The Imperial Palace of Draco rose above the capital like a monument to conquest.
It stood at the highest point of the capital, rising above the dark city like a monument to the empire's relentless ambition.
While the outer city was built of dark volcanic stone and fortified walls, the palace itself stood upon a vast elevated terrace carved from the heart of the mountain.
From afar it appeared almost unreal — a colossal structure of black marble, towering columns, and immense stairways that climbed toward gates plated in iron and gold.
From the lower districts, the palace seemed almost impossibly vast, its towers piercing the smoky sky and its walls gleaming faintly with the polished darkness of volcanic marble.
Where other kingdoms built palaces to symbolize elegance, Draco had built its palace to symbolize dominion and power.
