Crossroads

Crossroads is both a literal and symbolic name these days. What was once a mere intepretation of a town built upon an intersection became a home for those seeking a new path in life.

— Umbrin Nilswan - Aldenian Historian

Summary

Crossroad is a large town in eastern Aldenia. It lies upon the intersection of two of Aldenian's busiest roads: the north-south road connecting Brinewatch to Dawnstone and the road that leads to River's Fork in the west

Districts

The Market District

What started as traders taking advantage of a busy intersection of roads in the old days became a full district. It now lies as the centre of the town. Originally it was a mixture of stalls, shops and housing but now is almost entirely the former two. Though, some of the shopkeepers do live above their premises still.

Upper West Side

Upper East Side

Lower Point

The Lower Point is the name for the two sections beneath the Market District, it is not split like the Upper West and Upper East Sides.

The Confluence

Artisan's Corner

The Breweries

The Passing Place

The Passing Place is Crossroads' newest addition.

Government

Like all human towns in the east of Aldenia, Crossroads operates with a small council led by the local noble. There is a representative for each of the main facets of town life: Citizen Interest, Economics & Trade, Law & Defence and a representative for the non-human residents.

Architecture

Crossroads has always been primarily a trading town. The centre, where the Market District is and in the north-eastern Artisan's Corner, in particular, tend to feature more ornamentation to the architecture so as to draw a potential spender's eye. Otherwise, the rest of the town is mostly plain, functional housing.

In terms of unique architecture, the presence of The Diaran Order on its northern outskirts provides the main visual draw.

Geography & Climate

The surrounding area is quite sparse in terms of forests. However, what it lacks in woodland, it makes up in vast open fields. As such, the area around Crossroads is prime farmland.

Whilst Crossroads itself is flat, the fields around it do rise and fall in height. Crossroads enjoys a reasonable amount of rainfall as a result and is typically quite temperate in general.

Agriculture

Crossroads itself is not a farming town, though a lot of its residents to work on the farms in the surrounding fields in all directions. The produce from these farms is then typically brought back into Crossroads for sale, or taken northwards to Dawnstone or southwards to Brinewatch instead for the same purpose.

The produce that largely stays in Crossroads is the crops used to make beer in Crossroads' Breweries.

History

Origins

Crossroads essentially developed from the crossing point of two major roads. What started as a pop-up market by opportunists who realised the importance of the intersection eventually became a fully-fledged town.

Pre-Cataclysm

Before the War, Crossroads was a reasonable-sized market town. It benefitted mostly from trade from the non-human side of Aldenia across to the eastern ports of Aldenia. The then smaller ports in the south of Oakharbor and Brinewatch would also have to pass through to reach the human capital of Dawnstone, but that traffic was far lesser than it is now.

During the Cataclysm War

The town escaped the worst of the Cataclysm War by the virtue of being largely unimportant strategically in that regard. It does not produce anything particularly worthwhile for the war efforts, not is it politically crucial. At the time of the War, Brinewatch to the south was not the main port of Aldenia either. Whilst Crossroads was on the path from East towards River's Fork, Ullford and the non-human lands to the west, razing it to the ground was of no benefit to the forces of darkness.

Post-Cataclysm

Crossroads is one of the settlements to strangely benefit from the ending of the Cataclysm War. With the separation of the eastern section of Aldenia - and its main port - Crossroads became more important as a central point in the continent. Brinewatch became the most used port and Crossroads was directly in the path between it and the capital. As such, Crossroads saw a large increase in trade, though its east-west travel naturally went down at the same time.

Demographics

• 83% Human

• 6% Dwarf

• 5% Gnome

• 4% Elf

• 2% Other

Current Representatives

Head / Noble - Baron Vimar Wellbrook
Citizen Interest - Robert Beder
Trade & Economics - Polly Samson
Law & Defence - Walt Festle
Non-Human - Aila Farunar
Diaran Order - Damon Mursk

Header by Claudio Testa