Andoran

In the grand sweep of Golarion’s history, nothing quite like Andoran has ever existed before. Though old Azlant may have seen the first stirrings of democracy among a few privileged members of society, this radical government was neither widespread nor widely accepted, and it died when Azlant was shattered among the waves. Born again in the dreams of the poet Darl Jubannich and the philosopher Hosetter, the idea of equality before the law found a fuller expression in the tide of darkness that threatened to shadow Golarion after the death of Aroden.

Faced with the choice of servility under the lash or the terrors of freedom, Andorens chose to follow their impossible dreams – and succeeded. They chose to shape a future free of infernal taint, of tyrants dictating the course of their lives, and to greet their destiny with open eyes. Against the armies of Hell and the machinations of princes, against the words of those who were too faint of heart to continue the fight, they gambled with their lives and were victorious. They chose to assert their beliefs for themselves and for their children, neighbors, and countrymen – and in so doing, lit a fire in the spirits of the oppressed across Golarion.

Their descendants still carry this torch, and its light fills the hearts of the citizens of Andoran. They are neither pure nor innocent, but nearly all of them subscribe to the dreams of their ancestors, and believe passionately in the vision of freedom and equality that was born decades ago.

The Chelish skeptics say (and are encouraged by their government to continue in this vein) that the Andoren experiment is a false front for a shadowy cabal that manipulates the citizens. They insist that the government runs on self-serving interest, that greed and selfishness are human nature, and that the people of Andoran are not truly free. They say that in a crisis, the Andorens will revert to form and prove their animal nature.

Andorens are determined to prove them wrong.

The people of Andoran are fiercely independent. Having freed themselves first from Taldor’s influence, and then from the boot of Cheliax, they now insist on charting their country’s destiny without the influence of foreign dictators, and on allowing each and every citizen his or her say on the matter. They are egalitarian, and look beyond what a person says to what a person does.

The history of Andoran prior to its independence is one of existence with greater powers – not exactly subservience, but neither with willful steps toward self-rule. The country had always existed slightly apart from the centers of power, acting primarily as a resource for the rulers who drew their necessities from its forests, rivers, and people. Andorens have lived for centuries with others siphoning away their most precious resources; thus it was that when they were asked to submit to Hell itself, on top of the other indignities, they revolted at last. They discovered their power, and have decided they will assert it, both for themselves and for others across Golarion.

Andorens are generally good, though their convictions range from a firm belief in the rule of law to upholding an individual’s rights above that of the group. They believe in examining an argument on its merits, rather than listening to gossip, slander, innuendo, and half-truths – as Chelish agents have discovered, to their great regret. Andorens are passionate about their country, about their history, and about their future. They are not so proud that they are blind to the potential pitfalls and dangers of their ideology, and they do not share a collective mindset, but they are truly engaged and informed citizens, believe strongly in Andoran’s rightness, and will fight to the death to protect their land. They believe in everyone’s right to speak his mind, and believe equally in their right to disagree – sometimes with a thrown fist.

The greatest schism in the country is between those who believe in Andoran without question and without fail, and those who believe that it is best and healthiest to point out flaws and shortcomings in the country and government so they can work to fix those flaws. Factions do exist in the land, but given their neighbors, they take care to ensure that their own arguments are clean from foreign taint: no one wants their argument likened to Chelish positions.

Government

The Republic of Andoran is both driven and solidified by one underlying force: the fear of a return to tyranny. Within the republic, the more influential one becomes, the greater the public scrutiny, as there is an inherent distrust among Andorens for those with too much power and authority. As such, the higher one climbs in the democratic government or the more wealth one accumulates, the greater the social pressure to be charitable and promote good works. Any less draws derision, ridicule, or worse – suspicion.

Upon the overthrow of the old nobility, the newly formed government moved quickly to redistribute the land, allowing those nobles who wisely capitulated to keep a modest amount of property and wealth but returning the rest to the people. In keeping with millennia of convention, traditional lands were kept intact, divided as they already were into municipalities, each represented in the central government by a duly elected councilor who sat on the People’s Council. The council then, as a whole, appointed mayors for each individual municipality. Thus far, this system has worked to ensure a lack of corruption in local governments, as local politicians cannot bribe, threaten, or otherwise manipulate the local populace into electing them as mayor, and the council bases its decisions solely on a mayor’s credentials and merits.

In addition to the hundreds of municipalities, each major guild of Andoran has a representative on the People’s Council; from the merchants’ and bankers’ guild to the fishmongers’ and drovers’ guild, every trade has a voice on the council. The current number of seats on the council is 350, though this can increase or decrease through special legislation, such as would be required if the country acquired or lost territory.

The People’s Council meets in Almas once every 6 months, on the 15^th of Erastus and Abadius, though any minister, consul, councilor, or the Supreme Elect can call a special session. All meetings are open to the public, though for a citizen to speak while a session is underway is cause for removal from the building.

Such meetings are presided over by the Supreme Elect. The current Supreme Elect, Codwin I of Augustana, has proven to be a wise, fair, and capable leader, and one who seems determined not to show any favoritism toward his home city. His term ends in 4709.

