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Travel in Metaphaze is dangerous and an unarmed, uninformed traveler will be found a dead traveler in the morning. The following are things that any well-seasoned traveler will know about and be aware of when traveling in Metaphaze. |
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By Sea |
Dangerous Crossings |
Most dangerous of the crossings between land masses is the
crossing between the western coast of Eporue and the north-east island of Nekorb. Sea
elves in great numbers pursue and sit and wait for fat merchant ships to pillage. Solitary
ships can be missed because they make the crossing unnoticed while other more massive
fleets suffer staggering losses due to the obvious nature of their crossing. There is no
real method that guarantees the cautious traveler a safe passage across this stretch of
ocean. In addition, the island of Dnalgne sports a similar population of mischievous sea elves. While nowhere near the populous of the Nekorb/Eporue bunch, these are just as dangerous as their northern cousins. Since they are not as numerous, ships simply take their chances when sailing in these waters and hope their luck holds out. |
| Overland Travel
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Travel overland can be dangerous for a variety of reasons. Brigands and
barbarians as well as the plethora of other creatures await the unwary traveler who does
not go prepared for danger. Caravans tend to alleviate all but the most serious of these
kinds of dangers. Most commercial traffic between cities that occurs by land occurs by caravan. Of all the land masses, the one with the harshest overland travel routes is the Great Desert of Acirema. |
| Air Travel | Air travel in Metaphaze is a new venture. While, flying schools and
magical devices for such travel have existed for a long time in Metaphaze, the wondrous
magic of a full flying ship has just begun to catch on. Central to this endeavor is the
city of Bruxelles, one of the only cities with a full set of landing pads for such
creations. Other cities allow landings, but have not yet established a proper site for
such coming and goings. |
| Conveyance | The most common method of conveyance is by horse. Most cities have plenty
of purveyor's of fine horse flesh for the brave traveler to ride. Specialized forms of
transport are highly sought by the wealthy. The Royal Flying Hippogriff School of
Brugge is well entrenched in providing not only fine mounts, but the necessary training to
prevent a rider from doing things that might result in his or her untimely death due to a
fall from great heights. |
| Inn's and Villages | Most travelers will know that while the major cities of Metaphaze are fine
places to spend time in, the real adventure is in finding and spending time "on the
road". On the road in Metaphaze is a way where the true lay of the land can be seen
and felt. Along all the roads of Metaphaze, no matter what continent, can be found small
villages and farming communities. Typically, there is a local inn or tavern that offers
space for the weary traveler to recline for an evening at little or no cost. These small hole-in-the-wall places are a hot-bed of rumors and news of the land. Depending on the scope of the news, the astute traveler can get anything from local news about the daily lives of the farmers and other workers in a particular area to grand events and news from all over the world. All of the inns in Metaphaze, big or small are providers of this necessary service. While in Bruxelles, much of the local news is gathered and published in a fine production called a "newspaper" which comes out once a week, give or take a few days, depending on what kinds of things are going on in the area. |
Traders of Metaphaze
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All cities engage in trade. As a result of the trade between cities and villages that surround them, a great network of traders has grown up in support of the trade. Some cities have guilds that manage or directly affect the traders entering and leaving the city. Where government gets involved, the entire landscape of trading can be affected. |
(c) Robert J Becraft, 1995, 1997, 1998. All Rights Reserved. No portions of these web documents may be reproduced or copied without the expressed consent of the author.
