Three Roads After Fifteen: a level 16-30 road guide¶

Generated from content/geography/mid-journey.json. Every stage names shipped rooms and resident help; conditional creatures remain opportunities, never ordinary progression requirements.

After level fifteen the Hearth opens into three interlocking roads, not one mandatory corridor. Geography and topology remain different truths: a single exit can represent a ferry voyage, a day on a causeway, or a hard vertical climb. ROUTES shows named roads, transport and mileage, and now also shows these career lanes. The room graph remains what can actually be walked.

You may change roads at any staffed town. The mountain road most directly continues Saga III, the coast road opens Saga IV at Kingsholm, and the sunward road shows the settlements and institutions those conflicts endanger. Each lane reaches the late twenties; optional forks make the boundaries explicit rather than pretending every nearby room shares a level.

The lanes at a glance¶

Lane	Levels	Shape	Saga connection
The Mountain Road	16-30	Hollowrun to the Deep Delvings, then Hammerdeep, with the High Shelves as the exposed late branch.	This is the clearest continuation of Saga III. The Delvings close the Ore Road arc; Hammerdeep and the High Shelves begin making Saga IV's older mountain debt legible.
The Coast Road	16-30	Brinemoot's far floes lead into the Reaver Skerries; the route returns to Brinemoot for the scheduled Kittiwake to Kingsholm and its drowned court.	The Skerries are an optional maritime branch through Saga III. Back at Brinemoot, the Kittiwake opens Saga IV's first required country on Kingsholm.
The Sunward Road	16-30	Southmere and Millharrow follow warmer water to Aldermouth; Marchhold is the hard eastern fork for the late twenties.	This is an optional civic and economic counter-road during Saga III. Its institutions show what the Ore Road protects, while Marchhold begins pointing back toward Saga IV's older toll and gate histories.

Before taking a branch:

Use ROUTES or ROUTES <road> to find the live lane markers and named guides.
Recover at the protected frontier haven before working outward. Hollowrun, the Skerries, the High Shelves and Marchhold now have staffed, creature-free nodes.
Use WRIT LIST locally. Task desks exclude named apexes and conditional Road-to-Sea creatures; Aldermouth deliberately offers fish, forage, lock and relief work instead.
Use ASSESS <creature>. A signed band describes authored ground, not a promise that every inhabitant is present or suitable.

The Mountain Road¶

Hollowrun to the Deep Delvings, then Hammerdeep, with the High Shelves as the exposed late branch.

Saga thread: This is the clearest continuation of Saga III. The Delvings close the Ore Road arc; Hammerdeep and the High Shelves begin making Saga IV's older mountain debt legible.

Step	Levels	Ground	Region	Resident help
1	16-18	Hollowrun Lower Gorge	hollowrun	Flumewarden Sella Rook
2	16-20	Deep Delvings Upper Galleries	delvings	Hesk Undermantle, Claim Clerk Nara Flintmark
3	21-25	Deep Claims & Vein Crawl	delvings	Hesk Undermantle, Ore Factor Balla Nineweight
4	25-30	Hammerdeep Old Works	hammerdeep	loremaster Edda Longcount, provisioner Katla Deepshelf
5	27-30	High Shelves Lower Benches (optional)	highshelves	Doorward Ilyen Snowglass, Survey-Bearer Pell Whitecord

1. Hollowrun Lower Gorge (levels 16-18)¶

Reach it: From Lanternwatch, descend to the protected Falls Foot, follow the upper flumes, and continue only after the signs turn toward the Dipper Pools and Gorge Mouth.

Shape of the ground: Pools, rim walks and alder-braided water form a retreatable lower circuit. The road out remains quiet while the signed water branches carry the danger.

People who make the place legible:

Flumewarden Sella Rook (room 2200): current gorge writs, first aid and a plain explanation of what lies below the flumes.

Why it matters locally: Flow reports protect mills and irrigation downstream; hides, tallow and clean remains pay through the flume ward rather than an anonymous bounty economy.

Warning

Recover at the Falls Foot. The Flumekeeper is an apex encounter, not routine desk work, and a short room step can represent a long wet descent.

2. Deep Delvings Upper Galleries (levels 16-20)¶

Reach it: Return through Lanternwatch and take the signed quarry incline. Check in at the Stayer's Stand before entering the lit upper galleries.

Shape of the ground: The incline, gallery mouth and tallow workings fold back toward Hesk's safe counter; sump water marks the point where the deeper band begins.

