.	6 hours	1g 9s 5c	5g 8s 5c	20g
Vathirond	Salvation	26 mi.	1 hour	2s 6c	7s 8c	2g
Starilaskur	Sterngate	280 mi.	9 hours	2g 8s	8g 4s	28g
Sterngate	Zolanberg (Zilargo)	211 mi.	7 hours	2g 1s 1c	6g 3s 3c	21g
Zolanberg (Zilargo)	Korranberg (Zilargo)	220 mi.	7 hours	2g 2s	6g 6s	22g
Aundairian Lines
Fort Light (Thrane)	Marketplace	19 mi.	1 hour	2s	6s	2g
Marketplace	Passage	277 mi.	9 hours	2g 7s 7c	8g 3s 1c	28g
Passage	Fairhaven	257 mi.	9 hours	2g 5s 7c	7g 7s 1c	26g
Fairhaven	Thaliost	705 mi.	23 hours	7g 5c	21g 1s 5c	70g
Thrane Lines
Vathirond (Breland)	Aruldusk	195 mi.	6 hours	1g 9s 5c	5g 8s 5c	20g
Aruldusk	Sigilstar	118 mi.	4 hours	1g 1s 8c	3g 5s 4c	12g
Sigilstar	Traelyn	126 mi.	4 hours	1g 2s 6c	3g 7s 8c	13g
Traelyn	Flamekeep	93 mi.	3 hours	9s 3c	2g 7s 9c	9g
Karrnathi Lines
Rekkenmark	Korth	129 mi.	4 hours	1g 2s 9c	3g 8s 7c	13g
Korth	Atur	220 mi.	7 hours	2g 2s	6g 6s	22g
Atur	Vedykar	172 mi.	6 hours	1g 7s 2c	5g 1s 6c	17g
Vedykar	Fort Zombie	162 mi.	6 hours	1g 6s 2c	4g 8s 6c	16g
Fort Zombie	Metrol* (Mournland)	257 mi.	8 hours	2g 5s 7c	7g 7s 1c	26g
Fort Zombie	Gatherhold (Talenta)	282 mi.	9 hours	2g 8s 2c	8g 4s 6c	28g
Gatherhold (Talenta)	Metrol* (Mournland)	144 mi.	5 hours	1g 4s 4c	4g 3s 2c	14g
Vedykar	Vulyar**	157 mi.	5 hours	1g 5s 7c	4g 7s 1c	16g
Vulyar	Irontown	568 mi.	19 hours	5g 6s 8c	17g 4c	57g
Irontown	Krona Peak (Mror)	117 mi.	4 hours	1g 1s 7c	3g 5s 1c	12g
Common Routes
Sharn	Thaliost (Aundair)	2,319 mi.	3 days 5 hours	23g 1s 9c	69g 5s 7c	232g
Sharn	Fairhaven (Aundair)	1,614 mi.	2 days 5 hours	16g 1s 4c	48g 4s 2c	161g
Sharn	Flamekeep (Thrane)	1769 mi.	2 days 10 hours	17g 6s 9c	53g 7c	177g
Sharn	Korranberg (Zilargo)	1726 mi.	2 days 9 hours	17g 2s 6c	51g 7s 8c	173g
Sharn	Starilaskur	1015 mi.	1 day 10 hours	10g 1s 5c	30g 4s 5c	102g
Starilaskur	Korranberg (Zilargo)	711 mi.	1 day	7g 1s 1c	21g 3s 3c	72g

* Metrol station is no longer in operation, but House Orien are investigating viability of restoring the line.
** Vedykar and Vulyar are not connected via lightning rail, but are prime candidates for a new line.