Andor

Kingdom of Andor
Artwork by Robin Bouwmeester The above-ground entrance to the Dwarven city of Andor.
Settlement Type	Ruins Previously: Dwarven City-state
Sovereignty	Dwarven Kingdoms
Region	Central Voreld
Seat	Andorian Throne
Seat Type	King
Ruler	He ded
Founded	4E Y88
Destroyed	6E Y0
Named for	Lord Andor
Religions	Dwarven Divinism
Languages	Dwarvish
Demographics	100% Demon, lol

Andor, or the Kingdom of Andor, is the youngest of the Dwarven Kingdoms, and was previously one of the most influential, before its eventual invasion by subterranean creatures.

With Garrund's downfall in sight during the middle of the Fourth Era, Lord Andor set out on an expedition and founded the kingdom to the south, on a peninsula. The kingdom of Andor's power quickly expanded as its denizens surged in their wealth and production. This success, however, only lasted until the end of the Fifth Era, when the city was invaded and ruined by Norendezzar's forces.

History

Artwork by Elderscroller.
The central cavern of Andor before its invasion and eventual ruin.

The Expedition of Lord Andor

When the Kingdom of Garrund found its mines running dry in 4E Y86, much of the noble class began to panic for the future of the city. The shrewd and opportunistic Lord Andor had anticipated the coming collapse of his old home, hand-picking a small expedition of settlers and mercenaries. He led his group of experts from several fields to the southern tip of the Dwarven Mountains, a region that had yet been unclaimed by the dwarves. Within two years, the expedition had settled a new kingdom on the peninsula, working tirelessly to expand upon a discovered cave system and connect their city to the Dwarven Highway.

Garrund's Collapse and Redistribution

By 4E Y123, Garrund's mines were entirely empty of any fruitful prospecting. Within years, riots, crime, and corruption plagued the city, while its monarchy and noble class dissolved from within. This collapse of Garrund's social structure and the resulting exodus of the majority of its population gave Andor an early surge in new blood that would otherwise have been difficult to come by. Those eager to rise in the social hierarchy more quickly chose the newly-settled Andor over the old and very traditional Bal, and the influx of able-bodied young dwarves energized the new kingdom's rise in power.

Dominion over the Peninsula

In addition to an unclaimed section of the mountains, Andor was also fortunate that the region they now found themselves in was also unclaimed by any major sovereignties that the other Kingdoms were forced to abide with. There were indigenous populations of humans, but they had neither the social structure not technological prowess to rival the dwarves. Because of this, Andor became the first of the dwarven kingdoms to exert their authority over land as well as underground.

Their influence over the region and ability to combat the scattered natives encouraged others to migrate to the region in hopes of benefiting from trade with them. Andor was able to thrive and grow from this, as outsiders were ready and willing to provide them with food, wood, and other products of the land -- all of which the dwarves were reluctant to focus on themselves. This mutually-beneficial arrangement caused the whole of the peninsula to flourish -- though the dwarves took advantage most of this. Andor would continue on its path of seemingly endless growth, becoming a rival even to Bal -- which had always been the most powerful of the Dwarven Kingdoms -- in only a few hundred years.

The End of Prosperity

The dwarves enjoyed their constant growth for centuries, but it came to an abrupt and violent end in the late Fifth Era. Andor, along with all of its other boons, sat on various pockets of valuable minerals. its mines were extensive, and new shafts were often being dug, while old ones were often being expanded. One such expansion was being mined, when it connected to an ominous and previously unseen cave system below. The tunnels were full of red growth coating the rocks and reeking of sulfur, while odd sounds could be heard coming from beyond. No dwarf dared venture deeper to discover the source, but it did not take long for the tunnel's inhabitants to respond.

Creatures of a sort never seen before by the Andorians spewed forth from the mysterious cave system, beginning to slaughter every living thing in their path. Some of the miners manage to retreat to the city in enough time to warn the others, and evacuations were called immediately. The entire nation at once clambered towards whatever exits to the city they could reach. In the ensuing panic, only one group managed to survive the bloodshed, setting off north through the cave systems closer to the surface. Altogether, the invasion of Andor has been recognized as significant enough that scholars have deemed it the beginning of the Sixth Era.

The Founding of Baerin

The refugees made their way to the surface, reaching the river to the north. Collapsing their escape route behind them to prevent the creatures from following, they worked hard to found Baerin, promising their eventual return. The Kingdom of Bal, upon hearing of the disaster, did the same to the section of the highway connecting the two nations. The massive door separating Andor from the valley above-ground has remained closed since the invasion. Those living in Baerin have assumed that the creatures who invaded Andor are incapable of figuring out the mechanisms used by the dwarves to open the doors. No further investigations of the Ruins of Andor have been made.

Geography

Nestled in a valley carved through the mountains by the Gullet River, Andor's main entrance is accessible by road from the above-ground settlements. Over time, runoff from the Gullet River's watershed hollowed out large caverns and passageways below it, giving rise to what the Expedition found when settling. The city itself is centered in one particularly massive cavern, just under the river. Caves and tunnels, both natural and artificial, radiate outward from the central cavern in many directions. To the north is the Dwarven Highway, to which access has been cut off from the Baerin survivors.

Climate

While the caverns of the Dwarven Mountains usually tend to be more on the damp and chilly side, Andor's historically was not as such. Using carefully managed stone tanks of lava in the central cavern to engage in high-capacity forging, the denizens affected the natural climate. What was humid and brisk became dry and warm. After the invasion, much of the city fell into disarray. The forges and stone tanks were partially destroyed, resulting in lava seeping out and filling most of the lowest level of the city, warming it dangerously.

Culture

In contrast to traditional dwarven culture, Andor symbolized a younger, more pioneering approach to many areas of life. The city had immigrants from all over the other Dwarven Kingdoms, and with them came new ideas. Borne into a changing world, the denizens of Andor were looked at by the rest of dwarven society as immature, unorganized, but ultimately brilliant. Where other dwarven cities grew slowly and rigidly, Andor burst in size each passing decade, requiring frantic expansion of the caving infrastructure. New tactics and innovations were developed to combat the high demand for housing, education, and labor. Whereas dwarven culture before idolized stability and balance, the Andorians pushed for unorthodox solutions.

As other colonies began to flourish around the peninsula, the City of Andor found itself at a crossroads. The natives having been reduced to small pockets around the region, the dwarves turned instead to the newcomer settlements, embracing them with open arms and healthy trade. Iron Eye Cove named themselves after a militia of dwarves sent to help the Tulrissians establish a footrest after their homeland abandoned them. Fort Sakura helped protect trade routes in the area so that travel and industry between the groups could grow safely.