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What are the normal trade routes used in this period?

Marsh Bells desvribe Girion stairs as rarely used.
Old Forest Road is closed.
Elven path is one, but does not seem to me like people use it very much?

Going above Mirkwood is possible, but still seems kinda dangerous?

For a trading community like Dale/Lake-Town, trading seems very hard.

Lake-town seems to be primarily supported by trade with the Woodland Realm and Dorwinion, and possible the Iron Hills. I also would imagine that there's a fair bit of settlements in the Nether Marches and now the Upper Marches, lots of little farming communities without names that nonetheless come to Esgaroth to trade. Erebor gives us other possibilities: Ironthorpe, Galford, Edric's Town, the village of Celduin, and Riverstead.

The Marsh-bell does said that the Stair of Girion is little used in the last couple of centuries, but only because traders tend to unload before they get to it... it says ninety miles downriver, where you'd imagine a village would spring up. But also, I imagine a lot of folks unload at Celduin instead and in my games there is now a trail leading from Celduin to Sunstead, for the trading heading there.

Further afield, the Grey Mountain Narrows are a viable option, as is the Elf-path. Certainly more practical than trying to go south to avoid Mirkwood entirely!

Trade routes in the north and north-west are pretty limited by TA 2941. The Great East Road is the only viable route through Eriador since the fall of Tharbad in 2912, although the Greyflood can apparently be forded without too much difficulty when it's running low. Theoretically, merchant ships of Gondor could sail from the Bay of Belfalas around the Cape of Andrast to reach the Gulf of Lune and the Grey Havens, but I find no indication that this routinely takes place. The Dwarves of the Blue Mountains probably do treat with the Grey Havens, but seem to do much of their business with Bree-land and the Shire. I suppose that there might be occasional journeys to Dunland to trade metalwork for ponies, furs and other goods.

There seems to be little commerce between the Vales of the Anduin and either Rohan or Gondor, though I suppose that there might be at least a limited market in the South for exotic woods from Mirkwood Forest. There are surely Dwarves of the Grey Mountains who travel through the Vales as wandering smiths and tinkers.

It seems odd that there is no indication of a road between the Iron Mountains and Erebor/Dale. I can't help but think that there was one that fell into ruin after Smaug ruined Dale and occupied the Lonely Mountain. Likewise, there ought to be a land route between Dorwinion and Gondor; one that would pass through Dagorlad and between the Dead Marshes and the Mountains of Mordor. Perhaps such a route does exist, but Tolkien never documented it. Dorwinion might potentially be the great trading center of the East, just as Lake-town and Dale were (and are) for the North. It is a port city on the coast of a large inland sea and there might even be Elven and Dwarven communities located in the nearby woods and mountains.

Roads do seem to become more commonplace and better maintained once one reaches southern Rohan and Gondor. I imagine that Gondor carries on trade with the more peaceful (or at least neutral) peoples of Harad via the Harad Road.

spivo wrote:For a trading community like Dale/Lake-Town, trading seems very hard.

It does but only with anything on the other side of Mirkwood; and although difficult it is not without reward. However, with the Dwarves of the Lonely Mountain and the Iron Hills, the Elves of Mirkwood, the trade in surrounding hamlets, and then further afield to Dorwinion the Dale and Lake Town have many opportunities on their doorstep.

Exactly this difficulty to communicate with the Vales of the Anduin cultures and communities can lead to a series of adventures in your campaign: Bofri's quest to reopen the Old Forest Road by the dwarves makes absolute sense because of your points, spivo.

Who wouldn't risk to cross a spider infested gloomy forest for the promising reward of tasting a beorning honey cake?

Falenthal wrote:Who wouldn't risk to cross a spider infested gloomy forest for the promising reward of tasting a beorning honey cake?

... And you'd need one after making that journey!

It's all good, and supports the "overlay" of my DoM campaign, with the players trying to reopen the Old Forest Road.

Agree with Otaku-sempai's comments, also one of the prime reasons for adventuring (and also why they have a bad reputation) is that adventurers (unlike most people) are prepared to deal with the hazards of travelling in different lands. The vast majority of trade at this time is like Dark Ages Medieval Europe - mostly only local from nearby farms to the nearest town and back - long distance trade is only sporadic and sticks to rivers and seas where possible (as these are much safer).

However, as LM you are free to make changes to the setting as you wish - for example, you could have a regular trade between the Beornings and the Woodmen (Honey cakes & honey for hounds and herbs). Think about what products are produced locally and whether there would be demand for them, such as the wines of Dorwinion, and then how are said products transported (which is the main problem with any long distance trade). IIRC in Horse-lords there is mention of a regular caravan that goes from the Woodmen down to Rohan and back??

In my campaign I have a regular Fleet that goes from Umbar to the southern lands (as per Venice).

Robin S.

There is mention in The Heart of the Wild that the Leofrings travel with carts and wagons, trading up and down the Anduin Vales.

The river running would be a great trade artery between dale, laketown, dorwinion and the lands of rhun in the east. gondor may even still have some scattered presence and it would seem the lands east of mirkwood are "safer" than the west, being further from the attentions of dol guldur.