Crosstreams
| Crosstreams | |
| Other Names: | Center of the World |
| Society: | |
| Nation/Territorial Area: | The Seven Cities |
| Population: | 2,678,300 |
| Languages: | Common, Romini, Elven |
| Deities Worshipped: | The Nine, and other minor deities |
| General Alignment: | Lawful Neutral (Good) |
| Head of City Government: | High Commander Regina Terlan |
| Races: | |
| 20% Human, 20% Dwarf, 10% Orc, 10% Elf, 40% Other | |
As it flows from east to west, the Divalok River splits, with one portion forming the Blackwater River and continuing off towards the city of Andarr and the ocean beyond. The other portion which retains the river's name flows southwest towards another city called Malekia. Crosstreams sits right on top of that split, and is the largest city on the continent of Negaria.
While the cities of Andarr and Red Gate act as hubs coming in and out of the the Seven Cities, the city of Crosstreams acts as the hub within the region, and by default a center of commerce in the wider western part of the continent. This central location makes it a cosmopolitan and openminded haven of ideas which give rise to many centers of learning, music, and art within the city walls.
History
Early Settlement
In in the early 400's A.O.D, a young Kurathene knight named Sir Jayden Mourden purchased a tract of land in the southern area of The Kurathene Empire as part of the Empire's efforts to populate it against invasion. The Mourden family acquired influence over the next two centuries, eventually acquiring their own charter, establishing the County of Crossing Streams in 643 O.D. The city of Crosstreams became the provincial capital a year later, named for its location on a spot where three waterways intersect.
The volume of trade between Crosstreams and the Charter Cities increased exponentially over the next several centuries. Much of it flowed in the form of raw materials and manufactured goods. These goods were then shipped out into the wider world through Andarr to the west and Red Gate to the east, creating an economic hub in Crosstreams that accounted for nearly a quarter of the Empire’s total trade by the 12th century.
Because of their relaxed immigration policy, the Charter Cities like Crosstreams began to attract settlers from all across the continent in search of wealth. As these new citizens assimilated with the existing population, the Crosstreams began to incorporate a variety of foreign customs ranging from religion, language to art. With emphasis on different trades and types of immigrants, Crosstreams began to form its own cultural identities distinct from the The Kurathene Empire.
Independence
The gradual drift away from The Kurathene Empire came to a head in the 1300's A.O.D. As the original human population of Crosstreams was now a minority within the realm, and many of the recent immigrants began to question the need to pay taxes and tithes to the Imperial Crown. This agitation was particularly strong in Crosstreams which had long since shed the vestiges of Imperial nobility in favor of a merchant led oligarchy.
Crosstreams and the other Charter Cities had established a Provincial Council in the 12th century, and had begun to take many of the functions of government from the traditional estates. With the outbreak of war with Dubunat in 1320, the Council elected to form the Charter Militia Legion, an army independent of the Imperial Army detachments. Over the next two decades, the Council expanded its privileges as the Imperial government became increasingly bogged down in the war in Dubunat.
When the war with Dubunat ended in 1360 with the The Kurathene Empire’s defeat, the Provincial Council led by Governor Sir Michael Hawke of Crosstreams took the first steps toward independence. In 1362 he and the Council signed an oath affirming their commitment to the independence of the Charter Cities. Later in the same year, the individual estates of each city ratified the call for independence.
On New Year’s Day in 1363 the Provincial Council of the Charter Cities, with Governor Hawke in the lead presented their declaration of secession to the Imperial Army garrison commander, Legate Warren Hale. Rather than risk bloodshed, Hale accepted the declaration and departed with his garrison for Brescant. When word of the declaration reached the ears of Joral Kuras, he paused, nodded his head and was the first leader to acknowledge the independence of the city-states which included Crosstreams.
