Lore#

World knowledge, history, and important concepts.

Delerium#

A crystalline substance that fell with the meteor fifteen years ago. It glows with an octarine (iridescent purple-green-yellow) color and is extremely valuable — but also extremely dangerous.

Properties#

• Mutations: Touching delerium with bare skin causes horrific mutations
• Contamination: Wounds from delerium-tipped weapons cause contamination that spreads if not treated
• Value: A chip sells for 10gp; a fragment for 100gp

Contamination#

Exposure to delerium-infused creatures can cause contamination (constitution save). Contamination is tracked in levels. When gaining a level, roll a d6 — if the result equals or is lower than your contamination level, you gain a mutation. Can be purged by any flamekeeper or potentially a druid living north of Emberwood Village.

Harvesting#

• DC 15 check (investigation, survival, or arcana) to find delerium in the city
• Revisiting an area grants advantage on the check
• A chip takes 5-10 seconds to extract
• A fragment takes about a minute to extract
• Must be stored in reinforced glass vessels
• Check the sides of buildings rather than picked-clean main streets

Safe Handling#

Per Armin Gainsbury’s guide:

• Never touch with bare skin
• Use insulated gloves and tongs
• Store in reinforced glass vials (2gp small, 4gp medium)
• Mine with picks or hammers

Special Uses#

• Animus Capture: Delerium can capture the “animus” (soul) of a monster within 10 minutes of death, useful for crafting
• Falling Fire Sacrament: Confirmed — Followers of the Falling Fire members plunge a delerium shard into their own hearts at or near the crater; those who survive become immune to the haze and are changed by the mutation, which Lucretia Mathias calls being “elevated”

The Meteor#

Fifteen years ago, a meteor struck Drakkenheim, destroying most of the city and killing the royal family. The meteor brought delerium and the corrupting haze that now covers the city.

Effects#

• Created the crater at the city center
• Spread delerium throughout the ruins
• Caused the purple haze (octarine glow) that covers the city
• Mutated creatures and people
• Killed or drove away most inhabitants

Ratlings#

Mutated rats that walk on two legs. They are intelligent enough to manufacture weapons and tactics.

Characteristics#

• Small creatures, about three feet tall
• Walk on hind legs
• Use rusty blades and delerium-tipped arrows/sling bullets
• Already mutated by delerium, so it doesn’t affect them further
• Keep prisoners alive (to eat later)
• Congregate in sewers and ruined buildings
• Have “Ratling Cunning” — can all disengage and flee as a group
• Attack with pack tactics (advantage when allies are adjacent)
• Can say “Kill!” (unclear if they can say anything else)

Known Location#

• Rat’s Nest Tavern (Scrag Lane, NW of Drakkenheim, outside inner city walls)

The Rat God#

The ratlings of the Rat’s Nest Tavern worship a deity simply called The Rat God (also referred to as “the Rat Goddess” by some ratlings — likely the same entity). Their warlock served as religious and military leader, presiding over an inner sanctum housing a delerium idol dressed as a demonic obese rat. The idol incorporated the large delerium node beneath the tavern as its centrepiece. Skull and bone offerings were laid at its feet.

The Sacred Flame#

The dominant religion in the region. The meteor’s fall has split the faithful into factions with different interpretations.

Factions#

The Three Saints#

Funeral Rites#

Sacred Flame clerics and paladins are preserved rather than cremated — the faith holds that the faithful may one day need their earthly bodies again. The full rite:

1. Wash the body; wrap in linen; set aside weapon, shield, and helm
2. Place body on tomb slab; place holy symbol at neck; set gemstones on each eyelid
3. Anoint with holy water
4. Light candles around the body
5. Read from a scroll while others join hands and recite a hymn

Performing the rite after disturbing a preserved paladin or cleric will lay them to rest permanently.

Holy Sites in Drakkenheim#

• St. Vitruvio’s Cathedral
• Saint Selena’s Monastery — near the crater, inner city; home to Lucretia Mathias
• Chapel of Saint Brenna — outer city, ~1 mile north on Champion’s Way

Key Prayer (Traditional)#

“Carry me to the flame. Let it judge my weary soul. If I burn, sacred flame, make me whole.”

