Drachenfels - a Vermintide ghost story

Stories of the mythical necromancer known only as The Great Enchanter or The Nameless, have frightened Imperial scholars and children alike for centuries. Whatever the truth of the man, the dangers of Castle Drachenfels are very real. It is a place shunned by even the most hardened explorers and corrupt creatures of the Grey Mountains. But as rumors of an artifact of terrible power surfaces, the adventurers of Vermintide must travel to the cursed keep to investigate…

“Drachenfels may be vanquished, but his castle still lives, with a mind of its own.”

Sienna Fuegonasus

Hi, my name is Sara, and I am part of the Level Art team here at Fatshark. I was part of the team developing the environment of Castle Drachenfels for Vermintide: End Times, and for its second incarnation in Vermintide 2.

Drachenfels was the first DLC with brand-new level design for Vermintide. We saw it as an opportunity to stretch our legs a little bit, since the game usually takes place in and outside Ubersreik.

The Grey Mountains are not that far away so it felt sensible to go there. It became a kind of sneak peek to other parts of the Warhammer world, outside the cities of Reikland. On top of that, many of us were familiar with the book about Drachenfels and we felt it was different from what we had done before.

We also wanted to try to get something that changed gameplay and made the gaming experience different, so we introduced Darkness. It’s a mechanic that was supposed to promote co-op, with the group having to stick together to see the way forward.

Having three events in one level (Summoner's Peak) was also an attempt to try something new, to expand the functionality we used in Well Watch.

Drachenfels also featured a brand new, unique art style for Vermintide, something that was clearly different from the rest of the game.

Designing Castle Drachenfels

We read the role-playing adventure to get inspiration and ideas. The castle itself was inspired by old castles in general but especially by older French castles. The feeling of delving further and further into the castle to find secret areas, and seeing the castle become more and more worn and broken as you go.

The dungeons were inspired by old adventure movies. We wanted to capture the feeling of going into the dark to explore, finding treasures and artifacts – as well as lethal booby traps other dangers.

Background-wise, the story of The Great Enchanter is a great ghost story of its own, as a particularly mysterious character from Warhammer lore. According to some, at the peak of his power he even rivaled Nagash, the Great Necromancer. And all that’s left of him is this enormous haunted castle in the Grey Mountains. So it was really a no-brainer to send our heroes to investigate. On top of that, our shortest hero, Bardin Goreksson, is also a native of the Grey Mountains (Karak Ziflin and Karak Norn to be precise) giving us an opportunity to explore his background a bit more as well.

The mission

Christoph Engel, the mysterious Grey Wizard of Ubersreik, asks the heroes to recover a powerful artifact from Castle Drachenfels, before it falls into the dirty paws of the Skaven. In an effort to secure their goal undetected by whatever lurks in the darkness of the castle, the heroes quietly make their way through the dank Drachenfels Catacombs, evading many traps and other dangers. But before long they find themselves fighting off packs of ratmen, with untold hordes more alerted by the clash of blades and thunder of blackpowder. Abandoning the secrecy of their mission, our heroes must instead fight their way from the bowels of the castle, up towards the artifact hall.

“Drachenfels, The Great Enchanter, a scourge and menace to the Empire since the days of Sigmar. His defeat could not have come sooner.” 

Victor Saltzpyre

To find the hidden treasure, the heroes realize they have to locate three ancient statuettes in the castle, and place them in alcoves at an altar in the middle of the artifact hall. Unfortunately, the Skaven has got the same idea, with elite Stormvermin guarding each statue with their lives. With shrill cries of “Man-things! Kill-kill, quick-quick!”, the heavily armored ratmen fight with bestial, reckless fury, as if driven on by a will not of their own. But bestial fury or otherwise, not even these most lethal of ratmen can face the weapons of our heroes and live. Hoisting the statues over one shoulder, the group returns to the artifact hall.

When all statues are placed in their sockets, the artifact Christoph Engel spoke about appears. As the heroes grab it, fresh waves of Skaven appear. Realizing that the ratmen are too many to fight off, the heroes leap down through a breach in the floor. Falling several stories down, they find themselves in the catacombs again, their fall cushioned by the bodies of the previously slain Skaven. Fighting chattering Clanrats and agile Gutter Runners alike, the heroes make their bloody escape, the relic safely in their possession.

Who was Drachenfels?

“Drachenfels. The Great Enchanter. A devil in human form, who cheated death for centuries unknown; a man with appetites so base they lay beneath station; a necromancer, torturer of the dead, dismemberer of spirits, a vileness made flesh; a wizard, a scholar, a monster. Untold are the reaches of his barbarities, uncounted the number of his treacheries, beyond belief the depravity of his practices. Was ever such vileness born of mortal flesh?” 

Lives of the Depraved, by Konrad Steinhoff 
(Talabheim, Shnuffler & Son Publishers, 2099 IC)

Although Castle Drachenfels is very much real, it is unknown whether the creature known as the Great Enchanter has ever existed. Legend has it that he was called the Nameless, and describes him as a towering man (if indeed he was a man). Well over six feet tall and physically imposing, he kept his face hidden by a mask and from his broad shoulders hung robes embroidered with arcane and unholy sigils. The cautionary tales tell us no-one could look at his face and live – or at least remain sane enough to tell the story.

It is impossible to know what Drachenfels really was, or if he was but a tale told to scare children. But scholars agree that the Nameless was a creature of raw power, killed and resurrected numerous times during the ages. It is also believed that the Great Enchanter is dead. Whether man, beast or daemon, his bones lie moldering in the haunted halls of Castle Drachenfels.

Many have wondered why the Castle has not since been destroyed. At times, it has seemed that it was, but always the Castle has reappeared, a festering wound in the surrounding lands that cannot be truly healed. It has been said that the Castle has a will and a personality of its own. That the spirit of Drachenfels is not truly dead, but dormant. That it is but sleeping, and waiting for someone foolish enough to set it free again…

“So, this wizard, Drachenfels, he was among the worst of the worst, from what I've heard.” 

Bardin Goreksson