The Southern Route

The Southern Route, also commonly known as the South Alshar-Sarpedon sea route is a shipping route from the Alshar southeastern coast to the Kindreds Sea. The first recorded complete voyage of the route was made in 1615 by Gabo de Pogiano, an explorer and adventurer from the Carto-Pelaxian Commonwealth who started his trip on the Kindreds Sea and came into contact with the Corummese Qian dynasty in Port Bondor. Impetus for developing alternate trade routes gained traction and support at the Qian court mainly as a way to evade the Burgoignesc monopoly on all Audonian sea routes. The route would become more profitable to traverse in the early 18th century after the Qian colonization of Stenza by the South Seas Trading Company

History
See Also: Pelaxian discovery of the sea route to Alshar

Background
Historically, sea exploration by Corummese dynasties lacked in comparison to Levantine powers such as Burgundie. Most of Corummese trading with its neighbours was conducted through overland routes, rivers or by shipping that stuck close to the coastline. Burgundie's possession of islands controlling access to important waterways in Audonia such as Salarive and Antilles and its sometimes predatory attitudes, the dangers posed by Audonian pirates and high tariffs made trade through Burgoignesc controlled waters fairly unappealing. The discovery of Zhijun and later Stenza by an expedition commissioned by Emperor Yuanjian of the Qian dynasty opened the possibility of further lands yet to be discovered. The arrival in 1615 of Carto-Pelaxian explorer Gabo de Pogiano at Zhijun's Port Bondor confirmed to the Qian the existence of lands further east to trade with. Gabo de Pogiano established a rapport with the governor of Zhijun and was allowed to sail to Corumm alongside the Grog Fleet for an audience with imperial authorities.

Pending: Input from Pelaxia, Aciria on circumstances leading to seeking alternative trade routes

Complementary sea routes
Kagoshima-Metzetta route