A massive warren of subterranean passageways running under Thedas, the Deep Roads once connected the entire dwarven civilization together. I considered putting this entry in the “Things” category, but decided on “Places” in the end, obviously. The Deep Roads cover a lot of space, but they are a place you can go nonetheless. When the dwarven empire was at its height, it spread under the entire continent. As most dwarves do not generally come to the surface, the dozen great thaigs and many smaller cities were connected by tunnels called Deep Roads. Though, some of these roads did connect to the surface to facilitate trade between the dwarves and the other races. Much more than simple holes in the ground, the Deep Roads were cleverly worked and exquisitely decorated, even making ingenious use of magma to provide heat and light. They ran from one end of the continent to the other, under lakes, mountain ranges and even the Waking Sea, allowing for straight-line transport past obstacles that would require potentially lengthy detours aboveground. Unfortunately, the sudden and catastrophic appearance of the darkspawn hit the dwarves first, as the monsters constantly hunt underground for an Old God to awaken. Surprised and overwhelmed, the dwarves sealed off the Deep Roads to keep out the hordes that suddenly swarmed through them. Now, over 1200 years later, the vast majority of the formerly grand network has been abandoned and belongs to the darkspawn. Few of them are even remotely safe to travel, and, after missing centuries of maintenance, many have been blocked by cave-ins and flooding. I visited small parts of the Deep Roads several times during my inquisiting, most notably when severe earthquakes cracked open the ground near the Storm Coast, exposing a sealed tunnel and letting darkspawn reach the surface. I always enjoyed my trips underground, but would not like to live down there, if that makes sense. The Deep Roads are possibly the most impressive thing ever built, and the parts that remain intact are still unspeakably beautiful. But, as someone who has spent their entire life wandering the wilds of Thedas, I start to get uncomfortable when I go too long without seeing the sky. The world is a dangerous enough place without constantly having to worry about the ceiling falling on you, too.