The party assembled in the city of Alberk (also referred to as Alberg Town), where they met Eren Marlow (also recorded as Erel Marlow), a merchant looking to hire guards for a caravan headed to Drakkenheim. The destination: Emberwood Village, the closest settlement to the ruined city. The journey would take approximately three weeks.
During the first night of travel, after loud conversations among the party, bandits struck the camp under cover of darkness. The ambush was easily repelled: the party killed one spellcaster and the bandit leader. When the leader fell, the remaining bandits fled. Marko and Mia chased them down, killing another bandit, though Mia sustained a very serious injury that was thankfully healed. The caravan pressed on, none the worse for wear.
After a few nights of travel — one day’s journey from Emberwood Village — the caravan crossed paths with three survivors from a Drakkenheim expedition: Ludwig von Graff (a knight), accompanied by Edra (a ranger) and Vos (a hooded figure). The expedition had not gone well; the trio were mercenaries who had been working in Drakkenheim and were desperate to escape the city as far as possible.
The survivors asked to share the warmth of the caravan’s hearth, and the party accepted. Some members tried to befriend the travelers and asked questions about their experience. Vos, who never showed his face throughout the meeting, drew Marko’s ire as a disgrace. After pressuring the group to reveal Vos’ face, the travelers left to camp further away for the night.
That night, the camp was awakened by a loud scream: Vos had transformed into a horrific, unstoppable monster. In a blink, he split Ludwig von Graff in two with his fierce power. The party rallied, managed to save Edra, and fought the now-unhooded Vos, eventually defeating him. Mia again sustained deadly injuries during the battle, which were once more healed. Edra’s fate after the encounter is unknown.
The survivors shared several rumors about Drakkenheim: - Deep within Drakkenheim, in a monastery hidden in the haze, something called “fallen flames” (associated with the Falling Fire Cult) remained untouched by the deadly mist. The haze could not reach them. Ludwig was searching for a deed of unclear nature. - The monsters in Drakkenheim are the old residents, and they can become docile by showing them things from their old life. - The Falling Fire Cult is somewhere deep within the Haze; it is unknown how they keep living there. - Add a gold coin inside your shoe when entering the city so that the spirits don’t follow you. - Inside the city there are societies that live and are functioning. - Near the crater there is a clan of Dwarves. - Dellirium can increase the potential for crop growth almost tenfold.