Natorn Archipelago

The Natorn Archipelago, or the Natorn Isles [nah-TORN], is a chain of islands in the Natorn Sea. The islands are oceanic ridge running from the northeastern tip of Anásthiasplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigAnásthias

Anásthias [a-NAS-thee-ass / ænæsθiːæs], or [an-ass-THEE-as] is an equatorial island continent, heart of the Civilised World. The north straddles the equator and is hot and humid, while most of the equatorial centre is an upland plateau with fertile river valleys, and stretches of arid plains and desert in the shadow of the mountains. The south is temperate but more wild, separated from the civilisations of the north by the almost impassable Harthera to the Anrel Isles. The ridge is an active geological fault, many of the islands being volcanic.

The archipelago is approximately three thousand kilometres from north to south, and consists of three island groups:

• Anrel Isles - the most northerly, divided amongst the three nations of Sensatard, Tresard and Anret.
• Besoa and Antyok - historically called Arelia, this group of two large islands and many smaller isles became part of Harthera in 1092 ME, following the Bizoan War.
• The Spines - a chain of thousands of sparsely-populated rocky islands.

The Junda Isles are not usually considered part of the archipelago despite lying to the south, since these islands sit on the continental shelf of Anásthias.