38

[Dept of PMM Castle Life]

SLAVERY
Perhaps the most commonly misunderstood social institution upon Gor is that of human slavery. A sometimes cruel practice, though seemingly a necessary one on Gor, slavery takes many varied forms in Gorean culture.
The psychological effects of such imbonditude are well understood by Goreans, even taken for granted. To the Gorean school of thought, slavery is not bad; it is a part of life.
Few people are born to slavery upon Gor; most who are slaves upon that planet are slaves because they were actively enslaved. Goreans feel that to be enslaved is to be humbled, to be forced basically to acknowledge the fact that someone who was stronger than you exists, and has stripped your freedom from you.
Women, being smaller and less physically adapted to warfare and self-protection, are naturally the beings most often enslaved upon Gor. There are male slaves as well, but they rarely last long.
Most Gorean males will not suffer slavery for very long before they die resisting or are worked to death in the attempt to subdue their spirit. Females, on the other hand, are generally treated better and require less effort to subdue than males.
This is also true because most Goreans regard beautiful, intelligent women as a highly valuable commodity for trade purposes. They are treated as what they have become, according to Gorean law: someone else's property. In effect, most Goreans tend to believe that if you are a slave, you deserve to be one.
Either you were too weak to remain free, or you did something foolish to lose your freedom. Slavery, upon Gor, is a highly-regarded institution and is not merely psychological... it is a fact of nature, and has the total weight of all Gorean custom and practice to support it. To be a slave on Gor is to be totally enslaved, and there is simply no avenue of recourse to one who is no longer free. Gorean slavery is then, in effect, total slavery.
Only Free persons are protected under Gorean law, and only Free persons have any say in the dealings of Gorean government and civil administration. To the Gorean way of thinking, this state of affairs is perfectly acceptable and even proper.
'How long have you know you were a slave?' I asked.
'Since I was a young girl,' she said.
'I first discovered it in my thought and dreams, and feelings, and fantasies.
But I thought I could never be more than a secret slave at the mercy of a secret Master.
Then I was brought to Gor. Here I wear my collar openly and kneel before my Masters for all the world to see.'
~ Rogue of Gor, p. 20 ~
"Do you know, ultimately," I asked, "who will prove to be your one best trainer?"
"No, Master," she said.
"You, yourself," I said, "the girl, herself, eager to please, imaginative and intelligent, monitoring her own performances and feelings, striving lovingly to improve and refine them. You yourself will be largely responsible for making yourself the superb slave you will become."
~ Savages of Gor, p. 210 ~
The journey of submission is like looking through a kaleidoscope - beautiful but ever shifting. A tiny twist of the wrist and the pattern changes, ever brilliant with color, still wonderfully pleasing to the eye, satisfying to the soul.
One has to be open and willing to see that beauty. And not only should one be open and willing to see the beauty, but also know there will be times of terror as well, as the pattern shifts into a form more complex than the submissive is prepared to explore at that time.
TPE - Total Power Exchange - is submission in its highest form. It is surrender. And although the *goal* may be to surrender with humility and grace, the *journey* toward that goal will be ever challenging, and fraught with indecision and fear. The joy felt, however, as one slips into the mode of surrender is transcendental, a definite peak experience, and that peak experience far outweighs the difficulty in getting there.
So what does TPE have to do with the Gorean lifestyle?
For some, maybe nothing. For others, the Gorean lifestyle epitomizes TPE. It is submission in its totality. It *is* surrender. There are those who define "Gorean" in a totally different fashion, of course, with the viewpoint that it is not a "lifestyle," but instead a philosophy based on a "natural order" between men and women - men being naturally dominant, and women being naturally submissive. Estri doesn't know if that's true or not. Estri only knows that she has always been submissive. And she is enslaved by a Gorean man. Therefore, Estri is a Gorean slave girl. And she is content to be just that.
So let's look at the Gorean lifestyle, or philosophy, as it were, in terms of the Master/slave relationship. There are, of course, an abundance of other factors that one could incorporate into their Gorean lifestyle - without slavery ever entering into the equation. But we won't go there, not this time, anyway. Estri will just talk about the TPE dynamics of the Gorean Master/slave relationship.
In Estri's pursuit into the journey of her submission, she read article after article espousing beliefs like "submission is a gift," and "a submissive *chooses* whether or not to submit, but a slave has no choice but *to* submit," etc. (Not a Gorean perspective, by the way.) Everyone had a slightly different take on it. It left Estri scratching her head in confusion. None of it rang quite true for Estri. Huh? Wait a minute. *Everything* is a choice. Slavery, as it exists in the framework we're speaking of here, is consensual. Even Gorean slavery. Which means you can leave anytime you want. If you stay, it's because you've *chosen* to stay. Not because you *have*to stay. Whether you identify as a submissive *or* slave, you have a choice.
Perhaps the difference between submission and slavery, then, in order to separate fantasy from reality, is not whether or not you can choose (of course you can choose!) but rather the commitment made to one's self to *consistently surrender your conscious will* to another. All the time. Every time. Not just when you feel like it. Not just when you think your Master is right. Even if you don't agree, you follow his wishes respectfully. That's the "Total" in Total Power Exchange.
So how does this relate to being Gorean? Can't you have TPE in a BDSM environment? Of course you can! And many do. However, this article is the journey of TPE - Gorean Style, so that is what this girl will focus on at this point. And please bear in mind that the terms Estri uses are a reflection of how *she* views the various lifestyle choices, and some may not be true for all, or for that matter, maybe none may be true for anyone but Estri.
For Estri, being a Gorean slave girl, means:
• being pleasing is more important than posturing

