Few can claim to have been the greatest empire in all of Esterra, but Grand Andash had a decent claim to such a title. Over time their settlements spread all along the western coast with wealth and power unmatched by many on the continent. However the ambitions of many of the empire's leaders made controlling such wide expanses difficult, if not futile. The empire was wracked with civil conflicts and attempts by many of its greatest heroes to regain control through the throne would ultimately meet with failure.
But this grand and powerful empire left its mark on the world, and while its cities now lie half buried or in the hands of petty warlords, their advancements in magic, understanding of the spheres, economics and agriculture are precious gifts hidden in the past. And these are not gifts that are going to be allowed to lie in the grave.
The Andashi tribes folk are descendants of desert wanderers who claim to have been part of the empire at its height. Their histories told of the wealth, knowledge and grace of the ancient empire. Over time this culture of veneration shifted from a melancholy reverence of the past to a burning curiosity, as bright as the noonday sun. No longer were the Andashi content to leave the sand-clogged streets of Old Andashi to exist as monuments, and no longer will their teachings be lost to time.
Three generations past the leaders of the Andashi tribes reclaimed the city of Obregon. They cleared its streets, reopened its wells and dived deep into the scrolls left behind in the towering school of magic there. In the time since the culture and life of the Andashi has undergone a powerful change as the past, present and future meet in this moment.
Dedicated to resurrecting what the Andashi see as their inheritance, they are a desert nomadic people that maintain a beautiful city of cafes, schools and soldiers. They are a tribal people of clans who are building plantations and trading with other realms. They are a culture of deeply rooted belief and religion with a hunger for the mysteries of the past hidden in buried tombs.
But their lands are not safe. A great undertaking such as this stretches the Andashi to their brink at every moment, for their hunger for knowledge and growth is extensive. But there are those who would also see them fail. The Zekartaal to the north see the reclamation of what nature had claimed as sacrilege, while the Twinblade Confederacy to the West wishes to claim the wealth of the sands for themselves.
Ever aware of their vulnerability, the Andashi see a kinship in the Concord, realms that seek greatness in the future just as they do. But beyond that they see strength, for Grand Andash fell alone, its pride and wealth a yoke around its neck. New Andash would not be so, it would be a realm that was apart of the greater whole, a realm that uplifted all with its knowledge. It would be a Realm of the Concord.
Five things about Andash
To live is to grow
The Andashi are a tribal people growing from what they can learn of their ancient imperial past. Their traditions and culture are radically changing and combining year to year and what it will become is something entirely new.
To grow is to share
The traditions of Tithing an amount of your income or time is a cultural relic of their tribal background, ensuring the survival of all rises with the prosperity of the few. Andashi people tend to be charitable and ambitious because of this. They know a decent amount of their time and income will be given to others and so they work twice as hard to procure more for themselves.
To share is to rise
The magnitude of a tithe is linked to how prosperous a person is in power and wealth. As such the lower echelons of the Andashi populace are free and well supported by the state. But the higher one grows in power, the more your time and wealth are no longer your own. This ensures leaders who are bound to their people and common folk who are dynamic in their ambition.
To rise is to learn
With a culture striving to learn the history and skills of their past incarnations, learning is of great importance to the Andashi. Schools, wisened elders and the scrolls of the past are often greater artifacts than fortresses, rich merchants or powerful magical items.
To learn is to talk
Andash is a place of cafes and of philosophers. A garrulous people, the Andashi are aggressively hospitable and open. To speak over coffee, a fine meal or good music is almost as traditional as the tithing.
What Andash is not
Enlightened
While Tithes do a good job of keeping the state afloat and ambitions tethered to reality, Andash is not a perfect utopia of sacrifice. Rather it is a delicate dance of remaining within the lines of tradition, while caring for your brethren and getting ahead yourself.
Treacherous
While they are political operators and socially intelligent, the Andashi are no more predisposed towards treachery than any other people, if anything they are often quite trustworthy as a whole.
Why you should play Andash
You love to talk
The Andashi are diplomats, merchants and philosophers. If you want an excuse to talk to everyone you see, you are likely from Andash. They are optimistic people and wish to share that with the world.
You like to think about the world
Descended from thinkers and learners, the people of Andash value wisdom for its own sake. The world is something to be considered and understood, not feared. They will delve into forgotten tombs, seek out dangerous artifacts and fight for knowledge, never fearing it.
You like a gilded home and an adventurous life
The Andashi create wondrous homes with fine food, furniture and drink. Their land is one of new found wealth. But their lives are still of their nomadic culture. Fine silks obscure well worn travellers with a dedicated martial history.
You want to fight for the future
Andash, while deeply anchored to its past, has as much ambition and hope as Lerona Mere. If you have dreams of imperial power and grand ideals of nobility, then you see the same as the Andashi.
Further Reading
- Andash History
- Andashi People and Culture
- Andashi Traditions
- Andash Look and Feel
- Andashi Archetypes
- Mukarrem and The Tribelands, primary regions held by the Andashi.
- Player Groups in Andash