Safehold

Amelius on Feb. 15, 2024

Don't strain your eyes trying to read the small talk in the background, it's meant to be hard to read size on purpose. :) I almost showed the other character's chatter as symbols, but I thought it looked too weird.

Safeholds are like rest stops with a motel and diner along a lonely freeway, but as the guys travel through here there will be more of these on the main road whereas before they were taking what is known as a vagabond path, the unregulated and not well maintained roads that wind through the Demon Kingdom. Small villages may pop up around them as merchants end up staying for longer than they intended (one may end up here looking for work after getting robbed by highwaymen or stranded overwinter) and impromptu shops are set up as Eastern merchants make their way West, to the Demon Market, or South to Ellebridge, the Elven Bridge-Market.
Safeholds were established by Samrick to encourage merchants to travel to the Demon Market, and other kingdoms have since established their own along borders of their territories. The merchant paths, which require a writ and fees, and the Fairy Paths (the safest and fastest route) require very special access and are exclusively used by royalty and the very wealthy. Kavonn is definitely taking the cheapest route. The mountain pass which they are approaching still remains free for all travel, but there is of course still a “premium” option.