History of the Council of Gorean Shores

Gorean Shores, a tavern located in the city of Port Kar, is governed by the Council of Captains. Through this Council, all administrative and policy decisions are both made, and revised. They are the last and final word within Gorean Shores.

The Council of Captains is an oligarchy of individual Warriors, Outlaws, and Pirates

The Council Today:
The Council of Captains is open to new Captains, with no fixed number of Captains.  New Captains will receive equal voice and vote in the administration of the tavern, and will have all privileges and rights accorded to current Captains. Attainment of the status of Captains requires a thorough knowledge of Gor and the tavern, a demonstrated commitment to Gorean Shores in time and energy, and loyalty to the Council and Gorean Shores above all other obligations or allegiances.  Further, the process of attaining the rank of Captain will be slow and deliberate, and requires unanimous approval of all current Captains.  There is a three step process to becoming Captain, and each prospective member should obtain a current Captain as a Sponsor and Mentor.  First, a prospective member must have officially pledged his sword to Gorean Shores and declared it to be his home.   Any individual may do this.  Second, upon unanimous vote by the Council, the prospective member will become an Advisor to the Council, and may attend open Council sessions (usual sessions are open meetings for Advisors and Captains), and offer counsel and advice, but will have no vote.  Upon unanimous vote, an Advisor will become a full Captain. 

Memberships in Poolside Chat:
Captains and Advisors of Gorean Shores are required to be members of Poolside Chat.  Gorean Shores slaves, regular patrons, and those who have pledged their swords to Gorean Shores are strongly encouraged to join.  As the requirement for either a Captain's position or a Goren Shores collar requires a demonstrated commitment to Gorean Shores, membership in Poolside Chat will be one factor in examining such commitment to the GS tavern.

History of the Council

As a city founded by small groups of pirates, warriors, outcasts, slavers and merchants, Port Kar has had a tumultuous political history.  In the not so distant past, Port Kar was claimed by several competing Ubars, each attempting to assert control and suzerainty over the city known as the Scourge of Thassa.  Ostensibly under the rival Ubars, but in fact quite independent from them, was a Council of Captains, composed of individual Captains of Port Kar who controlled the great arsenal and personally owned much of the fleet of swift ships which plied the waters of Thassa from the city. 

The first Council of Gorean Shores comprised of Xern as Senior Captain, Rollo the Ax as First Sword and Kli Kodesh as Slave Master.
 
These captains, most of them fiercely independent and unconstrained by allegiances, concerned themselves with the day to day operations and management of Port Kar.   The Ubars, perhaps considering themselves above such menial tasks, concentrated their efforts on solidifying their positions and expanding their spheres of influence, leaving the Council to attend to the seemingly minor responsibilities.  It proved to be their undoing.

For it came to pass that the rival Ubars' contentions inevitably collided as each attempted to wrest control of Port Kar.  The balance of power in the city, which normally was held in check by the competing Ubars, began to sway, as they fought one another for supremacy.  Seeing their city in peril, and sensing that the succession of any one Ubar would be detrimental to the independent captains as a group, the Council of Captains seized control of Port Kar and assumed total sovereignty over all Port Kar affairs.  It was their diligence in, and knowledge gained from, the seemingly trivial daily management concerns of the city and the arsenal which afforded them the collective strength, cunning, and strategy that proved so successful.  The Council of Captains crushed the rival Ubars, forcing several of them to flee the city in defeat.  The others were reduced in power to mere captains, and were denied positions of authority under the new administrative system.  Having assumed complete control over Port Kar, the Council sought additional captains; and was augmented in size, scope, and power within the city, solidifying its position as the ruling body of Port Kar.

The Council ruled Port Kar well at first, allowing the city to thrive and prosper.  The brotherhood of the Captains secured harmony within the city.  Peace sometimes breeds complacency though; and traditional enemies of Port Kar, who had watched the success of the city with envious and jealous eyes, began to foment dissension in the Council for their own purposes.  In time, perhaps as a result of these outside influences, disputes arose among some of the individual Captains and the strong foundation of the Council began to crack.  Factions of the Council formed from within and certain Members began to plot against the Council and helped the rift to widen, and strife and discord replaced peace and fellowship.  The insidious poison of dissension began to destroy the rule of the Council and enmity grew deep.  The then current Council was overthrown from a plot within it's ranks and complete chaos within the city erupted.

Those that overthrew the Council then took control naming themselves Captains and changed rules and long traditions of Port Kar.  In Their misguided attempt to restore order and return the city to its position of power and prestige amongst the cities on Thassa, the new Council of Captains made bitter enemies of those that called Port Kar Home.  Stability was elusive but a uneasy truce was formed for a short time.

This New Council was short lived when it was found the old ways have been and always will be the best way.  One by one the new Council Captains left for sea and once more with Rollo leading the way, a New Council was formed and took control of the reigns and threw out most of the changes made by the take over Council and Gorean ShoresS began once more to become the best paga Tavern of Port Kar.   This Council is alive and strong while Port Kar grows daily.

Emeritus Captains

Emeritus Captains are past Captains of the Council of Gorean Shores that for whatever reasons are no longer active members of the Council.  They retain the right to be called Captain and to still have their table and chair on the dais.  They no longer vote or attend Council meetings .