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[Dept of PMM Castle Life]

Further Reading: Understanding The Behavior of Gorean Slaves
Gorean slaves are expected to act in certain ways, some of which have roots in the books, some of which don't. These are conventions which have been adopted over time by both online and offline communities of Goreans. The major aspects of these are:
The use of third person speech.
Slaves occasionally speak in the third person in the Gor books. They do this to emphasize that they are not "persons:" they do not own themselves. They are property. They are, philosophically as well as literally, "things." Many "real life" slaves, when forced to speak in the third person, have a visible reaction to this forceful reminder of their status. Many find it cumbersome as a full-time thing, and do not insist on its use at all times. Girls who have to interact with non-Goreans are at a decided disadvantage switching back and forth because of the conflict in their speech patterns. Its use when decreed, or when the slave wishes to demonstrate her slavery, is sufficient. There is more to showing need than bellying and lifting one's hindquarters, and subtle signs are no less valid than overt ones.
Online, where one can and should think about everything one says, as most people don't type anything like as fast as they can talk, it is less stilting to the girl's speech, it slows her down less, and it serves as a visual reminder of her slavery when she is denied the thousand physical demonstrations (movement, tone of voice, expression) that a real-life slave girl may manifest. As it is harmless, and serves a worthwhile purpose, it is to be encouraged, although it should not be mandatory, as it requires a certain degree of literary ability to use it non-monotonously. While Goreans do insist that slave girls use their gifts to the fullest, it is not logical to hold them responsible for gifts they do not have.
The use of non-capitalized nicks/handles/etc. online
This, plain and simple, is an indicator. You can't see people online. You can't listen to their tones. You don't know if they're wearing a collar, silks, the tunic of a Rarius, you don't know anything of the thousand and one visual and audio cues that people normally give off which tell you about them. Now while it is true that men at times dressed slaves in the Robes to take them to song-dramas and such, by and large it was both customary and required by law that slaves be clearly visible as such. How can that be done online? By requiring slaves, and no one else, to lower-case references to themselves. Think of it as a "virtual" brand and/or collar, or bondage strings, or whatever is appropriate to the cultural milieu. The visible manifestation of slavery on Gor could be something as subtle as how a woman wore her hair, or something as overt as a black iron collar hammered onto her throat. Online, it is the lower-case reference. (And to some extent the use of third-person speech. See above.) Some slaves online will also "collar," or put into brackets, the capitallized initial of her master’s name (or the name he uses). Curly braces {} or squared [ ] are of no real difference, although some slaves have suggested that {D} signifies a "virtual" relationship and [D] signifies a real-time (rt) one.
If the slave has some valid reason for concealing her slavery, then this does not apply. But if the slave is online, and wishes to act as a slave, then she will act as is held appropriate in the Gorean cultural milieu, which is that she will lower-case references to yourself and she will probably speak in the third person.
The addressing of free men as "Master."
Slaves must address people somehow. If they were not to use "master" or "mistress," what else could they use "Sir" Sir is used in the Gor books exclusively by free women to free men. Sir is a BDSM convention, not a Gorean one. Likewise any other titles like "Lord," etc. On Gor all slaves address all free men as "Master," except bond-maids who address free men as "my Jarl," its cultural equivalent. Any slave who does not is subject to immediate and severe discipline.
May the slave address a man by his name No. Not only does the preceding paragraph apply, but the name is the most intimate and valuable possession a person possesses. That a slave, an animal, would be allowed to use it as pleased her is ridiculous and intolerable. If the free person in question does not mind, all is well. She is using their possessions just as she might use her master's plates to serve dinner on. If she misuses the plates, she will be punished - and if she misuses a person's name, likewise. But unless and until the slave is told by a free person, "You may use my name," she should assume that they would consider this unacceptable. Using the name to indicate is perfectly acceptable:
"I belong to Dreamer." or in an online chatroom "(to Dreamer) Greetings, Master."
but NOT –
"Greetings, Dreamer" or even "Greetings, Master Dreamer."
