The Republic of Norner is a small, environmentally stunning nation, remarkable for its compulsory military service, state-planned economy, and stringent health and safety legislation. The hard-nosed, cynical population of 40 million Norners are ruled with an iron fist by the dictatorship government, which ensures that no-one outside the party gets too rich. In their personal lives, however, citizens are relatively unoppressed; it remains to be seen whether this is because the government genuinely cares about its people, or if it hasn't gotten around to stamping out civil rights yet.

The medium-sized, well-organized government juggles the competing demands of Defense, Administration, and Law & Order. The average income tax rate is 39.1%, but much higher for the wealthy.

The sizeable but inefficient Nornen economy, worth 1.94 trillion lire a year, is driven entirely by a combination of government and state-owned industry, with private enterprise illegal. However, for those in the know, there is a slick, highly efficient, fairly diversified black market in Arms Manufacturing, Tourism, Information Technology, and Retail. The private sector mostly consists of enterprising ten-year-olds selling lemonade on the sidewalk, but the government is looking at stamping this out. Average income is 48,560 lire, and distributed extremely evenly, with little difference between the richest and poorest citizens.

Declaring that "some kids are just born evil" is not endearing Leader to progressive thinkers, the proper etiquette for eating Nornen cuisine is to snort it, wars of expansion are described as "peacekeeping operations", and many are asking why the latest naval vessel is named after Saint Bartholomeus the Many Handed. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a capable police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Norner's national animal is the dove, which soars majestically through the nation's famously clear skies.

Norner is ranked 176,312^th in the world and 180^th in Fifth Empire for Highest Average Incomes, with 48,560.07 Standard Monetary Units.