Shield Key (sheeled kee)

Shield Key is a small island in far northern Sholfrenia.
The population is approximately 75% Vincaran, 20% Lanarian, and 5% mixed.
Notable residents are Codarin, a Lanarian who owns a boat dealership, and Jadelle, a Vincaran who runs a tour company giving glass-bottom-boat tours of the coral reef. They are married and live in a large estate within easy walking distance of the harbor. Their daughters are Leva and Cazella.

Geography

The island is shaped somewhat like a shield, approximately four miles long by two and a half miles wide.
A beautiful coral reef to the east of the island is a hotspot for glass-bottom boat tours, snorkeling, and diving. Long stretches of white sand (and one of black sand) attract beachgoers.
Most of the land is barely above sea level, with the exception of a rocky tor on the north-west coast and the cliffs that plunge downward from it to the sea. This feature is believed to be the heavily eroded remnant of a now-extinct volcano. At some time in the distant past the cone blew itself apart, leaving only part of one side intact. A natural spring flows from cracks in the rocks, providing potable drinking water for the island's residents.

Climate

Shield Key has a tropical climate, with heat and sweltering humidity in the summer, and milder but still warm temperatures along with heavy rains in the winter.

The Great Cyclone of 4206

Unfortunately, Shield Key lies in the path of many of the tropical cyclones that churn across the region in the southern hemisphere's summer and fall. The residents are used to battening down and then making repairs, but the Great Cyclone of 4206 brought unprecedented devastation. Shield Key and surrounding islands took years to recover.
The storm was forecast to hit when and where it did, but arrived with much greater strength than anticipated. Islanders who expected another run-of-the-mill storm were caught underprepared. A stone plinth outside the island's hospital serves as a memorial to the lives lost. The hospital itself was one of the handful of buildings to survive the storm, mostly thanks to its location on higher ground.
The harbor had to be dredged after the storm to make it deep enough to be used by the many boats gathered there. Sadly, any vessels in the water at the time of the storm were either sunk or damaged beyond repair. Famously, one small watercraft was carried a great distance both horizontally and vertically by the storm surge, and afterward people were astonished to find it stuck on the side of a cliff. It was hardly seaworthy anymore, and retrieving it would be expensive, so it was left there to naturally decay. Decades later, it is still recognizable as a boat, and is a popular photo op for tourists.

Fauna & Flora

Palm trees, plumeria, and other lush tropical foliage cover much of the island. Brightly-colored birds with pleasant songs are common.

History

There is no archaeological evidence of permanent habitation prior to the Lanarian conquest of the southern hemisphere. It is thought likely that the island was used as a temporary or seasonal shelter by Vancorran fishing enterprises, but the frequency of violent storms discouraged permanent settlement.

Tourism

Shield Key has a reputation as an off-the-beaten-path tourist destination. There are no huge resorts or overly commercialized areas. Visitors stay in inns and small, boutique hotels--none of which are cheap. Aside from a one-room history museum in the local government building, the main attractions come from the ocean: freshly-caught seafood, the coral reef, pristine beaches, and crystal-clear waters.

Location under

Sholfrenia

Owning Organization

Lanarian Empire