Frostspire Citadel
Rising from the streets against the waters of Cromital like a jagged crown of ice and stone, Frostspire Citadel stands as a solemn reminder that power in the Snowcloak Dominion is forged in cold and kept through vigilance.
The citadel is both a palace and a fortress. Its ice-veined sodalite walls shimmer faintly with arcane enchantments, and its spires are often sheathed in layers of frost so thick they resemble sculpted crystal.
Purpose / Function
Frostspire Citadel serves as:
- Royal Residence of House Eber, including King Philus Eber and his household
- The seat of the crown’s judiciary and council
- A military bastion, housing elite royal guards and Cryo-mithral arms
- The city’s symbolic and actual center of sovereignty
Architecture
Frostspire is grim and majestic. Unlike the warm courts of southern realms, the palace exudes austere splendor. Its halls are built wide, not for grandeur, but to allow magic and troops to move unhindered. Fires burn only where necessary; the chill is considered a test of resolve.
The throne room, called the Heart of Winter, is cavernous and hung with glimmering banners of woven frost-thread. The throne, forged from polished cryo-mithral and froststone, pulses with a constant cold that only the royal bloodline can bear for long.
Runes are etched subtly into every arch and wall, layered with Dominion magic, protective rites, and unspoken oaths.
In addition to the living quarters for the royal family and barracks for the royal guards, the citadel includes the following rooms:
- The Heart of Winter (Throne Room): Where court is held. The acoustics are so finely tuned that whispers at the edges can be heard clearly at the throne
- The Argent Antechamber: A private meeting hall where the king meets with generals, councilors, or emissaries. It contains a frozen relief of the original Eber banner carved into the wall
- The Echo Steps: A side wing of the citadel containing old crypts and memory halls. Named for the soft whispers that seem to echo from nowhere, though few admit hearing them aloud
- The Frostforge: A small armory within the keep itself, used exclusively by the royal blacksmiths to work cryo-mithral under cool flames. Most of the Dominion's sacred regalia was forged here
Defenses
Frostspire is guarded not only by stone and steel but also by ancient magical wards, some as old as the founding of Cromital itself. Among its defenses:
- Guards and Wards: A network of runic circuits laced throughout the walls that, when activated, create freezing auras to slow or repel invaders.
- Sentinel Ice: Magical ice statues that awaken when the citadel is under direct threat.
- The Shard Gate: A sealed inner vault said to house relics tied to the Divine and the Cryo-mithral Nexus itself. Only the King and the High Conservator are believed to hold the knowledge to open it.