History

Though Andoran is best known for its novel government, it has a long and storied history behind it: the country has existed in one form or another for over 3,000 years, longer than most of its neighbors, but has not burned as brightly as others – until now. Its brilliance has been subsumed under the hard-edged imperiums of Taldor and then Cheliax, though its people have played instrumental parts in the history of the world: they were the first of the region to sail past the Arch of Aroden, their people the finest commanders in Old Taldor’s navy, and long the source of the lumber that made it possible for Taldor to support itself across the broad reaches of Golarion. It was only upon the rise of devil worshipers in Cheliax that Andoran discovered its true purpose: to bring a light into this dark world.

Andoran’s History

-1700	The birth of Andoran Province, rising from the marchlands of imperial Taldor.
1853	The Lumber Consortium forms, providing a steady supply of lumber to its imperial masters from Darkmoon Vale.
1900-4000	Andoran consolidates its borders, pays tribute to Taldor, does battle with its neighbors, puts down uprisings, fights monsters, and solidifies into a concrete entity.
4081	Andoran renounces its ties with Taldor as part of Cheliax’s Even-Tongued Conquest.
4600	The Eagle Knights form under the auspices of King Cullaim II, their mission to provide an honor guard to Aroden when the god returns.
4606	Aroden dies. Chaos ensues. Trouble in Cheliax. Panic sweeps Andoran.
4660	The Thrune Ascendancy in Cheliax. Diabolists take control of the houses of power in that country, and bring their cruel sensibility to bear on Andoran. Two years later, Darl Jubannich writes On Government, his tract about the Chelish government’s terrible betrayal of humanity. His words inspire the revolution of 4669.
4669	Andoran declares independence from Cheliax. Recognizing the danger to its fledgling democracy, the government repurposes the Eagle Knights with the cooperation of its military leaders. Cheliax begins its 20-year embargo of Andoran, ending in 4689 when Andoran successfully sinks three Chelish warships outside Westcrown, including the Chelish flagship.
4691	One of Taldor’s dukes mounts an expedition to take back its “rebellious province”, and lays waste to one of the eastern counties before Andoran gathers its armies. The Eagle Knights gain more importance; rumors spread that they engineered the whole thing.
4697	The Goblinblood Wars threaten the stability of the region, but Andoran perseveres.
4707	The current year.

Life in Andoran

As most Andoren citizens were originally common folk, a visitor might expect their culture to be similarly common and unrefined, but it is an old country and has its share of quirks and surprises.

Architecture

Since the revolution, the Andorens have taken to emulating the styles of the Azlanti artisans in their official buildings. Great and shallow stairs, tall columns, and wide entries are the hallmark of the style, along with high cupolas, arching ceilings, and domes to draw the eye. It is said that some of the trade guilds have drawn more than the architectural style form the old Azlanti, and that some of the horrors of their history live on in secret teachings and profane books hidden in the guildhalls. Most who hear this scoff at these “Chelish rumors”, but others say that the Eagle Knights have taken the matter seriously enough to investigate.

The smaller villages do not see the same sort of ornamentation as the cities, of course, but even in the meanest rural village, public works projects have begun to erect town halls that mimic those of Almas. While most Andorens are excited to have such monuments within their humble towns, some of the more paranoid citizens whisper that the elaborate frescoes hide arcane symbols, an elaborate code designed to help undercover Eagle Knights communicate, give the Great Council advance notice of unrest, or organize local turncoats for a Chelish invasion.

Banks

Andoren banks are the grease that allows the wheels of the country’s economy to turn. Not only do they provide funding for entrepreneurs, insurance for ships weighed down with exports, and low-interest loans for farmers, the banks of Andoran also serve as a national symbol of economic freedom and self-determination.

The banking system developed slowly over a century, beginning as wealthy merchant families acting as moneylenders and pawnbrokers. By investing their profits from interest in further business ventures, these merchant families expanded their fortunes and, consequently, their power. The old nobility that rules Andoran at the time quickly moved to stifle the rise of this new middle class by imposing harsh tariffs, thus ensuring that no matter how successful the banking guilds were in their trade, their efforts were always benefitting the nobles even more.

Chafing under such restrictive measures, the bankers developed resentment for the ruling class long before the rise of House Thrune in Cheliax. When the diabolists gained control of the throne and the people of Andoran raised their fists in protest, the banking families encouraged the dissension, funding the rebellious movement and smuggling arms and armor for the rebels.

After the People’s Revolt, not all bankers took to the burgeoning egalitarian government with the same sense of enthusiasm. A few felt that they were merely trading one form of suppression with another, as the newly formed People’s Council quickly moved to put a cap on interest rates, declaring that anything above a flat six percent was usury, and thus a crime. Voices of dissension were quickly drowned out in the thundering wave of patriotism that followed the revolt, and such bankers either learned to adapt or emigrated to more fertile ground.

Today, those who stayed operate in every major city in Andoran, supplying short-term, low-interest loans to any citizen with decent credit. Long-term loans are available for those who have acceptable assets as collateral, or who have outstanding credit.