People who make the place legible:

Hesk Undermantle (room 2613): WRIT LIST, provisions, healing and Saga III's check-in.
Claim Clerk Nara Flintmark (room 2614): claim boundaries, missing crews and the difference between salvage and theft.

Why it matters locally: Assayed ore, honest claim records and recovered shift marks move from the galleries into Hammerdeep's forges and the northern towns' tool markets.

Warning

The Stayer's Stand and Assay Back-Room are protected. Darkness, flooded workings and the gnawed galleries are separate escalations; carry light and ASSESS before crossing each threshold.

3. Deep Claims & Vein Crawl (levels 21-25)¶

Reach it: From the Cistern Landing, follow the vein markers beyond the sump or take the surveyed Claim Circuit from the upper works.

Shape of the ground: Two connected working circuits let crews choose living-metal galleries or the newer claim survey without making the safe stand itself a hunting room.

People who make the place legible:

Hesk Undermantle (room 2613): deep-work writs and the safest known return.
Ore Factor Balla Nineweight (room 2613): live freight conditions, proof values and which ores the road is failing to deliver.

Why it matters locally: A delivered mule train eases lamp-oil and tool prices; a closure removes imports and raises what factors pay for scarce road goods.

Warning

The Warm Seam is a recovery node, not proof that the rooms around it are mild. Greygnaw and other named deep threats are Saga or apex work, never routine repeatable writs.

4. Hammerdeep Old Works (levels 25-30)¶

Reach it: Follow the deep-road freight marks to Hammerdeep, resupply at Katla's Deep-Shelf, and take the signed Old Works branch rather than the later Singing Veins descent.

Shape of the ground: Abandoned shift roads form the level-twenty-five circuit beneath a staffed hold; the Veins beyond are a later Saga IV climb, not part of this band.

People who make the place legible:

loremaster Edda Longcount (room 2059): WRIT LIST and the hold's account of the Choir Below.
provisioner Katla Deepshelf (room 2052): supplies and the freight notice at the mountain-road terminus.

Why it matters locally: Delvings ore becomes tools and arms here; closure of either mountain leg is visible as missing stock, delayed freight and higher import prices.

Warning

Stop in the Old Works through level thirty. The Singing Veins begin above this guide's band even though their entrance is only a few topological steps away.

5. High Shelves Lower Benches (optional) (levels 27-30)¶

Reach it: From the Pale Steps side, recover at the protected Rimefield Gate and follow only the white-cord markers across the first three shelves.

Shape of the ground: The lower benches are an exposed alternate finish for experienced parties; every higher terrace and under-ice door continues beyond level thirty.

People who make the place legible:

Doorward Ilyen Snowglass (room 2400): shelf writs, closure calls and the last safe turn-back point.
Survey-Bearer Pell Whitecord (room 2400): weather markers, missing cairns and current freight conditions.

Why it matters locally: Survey returns keep the pass insurable; ice samples and recovered ward marks matter to Hammerdeep, Marchhold and the gateward histories.

Warning

This branch starts at level twenty-seven and stays weather-sensitive. The Glassvein Traverse and Hallward Doors are level thirty-plus country.

The Coast Road¶

Brinemoot's far floes lead into the Reaver Skerries; the route returns to Brinemoot for the scheduled Kittiwake to Kingsholm and its drowned court.

Saga thread: The Skerries are an optional maritime branch through Saga III. Back at Brinemoot, the Kittiwake opens Saga IV's first required country on Kingsholm.

Step	Levels	Ground	Region	Resident help
1	16-18	Brinemoot Far Floes	brinemoot	ice-pilot Senna, moot-holder Grosk
2	18-24	Reaver Skerries Landings & Haul-Road	skerries	Truce-Warden Asa Gull, Wrackwalker Orri Smoke
3	25-26	Reaver Skerries Under-Floe	skerries	Tide Surgeon Marda Keel, Truce-Warden Asa Gull
4	20-24	Kingsholm Tideward Uplands	kingsholm	wreckmistress Braga Tithe
5	25-30	Kingsholm Drowned Court	kingsholm	wreckmistress Braga Tithe, tallykeeper Ferrin Saltpage

1. Brinemoot Far Floes (levels 16-18)¶

Reach it: Take Brinemoot's signed ice road beyond the Moot Ring and remain on the far-floe shelf until the reaver and white-bull signs appear.

Shape of the ground: A compact outer shelf closes the gap between Brinemoot's earlier floes and the Skerries without putting ordinary spawns on the public ice road.

