Long Road to Riches

The Long Road to Riches was a lengthy, circuitous caravan route established by the Zhentarim that ran from Zhentil Keep around the southern Anauroch to the Sword Coast.

Description
The route started from Zhentil Keep and passed west and south through the Tesh Valley, Daggerdale, and around the southern Desertsedge of the Sword. It then picked its way through the Stonelands and the Goblin Marches, before climbing from the Tunlands into the Yellow Snake Pass and descending through Skull Gorge. From there it went northwards across the Backlands into Dawn Pass and the Grayvale, and passed down the Delimbiyr River through Llorkh and Loudwater into the Sword Coast proper.

Defenses
Soldiers of the Zhentilar were stationed at various points along the route, with Darkhold responsible for the region around Yellow Snake Pass.

In the 14 century DR, the Zhentarim sponsored raids by orcs and mercenaries around Arabel, keeping the Purple Dragons on the defensive inside Cormyr and preventing them from launching expeditions into the Stonelands and threatening the caravan route. This plan came under threat by the 1350s DR when Tilverton was annexed and new waves of settlement reached the Stonelands, extending the reach of Cormyr in the region.