The Silk Road is a regional borderland spanning roughly a hundred miles of cold desert, wind-scoured tundra, and jagged mountain passes. Merchant caravans cross its guarded routes between distant powers, while herders, miners, pilgrims, spies, and raiders compete for water and shelter. Low magic survives in old shrines, prophetic relics, and half-forgotten roadworks, making the region feel practical, dangerous, and haunted by the remains of older civilizations.