Dragon Silk Road
The Dragon Silk Road refers to the collection of trade routes that once facilitated economic and cultural exchange between the peoples of the Rexan Empire in the continent of Ione and the Xianese Empire in Aeolia, as well as all of the nations in between. The trade routes got their name from the most valuable resource traded along them - Dragon Silk, a material harder than steel but as light as cloth. Dragon Silk is made by processing scales from dragons found in Third Age ruins; the secret of weaving Dragon Silk is jealously guarded by the Xianese. Prior to the fall of the Rexan Empire, Dragon Silk was traded for Aurichalcum, an alloy smelted from ores that could only be found in the Vunos Mountains of Ione.
In addition to magical wares, caravans on the Dragon Silk Road traded more mundane items, such as salt, spices, glassware, ceramics and perfumes. Slavers also traded unfortunates to those nations that engage in that vile practice. Currently, trade along the Dragon Silk Road is not active as the steppes on the western border of the Xianese Empire suffer from depredation of the humanoid tribes of the Black Horde and travel is considered to treacherous due to banditry. Still, fantastical tales of the riches of Dhenia and Aeolia have motivated many adventurers in Western Tel to quest for an alternative route to Xian.
