The Shackles in an area of the Far Sudland coast south of the Eye of Abendego and north of Vidrian. Its area encompasses a myriad of islands for which few accurate
charts exist. It is a region characterised by lawlessness, the only authorities in the area being the 'Free Captains', pirates who own as least one ship and sit on
the Pirate Council. The most important of these is the Hurricane King whose home port is
Port Peril.
The area was originally settled by humans in -3150 when a naval fleet from the north having failed to gain a foothold elsewhere on the mainland retreated to The Shackles, overthrew their officers, and founded small bases
with a view to carrying out piracy. Over time these hidden coves became a magnet for adventurers, criminals,
political dissidents and persecuted minorities who, even if not attracted to seafaring, were quite prepared to provide services for the pirate
captains. Towns grew up around the bases which gradually attracted trade especially from the type of merchant who likes to buy goods cheap with no questions ask.
After a time a Pirate Code was formulated to stop the actions of rogue captains from damaging the profits of the majority and the Pirate Council came in to being to enforce the Code (which covers plundering, slavery, hostage
taking and perhaps most importantly the contract between a captain and his crew).
Outside the pirate holds, however, the islands are mostly untamed and landing on a random island with
a view to garnering a few provisions is a risky business. Ancient Ghol-gan ruins, cannibals, monsters, aberrations and
even a fully grown dragon are to be found in the area.