The Great Crossroads

The clergy of Avandra is responsible for administration of the Great Crossroads and its immediate surroundings. As servants of the Change Bringer, they take a very hands-off approach.

Guards of the Breezewatch patrol the city proper and the gate towns that have grown up outside of the walls with an eye for preserving two basic concepts: life and property. As such it is forbidden to bare a blade within the walls. Blades are permitted in the gatetowns, as the increased number of merchant's guards and hired hands necessitates a degree of self-policing. When a criminal trial is held, a tribunal of a Cleric, a High Priest, and the Monastery's Abbot (or their designees) hear the case and decide an outcome. Civil matters may be brought before a member of the priesthood for arbitration, but the decision is both binding and final so many disputes are mediated privately.

Minimal taxes are levied based on the value of the goods which enter the gates. A clerk is stationed at each of the gates where wagon drivers declare their goods and the guild or company they belong to. This information is recorded and taxes are collected each month.

Because of the number of merchant's guards that are staying the the gatetowns at any given time, and the lack of army-fielding threats in the recent past, the Crossroads isn't very concerned with defense. City gates are closed an hour after sundown, but beyond that, guard patrols and the city's wall are the primary source of defense.

Within the city walls, trade and commerce are the principle industries. The Crossroads sits at the meeting point of trade routes between the north and south as well as the east and west. As such, many trade guilds and companies call the Crossroads home.

The numerous supporting craft and service businesses reside outside the walls, where all manner of shops can be found.

The main roads of the Crossroads are wide and well paved with cobblestones to facilitate uninterrupted traffic flow. Trade goods coming into the Crossroads typically head directly to the Warehouse district, where they can be stored for extended periods under the protection of the Breezewatch.

Waste is removed via a sewer system under the city. It is generally unwise to venture into these tunnels, as the clerisy has enticed some manner of detritivore to live within them and consume the refuse.

Water is obtained from a number of wells and cisterns around the city.

The Temple at the center of the Crossroads is a large, domed, columned structure made of white marble. Around the dome, carvings of the likeness and symbolism of Avandra appear in gold accent.

The buildings within the walls are generally larger, wooden buildings. Houses in the Banner District feature colorful cloth awnings and hangings on their exteriors and may rise two or three stories. Warehouses tend to be tall buildings of whitewashed wood to make wrongdoers easier to spot by night and to keep the interiors cooler.

Outside the walls, buildings are simpler in construction and usually only a single story save for some inns.