The Highway idea is a good way for the players to get introduced to the true dilemma of the situation, and you can bet there are a few mercenary guilds that would spring up to escort caravans through the highway-dungeon. The local authorities in the area would need to sponsor trips periodically into the dungeon to remove the Keystone in order to diminish the threat of the monsters.JamesBr said:I'm constantly drawn to the idea of a dungeon that cuts through the mountains, acting as the only highway. Using your ideas raises interesting questions as to whether or not a dungeon should be allowed to remain. On the one hand it spawns an increasing amount of increasingly stronger monsters, on the other hand it connects two other wise disparate parts of the world. Maybe the keystone has been stolen and passageways are collapsing, preventing trade with other nations. Do the heroes restore the dungeon and the road while allowing the world to slip further into the Dungeon's clutches, or do they let the dungeon collapse and help stave off the apocalypse while effectively cutting the world in half for anything short of magic?Imperator D said:snip.
As part of a subplot I can see each kingdom holding a tournament for the privilege of capturing the keystone; whoever can capture and hold the Keystone gains preferential trade arrangements (ie their goods pass free of tariffs). There are a lot of potential political machinations that could go on surrounding said tournaments.