The Vagrant Colony

"Another one?" The captain gave the passenger a once-over. He was ordinary looking, brown hair, brown eyes, roughspun wool, the sort of man where the eye sort of slipped past them a little too easily, especially somewhere like the docks. "So what did you do?"
"Sedition, tried and convicted." The passenger stepped onto the power-sail and sat heavily on a sack of grain. "Pointing out that the Princeps is a glory-chasing fool lacking the judgment to lead a country is, sadly, an offense, despite its truth."
"Most of us are smart enough to not say things like that out loud." The captain gave a chortle. "Still, not like you actually attacked anyone or did anything. How long is your vacation?"
"Six seasons." The man sighed. "Six seasons of exile away from the cafes and the pulse of the city. Six seasons toiling away in the mud in some forsaken corner of Saibh. The magistrates do know effective punishments."
"Honestly? It's not that bad." The captain gestured at the goods being loaded onto the ship. "Foods and sundries provided at the expense of the state, resupply comes by every week, and you seditious lot can all chat with each other while out on your island. It's a better lot than most of the peasantry."
"A mild punishment for an unjust crime remains unjust, but I suppose I have little say in the matter." The man sighed. "Is it all exiles, then?"
"Exiles and those who come by and visit. The only rule is you can't leave, and you can't send out any messages until your sentence is complete." The captain scratched his beard. "A word of advice? Watch out for visiting courtesans. They know they have a captive audience so you're like to lose every Florin you've got. Best to just wait till you return."

Structure

The Vagrant Colony is a penal institution run by the Principality of Etoile, imprisoning political prisoners in exile on a remote island in Eastern Saibh. The isolation of the island precludes attempts to escape, and the Principality maintains a small detachment of wardens to watch over the colony. The prisoners themselves are permitted to do as they like on the island as long as they do not harm each other and do not attempt to leave.

Public Agenda

Those sent to the island have been deemed socially incompatible with Etoile, typically by speaking out against the principle of Progress or directly attacking the institution of the Principality. As they have not committed actual crimes, normal imprisonment with hardened criminals was deemed excessive, so an isolating approach was seen as a good compromise to maintain the morality of society.

Assets

A small village was constructed on the colony to house the prisoners. The colony has a small cottage industry of hand craftsmanship, but otherwise the only valuable assets on the island are those the prisoners brought themselves. A weekly resupply power-sail delivers and distributes food and sundries.

History

The First Princeps established the colony not long after his coronation at the conclusion of The War of Unification, and promptly exiled his remaining political opponents, those that he deemed not worthy of immediate execution. In a famous speech, he named those he was exiling as 'now simple vagrants, stripped of rank, title, and material wealth'. The first wave of prisoners on the colony all served life sentences.
After his passing, life sentences for political sedition were retracted in favor of simply re-exiling re-offenders. Many historical political figures of note, that opposed the Principality but did not seek to damage it, cycled in and out of the Vagrant Colony over the years.

Founding Date

633

Type

Geopolitical, Settlement

Parent Organization

Principality of Etoile