The "main" island of the Iksaltari Empire that spans all of them, Iksaltar ("holy place") is a forested island shaped vaguely like a statue bust facing east.
The forests of Iksaltar hide the quiet Imperial palace and its bureaucratic surroundings from the ships that sail to and from the capital city, colloquially known as Iksid but formally named Zeniche. The great trees provide lumber for important fleets on the rare occasion they're allowed to be harvested. The island is considered sacred and is said to be the favorite location of Hofesh, head of the gods.
The river delta on the southeast side leads inwards to the Imperial Palace, the Governor's Council, and the Archives. In the northwest cape, Zeniche lies in all its splendor, nestled among the tall chestnut trees that cover most of the island.
The sweet chestnut trees are Iksaltar's feature attraction. They grow far taller than anywhere else, and efforts to grow them on other islands haven't panned out. Roasted chestnuts are popular in the fall and it's not uncommon to candy them for storage.
Although Iksaltar's trees are its claim to fame, they are a protected resource and are only cut down for extremely special projects. An imperial permit is necessary to do so, granted only by the emperor.
Iksaltar has no governor, as Zeniche holds most of its population and is self-governing. The emperor is chosen from a divine lottery of all citizens. The choosing of an emperor often is initiated by a rigorous census.