The King's Road

> "*If the River Nen is Nerath's Artery, then The King's Road is its many veins. Together they are the lifeblood of this nation--this continent.*"
> ― Roads that Built an Empire
>
>

**The King's Road** is the name of the vast network of paved stone roads which interconnect most of the continent of Nerath. First started by Meched the Builder of the Sephariian Empire (the "King" of which the road is named), it was originally intended to connect Sephar to the Empire's newly acquired far eastern territory of Mithralfast, running through Nentir and Hammerfast. It became an integral piece of infrastructure that facilitates the trade and communication of the many states within Narath. When the Sephariian Empire was overthrown and replaced by Nerathian Empire, the new Emperors continued Meched's work and expanded the Road into new territories as they were acquired. By the Empire's height it controlled nearly the entirety of Nerath and branches of the road can be found in all regions of the continent. Under the Empire's control, the King's Road was a significant source of income as its use was taxed directly by the Imperial Government.

Because of the vastness of the King's Road and the many disparate regions its flows through, the road has repeatedly fallen into disrepair in the centuries since its first foundation. To help oversee the road's operation the Roadmaster's Guild was chartered by Emperor George I. In modern times the Guild still continues to maintain the road, facilitated by the vested interest of the King's Road Company. The state of the road varies drastically between regions based on their relationship with the King's Road Company and personal investment in the road's operation. In many places it remains a vital and active backbone to the interconnected trade routes of Nerath, but there are places where it has decaying into a crumbled relic of a forgotten age.

## Branches

As *The King's Road* can typically be used to refer to the road network as a whole, specific branches and roads within it have their own names, servicing differing areas of Nerath. These are the major examples.

