The Shackles is a stretch of land and a number of nearby islands in western Garund, directly to the south of never-ending hurricane known as the Eye of Abendego. It is the haven of the notorious Shackles Pirates, built on the ruins of an ancient civilization.
Civilization, is as much as the term applies to the Shackles, is concentrated in six main areas :- the Mainland, Bag Island, Devil's Arches, Motaku Isle, Shark Island and Tempest Cay.
The population of the Shackles consists mainly of runaway criminals, escaped slaves and the buyers and sellers of illicit goods. They are mostly human, with a comparatively high proportion of half-elves and half-orcs. The wilder regions are home to the degenerate kuru, and tribes of goblins. There is also a large tengu population, with many settlements having a tengu quarter; pirates believe it is good luck to have a tengu on board ship, as they "soak up" bad luck. Lizardfolk from the Sodden Lands to the north occasionally mount raids into the Shackles. The sea is home to locathahs, sahuagin and water nagas. There are also some dragon turtles in the western region.