Crossroads

Crossroads is the main port for Damnatorum, ever since the island became a jail it's the only (lawful) way onto the island, due to this it is a crime center on the island, also the place with the most bodies

## History

Crossroads was the first town founded back in **361AM** lead by Iarbella, the town was dealing with bandits near the start, said bandits were Kobolds that were very unhappy about everyone moving onto the island. While trying to deal with the Kobolds the swords for hire ended up having to deal with the Young Blue Dragon that lives inside the mountain on the island. The swords for hire made a deal with the dragon, the island would give the dragon gold & books every year to get it to leave the people of the island alone, the dragon agreed so from then on every year the dragon would get more gold

After that Crossroads was a quiet port town for the island, that was til the island became Damnatorum, after the the town quickly became overran by those sent to the island leading there to be almost no non-criminal people within the town and a very high crime rate.

Over the years many gangs of taken the town over, then killed by another gang that wished to take control, in a never ending cycle.

## Government

It doesn't follow the rule of who is sitting at the throne in Saint Tox, instead the town is ran by whichever gang is powerful enough to take control and then not be wiped out by other gangs. Right now the town is being ran by Baron Chad a rich man has hired people to "jail" people who don't agree with him into Crossroads Tower that says that he is Crossroad's true ruler, to the anger of Dragon's Hoard who hate this Baron and what he stands for.

## Guilds and Factions

### Dragon's Hoard

This gang is ran by a Dragonborn & is made up of mostly monster races, it is by far the biggest gang in the Crossroads and there so is the gang leading. Their crimes tend to be burning down places that don't pay the gang lots of money to be well... not burned down, though they also known to kill anyone they think is trying to take over the town. Right now a great deal of them are being jailed by The Baron and would be willing to help anyone who freed their members.

### Baron's Men

A group lead by Baron Chad, he says that's he is a noble and as such must be followed and does have the gold to back him on that claim, most of the members of this group are people newer to the island who don't really understand that the island doesn't really have any nobles or any kind who needed money.

## Buildings/Points of Interest

### **The Crunch Of Helm**

The only crunch within Crossroads, it still stands due to the fact that it trains those working for it to fight and defend both it and people within Crossroads. The crunch itself in on the outskirts of the town and has behind it the forest. If someone wants something done they normally will put a note on the job broad outside the crunch.

### **Hit The Road: Bed & Breakfast**

The Crossroads Bed & Breakfast, most people that live in the area know to not go there as people often go missing while there, which means most of the people that go there are new comers to the island, the man who owns it often lets these people come in for free. The building is on the outskirts of the town and up on a hill over looking the town.

### **Pelts & Parts**

This is a shop that buys and sells things people got through hunting along with things to hunt, due to a lot of poeple taking up hunting to feed themselfs or ovthers the shop sells a lot so can pay gangs to leave it alone, it's also one of the few places to buy food or weapons. The Place itself is near the heart of the town, it's at the corner of the well

### **The Mad Dragon**

A small shore made out of a mix of stone and old wood, it is the main magic shop within Crossroads which sells things people need to do magic along with a few things their owner has made, though said items sometimes do unexpected things (Like a potion of healing setting things on fire). The shop's mascot is the dragon of the island, even though it's owner has no connections to dragons or Kobold beliefs. The shop is on the edge of town that faces the woods.

### **Crossroads Well**

The well is right in the middle of the town, at it's heart in fact as it lays in the middle of the two main roads the go though the town. Due to it's age it no longer has any water and due to how deep it is no one can see the bottom, due to that people then to throw things they want gone down it, so things like letters, bodies, gross food etc.

### **The King's Pawn**

A pawnshop within crossroads, it is known to be ran by someone who wishes that the old "good" king was in power, it buys things for a bit less then they're worth but also is known to not steal or kill people to get things to sell so is one of the better shops, the prices are a above what they are on mainland but for Crossroads it's pretty good prices. This is one of the shops that are along main street.

### **The Queen Brothel**

The Queen Brothel is a Brothel that also is a bar, the place often hires those new to the island that haven't done crimes that gave them skills to defend themselfs, besides from the pay a upside to working here is protection as killing one of the workers is seen as one of the few things that gets everyone in town pissed. The Brothel is down of one of many ally-like streets in Crossroads though it is on the sea side of town.

### **Dragon's Den**

A pub owned by the Dragon's Hoard, it's a place of crime, gambling and uh... sex, for real the rooms are almost only used for hook-ups since the gang knows better than to sleep somewhere people would look for them and other people don't feel safe sleeping at their pub. The place itself is messy, there is almost always a fight going on and the service isn't too great since they don't have enough workers. Though it also the only place in Crossroads that has real alcohol (which comes from a contact that works on the ships the send people to the island). The pub is by the docks but on the other side of main street than The Fairy Gold.

### **The Fairy Gold**

One of the oldest places on the island The Fairy Gold is the only tavern left in Crossroads that is ran by a non-damned. It has avoided being burned down or otherwise destroyed by a myth that the tavern is hunted by heroes of the past & if it were to be destroyed those who destroyed it would be killed by the ghosts. The tavern is near by port and is almost always full due to that.

### **Rocky's Blacksmith**

Another old building, still active as people always need armor & weapons no matter what else is going on. It is a small stone building, inside is an anvil along with a forge, over the many years it has been active there have been fights inside leading there to be scars from said fights.

### **The Fish Market**

Right behind the docks this is the main place to get food and where most people try to make honest gold, since Crossroad's waters are guarded and it's easy to tell that most people aren't trying to leave small boats are able to go and fish, plus sometimes incoming ships have import fish. The places is made up of wood stalls with plain or ripped out fabric to help keep the sun away from sellers.

This area is agreed as a space where the gangs of Crossroads are not allowed to fight nor threaten given the guard ships near by.

### **The Docks**

The docks are mainly used by fishers and their small boats and as the drop off point for the new damned of the island, it is one of the few places that mainlanders step foot on within The Island Of The Damned, due to that it is one of the only places mainland keeps in working order and with law in place, which means if someone from mainland wishes they can do whatever they want to the people of the island.

### **Riss's River**

A river running from the mountain, though --- and to Crossroad's edge to the sea this river was named after a kobold known to have tried to get people of Caelum to leave, though she failed she is remembered as a champion of Kobolds and a reminder of the roots of the island, the river has a small split that has a island which where Baron's Tower is housed.

To use the main trade route around the island you'll have to at some cross this part of the river.

### **Baron's Tower**

This is where Baron Chad sends those who don't pay up or otherwise anger him, it is across a small river from Crossroads but is within walking distance of the town so is considered a part of it. It used to be a tower used to defend Crossroads from any highway men that tried to hurt those traveling.

### **Baron's Hideout**

The Baron's hideout is a underground dungeon that is hidden under a normal seeming home, the dungeon was made by a group of spies during the time of Caelum, is connects under where basements would be from house to house that used to be the homes of spies and their allies, the main way in is out the road leading out of town and to the river.

## Defenses

Mostly the criminal groups keep the town from being raided or otherwise attacked. Though the sea is protected by mainland ships both to keep people from getting in and to keep people from getting out.

## Geography

It is right along the sea, around it is forest and on it's ---- side is Riss's River.

## Resources

Mostly sea food and trees, since it's the only port it's also only place where things from mainland come in.