Crawford
The city of Crawford is one of the economic centers of the Kingdom of Forard. Flush with the wealth of trade arriving from the Jakonian Peninsula and blessed with fertile farmland and support, it has prospered significantly, avoiding the conflicts of the nation over the past one hundred years, staying out of the Department War. Controlled fully by the Department of Urban Infrastructure, they have kept the peace, and prevented the other Departments from being given a legislative foothold in the city. The neutrality they have maintained in the ongoing conflict between the Army and the Navy has assisted Crawford in remaining peaceful even as other cities and towns erupt into violence.
Demographics
The Forardi humans make up the vast majority of Crawford's population, and while Jakonians and Columbans have formed large minority groups here, nonhumans are typically told to move on quickly. Due to xenophobia towards other races, those other groups are not typically allowed to live within the city limits. The Department of Law has made tradition into legislature, and nonhumans in the boundaries of the city after nightfall can frequently find themselves harassed or arrested.
Government
The governance of Crawford is handled extensively by the Department of Urban Infrastructure. The bureaucracy of the department manages all aspects of city control, defense, and development. Sewage, defense, and road maitenance are the primary organizations though which people receive advancement by elevation through achievement. There is a rigorous testing process to determine valid applicants and new members of the local government.
Defences
The Department of the Army has viewed Crawford as nearly indefensible, which has been one of the primary reasons Urban Infrastructure has been able to lay such a heavy claim upon this key population center. Due to the city's sprawling nature, it possesses three separate city walls, plus three fortified neighborhoods with their own smaller walls and communities. There is no central citadel or keep, but there is a number of narrow roads and alleys that have been designated to be sealed off to allow for a central rally point and defensive redoubt. To defend the city the Department of Urban Infrastructure maintains six full time regiments of guards and defenders, and have also conducted training for nearly eighteen thousand possible militia should the city be directly attacked.
Industry & Trade
Although the regional caravan traders bring in a substantial amount of money and luxuries to Crawford, they represent only a fraction of the total production and wealth of the city. The area surrounding the city has grown into a verdant farmland, and numerous crops are constantly brought in to feed the swelling population. Even more important are the mines to the northern hills which offer a variety of metals and materials for production. Most of these metals immediately are used for local demand, and there is little left for export, but it is enough to keep wealth circulating in the city's streets. The city's constant demand for lumber is also a growing market, stripping the surrounding area and the nearby Emerald Coast of as many trees as possible.
Infrastructure
As a prosperous trade city that's avoided most of the more violent confrontations between the Departments, Crawford has had ample time to establish the material means of keeping its people alive and happy. Some of the roads and sewers built by the Jakonians still remain intact, and well maintained by the Forardi expertise, and the Department of Urban Infrastructure has spared no expense in keeping the status quo. The majority of roads within the city walls are paved and kept clear, with the wealthier neighborhoods possessing sewers and even limited running water. The roads are kept well lit with whale oil lamps, providing light to the city in the darkest of nights.
Assets
Due to Crawford's size and crossroads, there are ample inns and shops to accommodate travelers and adventurers. Over ninety inns and hotels have been established, catering to all classes and types traveling through the region. Several of the hotels are extremely well regarded by caravan travelers and traders, offering large areas for pack animal grazing and cargo storage. The city is home to many of the old aristocracy and new wealth, and there are ample jobs and opportunities for those seeking a piece of the pie for themselves.
Founding Date
668 AF
Type
City
Population
102,000
Inhabitant Demonym
Crawfordite
Location under
Owner/Ruler
Owning Organization
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