diff --git a/include/rendering/character_renderer.hpp b/include/rendering/character_renderer.hpp
index c368ded4..8a29d874 100644
--- a/include/rendering/character_renderer.hpp
+++ b/include/rendering/character_renderer.hpp
@@ -251,6 +251,10 @@ public:
 
 
 private:
+    // Create 1×1 fallback textures used when real textures are missing or still loading.
+    // Called during both init and clear to ensure valid descriptor bindings at all times.
+    void createFallbackTextures(VkDevice device);
+
     VkContext* vkCtx_ = nullptr;
     VkRenderPass renderPassOverride_ = VK_NULL_HANDLE;
     VkSampleCountFlagBits msaaSamplesOverride_ = VK_SAMPLE_COUNT_1_BIT;
diff --git a/src/game/quest_handler.cpp b/src/game/quest_handler.cpp
index 669a3e5f..a10bc83e 100644
--- a/src/game/quest_handler.cpp
+++ b/src/game/quest_handler.cpp
@@ -533,7 +533,10 @@ void QuestHandler::registerOpcodes(DispatchTable& table) {
                             }
                         }
                     }
-                    if (reqCount == 0) reqCount = count;  // last-resort: avoid 0/0 display
+                    // Some quests (e.g. escort/event quests) report kill credit updates without
+                    // a corresponding objective count in SMSG_QUEST_QUERY_RESPONSE. Fall back to
+                    // current count so the progress display shows "N/N" instead of "N/0".
+                    if (reqCount == 0) reqCount = count;
                     quest.killCounts[entry] = {count, reqCount};
 
                     std::string creatureName = owner_.getCachedCreatureName(entry);
diff --git a/src/rendering/character_renderer.cpp b/src/rendering/character_renderer.cpp
index aac98830..a3a5aa97 100644
--- a/src/rendering/character_renderer.cpp
+++ b/src/rendering/character_renderer.cpp
@@ -278,29 +278,7 @@ bool CharacterRenderer::initialize(VkContext* ctx, VkDescriptorSetLayout perFram
     charVert.destroy();
     charFrag.destroy();
 
-    // --- Create white fallback texture ---
-    {
-        uint8_t white[] = {255, 255, 255, 255};
-        whiteTexture_ = std::make_unique<VkTexture>();
-        whiteTexture_->upload(*vkCtx_, white, 1, 1, VK_FORMAT_R8G8B8A8_UNORM, false);
-        whiteTexture_->createSampler(device, VK_FILTER_NEAREST, VK_FILTER_NEAREST, VK_SAMPLER_ADDRESS_MODE_REPEAT);
-    }
-
-    // --- Create transparent fallback texture ---
-    {
-        uint8_t transparent[] = {0, 0, 0, 0};
-        transparentTexture_ = std::make_unique<VkTexture>();
-        transparentTexture_->upload(*vkCtx_, transparent, 1, 1, VK_FORMAT_R8G8B8A8_UNORM, false);
-        transparentTexture_->createSampler(device, VK_FILTER_NEAREST, VK_FILTER_NEAREST, VK_SAMPLER_ADDRESS_MODE_REPEAT);
-    }
-
-    // --- Create flat normal placeholder texture (128,128,255,128) = neutral normal, 0.5 height ---
-    {
-        uint8_t flatNormal[] = {128, 128, 255, 128};
-        flatNormalTexture_ = std::make_unique<VkTexture>();
-        flatNormalTexture_->upload(*vkCtx_, flatNormal, 1, 1, VK_FORMAT_R8G8B8A8_UNORM, false);
-        flatNormalTexture_->createSampler(device, VK_FILTER_NEAREST, VK_FILTER_NEAREST, VK_SAMPLER_ADDRESS_MODE_REPEAT);
-    }
+    createFallbackTextures(device);
 