Most banks operate out of fortified, two-story buildings, usually found right off the main market of whatever city in which they operate. Meetings with the clerks (called “factors”) for deposits, withdrawals, or loans are by appointment only, though banks usually operate out of stalls in the market during the mornings and mid-afternoon. Such open meetings are only to determine one’s qualification for a loan, present a request for withdrawal, or discuss terms of deposit. Once negotiations are set, an appointment at one of the bank’s branches – usually but not always within the same city – is made, generally 1 to 2 days after the meeting, though sometimes transactions can be carried out the same day (though withdrawals of substantial amounts might take weeks to gather). Once inside the branch, the customer is led to a small, unadorned room furnished with a few desks where various factors perform their duties, an abacus for figuring complex calculations, and a low table upon which the transaction is carried out.

Because competition between the various banks is nullified by nationalized interest rates, various institutions have learned to coexist by establishing friendly loan monopolies – there is an unspoken agreement among bankers that only a certain family will offer loans for certain trades. Grocers and rovers seeking a loan apply to one bank, while millers and farmers seek another, and so on. Any bank may grant a private loan to anyone, with the competitive edge generally going to the bank that takes the highest risks. These monopolistic divisions have their foundation with the merchant guilds, from whence the banks originated, and thus far are seen as a healthy form of diversity and competition by the People’s Council.

Though dozens of banks operate within Andoran, the three most powerful banking families are detailed below.

House Goldfield: House Goldfield had its start nearly a century ago as goldsmiths. The nobility in Adnoran sought not only their expertise in crafting, but also their highly protected vaults in which to store their vast hoards of wealth. With such treasures at their disposal, the Goldfields founded a long family line as successful moneylenders, using the riches of the nobility to pull themselves into a position of power. They currently operate 19 branches throughout the Inner Sea region and employ 117 factors. Its current head is Lusha Goldfield; its primary trade goods are gold, silver, and alum.

House Naran: The most successful bank in Andoran is Andoran’s first bank, called the Foresters’ Endowments, and is operated by House Naran, which got its start as loggers and shipwrights. Based out of Augustana, House Naran enjoys the distinction of being the government’s number one supplier of naval ships, their shipyards outpacing the ones found in Almas in both quality of design and speed of manufacture. The house currently owns 22 branches across the Inner Sea region and employs 132 factors. Its current head is Jerrik Naran; its primary trade goods are lumber and ships.

House Vaylen: Beginning as archaeologists and treasure hunters, House Vaylen blossomed into one of the most successful banks in Andoran. They are currently the largest Andoren supplier of the precious antiquities from distant lands that help fuel Andoren’s impressive economy. They are well known for their funding of large-scale expeditions into foreign realms and generous contributions to the Pathfinder Society. They have 15 branches scattered across the Inner Sea region and employ approximately 90 factors. Its current head is Mennen Vaylen; its primary trade goods are antiquities, exotic artifacts, and luxury items.

Fey Influence

As Andoran’s forests dwindle and conflicts between fey, druids, and woodsmen ensue, fey are often cast as the enemy of progress. In some ways, they are – Andoren advances at the expense of nature are magnets for fey violence and mischief. But an older thread of Andoren-fey relations continues to work as a counterbalance. The Andoren folkloric tradition generally portrays fey more favorably, as protectors of humans from attacks by wild beasts or helping them survive natural disasters. This vision of fey is propagated across Andoran, even as more sinister tales of fey dominate around the campfires of logging camps. As a rule, the local fey tend to avoid human settlements and evade human travelers, as long as their sacred places aren’t threatened.

In the absence of direct conflict, a certain amount of cultural exchange takes place between Andorens and fey, both sides curious about the lifestyle of the other. The northeastern sport of prismati is a good example of humans adopting fey cultural trapping. In some ways, with their adventurous spirit and natural egalitarian tendencies, Andorens are the people of Avistan with whom the fey have the most in common.

Fey Courts: Humans who interact with fey sometimes notice that Andoren fey often wear emblems or devices giving hints to their allegiance, attitude, or temperament. Every youth who lives near the Arthfell Forest, for instance, knows that a sprite with two winterberries pinned to his raiment means it’s time to run for home, as the fey is in a violent mood. Some Andoren youths have emulated the fey, making up their own “courts” for anything from fistfights at the old quarry to picking sides in an election. These courts can cause town elders and parents no end of trouble as the youths aggressively assert their identity outside of the traditional bonds of family, religion, and profession.

Food

The food of Andoran is generally seen as plain, rustic, and less than inspiring – but this is by the cosmopolitans of Egorian in Cheliax and Oppara in Taldor, whose palates are exquisitely refined and who lead lives of such luxury that their every meal is a delicacy. Though it is this judgement that damns the culinary experience of Andoran, the truth is that artisans and chefs across the nation provide a huge array of delicious foods.

With their exposure to the cultures of both Taldor and Cheliax, their navy ranging far across the sea, and their merchant class the envy of Avistan, Andorens have access to the foodstuffs of the world: their meats, their fruits and vegetables, and their herbs and spices. Almas boasts some of the finest food in western Avistan, if one knows where to look. In the foothills near Droskar’s Crag, flocks of sheep and cows graze in the sweet-grassed meadows. Something of that flavor makes it into their milk, and the cheeses that come south are legendary for their quality.

