The Five Roads

Vel Barrikess

Ruler: Barrikess (Wanderborne wind dragon, she/her) - amoral, cunning, mercurial

Theme: Convenience Panopticon

A crossroads/trade nation ruled by the wind dragon Barikess. Her realm maintains shipping contracts with other nations, using her writs of safe passage across the region. The Five Roads are sparsely populated, with large areas uninhabited and un-cultivated. She has converted some of this land into warehouse towns (ware-towns) entire settlements focused on storage and security for goods to be shipped or protected as part of Barrikess’ horde. Denizens of the Five Roads are dependent on Barrikess’ shipping lanes and logistical prowess due to the isolation of communities. No single town is actually self-sufficient, all are dependent on some essential good only available from the dragon’s caravans. Connections between people are thin as a large portion of the populace is constantly traveling around the realm and the broader region, with magical communication between caravans and couriers officially restricted by dispatchers. Barrikess uses her logistical and informational networks to surveil her populace as well as using her couriers and caravans as spies and informants, with magical listening and viewing enchantments woven into every cart, vessel, and shipping container. To ensure her dominance in travel, Barrikess is extremely “pro-active” in protecting her caravans/ vessels, going so far as to have agents destroy merchant caravans or ships not exclusively contracted with her.