The Starfall Trade Route

The Starfall Trade Route is one of the most significant and storied land trade routes in eastern Nehwon. It stretches from the coastal city of Ilthmar in The North and winds southward through rolling plains, salt-blasted hills, and ancient ruins, before finally reaching the dwarven mountain realm of Duhn Glóhr. Long favored by merchants, pilgrims, and the occasional army, the road is named for the streaking meteor showers that frequently Grace the skies above its midpoint—a phenomenon that has inspired countless superstitions and tales of divine omens.   Constructed during the Age of Consolidation, Starfall was a joint effort between dwarven engineers from Duhn Glóhr and Human masons from Ilthmar. The base of the road is composed of interlocking basalt stones, quarried from the Iron Teeth mountains and treated with a dwarven alchemical process that renders them resistant to erosion, frost-heave, and heavy load compression. The roadbed is reinforced beneath with crushed obsidian and a unique mixture of powdered lime and crushed bone that hardens with moisture—an ancient technique now largely lost to time.   Its surface is slightly convex to allow rain and snow to drain easily into shallow roadside channels, which themselves are lined with slate and fitted with modest iron-grated culverts. Periodic milestones—engraved with both Human and dwarven runes—mark distance, provide orientation, and denote safe places to rest.   Despite its age, the Starfall Road requires only minimal upkeep thanks to its exceptional craftsmanship. Routine maintenance is typically handled by steadholders or trade caravans who make use of it, while major repairs are rare and usually performed with the help of guild-sanctioned dwarven artisans.   The road’s enduring construction and strategic reach have made it a vital artery for trade between Ilthmar’s ports and the mineral-rich forges of the dwarves. Yet in recent years, rumors have circulated of odd occurrences along certain stretches—flickering lights, missing travelers, and ancient glyphs reappearing on once-blank stones.