Ruby Highway
The Ruby Highway is the common name for the portaging route or portage between the Free City of Elmundel and the dwarven independent city of Ruby Gates in northern Barathorn. It is famous for its portaging merchants who traverse much of Barathorn to acquire and bring the highly-prized red gemstones of the dwarven city back to market in Elmundel and farther afield. In addition to rubies in historic times, other valuable goods such as animal furs (beaver, marten, otter, reindeer, bear, sable), Bukalaan jewelry, and other relatively lightweight but precious commodities were traded. Today, these same goods are traded as well as heavier and more mundane goods such as fish, grain, timber, and livestock due to the presence of the Elmundel Canal and the Bamarra Canal.
Segments of the Portage
The modern route begins in the Bay of Elmundel, proceeding through the canal of Elmundel, nearly ten miles (9.6), into the southern end of Lake Blackwaves, then up to the north end of the lake to Bamarra where the barges pass through the canal of Bamarra for nearly six miles (5.68), then the route proceeds from Threet Bay in the Dragon Sea north, usually hugging the eastern coast to Swavening where encounters with lake dragons are less frequent, and thence into Mariner's Bay to the lake port of Ruby Gates. In ancient times, there were no locks or canals and the travelers were obliged to carry their boats and their goods over land to the next navigable body of water. There is no lock or canal that supports movement from Ruby Gates to the south end of the Skrandley Sea (about 5 miles) and merchants must use portaging or carts to carry goods there. From the north end of Skrandley Sea merchants can carry their wares and conveyance about 40 miles to the coastal town of Obipine in the Gulf of Grimbear with access to the Bardost Sea and the ocean. This last jaunt is by far the longest on land and not often traversed compared to the other segments.
Some merchant organizations have proposed the construction of a dragonrail route to be built alongside the existing canals and also from the north end of Skrandley Sea to Obipine, but financial interest has not been forthcoming. It is likely that the native Bukalaan dwarves wish to construct it, but the Jaggudornish dwarves wish to capitalize and profit from it.
See Also
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