The Ember Isles

The Ember Isles are a collective group of islands in the Sea of Glass to the south-west of Malvarron.   Its capital Draconis (named after the legendary deity Dracona) has a small estimated population of only 8000 souls. This makes Draconis the smallest capital in Astaeria in terms of population and land area.   The climate of the Ember Isles is exceptionally dry and warm throughout all seasons, with scorching sun and little rain. Its terrain is largely made up of desert and sandstone cliffs. It is also the only place in Astaeria where dragons are rumoured to have been sighted in the wild, however this has never been proven.   The ’Ember Isles’ are regarded as the cultural hub of Astaeria with popular exports including the art pieces, fashion, spices and terracotta clay. The Embari, themselves are regarded as some of the most striking peoples in all of Astaeria due to their olive skin and hypnotic, emerald-coloured eyes. However, they are also an incredibly feisty group of people. Legend has it that the Embari people have dragons blood, descended from the children of Dracona herself.   The islands are ruled by a hereditary monarchy with an elected council of advisors from all the major cities. The current leader is King Tiber Linell, the uncle of the late Malvarri Empress, Elora Malvarro, who was executed for her part in the assassination of former Emperor Augustus Malvarro.   Diplomatic relations between Malvarron and the Ember Isles are strained at present, to say the least. The Embari dislike the Empire's oppression of magi and the Malvarri are appalled by the slave trade, which is a lucrative industry of the islands.