Old Pale Empire Road
Naturally enough the Old Pale Empire built many roads and used many more, but there is one specific road which is so well known, that anyone who refers simply to the Old Pale Empire Road can be understood without further qualification.
The road in question is the one which runs from west to east across the full width of Myruthea, connecting Sunrock in the west and the Krellwrack Sea, with Fogport in the far north east and the Klokken Ocean. Along the way, the coast to coast road also links Honirham to Klaractazum, and runs along the south shore of Lake Oxylium.
In the image at the head of the article we can see a section of the road between Klaractazum and Lake Oxylium, looking east towards the start of the lakelands in the distance.
Purpose / Function
The Old Pale Empire Road was created to improve internal communications between the western and eastern halves of the continent of Myruthea. Prior to the construcion of the road, travel would generally be chanelled beween the lines of the Sphoolyn and Triquetra Hills in the south, or would face a significant detour north beyond the Salting and along the Motrille River. The new road cut through the Eroveth Mountains, providing a more direct connection.
The city of Fogport grew up around the eastern terminus of the road, a location chosen as a hub for northern logging and hunting interests and with good deep water docks that only rarely froze in the coldest winters.
Alterations
When it was originally constructed, the road ran to the south of the old city walls of Klaractazum, but over the course of the following centuries the city grew to encompass it so that travellers who follow the original route now find themselves in a major urban thorougfare, the grandest and widest in the city. Part of this section of the road is shown below.
To facilitate travel directly east or west for those that did not want to becoming embroiled in the complexities of central Klaractazum, a looping bypass was opened as an alternative in 1324 BPC. This takes travellers further south beyond the sprawl of the modern city limits.
Magicians' End - Old Pale Empire Road in Klaractazum by DMFW with Midjourney
Architecture
The construction of the road was a significant enterprise over which many mages and mundane workers laboured for the best part of six years. Powerful earth magics were deployed to blast a route through the Eroveth Mountains in the most difficult section of the route, now called the Eroveth Pass. The road here was also reinforced with arcane field lines designed to maintain its structural integrity against the depredations of nature and to speed travel.
Shown below, are sections from this spectacular part of the route, moving from east to west. Travellers from Klaractazum first begin to ascend into the mountains on the long, looping and relatively gentle section called the Eastern Ascent. This flattens out into a section known as the Eastern Plateau, which is illustrated next, looking back towards the morning sunlight. The central passage goes through several rocky gorges and is narrow in places, before the road finally reaches the famously steep south western descent, pictured here with the evening warding strip lights active.
Old Pale Empire Road - Eroveth Pass - Eastern Climb by DMFW with Night Cafe
Magicians' End - Old Pale Empire Road - Eroveth Pass - Eastern Plateau by DMFW with Night Cafe
Magicians' End - Old Pale Empire Road - Eroveth Pass by DMFW with Night Cafe
Magicians' End - Old Pale Empire Road - Eroveth Pass - South West Descent by DMFW with Night Cafe
History
The Empress Kathryne was the personal sponsor of the plan to build the road and known to be a great enthusiast for it, taking a detailed interest in the construction even though she was herself an elderly lady who might not have been expected to pour so much energy into the project at that stage of her life.
Old Pale Empire - Empress Kathryne by DMFW with Stable Diffusion
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