A comment from a member of the Chicago Gor list:
I think it is quite common in Silk & Steel to see "Greetings Master A. Greetings Master B. Greetings Master C." The alternative is (to A) greetings Master (to B) greetings Master (to C). I find this completely graceless and I think you should reconsider. The reasons you give for not doing so are sound but I think the practice of the thing is a big mess.
My Response:
This is how slaves are required to act in my presence in the Tavern of the Blades (or any other Gorean venue I might be in) and while it sounds like it would be messy it actually works quite well. It encourages inventiveness, too, as the girls usually find different ways to indicate to whom they are speaking.
Often - not always, but often - when someone says "It would be too hard/impractical/unreasonable to require the slaves to do "x," what they mean is "I'd feel unreasonable and silly asking a slave to behave that way, and besides, then I'd have to follow through on making her do it and I'd feel like a bad person." There ain't no sich critter. If it pleases me to have a slave speak in Pig Latin, enthay eshay illway eakspay inyay IgPay Atinlay. If she doesn't know I want her to speak in Pig Latin, or what Pig Latin is, it would be unreasonable of me to punish her for failing to do so. But once my requirements are clear, that's the end of the discussion. She will do it, or she will be punished, and then she will still do it.
On a side note, it's interesting that I sometimes see slaves being given an implied "choice:" "Do (x) or I will punish you." The slave can "choose" the punishment - by refusing to obey - and avoid obedience. This is intolerable. Punishments are not either/or. Punishments are to demonstrate that when a slave is displeasing, Bad Things happen. And then, the slave will be pleasing, or she will be punished again, and so on.
So not sir, not lord, not by name. That leaves master. There are three (related) arguments which are advanced as to why a slave would not address a free man not her owner as "master:"
"This is not Gor."
No, it is not. Even in circumstances where a certain amount of difference from society's norms (e.g. BDSM clubs) is to be expected, I do not require submissives/slaves to address me as "master" simply because I am a dominant male. Not because I do not "deserve" it, but because it is unreasonable to expect others in a neutral setting to conform to my conventions. If I find their behavior intolerable, I do not tolerate it. I leave. My right and my privilege.
Now, the catch. The above argument, while correct, is irrelevant - because the places under discussion are Gor. As close as it can be. The Silk and Steel is on Gor. The Tavern of the Blades is on Gor. The Gorean Forum is on Gor. And the Gorean Public Boards are on Gor. Online Gor. They are populated and/or patronized by those who wish to enter into a particular sort of consensual hallucination - that of a world called Gor. Coming into them and pointing out the fact that it is, in fact, a consensual hallucination is spiteful, rude, and pointless. If you don't like our dream, find another. The world is full of people and most of them, quite frankly, disagree with us, so it shouldn't be hard to find an environment which you like better. Don't bother trying to change ours, because we're happy with it.

Another thought from a member of Chicago Gor:
Regarding your assertion that alt.books.gor is a piece of Gor in the sense that the Silk & Steel is a part of Gor. I tend to treat it as an extension of rec.arts.sf.written. I see no reason why a woman shouldn't be able to comment on the books using 1st person & caps even if she is known to be sub or slave or makes a remark in passing about her master.
My Response:
Your opinion, you're entitled to it, and I won't even say you're wrong. My personal feeling is that this "well, a comment is okay" thing tends to encourage the "speaking as a slave" versus "speaking as a person" dichotomy. I don't like that at all because what that really means, nine times in ten, is "I want to say something that a slave shouldn't say so I'm going to say it in the guise of 'speaking my mind' or 'speaking OOC' or some such." In a broader sense, this is literary laziness. I have seen slaves tell masters they were wrong in a pleasing and respectful way. I've had a slave tell me to my face I was acting like an idiot (yes, it does happen *gasp*) in a pleasing and respectful manner. The thing can be done and it's not even that hard.
"I only call men master who've earned my respect."