Likewise, the cattle in the plains near Riverford produce steaks of exceptional quality, and the farms of the rolling grasslands bring in corn, alongside a wide array of other vegetables. The colder north sees apple, cherry, and pear trees, while certain portions of the coastline of the Inner Sea sport orchards of orange, lemon, and lime.

The cities of the coast are renowned for their seafood, with fresh catches coming into harbor every day. Lavieton in particular is said to offer the finest fish in all the Inner Sea at the Sign of the Blue Sail. The slaughterhouses of the cities create succulent sausages and excellent cuts of meat, and the bakers’ bread is both crusty and soft, leading to the Andoren judgement that cuisine in their nation is often simple, but no less remarkable for it.

Military

The military of Andoran occupies a special place in the hearts of the people it serves, for the army and navy of Andoran are the people themselves. Its soldiers and sailors are volunteers, rather than conscripts or mercenaries; they do it for love of country and for the honor it brings them. The military does not turn away recruits, but as this is primarily an agrarian society, people need to work their farms, catch fish, cobble boots, shoe horses, and mill grains. Thus, while many volunteer for the army during the summer months after seeds have been planted and the pace of life slows, they return to their lives during the harvest, possibly returning for additional training during the winter when the land is locked in snow.

Some factions within Andoran believe that the government should promote compulsory military service. With devil-haunted Cheliax on one side and decadent, unpredictable Taldor on the other, surely a need exists for a standing army. By and large, though, the people of Andoran have rejected this idea, believing strongly in one’s right to choose. The farmer and the merchant, they say, contribute as much (or more!) to the wellbeing of the country as does the soldier, and each should be allowed his work.

The military of Andoran sees significant involvement from all walks of life and from all character classes. Rangers are common, especially along the borders, where they can track potential enemy movement and scout dangerous troop movement before their enemies know of their presence. Paladins are more common in the cavalry and the Eagle Knights, where they can use their awesome power to inspire their companions to greater bravery.

Any citizen can enlist in the military, and can choose whether to serve in the army or the navy. Once enlisted, soldiers are expected to serve a set term, and to give up certain rights that would be accorded to ordinary Andorens for the duration of their enlistment. Those who enlist full time are expected to stay a minimum of 2 years. The military offers decent wages, decent food, and the fellowship of like-minded citizens, and the wages increase every time the soldier renews the enlistment. Both men and women may serve.

The pinnacle of military achievement is membership in the Eagle Knights. Most candidates make themselves known by demonstrating exceptional achievement within the ordinary military: achieving near-impossible tasks, saving one’s squad from certain death, uncovering and delivering information vital to national security, and so forth. Non-Andorens may also serve in the Eagle Knights, though their path requires that they show complete devotion to the ideals of the People’s Revolt, and that they provide an extraordinary service to the country, proving that they have both the skills and the mindset necessary to serve Andoran. A contentious minority, rooted in the old ways, suggests that the Eagle Knights should be descended from scions of noble families; indeed, before the People’s Revolt, the Eagle Knights were primarily of the nobility, and expected to provide their own gear. Their activities then were more of a dilettante nature, inspired by dreams of personal glory; now they are in deadly earnest, devoted to the spread of Andoran’s philosophy.

Those who are selected for the Eagle Knights undergo rigorous and secret testing to determine the branch for which they’d be most suited, and are said to bear a small and stylized eagle figurine somewhere upon their person: a golden eagle for the Golden Legion, a blue falcon for the Steel Falcons, and a black hawk for the rumored Twilight Talons. The colors represent the Andoren flag, and stand for honor, courage, and freedom. The Eagle Knights need not identify themselves as such; when they do reveal themselves, they frequently do so suddenly and with a display of prowess to let their foes know that evil shall not prevail.

The Gray Corsairs are the navy’s branch of the Steel Falcons. They are among the best sailors of the Inner Sea, and they fly no flags. It’s said that they hide ships along the shores of the Inner Sea, trading crews and markings overnight to prevent pursuit and identification by their enemies. If they attack a flotilla, they save one or two ships for their own use, and sink the rest. When they catch slavers, they annihilate the slavers and teach the slaves to crew the vessels, bringing the freedmen home to Andoran to learn the ways of freedom. The Corsairs cooperate with the rest of the Steel Legion, transporting hardened veterans to hotspots and danger zones. The ships of the Gray Corsairs travel faster than most others on the sea, and it is said that even captured ships become faster under the guidance of the Andorens. Certainly wizards play a huge role in the Gray Corsairs, and priests of sky and sea are always welcome with them.

Music

Comedic opera is the order of the day, especially that geared toward mockery of Cheliax. It is said that the enemy of fear is laughter, and by making the Chelish menace risible, common Andorens can conquer their terror of the great darkness that dwells in the west. Other popular forms of music include stirring anthems and ballads of the Revolt: none wish to forget the sacrifices made by their predecessors, and thus the bards ensure that these stories live on. Already some of them are acquiring the patina of legend, and some of the heroes of these stories have given up telling their neighbors that the songs take liberties with the truth – it’s more important that the belief in the People’s Revolt perseveres, and besides, the songs don’t speak of the true horrors the revolutionaries faced…some of which still dwell in the mountains on the border of Cheliax. As the saying goes: “The best among us swallowed their fear and rose to the occasion”.

