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Ashcroft

Physical Information
Allirian Reach City <describe the terrain and delete line if not appropriate> Grey, cold and rainy.
OOC Info


Overview​

Ashcroft is a wealthy yet rotten city, known for its gothic spires, shadowed alleys, and thriving underworld of blood sport. To outsiders, it is a place of prosperity and influence, but beneath the surface lies a brutal trade: the capture, branding, and exploitation of werewolves for war and entertainment. Its cobblestone streets echo with church bells, whispers of rebellion, and the muffled howls of the damned.

History of Ashcroft
Ashcroft grew wealthy through the mining of iron and silver in the nearby mountains and moors. These precious metals fueled the city’s industrial growth and became essential in weapon and armor production. Over time, the city expanded its trade to include timber, furs, and hides, alongside weapons and military services, supplying mercenaries and skilled fighters to neighboring regions.

The combination of wealth from these industries and control over mercenary forces allowed Ashcroft’s elite, particularly House Carriven, to establish dominance. When werewolves were first discovered in the surrounding forests, the city’s leaders realised their strength could be harnessed. This led to the creation of the 'Wardens' and the brutal system of enslavement.

Legends say the first werewolf captured in Ashcroft was broken by runes crafted by the city’s founding magisters. This knowledge became a closely guarded secret of the Carrivens and cemented their control over the city and its people.

The Wardens​

The Wardens are a fearsome order of hunters tasked with capturing and controlling werewolves. Their sigil is a silver chain coiled around a crescent moon. They answer directly to the city’s ruling families, particularly House Carriven, and are richly rewarded for their cruelty. The Wardens take pride in their work, seeing themselves as protectors of mankind while in truth they are brutal slavers.

Wardens are chosen from both noble and common bloodlines. They are indoctrinated from youth to despise werewolves, trained in silver weaponry, tracking, and rune-carving. It is whispered that the most ruthless among them are branded with smaller runes themselves, binding them forever to their duty.

House Carriven​

The ruling dynasty of Ashcroft and the wealthiest family in the city. Their power is rooted in blood sport, gambling, and the trade of enslaved werewolves.
  • Lord Ned Carriven – The patriarch, ruthless and calculating. Known for his lavish feasts and public charm, but behind closed doors he is cold and merciless. He was the one who expanded the Bloodpit into its current grand form.
  • Fabien Carriven – Eldest son, brutal and cunning, overseeing the Kennel and the training of the 'Mutts'. Fabien is methodical and takes a disturbing pride in breaking new captives.
  • Ansel Carriven – Younger son, sadistic and impulsive, in charge of the Bloodpit’s entertainments. He is known for inventing cruel new games for the werewolves and wagering against their survival.

Lord Carriven oversees the punishment of the city's criminals, though most sentences are the same. Criminals in Ashcroft are often sentenced to endure a bite from a werewolf as punishment. Survivors of this brutal sentence are added to the roster of Mutts, forced to fight in the Bloodpit for the amusement and profit of the city’s elite.

The Carrivens mask their depravity with wealth and influence, but in Ashcroft everyone knows their true nature. Their family motto, whispered with irony, is “Fear binds all.”

War Profiteering​

Ashcroft has become notorious for loaning its Mutts to other lords and armies, profiting heavily from conflict. These werewolves are leased out as shock troops, living weapons bound by runes and Wardens to obey.
  • Contracts and Payments: Noble houses pay handsomely to gain control over Mutts for siege, assassination, or battlefield supremacy. Contracts often include bonuses for survival or additional cruelty inflicted upon enemies.
  • Wardens as Overseers: Wardens accompany the Mutts to ensure control, punish insubordination, and maintain Ashcroft’s grip over the beasts. They also collect tribute from victories and losses, making them directly invested in the warfare.
  • Political Leverage: By controlling Mutts in wars, Ashcroft exerts influence over regional conflicts. Few dare oppose the city, knowing that the Carrivens’ beasts can turn the tide in a single night.
  • Expansion of Wealth: Every battle fought by Mutts brings gold, resources, or territorial concessions back to Ashcroft, reinforcing the city’s dominance and cruelty based economy.
This system has made Ashcroft both feared and indispensable in times of war, its economy intertwined with bloodshed and domination.


Other Notable Families​

Though House Carriven holds the reins of power, other noble families profit from the city’s trades and blood sport.
  • House Drastan – Merchants of iron and silver, supplying the Wardens with weapons, shackles, chains and rune-tools.
  • House Valbreck – War profiteers, who lease trained Mutts as shock troops to neighboring lords. Their fortunes rise with every conflict.
  • House Burnish – Mask themselves as philanthropists, but secretly own many of the gambling dens and stakehouses tied to the Bloodpit.

Terminology​

  • Mutts – Derogatory term used for werewolves. Stripped of humanity, they are treated as beasts of burden, weapons, or sport.
  • The Kennel – Nickname for Ashcroft Prison, where captured werewolves are caged when not fighting. Cramped iron-barred cells reek of blood, fear, and damp.
  • The Bloodpit – The grand arena of Ashcroft where Mutts are forced to fight for the amusement of the city’s elite. Gambling, spectacle, and cruelty thrive here.

Control of the Werewolves​

Though werewolves are strong and could easily kill their captors, the Carrivens maintain control through magical branding.
  • Moon-Runes: Each captured werewolf is seared with runes across their chest or back. These sigils, when activated, cause indescribable pain that drives the victim into madness or forces them to submission.
  • The Wardens wield control over these runes through rune-keys, allowing them to punish disobedience instantly.
  • The branding both breaks the spirit and ensures obedience, making rebellion impossible without unity.
Rumors persist that some runes are more than shackles, they are experiments in corruption, warping a werewolf’s mind until nothing remains but blind rage.

Map Layout of Ashcroft​

Upper Ashcroft – Gothic spires, noble estates, and lavish halls.
  • Carriven Estate: Looming over the city, opulent and heavily guarded.
  • Warden Barracks: Where hunters reside and train.
  • Silver Cathedral: A grand church that legitimizes the Carrivens’ rule, preaching that werewolves are cursed abominations.
Central Ashcroft – The heart of the city, bustling with trade and corruption.
  • The Bloodpit: A massive stone amphitheater stained with centuries of blood.
  • Gambling Halls: Run by House Burnish, fortunes are won and lost on the fights.
  • Market District: Legitimate trade hides black markets for rune-keys and other forbidden goods.
Lower Ashcroft (The Ashes) – Shadows, poverty, and prisons.
  • Ashcroft Prison (The Kennel): A sprawling fortress of cages, cells, and chains. Screams and howls echo through its halls.
  • The Docks: Where werewolves are smuggled in from hunts.
  • Slums: Homes of the poor.
Outskirts – Forest and moors stalked by Wardens.
  • Hunting Grounds: Where Wardens capture wild werewolves.
  • Silver and Iron Mines: Worked by prisoners and miners, the mines provide the raw materials for the city’s wealth, chains, weapons, and rune-burns.
  • Forests: Source of timber, furs, and wild beasts for trade.

Reputation​

Ashcroft is feared across the land. To some, it is a city of opportunity and wealth. To others, it is a pit of cruelty where howls rise with the tolling of church bells. Rumors spread of rebellion, but as long as the Carrivens hold the rune-keys, the Mutts remain in chains.