History of the Andalors

The Andalorian mastertellers have maintained the oral tradition of the Andalorion — the mythological history of the Golden Lands — since the days when people still remember what happened¹.

This brief synopsis, researched and transcribed by the scholars of Tirreter, includes dates that are nothing more than educated guesses, often inferred by the dates when events occurred in neighboring regions.

Elder Period (Cawglaw Dominion)

Long before men had ever set foot from the fabled Mountain of God, a race of Beast-Men called Cawglaw lived in the Andalors. Their hundreds of small tribes tunneled nests beneath artificially raised earthen mounds and hunted the wild wurches. The Cawglaw knew the secrets of the Earth and her prodigy, and their dark magic gave their shamans great influence over the spirits of forest and dell. In those days the mountains spit fire and in them dwelt mighty fire draygas. The Cawglaw held these in great esteem, but none were greater than the monarch of Draygafraydon: Gastslaw, King of All Draygas.

-17th c. VC — Warriors of Danth

The Danthings came from the eastern land of Targelon, driving herds of wurches, looking for new homes. At first the Danthings and Cawglaw co-existed peacefully and they shared their knowledge of herbs, stones, and beasts. Their tribes grew large and their chiefs became mighty. But the Danthings brought with them the goddess Flinda who discovered Andalorian cereals suitable for making crops. Before long the Danthings settled and began farming. Now it was only a matter of time before they outpaced the Cawglaw in population ². As Danthing need for territory grew, they drove the Cawglaw into hiding or took them as slaves.

Read a detailed synopsis of the Book of Heroes.

-4th c. VC — Rise of the Winarians

Although the Cawglaw had shared much knowledge with the Danthings, they had never divulged their most secret lore. Finding the key to this lore became a quest for many Danthing magicians. Finally, the deity Owen discovered the Cawglaw runes while delving into their hidden nests. He gave these to his priests to study and when they did so, they learned the secret lore and thus acquired the great earth power of the Cawglaw. The Danthings, armed with the runes, became known as Winarians, or Earth Knowers.

8th c. VC — Rise of the Danfalk

The Danfalk were a tribe of Targelon related to the Danthings. Some time after the rise of the Winarians, the Danfalk invaded the Andalors and established tribal territories in what is now Fodeor. From there they slowly made their way across the peninsula. As populations grew and territories expanded, various Winarian and Danfalk petty states arose. Over the next few centuries, each of the two cultures organized their religions and produced competing traditions of magical practice.

During this period the wizard of Parth-Num built his great tower using the magic and the labor of Cawglaw slaves. To the south, the Wizard of Vidar established his idealized dominion.

Late in the period, the Hovar gained a foothold on the island of Castlorn, and founded many villages along the coast from Castlorn to the Isles, where they also established a strong presence.

Read a detailed synopsis of the Book of Princes.

12th c. VC — Mage War

Conflict erupted between the Danfalk magicians and Winarian magicians, and they fought a series of battles known as the Mage War. Raithmoor was created in the wake of one of these battles.

Read a detailed synopsis of the Book of Wizards.

13th to 14th c. VC — Danfalk Strife and the Wellentian Emigration

At the end of the Mage War, the Danfalk had won the greater portion of the Andalors. But rival factions amongst the Danfalk fought each other and the losers fled to Sevalia. There they were called the Wellentians, after their lost homeland. The Danfalk who remained warred among each other until two dominant warlords arose: the kings of Belagor and Lancesor. They each took different paths to prominence.

15th to 16th c. VC — Consolidation

In Lancesor, the warchiefs of the Wellents Valley (which was formerly controlled by a handful of Winarian chiefs) were swiftly united. Their new king divided the realm into Lance and Forlance, with the latter enfieffed to his eldest son. The remaining lands were annexed to Lancesor after prolonged conquest and castle-building:

Arganor was a powerful and rich state. It fell through treachery. Once Arganor had fallen, the minor tribes of Rencemal capitulated. They had been harrassed by Belagorians and were looking for protection.

Falthet was also an influential, albeit resource-poor, state that provided great resistance to conquest. She suffered great damage in the conquest, with her population reduced to lowly status. Today, Falthetians have a reputation for being thugs, thieves, and worse. Many Falthetians emigrate to find a better life, often taking to the sea or joining a Verentian mercenary company.

Once the major threats were taken care of, the kings of Lancesor turned their attentions to the tribal borderlands. Aydimmel and Warthamel were such regions, still barely controlled. There remain semi-nomadic herders, wandering Beast-Men, isolated villages, and Cawglaw nests. Castles were built to tax and control the inhabitants.

Crowlin was also a tribal region, but conquest was complicated by her border with Arthennor and the Raithmoor, and thus also by her high percentage of Winarian population. Naturally, the Winarian nobility of Crowlin was made extinct and the commoners reduced to serfdom. Castle-building was especially active in this region.

Belagor was already established in the Amberlas Valley, with two sides bordering aggressive but disunited chiefdoms, and another by the conniving Winarian principalities of Belmerth. The Winarian threat proved enough to unite the Danfalk tribes under Belagor.

The Winarian kingdoms and principalities of the north remained independent, but today are allied under the high king of Arthennor.

17th c. — Territorial Wars

The Isles were originally held by the Hovar and were the last to be incorporated into the kingdom of Lancesor.

Belagor won eventually won control over Belmerth by defeating Arthennor. Eventually, Belmerth's duke acquired practical independence.

To be continued ...

---

1. For more information, see the section on religion.

2. The Cawglaw were incapable of subsisting on cereals.