In less formal settings, songs tend to be plain, lively, and accompanied by lute or lyre. As with the architecture of Azlant, old and antiquated instruments are making a comeback, and bards are eager to learn these instruments to gain credibility.

Ongoing Problems

Though generally a safe and pleasant place to live, Andoran is no paradise, and has its share of troubles.

The Darklands: The Candlestone Caverns are the major point of contact between Andoran and the Darklands, reason enough for most Andorens to avoid the area. While most Darklands denizens shun the harsh light of the surface, a steady stream of trade and cultural intercourse flows between the dark fey of the Court of Ether and the neutral and evil fey on the surface. Desperate fey who see their habitat being destroyed by logging are especially likely to make bargains with dark fey to secure aid and magical items to protect their homes. Many of the worst abuses of humans at fey hands are the result of dark fey “allies” taking things too far despite efforts by local fey to moderate them. The Court of Ether knows that bad relations between humans and fey on the surface mean closer relations with their kin and more opportunity for the dark fey to exploit their surface cousins.

Fell beasts frequently enter the Candlestone Caverns from below, driven by some primal instinct to head ever upward. Rather than attempting to stop these creatures, the Black Claw kobolds of the caverns have created a series of one-way tunnels that herd destructive creatures up through the caverns directly to the surface. Local rangers and druids thus spend an inordinate amount of their time dealing with aberrations that should never have seen the light of day. There is a silver lining, however: while the kobolds change these routes to the surface often, would-be Darklands explorers with the know-how to track the aberrations back to their source can often find a direct and largely untrapped route into the depths of the caverns and the deeper levels beyond.

Foreign Agents: While Andorens are largely united in their ideology and love of common rule, foreign powers more used to intrigue see Andoran’s open system as ripe for exploitation. Foreign agents primarily focus their attention on displaced nobles, trying to get the presumably disgruntled former nobles to work against the Andoren government. For the most part, these blandishments fall on deaf ears. With the example of bloody Galt on the one hand and infernal Cheliax on the other, most of the former aristocrats of Andoran realize how good they have it and are as immune to foreign persuasion as anyone else in the republic.

Andorens have some inkling of the high level of foreign subversion that is being attempted and do not take kindly to it. In fact, the greatest danger foreign agents in Andoran pose is to the Andorens that they try to persuade. If the agent is exposed, they may well be able to flee, but the target, even if they rebuffed the agent or exposed him personally, may fall under a cloud of suspicion. Businesses have crumbled and good names been sullied by supposed connections to foreign interests, and any respectable Andoren will go to any lengths to avoid being tainted by such accusations.

Guilds and Monopolists: Andoran’s patriotic mythology centers on the little man, typified often by the yeoman farmer or the small business owner. Yet the reality of Andoren mercantile life is often that of powerful guilds, large banks, and monopolistic consortiums. Many representatives to the People’s Council push hard to restrain the large guilds and monopolies from acquiring more wealth and power, while the lobbyists and grandees of the Lumber Consortium, the Foresters’ Endowments, and others work to persuade the ministers that prosperity for them is prosperity for all.

Kobolds: Kobolds haunt the forests and mountains of Andoran’s western and northern borders, from the Aspodell Mountains to Emperor’s Peak. Large tribes exist in the Candlestone Caverns, around Mount Kia, and until recently in Darkmoon Vale. Large or small, tribes mostly keep to themselves, fortifying their territories with numerous and deadly traps. Rangers and woodsmen in the area often become adept at spotting and disarming traps, though smart humans don’t disarm a kobold trap except at great need – disarming one trap guarantees that another will be set, and you might not know where the new one is.

The most numerous and ferocious kobold tribe in Andoran is the Black Claw tribe, centered on the Candlestone Caverns. Several smaller tribes live in the area as well, serving as tributaries and vassals of the Black Claws. The Black Claw tribe gets its name from a desperate combat tactic it uses in times of great need. When threatened, the tribe has its best warriors paint their talons with spider venom. This allows them to slay the enemy more efficiently, though the berserkers who don’t die in the melee eventually waste away from accidental contact with the poison, as it is difficult to wash off effectively. The Black Claw tribe fills an important niche in the Candlestone Caverns, serving as an occasional intermediary between Darklands residents and the surface dwellers above. The tribe understands that this lucrative position is based on trust, and those adventurers who know the special signs to indicate that they’ve come to trade are generally safe from the tribe’s depredations as long as they mind their manners and watch their footing.

The Bonebrow kobolds of Mount Kia are less numerous than many tribes but cover a much larger territory. Bonebrows are fanatically territorial and believe that everything within 20 miles of Mount Kia belongs to them. Legend has it that an extremely reclusive red dragon named Susturthys has encouraged them in this belief just to keep other creatures away from her lair on the mountain. This legend is supported by the comparative wealth and sophistication of the tribe. The traps set by the Bonebrows are usually numerous, and many have secondary traps that spring when the first trap is disarmed. The territory around Mount Kia is so laden with traps that it remains largely uncharted, despite the enticing ruined structures near the base of the mountain.

