Crossroads
Crossroad is a major trading center and settlement that is part of the Union of Eleutheria. Caravans and convoys are often organized here, carrying goods east to Miskatonic and Arkham and west to the new frontier. It houses a large community of traders, barterers, explorers, and other interesting individuals. The wide variety of people passing through ensures that there is always something interesting going on. The merchant houses that work the routes trade in everything. And for many Crossroads is the first step into Eleutheria and the first step into the new frontier.
Industry & Trade
Trade is what created Crossroads from merchants and explorers going into the new frontier looking for new business and from caravans coming back with goods.
Guilds and Factions
Several factions constantly vie for control of Crossroads.
Crossroads mayor: Crossroads as a city of the Union of Eleutheia has a mayor office that runs the day-to-day workings of the city.
Crossroad Police: Tasked to maintain law and order in the city.
Merchant guilds / companies: Trade is what made Crossroads into an important city in the Union of Eleutheria the biggest and most influential guilds are the Sunset trails trading company, the Blue Roads caravan, Rough Rider tools, The Central Union trade Company, cattle barons and the gunsmiths.
The Entertainment Guilds: Tourism is becoming a bigger industry in Crossroads and a few groups have come together to profit off the growing tourism business by building casinos and other attractions that would normally not be allowed in most parts of Eleutheria. The entertainment guilds are mostly controlled by three organizations, but a few smaller groups have formed to pick up the business that the big three are too big to notice.
The bounty hunter guild: Well technically anyone can claim a bounty placed on an outlaw in Crossroads a group of professional bounty hunters have formed their own guild to assist in collecting the most dangerous and largest bounties. The bounty hunter guild in crossroads only allows the most skilled and professional bounty hunters to join the guild. The bounty hunter guild usually takes bounties on outlaws but if no worthwhile bounties are available then the bounty hunter guild will often hire themselves as mercenaries to one of the merchant guilds or companies in the city.
Outlaws: In the new frontier violence, lawlessness and strife is seen by many as simply being a part of everyday life. Fugitives from Eleutherian society will seek to flee into the new frontier in order to escape retribution and justice. While gangs of bandits will raid merchant and civilian convoys or seek to pillage various isolated settlements and homestead for what meager resources they possess, while aspiring outlaws seek to create their own bandit empires in order to gain more and more power, influence and ever-increasing piles of wealth. Many of these unsavory characters will have bounties placed on their heads and in Crossroads bounty hunters are plenty.
History
Crossroads started as a small Union fort that was built due to its strategic position into the new frontier and over time grew into a city through trade. After the fort was constructed, it started attracting traveling merchants that decided that staying the night at a fort guarded by Union soldiers in the lawless new frontier was a good idea, so over time an industry sprang up to support them. The guards would let merchants spend the night behind the fort's gates for a small fee to cover food and lodging and so one merchant told another that led to more until the Crossroads fort started to be inundated with guests. To make space a palisade was erected outside the fort where an inn was built and later a saloon to keep the merchants out of the way. Later on, a stable was built to take care of the horses, then with wagon loads of goods coming in that needed to be stored somewhere a warehouse popped up. And with Crossroads quickly becoming a trading hub it started to attract bandits hoping to steal some of the goods going in and out of Crossroads, so the merchants began to hire bounty hunters to deal with bandits and guards to protect their convoys. With some many merchants and travelers coming in new shops, Inns, saloons and other infrastructure popped up, the growing community then needed more food and materials that led to more business coming in. With trade Crossroads grew from a fort to a trading post to a town to a city.
Tourism
Crossroads is the biggest Eleutherian settlement that is not in a state. It is close to the border of Eleutherian territory and for many is the first step into Eleutheria from the new frontier and the last step out of Eleutheria if you are going into the new frontier. Well, trade is what originally built Crossroads the settlement has also become a popular tourism location form many as not being in a Eleutherian state makes things like gambling and other activities that would normally not be legal in other parts of Eleutheria common in Crossroads.
Type
City
Included Locations
Owning Organization
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