• begging to serve without a "What's in it for me?" attitude

• letting go of expectations, thereby opening yourself up to all the possibilities

• putting Master's needs first, even when you don't feel like it, or aren't "in the mood"

• letting him make the decisions, all the time, even if you have a preference

• capitulating with grace, even on things you disagree

• letting go, letting him see the negative aspects as well as the positive, for all belong to him

• realizing that just because you are a girl, or a slave, that you are not inferior or less intelligent - just different, and rejoicing in that difference

• realizing that surrendering… is an incredibly beautiful expression of the soul
Is it easy? No, not at all. It's probably the hardest thing you'll ever do. It means giving up every vestige of control - and you'd be surprised at the tiniest threads of control you're loathe to give up.
Before you ever take the TPE plunge, question your motivations. Why are you here? Self-examination and honest soul-searching are paramount.
If you can't give willingly and honestly, joyously and without reservation, if you don't want to struggle with the hard issues, if you're not ready to let go completely of the many threads of control, if you're too lazy or too stubborn or too tired to give him what he needs and wants, or if you're just abdicating responsibility, then don't get involved in a TPE relationship.
Don't go there.
You'll just cause heartache and unending grief for yourself… and your Master.
But… if you have what it takes and you're willing to work hard enough to struggle to overcome the societal conditioning and your own emotional baggage, if you're willing to take the flak from your family and friends and other "nillas" who don't, or won't, understand your drives and desires, then along with the struggle will come the most beautiful moment of your life - that moment of surrender.
A twist of the wrist from Master reveals that kaleidoscope in the most vibrantly rich colors you can imagine. It simply takes your breath away.
After all, life is not measured by the breaths you take, but by the moments that take your breath away.
"What is a Kajira? What does that mean?"
"Kajira" is Gorean for "Slave Girl." "Kajirae" is the plural form of the word, or "Slave Girls."
A Gorean Kajira is not a BDSM "subbie" or a "masochist." She is a slave, and as such is both an animal of little worth and a prized possession of great value to the men that surround her and she calls, "Master." She is a "Kajira" not only because men would have it so, but because it is her very nature.
Slavery is an absolute condition on Gor, it is not something you are when you feel like it, it is a totality of being.

"What is my responsibility as a new slave?"
A slave girl, any slave girl, has one primary responsibility... to be pleasing to her Master in any way he desires, and to do so to the best of her ability. Be that in how she serves, how she walks, how she reacts to others, it is her Master’s pleasure that should be her focus. Sometimes we can lose sight of this and the focus becomes what we "think" is pleasing, or what is pleasing in our own eyes... but never forget, it is the Master’s choice as to what is pleasing to him. Your job is to evoke pleasure in his eyes, not your own. Your pleasure should come in his.
Remember, Gorean Masters expect perfection in what they own, and are not at to settle for less. A skilled slave will know what her master wants and how to give it to him, almost before he even asks.

