The Great Northern Road
The Great Northern Road stretches some 200 miles from Zobeck to Castle Valach, on its way to the city of Bratislor in the north. High overhead, the branches of flanking
trees reach for each other, turning the road into a long tunnel with a tall gothic arch. Some sun reaches travelers on the road, but night falls early even in high summer.
Due to boggy, rocky, and overgrown stretches, travelers frequently take a fortnight to traverse the road’s full length on foot. Riders typically make the trip in 8–10 days if they pull no wagons. Coaching inns, spaced 1–3 days’ travel apart, offer travelers a respite from beasts and weather.
Though snow and cold challenge winter travelers, the road’s condition is affected most by meltwater, spring rain, and mud. Coaching inns are either closed or not prepared to cater to travelers during this time. Merchants who are willing to risk traversing the Great Northern Road before the annual road opening festival in Zobeck can expect tough going, both in terms of terrain andhungry creatures emerging from the deeper hollows.
Security and Travellers
The northern road is the only passable route to the rich cities of the Red Queen and the undead princes of Morgau and Doresh. As the second source of wealth for the city of Zobeck—the first being the River Argent— the Great Northern Road sees its share of travelers. The traffic of dwarf muleteers, Kariv gypsies, and Zobeck traders keeps the path from growing over. It falls to the traveler to clear trees that storms throw across the road. Creeks to provide water for abound, but superstitious travelers burden themselves with water drawn from outside the forest. Boggy sections of the road claim a cart or two each year, and rocky sections can cripple wheels, hooves, and ankles. It is not an easy road to travel, certainly, but there are no dwarven tolls or the risk of centaur banditry on it either. Small caravans of Kariv trundle along the road more frequently than any other merchants dare. Each train of four or five wagons, painted with wards and sigils, carries a trickle of goods and what pass for luxuries. Somehow, more wagons arrive in Zobeck than a traveler heading in the other direction would pass. Some claim that the Kariv have entered into a bargain with the shadow fey, allowing the gypsies to travel along a shadow trail that runs parallel to the road. Others say that Kariv witches can make their most valuable wagons invisible to conceal them from bandits. Either fact could be true for folk as canny and ambitious as the Kariv. The Order of the Griffon Riders in the city of Zobeck takes responsibility for security along the road. The order often hires auxiliaries and irregulars for clearing out nests of bandits. Merchant houses also pool funds to buy additional security for the first mule train of the season. Griffon Towers and Coaching Inns
Many years ago, House Stross constructed twelve Griffon Towers to defend its fortunes. Eight of them were spaced evenly along the Great Northern Road to guard its full length. Four more were constructed in the woods to guard hunting lodges, mines, or powerful wellsprings of magic. Most people assume that the towers got their name from the griffon blazons carved in their walls, but that is merely the mark of the Stross border guards. House Stross built the towers as watch stations for its griffon riders, an elite company of couriers and shock cavalry. The parsimonious council of the Free City has done away with that tradition in recent years, so now the Margreve griffons run wild. A top predator along the forest road, they pose a constant threat to caravans and mule trains. The griffons come in both black and speckled varieties, and knowing the difference can prove critical. The griffons are more aggressive and very fond of horseflesh; some claim they are faerie steeds. The speckled ones are shy, tameable, and might serve as animal companions for suitable characters. With the disbanding of the griffon riders, the abandoned towers fell into disrepair. In spring, feral griffons nested in them, and in summer and fall, travelers took shelter behind their thick stone walls. The Free City Council saw the opportunity to make coin and sold the heavily reinforced strongholds to enterprising businessmen, who turned them into coaching inns. These combination hostels, stables, and resupply centers double as trading forts for wagons meeting mid road. Though these coaching inns inherit stalwart defenses from their days as Griffon Towers, the Margreve remains a dangerous place to live and work. The inns change hands frequently. At any given time, there is a 10 percent chance that an inn that bustled with trade wagons last season now sits empty, has new “owners,” or is occupied by a nightmare creature from the Old World.
The northern road is the only passable route to the rich cities of the Red Queen and the undead princes of Morgau and Doresh. As the second source of wealth for the city of Zobeck—the first being the River Argent— the Great Northern Road sees its share of travelers. The traffic of dwarf muleteers, Kariv gypsies, and Zobeck traders keeps the path from growing over. It falls to the traveler to clear trees that storms throw across the road. Creeks to provide water for abound, but superstitious travelers burden themselves with water drawn from outside the forest. Boggy sections of the road claim a cart or two each year, and rocky sections can cripple wheels, hooves, and ankles. It is not an easy road to travel, certainly, but there are no dwarven tolls or the risk of centaur banditry on it either. Small caravans of Kariv trundle along the road more frequently than any other merchants dare. Each train of four or five wagons, painted with wards and sigils, carries a trickle of goods and what pass for luxuries. Somehow, more wagons arrive in Zobeck than a traveler heading in the other direction would pass. Some claim that the Kariv have entered into a bargain with the shadow fey, allowing the gypsies to travel along a shadow trail that runs parallel to the road. Others say that Kariv witches can make their most valuable wagons invisible to conceal them from bandits. Either fact could be true for folk as canny and ambitious as the Kariv. The Order of the Griffon Riders in the city of Zobeck takes responsibility for security along the road. The order often hires auxiliaries and irregulars for clearing out nests of bandits. Merchant houses also pool funds to buy additional security for the first mule train of the season. Griffon Towers and Coaching Inns
Many years ago, House Stross constructed twelve Griffon Towers to defend its fortunes. Eight of them were spaced evenly along the Great Northern Road to guard its full length. Four more were constructed in the woods to guard hunting lodges, mines, or powerful wellsprings of magic. Most people assume that the towers got their name from the griffon blazons carved in their walls, but that is merely the mark of the Stross border guards. House Stross built the towers as watch stations for its griffon riders, an elite company of couriers and shock cavalry. The parsimonious council of the Free City has done away with that tradition in recent years, so now the Margreve griffons run wild. A top predator along the forest road, they pose a constant threat to caravans and mule trains. The griffons come in both black and speckled varieties, and knowing the difference can prove critical. The griffons are more aggressive and very fond of horseflesh; some claim they are faerie steeds. The speckled ones are shy, tameable, and might serve as animal companions for suitable characters. With the disbanding of the griffon riders, the abandoned towers fell into disrepair. In spring, feral griffons nested in them, and in summer and fall, travelers took shelter behind their thick stone walls. The Free City Council saw the opportunity to make coin and sold the heavily reinforced strongholds to enterprising businessmen, who turned them into coaching inns. These combination hostels, stables, and resupply centers double as trading forts for wagons meeting mid road. Though these coaching inns inherit stalwart defenses from their days as Griffon Towers, the Margreve remains a dangerous place to live and work. The inns change hands frequently. At any given time, there is a 10 percent chance that an inn that bustled with trade wagons last season now sits empty, has new “owners,” or is occupied by a nightmare creature from the Old World.
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