Deep Roads
The Deep Roads are an expansive network of subterranean passages, trade corridors, and spiritual chambers that stretch beneath the surface of Terasil, particularly concentrated beneath the Citadel Mountains and Anvil Range. Carved over millennia by the Minthari and expanded in collaboration with the Orasians, the Deep Roads represent both a practical infrastructure and a cultural legacy tied to the subterranean identity of Terasil.
Historical Origins
The Deep Roads began to take shape during the Age of Deep Roads (c. 5000–6200), a period of intensified subterranean activity following the Great Erosion. As the surface of Terasil became increasingly unstable and fragmented by elemental forces, the Minthari—newly emerged from the lower strata of the realm—began to establish permanent tunnel networks for resource extraction, refuge, and travel.
The Orasians, whose ancestral halls already extended deep into the rock, gradually linked their stone sanctuaries to Minthari corridors. This convergence formed the foundation of what would become a realm-wide system of shared passage and exchange.
Structure and Geography
The Deep Roads are not a single unified structure but a layered and often labyrinthine system of interconnected tunnels, vaults, halls, and chasms. Key features include:
- Primary Arteries – Large, stable tunnels reinforced with stonework and used for trade caravans and formal travel.
- Echo Chambers – Natural or carved caverns where sound travels across great distances, often used for ritual or signal communication.
- Spiral Wells – Deep, vertical shafts used to access mineral-rich layers or sacred underground spaces. These are also used in rites of resonance isolation and spiritual descent.
- Vault-Halls – Large chambers containing shrines, resting stations, and meeting spaces used by both Orasian and Minthari communities.
Due to the complexity of the Deep Roads, navigation relies on both physical and tonal systems:
- Marking Stones – Embedded mineral markers that glow faintly when struck or touched by tuned tools. Used to denote junctions, dangers, or key locations.
- Sound Beacons – Low-frequency harmonic resonators placed at key intervals. Trained resonance-keepers can interpret their tones to orient within deep sections of the network.
Notable junctions include the Hollowgate Descent beneath Sanctuary Vale and the fractured chamber systems under the Fractured Wedge, where Orasian and Minthari access routes occasionally intersect.
Cultural Significance
Beyond their practical use, the Deep Roads are seen as sacred conduits—pathways through the living memory of the earth. Many Orasians believe that the spirit of the realm listens through these tunnels, and rituals of silence, resonance, and stonecraft are commonly practiced within them.
Minthari tradition holds that the Deep Roads reflect the will of the stone itself, guiding miners and craftspeople toward balance and prosperity. Offerings, carvings, and path-marking rituals are part of everyday life in the tunnels.
Spirits and Lore
Several Spirits are believed to inhabit the Deep Roads, including the ancestral spirit Tharoz-Mir, who is thought to dwell within the oldest passages and bear witness to all who travel them.
Miners and pilgrims also speak of the Blind Listener, a silent subterranean presence that is said to test travelers through tonal alignment rather than speech. Disrespecting ancient tunnels or failing to heed tonal shifts is believed to invite spiritual misalignment—or even complete loss of direction.
Legends speak of forgotten branches that lead to lost cities, echoing shrines, or collapse-sealed vaults containing ancient artifacts or sleeping spirits.
Trade and Conflict
The Deep Roads serve as a primary artery for resource trade across Terasil, especially in stone, metals, and crafted tools. Control of key junctions has occasionally led to disputes, particularly in early phases of Minthari expansion. However, formal pacts and stone-etched agreements between Orasian councils and Minthari elders have maintained stability across most of the system.