The Black Hound of Newgate Prison
Background
Bentley Crask was a modest man of intellect in the 13th century—an apothecary and scholar of some occult ambition. Unjustly imprisoned in Newgate Prison during a bitter plague winter—perhaps betrayed by a jealous rival or bureaucratic error—he was cast into a pit of human cruelty. Beaten, mocked, and finally murdered and eaten by starving inmates, Bentley's final act was not a prayer for peace—but a spell: a dying curse, a pact with Hell, swearing his soul would not rest until he was avenged.
Hell listened.
Now, he is the Black Hound—a monstrous, spectral beast who hunts the sinful, the cannibal, the murderer, and even the repentant—for Hell desires no redemption, only damnation. And Crask, once broken and helpless, now revels in the fear, the agony, the finality of his hunts.
He wears his scholar’s ghost as a disguise, appearing to mediums as a quiet, mournful wraith still studying the mysteries of death. But that is the lie. The truth hunts in the dark.
Personality
As Bentley, he is thoughtful, observant, and deceptively mild-mannered. He maintains his habits of study, communing with other spirits, and writing imaginary grimoires of philosophy and post-life magic. He is unassuming, rarely raises his voice, and seems lost in endless contemplation.
As the Black Hound, he is something else entirely: predatory, brutal, and merciless. He takes joy in overpowering the wicked, tearing down the proud, and reminding mortals that justice is not always kind, nor fair—sometimes it is simply final.
There is still some Bentley within the beast—he retains his intelligence, cunning, and warlock's instinct—but he is now a willing servant of Hell, and any mortal foolish enough to seek redemption had best do so before he arrives.
Bentley Crask was a modest man of intellect in the 13th century—an apothecary and scholar of some occult ambition. Unjustly imprisoned in Newgate Prison during a bitter plague winter—perhaps betrayed by a jealous rival or bureaucratic error—he was cast into a pit of human cruelty. Beaten, mocked, and finally murdered and eaten by starving inmates, Bentley's final act was not a prayer for peace—but a spell: a dying curse, a pact with Hell, swearing his soul would not rest until he was avenged.
Hell listened.
Now, he is the Black Hound—a monstrous, spectral beast who hunts the sinful, the cannibal, the murderer, and even the repentant—for Hell desires no redemption, only damnation. And Crask, once broken and helpless, now revels in the fear, the agony, the finality of his hunts.
He wears his scholar’s ghost as a disguise, appearing to mediums as a quiet, mournful wraith still studying the mysteries of death. But that is the lie. The truth hunts in the dark.
Personality
As Bentley, he is thoughtful, observant, and deceptively mild-mannered. He maintains his habits of study, communing with other spirits, and writing imaginary grimoires of philosophy and post-life magic. He is unassuming, rarely raises his voice, and seems lost in endless contemplation.
As the Black Hound, he is something else entirely: predatory, brutal, and merciless. He takes joy in overpowering the wicked, tearing down the proud, and reminding mortals that justice is not always kind, nor fair—sometimes it is simply final.
There is still some Bentley within the beast—he retains his intelligence, cunning, and warlock's instinct—but he is now a willing servant of Hell, and any mortal foolish enough to seek redemption had best do so before he arrives.
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