Andor

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Andor
Sigil A rampant white lion; the White Lion
Banner A white lion rampant on a field of red.
Capital Caemlyn
Ruler Elayne Trakand
Throne The Lion Throne
Crown The Rose Crown
Palace


General

Andor is not only the largest nation of the land, it is also one of the oldest with its formation as a nation occurring soon after the death of Artur Hawkwing. The first Queen of Andor was Ishara, daughter of Hawkwing's governor Endara Casalain. She joined with Souran Maravaile, Hawkwing's greatest general, taking control of the province from her mother and turning it into a nation. It was during the reign of Queen Ishara that Andor's traditional allegiance with the White Tower was formed. Her marriage to Souran Maravaile gave her his army and broke the siege of Tar Valon. Queen Ishara's eldest daughter was sent to study in the Tower and Aes Sedai Ballair became the first Aes Sedai to be advisor to the Queen of Andor.

The tradition of only a Queen, never a King, sitting upon the Lion Throne and wearing the Rose Crown also stems from the first reign. The eldest daughter is named Daughter-Heir while the eldest son is called First Prince of the Sword, sworn to protect and defend his sister with his life. By law, the Daughter-Heir is sent to the Tower to study. The most recent Daughter-Heir to study in the White Tower is Elayne Trakand.

Andor is bordered by Cairhien to the east and Murandy and Ghealdan to the south. The Mountains of Mist mark the western border. To the north are Saldaea and Kandor, though the land between the nations is largely uninhabited.

Andor is a wealthy nation with exports such as wool, precious metals and iron work, tabac and grain. Her army is also strong and is primarily made up of the Queen's Guard. Her capital city, Caemlyn, is second only to Tar Valon in beauty. The New City was built more than two thousand years ago by human effort alone. The Inner City, however, is ancient with much bearing the mark of Ogier stonemasons. Most of the official perimeter of the city is encircled by a great fifty-foot wall of silver white, broken only by tall round towers flanking massive arched gates. The Palace, which sits atop the highest hills in the Inner City, is the seat of government for the nation of Andor.

Of the towns of Andor, Whitebridge is one of the best known. The town is named for the snow-white bridge which spans the River Arinelle. The bridge itself is believed to date from the Age of Legends. Also along the River Arinelle is a burnished steel tower, called the Tower of Ghenjei.

Although the Queen's rule is not strong in the more distant parts of the nation, the mines in the Mountains of Mist are vital to the economic health of Andor. The control over the area exists mainly in that there are no export routes other than through the rest of Andor. The town of Baerlon is responsible for much of the refining of the ore.

The Two Rivers is so remote that most of the inhabitants are unaware they are part of a larger kingdom and ruled by a Queen. Rand al'Thor, Perrin Aybara, Matrim Cauthon, Egwene al'Vere and Nynaeve al'Meara all come from Emond's Field, in the Two Rivers. It is during Moiraine Sedai's visit to Emond's Field that the local inhabitants learn their land was once known as the nation of Manetheren, lost two thousand years before.

(Reference: The World of Robert Jordan's "The Wheel of Time").