Ashridge

Home of Hollow Hills

Written by scubtle

“I once heard of a farming village on the northern reaches of Coburia. It was said that rolling hills sprawled across the landscape as far as the eye could see. Springtime bore wildflowers and sweet blossoms from the trees. While in the summer looking northward would yield a sight of never ending oceans of grain.” “So it’s a farming town. It grew wheat. Sounds picturesque, but why do I care?” “Rumor has it that many of those hills sat atop ancient tree roots from a bygone era of magic and mysticism. Apparently some were accessible and avoided by most for fear of old curses and creatures, but held the fossilized saps of those ancient tree roots.” “Okay, so it has some urban legends. Every city that’s ever been has its own lore to dig through. What’s the twist? Secretly harboring the cult of an ancient Demigod? Buildings made of dragon bones?” [sigh] “...No.” "Then what?"

Demographics

The vast majority of Ashridge is made up of Humans. Less than 10% of the permanent population is non-human (Half-Elven, Dwarven, Halfling, very occasionally will there be any other races than that, and usually they are orphans rescued by traveling merchants or unwanted children brought by a parent trying to hide the existence of said child.) There is one Elven family in Ashridge that exists in the upper class. They are quite powerful but keep to themselves. They are mixed. Nearly every other non-human in Ashridge belongs to the lower middle class or working poor. Upper Class District: Highland Ridge. They hoard resources and will own personal guards, the local police force also almost exclusively patrols there. Middle Class District: Tradesburrow, Old Meadow Lower/Working Class District: Forestcrest

Government

There's a relatively loose local government here, most of the town's protections are private bodyguard companies hired by the rich families of Highland Ridge, and there's a small local police force that is being barely kept alive, but they more or less act entirely as bodyguards for the wealthy. As for the common folk, there are small groups of mercenaries who try to protect the town as best they can, though their weapons are rudimentary compared to the police and traveling merchants.

Defences

The defenses of Ashridge are pretty dismal. The police mostly exist as body guards for the wealthy. Forestcrest is never policed and Old Meadow is barely touched. Highland Ridge families also tend to hire private body guards, as well. There is a small police presence in
Tradesburrow, as that's where APD HQ is located. The rest of the town relies entirely on the wayward adventurer or mercenary wandering through town, as well as mercenary groups that pop up from time to time to protect civilians. They're generally unapproved of by police, but they don't care to do much about it. Hollowguard teamed up with some loggers and carpenters to build small wooden walls on the South East side of the town but were quickly destroyed by a large scale attack on the city that killed many of the mercenaries working to keep Ashridge safe.

Industry & Trade

There are hundreds of acres worth of grain (mostly wheat) growing. They also have small various orchards that grow mostly apples, pears, and plums, but occasionally there will be other fruits grown. There's a small wildflower honey trade based in the hills to the East and South East. Working Poor Jobs: Carpenter; Farmhand; Warehouse Employee; Gardener/Groundskeeper; Maids; Middle-Class Jobs: Farmer (may own land, tend to manage farmhands and do less manual labor/use more machines if they can afford them Doctor (there's only a handful of them in Ashridge, and no formal hospital Seamstress (typically makes clothing for anyone and can stay afloat because EVERYONE needs clothes, and the wealthy will tend to hire them Merchant (for exporting goods Upper-class jobs: The rich don't perform labor, they're mostly landlords of some kind and will take rent money and/or commission from products sold and exported. They own many buildings and most of the farms in and around Ashridge; Being some creepy fuck that owns the graveyard, but nobody's really sure if they're wealthy or not. (They aren't very wealthy, at the most upper middle class, but they have a monopoly on death more or less and their nice things have been well-maintained for near centuries, and they tend to be handy/independent people).

Infrastructure

This town has been relatively untouched by the advancements of technology for a very, very long time. While the wealthiest families may have modern amenities, most buildings in Ashridge still aren't quite outfitted for even electricity. Much of Tradesburrow has been updated to electrical street lamps and cobbled streets, the inner parts of Old Meadow are slowly being outfitted with electrical lamps, but the majority of Forestcrest is still relying on old systems of infrastructure, and tends to be a more run-down and dangerous area. Some of the northern and inner bits will have electricity, but much of that comes from the generous help of local tinkerers who figured out the technology for themselves (or, by stealing plans or reverse-engineering batteries).

Streets

Cobbled Stone, very old. Generally kept well in the wealthier districts. Dirt roads leading out of the town. In Highland Ridge & Park, the stone is smooth and polished, in uniform and neat bricks.