An argument not without its merits in the BDSM world - which this ain't. This is Gor. Respect is irrelevant. I have to call judges "Your Honor" even when it is painfully obvious they have none. That is how that game is played. Slaves have to address free men as master. That is how this "game" is played. Don't like these rules For you, the only winning move is not to play.
"I only call my owner 'master.'"
See A, B, and #7 below. Short version: Irrelevant. Address him as "my" master or come up with some other convention if you like - that's reasonable and I wouldn't dream of arguing with you. But if you are a slave in a sense all free persons are your masters and mistresses, and you must show respect and obedience to them all, or you are in for a world of hurt.
The addressing of free women as "Mistress."
Everything said above about the use of the name of a free person by a slave applies. Furthermore, free women have an even more dangerous attitude to slaves than dominance: hatred and jealousy. It is my considered opinion that even a woman free in her heart would simply have bad feelings towards most slaves. If she is not free, she envies them, terribly, and fears the visible reminder they present that she is like them, and someday might end up kneeling beside them. The conflict this creates inside her expresses itself, most often, as dislike.
If the woman is truly free, why would she have anything but disdain for women who were so weak as to not be able to overcome their baser natures And the lusts they incite in men, the beasts, endanger her as well, as she might be mistaken for one of them.
A really, really mature free woman might be able to adopt a more charitable approach towards slaves. But that's a pretty thin reed to pin one's hopes on. If one pins wrong, the wrath unleashed might be truly breathtaking in its ferocity. The slave would be wise to avoid such a risk, and use "Mistress" to free women, bidden or not.
The addressing of other slaves as "sister."
This is found in the books a few times. It probably originates from the term "chain sisters." As slaves are "daughters of the chain," and two girls with the same mother are sisters, they can be considered "chain sisters." My first response to hearing that girls are "chain sisters" is that they have the same owner, but that's not necessarily true. In any event, it's a harmless convention and, if not carried to the truly sickening nicey-nicey booboo level one occasionally sees, there's nothing wrong with it.
The adoption of pleasing and respectful forms of speech.
A simple one. It is the right, and the duty, of every free person to correct displeasing slaves. Slaves are property, animals. They have no right to get away with being displeasing and they are not owed any latitude, tact, or other social "grease" to lubricate them through rough spots. A slave who is not pleasing can, will, and should be disciplined by any and all free person who note the displeasing behavior.
It should be noted that while a certain insouciance or impertinence on the part of a slave, judiciously applied, can be allowed, and honest disagreement is never out of place, a slave may never be rude to a free person. Ever. For any reason. Even if the free person started it. This is a fundamental consequence of the fundamental difference between slaves and free persons. It's not all furs and cheap candies and painful but heated whippings. Slaves are to be pleasing. Period.
The owner's preferences and their relation to public behavior.
This, to my mind, is quite largely irrelevant. I cannot get away with being what other people consider excessively obnoxious because I am a free man (dominant male). I will quickly be ostracized (or worse) if I try. Why then should my slaves be allowed to be what other people consider obnoxious because I told them to be? In essence, it's the same argument. The fact that I am a free man (dominant male) does not excuse antisocial behavior on my part nor does it excuse antisocial behavior on the part of someone I force to manifest it. Gorean slaves address Gorean free men as master. Period, end of sentence, end of discussion. If a man does not want his slave to address any other man as master, he should keep her away from Gorean free men. Or, at the very least, away from men who do not understand his preference and who are not willing to honor it.
To form a crude analogy, my parents have a small dog who, according to my mother, has a "nervous stomach." In other words, it constantly excretes on the floor because my sister never bothered to properly housebreak it. If I am in their house, the most that is appropriate is for me to tell them, once, that the dog has made a mess. If they respond that they do not discipline the dog for such, it's their dog and their house and my only correct response is to smile and keep my yap shut. (It's absolutely amazing how often this is the only correct response to a situation and how often people fail to realize this.)
