Haven Cross

A fairly small town within the region of Elin and once a deterrent for bandits along the nearby roads.

Location
Haven Cross is a town situated nearly directly between Elinstad and Viren. It is a 4 day walk from Viren. Its adventuring guild was previously highly active in providing protection along the main road.

About
Haven Cross is a medium sized cross-roads based town centred around a once bustling adventurer's guild. The town is both far newer and far smaller than either Elinstad or Viren (and seemed to be disliked by both areas potentially as a result of it) and seems to have a large transient population of adventurers working for the guild who are constantly coming and going.

The town was previously heavily reliant on the adventurer's guild for its protection and economy, making it nearly impossible for non-members to find competing work within the town. After the Battle of Haven Cross, however, this is likely no longer the case due to the severe damage the guild had received. Despite these issues, the town recovered and regrew well.

After some time, Haven Cross declared its independance from Elinstad, starting by executing Wiseman Bill and Malcolm Vines. A battle ensued, but the town was victorious and captured many of the Elinstad guards caught within the walls, including Daimen Lyon, their commander. After a close encounter with The Raven's Order, Daimen was released however the town has held on to its freedom.

Haven Cross' independance was the trigger that caused Viren to become locked down.

People and Places
Haven Cross is ruled by Lord Nathaniel Haven, who also founded the town when he cleared out a resident group of bandits. He resides on the uppermost floor of the Adventurer's Guild.

The Adventurer's Guild is the main point of the town. It is managed by Wiseman Bill (also known as William the Wise). It was previously the workplace of Nick Moragon, however he has since moved to Elinstad.

The Drunken Horse's Inn is another highlight of the town. It is currently owned by Hilda, with the previous owner, Huroda, having died during the Battle of Haven Cross.

The town also sports a General Store, owned by John Mercy and a Blacksmith. Also, there is a temple to the goddess of luck, Tymora, located within the outer wall.

The most recent addition to Haven Cross is Harley & David & Son Horse & Cart, found on the outskirts to the south near the main road, which provides transport options for those looking to travel from town.

History
Originally a bandit camp, Haven Cross was conquered by Lord Haven in order to provide a safe route between Elinstad and Viren. The town sprung up in order to defend the point, however some older residents were not happy with the way this had occurred.

At the start of the campaign, Haven Cross was a happy place, with the Adventurer's Guild providing jobs such as finding a lost dog, but things quickly got darker. Soon the party found themselves transporting military supplied from Viren as the town fortified itself and prepared for battle against the bandits, who had come to take back Haven Cross.

A large portion of the population of Haven Cross sought refuge in Elinstad, while most of those remaining hid within the walls of the Adventurer's Guild, however not all made it inside.

The town was mostly destroyed during the battle, with only the Adventurer's Guild being left unscathed. It is currently currently mostly rebuilt, despite the loss of many members.

Recently, Lord Nathanial Haven confirmed his interest in assisting The Resistance, but could not as he believed he was being watched by The Raven's Order. He did eventually come through with this offer, declaring Haven Cross' independance at a time which best suited The Resistance.

Notes and Trivia

 * The sole inn in Haven Cross, the Drunken Horse's inn, is decorated with Ikea furniture and was once thought by some characters to be a brothel.
 * Haven Cross was the starting point for Season 1 of the campaign.