Kaath
The Pirate Haven Beyond the Border
Overview
Kaath is a small island lying just beyond the official eastern border of the Xaverion Islands. By choice, it is not part of the Xaverion realm: the Senate and its authorities have long decided that claiming it would cost more coin, resources, and lives than it is worth.
As a result, Kaath has become exactly what everyone expects it to be:
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A pirate safe haven
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A refuge for smugglers, outlaws, and ships that cannot safely dock in Xaverion harbours
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A byword for lawlessness in tavern stories across the islands
In present day (Year 22 of the Fifth Era), Kaath is less a nation and more a jagged loophole in Xaverion law, tolerated because closing it would be too costly.
Location & Status
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Position: “In the far east, just beyond the Xaverion Islands border.”
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Political status:
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Not officially part of the Xaverion Islands
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No recognised seat in the Xaverion Senate
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No obligation to follow Xaverion law
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The Senate’s own chronicles bluntly state that Xaverion authority “doesn’t want to waste time and effort, not to mention coin, resources and men” to bring Kaath under their rule and enforce their laws there.
This single decision defines everything about Kaath: by standing just outside the line of jurisdiction, it offers a convenient place to look the other way.
Reputation & Everyday Life
To most citizens of the Xaverion Islands, Kaath is a story more than a place:
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The harbour where pirates drink openly, unafraid of Xaverion knights.
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The island where no questions are asked about cargo, crew, or past deeds.
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The spot on the map where Seafarers grow cautious and merchants lower their flags.
Because it is outside Xaverion rule, Kaath has no unified law beyond whatever the strongest captains and local powers can enforce. In practice, that means:
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Power is held by shifting alliances of ship crews, captains, and local gangs.
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“Justice” is whatever the current powers decide it is.
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Trade runs on coin, favours, and threats, rather than contracts and court seals.
For some, Kaath is a nightmare. For others—especially those hunted elsewhere—it is the closest thing they have to home.
Relations with the Xaverion Islands
Officially, Kaath and the Xaverion Islands have no formal relationship:
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No embassies, treaties, or recognised rulers.
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No legal obligation for Kaath to hand over criminals or stolen goods.
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No requirement for Xaverion authorities to protect anyone who chooses to go there.
In practice, however:
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Pirates and smugglers based on Kaath prey on Xaverion shipping lanes.
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Stolen cargo often passes through Kaath’s markets before disappearing forever or reappearing with forged papers elsewhere.
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Some Xaverion citizens quietly do business there when they need things that cannot be bought legally at home.
The Seafarers Accords rarely enter Kaath’s harbour itself, but they patrol the waters around it aggressively, watching incoming and outgoing ships as closely as they dare without sparking a war they are not authorised to fight.
The Xaverion Senate periodically debates whether to “do something about Kaath,” but as the records admit, the likely cost in ships, lives, and coin has always been judged too high. So Kaath remains what it is: an open wound just past the border, carefully not touched.
Kaath in the Present Day (Year 22, Fifth Era)
By the start of Year 22, Kaath is firmly entrenched in the geography and psyche of the region:
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A known pirate safe haven sitting just outside the reach of Xaverion law.
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A convenient shelter for those who cannot safely dock in Peragon, Enville, Stormhaven, or any other “respectable” port.
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A constant irritant to the Seafarers and Xaverion Order, who must protect trade routes without officially ruling the place that breeds half their problems.
For most islanders, Kaath is summed up in a simple warning:
“Sail east past the border if you must—but once you choose Kaath, don’t expect the Xaverion to come after you if things go wrong.”