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The Districts
The Crossroads is divided into a number of Districts, all of which are extremely eclectic. While an ordinary city might divide its district by commerce, military, faith, or any number of practical considerations. The Crossroads, however, is anything but ordinary. Each individual district is its own microcosm of light, culture and sound, and it is impossible to know what is around the next street corner. Most districts are at least somewhat self-contained, you can usually find what you need in any district you visit, but there are advantages to exploring and traversing the districts.
The Council District is nestled at the heart of the Crossroads and connects to all six major Guild districts. Here, members of the council, representing all six of the major guilds meet and conduct business ranging from tax code to court hearings to lawmaking. The Courthouse and Customs office is also here, as are the various governmental registrars and bureaucrats that make day-to-day life in the Crossroads function.
Every guild maintains a small presence in the Council Chambers to keep an eye on the proceedings and recruit new members from people who come wandering in through the Routing Gate.
The Council is dedicated to the codification and upholding of law and order in the Crossroads. We represent all guilds, all ideas, and all people, and ensure that everyone has a place at our table.
-Hilde von Dratsch, Knight of the Cross Councilwoman
The Council Chambers are the true core of the city. Built of marble and obsidian with precious gemstones tastefully arrayed around the massive pillars, the building is impressive, albeit somewhat stuffy. Here, representatives from all of the guilds, each hand-picked to represent their guild's interests in the council.
The Council Chambers are open to the public during normal business hours, but photography and video are strictly forbidden. All council matters are conducted in a very orderly meeting fashion and must be officially brought to order and closed before votes can be held and new rulings can be put into place. All official Council business must be recorded or it cannot be put into place.
With a town as volatile as the Crossroads, you can't have newcomers popping up just anywhere, you know, it could be hazardous to their health and existence. That's why we created the Routing Gate, a marvel of modern technology. Anybody who enters the Crossroads without a Guild Signet is immediately sent through the routing gate. This has cut our resurrection budget down to almost nothing and enables us to more easily keep tabs on those who are moving through our fair city.
The Routing Gate is a large plaza adjacent to the Council Chambers. The gate in the center is a massive ornate doorway with a swirling vortex of blue and white energy. When a new arrival is coming, the energy gathers in a crackling mass, forming into the shape of the person wandering through.
The plaza itself is constantly staffed by members of all six major guilds, all of whom are looking to recruit new members from the new arrivals. As only a powerful guild has the means to operate the gates and ensure safety in other worlds, they know that it is in their best interest to sweep up the best talent they can to strengthen their guild.
Note: All Guild Faires take place in the Routing Gate Plaza
Laws in the Crossroads are absolutely binding, the very fabric upon which our society is built and the glue that binds us all together... so long as you're within earshot of a Knight.
-Laurencio Nicoletti, Defense Attorney
The Courthouse is a tall, shining beacon of law near the very center of the Crossroads. A massive building with austere white pillars sheathed in marble, it is a place where dour men and women in suits gather, carrying briefcases and discussing legal and case affairs in hushed voices.
The Courthouse is where all major legal cases are settled, although every other district has its own smaller court area for internal cases, but any major cases eventually are heard by the High Court located here in the Council District.
Ahh the DoL. No more wretched a hive of societal dregs and madmen can be found in the multiverse.
-Roan McCoy, Crossroads Department of Licensing customer
The Crossroads Department of Licensing is a large dingy room attached to the Courthouse. It has several hundred chairs and is always busy, especially since its open hours are not the best. The staff tends to be uncaring at best, but are often downright malicious, the only pleasure in their lives seemingly derived from their ability to harass and look down upon their clientele. Anybody seeking to get a permit for any vehicle, be it an ox-drawn cart or a giant robot, must route through the Department of Licensing. It also handles permits such as hunting, fishing, and other such activities within the city.
Draconis District is the headquarters of the Knights of the Cross, and considered to be one of the wealthier and safer districts in the Crossroads. Knights of the Cross patrol it regularly and keep the peace, and the Knights of the Cross expect a certain degree of decorum and appearance.
The District has wide boulevards with buildings constructed tightly together and no alleyways or narrow corridors to hide in. There are bright lampposts lining the street that illuminate the entire district no matter the time of day, and the buildings are generally uniform and neat. Space is distributed evenly, there are areas for trade and areas for worship, the district itself is much akin to a city of its own, with smaller "districts" within it sectioned off in the more typical fashions.
Fortress Cross stands at a crossroads within the Crossroads. A mighty fortress open from all sides, it is the epitome of what the Crossroads and what we, its Knights, are. Strong and open, proud and tall. Travelers passing through Fortress Cross should know that they are welcome and that they are safe, and it is the duty of every Knight to ensure that happens.
-Lyra Demonsbane, Guildmaster and High Paladin of the Knights of the Cross.
Fortress Cross is the Guildhall for the Knights of the Cross. An enormous fortress built at the intersection of eight main streets within Draconis, the fortress is comprised of white stone inlaid with beautiful quartz that gleams in the sunlight.
The doors of Fortress Cross are open outside of "times of war and duress," which in its long, storied history has happened only twice. The ground floor of the Fortress is ornate, with quartz statues of past High Paladins and regular movement among the Knights of the Cross, who make sure to greet and assist any passers-by.
The Cathédrale Grande is a shining beacon of hope and faith to all who might seek to worship within its hallowed halls. Open to all who count themselves among the faithful, it is the greatest collection of faith and worship in all the Multiverse.
-Channing Therriault, Priest of Ilmater
The Cathédrale Grande is an enormous Cathedral that services all known religions and philosophies. The building is made in classic gothic style, but it is intentionally created to host iconography from all faiths prominently in the construction.
