Val Royeaux

Val Royeaux is the capital city of Orlais and home to the Andrastian Chantry. It lies on the northern coast of the far inland tip of the Waking Sea. It is one of the largest cities of Thedas. The city's residents refer to themselves as "Royans."

Assets

• Grande Royeaux Theater - The Orlesian Empire's most renowned theater
• Sweetsong Brandy Parlour - A popular tavern among the Orlesian Nobility
• The Imperial Palace - The seat of the Orlesian Empire

History

Val Royeaux is not only the secular capital, but also the capital of the Chantry, the seat of the Divine being situated at the Grand Cathedral of Val Royeaux. There, past the imposing Sun Gates and more modest Night Gate, the Chantry performs a ritual where the entire Chant of Light is sung, a process thought to take about a fortnight to complete. From The White Spire, the Knight-Vigilant of the templars directs the Order.  
Val Royeaux is home to the University of Orlais, a major center of learning that attracts young nobles from all over Thedas with the best education money can buy. It is a relatively modern institution whose liberal-minded professors have already clashed with religious conservatives over the content of their classes.
Val Royeaux is also where aging templars retire to when they can no longer adequately perform their services due to mental deterioration caused by long-term lyrium dependency.
The Alienage of Val Royeaux is the most populated and dilapidated in Thedas, with over ten thousand elves living in an area roughly equivalent in size to the market in Denerim.

Type

Large city

Inhabitant Demonym

Royan

Included Locations

• Grand Cathedral
• Grande Royeaux Theater
• The White Spire

Characters in Location

• Celene Valmont I
• Leliana
• Victoria