Ashcroft Hunters

Hunter-the-reckoning — From Left to Right: Samantha Alexander, Esteban Cortez, Spenser "Deuce" Wyatt, Kassandra Cheyung.

The Ashcroft Hunters were a reoccurring group of Imbued Hunters who were the main playable protagonists of the console games HTR: Hunter: The Reckoning (console game) , HTR: Hunter: The Reckoning - Wayward , and HTR: Hunter: The Reckoning - Redeemer .

History[]

Hunter: The Reckoning - Video Game[]

In 2001, at Ashcroft State Penitentiary, the execution of convicted murderer Nathaniel Arkady takes place. Following his execution a flood of angry ghosts were unleashed from the prison, this lead to the imbuement of four Hunters. Father Esteban Cortez (a Judge), the biker Spenser "Deuce" Wyatt (an Avenger), the cop Samantha Alexander (a Defender) and the clubber Kassandra Cheyung (a Martyr); the four once average people stopped an undead horde from escaping the prison into the town of Ashcroft. After this event, the prison was shut down due to unspecified reasons. However, the newly imbued hunters swore to return to the town should anything like what happened that night occur again.

In 2002, the hunters returned to Ashcroft following an outbreak of undead due to a rave-turned-mass-sacrifice rendered the Skinlands open to the Shadowlands. The hunters battle hordes of undead monstrosities until they meet a wraith-turned-risen named Carpenter, who tells them that the Ashcroft prison warden Jeffrey Degenhardt and the prison doctor Hadrian are vampires behind the supernatural plot happening in Ashcroft. The hunters learn that Dr. Hadrian is performing flesh-crafting experiments upon the former inmates of the prison. After the hunters kill both Degenhardt and Hadrian, they're betrayed and atttacked by Carpenter for denying him his revenge on Hadrian.

After the Ashcroft Hunters dispatch Carpenter, they discover that Arkady, is still alive and is a werewolf possessed by the spirits. When the hunters defeat him, they demand answers on why he opened up the Shroud to the Shadowlands in the Skinlands. He explains that it was originally an accident but when his abilities were discovered by Degenhardt, he was captured and experimented on for his power to step sidways. The hunters learn that Degenhardt had been been deliberately opening up portals to the underworld as part of his plan to find his family's ghosts and give them new bodies. But in doing so, Arkady warns that Degenhardt endangers the whole city with hordes of undead and other cosmic forces if the spirits don't return. Through this exchange the hunters realise that Degenhardt is still alive also. Arkady pleads with the hunters to stop Arkady before the Garou loses control of his body to the spirits possessing him. The hunters flee the prsion as the possesed Arkady gives chase. The hunters mow through hordes of monsters, spirits and fend off Arkady to confront Degenhardt in the attic of his mansion. There Arkady attempts to destroy the vampire, but is killed in the process. In the ensuing battle the hunters grant Final Death to Degenhardt, release the tortured spirits in his thrall and escape Ashcroft.

Hunter: The Reckoning - Wayward[]

In 2004, the Ashcroft Hunters returned to Ashcroft yet again after receiving an e-mail from a fellow Imbued known as God45 otherwise known as Joshua Matthews (a Wayward) who asks for their help in another supernatural plot. The four hunters attempt to meet their contact in Ashcroft at a hotel, having to force their way into the disclosed meeting room, they find it empty. Searching the room, they find a map with that might help them find the other hunters. Eventually they find and rescue Joshua who was being attacked by a werewolf in the graveyard; they defeat the werewolf, and take Joshua back to the hotel. He tells the rest how he and his partner Devin Montgomery Lucien (another Wayward) had been captured by a Malfean Nephandi cult led by a powerful Witch and taken to the Ashcroft prison. Joshua then reveals that he was also freed by the risen wraith Carpenter much to the shock of the hunters. The Ashcroft Hunters steal a school bus and use it to crash into the prison and mount a rescue of Fanatic656. The Witch, aware of their arrival, sends her cultists after them but the hunters manage to overpower her and save Devin while she escapes.

The hunters learn that the witch is planning to perform another ritual which requires the sacrifice of innocent life to open another portal to the Shadowlands; Devin goes rogue and intends to kill everyone in Ashcroft to prevent the completion of the ritual. The other hunters become incensed, setting off to save innocents and stop Devin. Eventually the Ashcroft Hunters confront and stop Devin, however, The Witch uses Devin as her sacrifice and a large tower manifests as the town starts to warp between the Skinlands and Shadowlands. Hordes of Spectres and other creatures of Oblivion began pouring out in droves. Atop the tower, the hunters discover that The Witch has used herself as an anchor for a Nephwrack and is confronted by Carpenter. Carpenter mocks the Nephwrack saying that once the hunters deal with him, he'll be waiting for the Nephwrack on the other side. The hunters climb the tower and fight the Nephwrack, destroy its material form, closing the rends between the Shadowlands and Skinlands. With things back to normal, the hunters leave Ashcroft once again.

Hunter: The Reckoning - Redeemer[]

In 2012, the Ashcroft Hunters return to Ashcroft now joined by Esteban's apprentice Kaylie Winter (a Redeemer). The hunters work with another hunter called Xavier Lucien, the owner of the multi-conglomerate called Genefex, in his war with the local Garou Sept around Ashcroft. The hunters initially help Lucien in his hunt but after a series of peculiar occurrences, including another fateful encounter with Carpenter at Ripper's Club, they quickly realized that he is not acting to protect people from the Werewolves. When the Hunters begin to investigate more about Lucien's motives, they discover a hidden Genefex laboratory preforming experiments upon people that is turning them into Wyrm-tainted creatures and Fomori. Soon after they find the werewolf Elder Vincent strapped upon a table, initially the original four hunters wish to kill him, but were persuaded against this action when Kaylie convinced them to spare and rescue him. After helping Vincent he explains to the hunters that Lucien isn't even following the will of The Messengers, he has instead has been following the will of something completely different and much more prevalent threat. A being simply known as The Wyrm.

The Hunters began teaming up with Vincent's Sept and his werewolf kin to oppose the threat that Lucien and Genefex pose against. The hunters managed to bring down Lucien and his Wyrmish forces during the fight on top of the tall Genefex building. But Lucien turns out to still be alive and the Judge, Father Esteban Cortez, confronts him to finish him off. With the explosions being set off in the building all members of the Ashcroft Hunters, except for Esteban, escaped the collapsing Genefex building through a portal with Vincent. Esteban stays behind to finish Xavier Lucien off for good by destroying both his tainted and possesed body. Esteban's cruciform sword is launched from the roof of Genefex before the building explodes, Kaylie then ultimately takes possession of her adoptive guardian's sword as she and the remainder of the Ashcroft Hunters leave Ashcroft once again.