People who make the place legible:

ice-pilot Senna (room 1952): ice-road conditions and the difference between a navigable lead and an inviting one.
moot-holder Grosk (room 1951): WRIT LIST and the Salt Peace rules.

Why it matters locally: Ivory, hides, salt traffic and witnessed ice conditions all enter the moot's public weights; the pilot's report may matter more than the carcass.

Warning

The old white bull is an apex at the end of this band. It is never required by an ordinary writ, and ice weather can close the next leg.

2. Reaver Skerries Landings & Haul-Road (levels 18-24)¶

Reach it: Cross from Brinemoot to the protected Far Pans' Edge, sign the truce slate, and follow the cairned Skerry Chain or Haul-Road.

Shape of the ground: The landings, teeth and hold approaches make a long exploratory coast. The protected edge remains free of creatures and supplies a reliable retreat.

People who make the place legible:

Truce-Warden Asa Gull (room 3200): local writs, Salt Peace law and current closed spans.
Wrackwalker Orri Smoke (room 3200): lost sledges, salvage provenance and trail conditions.

Why it matters locally: Recovered line, legal salvage and seal products move toward Brinemoot and Kingsholm; unproved wreck goods are worth less and may create a civic case instead of a sale.

Warning

The road crosses hostile country, but the signed truce point is safe. Gravskarr Hold is a visible escalation; do not mistake a short gate crossing for ordinary coast travel.

3. Reaver Skerries Under-Floe (levels 25-26)¶

Reach it: Descend only from the signed Seal Gates after checking the tide surgeon's slate at the Far Pans' Edge.

Shape of the ground: The Deep Floe and Bull's Country form a short, dangerous capstone before the route turns toward Kingsholm.

People who make the place legible:

Tide Surgeon Marda Keel (room 3200): healing, cold-injury warnings and the recovery protocol.
Truce-Warden Asa Gull (room 3200): which under-floe work is lawful and which names an apex.

Why it matters locally: Rare under-floe proof goes to named buyers and witnesses; routine advancement never asks a traveler to wait for an intermittent or apex creature.

Warning

This is level twenty-five-plus enclosed ice. The pale bull is an apex, not ordinary desk work; carry a known route back to the surface.

4. Kingsholm Tideward Uplands (levels 20-24)¶

Reach it: Return from the Skerries to Brinemoot, take the scheduled Kittiwake to Kingsholm, recover at the living town, and follow the signed Low Stacks and breathing-vault branches.

Shape of the ground: Two coastal circuits let the island read as a settled place with dangerous margins rather than a dungeon attached to a quay.

People who make the place legible:

wreckmistress Braga Tithe (room 3004): WRIT LIST, salvage law and the route into older island country.

Why it matters locally: Wreck salvage, kelp, fish, court-blue glass and proof of safe passages support an island economy connected by ships rather than invisible land exits.

Warning

Kingsholm is an island. The Kittiwake is its only mainland transport topology; there is no walkable or Skerries-to-island bridge. Use ROUTES to read the ferry scale.

5. Kingsholm Drowned Court (levels 25-30)¶

Reach it: From Kingsholm's staffed streets, follow the court warnings below the island and keep the Kingshearth as the return point in mind.

Shape of the ground: The court is a large institutional ruin with chambers, clerks and a final seat of authority, not a random extension of the shoreline.

People who make the place legible:

wreckmistress Braga Tithe (room 3004): court work, salvage boundaries and Saga IV's opening.
tallykeeper Ferrin Saltpage (room 3007): the living town's record of the drowned administration.

Why it matters locally: Recovered court records change claims, prices and family standing in the living town; anonymous treasure is less useful than evidence with a room and witness.

Warning

The Seneschal is Saga IV's apex. Work the outer court first, and do not infer safety from proximity to the living town on a topology map.

The Sunward Road¶

Southmere and Millharrow follow warmer water to Aldermouth; Marchhold is the hard eastern fork for the late twenties.

Saga thread: This is an optional civic and economic counter-road during Saga III. Its institutions show what the Ore Road protects, while Marchhold begins pointing back toward Saga IV's older toll and gate histories.

Step	Levels	Ground	Region	Resident help
1	16-18	Southmere Drowned Farms & Mireback Sink	southmere	reeve Serra Vane, prospector Gurt
2	19-22	Millharrow Drains & Tithe Orchards	millharrow	Harvest Writ-Keeper Lina Barleycross, tallyman Ewart Penn
3	21-27	Aldermouth Shrine & Delta Reeds	aldermouth	Delta Writ-Mistress Ansel Reed, Relief Provost Toma Clearcup
4	26-30	Marchhold Midden Ward (eastern fork)	marchhold	Muster Clerk Ada Mere, Chaplain Edrin Toll

1. Southmere Drowned Farms & Mireback Sink (levels 16-18)¶

Reach it: Use the Lockwater and Sunfall signs to Southmere, recover on the Mereside Green, then take only the marked Mireback or Drowned Farms branches.