* **Great Trade Road**: Also called the *Old Trade Road*, this was the original singular King's Road. It was built by Meched II to connect Dóva Yr and Hokmaar down through Winterhaven, the burgeoning Fallcrest, and Hammerfast to eventually terminate at Mith Morkrop. Thus it interconnected all the major cities of the Sephariian Empire at the time and remains one of the most prominent trade routes as a result. In later years the Imperial Capital, Gardmore would also be built on this road.
* **River Road**: So named as it terminates at the start of the White River, The River Road is a prominent trade route that stretches across the south Olo Olamir Plain through Vor Tehren down to Vanacessia. There it branches north towards The Old Trade Road and south to Kira's Road, connecting the cities of Marroway and Vargianum in the process.
* **Therund Road**: The first major addition to the King's Road, Therund Road combined many smaller roads within Therund to solidify a route south alongside the Nentir River. It merges from a number of smaller roads in Nentir and The Vardens and runs the length of Therund through The Moonstair and down to terminate in the City of Gathis.
* **Elven Road**: Running parallel to Therund Road on the eastern side of Great Therund Forest. Mostly of old elven origin before being incorporated into the King's Road, it starts in Silverleaf and crucially is the main road to the elven city of Therundill. It is for this reason it is called the Elven Road in common, though the elves of Therundill call it *Talnar Shantil*. The road continues through the southern baronies before it leaves Therund towards Avankil, though this stretch is seldom maintained.
* **Vargas (West) Road**: Emperor Vargas I is responsible for two major stretches of The King's Road, both sharing his name, and this one is therefore sometimes known as *Vargas West Road* or simply *West Road*. West Road connects through the northeast of Therund from Harkenwold and primarily through Themlill. After reaching Silverleaf it splits to merge into either Therund Road or Elven Road.
* **Vargas (East) Road**: As with the western road of the same name, this road was constructed by Emperor Vargas I, and is sometimes known as *Vargas East Road*, simply *East Road*, or even *Great East Road*. East Road is far longer and more prominent than West Road, as it follows the entire coastline of the Dragondown Coast, from Marruak in the far north all the way through Hornport and the other dwarven port cities, to eventually reach Eastwatch in the south. Abandoned original portions of the road connected it through Vor Rukoth to River Road, but it is now renovated to go south to Kira's Road/Route Trinity instead.
* **Kira's Road**: Although more properly known as *Ki’ra's Road*, the Nerathian Military general who first built the road during the Great Sarthel War has largely been forgotten along with their name's pronunciation. Extended multiple times over the original, the road leads from Wayrest south across Sarthel Plains and to River's Reach, serving as a central land route for trade between the mercantile southeast of Nerath and the cities of the north. It continues from River's Reach to become Route Trinity in the Republic of Kul.
* **Route Trinity**: This road that follows the coastline of the Gulf of Kul connects Kul's three largest cities: Diyun, Lee Mons, and Kul itself. It continues onwards to reach Eastport. Route Trinity was originally the southern part of Kira's Road beyond River's Reach, but was renamed upon Kul's independence, though structurally they are contiguous.
* **Dragon's Way**: A renovated stretch of road that remains unfinished to this day. It incorporated a great tunnel dug through the Mithralfast Mountains intended to better connect the Old Trade Road and River Road to the ports of the Dragondown Coast, specifically Hornport. The project was largely abandoned after digging uncovering a nest of Hellfire Wyrms, though the completed portions are in use.
* **Targustus's Road**: Named after Nerathian Emperor Targustus I, its patron, this now dilapidated road once ran from Winterhaven in Nentir through Arnfort and into the former province of The March. It was integral to the movement of armed caravans and military expeditions to the frontier. Following the fall of Kiris Dahn, which the road initially served, it fell into disuse as the province was abandoned.
* **Rederoad**: Known by many other names, such as *Doncussa Road*, *Bridge Road*, or most famously *Toll Road*, this road branches over the wet riverlands of The Vardens, being the only real stable pathway. The River Barons know this well, giving the road's many bridges a fearsome reputation for tolls. It connects from The Moonstair to Westglade up towards Nentir and Targustus' Road, as well as Nentir south towards Therund Road, centralized on The Vardens' capital of Vardarfik.
* **Fortress Road**: Originally part of the defunct Javis' Wall in The Warren, built to connect the many fortresses and outposts that made up the wall. Few sections of Fortress Road are still intact, localized in the regions Therund has retained control of and still serves those outposts. In the north the remnants of Fortress Road eventually reach Rederoad. In the south the road is somewhat better preserved where it reaches the Chol Highlands.
* **Winter's Road**: Starting in the fallen imperial capital of Gardmore, Winter's Road weaves up directly north from Nentir into Winterbole. After passing through Lycendale, it reaches Blue-Tree. The road continues on to the far north, ultimately ending in Frostmere. It is the primary trade road of the heavier-populated central Winterbole.
