Ashwood Ashwood is a border city consisting of nine districts or zones.

Ashwood is a border city consisting of nine districts or zones. One where the characters from fairy tales aren’t bedtime stories; they’re histories, passed down in whispers because the creatures and curses in them are still out there. In Ashwood, the magic never truly died; it just learned to live alongside rusted steel and humming machinery. Magic is often treated as dangerous, unpredictable, and even outlawed in some places.

The population is mostly human, but an undercurrent of demi-humans exists. Cobblestone streets and iron bridges mingle with power lines and gaslight-style streetlamps, while old clock towers loom beside factory chimneys.

In recent years, a law was passed with strict separation between species. Known as the 'Beast Law', nearly all human/demi-human partnerships are forbidden. This includes platonic or romantic, and even work or trade. There are set zones for humans, demi-humans, and a few where it's barely permissible.