Shape of the ground: The old sink and one compact causeway pocket make a deliberately sparse bridge into the warm-country route while the trunk remains peaceful.

People who make the place legible:

reeve Serra Vane (room 1921): WRIT LIST and Southmere's rules for marsh work.
prospector Gurt (room 1911): wold conditions and what the water has newly exposed.

Why it matters locally: Drain reports, rescued seed, marsh forage and ordinary skins matter to downstream farms; intermittent pocket creatures are opportunities, not progression locks.

Warning

The Drowned Farms pocket is sparse by design. Do not wait for a conditional creature; use Southmere's stable local work and move on when the road is clear.

2. Millharrow Drains & Tithe Orchards (levels 19-22)¶

Reach it: Follow the Sunfall Causeway to Millharrow and leave its quiet lanes only at the Old Drainage Works, Feral Tithe Orchard or signed warm-orchard branch.

Shape of the ground: Three small branches surround a dense civic town; exploration is rewarded without turning farms and market lanes into a continuous combat belt.

People who make the place legible:

Harvest Writ-Keeper Lina Barleycross (room 4400): ordinary local work, seed-debt records and safe next steps.
tallyman Ewart Penn (room 2337): the fair count and the history behind Millharrow's measures.

Why it matters locally: Seed, drainage and orchard health affect fair prices, relief obligations and caravan cargo. Closures produce missing imports rather than decorative weather text.

Warning

Each causeway pocket is conditional and never enters ordinary cull writs. The stable shire grounds remain available when a pocket is empty.

3. Aldermouth Shrine & Delta Reeds (levels 21-27)¶

Reach it: Continue south through the Sunward Road to Causeway Square, register the return point at the Relief House, and take the Flooded Shrine or Delta Reed signs.

Shape of the ground: The shrine chambers and reed maze form two compact, escalating branches beside a large river-port whose markets, wards and public institutions remain explorable in their own right.

People who make the place legible:

Delta Writ-Mistress Ansel Reed (room 4451): forage, fish, lock and relief work that never depends on a rare spawn.
Relief Provost Toma Clearcup (room 4454): the Missing Relief Barge case and observable shortage consequences.

Why it matters locally: River freight, clean water and relief stock link every upstream town. A missing barge changes shelves, offers and public obligations rather than existing only in lore.

Warning

The delta's authored creatures are conditional. ASSESS what appears, but use civic, forage, fishing and lock work for dependable advancement.

4. Marchhold Midden Ward (eastern fork) (levels 26-30)¶

Reach it: From Aldermouth's northern road records, follow the old toll way to Marchhold and recover at the protected Muster Green before entering the outer ward.

Shape of the ground: The yard, kitchens, stores and lower ward create a social ruin with a level-twenty-six hunting band; the deeper hall and vaults remain visibly later country.

People who make the place legible:

Muster Clerk Ada Mere (room 3502): lower-ward writs, toll history and the exact boundary of level-thirty work.
Chaplain Edrin Toll (room 3502): healing and the people behind the hold's unpaid ledger.

Why it matters locally: The old toll account still shapes present claims. Supplies reaching the muster ease prices; closures expose what the hold cannot make for itself.

Warning

Stop in the Midden Ward through level thirty. Scald Hall begins at thirty-three and the Toll Vaults at forty-one even though both sit inside the same castle outline.

Roads that change markets¶

The copper-bell mule train, salt-rope freight sledges and red-ledger convoy are live NPC services. Their positions create delivery signals in the regions they occupy. Severe weather and world events can hold them at a stop; participating vendors then remove named imports, expose substitute or emergency stock, change prices and explain the reason in SHOP. A closure is therefore observable in shelves and offers, not only in ambient prose.

Safe return is an institution¶

Frontier havens use route tokens, casualty slates, recovery benches and named staff. Runmede, Millharrow and Aldermouth now also have their own runtime region anchors and resting places, so regional death return, thought range and future self-travel agree with the civic geography instead of treating those towns as override-only labels.

Continue with Roads Beyond Thirty, the Regional Atlas, Creature Field Guide, and First Fifteen guide.