* **Pveon's Road**: Built by Emperor Pveon to better interconnect the largely rural East Winterbole. Pveon's Road starts branching off from the Great Trade Road in Nentir like Winter's Road, but after reaching Blue-Tree it diverges hard east, running through The Frostmarsh before heading north to Luetia and finally east again to the passes of Norstae where it joins The Highway.
* **The Highway**: A marvel of dwarven engineering, The Highway weaves through vast mountain passes, over towering bridges, and into sturdy tunnels as it snakes across the alpine heights that are the northern Dawnforge Mountains. Primarily localized to Norstae and Archae, portions of The Highway stretch out to Hammerfast, making the extreme mountainous terrain traversable. The Highway has multiple small branches in and of itself, but broadly it interconnects Del Koro Keep, Druthpeak, Ambria, Ironspyke, High Ardent, Northforge, and Burdur Valcola. It connects to Pveon's Road in the far northwest, League Road in the mid northwest, Tageon's Road in the far northeast, and the Great Trade Road in the south.
* **League Road**: The first new addition to the King's Road made after the Nerathian Revolution, and named thusly after the League of Five. It's prominence beyond this milestone is lacking, being a simple short road that connects from the Great Trade Road in Nentir through Nenlast and up into The Highway.
* **Hindtervaar Path**: Barely constituting a road, this route connected the fortified Hindtervaar region of Sephar to Targustus's Road in The March. Much like Targustus's Road it was used for military convoys and supplies to the frontier, and is now similarly derelict outside of Hindtervaar itself. There it was been reconstructed as a main road between Napira and Ny Dór.
* **The Northern Way**: The only significant trade road east from Sephar besides the Great Trade Road, The Northern Way circumvents Cairngorm Peaks by heading north into the far reaches of Winterbole. It primarily connects Sur’kórrek to Frosttree and then reaches Winter's Road at Lycendale.
* **Ruk-Harlf Pass**: Named after the major pass in the Mithralfast Mountains that this road primarily utilizes. It leads from the southern East Road near Eastwatch up to the Old Trade Road at Vallarune, serving as a significant trade route by virtue of connecting these main two roads.
* **Wyrmsbane March**: Better known in the Runedar as *Wyrgathulyaugh*. During the Great Feud, Vagnur Wyrgathuld led The Vengeful Throng up this path to defeat the Hellfire Wyrms at Mount Cazakk, founding Wyrmsbane upon their own lair. In the years afterwards this road was built to reach the new hold and connect it with the rest of the empire. In runs from Mith Morkrop in the north up to Wyrmsbane and then down to Bel Avadan on the Dragondown Coast.
* **High King Road**: Also called *Dwarven Road* or *Hammerfast Road*, this old road was part of the old Dvergr Kingdom, leading south from the High King's seat in Hammerfast. After falling into disarray it was refurbished and integrated into the King's Road, now connecting Hammerfast to River Road near Vargianum. Its name is often seen as a pun on both the Dwarven High Kings who built it and the fact it is part of the King's Road high up in the mountains.
* **Sarrata Road**: A major road that runs through the Gathis Delta and Plains. Its name is drawn from the city of Sarrata at the western edge of the Sarrata Snake. The road forms a loop around Gathis in combination with Therund Road, running from Gathis City in the south through Sarrata and up to Kernthill in the north.
* **Tageon's Road**: Emperor Tageon sponsored this road in the northeastern Wailing Coast in part due to his personal experience being stationed there as a soldier in his youth. It connects the fortresses of Gottia, Swyrrock and Telleberking to Vargas East Road and importantly interconnected The Highway down towards the coast, allowing better mobility of forces against the repeated raids that Plandar Peninsula suffers.
* **Sarth Road**: As the name would suggest, this road in Sarth follows the River Sarth from River's Reach south to the city of Sarth itself. From there it crosses Sabbryn Fields to Therund where it merges into Elven Road at Bartorbell. Much of this road is poorly maintained and not well constructed, emblematic of Sarth's impoverished and underdeveloped conditions.
* **New Saevon Road**: Sponsored heavily by House Saevon, whose barony the road primarily served. Although the road stands as a proud mostly-complete achievement, House Saevon's fortunes changed for the worse by its unveiling and they ultimately were forced to cede the barony. Nonetheless, the road still upholds their name (though the term "new" is substantially outdated). It connects Kira's Road in the east through Saevon Barony all the way to Therundill in the west and is the primary alternative to Sarth Road to cross the Sarthel Plains.
* **Afelya Road**: Eladrin-built and the primary road that runs the length of Sarthel. When incorporated into the King's Road, its Nerathian-given name as "Afelya Road" was a terrible mistranslation. "Afelya" is a poor translation to "Lake Road", meaning (even if correct) it would be translated as "Lake Road Road". The proper sylvan name used by the eldarin is *Sehanafel’Ya* (*Journey-lake Path*). Starting in Avankil in the west, merging out from Elven Road, Sehanafel’Ya follows the Misty River to the city of Sarthel and Elthra on Lake Sarn. In continues north, crossing the Blackwell River, to eventually reach the city of Kul.
* **Peninsular Road**: The only major road in Kulguard. It branches off Route Trinity in Eastreach and follows the coastline around the entire Kulguard Peninsula (from which it gets its name), through Kulguard City and down to the Aestus Coast. It continues following the coast until it reaches Pelarbin, where the road ends.

## Trivia

* The King's Road should not be confused with The King's Highway, a similarly named tunnel system dug haphazardly by Torog in the Underdark.