Travel

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Since civilization began, or perhaps even in the time before, the primary method of transportation on Progonos was by boat. People travelled mostly through the streams and rivers, while trade goods were moved on the sea, where the ships and galleys could better navigate. The reason behind this was not simply a preference, but the lack of better options.

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First, one must understand that the land is still in the clutches of an untamed, primal wilderness. It is as if nature wouldn't want to understand that the Mythic Age has ended, and problems escalate even further on Phoris, where the wildlife appears alien even to the natives.
Yet, the environmental hazards represent only a minor problem, the wilds pose a danger more because of its immense scale. There is a better chance out there to become lost forever than to be eaten by dire wolves. In comparison the largest piece of land carved out by human expansion is still very small. They have stretched as far as they could in order to find enough resources and free lands for the good of their people, yet even after almost five centuries their labours aren't enough to grant them hold over a land of significant size.

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With such obstacles to face, it is little surprise that people decided in favour of boating. As strange as it may sound, threading the seas, rivers and lakes is less dangerous than the dry land, they certainly provide a straighter and quicker way to get from one point to another. This alone would've been enough to help the flourishing of civilization by the coast of the Bay of Towers and recently about the Riverlands. Opposed to in-land boating, seafaring is heavily monitored and restricted. Previously, the Kheon empire held domain over the bay area as the paramount power but after its decline, that power has shifted to Malekhad, the dirtiest player in trading. So far, only the primitive islander tribes managed to escape its gaze.
A few years ago, however, the issue that was swept under the rug for the obvious reasons finally had to be confronted. The number of settlements without direct or any naval access has increased, many of which became determining forces in their regions to be ignored. Alliances, trade offers, have demanded to make contact with them and thus, the problem of travelling by land had to be solved somehow.

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Water regulation was out of the question, due to financial reasons, disagreements over these financial reasons, and because of the dangers that would hinder the work out in the wilds. Soon, after a number of private conversations, about three or four Southern and Bay city-states have launched their first caravans, wagon trails that carried both passengers and cargo from one settlement to another. Aside from the drivers and merchants, each and every caravan had an assembled staff made up of guides, scouts, cartographers, mercenaries, practically anyone who knew the terrain well enough to lead a caravan through a relatively safe route.
In the wake of the first caravans, the first public marked routes and semi-accurate maps of the affected regions have been made, the flow of information and trade between the connected settlements became more alive as well. It has proven itself to be more useful than it was first imagined, making long-distance travel easier if not safer for the known parts of Progonos. Today, there are several major caravaneer businesses and even more smaller private companies to pick from, and it is better to pick wisely...

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