With independence, the Provincial Council quickly found itself superseded by local interests. The city of Conselia was the first to secede from the alliance as it renamed itself Malekia. It was quickly followed by Dormiria, Red Gate and Stallwart, who sought to avoid paying the costs associated with maintaining the army. With the obligations to the central council removed, the cities quickly started to squabble with one another, leading to an escalating round of trade barriers and skirmishes over territory lines.
The nations of Dubunat and Brekon found the squabbling city-states in the Divalok Delta to be an attractive prize. Over the next century and a half, both nations sent expeditions to annex one or more of the cities, which were driven off repeatedly by a coalition of militias from Crosstreams, Bullwark and Andarr. After a particularly large invasion attempt in 1518 by Dubunat, the Lord Governor Curtis Allendale of Andarr proposed that the seven city-states form a confederation as a common bulwark against their enemies, and to mediate disputes between the cities. Six months of tense negotiations later the final Confederate Charter was ratified by all seven cities.
With their security assured by their shared commitment to defense, The Seven Cities steadily gained influence and wealth. The death of Joral Kuras in 1815 and the subsequent collapse of the Second Imperium helped fuel this growth. By the end of the Age of Strife in the 22nd century, The Seven Cities Confederation had become the center of civilization and culture on Negaria, the envy of all civilized nations.
The prosperity of The Seven Cities led to the flowering of egalitarian values, particularly within Crosstreams. Though the wealthy mercantile families had steadily entrenched themselves as new nobility, there was a gradual move toward creating greater political opportunities for the common class. The governors of Crosstreams and Dormiria became positions chosen by popular vote, while the Confederate Estates-General was diversified with the addition of a third estate made of tax-paying citizens, with the franchise opened to all citizens of the Confederation.
The Seven Cities Confederation
Unfortunately, unity among the chartered cities did not last. Their squabbling degenerated into skirmishes and the council broke up into completely independent city-states, each responsible for its own defense and well-being. The nation of Dubunat to the south took advantage of this disunity in 1518 and invaded Bullwark and the rest of the cities, nearly conquering the entire realm, but were beaten back once the cities realized they must unite and work together. Later that year, Lord Governor Curtis Allendale of Andarr proposed a confederation of the seven cities for mutual defense and trade. Within six months the treaty was ratified and the The Seven Cities Confederation was born.
The presence of the confederation was a stabilizing force in the region that nearly halted war between Dubunat and the remnants of the Empire to the north. Trade flourished as well as the population and its diversity.
Districts
Crosstreams is laid out in three major sections connected by bridges. The city is shaped like a "V" laid on its side with the point of the "V" pointing east. The splitting river creates the "V".
The northern side of the "V" is mostly a residential area, though there are quite a few good taverns there. The southern side of the "V" contains mostly merchant housing, and a small district known as the Instrument Quarter, where the finest crafters of musical instruments base their trade. In the middle section, between the two rivers, there is the Capitol District right at the pinnacle of the "V". Beyond that lies the Theatre District, which is fairly small. To the west of the Theatre District lies the Religious District. At the far western end, the city is capped off by an area of Parks, and then another residential district.
Some say that entering Crosstreams is like entering another reality, for the pace of life has a whole other purpose alien to the outside world. Traders abound here, conducting both pleasure and business. They attend the theaters and pubs that are plentiful within most city districts to exchange news and the latest gossip. Both freelancing bards and the followers of The Harpinger, who has his largest temple here, are freely encouraged to make their living entertaining the travelers and residents as they mix together. In Crosstreams, there's a festival almost every week, depicting some event that happened in the past, or commemorating one of the gods. Though the population is made up of all the major races, and most of the minor ones, tolerance is dominant as a social attitude, and religious expression is appreciated.
For times when religions just can't help but conflict, Crosstreams possesses one of the most skillful city guard units in the world, and though the people question everything here, for the most part they are happy with the government and nobles of the city.
Nearly all deities have representation within the city. The Harpinger's temple is among the largest, but there are also temples to The'ton, O'Ma, Mikon, Hurine, and a few others. Shrines of other gods abound in the Religious district as well.