Inside, the Cathedral is a huge five-story building with grounds covering several acres of Draconis. Due to the compatible nature of a number of faiths, a number of the rooms and worship areas are built with a certain ecumenicism in mind. The Cathedral has relics and artifacts from all faiths and they can be quickly swapped out to allow for a specific service. The Cathedral and the grounds are constantly being updated as faiths rise and fall, and there is always at least one service going on within the Cathedral at any given time.
They say all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. And I don't like dull boys. Draconis can be rather stuffy, but if you come see me I'll show you a good time~
-Gordon "Glinda" Mansch, Proprietor of the Nightly Cross
The Nightly Cross is known by many as an oasis of excitement in the prim and proper lifestyle of Draconis district. Built and sanctioned by the Knights of the Cross officially as a place where people can come and relax, it has, by popular demand, expanded to the point where it now encompasses an entire block of the district.
The Nightly Cross is the most popular (by virtue of being the only) proper nightlife destination in Draconis. Featuring a well-stocked bar, a costume parlor, a three-story bouncy castle with several ball pits built in, karaoke lounge and stage, dance floor, and sports lounge with a huge array of televisions, usually set to games being played in the Lion district stadiums.
The proprietor, Gordon "Glinda" Mansch, is a colorful character in his own right, a rather shameless man who is a notorious flirt and tends to wear a full white dress with glimmering brocade and rich jewelry. A member of the Open Heart, he agreed to come to Draconis to help the Knights establish a place where they could go and unwind. A rather notorious individual with numerous contacts in the Diamonds of Fortune, Gordon has built his own entertainment Empire in the heart of Draconis. However, true to his guild roots, the numerous profits tend to go into expansion and renovations, or a number of programs designed to help the less fortunate within the district, who often find themselves displaced by the ardent watch who has little tolerance for vagrants.
Lion district is the headquarters of the Hounds. It is a rough-and-tumble district generally home to more middle and lower-class citizens, with a handful of wealthy landowners and businessmen. It is known for having a higher-than-average crime rate, but also for being rife with burly men and women who will stick up for people and fight off muggers in the middle of the streets.
The district is home to the largest concentration of arenas and stadiums. Lion district brings in a lot of money, but it tends to be spent somewhat frivolously on newer, bigger projects and the development of new, more exciting (and increasingly absurd) sports and games. The district is somewhat slapdash in construction, the placement of the stadiums and arenas is strategic but everything else tends to just spring up naturally around them. You can find shops, markets, schools, brothels, and just about anything else, all within close proximity of each other and at least one major public arena.
There are two ways to measure a man: fighting and wenching. If a man can't do either well, he's not really a man. This works for women too, any woman who can't out-wench a man has no business being called a lady.
-Drachma Hines, Gladiatorial Trainer
The Fightschool is an arena and fighting school sponsored by the Hounds. Holding regular matches between students that can, at the higher levels, attract as much if not more attention than the professional bouts, the Fightschool is known for delivering a high quality of education, if by education you mean "the art of effective beatings administration".
Pupils in the Fightschool are all required to sign waivers before entry, although the mortality rate is not nearly as high as one might think, as the Fightschool has an agreement with the Academy of Healing and Practical Medicine so more advanced students can acquire some hands-on training in the field. Those who go through the Fightschool tend to come out knowing how to break a man in at least ten different places, what bits are the most squishy on over 100 species, and what parts of the body are most effective at stopping what attacks.
Fightin' a man's just so unsatisfying. Ye've got all the screamin' an' drama and its just so damn depressin'. Fightin' a wee beastie, now that's a fight I'll be watchin'.
-Cearnach MacAuliffe, groundskeeper of Arracht Airéine
Arracht Airéine is a place where people can go to fight deadly creatures, usually several times their size. Arracht Airéine is owned by Treasach Connacht, an old Fir Bolg who's family has owned the Airéine for generations.
Possessing quite a bit of money and renown, Treasach imports monsters from all over the multiverse. For normal monster bouts, he utilizes a number of spells and potions to drug the animals into a sense of increased pain tolerance. He claims at worst, the blows the animal suffers feel like tickling at worst to skirt the animal cruelty laws in the Crossroads. Combatants are required to sign waivers due to the danger of the beasts, but fatalities on either the monster or combatant side are relatively rare, Treasach employs clerics and mages to keep things from getting out of hand. The Airéine is also open to intelligent creatures as combatants, they are also required to sign waivers. The Airéine commands a big following, and ticket prices are reasonably expensive.
Man, nothing beats the baths. After a long day of fighting, it's the best goddamn thing in the multiverse to sit back, relax, and possibly snap a towel at an unsuspecting thug trying to get fresh with you.
-Sayla Hook, Gladiator
The Moon's Retreat is an enormous complex with the finest baths in the Crossroads. Built strategically between a number of arenas, it is a popular haunt for rich and poor looking to take a load off and relax for a few hours. The baths are segmented into a number of pools with a variety of water-properties and gender-restrictions, so just about anybody can find a bath that will suit their tastes and sensibilities.
Due to its popularity and the nature of the business, the Moon's Retreat tends to have long lines and wait times, but they do take scheduled bookings for those who want to get in earlier. In addition, several of their pools are reserved for Gladiators and other arena contestants, the more popular and successful of whom have free memberships. In general, those who purchase a membership are usually able to get in right away. Memberships are sold on a per-bath basis, and there are only certain baths available so memberships can be a bit hard to come by if you don't know where to look.