"Is it proper for me to call my master by his name?"
Simply put, no, it is not proper. Goreans are very particular about the use of names, and do not take having such or using such for granted. The use of a name is a privilege of the free. To slave's, a free man's name is "Master" and a free woman's name is "Mistress." A more proper way for a girl to indicate who she is speaking to is through action, as in the following... "::eyes downcast, she replies to Master 'Gorean':: Yes, Master"

"Do Slaves say 'Tal?'"
Yes. "Tal" is Gorean for "Greetings." When a slave says "Tal, Master," she is saying "Greetings, Master." When someone says "Tal and Greetings," they are being redundant.
In terms of showing respect, neither the word "Tal" nor the word "Greetings," matter or show anything really, other then what they mean. In terms of respect it is the word "Master" that matters in the equation.

"What is 'Nadu?'"
"Nadu" is Gorean for "Kneel." It can also be a "command word" that when spoken evokes a response from a slave girl, namely, upon being told "Nadu," the girl kneels.
How a girl kneels is dependent upon what kind of slave she is. Pleasure Slaves "nadu" or "kneel" in the "Position of the Pleasure Slave," as such is what they are taught to do. Tower Slaves "nadu" or "kneel" in the "Position of the Tower Slave," as that is what they are taught to do. Girls that are being taught to be Pleasure Slaves are similarly expected to kneel as one would.
Before men though, slaves, even those not Pleasure Slaves, are expected to nadu in a position much similar to that of the Pleasure Slave. It is just that Pleasure Slaves are not permitted to kneel otherwise in the presence of men.

"What is Obeisance?"
Obeisance is a form assumed by a slave when wishing to show the proper respect and deference of a girl before a master, or free persons in general. This can be done in many ways, and by far not all through the assuming of a predetermined position. What is important is not so much the form itself as what is trying to be displayed in the assuming of it... respect.
Commonly, obeisance is shown by the girl kneeling, bending forward and putting the palms of her hands to the ground before her, and touching her head to the floor. It is very often done, most commonly when entering a room, greeting free persons, or when coming into direct contact with a free person.

"How should I enter a tavern?"
You enter the tavern itself, pausing at the entrance to perform general obeisance to the free persons in the room, then proceed either directly to your owner or to wherever is appropriate for slaves in that location, often a slave mat.
For that matter, when entering most any location, this formula should be followed.

"How should I behave in a tavern?"
First and foremost, one should behave as is appropriate to a slave, with "exquisite beauty and absolute obeidance."
If you are summoned to serve, there are three things to keep in mind... 1. Get exactly what the master orders, as he desires it. 2. Dont spill any of it. 3. Get it to him as fast as possible. All through this, the concept of "exquisite beauty" should be maintained. A Gorean slave girl is beautiful, graceful and desirable in all things she does, even the most mundane.
If you are not summoned to serve, it is advisable that you find a way to be useful. Idle and lazy slaves are seldom attractive to a Master, and those that appear to "hide in a corner" are seldom noticed. One should remember however, not to become annoying. Flooding a room with chatter and bothersome activity might shift from something of interest to something displeasing. Part of a girls talents is the ability to judge what is proper for a room.
Insolent and bratty behavior is not something tolerated or even normally encountered on Gor, especially not in a room full of men. Slaves do not provoke, mock, "talk back," or antagonize those that are free. Gorean slave girls know better then to do these things, and know well what kind of discipline will swiftly fall on them should they slip even for a moment.
Slave girls do not chatter and play with one another in such a setting. On Gor, they would be far too busy to do such things, and even if the tavern is slow, that is not an excuse to forget your place.

"Are slave girls suppose to test a master's drink before giving it to him? For poison or to make sure it is ready?"
No. Slave do not "test" a drink in that fashion, nor for those reasons.
Posion is not really a consideration on Gor. It is the weapon of women, at best, and contact with such is an extremely rare occurance. Testing for such would not cross one's mind, as the threat is almost non-existant. Besides the fact slaves do not sip from a master's cup.
Testing to see if the drink is ready, in terms of warming, is done by presing the vessel to one's cheek, feeling the warmth through the side. Sipping the drink to see if it is "good" is an insult to the tavern one is serving in. The tavern would not serve the beverage if it were not.
Besides, if a girl has already gotten her master his drink, knelt before him, and is ready to present it to him, it is a little late to wonder if it is ready or good enough.

