Cumber Road

the Shadow Path

The Cumber Road is a dark twisting road, a single cart wide, that travels through the Forest of the Cumbers in Southern Jerain on the major continent of Ethae. The road is only used for travel to Dorchandas, the Dark Tower. Ancient natural Nura orbs light the path and keep the Shadowfell that is the forest at bay for those on the road.

The Cumber Road is ancient, predating the Kingdom of Marras. According to the native Somon people of Southern Jerain it and the tower stood long before the first Normon set foot in their land. There are even legends that it existed before many of the Somon tribal kingdoms rose.

The mystery of its origins aside, the road today, and its tower at the end, are used by the Marras government as a prison for those who do not qualify for a death penalty, but who are sent off to be forgotten about. Which in that kingdom usually means the high nobility that cause problems. The tower at the end of the Cumber Road, they say, is a fate worse than death to those imprisoned within.

The forest itself seems to hate the road and its nura. Branching and roots endlessly try to grow over the path, only to quickly wither away when touching any stone the nura light touches. Bird, insects, and beast attack the orbs on occasion, especially when travels move along the path, trying to destroy them. Most animals and mosters are repeled by the light of the nura and never touch them. The birds and insects usually end up in suicide runs at the light. While these orbs seem particularly resistant to harm, some have dimmed over the centuries do to these continued attack. As such, many of the orbs have had a protected lantern casing built around them for protection. These casings do not touch the orbs, and are constructed around the orb, wherever it floats.