Scroll district is the headquarters of the Order of Scholarly Research. It is an orderly, well-planned district, although it has a number of oddities due to its "designed by committee" nature. The streets are straight, uniform and symmetrical, meaning a few lots are completely over water from a number of lakes and wetlands in the southeast portion of the district.
The district is known for a high concentration of schools, libraries, museums, and laboratories. It is one of the least populous districts in the Crossroads, and those who live here tend to be an eclectic sort. Housing is primarily apartments, many of which lack some of the more modern luxuries like in-unit washers and dryers, proper lighting, or indoor plumbing. As with any district there are a few wealthy inhabitants, but even their homes tend to be less opulent and more focused on study and research than anything else. Of the people who do call Scroll district home, the income ranges vary wildly, and tend not to be very important - there is a much greater emphasis on what you know, not what you buy.
The Tower of Knowledge is the core of learning and the heart of the Order of Scholarly Research. Here, all are welcome. Here, we work together to build a brighter future for all worlds and all peoples.
-Sheldon Weatherly, head of the High Council of Knowledge
The Tower of Knowledge is the headquarters of the Order of Scholarly Research. What is unique about the building is that it is not stationary. The tower can travel throughout the Scroll District at will, planting on any building or open plot of land. While it doesn't have the largest reference collection in the Scroll District, its ability to move allows it to visit the library or the Akademy whenever necessary, allowing the researchers who call it their home the opportunity to continue to get fresh and new knowledge.
The Akademy of Magick and Science embodies the openness to knowledge and its pursuers that the Order of Scholarly Research strives for. Blending science and supernatural, we welcome all students who wish to learn and work together with them to unlock the greater secrets of the multiverse.
-Horace Farnsworthy, Dean of Student Affairs at the Akademy of Magick and Science
The Akademy of Magick and Science is a guild-sanctioned school for all interested and eligible students. Open to applicants from every guild, the Akademy is known for its dedicated staff and major contributions to the field of research and discovery. For that reason, it is one of the most respected schools within the Crossroads.
However, admissions do come with their own cost. The Akademy is one of the main sources of revenue for the Order of Scholarly research, and tuition is not cheap. However, there are a number of scholarships available for students without financial means, as well as a wealth of student loan options offered at competitive rates by several of the brokers and bankers in the Diamonds of Fortune to help soften the tuition blow. The Akademy has on-campus housing for an additional fee on top of tuition, as well as open and generally edible food services for another additional fee. Students at the Akademy can expect to be taught by some of the best and brightest in the Crossroads, but can also expect to spend several years in their chosen course of study.
The sum of knowledge sentient life has accrued is more varied and wondrous than can be believed. We here at the library simply seek to find, capture, and record this knowledge for all who seek it. Civilizations may rise and fall, but here in this library we have preserved all of their books and knowledge for all to see.
-Justinan Khas, Planar Librarian
The Planar Library is probably the biggest and most complete collection of books, writings, and knowledge accumulated together in the entire multiverse. The Planar Librarians, as the order is known, is a subset of the Scholars who are dedicated to seeking out and obtaining or copying every book they can find and bringing it to the library.
In addition to its vast book collection, the Planar Library keeps data backups of every available book housed in a secure, undisclosed location within the Crossroads. All books within the library with additional copies are open to be borrowed free of cost, but some of the especially rare and valuable books are kept under lock and key. The Planar Library has a division of Knights of the Cross stationed there at all times to protect the rare books it holds, and the Planar Librarians themselves are also required to take part in training courses to protect the books and, if necessary, give their lives to do so.
Valley District is the headquarters for the Open Heart. One of the poorest districts in the Crossroads, its location was chosen specifically because of its deep poverty. Due to the programs put into place by the Open Heart, a district that was once the most dangerous has become a much better place. While there is still a great ways to go, the people of Valley District are hard working and driven, and things have slowly been improving.
Valley District is eclectic and scattered. Despite the poverty, it is also among the safer districts in the Crossroads. Due to the efforts of the Open Heart, violence is extremely uncommon. Though the district is scattered and disorganized, the Open Heart has opened chapels and houses of healing in just about every populous part of the district. As such, Valley District has been known as one of the best places to seek medical attention, although the habit of charging only what the person in need can afford has not done much to help the impoverished nature of the District. Even still, the people of Valley District are healthier and much happier than they were before the Open Heart moved in, and as a whole they tend to be friendly, respectful, and kind to all who live or travel through the district.
We, the Order of the Healing Hearts are committed to the wellbeing of all. In our humble halls, we take and we treat all who might need it, no matter who they are or what their transgressions. As we believe all are one in the eyes of the gods, so too do we profess that all deserve health and healing in the eyes of the gods. It is our duty, our honor, and our privilege, and none, no matter how hurt or how wicked, shall ever be turned away.
-Jacqueline Sacre, nun of the Healing Hearts.
The House of Healing is one of the largest and busiest buildings in the Valley district. Open to all, the House of Healing is the preferred destination for anybody in need of serious medical attention and/or Resurrection. With some of the most state-of-the-art healing and medical equipment, if it can't be fixed in the House of Healing, a solution for it probably doesn't exist in the multiverse.
While the House of Healing is ostensibly free to all, that is something of a misnomer. While they do indeed offer their services free of charge, the healing magics, especially when Resurrection is involved, do carry an extra string. The House of Healing is not above casting a geas upon a person, holding them accountable to pay back the services they were given with good word and deed in the community. Criminals, especially, are often subject to the geas, but those who were harmed through no fault of their own are not.
No child, no matter their circumstances, shall ever go hungry. No family, no matter how destitute, shall ever have to sleep on a street corner. All those within our sight who need but have not, for them we exist and for them we provide.
