Oathkeepers

Order among theives

Fear not when the keepers come,
Though I have not paid my dues,
They'll ask me what I've become,
I'll say "more pirate than you".

— Death and Taxes, Popular shanty

The peacekeeping force of the Midnight Oathbreakers, the Oathkeepers are an odd group. There is an inherent contradiction that they seem to relish, based not only on how they are named but also how they act. In many ways, this clash is required to keep order in a nation with few rules populated entirely by criminals. On Nokte, honor among thieves is not enough.

Keeping Order

The main task of the Oathkeepers is to maintain order on Nokte. A certain level of chaos is expected on the mostly lawless island, but the Oathkeepers keep it from descending into pure chaos. Mainly, there are three ways they do this, though it can change from keeper to keeper.

Through Respect

Some Oathkeepers build up a reputation, or try to maintain the reputation built by their predecessors, of being trustworthy. In a city where everyone will backstab you at the most profitable opportunity, trust is a very valuable resource. Sadly, this style of keeping has mostly died out. Those who decry its loss claim that the culture of Nokte has fractured, focused around those who call themselves admirals. The captains of old, they cry, were independant, less tribal.

Through Fear

Fear is much easier to come by. People obey your directives when you might break their legs or smash their stuff. However, this is a dangerous line to tread, and some of the larger crews are much harder to indimidate. Some Oathkeepers, detractors of this particular method, have claimed that the formation of 'fleets', groups of ships that have banded together, has been in response to this brutal method. Keepers that practice this method of policing also often live shorter lives that even the already brief lives of the other pirates of Nokte.

Through Bribery

The most clever of Oathkeepers realize that the flow of coin is what truly drives behavior on Nokte. Certain behaviors can be disincentivized, though extra cost, and others encouraged. The Midnight Pirates, the elusive group that the Oathkeepers report to, tend to not encourage this particular style, usually by banishing any Oathkeeper caught taking bribes. As such, the skill in this style is avoiding having rulebreakers pay them to look the other way, and instead redistributing funds without it ever touching their gloved hands.

But try as you might to escape,
You cannot avoid the Oath.
For death and taxes are certain,
And the keepers deal in both.

— Death and Taxes

Appointment

The induction of new Oathkeepers was initially a very selective trial. Each keeper was handpicked to the be the hands of the Midnight Pirates, the elusive heads of the Oathbreakers. They had to be trusted to follow their, and only their, orders, keep their secrets, and much much more. As Nokte grew, these strict and legnthy requirements fell out of practice, and new Oathkeepers can be brought into the group as long as they are trusted by at least 6 other current Oathkeepers. There is still a small trial, the details of which are attempted to keep secret, but former, disowned, keepers have revealed it, along with some of the rest of their secrets shortly before "mysteriously" vanishing.

1. Loyalty to no other. The prospective Oathkeeper must cut all ties they have with previous crews, and some times even must distance themselves from family.
2. No other's secrets kept. Their next task is to divulge secrets they might have about themselves or others they know. The veracity of these divulgences does not seem to be checked.
3. Obey no other laws. Finally, the recruit is tasked with travelling to both Sayles and Ilysium, breaking laws on both capitals, and returning without getting caught. This also helps break ties they could form with either power.

Laws Enforced

The laws of Nokte are few and often very fluid. As such, the laws listed below are only the laws at the current time of writing, and should not be used as a guide should the reader be foolish enough to attempt to go there.

• Violence-Free Areas: If you see Oathkeepers, it is a good guess that they are watching over an area where violence is prohibited. These areas can change on a moment's notice, but there are a few spots in the White Market that have remained this way for several years. They, of course, are exempt from this rule.
• Illegal Goods: Very few things are illegal to sell on Nokte. This list is usually only lightly enforced, and is only concerned with items that attract attention from the major powers. Hyacinem is always banned, and will be confiscated by Oathkeepers if found.
• Bannable Offences: Similar to illegal goods, this list is very small. However, these items are more concerned with unrest from the populace as a whole. Share-theft, or not paying crew a fair share, is the longest-lasting offence, as a captain that is taking more than they promised, at least openly, could easily spark riots.
• Taxes: Those who do not pay their dues soon find Oathkeepers at their door. It is both the most common and most enforced law, as everything on Nokte revolves around money.

Related Articles