The Long Road

Trade between the Greenwold and neighboring realms has always been a hazardous affair - nevertheless gold is a powerful incentive to brave the dangers of the road. Nothing speaks to this more than the Old Trade Road - the oldest and longest road in the realm. The Old Trade Road, also known as the Long Road, was established between Grayhaven and Mara in ancient days. Mara was a prosperous city-state with a proud and illustrious history stretching back into the mists of time. Situated in the Midlands - a realm far to the east of the Greenwold - Mara acted as the crossroads of the world in its heyday, connecting merchants and travelers from many lands. The most prosperous of these roads was the route from Mara to Grayhaven. The great wealth of the city on the sea, and its hunger for fine goods, meant a steady flow of coin to Mara - and a steady need for guards. The trip from Grayhaven to Mara takes on average 20 days if everything goes well. The dark forest bordering the road has always been a haunt for bold goblins, hungry wolves, territorial elves, and other threats. The route quickly earned a reputation as a training ground for heroes and knights. Many locations along the Road can be found, such as small shrines, ancient ruins, and the famed Windlass Hill -- a hill with one side so steep that the only way to get up or down safely is by use of a windlass Any bard worth her salt can recite a dozen tales that begin with a caravan setting off down the Old Trade Road. These days, the once-great city of Mara has fallen in its fortunes, a sad shadow of its former self, however, the Old Trade Road persists. The young and daring can still be found starting out their journey from the Heroes’ Gate in the city, ready for fresh adventure and new horizons.

The Long Road was rather obviously named due to it being a long road. The longest in the land. It starts (or ends depending on your direction of travel) in Grayhaven and stretches West and North until it leads out of the Greenwold altogether. The Western portion of the Road meanders through the countryside, affording a leisurely ride through the farmlands there. However, once beyond Crosswell the countryside becomes much less idyllic. There are still some farms, but they soon end and the wilderness takes over. The road runs between the Tanglebrier Forest and the Whiterun River to the Western edge of the Greenwold. It runs close to, but not through the city of Thile, meaning the most likely people found on the Eastern stretch will be the elves of the Forest or bandits preying on caravans and travelers. The road is used regularly by the aforementioned caravans to conduct trade, but it is not patrolled or maintained by any city, meaning travelers must be prepared to protect themselves and tackle any obstacles in their way.