Dawn was approaching, so the Stone Castle was slowly waking up. This beautiful stronghold had been the Mason's original creation once — the city grew around it, eventually becoming what it was today. Or had been, at least.
The castle was a small city in and of itself. It couldn't compare to Bastion, of course, but countless people could find shelter behind its walls, still. The inner stronghold of the besieged city had its own walls, its own moat, its own layered defenses, all isolated from the greater urban sprawl beyond — as long as the drawbridge was raised, getting inside was as difficult as breaching the city wall.
More so, even, since building a highly defensible fortress was far easier than ensuring the safety of a thriving metropolis.
It used to be that the Stone Castle was sparsely populated, with only the royal family, their servants, and their closest retainer inhabiting its courtyards and walls. Now, however, the situation had changed.