"How do I leave a location?"
A slave must ask to leave the presence of men, and do so politely, as in begging. A slave does not simply take it upon herself to depart without permission, such can be taken as both insolent and insulting.

"I asked three times and no one has said anything to me, what now?"
First be certain you are not being purposely ignored, as in the case of punishment or free persons being involved with something important. If it indeed appears that you are not being answered due to some oversight, and not something conciously done, then proceed to exit, but do so politely and make it clear in your motions that you are showing proper respect and tried to ask permission.

"What is the Bazi Tea Ceremony?"
There is no intricate Bazi Tea Ceremony mentioned in the books or implied to exist. Bazi tea is served in three small cups, drank in rapid succession. Other then that, the books give no reference to any ceremonial presentation, nor remotely suggest one exists.

"Can a slave be sexually reserved?"
Yes. As owner, your master can decide anything regarding anything in your life, a life which he owns. He can place any restrictions on you and your use, the only question is will others respect this and does he have the power to enforce such. A man can make any and all claims he wishes, but if others are ignorant of the claims, or do not care what has been said, then those words only have as much weight as is perceived. One's reputation, wealth and power have much to do with the weight of one's words and the respect of one's wishes.
Commonly, girls which are sexually reserved will be kept at home, or transported in an iron belt at the very least. Though such a belt can only protect so much.

"How do I ask to speak with a free person?"
Slave girls do not chat freely with freepersons. You would beg for permission to speak in some form of obeisance for it is a privelege to speak with the free, not a right. Slave girls have no rights. If this sounds harsh, it is. Remember, Gor is a harsh world. What a slave girl does have is a Master who owns her body and soul, and guides her in her submission as his pleasing object. If it pleases him to let you speak, then he will let you.

"How do I beg?"
Unless specified differently by your owner, a girl normally begs through the use of "third person speech," or simply known to Goreans as, "begging." As in the case of a girl begging to eat, "May lana eat, master?" or a girl wishing to travel with her master, "May lana go with you, master?" Begging is sometimes done in conjunction with the performance of obeisance, the girl assuming the proper form, begging in this position, and often kissing the master's feet.

"What is a Pleasure Slave?"
Pleasure Slaves are girls that have been specifically trained in the arts of giving pleasure to men. This includes a variety of subjects and devices, including sexuality, slave dance, service, grace, beauty, and cosmetics to name only a few. By law, they must be "certified" as having been trained and seen worthy of this distinction. To falsify such papers is considered fraud, but such a crime is not commonly commited, for Slaver Houses often ride much of their reputation on the quality of the Pleasure Slaves they produce.
Many slaves are used to give pleasure to men, but not all are actually "Pleasure Slaves." Though spoken of in the books, these are actually quite uncommon, quite expensive and prized by their masters. Pleasure Slaves are not simply slaves who are used sexually by men, this is rather, a distinction for a level of training achieved, recognized and accredited.

"Do Gorean Free Women like slave girls?"
Almost universally and absolutely, no. They not only do not like slaves, they actually despise them, normally treating them with great cruelty for no reason other then the slaves being in their presence. This holds true not only for pleasure slaves, but tower slaves and "hand maids" also. This hatred stems from a form of jealousy, blended with a disgust. They normally do not coddle slaves, do not comfort them, and have no kind words for them. Slave girls are ineffect the ememy, representing what men want, want free women could become, and what they both fear and desire to be.

"Are slave girls afraid of Free Women?"
Yes, obviously and very much so. Not only are they afraid of free women because unlike themselves, free women are free (in the legal sense), they also fear them because they know very well that free women hate them and will often act in nothing short of a viscious manner, often beating them.
Slave girls also understand the respect that free men will accord free women around them. Prized slut or not, a girl that insults a free women, even in the slightest way, will be swiftly disciplined not only by the offended woman, but certainly by those men present witnessing such.

