Solania had changed since Vask's last visit, and the difference became obvious long before they reached the inner districts. The great white walls still surrounded the holy city, with imposing towers rising above gates crowded by pilgrims, merchants, and travelers. Guards of the Holy Order watched the traffic, checking wagons and directing people through much as they always had.
Most of the decorations were gone, however. Simple white cloth bearing the Holy Order's symbol hung where enormous golden banners had once covered the walls. Portraits of saints and Heroes had disappeared from the gatehouses, along with many of the ornamental pillars that had made entering Solania feel like approaching a particularly wealthy noble's estate.
