> Hmm, my take on the roads in Sartar is that they are magical not only in
> binding the country together, but also being relatively impervious to the
> ravages of time - those Dwarf-built bridges won't fall down (okay, maybe
if
> a Balrog and a Wizard have a fight on one...).
However if the roads are magical wouldn't the tax/toll be the sacrifice done
at the Sacred Time rituals?
It would be covered by the annual tribute given to the local shrines which
would cover the magic done by Sartar and his descendants when roads were
created.
> You can certainly decide that the Road is considered the "King's Tula",
and
> so once on it you are under the king's protection, but again, the King is
> far away and the clan weaponthanes are *here*. It would take a real
> kick-ass-and -take-names king to provide protection on "his" roads. My
take
> on it is that you have the same protection that Prince John gives
travellers
> through Sherwood Forest during Robin Hood's time. A naif may take the
> attitude that "The King's Peace" extends all along the roads, but anyone
> with a lick of sense will understand exactly as far at that extends (about
> as far along the road as can be seen from the gates of Boldhome).
The protection may not be mundane (squads of armed warriors patroling the roads) but could be a magical force of Umbroli or Urothtrorols bound into the material of the road.
Cheers
DARRAN
'What song the Syrens sang, or what name
Achilles assumed when he hid himself among
the women, although puzzling questions,
are not beyond *all* conjecture.
Sir Thomas Browne
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