There are those who come to Port Kar as outcasts, outlawed and banished from their cities, turning in last measure to the only city on Gor which tolerates and even welcomes strangers upon its streets and quays. And then there are those few who are drawn to the malignant, squalid city on the edge of the marshes, the scourge of gleaming Thassa. They are attracted to her as insects are drawn to torchlight.
Xern is of the latter classification. Inexorably drawn to the shores of Thassa, he arrived in Port Kar with little more than his blade and his ambition. His earlier years before Port Kar are clouded in mystery; and none have ever pried from him the location of his birthplace on Gor. For it is of no relevance. He is thoroughly of Port Kar.
He took to Thassa and learned the ways of the sea. Quickly gaining prominence for his rapacity, he rose through the ranks of raiders and became captain of a swift tarnship. From this single ship, he has built a small fleet of round ships and galleys which ply the waters for both trade and plunder. His personal flag remains aboard his prized tarnship, a medium class galley with a reputation as being one of the fastest ships on Thassa. Although he owns holdings and wharfage in the city, he often sleeps on board his vessel; and he has been known to set course for open water on a moment's notice. It is said that once one has seen Thassa they cannot bear to be away from her. The pirate of Port Kar knows it to be true.
A member of the Council of Captains, the marauder, along with several other independent captains, was instrumental in crushing the rival Ubars' uprising, which led to the ascension of the Council of Captains to complete supremacy over Port Kar. As a result of his role in the coup, he was awarded the position of First Sword of Port Kar, Second Chair of the Council; and he pledged his blade to the city he now considers his home. Now the Senior Captain and First Chair of the Council of Captains, he occasionally looks back on his early days in Port Kar with nostalgic fondness, but never with regret.
Although skilled with the sword, he relies often on the small daggers he sheathes in his boots. His penchant however is the whip knife of Port Kar. The weapon, indigenous to the city, is a most elegant device when wielded properly; and the pirate is well versed with the razor tipped strands of leather. He has also found it to be a most useful slave disciplining tool. Unfortunately, few slaves survive more than one encounter with his whip knife.
There are many who perceive the raider as grim and bleak, and indeed he often is. Sometimes it is merely the result of his pensive nature; but more often it is a reflection of the sacredness he holds in Gorean ideals. Do not be mistaken, though. He is not a Warrior; he wears not the scarlet colors of that caste. He follows no codes, he reveres no precepts, he craves not the accolades and honors that others seek. When once asked to describe his enigmatic disposition he replied:
"I live within the circle of my blade. I do as I please. If I wish to be benevolent and kind, then I am. If I wish to be cruel and vicious, then I am. It is in Port Kar that men are most true, most honest to their nature. That is why I came to Port Kar."
If you see a dour pirate in Gorean Shores, a tavern in the city of Port Kar, sitting in his curule chair as a larl might sit were it a man, approach him with due respect. If you do, you may be rewarded with a Brother who will shed his own blood for you without question or hesitation. If you do not, blood may be shed, but it will not be his.
