The Norae Islands

 The Norae Islands

The Norae Island Chain is a group of small tropical islands - the largest, Aaris, is only just over six miles across - in the Otannian Ocean roughly twenty miles off the coast of Acardia.

The Norae Islands belong to Duke Thaman Montclare and his wife, Duchess Lorinda Annette Terrigann Montclare; both courtiers of the Acardian Kingdom.

Altrien is the largest and capitol city of the Norae Islands, taking up most of the available space on Aaris (Many call Altrien, "The City of Streets and Trees" as it is one large urban center designed to incorporate the beautiful landscape and flora of the island into the city's own artistic and architectural extravagance). There are no other cities in the island chain, only several small towns near the coasts of the mid-sized islands occupied by fishermen and farmers.

Just to the southwest of Aaris is the relatively small island Rakkis where just over one third of the Duke's military might is housed at Fort Mezzaret. Due to the lack of available space, a solid third of his men are stationed on a coastal fortress just off the mainland of Acardia some eighteen miles over the water from Aaris, and the remainder of his regular military forces are stationed in Prium, the Kingcity of the Acardian Kingdom.

The most presitigious Mana Forge in the entirety of the Kingdom is on Four Shore Island, a tiny speck on the map a few miles north of Aaris. Duke Montclare's Palace Guard are are equipped with the magical weapons made thereas are the King's Acardian Guard, speaking to the worth and effectiveness of the weapons as well as their rarity.  

Major exports are fish, fruit, and the aforementioned weapons. The seafood exported is the finest in the Kingdom and is exported to Acardia at high costs for the most prestigious of eateries.

Because of land size, agriculture in the Norae Islands does not provide enough food for all of the population (mostly centered around Altrien on the Island Aaris) thus most of the fruit grown and fish caught are exported and traded for grains, wheat, vegetables, and meat. Some side effects of the lack of space are ironclad immigration policies (it is far easier to leave than to immigrate to the Norae Islands), population control (a couple MUST receive permission from the Duke's Council in order to have children), and strict housing regulations pertaining to the size of one's domicile (bulding up is preferable to building out).

Also worth mentioning, the island chain is the closest one to the Acardian mainland than any other chain in the Kingdom. Three similar chains exist to the west of the continent, but nearly all of the trading vessels going to and from the medium sized continent pass through the Norae Islands on their way to also in the Otannian Ocean.