The Hearth is an orphanage, homeless shelter, and soup kitchen, the largest in the Crossroads. Staffed by members of the Open Heart it offers warm meals and shelter to any homeless who seek it out. In addition, it serves as an orphanage to children, attempting to find them good homes and helping to educate them in the interim. The Hearth has an exceptional reputation and is usually the beneficiary of a number of benefit drives and "10% of profits go to..." promotions. That said, most Guild members are happy enough to occasionally throw money at it and then cut and run whenever they're out looking for people to adopt children or assist in the soup kitchen.
Diamond District is the headquarters of the Diamonds of Fortune, and also by far and away the richest district in the Crossroads. The district is heavily geared toward commerce, with massive swaths of land taken up by warehouses, shopping centers, and skyscrapers. It is well-known for being a place where you can buy just about anything, provided you have the money to do so.
Diamond District, much like Draconis District in some ways, is orderly and well-planned. It favors sweeping skyscrapers and somewhat ostentatious designs, with a skyline that seems to go on forever. Most of the housing in Diamond District are either downtown high-rises or extravagant mansions on the outskirts away from most of the hustle and bustle. Diamond District also has a dark side, a seedy underbelly that isn't so far buried that it doesn't occasionally mar the respectable surface the district attempts to maintain. Homelessness is a rampant issue, and there are heavy underground drug, prostitution, gambling, smuggling and slave rings lurking just beneath the swept cobblestone streets. In Diamond District, they go by the Golden Rule. Whoever has the gold makes the rules.
Visitors to the strip often say to me, "Malfurius, with all of the glitz and glamor here, however do you get anything done?" I say to them, "babe, when you live the high life like I do, you can afford to pay people to get things done for you."
-Malfurius Altrenan, three-time Crossroads Poker champion
The Diamond Strip is a glitzy road home to a collection of high-profile casinos, themed hotels, and a variety of theaters and shows ranging from risque to bizarre. The Diamond Strip is known throughout the Crossroads as the place where one can lose their entire life savings and/or destroy their marriage in one night of drunken and debauch revelry.
The hotels and casinos on the Diamond strip are garish mock-ups of the various wonders of the multiverse, each with its own theme and usually an accompanying show or two. While everything here is quite expensive, the allure of the casinos and the chance to make it big bring people from all walks of life to the Strip. With the atmosphere and the eclectic and exotic entertainments, while it's really no place for children the Strip boasts entertainment for just about any visitor - so long as they are not overly burdened with cumbersome morality or particularly attached to their money.
The mall is a shining beacon of commerce within a shining beacon of commerce. A place where even members of other guilds can walk with a marginal expectation of not being pick-pocketed and can exchange their valuable money for our ostensibly valuable merchandise.
-Herman Clarke, owner of the Gemstone Mall.
The Gemstone Mall is considered to be the largest shopping center in the multiverse. A massive four-story complex with a sprawling food court and hundreds of stores that sell anything from clothes to games to clothes to kitchen equipment to clothes to toys.
As one of the largest commerce centers for the general public, the Gemstone Mall is almost always packed. The immense parking garages connected to the main building can hold vehicles of all shapes and sizes. Easy accessibility is key, so the mall goes through great pains to make getting in a breeze. Getting out? Not so simple. It also serves as one of the major mass transit hubs in the Diamond District, so it's very easy to catch a bus or train from the mall to pretty much anywhere, even if your destination is beyond the Diamond District.
Garden District is the headquarters of the Seekers of Artistic Expression. One of the more naturist districts in the Crossroads, it is carefully designed to have a welcoming, natural feel, with well-manicured hedges, verdant plant life and carefully planted trees. It is also home to a wealth of theaters, auditoriums, and production studios.
Garden District is where most theatrical, cinematic, and literary products are produced within the Crossroads. The district itself is rather wealthy due to the influence and money their productions bring in, but unlike the Diamond District, the Garden District attempts to show a more artistic, cultured, and individualistic side. The district has more varied housing that tries to make use of the naturist setting, with a number of treetop dwellings and homes built into hills and valleys. While it is a favorite of many wealthy individuals, it has a good deal of moderate and lower-incoming homes, in addition to a number of roving tent cities populated by homeless and hipster alike. Due to the high concentration of creatives or would-be creatives, it also has a thriving semi-underground drug culture that makes for impressive returns.
Ahh Ashwood, where dreams are made. I've spent a good chunk of my life working on Ashwood sets, back when we actually shot a lot of movies in the backlot. It's had its ups and downs, but making a movie anywhere else wouldn't be quite the same.
-Harrison Fjord, renowned movie star
Ashwood was once the center of movie production in the Crossroads. While the major studios have generally moved and spread out around the greater Garden District area and into Diamond District, a good chunk of the various side-industries such as effects, props, and editing are still done mostly out of Ashwood.
While there are some entertainment studios and showy locales and ritzy hotels open to the public, Ashwood also has a darker side to it. Much of the area outside the carefully constructed movie industry set pieces is rather depressed, with some run-down buildings, seedier businesses and a moderately high crime rate. Ashwood, much like the movies it produces, is a lot of smoke and mirrors but can be lacking in actual substance.
The Weirding: The Crossroad's only newspaper.
-Tagline of "The Weirding"
The Weirding is an alternate tabloid and news zine published out of Garden District. While it does report on the news of the day, it tends to keep its news local and writes with a style heavy on purple prose and with a definite leftist slant. The Weirding also runs a number of services and advertisements that are not quite socially acceptable, such as ads for romantic hookups or reports on the latest scandals. While generally accurate, The Weirding has a definite bias and should always be taken with a grain of salt.
