The Dead Roads
Planar pathway
Ah, the Dead Roads, a less-than charming detour between the Prime Material Plane and the Boneyard of the Underlands. Now cutter, don’t go expecting any cheerful signposts on these roads—it’s a one-way trip for the deceased (although I assume those psychopomps can go both ways), and trust me, you’re better off staying alive if you can swing it.
Picture this: A twisted, winding path that snakes through the gray mists, a road less traveled for very good reasons. You’ll want a guide with a sense of direction, or you might end up hopelessly lost in the fog, and let’s just say getting lost in the Astral ain’t high on my list of ways to spend eternity.
As for the locals, well, you’ve got the psychopomps, those ferryman-like outer planars who spend their existences escorting souls from the land of the living to the not-so-happily-ever-after. If you’re not pushing up the daisies, then they’ll probably give you a squint like a tiefling sizing up a holy symbol. Tread carefully, cutter; some of them might not take too kindly to you intruding on their spooky stomping grounds. You’ll probably be best off getting a stamp of passage from one of the way station bureaucrats – garnish required there cutter – otherwise you risk being shoved off the road and straight back to the Boneyard.
Now, I’ve had my fair share of run-ins with these Dead Roads as they’re a shortcut back from the Prime—well, not literally, since I’m not exactly what you’d call ‘dead’—but let’s just say the sights I’ve seen don’t exactly make it a romantic promenade. Imagine the eeriest forest you’ve ever seen, amplify it by about a hundred, make the trees into ghosts as well, and you’re halfway there. If you’re the adventurous type and you’re on good terms with the afterlife, go ahead and take a stroll. Otherwise, I’d advise you to stick to more conventional travel routes – you know, the ones that don’t involve hanging out with the dearly departed.
Canonical Source: The Dead Roads [Pathfinder 1] p19 (adventure using the roads)
Source: Jon Winter-Holt, mimir.net