However, my parents don't take this dog with them to visit other people. Why Because they know a dog that pisses on the floor is not acceptable to most people and it would be extraordinarily rude to expect them to put up with it - despite their own lack of concern over the matter. Likewise, a master who allows his slave to metaphorically piss on the floor - by being displeasing to other masters - is at best thoughtlessly rude, and at worst an obnoxious remote-con"troll"ing jerk. Case closed.
Further Reading: Example of Gorean Slavery in a Terran Relationship
These are the rules I enforce for my slave girls. After each rule, I explain its derivation.
1. Because most people on this world do not understand that women should be slaves, and men should love them and master them, my slaves may act as though they were free women when people who do not understand this are about. However, my commands must always be obeyed and my slaves must always defer to a Master, no matter the circumstance. The only honor a slave girl has is serving an honorable Master who knows what is best for her.
Derivation: This is fundamental to the idea of the slave as someone who is owned. I have no desire to inflict my own beliefs on others, nor to cause them distress by making them see things which disturb them. Nor is there any point to having my slaves behave in an unusual manner when others are about. Even in the Chronicles, when a man wished to take his slave to a public event, he would dress her in the Robes as a recognition of the nature of the event. But I mean to be obeyed, and I will be obeyed, and I do not care who is watching. They know I do not enjoy humiliating people for no reason: that is enough to have made it appealing for them to submit to me. Now that they have done so, their choices are over.
2. The paramount duty of a slave to her master is honesty. If she is tied in such a way as to cause physical pain he might not anticipate, she should say so. If she does not understand why something is being done to her, she should say so. If she is feeling uncertain about an aspect of her slavery, she should say so. A respectful question or observation will never bring punishment. My slaves are to constantly inform me of their thoughts and feelings, which belong to me no less than their lovely necks and are treasured just as much.
Derivation: Pure logic. If I want them to hurt, hurt they will. If I don’t, and they are hurting, something is wrong. It is not rational to damage one’s own property. And it is very rational to work with slave girls to deepen their slavery and make them desire to be more pleasing. They cannot do that if they are uncertain.
3. If a slave behaves and obeys well, she should be proud. There is nothing pleasing about cringing like a dog, fearing the Master's least word or glance. Slaves who are well disciplined are vital, intelligent, and bright of eye, quick to answer and quick to take pride in their service, and these things are pleasing to me. A slave may offer an opinion when asked, may speak and ask questions unless bidden to be silent, and may respectfully correct me when I am mistaken.
Derivation: This is a combination of logic and personal preference. While a certain amount of deference is due to the idea of the master, as opposed to the fallible human being, I like lively conversation and a slave who is not afraid to contribute to it. And there is nothing shameful about being a slave if that is what one is: what is important then is to be the best slave one can be. If I make a mistake, then I do, and it is no threat to my mastery to have a slave tell me so.
4. My slave girls must always remember that they are valuable property which belongs to me. They must at all times take good care of themselves medically, physically, and mentally. They must never, ever provoke confrontations in unknown environments or endanger themselves unnecessarily. If anything threatens their well-being, in whatever aspect, they are to tell me about it at once.
Derivation: Again, simple logic. I wish my property to have the maximum value to me. Otherwise, why have it This rule was inspired by the fact that one of my kajirae has a tendency to be confrontational. While I enjoy her courage I do not want her damaged by the fact that she sometimes thinks with her fists instead of her brain.
5. My slave girls are owned utterly by me, down to the last strand of hair on their heads. If I choose to use them, they must show their appreciation and give all their passion in exchange for the smallest touch. A slave may never resist my advances, or anything else I choose to do to her. She may inform me if she is unwell, or if there is some other reason my desires might best be temporarily delayed, but the decision is for me alone.
Derivation:While this might seem obvious, it pleases me to state it very straightforwardly. One of the consequences of submission is that one loses all other choices. The choice of whether to engage in sexual activities is the most private and intimate of choices. Making it clear that they have lost it gives depth to the magnitude of what they have done, and what they are subject to.
