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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Ilbranteloth" data-source="post: 6800425" data-attributes="member: 6778044">So, the vikings were raiding and colonizing.Marco Polo was an individual (obviously with a group of people for support), not the norm at the time.The Incas would compare well with Cormyr, a well established and patrolled land with a good infrastructure.And in the rest of the Realms I think it's the same - in Cormyr or Elturgard, where you have a well-patrolled land with good roads between cities, sure, travel is common and relatively safe. Outside of those few areas, not so much. Trade, via the sea or silk road, was established but long and dangerous, primarily due to weather. They didn't have to contend with monsters and evil wizards. Bandits, pirates, and the like seem to be more prevalent in the Realms. Spices, silk, and other exotic imports are expensive as a result. Published caravan travel times puts the trip from Waterdeep to Baldur's Gate at 32 days. That's a month of travel in a world where there are monsters and magic. Most travel would be between a farm, village or hamlet to the nearest major settlement. This map of the region of Daggerford is a perfect example: <a href="http://mikeschley.zenfolio.com/img/s7/v153/p666144112-3.jpg" target="_blank">http://mikeschley.zenfolio.com/img/s7/v153/p666144112-3.jpg</a>The Realms is a very different place with dangers that never existed in our world. So travel outside of a caravan is rare. Having said that, even in our world it took most people a long time. Near where I live, several towns originated as a single town, as a single parish. Several of the towns split off when the population was high enough, because the trip on Sunday to and from church took nearly the entire day - a 10-12 mile walk that was around 3+ hours each way depending on weather. Due to fear from native americans and large game like bears, plus companionship, they traveled as a group. This was in the 1600 to 1700s.Ilbranteloth</blockquote>

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