In the Hot Springs of Valgard

The descent into the thermal depths of Valgard Citadel was a journey through the beating volcanic heart of the northern mountains. While the surface above was battered by sub-zero blizzards and sheets of glacial ice, the subterranean corridors cut through black basalt rock that radiated deep, comforting geological warmth. For eight centuries, the *Baths of the First King* had served as the private spiritual sanctuary of the ruling Vane bloodline—a…