6. Slave girls sometimes disobey or are insolent and must be punished. This, of course, is the Master's privilege and his duty, for if a slave is not corrected, she will not improve. Slave girls are punished if, when, and as I please. When I desire to punish a slave, I will tell her why she is to be punished and how. If instructed to bring a lash or paddle, she must do so quickly and obediently. Her hands must never touch it, or any weapon, so she must bring it in her teeth, and when she reaches me she must be on her hands and knees. I will then inform her which position to take, and they must obey instantly.
Derivation: This is taken in part from the Chronicles. I wish it to be very clear to them that while I have no particular desire to punish them, I do not have any reservations about it, either, and that I consider pain a perfectly valid disciplinary tool.
7. I will punish my slaves in any way I see fit, naturally. They may be bound to remind them of their helplessness before me, or they may be ordered to hold a position to teach them to obey. When a slave knows she is being punished, she must obey instantly and without thought or question, unless she does not understand what she is to do.
Derivation: Not all punishments are physical, nor are they all obvious in their method or design. What is required from the girl is obedience. Making them understand how and why they are being punished is my lookout. If I do not make it clear, they will not improve, but that is my problem, not theirs.
Specific duties and "standing orders" for my slave girls include:
1. Slave girls must never speak the name of a Master unbidden, unless this would appear unseemly when others are about. The only time it should ever be spoken above a whisper is to call for immediate assistance with some urgent matter.
Derivation: I do not care to be called by my name by others without my permission. The name is the most intimate and valuable possession a person possesses. That a slave, an animal, would be allowed to use it as pleases her is a ridiculous idea. If the free person in question does not mind, all is well. She is using their possessions just as she might use her master's plates to serve dinner on. If she misuses the plates, she will be punished - and if she misuses a person's name, likewise. But unless and until the slave is told by a free person, "You may use my name," she should assume that they would consider this unacceptable. While the Chronicles inspired this particular rule, I have always felt this way about the use of my name. The world need not honor my preferences, but my slave girls must.
2. Slave girls must remember that they are property, and should not try not to refer to themselves as "I," "me," or to objects as "my" or "mine" in my presence. They instead should say "this girl," "your slave," and similar phrases.
Derivation: Slaves occasionally speak in the third person in the Gor books. They do this to emphasize that they are not "persons:" they do not own themselves. They are property. They are, philosophically as well as literally, "things." Many "real life" slaves, when forced to speak in the third person, have a visible reaction to this forceful reminder of their status. Many find it cumbersome as a full-time thing, and do not insist on its use at all times. Girls who have to interact with non-Goreans are at a decided disadvantage switching back and forth because of the conflict in their speech patterns. Its use when decreed, or when the slave wishes to demonstrate her slavery, is sufficient. There is more to showing need than bellying and lifting one's hindquarters, and subtle signs are no less valid than overt ones. Therefore I do not strictly enforce this requirement.
3. I prefer to be addressed as "Master" or "my Master" by slave girls. "Sir" or "My lord" is not to be used unless some fantasy or scene is being played out where it would be appropriate. A slave girl who wishes to indicate me in particular when other masters are about should refer to me as "my Master." Of course, this does not indicate her possession of me, but rather singles me out: She must respect all men, but I am her one true Master.
Derivation:They have to call me something. This is what I prefer. That is enough and ten times enough as far as they are concerned.
4. My girls are required to know how to dance for me. I will provide instruction as to the type of dance I wish them to learn, and they will then practice as directed by me.
Derivation: I like to watch women dance.
5. My slaves are to shave under their arms, their legs, and the pubic region. This is to be done not less than twice a week unless some physical reason for delaying it exists, and then only with permission. They are also, of course, to be clean and washed at all times
Derivation:I prefer this. I do not prefer it because I like them to look young, but because I like the way it feels. However, this is irrelevant: this is what I want, this is what they will do.
6. My slaves are allowed to speak to others without prior permission, even other Masters, so long as they are respectful. However, they are always to identify themselves as my slaves immediately upon beginning any conversation in a setting where this is appropriate.