Piracy and Slave Raids: The Inner Sea is a dangerous place, and the Andoren coast is no exception. Andoran’s ardent abolitionism is no protection from slavers – in fact, most slavers relish the opportunity to enslave citizens of the nation that makes their livelihoods so much more difficult. Consequently the small towns of Andoran’s coast have to be constantly on alert for slave ships. Pirates pose a similar problem, though the coast towns have developed several ways of defending themselves, usually including young men employed as lookouts. If a ship is confirmed to be a slaver or pirate, or simply heads toward town when no ship is expected, the town evacuates into the local “badger den”, usually an old redoubt or cave system, ready to wait out the invaders. The town militia stays outside to pepper invaders with arrows, until such time as they are forced to seek shelter with the rest of the town. Most towns have booby traps in major buildings, set up in such a way that they can be activated by the fleeing militia, posing no danger to townsfolk in the meantime. Usually the militia’s harrying, the booby traps, and the lack of easy plunder keep the towns secure. Additionally, the merchant marine often keeps its convoy routes close to the coast, and many slavers have finished their raid only to find an Andoren merchant convoy bearing down on them.

Verduran Defenders: One of Andoran’s most persistent problems is the friction between Andorens and the druids and fey that live in Andoran’s forests. Logging is a major industry in Andoran, fueling shipbuilding and many other important aspects of the economy. Andorens are generally comfortable allowing the wholesale logging of forests to reach its logical conclusion, as it has in the Arthfell Forest, which is now a small fraction of its original size. While Taldor has an agreement with the Verduran druids, Andoran has no such agreement, and the druids tasked with the preservation of the forest are often willing to fight to hold back the tide of civilization. Fey who live in the remaining forests generally do not think so long term, but when they find themselves suddenly living on the edge of the forest instead of in its depths, they may take violent defensive measures. Loggers and woodsmen die under suspicious circumstances as ordinarily peaceful fey lure them into bogs and under widow makers. Mill operators lose life and limb in strange equipment accidents. All the while, lumber camp life is made practically unlivable by minor inconveniences and hassles that start cropping up every day.

These aggressive tactics on the part of the fey occasionally work to drive the humans to another part of the forest, but often the loggers just deal with the danger and continue cutting. Sometimes, however, anger and resentment at the deaths and indignities reach a fever pitch. In some circumstances anti-fey pogroms can erupt. Whole camps head out to the surrounding woodlands, axes and torches in hand, looking for any sign of fey residence and destroying it. Circles of toadstools get kicked apart, rivers get dammed to destroy waterfalls, and ancient trees may be chopped down before their time just for spite. Any fey who show themselves under these circumstances are likely to be killed on the spot. In the wake of these pogroms, the surviving fey often flee in search of deeper places, but sometimes the remaining fey are so embittered that they escalate the situation, launching a new assault on the camp, the loggers, and their families. Such “forest wars”, once ignited, do not end until the last fey have fled into the heard of the forest of the last logger’s wife convinces him that the money isn’t worth the danger.

Technology

Andoran is as technologically advanced as the other prosperous Inner Sea nations, but there are some noteworthy differences around the use and prevalence of high technology. In Taldor, Cheliax, and Qadira, conveniences such as clocks or running water are the prerogative of nobility and symbols of great status. Even if a humble merchant could afford such things, owning them might be seen as above his station. In Andoran, people can buy anything they can afford without fear of seeming uppity, and prices for technological items are not driven up by overzealous guilds or government price-setting.

The egalitarian nature of Andoran has another effect as well. While useful items are much more widespread here than elsewhere, luxury items that serve little useful purpose are rare. The courts of Taldor and Qadira are full of ingenious clockwork contraptions that, while extremely expensive, serve only to entertain the idle courtiers and royals. Such ostentatious displays of wealth are frowned upon in Andoran, where those of great resources are expected to invest them in furthering the creation of wealth rather than squandering it.

Eyeglasses are a technology that is more widespread in Andoran than elsewhere. Not only are there a comparatively high number of lensmakers, but in some cities there is government funding to subsidize eyewear for those in important occupations that require superior eyesight. Where a Chelish clerc with old eyes might be forcibly retired, Andoran gives such people a new chance at their livelihoods, at least if their skill gives their work greater value.

Andorens have taken to paper with great excitement, and a small but substantial share of Andoran’s timber goes into the paper mills. Paper has supplanted parchment for much of private enterprise, and while the government still uses parchment for official decrees, the many volumes of regulations that run the country are printed on paper for uniformity and ease of storage.

Printing presses are another example of Andoren government providing high technology for the use of the less wealthy. Government-owned printing presses which are used during most of the year to print government documents are made available during election season to allow candidates to print campaign literature for a nominal fee. This ensures that those candidates without deep pockets can have their voices heard. Andorens see furthering democracy and freedom as the highest use of any technology, and the government often gives grants or loans to natural philosophers and inventors who claim to be on the cusp of a new discovery, in hopes that it can be harnessed to further the goals of the republic.

