u/FayyazEUW

I've finally started DMing Drakkenheim and want to share the journey of my players. If you have any questions or input, feel free to leave a comment!

Players:

Bernfried aus Kloben (Human / Cleric 1 - Quest: Personal Pilgrimage)

Goddard Shieldcloud (Human / Fighter 1 - Quest: A Family Matter)

Hadriel Moonfoot (Wood Elf / Paladin 1 - Quest: Apocalyptic Vision)

Rovenna Ashfield (Shadar-Kai / Summoner 1 - Quest: Arcane Secrets)

The players have been hired by Eren Marlowe to protect his caravan on its way to Emberwood Village. Marlowe babbles about Drakkenheim's downfall before asking the party about their reason for travelling to Drakkenheim.

Bernfried wants to pilgrimage to the holy sites in the fallen city. Goddard searches for someone. Hadriel wants to visit the crater. Rovenna wants to find a cure for a loved one.

After two weeks of travelling the caravan is stopped by bandits. They demand a road toll but the party demands a blood toll killing one of the bandits in the process. The remaining bandits are tied up and interrogated. Their leader states that they have loose ties to the Queen's Men but haven't been to Drakkenheim themselves. They have a hideout a couple of miles away. The party isn't interested and leave them tied up on the road.

One day's march before reaching Emberwood Village the party sets up a camp site for the last time. They are alerted by a rustle in the nearby brushes. Three worn out humans emerge. Their leader and penniless nobleman, Ludwig von Graff, introduces themselves and states that they saw the fire from afar and are looking for a safe place to rest. The party invites them to the fire and talks to the adventurers about their trip to the ruins. They warn the party about the rats in the city and heard that there is a tavern still doing business in Drakkenheim called the Black Ivory Inn which seems to be booming although they haven't been their themselves.

During Goddard's night watch one of the adventurers is starting to shake uncontrollably in his sleep. Goddard wants to check on the man when his cloak starts to tear apart and a Tentacled Dreg rises up and immediately kills his companions. Goddard almost meets the same fate but is rescued by Bernfried before the party manages to slay the monster. Marlowe explains that he heard of contamination and the after effects of Delerium before but hasn't witnessed it firsthand. The party loots the adventurers, buries a hole and burns the bodies.

Although Ludwig doesn't seem to have any money left they find a notebook with fragments of family trees and a little map of Drakkenheim where some places have been marked. A quick glance indicates that Ludwig was searching for evidence of his inheritance. One of the places marked is called "The Rat's Nest Tavern".

Around noon the next day the party arrives in Emberwood Village. A little girl is sitting on a tree and asks the party if they want to get a tour through the city for a mere gold piece. Eren Marlowe chuckles and encourages the party to accept the offer since he will need some time to set up his stand before paying out the party. They agree and get a quick overview of all the sites by Emma Crowe, the daughter of the local smith.

The party collects their 100 gp from Eren Marlowe, decides to stick together and check out the lost place called Eventide Manor. They find the teleportation circle in the cellar which is protected by an illusonary wall and a glyph of warding and deduce that the Amethyst Academy probably uses it to travel in and out of Drakkenheim. Since they don't have any means of defusing the glyph of warding or using the teleportation circle they decide to leave the building again but keep this newfound information in mind.

In front of the door they find a letter on the ground which they are pretty sure wasn't lying there before. It's addressed to Goddard Shieldcloud.

"I've been looking forward to your arrival in Emberwood Village. Please meet me at the tenth hour in Eckerman Mill".

The letter is signed by a person named River. Goddard doesn't know any person called River.