Derivation: They are bright and intelligent women and I do not feel threatened by their existence outside of my personal purview. However, they are to make it very clear that they are the property of another.
7. My slaves, when approaching me and I am sitting or standing still, are required to kneel in the position known as "nadu:" sitting on heels, legs open, hands on thighs, unless for social reasons this would be inappropriate. After I see them do this, they may then sit comfortably at my feet unless I tell them otherwise. They are not to sit on chairs or furniture in my presence without permission unless in a mundane social situation.
Derivation: This is taken from the Chronicles and I find it a very appealing position to look at a slave in. However, it’s very uncomfortable to kneel like that if you haven’t grown up doing it and I see no reason to make them walk around as if crippled from kneeling too long. The restriction against furniture reminds them of the difference in our positions.
8. My slaves may come and go as they please unless they have been ordered otherwise. The only exception to this is as follows: If I have specifically summoned a girl for any reason, she is not to leave my presence without being dismissed, either explicitly or implicitly, as when she is told to go and do something. Slaves may ask to be dismissed, but they are to give a reason for the request.
Derivation: Again, I do not need or want mindless fawning servitude. They are permitted to have other interests and do as they like so long as it does not conflict with pleasing me.
Goreans and BDSM
There is commonality between BDSM and the Gorean lifestyle in a number of respects (see 24/7, Domination & submission, Servitude (BDSM), Slave (BDSM), Total Power Exchange etc.), but there are also overall differences in approach.
Some in BDSM consider the Gorean lifestyle to be a subset of BDSM practices, and find it lacking in that regard. So the mainstream of BDSM practitioners often disdain Goreans because Goreans allegedly reject the ideas of "safe, sane and consensual"/"risk-aware consensual kink", because of the frequent lack of a safe word between Gorean master and slave, or because the almost exclusive male dominant/female submissive dynamic seems to imply that "your kink is not OK" regarding other practices.
Serious Goreans, on the other hand, generally deny that they are engaging in "games" or "role-playing", and do not consider the extreme pain or extreme physical or sexual play sometimes practiced in BDSM as part of being Gorean, so that BDSM precautions and BDSM distinctions between "in scene" and "out of scene" are largely unnecessary and irrelevant (though there is still a need for honest communication within a Gorean relationship, as in any other sustained intimate relationship). They do not consider most of what they do to be BDSM, and do not judge themselves according to BDSM standards.
A person living the Gorean lifestyle states that "...BDSM and it's practitioners do as they do in order to fulfil a sexual need or 'kink' in themselves. They are different from Goreans and the lifestyle in that to be Gorean does not just encompass the sexual side of a person but everything else as well. Goreans live by and enforce 'codes of honour' and live by these codes.
Some Goreans do practice BDSM (even though BDSM is not Gorean in itself). These Goreans may or may not use a safeword when involved in BDSM scene play; however, if they do not, then some sort of communication is usually practiced.
Note that Norman's non-fictional sex manual Imaginative Sex presents a series of elaborate fantasy scenarios to be acted out (rather than advocating for a real-world "24/7" lifestyle), and recommends that symbolic substitutes (such as the sound of claps) should be used instead of actual physical chastisements (such as whippings). Most of the scenarios are maledom / femsub, but a few portray men as the slaves of women, and anticipate the eroticised first-person male slave narratives of some of the Gorean novels.
[edit] The Gorean self-identity
The Gorean identity is founded on home, job, and social order. The 'Three Pillars' of Gorean society are described as "Home Stone, Caste System, and Slavery"
The home is prime of importance to the Gorean, and this applies as much to the city-state of origin to the current residence or camp. 'A man's home in his castle' is translated in Gor to 'Every man is an Ubar within the circle of his sword.' (The Ubar is a war-leader, a General who takes power at a time of crisis, and whose rule is tantamount to tyrant until the crisis is resolved.) The Home Stone is held sacred by every city and settlement, and is displayed under guard. Any praise or insult to a Home Stone is taken personally by those who live in the city it symbolizes. The theft of a Home Stone is the gravest crime, and paradoxically the most honorable enterprise, that any Warrior could undertake.