"I am a Pleasure Slave, how do I kneel in the presence of Free Women?"
In answering that question, the first thing to consider is the general situation. There is a very big difference between kneeling in the presence of a Free Woman, and in the vicinity of one. Also, whether or not men are directly present must also be considered, as this supersedes any other considerations.
The question can most simply be answered in its asking. Pleasure Slaves kneel or "nadu" in "The Position of the Pleasure Slave." It is the position that they are taught to assume and what is expected of them. They do not assume "The Position of The Tower Slave," that position is for Tower Slaves, and not permitted to Pleasure Slaves, just as the name clearly suggests. Pleasure Slaves are trained for the pleasure of men, and are at all times to be pleasing to them.
Now, fear might cause a Pleasure Slave to "cover her shame," or assume a kneel that is "more modest" when directly before a Free Woman. The girl would then close her legs, and try to take as much emphasis off her normally overt sexuality as possible. But this is not something done out of training, rather it is done out of simple fear of Free Women who normally hate such slaves, and as a measure of respect towards the free female. Nor for that matter is it something that all men might approve of, especially if near, for the Pleasure Slave is meant for them, at all times and in all ways. The presence and desires of men outweigh any other considerations, with their command as to how to kneel, final in the matter. If even one man is present, the Pleasure Slave is to kneel as fits her name and her training, unless told otherwise by the men.
One must consider the difference between kneeling in the presence of, and in the vicinity of, an individual, and be sensitive to the desires of each and what is appropriate for them.
It should also be noted that female slaves in general are expected to kneel for the pleasure of men. This means that even those slaves not actually trained as Pleasure Slaves are usually expected to kneel with their legs open. Condition and circumstance can change this, but men will have what they want.

"Were there trained fighting kajirae in the cities of Gor?"
No. Female slaves were sometimes made to fight in the Arenas, sometimes even being armed and set upon one another, or in groups against men or beasts. But nothing is ever mentioned of them being formally trained for such an endeavor, nor for that matter would such a thing be in keeping with the Gorean ideals of the nature of women. Also, regarding Pleasure Slaves, it makes little sense that an owner would take a girl so trained and obviously beautiful and risk skill, beauty and expensive property in a pit fight.

"A proper serve includes the 'three heartbeats" thing, correct?"
Not really. A serve does consist of three primary things though,
1. Get what is ordered.
2. Get it quickly.
3. Don't spill any.
After that, the specifics of how the serve is done is more dependent upon the given girl, her training, the general situation, and the setting the serve is occuring in, though it is taken for granted that the tried and true "golden rule" of slaves holds true,
"Exquisite beauty and absolute obedience."
The skilled and capable girl will be able to make herself and her actions fit whatever situation she is in, adapting to it to continuously be found pleasing.

"Am I wearing the right Silk Color?"
There is no silk color coding on Gor, and no "designation of slave type" based on some coloring system. Slaves can be dressed in any manner of color and clothing their owners desire. Some cities have certain colors that are worn by state owned slaves, some taverns dress slaves in clothes and colors fitting the nature of the establishment, and some slaver houses dress their girls in a manner to denote station and training, but this is not done out of any sort of rule or obligation, but rather the choice of the relevent group. And these choices often vary with each situation.

"What are Black Silks for?"
Black Silks, just like any other color silks or clothes, are for owners to dress their slaves in if they choose. Black Silks are not the sign of an "unowned slave," besides the simple fact that such a thing is a contradiction, it is simply not in the books. The only reference to a girl being dressed in black silks is that of a tavern slave of the Chatka and Curla being dressed in such before she is sent out on the streets to attract business. And it seems black was chosen not for any deep significance, but because the name of the tavern, written in yellow on the front, showed up well on black.

"What does 'White Silk Girl' and 'Red Silk Girl' mean?"
Simply, the terms "Red Silk" and "White Silk" have nothing at all to do with the degree of a girls training, her classification regarding training, or her skill as a slave overall. Red Silk and White Silk are merely slang slaver terms used to denote whether a girl is a virgin or not. Red Silk, obviously symbolic of the blood shown when virginity is taken, are slaves that have been used sexually by men. White Silk, obviously symbolic of naivety, simply means virgin. A girl can be a trained Pleasure Slave and still a virgin, in other words, a White Silk. Likewise, a girl can have no training at all and be Red Silk, simply because she has been "opened" by men.

"If a Room is said to be a Sanctuary, that means I can act any way in it I want, correct?"
Slaves are slaves at all times. If you wish to not be a slave or not act like one, then do not say you are one or select to be one.
Some groups have "Sanctuaries" which are supposed to be places where girls can go and not worry about being collared or stolen. Some even see these places as locations where slaves may relax. Regardless, this is not an excuse to act as less then what you are supposed to be. Goreans live by the truth, not by lies.