Wildlife

Those interested in Andoran’s wild animals quickly realize why the elite military organization here is called the Eagle Knights – birds of prey are common in Andoran, whether they are eagles, falcons, hawks, or owls. In the woods to the east and the west, one might find badgers, black bears, raccoons, or wolves. In the middle plains, the easiest animal to find is a sheep or a cow, with badgers less common; someone looking for a suitable familiar of animal companion there is best advised to seek other terrain, though birds, cats, lizards, and rats can be found almost anywhere.

Relations with Neighbors

Among the ruling classes of other countries, Andoran suffers from a poor international image. Foreigners’ desire to retain unfettered control over their subjects faces a serious threat from the Andoren ideals of freedom and democracy, and though these foreign rulers may insist that they want better lives for their subjects, their actions betray their true motivations.

Cheliax: Cheliax still does not recognize Andoran as a separate country, but prefers to look at its neighbor as a breakaway, rebellious province. The nobles of the House of Thrune are said to realize that the chances of reunion with Andoran are slim, but officially restrain themselves from commenting on the matter. The two countries share a tense border, dotted with garrisons and keeps, and rumor has it that Chelish agents move back and forth across this border on “repatriation” raids, in which they kidnap Andorens and drag them back for intensive questioning and realignment of their patriotic duties.

Druma: Druma regards Andoran as little more than a potential market; its leaders have no time for the democratic shenanigans of the Andorens, and deal with them as infrequently as possible. They are allies only in economic terms, and any military alliance would have to be paid for before Druma would bestir its forces.

Isger: As one of Cheliax’s few remaining holdings, Isger’s outlook toward Andoran is one of outright hostility. Fortunately for Andoran, Isger’s forces stand on guard against a resurgence of goblinoids from the Chitterwood, and must defend the vital trade routes through their country. They have no time, energy, or resources to devote to causing trouble in Andoran.

Kyonin: Kyonin keeps largely to itself, and the Andorens return the favor. Though the elves have their noble houses and commoners, they see the core of the Andoren philosophy as a close cousin to that of their own, which respects life in nearly all its forms. The two countries have recognized no formal alliance, but if asked, Andoran would likely send troops to defend the elves, and the elves might help Andoran in other, subtler ways. Commerce between these two countries is either infrequent or covert.

Taldor: The introspection and decadence of Taldor dooms its relationship with Andoran to a minor irritant, at best. The Taldan nobles spend their time plotting against each other, against Qadira, against Cheliax – in short, against nearly everyone on Golarion. They are in no danger of uniting to face Andoran, and until they do, the worst they can offer is a series of raids and border skirmishes, which the Andoren militia guards against with fervor and dedication. Andorens can trade in Taldor and travel freely, though of late more Andorens have been disappearing in the cities and villages of their ancient mother country.

Colonies

Colonies of Andoran survive far from the shores of Avistan. Founded back before Andoran renounced Cheliax or Taldor, they have grown and changed in the intervening years to become their own entities. Though magic and the enduring spirit of Andorens serve to unite them under a common thread, in some places that thread has become taut and threatens to snap altogether.

Arcadian Colonies: Settlements such as Elesomare dot the eastern coast of the Arcadian continent, providing ships full of lumber and agricultural goods to the homeland. Since few of Andoran’s pre-revolution nobles had decamped to Arcadia in the first place, and since the colonists had largely left Avistan to escape the nobles’ reach, the notes of the revolution sounded sweet to the colonists’ ears. They have embraced the government’s change wholeheartedly and have begun the dangerous work of dismantling the power of the Lumber Consortium in Arcadia. Back in Avistan, the Eagle Knights and the government do not officially approve of these efforts, but seem strangely slow to send reinforcements to aid the beleaguered Lumber Consortium camps in Arcadia. The colonists of Arcadia hold to an idealized view of the People’s Revolt, and some of the sailors returning from a voyage across the sea suggest that they might be approaching Galtan levels of idealism.

The Sun Temple Colony: This place on Old Azlant’s rocky shores is one of the most notable and terrible of Andoran’s colonial efforts. Though the colonists have largely disappeared from human knowledge and the daylight world, they have left certain clues that they still survive. Rumored to be religious fanatics hidden away from the sun behind ivory doors that bear fantastically carved friezes of disported horrors, they still contrive to reach out to mystics and seekers after higher truth in Almas. It is said that a special house on a poorly lit street in the capital is an anchor, a new and magical gateway to their commune, but the investigators who seek the truth of this knowledge have either found nothing or have disappeared. What the Dwellers in the Temple now desire is beyond the knowledge of men.

Other Colonies: Andorens are an adventurous, nomadic people, and now they have the fervor of their new patriotism to light their way. Groups of hundreds strike out across the world every year, intent on discovery and revelation, and who knows which of them may flourish? Seed colonies have sprung up on every continent across Golarion; some of them have made close allies and others have created mortal enemies. Still others have disappeared altogether. Whether any bear fruit for Andoran as a whole remains to be seen.

Resources

While much of Andoran’s wealth can be attributed to House Vaylen’s efforts to acquire rare and precious antiquities abroad, the land itself is quite bountiful, and merchant vessels – their bulky hulls weighed down with goods – constantly set out from the ports of Augustana and Almas to the various nations of the Inner Sea and beyond. The three greatest exporters in Andoran happen to also be the three greatest banks: House Vaylen, House Goldfield, and House Naran.