     // Diagnostics-only: cache lifetime is currently tied to renderer lifetime.
     textureCacheBudgetBytes_ = envSizeMBOrDefault("WOWEE_CHARACTER_TEX_CACHE_MB", 4096) * 1024ull * 1024ull;
@@ -449,24 +427,7 @@ void CharacterRenderer::clear() {
     whiteTexture_.reset();
     transparentTexture_.reset();
     flatNormalTexture_.reset();
-    {
-        uint8_t white[] = {255, 255, 255, 255};
-        whiteTexture_ = std::make_unique<VkTexture>();
-        whiteTexture_->upload(*vkCtx_, white, 1, 1, VK_FORMAT_R8G8B8A8_UNORM, false);
-        whiteTexture_->createSampler(device, VK_FILTER_NEAREST, VK_FILTER_NEAREST, VK_SAMPLER_ADDRESS_MODE_REPEAT);
-    }
-    {
-        uint8_t transparent[] = {0, 0, 0, 0};
-        transparentTexture_ = std::make_unique<VkTexture>();
-        transparentTexture_->upload(*vkCtx_, transparent, 1, 1, VK_FORMAT_R8G8B8A8_UNORM, false);
-        transparentTexture_->createSampler(device, VK_FILTER_NEAREST, VK_FILTER_NEAREST, VK_SAMPLER_ADDRESS_MODE_REPEAT);
-    }
-    {
-        uint8_t flatNormal[] = {128, 128, 255, 128};
-        flatNormalTexture_ = std::make_unique<VkTexture>();
-        flatNormalTexture_->upload(*vkCtx_, flatNormal, 1, 1, VK_FORMAT_R8G8B8A8_UNORM, false);
-        flatNormalTexture_->createSampler(device, VK_FILTER_NEAREST, VK_FILTER_NEAREST, VK_SAMPLER_ADDRESS_MODE_REPEAT);
-    }
+    createFallbackTextures(device);
 
     models.clear();
     instances.clear();
@@ -487,6 +448,30 @@ void CharacterRenderer::clear() {
     }
 }
 
+void CharacterRenderer::createFallbackTextures(VkDevice device) {
+    // White: default diffuse when no texture is assigned
+    {
+        uint8_t white[] = {255, 255, 255, 255};
+        whiteTexture_ = std::make_unique<VkTexture>();
+        whiteTexture_->upload(*vkCtx_, white, 1, 1, VK_FORMAT_R8G8B8A8_UNORM, false);
+        whiteTexture_->createSampler(device, VK_FILTER_NEAREST, VK_FILTER_NEAREST, VK_SAMPLER_ADDRESS_MODE_REPEAT);
+    }
+    // Transparent: placeholder for optional overlay layers (e.g. hair highlights)
+    {
+        uint8_t transparent[] = {0, 0, 0, 0};
+        transparentTexture_ = std::make_unique<VkTexture>();
+        transparentTexture_->upload(*vkCtx_, transparent, 1, 1, VK_FORMAT_R8G8B8A8_UNORM, false);
+        transparentTexture_->createSampler(device, VK_FILTER_NEAREST, VK_FILTER_NEAREST, VK_SAMPLER_ADDRESS_MODE_REPEAT);
+    }
+    // Flat normal: neutral normal map (128,128,255) + 0.5 height in alpha channel
+    {
+        uint8_t flatNormal[] = {128, 128, 255, 128};
+        flatNormalTexture_ = std::make_unique<VkTexture>();
+        flatNormalTexture_->upload(*vkCtx_, flatNormal, 1, 1, VK_FORMAT_R8G8B8A8_UNORM, false);
+        flatNormalTexture_->createSampler(device, VK_FILTER_NEAREST, VK_FILTER_NEAREST, VK_SAMPLER_ADDRESS_MODE_REPEAT);
+    }
+}
+
 void CharacterRenderer::destroyModelGPU(M2ModelGPU& gpuModel) {
     if (!vkCtx_) return;
     VmaAllocator alloc = vkCtx_->getAllocator();
diff --git a/src/rendering/wmo_renderer.cpp b/src/rendering/wmo_renderer.cpp
index 633e69bf..3d401496 100644
--- a/src/rendering/wmo_renderer.cpp
+++ b/src/rendering/wmo_renderer.cpp
@@ -363,12 +363,16 @@ bool WMORenderer::loadModel(const pipeline::WMOModel& model, uint32_t id) {
                     break;
                 }
             }
+            // Track which WMO models have been force-reloaded after resolving only to
+            // fallback textures. Cap the set to avoid unbounded memory growth in worlds
+            // with many unique WMO groups (e.g. Dalaran has 2000+).
+            static constexpr size_t kMaxRetryTracked = 8192;
             static std::unordered_set<uint32_t> retryReloadedModels;
             static bool retryReloadedModelsCapped = false;
-            if (retryReloadedModels.size() > 8192) {
+            if (retryReloadedModels.size() > kMaxRetryTracked) {
                 retryReloadedModels.clear();
                 if (!retryReloadedModelsCapped) {
-                    core::Logger::getInstance().warning("WMO fallback-retry set exceeded 8192 entries; reset");
+                    core::Logger::getInstance().warning("WMO fallback-retry set exceeded ", kMaxRetryTracked, " entries; reset");
                     retryReloadedModelsCapped = true;
                 }
             }