The frozen copper path cracked and crumbled behind the heavy stern of the Void-Galleon as it finally cleared the chasm. Ahead, the smoke pulled back to reveal the hidden core of the minor constellation. It was not a grand hall, but an oppressive, circular bunker built from massive blocks of unrefined iron ore and jagged basalt columns. The ceiling was low, heavy with the weight of thick soot clouds that rolled like black water across the iron beams. This was the private sanctum of the Scribe of Fortifications, the Shield-Breaker.
The ship slid to a halt, its lower timbers grinding against the jagged stone dock that circled the central platform. The air inside this chamber was so hot it felt thick, sticking to the throat and leaving a bitter taste of burnt copper and old scale on the tongue.
[Synchronization: 84.0%]
[Level: 135]
