Andoran
Overview
Andoran is a small but important island lying west of Tanea, roughly in the centre of the island region. It is widely regarded as a neutral meeting island, a place where people of many races and loyalties can travel, trade, and study side by side.
Two things define Andoran in the present day (Year 22, Fifth Era):
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Andoran Harbor, a busy transport hub linking many race-held islands.
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Equarra’s College of Magic, one of the largest multiracial schools of magic in the Xaverion Islands.
Beyond its docks and lecture halls, Andoran is also known for its ancient, corrupted ruins hidden in Clode Forest, where Pigmies and Tricksters still haunt the shadows.
Location & Geography
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Position: West of Tanea, near the geographic centre of the islands.
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Role: Neutral ground; often used as a meeting point between different island powers and races.
The island is small but varied:
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The southern coast holds Andoran Harbor.
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The central lands carry roads and paths between the harbour, Equarra’s College, and the nearby town of Middleton.
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The eastern half of the island is dominated by Clode Forest, within which lie the ruins of Leaferon and the dangerous Dawnspirit Labyrinth.
Andoran Harbor
Andoran Harbor is the island’s main city, spread along the southern coast. It exists almost entirely to connect the surrounding islands:
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Provides transport to many neighbouring islands, including those strongly associated with specific races.
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Serves as a neutral port, where ships from elf-held, dwarf-held, human-held and mixed islands alike can dock, resupply, and exchange passengers or goods.
Although Andoran as a whole is neutral and multiracial, Andoran Harbor itself is controlled by a human noble family.
In practice this means:
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The harbour follows Xaverion law, but its local politics lean human.
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The streets and docks are filled with a mix of races, while the noble house that owns much of the harbour infrastructure remains distinctly human in lineage and custom.
For many travellers, Andoran Harbor is the first place they see when entering the central islands and the last place they pass through before heading into more specialised or insular territories.
Equarra’s College of Magic
One of Andoran’s greatest points of pride is Equarra’s College of Magic, located inland, within walking distance of Middleton.
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Founded by the elf Equarra Silverblade, a mage who spent many years studying magic.
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Her guiding vision:
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Everyone should have an equal chance to study magic.
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Working together across races would advance magical knowledge farther than staying divided.
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By the present era, the college is recognised as:
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One of the largest multiracial magic schools in the Xaverion Islands.
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A place where humans, elves, halflings, dwarves and others can study side by side.
The college’s reputation and neutrality strongly influence Andoran’s character: it draws scholars, young hopefuls, visiting lecturers, and the occasional noble sponsor from all over the islands.
Middleton
Middleton is a small town within walking distance of Equarra’s College.
It primarily exists in service of the college, offering:
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A small tavern for students, visitors, and staff to gather.
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A temple, serving the local faithful and those seeking guidance or blessings before difficult exams and expeditions.
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A small marketplace with open stalls, selling everyday goods, components, and simple comforts.
The town has an appointed mayor, who is an elf.
Middleton is where:
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Visitors stay if they’re not resident at the college.
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Families of students sometimes lodge during important exams or ceremonies.
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Locals quietly adjust to the occasional magical mishap originating from the college’s more experimental projects.
Clode Forest
Clode Forest covers most of the remaining eastern part of Andoran.
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Lies east of Middleton and Equarra’s College.
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Dense, old woodland, within which lie ancient ruins and Ghor-touched dangers.
Two locations within Clode Forest are widely known in stories and academic records alike:
Leaferon
Leaferon is a set of ruins deep in Clode Forest.
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Thought to be the remains of an ancient fortress or small city.
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Has been the subject of many expeditions, yet little is definitively known.
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Most of the site appears to have been thoroughly looted, likely during the Age of Darkness.
A popular theory among scholars is that:
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Leaferon might once have been a fairy and pixie court, possibly dating back to the First Era.
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The continued presence of Pigmies and Tricksters in and around the ruins supports the idea that Leaferon was corrupted by Ghor, transforming its fairies and pixies into those twisted forms.
Whether or not this theory is true, few deny that Leaferon feels like a place where something beautiful was broken, and never fully mended.
Dawnspirit Labyrinth
Just west of Leaferon lies the infamous Dawnspirit Labyrinth.
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Believed to have been one of Leaferon’s gardens in ancient times.
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Now heavily infested with Ghor minions:
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Particularly Pigmies and Tricksters,
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As well as unnaturally large insects twisted by dark magic and Ghor’s influence.
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Dawnspirit Labyrinth is generally considered too dangerous for casual exploration.
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Ahn’Ghor hunters, Wanderers League researchers, and other specialists may attempt expeditions there, but this is not a place for students on an unsupervised dare.
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Even among seasoned adventurers, its name carries weight as a site where Ghor’s corruption still clings to the land.
Role in the Present Day (Year 22, Fifth Era)
In the current era, Andoran stands out as:
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A neutral crossroads in the middle of the islands, thanks to Andoran Harbor’s many connections.
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A centre of magical learning, with Equarra’s College drawing students and scholars from across the Xaverion realm.
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An island where ancient corruption and modern study stand side by side—Clode Forest’s ruins and the Dawnspirit Labyrinth are never far from the minds of those who study magic or history here.
To some, Andoran is a place of opportunity and learning; to others, it is a reminder that knowledge and danger often grow from the same roots.