>This paragraph assumes that trade consists mostly of goods
>sold from the west. However Esrolia is shipping grain to
>the West on huge cogs. The cogs will have ample room to
>carry any goods that would have normally carried by the
>Trader Princes _and_ have space to spare on their outward
>voyage.
I suspect, from reading the Genertela Book, that those cogs are mostly built and owned by Nolos and Pasos. Having the ability to get grain directly would help those powers in their struggle with Guilmarn the Fat, but that same struggle would make shipping that grain on to the Safelster City States harder. I wonder what fills those cogs on the eastward leg? Finished goods and raw materials not available to the Esrolians, I suppose.
>>Given the choice between an established and reasonably secure
>>overland route (Galin-Noshain River headwaters-Bastis-Trader
>>Princes-Nochet)
>To travel from Galin to the headwaters of the Noshain, one
>has to travel through the slightly odd people of Estali or
>Helby and then straight through the lands of the outright
>heathen Deer people. Although established, I must quibble
>about whether such a route can said to be reasonably secure.
The same source says: "The Damali are relatively peaceful and caravans commonly traverse this land on their way towards Wenelia and the New Fens." and who in Glorantha isn't at least slightly odd to their neighbors? That sentence also indicates to me that, at the beginning of the Hero Wars, caravans continue to depart Drom (not Galin) regularly. Plus I think that a well-prepared caravan escort of Western and Orlanthi mercenaries could handle any but the largest hsunchen warband, basmoli, Elk or Deer. The later two can be paid off with Esrolian grain, too. :)
So what I see, post-Opening, is a tightly controlled, 400+ year-old trading arrangement being gradually (over 20-40 years) being blown wide open, but not entirely replaced, by sea trade. Each of the three routes I proposed before have their own potential for MGF with marauding Elves, Orlanthi, Broos, pirates (riverine and blue water), Dragonewts, hsunchen and who knows what else, plus skulking Lunar agitators.
Gary R Switzer
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