Crowsbane (crohz-ben)

Located in the heart of southeastern plains of Ayndrinor, Crowsbane is a crossroads town that connects several different provinces of the newly established Everyn Federation. Historically, it has been traded between various kingdoms several times, though prior to the Everyn War it had been part of Wessil for over 500 years. A good portion of the town's population still speaks the Brandisian dialect of Common, keeping their ancestors' cultures and traditions alive despite the long-held animosity between the two neighboring kingdoms-now-provinces.
The current name of the town is not its original name. Its original name has been lost, appearing in no known annals, documents, or maps. The name Crowsbane came about during the incessant wars of the fifth and sixth centuries, when soldiers from the Dumein Dominion wore black armor in their pursuit of expanding their territory, earning them the nickname of "crows". Many Dumeinor sieges were broken at the trading outpost, which proud citizens began to refer to as the bane of the crows, or Crowsbane, which has been its Wessilite name ever since.
By all available records, the town of Crowsbane (or Corbeau as it was known when Brandis controlled the town) has fluctuated in population over the centuries. It supposedly held some 3,000 people (more than double its current population) at the height of Brandisian rule, though wars, droughts, and changes in trade relationships have all played their part to decrease the population at some point or another. Now, with the Federation in charge and looking to ramp up trade and goods distribution between the various provinces, the town is looking to trend upward.

Demographics

The majority of Crowsbanites are human, with around 15% of the town being of Brandisian descent and another 55% of Wessilite ancestry. Dwarves, halflings, and elves make up another 20% of the population collectively. The relatively dehydrated plains have also attracted several hundred firbolgs in recent years who sought to pursue their cultural affinity for helping plants flourish but in an area not quite as icy as their homeland of Dalkaria.
Many Crowsbanites are involved in the agricultural industry, with the other major source of income being various services connected to trade. Cartwrights, pack animal raising, taverns and inns for traveling merchants, and general goods stores are all very common trades in town and serve the myriad caravans that pass through town daily. Because of this dearth of lucrative industries, most people in town are lower class compared to other towns and cities, while two wealthy families make up the area's only aristocratic class.

History

Perhaps more than any other town in eastern Ayndrinor, Crowsbane has been conquered, re-conquered, razed, rebuilt, and repatriated by various nations over the centuries. It was founded by settlers from Crabbe-by-the-Sea who wanted a stopover on the trade routes with other cities. It was independent in the early years and began to grow as it increased in importance to the various trade relationships. A not-insignificant portion of the early population were mercenaries who charged caravans and merchants to guard their goods between Crowsbane and other cities.
The first signs of trouble came when soldiers from Brandis conquered the fledgling town in 295 2A, hoping to secure a key crossroads and impose high tariffs on or eliminate altogether trade from Wessil. Relations between the two nations had been fractious for several years, and many sensed war was coming. The capture of Crowsbane was the first move in this conflict, and the town would change hands several times over the next few years as the neighboring nations competed to control the central plains.
At the end of the war, Brandis remained in control of Crowsbane, with Wessil having to create separate - and longer - trade routes toward Everyn that avoided Crowsbane completely. The road that today connects Croppschire and Velchester was the ultimate product of this trade war gamesmanship.
Brandis maintained control of Crowsbane from 295 2A until 317, when forces moving south from the Dumein Dominion conquered the town in a quest to expand their territory. The Dominion attempted to make the town a fortified outpost from which they could wage war on Brandis and Wessil, but the lack of water in the region prevented this from ever coming to fruition.
The Dominon held Crowsbane for 50 years until another regional war broke out. This time it was Wessil that ended up with control of the pivotal crossroads town, which they tried to turn into a sort of cosmopolitan autonomous town. They hoped that fostering cooperation between Brandisians, Dumeiners, and their own countrymen would lead to less animosity and would keep the trade routes open. The local control the town exercised kept it from being too close to any of the three nations culturally, and it was during this time the town really began to flourish and expand. This period of tranquility and growth lasted just over 300 years, with very few disturbances apart from roving hordes of goblins, gnolls, or the occasional dragon.
Inevitably, tensions in the region continued to persist and always threatened to boil over into war. This finally happened in 670 2A, when forces from Brandis marched out and occupied Crowsbane, as well as Velchester. The armies made it as far as Dumein Keep before their siege stalled and they were forced to retreat. Brandis held this territory for 232 years, building walls around the central keep and around the town's perimeter. This period saw the town's population reach its all-time high of over 3,000, as the area flourished under Brandisian control and trading wealth.
The renewed wars began in 900 2A, and it only took two years for Wessil to conquer Crowsbane. Their prolonged siege devastated the town, reducing its population by more than half. The aftermath saw most of the town's walls crumbled and in need of repair, which the Wessilites undertook quickly. The town slowly recovered and rebuilt, expanding out to the plains with farms and grazing pastures.
Crowsbane has remained firmly Wessilite for over 500 years, facing down and breaking sieges from Brandis or the Dumein Dominion on occasion. The recent Everyn War saw the ambitious and expansive Dominion take Crowsbane with relative ease, despite its tradition of being difficult to take, on their way to besieging and eventually taking Crabbe-by-the-Sea. Once that war was settled, Wessilite control of Crowsbane was restored - though the last couple years have seen renewed calls for autonomy.

Architecture

Most buildings in and around Crowsbane are simple and unadorned. Stone or wood walls are topped by thatch roofs. The houses are larger than the two- or three-room huts of Medieval Europe. Businesses are usually run out of the ground floor (if multiple stories) or large den of the owner's house, with only two tavern-inns being larger and more ornate. These are owned by the regional aristocratic families, who dominate most of the town's business and government.

Founding Date

283 2A

Alternative Name(s)

Corbeau (former)

Type

Town

Population

1,397

Inhabitant Demonym

Crowsbanites

Owning Organization

Wessil