Croix
Judge’s Road, which heads north from Malan and the Barony of Baldenar, ends at the tall, tan stone walls of the city of Croix where it overlooks the Star Sea. Those walls, as well as the docks and many of its stone buildings, are made from a tan limestone dug from quarries located 50 or so miles to the northeast on the shore of the Star Sea. A mix of new wood and wattle and daub buildings, as well as some newer stone structures, add color to the city. But none of these buildings compares to the beauty and elegance of St. Bannor’s Church, the seat of power for His Grace Amaril Basile, Archdeacon of Thyr, God of Law and Justice.
From the docks, goods are brought in and out of Croix via ships crossing the Star Sea to or from Courghais, Sion, and Pentahs, while wagon trains travel via the Judge’s Road to the south and beyond that along the King’s Road to the east. The steady traffic in goods makes Croix an important trading hub, with numerous businesses aimed at entertaining and supporting the constant flow of merchants and goods. Judge’s Road passes though the city’s gates and travels all the way down to the docks with inns, taverns, shops, gambling houses, and brothels lining the entire route. Nearby fields provide corn, wheat, and sorghum, while the Star Sea is fished for a wide array of freshwater delicacies. Many of the fine wines, brandies, and other rarities shipped to Courghais can be found here, but usually at a hefty price.
Lord Foran Solled and the militia assigned to him control all the areas associated with trade within Croix, while the archdeacon and his ecclesiastical magnates administer the rest of the city as well as the surrounding area. Tensions exist between the two, but as both were appointed specifically by the overking, they try to stay within the bounds of their assigned duties. This essentially means that Lord Solled focuses entirely on ensuring that trade and goods move through the city quickly and efficiently while the archdeacon handles virtually everything else.
Settlement
Croix, Cathedral City of
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