The Thorn Roads are a collection of paths used by nomadic ratfolk tribes to traverse the Shields. Nestled deep within the mountain range, the Thorn Roads wind between valleys, canyons, and other secluded locations. Starting at Bukran in the south and ending in the north near Kudurru, the Thorn Roads stretch across most of the length of the Shields.
The exact paths of the Thorn Roads are tightly guarded secrets to the ratfolk, never shared with outsiders, as they have long been a refuge from the broader world. While the Roads have existed for millennia, they became far more frequently used after Tarkuus expanded its domains inland and pushed the ratfolk into the Shields.
The Roads are not strictly defined paths, and certainly are not marked, but rather are general routes that are preserved only in memory.