Amber Road

Fan art of the road to Zadash, by Gina Garavalia.

The **Amber Road** is a road that leads through Wildemount, from the Wuyun Gates to Rexxentrum.

## **Description**

###  **Wuyun Gates to Trostenwald**

By horse the travel between the places takes four days of travel. Beside the road there were good hidden areas where someone could overnight without an issues. On the southern part of the road the mountain ranges could be seen joining together in to a ravine.

### **Trostenwald to Alfield**

A 60 mile stretch of the Amber Road connects Trostenwald to Alfield. This section of the road is a well-packed, ten-foot-wide, dirt roadway. It is too narrow for two carts to travel abreast along it. By foot, the trip from Trostenwald to Alfield could be completed in two full days of travel at a quick pace.

The central portion of the Marrow Valley along the road is filled with rolling hills with high grasses, wheats, grains, wild weeds, and bright, white wildflowers. Tree clusters and small wooded areas dotted the landscape, 300 to 600 feet from the road. Along the road are groups of thick, muscular, large-horned, quadrupedal, buffalo-like creatures roaming the grasslands.

There are clusters of natural stones along the road. Caduceus noticed something that didn't look right about one cluster of stones 80 to 100 feet off the road, consisting of one larger central stone with two laying against it. In a very small space in between them was a leather pouch, presumably being used as a drop spot.

### **Alfield to Zadash**

From Alfield the Amber Road heads northward for 70 miles to Zadash deep into the Marrow Valley. Passing through the high grass fields, of the rolling hills. By horse, the trip from Alfield to Zadash can be completed in two and a half days of travel at a normal pace.

Beside the road there is a small clearing that was a handful of rocks that are partially lodged into the ground that have been overgrown with moss and grass. There is a small opening where there are remains of charcoal.

Further up the road 10 feet off the eastern side of the road, there is a 60 feet crucible dip in the ground that looks like an area where the earth has sunk. In the center, there is another well-used stop along the way with some discarded, empty scraps of sack and a couple of small stone rings where fires can be set.

**Graveyard**
On the west side of the road between Alfield to Zadash is a neglected gravesite 300 feet of the road. There are around 200 various overgrown basic stone grave markers in different states of disrepair and erosion. These graves belong to a regiment of the Julous Dominion that had fought some time near the end of the conflict and eventual loss to the Dwendalian Empire some two centuries ago.

### **Zadash to Rexxentrum**

From Zadash the Amber Road continues northwards to Rexxentrum trough the Eglin Quarry. Heading north the road hits the intersection between the Amber Road and the Bromkiln Byway.

#### **Amber Crossroads**

The Amber Crossroads are located not far south of Rexxentrum, at the intersection of the Amber Road, the Havenpath Road, the Cloakjaunt Path, and the Glory Run Road. A small market is located at this nexus, taking advantage of both the heavy traffic at the intersection as well as the distance from more stringent law enforcement as would be found in a more urban location. Performers and mercenaries looking for business, as well as criminals looking for marks, can be found here.

## **History**

### **"The Open Road" (2x05)**

The Mighty Nein left Trostenwald and set out on the 200-mile journey on the Amber Road toward Zadash with a small carnival cart and a single horse. They discussed the safety of the road, both in the context of robbing other travelers and of being robbed themselves. They took caution against bandits and slept in shifts.

After traveling approximately fifty miles on the Amber Road, the Mighty Nein passed six heavy wagons southbound trade caravans. The covered wagons varied in sizes and contents, carrying tall bundles. Each wagon had a figure holding the robs. They had long robes, an ornate silk mantle, and a thick scarf tossed over the shoulder obscuring part of the face. The three rear wagons were taller and carried families with goods. The last cart contained, an girl and her younger brother, both younger than ten years. They were hailing from the Menagerie Coast, making its way back to Port Zoon by way of Nicodranas. The caravan had stopped briefly in Zadash to sell wares and purchase goods to take back home.. The boy was captivated by Mollymauk Tealeaf's passing sword tricks.

After several hours of travel, they took a break on the side of the road. Caleb used Frumpkin to scout ahead while Beau and Jester climb a tree. They didn't see anything and continued on their way until sky went dark.

The group made camp that evening about halfway to Alfield and set up watch for the night. During the second watch, Caleb sees mysterious creatures in the distance and wakes up Nott. Nott, sneaking ahead to investigate, and tells Caleb that they are buffalo. The party expresses some interest in capturing the buffalo’s, but the creatures easily spooked, they fled when someone stepped on a loudly croaking field frog. Losing interest, the party then went back to sleep. As night is falling, the party embark on their second day of travel. They come within sight of the village of Alfield in the distance and decide to push through until they reach it.

### **"The Gates of Zadash" (2x08)**

The Mighty Nein took the Amber Road for their journey from Alfield to Zadash. The first day's travel on the road was uneventful, and the party spent a night camping on the side of the road.

On the second day, they passed a cart with three well-dressed, miserable-looking individuals, while a single coachman drove the wagon southward along the road. Their cargo within seemed to be made up of only personal bags.

During the night, they were ambushed by a group of nine human bandits of various sizes who wanted to take all of their valuables and their cart. The party attempted to push back against this ambush through use of the *Friends* spell, by stating it was heading to get medical help for their extreme cases of syphilis. The Bandits agreed to leave them unspoiled, but the spell ended and a short melee ensued. When their leader, Trevor, was incinerated into ash, the bandits in confused shock and fear called for a cease-fire.