The office itself is fairly standard, a regular office building somewhat on the small side. However, the interior boasts a locker full of nerf weapons, a bright red slide, and a number of other curios that make it a bit different than your run-of-the-mill office building.
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The Council District is nestled at the heart of the Crossroads and connects to all six major Guild districts. Here, members of the council, representing all six of the major guilds meet and conduct business ranging from tax code to court hearings to lawmaking. The Courthouse and Customs office is also here, as are the various governmental registrars and bureaucrats that make day-to-day life in the Crossroads function.
Every guild maintains a small presence in the Council Chambers to keep an eye on the proceedings and recruit new members from people who come wandering in through the Routing Gate.
The Council is dedicated to the codification and upholding of law and order in the Crossroads. We represent all guilds, all ideas, and all people, and ensure that everyone has a place at our table.
-Hilde von Dratsch, Knight of the Cross Councilwoman
The Council Chambers are the true core of the city. Built of marble and obsidian with precious gemstones tastefully arrayed around the massive pillars, the building is impressive, albeit somewhat stuffy. Here, representatives from all of the guilds, each hand-picked to represent their guild's interests in the council.
The Council Chambers are open to the public during normal business hours, but photography and video are strictly forbidden. All council matters are conducted in a very orderly meeting fashion and must be officially brought to order and closed before votes can be held and new rulings can be put into place. All official Council business must be recorded or it cannot be put into place.
With a town as volatile as the Crossroads, you can't have newcomers popping up just anywhere, you know, it could be hazardous to their health and existence. That's why we created the Routing Gate, a marvel of modern technology. Anybody who enters the Crossroads without a Guild Signet is immediately sent through the routing gate. This has cut our resurrection budget down to almost nothing and enables us to more easily keep tabs on those who are moving through our fair city.
The Routing Gate is a large plaza adjacent to the Council Chambers. The gate in the center is a massive ornate doorway with a swirling vortex of blue and white energy. When a new arrival is coming, the energy gathers in a crackling mass, forming into the shape of the person wandering through.
The plaza itself is constantly staffed by members of all six major guilds, all of whom are looking to recruit new members from the new arrivals. As only a powerful guild has the means to operate the gates and ensure safety in other worlds, they know that it is in their best interest to sweep up the best talent they can to strengthen their guild.
Note: All Guild Faires take place in the Routing Gate Plaza
Laws in the Crossroads are absolutely binding, the very fabric upon which our society is built and the glue that binds us all together... so long as you're within earshot of a Knight.
-Laurencio Nicoletti, Defense Attorney
The Courthouse is a tall, shining beacon of law near the very center of the Crossroads. A massive building with austere white pillars sheathed in marble, it is a place where dour men and women in suits gather, carrying briefcases and discussing legal and case affairs in hushed voices.
The Courthouse is where all major legal cases are settled, although every other district has its own smaller court area for internal cases, but any major cases eventually are heard by the High Court located here in the Council District.
Ahh the DoL. No more wretched a hive of societal dregs and madmen can be found in the multiverse.
-Roan McCoy, Crossroads Department of Licensing customer
The Crossroads Department of Licensing is a large dingy room attached to the Courthouse. It has several hundred chairs and is always busy, especially since its open hours are not the best. The staff tends to be uncaring at best, but are often downright malicious, the only pleasure in their lives seemingly derived from their ability to harass and look down upon their clientele. Anybody seeking to get a permit for any vehicle, be it an ox-drawn cart or a giant robot, must route through the Department of Licensing. It also handles permits such as hunting, fishing, and other such activities within the city.
Draconis District is the headquarters of the Knights of the Cross, and considered to be one of the wealthier and safer districts in the Crossroads. Knights of the Cross patrol it regularly and keep the peace, and the Knights of the Cross expect a certain degree of decorum and appearance.
The District has wide boulevards with buildings constructed tightly together and no alleyways or narrow corridors to hide in. There are bright lampposts lining the street that illuminate the entire district no matter the time of day, and the buildings are generally uniform and neat. Space is distributed evenly, there are areas for trade and areas for worship, the district itself is much akin to a city of its own, with smaller "districts" within it sectioned off in the more typical fashions.
Fortress Cross stands at a crossroads within the Crossroads. A mighty fortress open from all sides, it is the epitome of what the Crossroads and what we, its Knights, are. Strong and open, proud and tall. Travelers passing through Fortress Cross should know that they are welcome and that they are safe, and it is the duty of every Knight to ensure that happens.
-Lyra Demonsbane, Guildmaster and High Paladin of the Knights of the Cross.
Fortress Cross is the Guildhall for the Knights of the Cross. An enormous fortress built at the intersection of eight main streets within Draconis, the fortress is comprised of white stone inlaid with beautiful quartz that gleams in the sunlight.
The doors of Fortress Cross are open outside of "times of war and duress," which in its long, storied history has happened only twice. The ground floor of the Fortress is ornate, with quartz statues of past High Paladins and regular movement among the Knights of the Cross, who make sure to greet and assist any passers-by.
The Cathédrale Grande is a shining beacon of hope and faith to all who might seek to worship within its hallowed halls. Open to all who count themselves among the faithful, it is the greatest collection of faith and worship in all the Multiverse.
-Channing Therriault, Priest of Ilmater
The Cathédrale Grande is an enormous Cathedral that services all known religions and philosophies. The building is made in classic gothic style, but it is intentionally created to host iconography from all faiths prominently in the construction.