Electricity

Highland Ridge: Stable, constant, you can see the glow from the neighborhood from almost anywhere in Ashridge. That part of the town is raised up a little bit higher from terraforming done by the families living there as they were building their homes. There are decorative and fancy lights (fairy lights, etc.) in Highland Park, including ornate street lamps. Tradesburrow: Unstable. Lamps come on at night consistently, but many buildings are only with power during the times they absolutely need it (i.e. their lights are on during business hours, there are some night markets). The local Tavern uses their electricity at night and cooks using old wood-fired stoves. Old Meadow: Oldest part of the Ashridge. Northern reaches closer to Highland Ridge have better luck at stable electricity, but the further out or south you go, the less consistent it gets. Some houses have their own generators but it is generally only used during the night when it is needed. Forestcrest: Very, Very spotty electricity. Some houses jury rigged electricity from some buildings in Tradesburrow (like Aezon and much of his original party, whether they're from Forestcrest or not). Most go without electricity and rely on fire for light sources.

Heating

Largely wood-fired stoves, especially for housing in Old Meadow and Forestcrest.

Water Plumbing

Most buildings have some sort of indoor-plumbing, though not as advanced as one would see in a larger city. Toilets, sinks, and bathtubs are common. Rarely would there be a standing shower built specifically for that purpose, unless in Highland Ridge. There are a handful of old windmills that are still used to mill grain, there is a very old sewer system being renovated slowly to support better plumbing systems, there are many courtyards and parks throughout Ashridge.

Assets

Local Tavern in Tradesburrow. It is the only one with an Inn, is friendly to anyone with coin, and is famous for it's soup. Don't ask what's in it. An Inn, no food, no drink. Just sleep there. A seedy bar in Forestcrest frequented by ruffians and loggers. Cinderstone Ironworks is a small smithy in Tradesburrow. The owner, Brendryn Cinderstone (female dwarf, barbarian, former Hollowguard and local legend for being probably older than dirt but absolutely not showing it) takes care of creating and repairing most farm equipment, armor pieces, and melee weapons. Morning Glory Orphanage in Forestcrest . The orphanage built as an afterthought. It's run down and the kids are poor. Many of them are non-human (most human kids are adopted out quickly). It's rather small and on the edge of town. A few street-food carts that are active, and the town square in Tradesburrow will sometimes have bards play for small festivals or impromptu parties. A handful of restaurants and bakeries, mostly to satiate the wealthier individuals of Ashridge. A well kept graveyard, surrounding a landmark (often also included as part of the landmark) known as Cemetery Hill atop which sits the Lovell House

Guilds and Factions

Hollowguard: A ragtag team of youth that more or less accidentally found each other. There are older members who were roped into the mercenary group by younger siblings, or at least by virtue of association alone. Its members are as follows:

Kaleb Wilhellmine. Human male. Leader of the group because he's best at critical thinking. Favored a longsword, but used a crossbow for long-ranged attacks. As of the current year in-game, he is 36 years old.
Erwan Wilhellmine. Human male. Kaleb’s younger brother. Very book smart and designed most of the electrical systems around the poorer part of town. Also tinkered with explosives and firearms. Aezon isn't very sure what happened to him, but judging by Kaleb's last interactions with him, Aezon suspects Erwin died in battle during the Final Raid which destroyed much of Ashridge. Age last seen: 26. As of the current year in-game: 28.
Brendryn Cinderstone. Dwarf female. Barbarian. Mom friend, but angry. She's a blacksmith by profession but a goddamn maniac by reputation. Nobody is quite sure how old she is, but every generation in Ashridge seems to have dealt with her at some point in their lives, so many people including the members of Hollowguard think she might be older than time itself (which pisses her off). As of the current year in-game: living, but at what cost?
Ciara Silva. Half-Elf female. Rogue/Ranger. Favored small weapons and traditional bows. She talked about how her older brother used one, but she barely remembers him because she was very, very young last time she saw him. Aezon accepts her as dead after he heard about presumably female (but not confirmed) Half-Elven body found after the Final Raid in Forestcrest, however, it was charred beyond recognition and could not be identified. She was not the only Half Elf in Ashridge, nor was she the only one to go missing. Missing In Action. Age last seen: 27. As of the current year in-game, 29 (MIA).
Trevor Rockwind. Human male. Tinkerer, low-tier gunslinger, also an alchemist. Not very likable. He and Aezon more or less hated each other. Missing In Action. Age last seen: 21. As of the current year in-game: 23 (MIA).
Barrett Von Sten Lovell II. Human male. Rogue/Paladin. (Raven Queen). Titled Lord Barrett Von Sten Lovell IV. He became lord of the house at 17 when his father died. Aezon watched his throat be torn opened by a blade during the Final Raid , and watched him fall. Age last seen: 20. As of the current year in-game: Deceased. Would be 22.
Aezon Morrin. Tiefling male. Warlock (though technicalllllyyy classless at the time, he didn't make his pact until after the Lower/Working Class District). We know him. As of the current year in-game: 22.

