Strigos Road

The Strigos Road (Via Strigos), which is to say the "Rawboned Road", is a project that was initiated by Azalin Rex subsequent to his re-emergence in 755 BC. It will join the East Timori Road at Liara to the Argenteus and Tempe roads just west of Tempe Falls. A timeframe for the completion of the project has not been given and where the work currently stands is unknown.

The Strigos Road is largely the re-establishment of a road that traversed Arak prior to the existence of Nova Vaasa. That route connected the Tempe Road to the Old Svalich Road in eastern Barovia and was joined by the "Road to Arak" from Sidnar. The Scourge of Arak in 588 BC wiped the surface of Arak clean, damaging, but not destroying, the original roadbed. The reputation that Arak would acquire in the years that followed the cataclysm was ample deterrence against the use of the road for any prospecting or exploring beyond the Darkonian frontier. Whether the road remained in use and was maintained over the ensuing decades is not entirely clear. Potential users of the road include would-be dwarven and gnomish miners of Tempe Falls and Mayvin, the dwarves of Tombdust Hall, and dark delvers traveling to or from the Abyss of the Hated Mother.

The Great Upheaval in 740 BC made possible the reestablishment of a route through Arak by the relocation of the Arak east to the Shadow Rift. The disappearance of the land of Arak as such, permitted the absorption of the the Mountains of Misery into Darkon, moving the Darkonian frontier south to that of Nova Vaasa. Prior to these changes, the fool who dared spend the night in Arak, after the Arak had been deprived of their original playthings in 588 BC, stood an excellent chance of being carried off before the dawn.

As of 750 BC, the original road still afforded access to the northwestern flank of Mount Nirka, but only on foot due to washouts, rockslides, boulders, and fallen trees. Within the former territory of Arak, the essential absence of trees, except near the frontier, eliminated one obstacle but gave free reign to erosion with the consequence that the other obstacles would be far worse. In addition to replacing or clearing the existing roadbed, it is known that several new bridges and tunnels will be required for the completion of the route.

The Strigos Road will gently curve from southernly to easternly between the Tempe Road and the northwestern flank of Mount Nirka where it crosses the headwaters of the Corvus River. Next it will turn straight south and then southeast as it negotiates the western and southwestern flanks of Mount Nirka where it crosses the headwaters of the Amnis Lacrimarum ("River of Tears"). Then it will skirt the western flank of Mount Nyid, before bearing southwest as it winds its way to Liara through the Forgotten Hills.

Eventual trade along the route will confront not only the challenges offered up by the Mountains of Misery, but equally that of Nova Vaasan taxation which is even more punititve than Falkovnian taxation. Does Azalin Rex have some purpose other than commerce in mind? Or is he simply confident that the Prince of Nova Vaasa can be persuaded to embrace the benefits of free trade?

References

Gazetteer II, p. 12, 16, 38.

Gazetteer V, p. 37, 71.