Merchants of the Dark Road: Secret Villages

As in years past, there is money and fame to be earned from buying and selling goods along the Dark Road. This winter, however, Highreach is alive with secrets and rumors... the clever merchant who takes notice can trade in something as valuable as any goods—information. Hidden paths to three secret villages have been discovered. In each village lies opportunity for intrepid merchants willing to engage the rangers, delvers, and pilgrims who choose to live in these small settlements off the beaten path. And everyone is talking about the latest news out of Farglen—it seems the Baroness of the Bards is missing! While on business in Highreach, merchants should keep their ears open for hints of what befell her, as these rumors are of great interest at the Ringway Inn.

This expansion contains two modules: Ringway Rumors and Secret Villages. These modules can be played together or separately. Some content—like the companion die, a set of wagon upgrades, and the all-new event types—can even be used with just the base game.

The Ringway Rumors module incentivizes visits to certain districts by providing “rumors” that can be bartered at the Ringway Inn for small favors, while the Secret Villages module offers three new travel destinations as well as “leads” that reward you for repeat trips.

All of this integrates smoothly with solitaire play thanks to the addition of a card system that allows the private concern to interact with and balance against these new gameplay features.

—description from the publisher