The current year in-game would be the beginning of the campaign. There are also a handful of other mercenary groups in Ashridge.

Other Notable Factions

Ashridge Police Department (APD) Ashridge Fire Department Ashridge Laborer's Guild

History

What Aezon knows: Ashridge is pretty old, several hundred years old, at least. He's not sure of its origins but it's probably weird. Very little old culture is left today, besides the small hollowed hills with fossilized roots and amber. There's relatively rich folklore, albeit, among children, that warn against going into Hollow Hills which dot the entire area of the town. He's not sure if the stories stem any deeper than what he was told and spread around as a kid, or if they're just stories meant to keep kids out of trouble. The large forest to the south seems to be a point of worry for everyone in the town, though there's no real 100% proof of what so-called monsters could be lurking in there. Most people stay out of the woods. Some loggers use the trees growing furthest out from the forest proper, but many have cultivated their own lumber farms a ways away. The large cemetery surrounds a larger hill atop which sits an old Gothic house with tall wrought iron fences, adorned atop raven iconography. The landmark is often known as "Cemetery Hill", and the house as "The Lovell House" or "House Lovell". Living in the house is a family whose generations has existed there probably as long as Ashridge itself. Aezon never learned too much from Barrett, despite being so close with him. Locals (mostly children) believe that the family there is at least creepy. At most, they are believed to be vampires, devils in disguise, or at the very least devil/demon worshipers. In reality, they're a family that honors tradition and are devout followers of the Matron of Ravens. They care for the deceased and give them good burials that are good for the earth. There are small mausoleums and headstones, but bodies are cared for in a relatively ecological way and the cemetery even resembles a garden at points. Flowers flourish there and it is teeming with small wildlife. Just before the Final Raid Aezon and Barrett observed a lack of vegetation over certain relatively new gravesites, and Aezon heard from his remaining friends (and parents) that the trend continued.

The Raids

Ashridge has had problems with monster and bandit attacks in the past. Though, they were few and far between. Ashridge is very far out of the way of most other towns, let alone any large cities, and wasn't very wealthy. It wasn't a place for anybody to target. The First Raid The Second Raid The Final Raid The New Warlock The End of the Beginning He doesn't know what's happened in or to Ashridge since.

Architecture

Varied from district to district. Old Meadow, Tradesburrow, and Forestcrest are all relatively the same in terms of materials used (wood, stone, some brick). Forestcrest tends to be more rickety and wooden, nicer parts may have a little bit of a Tudor look. Old Meadow uses more stone and bricks. These buildings tend to reach, at most, 3 stories high, but most of them are one or two. (think of split level houses, where half of the house is a "garden unit" and the others is a half-story high). Highland Ridge is boujie as all hell. Opulence is their main goal. Let thy heart wander with such immaculate architecture.

Geography

Ashridge is undoubtedly a beautiful place. Rolling hills that in the spring and summertime provide ample wildflowers that fill the air with subtle sweetness, vast planes of grain, small orchards dotting the land, and an endless taiga to the south.

A landmark of note is one that Aezon frequented as a child. A short bridge that crosses over a very small valley created by a stream. The stream sits in the center and is surrounded by roughly 3 feet of grassy and stony banks on each side, the river stones are smooth. The hill back to the path is steep and tall, about 10 feet. The valley itself is no more than 10 feet wide and no narrower than 6 feet wide in any given part of it, and is relatively short. Underneath the bridge are various markings and graffiti made by children and teenagers of the town, including the crude scratching of Aezon's name in one of the stones that are the foundations of the bridge. It resembles a larger bridge in Highland Ridge Park, a sort of half-circle design.

Natural Resources

Wood from forests, handfuls of farm animals and their products, grain from fields, fruit from orchards.

_{Map from HERE

(http://fantasycities.watabou.ru/?size=25&seed=1942147699&name=Ashridge&hub=0&random=0&citadel=0&plaza=1&temple=1&walls=0&shantytown=0&river=0&coast=0)}

Ashridge Maps: