Vlad led the group forward, his heavy steps echoing against the ancient stone paths beneath them. The stronghold was vast, stretching far beyond the cliffs where they had landed, an intricate city hidden among the towering peaks of the Spike Ranges.
The scenery unfolded before them as they moved through the entrance corridor—a breathtaking fusion of the past and future. Structures of carved stone, reinforced with enchanted metal, rose high, their surfaces lined with golden inscriptions that shimmered with latent energy. Glowing sigils pulsed gently across the walls, marking different clansmen' boundaries, pathways, and residences. The air was thick with an ancient presence, the very land humming with a power long intertwined with the Smith Clan's history.