— Recited by Heda Zlathrak; also the prayer required to lift the Scepter of Saint Vitruvio (while illuminated)

The Haze#

A purple, octarine-glowing mist that covers Drakkenheim. Limits visibility to about 60 feet. Creatures mutated by delerium don’t seem to want to leave it, making Emberwood Village (just outside) relatively safe.

No long rests are possible inside the haze. The city has not seen a clear day in fifteen years, despite how clear the skies are outside it.

Drakkenheim City#

Castle Drakken perches atop a high rocky hill above the city. Four bridges reach across the Drann River. Key landmarks include the great dome of St. Vitruvio’s Cathedral, the cosmological clock tower of Market Square, and the Amethyst Academy’s obsidian glass tower — broken in half at the middle, but the top still hovers above in defiance of gravity.

Monster Harvesting#

Monster parts must be harvested within 10 minutes of death or the haze corrodes anything usable. Common parts (bones, fluids, organs) can be taken by hand; anything above CR 1 requires a monster harvesting kit (50gp). Parts can be sold to Armin Gainsbury in Emberwood Village.

Former Inhabitants#

Many of the monsters encountered within Drakkenheim are believed to be former citizens transformed by delerium contamination. According to rumors overheard in Buckledown Row, they can potentially be made docile by showing them a token of their former life. Whether this works universally — and whether any cure exists — is unknown.

The Lord of the Feast#

A powerful entity said to rule the inner city of Drakkenheim. Known only by title; “all who dare enter become his prey.” The party has not yet encountered him.

Champion’s Way#

The main road running north into Drakkenheim. The Chapel of Saint Brenna is approximately one mile north along Champion’s Way, then a quarter mile west at the fork.

Mephits#

Small elemental spirits, each representing the overlap between two elemental planes. They appear as impish, creature-sized elementals — fiery, dusty, or smoky depending on their origin. In Drakkenheim, mephits have been summoned and exploited by the Amethyst Academy for scouting missions.

Three mephits (a magma, smoke, and dust) now shelter in the undercroft of the Chapel of Saint Brenna, having fled an Academy scouting mission they were sure would kill them.

The Old Gods#

An older religious tradition focused on nature spirits and the gods of the land. Captain Ansem follows this tradition rather than the Sacred Flame.

Six Seals of Drakkenheim#

Six magical artifacts jointly crafted by Amethyst Academy mages and Sacred Flame clergy; gifted to the royal family after the Edicts of Lumen. Required to perform the coronation ceremony of Drakkenheim’s monarch — the crown itself is a separate artifact, but cannot be placed on anyone’s head without all six seals present at the ritual.

None of the seals have been located. The Scepter of Saint Vitruvio is not one of the six seals. The Queen is actively trying to gather them, believing their possession bypasses disputed noble house claims.

Source: Blackjack Mel (Session 7).

Stone Dragons#

Ancient stone constructs that guard the walls of Drakkenheim. At rest, they appear indistinguishable from carved stone ornamentation on the wall crenellations — stone gargoyles flank them at intervals. They animate when approached within approximately 120 feet.

Their breath weapon is a 60-foot line of crackling purple lightning — Theobroma’s familiar Crumb was destroyed in a single breath (59 lightning damage). After responding to a threat, they return to their perch and become stone again.

They appear to follow ancient standing orders to guard the city walls and the Drann River crossing. No approach has been found to reason with or bypass them; any river crossing will require using one of Drakkenheim’s four bridges via a proper gate.

Wailing Undead#

Cloaked undead spirits that haunt the ruins of Drakkenheim. First encountered on the road to Buckledown Row; a second found near the crater walls.

Characteristics#

• Appear as hunched, cloaked figures with glowing eyes and an arcane lantern
• Primary attack: drop jaw wide and release a piercing psychic scream (area effect; Constitution or Wisdom save)
• Can reach out to seize a creature’s soul (Charisma save)
• Highly resistant to mundane damage; vulnerable to radiant damage
• The Scepter of Saint Vitruvio’s Flame Strike and Guiding Bolt proved effective

Harvesting#

Parts yielded: undead animus, undead ectoplasm, undead dust, undead hair (uncommon quality).