The sun was low in the sky by the time Val and the rest of his party arrived at their first stop, the town of Andoril. One of the closest towns to the capital, it was a prosperous settlement with high walls hailing from its earlier years, when the lands around it had been far from safe. Whilst a far cry from the size of the capital, it was still of considerable scale, and the gates stood tall as they passed through from the open road into its streets. The town's design spoke of lessons learned in the fall, and was clearly one intended to be able to weather assault. The main streets wove a relatively convoluted pattern up the side of a ridge, leading to a large keep that overlooked the town proper, wherein a military garrison was posted.
Andoril boasted a fair amount of trade with the nearby villages and farms that fell under its garrison's protective influence, as well as with the capital, and was a regular enough stopping point for travellers and traders on their way to the city that its inns thrived in abundance. It also played host to a small magical institute - Venatari Hall - providing both education and services to the populace.
Those familiar with Amarathia's game of houses would also be aware that Andoril was largely considered the domain of Houses Solendra and Vardis, with both families having large estates within the town's walls, although Nasazura, Valdasine and Alumaine also had townhouses in the upper districts, and the influence of all the others could likely be found somewhere.
Val led the group through town until they reached a moderately sized inn along the main street - the Dawn's Kiss. There he drew his horse to a halt and turned to face the others. "Alright, here's where we'll be stopping for the night," he said. "I know the landlord here, and he'll give us a good meal and good beds - and for a good rate at that. Aside from being sure to be back here for dawn again, feel free to take the opportunity to explore, if you'd like. Or to get to know one another a bit better! I find it's always worthwhile to know who's fighting alongside you. Isaiyl should already be here, I think."
The hunter slung himself off of his horse, stretching out his legs for a moment before turning to offer Abel a hand down before the star panicked from being left alone in the saddle.