Arn Kalapunki and Ormr arrived at Highmark shortly after its destruction. Many bodies remained among the burnt ruins and Arn swore to find the survivors who were led off. Looking through the village for clues, they found a survivor: an older man who was gravely wounded named Thorbjorn. They managed to stabilize him with herbs and nursing, and as he recovered he related what happened to the village:
Raiders had attacked the town and led off many of the townsfolk, taking them back to their island just off the coast. Thorbjorn warned Arn that the raiders are unusually brutal and led by a husk known as Hoggvandill. Thorbjorn pledges to take Arn and Ormr to Hoggvandill’s Island so they may attempt to free the survivors of the raid on Highmark.