The Gorean's occupation is formed and informed by their caste. The Caste system establishes the Gorean identity as strongly as homeland. Because of the Gorean's work ethic and pride in caste, all castes are essentially equal. There is little social mobility because of this caste pride and identity; even the Peasant caste uphold their caste codes and firmly believe in their superiority to all other castes. But in actuality a few castes are more equal than the others. Those of High Caste, including Scribes, Warriors, Physicians, Builders and Initiates (holy men) have access to privileged education and opportunities to leadership. The social order is further consolidated by social edict: "A man who refuses to practice his livelihood or strives to alter status without consent of the Council of High Castes is by definition an outlaw." A Gorean regards the welfare of their caste higher than their own, but in return, the caste provides welfare and charity when a caste member is in need.
[edit] Symbols
Distinctive Gorean symbols include various artistic renditions of the "kef" symbol (Kef being the initial letter of kajira in the Gorean language), the floral "dina" mark, and to a lesser extent other brands mentioned in Norman's Gor books.
Some Goreans also use symbols not derived from Norman's books, most prominently the Chinese character for "slave" 奴 (Unicode U5974), which contains the character for "woman" 女 as its left half and an old character for "right hand" as its right half, and so can be given the interpretation "woman under master's hand".[1] (However, the main function of the "woman" character 女 here is technically as a "phonetic" element indicating pronunciation, and the composite character 奴 is not always female-referring.)

One version of the Kef, the most common kajira brand on Gor

A rendering of the dina mark, sometimes called 'the slave flower'

Chinese character U5974 in an ancient form (top, showing kneeling woman and right hand) and one modern version (bottom)

[edit] Goreans in the novels
In the original novels, Goreans are simply those humans who live on the planet Gor. The back-story of the setting holds that various humans were transported from Earth to Gor in ancient times, a process which continues at a low volume in the present mostly in the form of Earth women taken to Gor as slaves.
In the books, although most slaves on Gor are female, most females are actually free women. The ratio has been presented as approximately 40 free women to one slave girl (though the various hints about Gorean demographics given in different Gor novels are not entirely consistent). Male slaves are less common than female, and are usually criminals, debtors or prisoners of war. Female slaves are called kajirae (singular: kajira) and male slaves are called kajiri (singular: kajirus) in the Gorean tongue.
Diary of a Goran Slave,
It was early in the evening when I met a man I will call Soames Forsyte. I met him in the recesses of one of those cesspool of the spirit that SL calls clubs where they have dungeons and private rooms and escorts and objects like that. Nobody dragged me there. Tell you the truth, I was bored and just wandering around. Now Soames was handsome – but that’s not unusual, because everyone in SL is just about as beautiful and sexy and desirable as their skill with sliders permits. These strangely and also clone-ish surfaces are an important part of the lucid dream that is Second Life. It makes me want to quote from that song “Round Here” where they say:
Round here we all look the same
Round here we roar like lions
Round here we sacrifice like lambs
Round here we stay up very very very very late (-- Counting Crows)
To me, that SL in a nutshell, but to make it short:
I met Soames, and I went with him into his world, and his world is called roleplay Gor.
It would be very easy to write a story about roleplay Gor that would begin something like this:
“In December 2005, in Pakistan, a man called ======= killed his 24 year old daughter for dishonoring him, and then he killed his three stepdaughters, all under age 10. He then threatened to kill his wife for screaming while he killed her children. Mr. --------- was very matter-of-fact when confronted by police about these so-called honor-killings, and explained to them that he had picked up the machete used in the killings on his way home from mid-day prayers. According to Human Rights Watch, there were at least 250 honor killings in the Middle East during the year 2005, and those are the ones they know about. In roleplay Gor, honor killings are acceptable.
