Andoran Outlook

Being an Andoren carries with it a great many privileges – and along with those privileges comes a great sense of duty. The People’s Revolt was not so long ago, and some of its heroes still live to remind the citizens of the struggles they faced. Everyone who fought in the Revolt, whether general or common soldier, hero or misfit, sees appreciation that is little short of adulation. These heroes are examples of the price of freedom, and Andorens dedicate themselves to the idea that they’ll carry on their great work – an exportable revolution, brought peaceably, rather than the mess infesting Galt.

It’s important to remember that the Revolt in Andoran itself was largely bloodless, driven by merchants and other educated classes. Part of their motivation in breaking free from Cheliax, to be sure, was to free their business from the exorbitant tithes the House of Thrune demanded – but a far greater proportion of their motivation, in contrast to naysayers such as the demagogues Helmsan and Tarrizun, was to free their souls and the souls of their countrymen.

Revolution through peace is the watchword now. What was once radical has become the norm, and almost all can agree that the new state of affairs is far preferable to the old. This is not to say that Andorens speak with one mind, or that they always agree amicably. Some focus on law as the ultimate arbiter of goodness, and look to the founding documents of Andoran and existing legal and historical precedents to govern themselves and their fellow citizens. Other believe that the Revolt made a clean break from historical law, and that Andorens are now fit to create their lives as they see fit. And, of course, they have the middle ground, believing that the Revolt is the basis for new laws, and that everyone benefits by contributing to their creation.

The daily business for Andorens is frequently not that much different from the lives of other people across Avistan. They rise, eat breakfast, prepare for the day, work, occasionally retire to the tavern for ale, and return home. Their lives themselves are not made magically easier by the freedoms they have – but the realization that they have the freedom to change their lives or even walk away from them, rather than suffer under the whims of faraway nobles, makes each day fresh and new. In their hearts, most Andorens care deeply for their fellow citizens, and believe that the way forward is with them all.

Andorens’ freedoms include the right to speak their mind, the right to travel, the right to bow no head nor bend any knee except as they will, and the right to choose their leaders. Andorens take all of these rights (and others not listed here) seriously – enough so that they’ll fight to retain them. An Andoren’s duties are to spread freedom, choose their leaders, to support their country, and to live as a beacon for others on Avistan.

These tasks are simple on their face, but they frequently run afoul of human nature. People instinctively give way to strength, or look to authority for direction. People are frequently too frightened to live as a positive example for others. To compensate, Andorens have learned to be outspoken, to express their opinions perhaps a bit too loudly, and to view attacks on their country – whether verbal or physical – as attacks on themselves.

Because of their right to travel and acquaint themselves with their nation, Andorens tend to travel throughout their country far more frequently than their counterparts in neighboring lands. It’s not uncommon for a farmer to ask her neighbors to tend her lands for a week or so while she visits other provinces or goes to the city to explore, read, and understand. Schools sponsored by Almas University sprout throughout the country, and though they are not compulsory, nearly every child attends, learning to read and write by studying the founding documents. This basic education puts Andorens in good stead later in life, and the country is entering an age of incredible innovation.

About Foreign Lands

In general, Andorens pity the citizens of other countries: the commoners because they labor under the nailed boot or worse, the middle classes because they’re blind to the possibilities that hide just beyond the strictures of their reactionary societies, and the upper classes because they profit from the misery of their countrymen, and actively work to keep their fellow citizens benighted and suffering. A place like Cheliax sees that pity tempered with scorn and fear: none know when Abrogail might decide to launch her long-rumored invasion, and the Andorens keep themselves armed and trained against that day – and whisper of a third group of Eagle Knights working secretly in other countries to undermine the enemies of the homeland.

A place like Druma sees less scorn, for the Andorens recognize some kinship with the mercantile spirit, but they still shudder at its primitive government. Taldor, the multifaceted jewel, sees something more like curiosity and wariness, but with an instinctive distrust for the machinations of the wealthy and decadent. The countries that lie further afield are constant sources of wonder and entertainment for the Andorens – for who wouldn’t want to see the great monuments of Osirion? And if the travelers can pass on a piece of the revolution to the people with whom they speak, why, that’s simply an added benefit.

The Eye of the Falcon

Many Andorens, even the poorer and more rural of them, learn to hunt with birds at an early age. The forests, mountains, and plains of Andoran are rife with hunting birds and their eggs; even the cities see their shares of hawks and falcons nesting in the high places. Many Andorens consider it a rite of passage to hatch an egg and train the bird, and falconry clubs in the cities are popular.

Part of this interest has to do with the omnipresence of the birds, but an even largest part has to do with the national mythology. There’s a reason the elite forces of Andoran are the Eagle Knights, and that the patron of the land is the avoral Talmandor. The assumed nobility of the birds, their sharp eyes, and most importantly their complete freedom speak to something deep in the Andoren character. Those who practice falconry see the freedom of the wild skies and understand the essential independence of the Andoren heart.

A New Beginning

The Gray Corsairs of Andoran’s navy free any number of slaves on the Inner Sea, and the Eagle Knights do the same on land – not to mention the free Andoren adventurers who believe that slavery is an abomination on Golarion and act to end it wherever possible. The problem they face, though, is what to do with the newly freed slaves. Most of them don’t want to return to their homes, which have been reduced to rubble, soot, and blood. And so they come to Andoran under the auspices of the people who’ve freed them.

Being enslaved does something to a person’s spirit. Those that haven’t broken are surely bent, and those that have broken might take years to rebuild. Once they reach Andoran’s shores, the lucky ones find kindhearted Andorens willing to help them integrate into society, teaching these souls what it means to be free, and how to live without the fear of the powerful. The less fortunate ones don’t find these sponsors, or don’t believe their fortune and slip off to the slums and ghettoes of the city, where they try to find themselves a new master or try on their own to find a way to live in their new land. Though the underbelly of the great city is not always kind, its people are still more open than most other countries, and the once-slaves may eventually come to terms with freedom. Many freed slaves have gone on to make good names for themselves, acting as model citizens and even representatives on the People’s Council.

The Words Andorens Speak

The Andoren accent varies across the country. Those of the northern reaches tend to speak with a more pronounced drawl, with broad accents on the vowels, while the speakers of Almas pronounce each consonant and clip the vowels.

The following are common expressions used in Andoran.

The eye of the falcon: The person sees the truth of the matter.

On the wing: The person has chosen a different path.

Featherless or Chained: The person refuses to examine the truth. This is not a deadly insult among Andorens, but has served as the catalyst for many fistfights.

Holds the lash: Not only is the target featherless, but he actively profits from his refusal to reexamine the issue. Implies obstinacy married with greed and disregard for others.

The river’s full: The person should find a different way to his destination. Based on the lumber days that block the rivers of Almas with floating logs, forcing merchants to go overland to reach the city.