House Goldfield deals primarily in gold, silver that it acquires from dwarven miners in Darkmoon Vale, and alum. More so than the precious metals, alum generates much wealth for the Goldfields, as it is used all throughout the Inner Sea nations for the textile industries, glassworks, tanning, the removal of grease and other impurities from wool, and as a mordant for various dyes. Mined along the windswept shores of the Cape of Hope, alum is perhaps Andoran’s most important and lucrative export next to antiquities. Coastal raids from pirates for the precious commodity has led to increased offshore patrolling by the Gray Corsairs.

House Naran, while dealing almost exclusively with timber, is also the number one exporter of the dyes that are created from various types of bark: deep blue and black dyes from willow, brown dyes from red oak; slate dyes from pine, and purple dyes from maple, just to name a few. They also export wax and bales upon bales of almonds.

House Vaylen’s main branch, found in Augustana near the People’s Market, houses one of the largest catacombs in all of Andoran. Stretching beneath the bank in a vast, labyrinthine network, the catacombs’ primary vaults are used to store the countless relics that constantly filter in across from Golarion. There they are kept briefly in one of the many well-protected rooms before being catalogued and sent to the docks for export. The Depthless Vaults, as some have taken to calling the catacombs, have captured the imaginations of many, with wild speculations and rumors passing over the lips of the citizens who claim that there are all manner of ingenious traps, magical constructs, and dangerous critters standing sentinels within its shadowed halls. When the infamous Chelish rogue known as the Twilight Bandit was caught attempting to break in, the vaults became a symbol of national pride, and many patriots liken its impenetrability to Andoran’s spirit. But relics are not the only trade item of House Vaylen; in addition to priceless artifacts, it exports luxury items such as exotic furniture, ceramics, perfumes, and spices.

Other Andoren exports include coal, cotton, fish, fruit, furs, glassware, iron, limestone, olive oil, salt, silverware, wine, and worked stone (both from quarries and polished riverstone).

The Lumber Consortium

The Lumber Consortium’s relationship with the free Peoples of Andoran can be described as strained, at best. While the consortium’s shady dealings and underhanded business practices chafe the moral sensibilities of the People’s Council, they have little choice but to ignore the ethical implications. This is largely due to the lobbying of House Naran, who points out again and again to the People’s Council that without the lumber and darkwood of Darkmoon Vale, the shipyards in both Augustana and Almas would fall silent, endangering not only national security but also the economy of both cities.

So the current relationship stands, and every spring the Lumber Consortium floats the stripped, felled trees down the Darkmoon River, onto the River Foam, and down the Andoshen until they reach Oregent, where they are collected by a log boom, hauled ashore, and delivered to Oregent’s sawmills. After they are cut, the lumber is loaded onto barges and delivered to the shipyards in Almas and Augustana.

However, the journey from Darkmoon Vale to Oregent is a costly and dangerous one, requiring dozens upon dozens of full-time log drivers. House Naran, as well as the merchants and bankers who own and operate the shipyards in Almas, pay for this expense every year, since the Lumbtr Consortium refuses to deliver. During the month of Pharast, a call is put out for log drivers, and since a skilled log driver can earn as much as 2 years of common pay in just a couple of months, many answer, but each year brings fatalities as men and women slip off the free-floating logs to be crushed and drowned. Though many appeal to the People’s Council to stop the practice, for the time being it is viewed as a necessary evil.

Slavery

Prior to the People’s Revolt, as much as 30 percent of Andoran’s population consisted of slaves. Toiling away on nobles’ lands or in other servile pursuits, Andoran’s slaves occupied a vast majority of the nation’s jobs, contributing to a crippling unemployment rate and widespread poverty. With no other choice, many out-of-work citizens turned to banditry. The nobles responded harshly, erecting prison camps throughout the land where countless people were sent to toil away in mines or quarries. After a time, the prison camps became so profitable that the nobles began rounding up citizens who had committed no crimes but were merely unemployed, stating that such people would no doubt turn to banditry sooner or later.

After the People’s Revolt, one of the first acts of the new republican government was to empty all of the nation’s prisons and free all of the slaves, both of which had become powerful symbols of decadence, corruption, and tyranny. Slaves were granted citizenship. Prisoners were granted co-ownership of whatever mine or quarry they had been forced to work. Not only did this fulfill a sense of justice, but it was also a wise move on the part of the fledgling government, as it ensured that the resources would continue to wield the same productivity, as those who knew the trade most intimately were now in charge of running it.

While some were satisfied with abolishing slavery within Andoran, many – particularly ex-slaves – raised their voices against the practice of slavery everywhere. The People’s Council voted and decreed that it was a criminal act for bankers to invest in foreign slave trades, including lending foreign slavers money or accepting their deposits. As such, economic ties with many nations were strained, and for a time those with Katapesh were severed completely.

Upon his appointment to office in 4704 AR, Supreme Elect Codwin I passed a motion in the People’s Council that made it legal for any Andoren ship to seize or sink any Katapeshi slave galley sailing the Inner Sea. The following year, the Gray Corsairs sunk three such ships, marking the beginning of what some are calling the War Against Slavery.