In Afghanistan, and in other so-called conservative Muslim cultures, the honorable women of Muslim families are expected to wear a long robe called a Burka, which conceals a woman from head to foot, and includes the use of a face veil. Women in these cultures are expected to wear these robes whenever venturing outside their homes, and are not allowed to travel without an escort, preferably male, of some sort. In roleplay Gor, the Burka is called “Robes of Concealment”, five to eight face veils are required, and a freewoman wears this regalia and does not travel un-escorted….
A person writing an article about roleplay Gor that began that way would be opening themselves to a certain amount of screaming from the roleplay Gor community in SL. A person who wrote wondering why roleplay Gor celebrates human sexual slavery – an activity that continues to roll merrily along in modern Thailand and Africa, for example – would be accused of Sensational Tabloid Journalism about activities that simply are either exaggerated, happen by mutual consent, or just don’t exist. No doubt at least one irritable Ubar in some Gorean backwater of SL would get on the horn to His legal advisors and send a couple enraged letters to the editorial staff of the publication unfortunate enough to attract His attention should He see such awkward statements in print. After all, an Ubar’s work is never done.
No one here, however, is foolish enough to draw parallels between Taliban fashion statements and the wardrobe requirements of the Gorean Free Woman. No one here is silly enough to wonder why so many apparently well-heeled and apparently bored middle class Western European and American wives, mothers, students, and career women are willing to sign up and pay the cost of entry so that other well-heeled and apparently bored middle class men (and women) can roleplay social and sexual crimes against women in this very unusual and intriguing manner. Human sexual slavery is, after all, a RL problem. RL human sexual slavery with kidnapping, beatings, and forced prostitution is different, isn’t it, from the RP fantasies of a few thousand people waving the “safe, sane, consensual” BDSM flag? Anyway, it is clearly obvious that nobody is recruiting newbie women for these RP Second Life activities, and it goes without saying that absolutely no SL resident is recruiting RL subs and slaves from the SL population. That never happens. We all know that.
But I did go off with Mr. Forsyte. He had a room upstairs and I went there and he said undress and I did and then he made requests which I performed in the most cordial way possible. When I was leaving he said something to me and at the end of the list of his requests/orders/desires, he added “and you will wear my kol’lar…” and I felt shocked at this request and said no. Then we had this loop where he said you will and I said no, I won’t, and we went through that a few times until the loop lost its charm.
For those few people left in SL who do not know what a collar or kol’lar is, I will tell you that it is a complex symbol. The collar is an extremely tangible and visible symbol of a very powerful multi-level relationship of surrender. Putting on a kol’lar is a statement of transfer of personal power and control from the person wearing the kol’lar to the person who has given the kol’lar. The kol’lar itself tends to be made of metal or leather or some such material, and looks in many cases like the collar worn by a dog or some other pet animal, and in fact often the person wearing the kol’lar is addressed as “my pet” or is referred to as “my pet”.
A kol’lar is either given, or requested – in RP Gor, however, even though the Gorean Master will offer the kol’lar to a desired female, the kol’lar is said to have been “begged” of a Master. I didn’t know this until I found it out later on in the most unfortunate way possible.
Prior to my submission my Master and I had these discussions primarily because I found that I was very intrigued and charmed with the way he appeared to spontaneously express himself like an old Scottish ballad at times. It is very true that I have always enjoyed listening to this man talk. It was clear to me that Mr. Forsyte was not from Mainstream America, that he did not think every-day thoughts, and that he had clearly experienced life in a completely different way than had I. He was, when he wanted to be, articulate and eloquent. He seemed scrupulously honest. He was perceptive and intuitive in the extreme. He definitely understood, and raised to art, the act of seduction and he also scared me. A lot. The thing that finally made him irresistible to me was that he was clearly very strong-willed and emotionally intense, probably even more so than I am. It was my intuition that I would never, ever, be able to out-will this man that pushed me over the edge into submission. Nowadays I think that this man must have been extremely charitable in outlook to accept me, because I had absolutely no clue about what I was signing up for. Later on, I’d find out that he knew exactly how clueless I was, but that he also had more patience than a whole handful of saints.