Inside, the Cathedral is a huge five-story building with grounds covering several acres of Draconis. Due to the compatible nature of a number of faiths, a number of the rooms and worship areas are built with a certain ecumenicism in mind. The Cathedral has relics and artifacts from all faiths and they can be quickly swapped out to allow for a specific service. The Cathedral and the grounds are constantly being updated as faiths rise and fall, and there is always at least one service going on within the Cathedral at any given time.
They say all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. And I don't like dull boys. Draconis can be rather stuffy, but if you come see me I'll show you a good time~
-Gordon "Glinda" Mansch, Proprietor of the Nightly Cross
The Nightly Cross is known by many as an oasis of excitement in the prim and proper lifestyle of Draconis district. Built and sanctioned by the Knights of the Cross officially as a place where people can come and relax, it has, by popular demand, expanded to the point where it now encompasses an entire block of the district.
The Nightly Cross is the most popular (by virtue of being the only) proper nightlife destination in Draconis. Featuring a well-stocked bar, a costume parlor, a three-story bouncy castle with several ball pits built in, karaoke lounge and stage, dance floor, and sports lounge with a huge array of televisions, usually set to games being played in the Lion district stadiums.
The proprietor, Gordon "Glinda" Mansch, is a colorful character in his own right, a rather shameless man who is a notorious flirt and tends to wear a full white dress with glimmering brocade and rich jewelry. A member of the Open Heart, he agreed to come to Draconis to help the Knights establish a place where they could go and unwind. A rather notorious individual with numerous contacts in the Diamonds of Fortune, Gordon has built his own entertainment Empire in the heart of Draconis. However, true to his guild roots, the numerous profits tend to go into expansion and renovations, or a number of programs designed to help the less fortunate within the district, who often find themselves displaced by the ardent watch who has little tolerance for vagrants.
Lion district is the headquarters of the Hounds. It is a rough-and-tumble district generally home to more middle and lower-class citizens, with a handful of wealthy landowners and businessmen. It is known for having a higher-than-average crime rate, but also for being rife with burly men and women who will stick up for people and fight off muggers in the middle of the streets.
The district is home to the largest concentration of arenas and stadiums. Lion district brings in a lot of money, but it tends to be spent somewhat frivolously on newer, bigger projects and the development of new, more exciting (and increasingly absurd) sports and games. The district is somewhat slapdash in construction, the placement of the stadiums and arenas is strategic but everything else tends to just spring up naturally around them. You can find shops, markets, schools, brothels, and just about anything else, all within close proximity of each other and at least one major public arena.
There are two ways to measure a man: fighting and wenching. If a man can't do either well, he's not really a man. This works for women too, any woman who can't out-wench a man has no business being called a lady.
-Drachma Hines, Gladiatorial Trainer
The Fightschool is an arena and fighting school sponsored by the Hounds. Holding regular matches between students that can, at the higher levels, attract as much if not more attention than the professional bouts, the Fightschool is known for delivering a high quality of education, if by education you mean "the art of effective beatings administration".
Pupils in the Fightschool are all required to sign waivers before entry, although the mortality rate is not nearly as high as one might think, as the Fightschool has an agreement with the Academy of Healing and Practical Medicine so more advanced students can acquire some hands-on training in the field. Those who go through the Fightschool tend to come out knowing how to break a man in at least ten different places, what bits are the most squishy on over 100 species, and what parts of the body are most effective at stopping what attacks.
Fightin' a man's just so unsatisfying. Ye've got all the screamin' an' drama and its just so damn depressin'. Fightin' a wee beastie, now that's a fight I'll be watchin'.
-Cearnach MacAuliffe, groundskeeper of Arracht Airéine
Arracht Airéine is a place where people can go to fight deadly creatures, usually several times their size. Arracht Airéine is owned by Treasach Connacht, an old Fir Bolg who's family has owned the Airéine for generations.
Possessing quite a bit of money and renown, Treasach imports monsters from all over the multiverse. For normal monster bouts, he utilizes a number of spells and potions to drug the animals into a sense of increased pain tolerance. He claims at worst, the blows the animal suffers feel like tickling at worst to skirt the animal cruelty laws in the Crossroads. Combatants are required to sign waivers due to the danger of the beasts, but fatalities on either the monster or combatant side are relatively rare, Treasach employs clerics and mages to keep things from getting out of hand. The Airéine is also open to intelligent creatures as combatants, they are also required to sign waivers. The Airéine commands a big following, and ticket prices are reasonably expensive.
Man, nothing beats the baths. After a long day of fighting, it's the best goddamn thing in the multiverse to sit back, relax, and possibly snap a towel at an unsuspecting thug trying to get fresh with you.
-Sayla Hook, Gladiator
The Moon's Retreat is an enormous complex with the finest baths in the Crossroads. Built strategically between a number of arenas, it is a popular haunt for rich and poor looking to take a load off and relax for a few hours. The baths are segmented into a number of pools with a variety of water-properties and gender-restrictions, so just about anybody can find a bath that will suit their tastes and sensibilities.
Due to its popularity and the nature of the business, the Moon's Retreat tends to have long lines and wait times, but they do take scheduled bookings for those who want to get in earlier. In addition, several of their pools are reserved for Gladiators and other arena contestants, the more popular and successful of whom have free memberships. In general, those who purchase a membership are usually able to get in right away. Memberships are sold on a per-bath basis, and there are only certain baths available so memberships can be a bit hard to come by if you don't know where to look.
Scroll district is the headquarters of the Order of Scholarly Research. It is an orderly, well-planned district, although it has a number of oddities due to its "designed by committee" nature. The streets are straight, uniform and symmetrical, meaning a few lots are completely over water from a number of lakes and wetlands in the southeast portion of the district.
