The docks and buildings of Crossroad Mire turned out gloomy, untidy, and generally of a piece with the swamp. Most of the skeletons sank into the mud as permanent sentries, though several remain visible as guards and servants. Premade wards and illusions can be used to flummox ambitious pirates and so forth. The village's primary defense is environmental, to wit, swamp: an army or ship would have little chance of getting close. So far the largest armed force to reach Crossroad Mire has been a longboat of pirates.
Harrier maintains a room and lab in the main roadhouse. Considering the type of company she cultivates at Crossroad Mire, and how often things go missing, she keeps nothing of special value there.
The roadhouse has plenty of bunks, cots, hammocks, workplaces, and reading nooks with varying degrees of privacy and cleanliness. Some visitors prefer to sleep in their boats or even build their own shacks.
The quartermaster of sorts is Hagglesnip,
a hairy being of unknown race, perhaps a
Nordenfiir crone. Hagglesnip can usually be found in the main roadhouse, stirring a large cauldron labeled 'catch of the day.' The contents are guaranteed to do something interesting, even if only to one's digestive tract. She is especially fond of stewed, half-living
gristo eel. In an outbuilding, Hagglesnip also maintains a broad and bizarre collection of samples and curios for use, sale, and barter. Many are of dubious value, but a discerning alchemist will always walk away happy, unsettled, or both.
Although Crossroad Mire has an diverse library of potentially nefarious magic, the swamp is somewhat inimical to paper. A given book, unless protected by some spell or chemical, will generally have lifeforms growing on it or living inside it. There is no librarian other than a mute and nameless skeleton who shelves things whether they need shelving or not. Crossroad Mire's library rivals or exceeds the restricted section at the
College of Elbion for breadth of hazard and audacity of concept. Noteworthy terrible people, such as the ancient necromancer Khalldryn, appear among the authors. There are, of course, no restrictions on who may read what. Stealing books is...discouraged.