Andore

Many know Andore as a land of hereditary royalty, chivalry and honour and believe the hereditary monarchy is one of the characteristics that has kept Andore stable in the years following its independence from the Empire. Others believe the dependance on a king, chosen not for his skill and popularity, but for his blood, has stifled progress and growth.

Like many other regions, Andore was once a province of the Empire. They became their own nation in 712 when Emperor Gar I was forced to acknowledge the independence vote by Andorian lords after years of rebellion and unrest.

Now independant for hundred of years, civil war is stirring. The death of King Solar and the ascension of the boy king, Myriam, has thrown the kingdom into chaos and some Andorians are looking for change.

Early History:

The early days of Andore are similar to other former imperial provinces. Following Emperor Gar I declaration of war on the elves of Irendille in 640, the lords of Andore chose to rebel against the empire rather than fight their elven neighbours. This rebellion signified the emergence of a unique regional identity as well as the naming of the first king, Tristan the Just.

While the common people loved King Tristan, the empire was not ready to let go of the southern province. King Tristan was executed by the Empire in Kintzheim for rebellion and high treason in 642. After his death, Andore reverted to imperial rule for 70 years before finally gaining indépendance in 712.

Though his reign was short, King Tristan left a legacy. He was well loved, especially among the common people. Many people trace Andore’s cultural reverence for their monarch back to this king of legend.

A Nation is Born:

The kingdom of Andore grew in the two centuries following its independence. Many see the time as a golden age for Andore. Provinces Moussillon, Dinant, Jodogne, Boistfort, Claircastel, Loren and Brabancourt emerged. Maritime trading expanded and Andore became financially independent. In 958, King Solar, just twenty years old, became the king. His reign would define the next part of Andorian history and many years of peace and prosperity would follow his coronation.

Rising Chaos:

In the later part of King Solar’s reign, skirmishes with the Empire and the forces of chaos became more and more frequent. Drawn by the strong telluric energy, hordes of dark creatures and demon worshipers from the province of Garganesh in the Terres d’Auquesse began to venture into the lands of Andore. Most notably, the swamp orc invasion of 997 CE and the campaigns of the brutal and merciless mercenary, Caïus Brutus Bubonius, under command of the necromancer Uskuada (La Bataille des Deux Ponts, La Légion Infernale.)

The violence was focused in the province of Loren, once a peaceful province on the border of the kingdom of Irendille. The troops of Garganesh took several domains and were able to harness the telluric energy to build a cursed monolith. Brutus Bubonius used this monolith to sacrifice the entire population of two domaines to feed the pact he made with the demon Le Tenamuahc (Campagne de Somière, La Légion Infernale.)

In the year 1004, Andorian troops were able to retake their lands and destroy Brutus’ monoliths. Driven mad with revenge at the defeat of his mercenaries, the Great Khan of Garganesh swore revenge. In the hidden city of Syn, he met with the necromancer Uskuada of Nasgaroth, representatives of the Terres de Brumes (Mistlands) and the Forgotten Territories. Together they planned an invasion of the central lands with the Great Khan focusing his force on Andore.

The Great Khan Invades

50 years after the coronation of King Solar, and the time had finally come for the Great Khan of Garganesh to launch a full invasion of Andore. In spring 1004, the inhabitants of the village in the province Boisefort were taken by surprise by invaders from Auquesse. The horde made quick work of the villagers, killing all in their path. The province of Boistfort fell to the forces of the Great Khan and the surviving population was reduced to slavery in the City of Garganesh (Invasions du Chaos.) Additionally, the horde took possession of the telluric point of Boisfort - allowing the necromancer Uskuada to open a portal to the realm of demons (Province de Boisfort.)

In response, King Solar ordered the regular army of Andore to confront the troops of Garganesh. Among their number were elven forces who were sworn to repay the debt they owed to Andore defending them from the Empire. While Andore fought bravely, it would take many years and a full fledged world war of Ordre de Notre-Dame-de-la-Rédemption and Teratos before the forces of chaos were finally repulsed from Andore and the other lands in the center of Mundus (L'Invasion des Terres du Centre.)

King Solar is dead, long live King Myriam I

By 1016, King Solar suffered from a long illness and eventually a burial was held, though still some believe there is a mystery around his death. As he was believed childless, the land was rocked by social unrest in the power vacuum left behind by his death. However, it soon came out that King Solar had had a son, Myriam, who had been raised in secret in Irendille, far away from the danger of assassins.

Burial of King Solar, his tomb can be visited by adventurers who wish to pay respects.

In 1022 Myriam was crowned as the 12th king of Andore. While initially Andore seemed happy to finally have a king again, unrest grew quickly. Inspired by the populist revolutionary, Alain Generoux of Kafe, peasants rose up and surrounded the King’s castle. Instead of coming to his aid, some lords of Andore chose this moment to seize power. (Le Roi est mort, Vive le Roi!)

Civil War

The current situation in Andore is unfolding quickly. After an initial show of unity following King Myriam’s coronation, cracks began to show. At the 1023 Purple Ball, Andorian Chancellor Gunthar was removed from his position by a vote from the Peer Council with the council saying Gunthar had lost the required amount of confidence in his leadership. There is now a divide between those that follow the former Chancellor who want to see more equality and new ideas in Andore and those that want to continue tradition and remain under King Myriam.

Gunthar Ashendorf (left) joined the guild of Brabancourt in the year 999 and quickly gained his knighthood by King Solar himself. Gunthar had been a constant stable presence in Andore. He distinguished himself as both a military and political leader serving in serval positions such as Duke of Leu and Lord of the province of Brabencourt before becoming the Chancellor of Andore.

Important places

Claircastel is the heart of the Kingdom of Andore. It is divided into ten fiefdoms. The capital Claircast is dominated by the magnificent castle. Claircastel is crossed by the Zimbe, and bordered by the Pamoise, two rivers of capital importance for the kingdom.

The province of Loren is one of the few to have developed relations with the elves of the kingdom of Irendille. There are the best trackers in the kingdom. This is the only known place where elven-made bows can be obtained. Throughout its history, which follows that of the Kingdom, Loren has enjoyed prosperous expansion.