The district is known for a high concentration of schools, libraries, museums, and laboratories. It is one of the least populous districts in the Crossroads, and those who live here tend to be an eclectic sort. Housing is primarily apartments, many of which lack some of the more modern luxuries like in-unit washers and dryers, proper lighting, or indoor plumbing. As with any district there are a few wealthy inhabitants, but even their homes tend to be less opulent and more focused on study and research than anything else. Of the people who do call Scroll district home, the income ranges vary wildly, and tend not to be very important - there is a much greater emphasis on what you know, not what you buy.
The Tower of Knowledge is the core of learning and the heart of the Order of Scholarly Research. Here, all are welcome. Here, we work together to build a brighter future for all worlds and all peoples.
-Sheldon Weatherly, head of the High Council of Knowledge
The Tower of Knowledge is the headquarters of the Order of Scholarly Research. What is unique about the building is that it is not stationary. The tower can travel throughout the Scroll District at will, planting on any building or open plot of land. While it doesn't have the largest reference collection in the Scroll District, its ability to move allows it to visit the library or the Akademy whenever necessary, allowing the researchers who call it their home the opportunity to continue to get fresh and new knowledge.
The Akademy of Magick and Science embodies the openness to knowledge and its pursuers that the Order of Scholarly Research strives for. Blending science and supernatural, we welcome all students who wish to learn and work together with them to unlock the greater secrets of the multiverse.
-Horace Farnsworthy, Dean of Student Affairs at the Akademy of Magick and Science
The Akademy of Magick and Science is a guild-sanctioned school for all interested and eligible students. Open to applicants from every guild, the Akademy is known for its dedicated staff and major contributions to the field of research and discovery. For that reason, it is one of the most respected schools within the Crossroads.
However, admissions do come with their own cost. The Akademy is one of the main sources of revenue for the Order of Scholarly research, and tuition is not cheap. However, there are a number of scholarships available for students without financial means, as well as a wealth of student loan options offered at competitive rates by several of the brokers and bankers in the Diamonds of Fortune to help soften the tuition blow. The Akademy has on-campus housing for an additional fee on top of tuition, as well as open and generally edible food services for another additional fee. Students at the Akademy can expect to be taught by some of the best and brightest in the Crossroads, but can also expect to spend several years in their chosen course of study.
The sum of knowledge sentient life has accrued is more varied and wondrous than can be believed. We here at the library simply seek to find, capture, and record this knowledge for all who seek it. Civilizations may rise and fall, but here in this library we have preserved all of their books and knowledge for all to see.
-Justinan Khas, Planar Librarian
The Planar Library is probably the biggest and most complete collection of books, writings, and knowledge accumulated together in the entire multiverse. The Planar Librarians, as the order is known, is a subset of the Scholars who are dedicated to seeking out and obtaining or copying every book they can find and bringing it to the library.
In addition to its vast book collection, the Planar Library keeps data backups of every available book housed in a secure, undisclosed location within the Crossroads. All books within the library with additional copies are open to be borrowed free of cost, but some of the especially rare and valuable books are kept under lock and key. The Planar Library has a division of Knights of the Cross stationed there at all times to protect the rare books it holds, and the Planar Librarians themselves are also required to take part in training courses to protect the books and, if necessary, give their lives to do so.
Valley District is the headquarters for the Open Heart. One of the poorest districts in the Crossroads, its location was chosen specifically because of its deep poverty. Due to the programs put into place by the Open Heart, a district that was once the most dangerous has become a much better place. While there is still a great ways to go, the people of Valley District are hard working and driven, and things have slowly been improving.
Valley District is eclectic and scattered. Despite the poverty, it is also among the safer districts in the Crossroads. Due to the efforts of the Open Heart, violence is extremely uncommon. Though the district is scattered and disorganized, the Open Heart has opened chapels and houses of healing in just about every populous part of the district. As such, Valley District has been known as one of the best places to seek medical attention, although the habit of charging only what the person in need can afford has not done much to help the impoverished nature of the District. Even still, the people of Valley District are healthier and much happier than they were before the Open Heart moved in, and as a whole they tend to be friendly, respectful, and kind to all who live or travel through the district.
We, the Order of the Healing Hearts are committed to the wellbeing of all. In our humble halls, we take and we treat all who might need it, no matter who they are or what their transgressions. As we believe all are one in the eyes of the gods, so too do we profess that all deserve health and healing in the eyes of the gods. It is our duty, our honor, and our privilege, and none, no matter how hurt or how wicked, shall ever be turned away.
-Jacqueline Sacre, nun of the Healing Hearts.
The House of Healing is one of the largest and busiest buildings in the Valley district. Open to all, the House of Healing is the preferred destination for anybody in need of serious medical attention and/or Resurrection. With some of the most state-of-the-art healing and medical equipment, if it can't be fixed in the House of Healing, a solution for it probably doesn't exist in the multiverse.
While the House of Healing is ostensibly free to all, that is something of a misnomer. While they do indeed offer their services free of charge, the healing magics, especially when Resurrection is involved, do carry an extra string. The House of Healing is not above casting a geas upon a person, holding them accountable to pay back the services they were given with good word and deed in the community. Criminals, especially, are often subject to the geas, but those who were harmed through no fault of their own are not.
No child, no matter their circumstances, shall ever go hungry. No family, no matter how destitute, shall ever have to sleep on a street corner. All those within our sight who need but have not, for them we exist and for them we provide.
