Trade Routes and Goods

[Hendrik]

Hi there,

I am looking for a map showing which goods are traded fron where and where which resources can be found. I seem to remember having seen such a map but, for the life of me, cannot remember where.



Kindest regards
Hendrik

[Hotrod]

High Seas, p29 is a good place to start. Bletherad has a section on Numistry that could help, too. Map-wise, there is a map that includes trading posts in Wolfen Empire, and you can find a more-developed Northern Wilderness map that is canon-accurate in my gallery linked below.

[Reagren Wright]

Hmm maybe something about trade routes might appear in Lopan

[Braden Campbell]

Oddly enough, one of my players and I recently had a discussion on roads... and how the Tolkien-esque idea of having to constantly travel overland through the wilderness pervades even a setting such as palladium in which certain large sections of the land must have roads (either recent, man-made ones, or ancient Elven ones).

Certainly, trade must take place along such roads (also, where else would bandits know to hide out?)

[Hotrod]

If you're looking for specific information on roads, Timiro's map is the best (My own Timiro map captures the roads and paths in the canon map). There's text information in Eastern Territories about a trade road, but there aren't many specifics on where it is, and the Grand Canal and Old Kingdom River seem to dominate trade and mass transit in that region. Bizantium seems to use its inland sea and coastal waters, and while there are likely roads on the home islands, there's no information on them that I know of. Ironically, the Western Empire, which should have the most-developed road network, has essentially no information on its road system in the sourcebook.

[Braden Campbell]

The Empire's roads are clearly built chariot-wide and as straight as possible

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_roads

[glitterboy2098]

The Empire's roads are clearly built chariot-wide and as straight as possible

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_roads

only the ones that they've built since the formation of the Empire though.. the rest would just be dirt paths, winding all around the countryside following the natural contours. with some of the more important stretches being basically gravel and cobblestone with some borders.and very well built woden bridges over streams and rivers.

[Hendrik]

Oddly enough, one of my players and I recently had a discussion on roads... and how the Tolkien-esque idea of having to constantly travel overland through the wilderness pervades even a setting such as palladium in which certain large sections of the land must have roads (either recent, man-made ones, or ancient Elven ones).

Certainly, trade must take place along such roads (also, where else would bandits know to hide out?)

A super interesting topic!

Considering the lay of the land, what we have are some realms which are fairly isolated from each other, divided by vast stretches of dangerous wilderness. Human bandits might be the least problem. Forgetting for a moment national roads that are „just“ a network within a country, I would venture that there are only a few overland roads between countries / clusters of civilization. The main area for that, methinks, is the Eastern Territory to Timiro.

Of course, as in the middle ages, there may be pilgrim routes, for example to Khemennu. I would even guess that for that important terminus several routes exist.

As the land lies, though, I would assume that most travelling and trade is done by ship. Waterways, like rivers, have always been - but for the Celts - a magnet for building towns at. Rivers are readymade roads you do not have to maintain after all as well as a source for food and water.

None of the realms really seem to be interested in one another as much as they are centered on themselves. Lack of roads and overland connection can be a reason why there has not been so much warfare between the realms so far and why so many countries concentrate on their navies. One reason the independence war of the States worked was the horrible road network. There was no much beyond the eastern seaboard and that is hell for professional army movement.

The question for new roads would be (a) build them for what (what goals make sense economically when compared with the cost of construction and maintenance: military conquest? trade? trade what that is so important and cannot be gotten at a cheaper price / another way (ship)?), (b) who has the engineering knowledge to built lasting roads?, (c) how will the roads be patrolled (an expensive road without a modicum of safety is like throwing money in the foundry)?

Old roads: I‘d think that most overland roads still in use are elven constructions, or, after 4-8k years ago with the devastation caused by 2k years of war, rather the ruined remnants thereof. I guess, where these Elven Roads are still around they will be in the area of, maximum, the farthest extent the Elven Empire had at its height.

It is not entirely unlikely that parts of the dwarven underground road network are still in use, too.

I would not expect much from either.

Within the countries, however, I can see road networks. The best roads, perhaps even almost as good as Roman roads, will be were building, maintaining, and patrolling them is worth it, and that will depend on what is on the route that is valuable enough to make the expense a good deal: reasons could be military expediency (need to move troops quickly from a to b), or where trading makes sense, especially when no alternative less expensive access, like via ship, is possible.

Rivers will have some tow paths or guard paths along the banks. This is necessary to (a) guard shipping and (b) tow ships through bad waters, and (c) to access and maintain locks.

Most „roads“ will be well trodden dirt paths limiting speed and giving the „dusty taveller“ a new meaning, virtually unusable October to February. Some of the best roads will be gravelled and, the height of luxury, cobbled or, let alone, Roman style tiered roads, will be few and far in between.

Maybe there are old roads in the jungles of the south, perhaps high roads (in ruins) like the high Inka road network, left by the Kawan.

Just a few thoughts.

[glitterboy2098]

Oddly enough, one of my players and I recently had a discussion on roads... and how the Tolkien-esque idea of having to constantly travel overland through the wilderness pervades even a setting such as palladium in which certain large sections of the land must have roads (either recent, man-made ones, or ancient Elven ones).

which is ironic, in that in Tolkien's works the characters actually traveled along roads for much of their journey..
in The Hobbit Bilbo and the Dwarves actually were travelling along established roads all the way to the point they were captured by the Goblins in the Misty Mountains.. they took the shire roads out to "the Great East Road" (originally built by Dwarves in the first age, and maintained by the high elves and later the northern Númenóreans, before the fall of Arnor. it had become a wilder place after the fall of Arnor, but was still the safest route east, thanks to the Rangers.) the Trolls they encountered were bandits preying on travellers along that road. Rivendell was not on the road, being in a hidden valley off to the side of it.. but there were established paths to it, if you knew the way to find them, as Gandalf did. At the Misty Mountains the Great Road split into various paths.. the Goblins had been preying on most of them, so the Dwarves took one that was less used, and was supposed to be clear. (one reason that Gandalf talked about finding a giant to block up the cave the goblins were using as their 'back door')
and while they bypassed the roads through Wilderland (Rhovanion) because of the eagles and Beorn's help, we were told such existed. and they passed through Mirkwood on an Elf path, maintained by the Sylvan Elves. we're also told that there was the Old Forest Road to the south, itself a relic of the First Age, as well as other roads even farther south. (probably built by the Númenóreans)

in Lord of the Rings the groups generally didn't follow roads for the first bit of it.. largely to avoid detection, since the Nazgul followed the roads. but Aragorn and Co were following roads after the split and meeting up with the Rohhirim. and for a lot of it, even when traveling cross country, they were paralleling roads.

so yeah.. the idea of Tolkien's world being this wide open wilderness with no roads is pretty funny given the evidence in the books themselves. personally i blame his many imitators, which tend to drop the world building aspect. and the Films don't exactly help either, since they tended to skip the parts showcasing all the above stuff.

[Whiskeyjack]

I've been working on a road network in the Wolfen Empire for my campaign. Large parts are still under construction as this is a new endeavor for the Wolfen. I've always assumed that since the Eastern Territories is comprised of mostly Western exiles and immigrants, that there must be at least one major road that connects the two. Like wise for the ET and Timiro. Once you hit the disputed land, all actual roads would stop, with some well used trails petering out as you go North.

[MT_Juicer]

I have been working on some setting material for a campaign on the Rocky Coastline. The premise is a merchant from the Western Empire looking to establish a route from Troker into the Old Kingdom. The direct line eastward to the Old Kingdom river is the shortest, with goal being to connect to an overland route north to the Western Empire's border regions.