The Amber Road, also known as the Golden Road[1], is a road that leads through Wildemount, featured in Campaign 2.
Description
Trostenwald to Alfield
The Amber Road connects Trostenwald to Zadash, approximately two hundred miles northward. Along the way, it passes through Alfield, a city slightly smaller than Trostenwald. This section of the road is a well-packed, ten-foot-wide, dirt roadway. It is too narrow for two carts to travel abreast along it.[2] By foot, the trip from Trostenwald to Alfield could be completed in two full days of travel at a quick pace.[3]
Environment
Flora
When the Mighty Nein journeyed from Trostenwald to Alfield, the central portion of the Marrow Valley along the Amber Road was filled with rolling hills covered in high grasses, wheats, grains, wild weeds, and bright, white wildflowers.[4][5] Three hundred to six hundred feet from the road, tree clusters and small wooded areas dotted the landscape.[6]
Fauna
In 9x05, the party saw the forms of three thick, muscular, large-horned, quadrupedal, buffalo-like creatures roaming the grasslands.[7] Easily spooked, these valley aurochs fled when one of the party members stepped on a field frog, which then croaked loudly. Fjord had not seen this type of creature near the port towns.[8]
Travelers
The Campaign 2 adventuring party left Trostenwald after resolving troubles with the local law officials. The party set out on the 200-mile journey on the Amber Road toward Zadash with a small carnival cart and a single horse. They discussed the safety of the road, both in the context of robbing other travelers and of being robbed themselves.[9] They took caution against bandits and slept in shifts.[10][11]
After traveling approximately fifty miles on the Amber Road, the Mighty Nein passed a southbound trade caravan of six heavy wagons, each being pulled by a trio of horses. These covered wagons were varied in their sizes and contents, carrying tall bundles. At the front of each of the wagons with the reins was a figure in long robes, an ornate silk mantle, and a thick scarf tossed over the shoulder obscuring part of the face. The three rear wagons were taller and carried the traveling families with goods. The last cart contained a pair of children, an older girl and her brother, both of whom seemed younger than ten years of age. The boy had tangled, black hair that poofed outward, deep brown skin, and bright, blue eyes; he was captivated by Mollymauk Tealeaf's passing sword tricks. Hailing from the Menagerie Coast, the trade caravan was making its way back to Port Zuun[spelling?] by way of Nicodranas. The caravan had stopped briefly in Zadash to sell wares and purchase goods to take back home.[12]
Resting for the evening they continued on for the second day of travel towards Alfield . Nearing the end of this second day they noticed from a distance the city being attacked.
After finishing their business in Alfield they Traveled northward from to Zadash. On the first day of this journey, the Mighty Nein passed three horses carrying crownsguard patrolling the amber road. On the second day of this journey north, they encountered a small single horse travel wagon with cushioned seats. Three well-dressed individuals that looked miserable sat in the back on these seats, while a single coachman drove the wagon southward along the road. Their cargo within seemed to be made up of only personal bags.
During the night they were ambushed by nine human bandits of various sizes. They wore hoods and patchwork cobbled together hide and leather armors. Used to cover most of their faces they had mismatches of greens, blues, and black cloths. Some had hand crossbows, two had heavy crossbows, a few of them had shortswords.
These bandits wanted to take all of their valuables and their cart. The party attempted to push back against this ambush, through use of the friends' spell, by stating it was heading to get medical help all having extreme cases of syphilis. The Bandits agreed to leave them unspoiled, though the spell ended and a short melee. When their leader, Trevor was incinerated into ash, the fight ended when the bandits in confused shock and fear called for a cease-fire.
Forced to disrobe most looked look like dirty poor brigands, some missing teeth and generally looking like they haven’t had a bath in days. Of these a scraggly red head that was around 20 or 21 years old, named Zeddi[spelling?], became the new de-facto leader out of two contenders when the group forced them to choose one leader by playing a game of Bolder-Parchment-Sheers.
Seeing that this group was not very good at being criminals, the party had pity on the eight survivors and left them with only their clothes. Mollymauk gave them each one gold piece making them promise to give up their bandit ways and to tell all their friends that no one fucks with the Mighty Nein. These bandits parted, making their way to Felderwin .
A ways over a hill the bandits had nine horses waiting. Five of the meekest of these Nott showed away and took the rest of her self. Mollymauk collected their weapons, of these low quality weapons there were two heavy crossbows, three light crossbows, two hand crossbows, 43 bolts, six shortswords, and two daggers. On the third day of travel on the way to Zadash the party saw
Trivia
- Matthew Mercer referred to the Amber Road as the "Golden Road" in the recap at the beginning of "The Open Road" (2x05).[13] Since this is the only time the northward road was referred to as the Golden Road, this article assumes that the official name is the "Amber Road" and the "Golden Road" is a nickname.
References
- ↑ See 9x05 at 10:15.
- ↑ See 9x05 from 20:21 through 20:27.
- ↑ See 9x05 from 36:58 through 37:13.
- ↑ See 9x05 from 16:07 through 16:24.
- ↑ See 9x05 at 30:03.
- ↑ See 9x05 from 34:41 through 34:59.
- ↑ See 9x05 from 41:43 through 42:07.
- ↑ See 9x05 from 47:12 through 47:25.
- ↑ See 9x05 from 24:58 through 27:00.
- ↑ See 9x05 from 37:15 through 37:32.
- ↑ See 9x05 from 38:00 through 38:30.
- ↑ See 9x05 from 15:58 through 24:46.
- ↑ See 9x05 at 10:15.