Drakkenheim

Capital of Westemär

Population: 100,000 people (formerly)

Ruler: Ulrich von Kessel IV (formerly)

Civil War Allegiance: None

Known For:

Before the meteor strike: Opulent capital with flourishing industry supported by large guilds; fantastic architecture; impressive fortifications. Seat of the ruling House von Kessel.

After the meteor: fallen monster-haunted ruin; only known source of delerium crystals.

Drakkenheim is no more. The once proud and prosperous heart of Westemär is now nothing but a crumbling ruin contaminated with eldritch haze and haunted by otherworldly horrors. The sight of the desolate city sends chills down the spine, and plucks at the distant strings of madness that grow in the back of the mind. Rising above the imperial walls and collapsing spires of the city is the shattered Inscrutable Tower of the Amethyst Academy. The debris from the place where the falling stars crashed through its center still hang in the air, defiant of gravity. Howls of unknown beasts can be heard echoing from the darkened dome of St. Vitruvio’s Cathedral, and the wondrous cosmological clocktower lays dormant in the middle of the city. Looming high above the city, the sharp-pointed towers of Castle Drakken flicker with eldritch light. Motes of octarine energy cascade and coalesce amongst its towers. The sight of the horrible crater writhes and wretches with spilling purplish haze that seeps through the streets of the city.

House von Drakken originally founded the city of Drakkenheim along the Drann River during the 6th century, and for a time the household ruled the “Kingdom of Drakkenheim.” Drakkenheim is remembered by the people of Westemär as a glorious city, but now the capital is a cursed ruin. Nevertheless, would-be heroes, treasure seekers, and other adventurous sorts travel here seeking plunder, mystery, and glory.

Five factions have arrived in Drakkenheim to advance their own goals and agendas: the Hooded Lanterns, the Amethyst Academy, the Followers of the Falling Fire, the Queen’s Men, and the Silver Order. Each seeks valuable resources and lost secrets within the city: some wish to collect and use the delerium crystals found there, others wish to purge the monsters which stalk the streets, and others even aim to take the throne of Westemär itself. However, the ruins present many confounding obstacles for their agents. Each of these influential groups hopes to attract talented adventurers to their cause, drawing would-be heroes and cutthroat mercenaries alike into a fierce political intrigue which may boil over into violent struggle.

Castle Drakken.

The ancient and imperial palace of the monarchs of Westemär, Castle Drakken is now a cursed and haunted ruin. Vladimir von Drakken arranged to have dragons bound to his castle to serve as guardians, transforming them into bronze gargoyles. These ancient defenders of the city are now mad. Upon the corrupted throne rests the Crown of Westemär, waiting for the day when one bold enough will emerge to seize it.

The Inscrutable Tower.

The Inscrutable Tower of Drakkenheim was once the Amethyst Academy’s most important stronghold on the continent. The vast obsidian structure is hundreds of feet tall, and housed vast repositories of magical lore, incomplete magical experiments, hidden vaults containing unspeakable extraplanar entities, and powerful magic items sheltered from the world at large. When the meteor struck Drakken heim, a huge chunk sheared straight through the middle of the tower. However, the Inscrutable Tower still stands. The topmost half of the tower still floats in place in defiance of gravity, leaving a gaping hole between the upper and lower floors of the tower. Many great mages were lost or killed that day — including the former Archmage of Drakkenheim, Adrianna Modera. Her position on the Academy Directorate has remained vacant ever since. The Academy desperately wishes to discover her ultimate fate, and recover her research. However, the Academy’s own arcane wards were scrambled by the erratic magic left behind in Drakkenheim, frustrating any attempt to enter or observe the tower using teleportation or divination magic. Those who have attempted to do so have been driven insane or killed by the arcane backlash.