Long Road to Riches

The Long Road to Riches was a lengthy, circuitous caravan route established by the Zhentarim that ran from Zhentil Keep around the southern Anauroch to the Sword Coast.
==Description==
The route started from Zhentil Keep and passed west and south through the Tesh Valley, Daggerdale, and around the southern Desertsedge of the Sword. It then picked its way through the Stonelands and the Goblin Marches, before climbing from the Tunlands into the Yellow Snake Pass and descending through Skull Gorge. From there it went northwards across the Backlands into Dawn Pass and the Grayvale, and passed down the Delimbiyr River through Llorkh and Loudwater into the Sword Coast proper.
==Defenses==
Soldiers of the Zhentilar were stationed at various points along the route, with Darkhold responsible for the region around Yellow Snake Pass.
In the 14 century DR, the Zhentarim sponsored raids by orcs and mercenaries around Arabel, keeping the Purple Dragons on the defensive inside Cormyr and preventing them from launching expeditions into the Stonelands and threatening the caravan route. This plan came under threat by the 1350s DR when Tilverton was annexed and new waves of settlement reached the Stonelands, extending the reach of Cormyr in the region.
==Appendix==
===See Also===
* The Black Road, a similar Zhent trade route that instead passed directly over the Anauroch on its way to the Sword Coast.
===References===
Category:Trade routes
Category:Locations in Zhentil Keep
Category:Locations on the Sword Coast
Category:Locations in the Tesh Valley
Category:Locations in Daggerdale
Category:Locations in the Stonelands
Category:Locations in the Goblin Marches
Category:Locations in Yellow Snake Pass
Category:Locations in Skull Gorge
Category:Locations in the Dawn Pass
Category:Locations in Llorkh
Category:Locations in Loudwater
Category:Locations on the Delimbiyr River
Category:Locations in the Dalelands
Category:Locations on the Moonsea
Category:Locations in the Savage Frontier
Category:Locations in the Western Heartlands
Category:Locations in Northwest Faerûn
Category:Locations in Interior Faerûn
Category:Locations in West Faerûn
Category:Locations in Faerûn
Category:Locations on Toril
Category:Locations in the Eastern Heartlands