The Hearth is an orphanage, homeless shelter, and soup kitchen, the largest in the Crossroads. Staffed by members of the Open Heart it offers warm meals and shelter to any homeless who seek it out. In addition, it serves as an orphanage to children, attempting to find them good homes and helping to educate them in the interim. The Hearth has an exceptional reputation and is usually the beneficiary of a number of benefit drives and "10% of profits go to..." promotions. That said, most Guild members are happy enough to occasionally throw money at it and then cut and run whenever they're out looking for people to adopt children or assist in the soup kitchen.
Diamond District is the headquarters of the Diamonds of Fortune, and also by far and away the richest district in the Crossroads. The district is heavily geared toward commerce, with massive swaths of land taken up by warehouses, shopping centers, and skyscrapers. It is well-known for being a place where you can buy just about anything, provided you have the money to do so.
Diamond District, much like Draconis District in some ways, is orderly and well-planned. It favors sweeping skyscrapers and somewhat ostentatious designs, with a skyline that seems to go on forever. Most of the housing in Diamond District are either downtown high-rises or extravagant mansions on the outskirts away from most of the hustle and bustle. Diamond District also has a dark side, a seedy underbelly that isn't so far buried that it doesn't occasionally mar the respectable surface the district attempts to maintain. Homelessness is a rampant issue, and there are heavy underground drug, prostitution, gambling, smuggling and slave rings lurking just beneath the swept cobblestone streets. In Diamond District, they go by the Golden Rule. Whoever has the gold makes the rules.
Visitors to the strip often say to me, "Malfurius, with all of the glitz and glamor here, however do you get anything done?" I say to them, "babe, when you live the high life like I do, you can afford to pay people to get things done for you."
-Malfurius Altrenan, three-time Crossroads Poker champion
The Diamond Strip is a glitzy road home to a collection of high-profile casinos, themed hotels, and a variety of theaters and shows ranging from risque to bizarre. The Diamond Strip is known throughout the Crossroads as the place where one can lose their entire life savings and/or destroy their marriage in one night of drunken and debauch revelry.
The hotels and casinos on the Diamond strip are garish mock-ups of the various wonders of the multiverse, each with its own theme and usually an accompanying show or two. While everything here is quite expensive, the allure of the casinos and the chance to make it big bring people from all walks of life to the Strip. With the atmosphere and the eclectic and exotic entertainments, while it's really no place for children the Strip boasts entertainment for just about any visitor - so long as they are not overly burdened with cumbersome morality or particularly attached to their money.
The mall is a shining beacon of commerce within a shining beacon of commerce. A place where even members of other guilds can walk with a marginal expectation of not being pick-pocketed and can exchange their valuable money for our ostensibly valuable merchandise.
-Herman Clarke, owner of the Gemstone Mall.
The Gemstone Mall is considered to be the largest shopping center in the multiverse. A massive four-story complex with a sprawling food court and hundreds of stores that sell anything from clothes to games to clothes to kitchen equipment to clothes to toys.
As one of the largest commerce centers for the general public, the Gemstone Mall is almost always packed. The immense parking garages connected to the main building can hold vehicles of all shapes and sizes. Easy accessibility is key, so the mall goes through great pains to make getting in a breeze. Getting out? Not so simple. It also serves as one of the major mass transit hubs in the Diamond District, so it's very easy to catch a bus or train from the mall to pretty much anywhere, even if your destination is beyond the Diamond District.
Garden District is the headquarters of the Seekers of Artistic Expression. One of the more naturist districts in the Crossroads, it is carefully designed to have a welcoming, natural feel, with well-manicured hedges, verdant plant life and carefully planted trees. It is also home to a wealth of theaters, auditoriums, and production studios.
Garden District is where most theatrical, cinematic, and literary products are produced within the Crossroads. The district itself is rather wealthy due to the influence and money their productions bring in, but unlike the Diamond District, the Garden District attempts to show a more artistic, cultured, and individualistic side. The district has more varied housing that tries to make use of the naturist setting, with a number of treetop dwellings and homes built into hills and valleys. While it is a favorite of many wealthy individuals, it has a good deal of moderate and lower-incoming homes, in addition to a number of roving tent cities populated by homeless and hipster alike. Due to the high concentration of creatives or would-be creatives, it also has a thriving semi-underground drug culture that makes for impressive returns.
Ahh Ashwood, where dreams are made. I've spent a good chunk of my life working on Ashwood sets, back when we actually shot a lot of movies in the backlot. It's had its ups and downs, but making a movie anywhere else wouldn't be quite the same.
-Harrison Fjord, renowned movie star
Ashwood was once the center of movie production in the Crossroads. While the major studios have generally moved and spread out around the greater Garden District area and into Diamond District, a good chunk of the various side-industries such as effects, props, and editing are still done mostly out of Ashwood.
While there are some entertainment studios and showy locales and ritzy hotels open to the public, Ashwood also has a darker side to it. Much of the area outside the carefully constructed movie industry set pieces is rather depressed, with some run-down buildings, seedier businesses and a moderately high crime rate. Ashwood, much like the movies it produces, is a lot of smoke and mirrors but can be lacking in actual substance.
The Weirding: The Crossroad's only newspaper.
-Tagline of "The Weirding"
The Weirding is an alternate tabloid and news zine published out of Garden District. While it does report on the news of the day, it tends to keep its news local and writes with a style heavy on purple prose and with a definite leftist slant. The Weirding also runs a number of services and advertisements that are not quite socially acceptable, such as ads for romantic hookups or reports on the latest scandals. While generally accurate, The Weirding has a definite bias and should always be taken with a grain of salt.
The office itself is fairly standard, a regular office building somewhat on the small side. However, the interior boasts a locker full of nerf weapons, a bright red slide, and a number of other curios that make it a bit different than your run-of-the-mill office building.
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