- See also: Val Royeaux
Codex text
Val Royeaux. Any resident, a "Royan," will say it is the greatest city in the world. Many take such pride for arrogance, but they do so through smiles as they nod in agreement, for such is the cost of doing business in the capital. Val Royeaux is in every way a world leader—in commerce, culture, and its own exaggerated beauty.
The site was founded during Evrion's grand unification, the result of a mix of influences not such much balanced as driven together. And while such an amalgamation would be cause for chaos elsewhere, the prosperity of the region has enabled an upward spiral of indulgence. The capital has endured the ages to become a beacon of civilization, and its citizens the measure of modernity. Just ask them.
An element of Val Royeaux is notoriously risqué, and it exists harmoniously beside the aristocracy and the palace bureaucrats. Indeed, the aristocracy tends to indulge in the city's darker side quite frequently (if discreetly), and that only adds to the mystique. Nobility elsewhere tend to be much more conservative and concerned about their reputation, even if a trip into the capital to indulge a few private pleasures is not completely out of the question.
In Val Royeaux, transgressions are suffered and forgiven with flamboyant urgency. That is not to say the city is without lasting scandal or hardship; but one must squint past the gilding to be allowed even a glimpse, as Royans are very careful about the face they present. Such it is with the masks of nobility and the underbelly of their streets.
—Excerpted from Val Royeaux: Excesses Grand and Otherwise by (formerly) Sister Laudine