Forced to disrobe, most looked like dirty poor brigands, some missing teeth and generally looking like they hadn’t had a bath in days. Of these a scraggly redhead that was around 20 or 21 years old, named Zenny, became the new de-facto leader out of two contenders when the group forced them to choose one leader by playing a game of Bolder-Parchment-Shears.

Molly used *Charm Person* to convince the remaining bandits to lay down their arms and strive for a more honest way of life. He gave them each a gold piece, and the reformed bandits left for Felderwin. Jester healed Caleb. Meanwhile, over th hill the bandits had had nine horses waiting. Five of the meekest of these Nott shooed away and took the rest for herself. Mollymauk collected their weapons: two heavy crossbows, two light crossbows, two hand crossbows, 43 bolts, six shortswords, and two daggers, all low-quality.

On the third day of travel on the way to Zadash the party found a neglected gravesite. There appeared to be no sources of magic or undeath in the area. Cleaning off some of the gravestones a few names were revealed:

* Bagent
* Avryn
* Emore

Found among the graves was a rusted iron helmet, whose faint markings revealed that these graves belonged to a regiment of the Julous Dominion that had fought sometime near the end of the conflict and the Dominion's eventual loss to the Dwendalian Empire some two centuries past.

### **"The Gentleman's Path" (2x19)**

The Mighty Nein takes the Amber Road further north. At the crossing of the Bromkiln Byway, the party takes the eastern road to Berleben.

### **"Beyond the Boundaries" (2x32)**

The Mighty Nein traveled from Zadash to the Wuyun Gates on the Amber Road with their newly acquired cart. Stopping at Alfield for the day and continuing on the road towards Trostenwald, they discovered a drop spot inside an unnatural rock formation. Inside was a leather sack with 500 golds' worth of cut emeralds and rubies. When they continued further down the road, they passed an individual heading the way they had come. The person's face was mostly covered by a dark red or purple bit of cloth, like a face mask. He wore a hood that was up but slipping back to reveal tousled black hair with a little bit of salt and pepper on the sides, a large cloak, and a cloth mantle. He was darkly dressed, like a highwayman trying to get somewhere quickly, whether it be with a delivery or trying to meet up with somebody. He glanced out the side of his eye at the two in the cart and then raced off, not slowing or stopping.

Stopping at Trostenwald for the night, they continued on the road towards the Wuyun Gates. On day two of their travel they saw a small group of merchants making their way northward with a chain of twelve oxen with giant horns. On day four, they arrived at the Wuyun Gates and passed through.

## **Trivia**

* Matthew Mercer referred to the Amber Road as the "Golden Road" in the recap at the beginning of "The Open Road" (2x05). Since this is the only time the northward road was referred to as the Golden Road, this is assumed to have been a mistake.
* "Amber Road" is a name of a real-life ancient (at least 16th century BC) European-African trade route that stretched from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Mediterranean in the south.

## **References**

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 As shown on the official map of Wildemount from Deven Rue.
2. ↑ See "Beyond the Boundaries" (2x32) at 1:52:18.
3. ↑ See "Beyond the Boundaries" (2x32) at 1:54:01.
4. ↑ See "The Open Road" (2x05) from 0:20:21 through 0:20:27.
5. ↑ See "The Open Road" (2x05) from 0:36:58 through 0:37:13.
6. ↑ See "The Open Road" (2x05) from 0:16:07 through 0:16:24.
7. ↑ See "The Open Road" (2x05) at 0:30:03.
8. ↑ See "The Open Road" (2x05) from 0:34:41 through 0:34:59.
9. ↑ See "Beyond the Boundaries" (2x32) at 57:13.
10. ↑ See "Beyond the Boundaries" (2x32) at 1:02:27.
11. ↑ See "The Gates of Zadash" (2x08) at 1:30:50.
12. ↑ See "The Gates of Zadash" (2x08) from 1:49:28 through 2:41:51.
13. ↑ See "The Gates of Zadash" (2x08) at 1:52:04.
14. ↑ See "The Gates of Zadash" (2x08) at 1:58:37.
15. ↑ See "The Gates of Zadash" (2x08) at 2:37:35.
16. ↑ See "The Gentleman's Path" (2x19) at 1:17:25.
17. ↑ See *Explorer's Guide to Wildemount*, p. 95.
18. ↑ See "The Open Road" (2x05) from 0:24:58 through 0:27:00.
19. ↑ See "The Open Road" (2x05) from 0:37:15 through 0:37:32.
20. ↑ See "The Open Road" (2x05) from 0:38:00 through 0:38:30.
21. ↑ See "The Open Road" (2x05) from 0:15:58 through 0:24:46.
22. ↑ See "Beyond the Boundaries" (2x32) at 1:08:14.
23. ↑ See "The Open Road" (2x05) at 0:10:15.

**Art:**

1. ↑ Fan art of the road to Zadash, by Gina Garavalia (source). Used with permission.
2. ↑ Fan art of the Amber Crossroads, looking toward the Silberquel Ridge, by Emi (@emisartcr) (source). Used with permission.