"I hear a lot of talk about OOC and IC. How should I behave OOC?"
(OOC normally means "Out of Character" to Role-Players, but to RTers it has assumed the meaning of conversation that is either unfitting for the present environment, or simply inappropriate due to a personal nature). Regardless of if this is a Role-Play Game to you, or the "Role-Play" of your daily Lifestyle, OOC or any "side questions," is best left to IMs and not the room. Constant OOC questioning or comments in an open chat forum, is very disruptive to others and can often be seen as both selfish and rude. It is far better to ask to speak in "whispers" and talk directly to the individual.
Bear in mind however that is not a license to IM others. Your IMs can be just as disruptive to someone who is trying to pay attention to the room or to their partner. You should always ask permission to IM a freeperson. If not given then ask someone else or leave the room. Remember, you are in control of your keyboard. IC or OOC, PMS has no place on Gor.
To a girl that follows Gor as a Lifestyle, proceeding as described above should appear obvious and a matter of fact. To those that view this as only RP, it should be considered that "going OOC" to yell at, question, or insult someone for what is happening IC, is simply the sign of a child and a poor RPer. This excludes circumstances where the "Free persons" are acting as fools themselves, with no thought of Gor, but when the actions being done are readily believable, then the complainer must ask herself "Do I know what it means to be a 'rightless' slave?"

"I am as close to perfect as I can be and still I got in trouble..."
Again, no slave is perfect. Try as you might, attempting to avoid discipline is a losing battle. If it is a Master’s want to discipline you, it will be done. Remember, you are a slave, and Master’s are not perfect. They don't need to be, but you need to try to. Even if they are wrong... they are still right. You always have the last words, as so often quoted, they are, "yes, Master."

"What if I make a mistake? I don’t want to be whipped for my ignorance."
In most cases it is inevitable. Above all, don’t be afraid to react. Might it get you punished? It very well might, but isn’t vulnerability to change a part of growth? We learn by doing, not by merely observing. If you sit on the sidelines inanimate and fearful of moving, you will miss the excitement that is Gor. You will become jealous of your Master’s attentions to others as he becomes bored by your immobility. You will also not grow to be the slave that you could be. This doesn’t mean that you should "act bratty" in order to obtain his attention. Rather it means that you should try to involve yourself. Realistically, as a slave you would learn through trial and error and punishment for errors. It is a part of any slave’s life. Unsavory? at times perhaps. But to miss it is to miss what it means to be a slave. Nothing worth having is earned easily, including a Master’s affection or attention.

"If I am beaten for something I did not do, who can I complain to?"
No one, and no one will care. You are a slave, and as such, occasional beatings, sometimes for even no reason at all, are a part of your life. Even if you are a preferred girl and a prized possession, this does not chage the fact you are only a slave, and complaining might not even fall just on deaf ears, but may get you beaten even more.

"But I am here only to roleplay, won’t I lose my character’s individuality if I am so perfect? I like being 'troublesome.'"
No slave is perfect, perfection is an ideal worked for but known to never be reachable. Your certainly should and can foster that facet of beauty known as "creativity," what is often the reason you were collared in the first place. However, bear in mind that realistically, we all at some point either learn to be pleasing or perish. If your Master is pleased by your wildness, then that is what he will cultivate. Though that does not mean that other Masters will value it or tolerate it if you serve them. For every action, there is a reaction. Your roleplay will influence others’ reactions to you, thus you are responsible for what happens to you to a certain degree. Within the context of Gor however, it is your Master’s responsibility, for you are his.

"But I don’t want to be just another pretty face. I want to stand out."
What you want isn’t really the issue. You will be what your Master wishes. That does not mean that he can crank you out of a mold into a Barbi-doll Kajira. What it means is that you will reach your potential under his guidance if that is his wish. Display your submission, your struggle, your frustration, whatever it is that is happening to you. Use your creativity to display who and what you are and who and what you are becoming. It is only through what you let be shown, that you can be taught and made to grow.

"My Master does not pay attention to me, but instead to a wanton trollop. What do I do?"
Remember what you are. You are a slave, and you are to be pleasing in his eyes. If he pays attention to another, it could be a big signal that her behavior is very pleasing to him. Realistically, slaves are jealous of one another. All too often an earth mindset is brought to Gor and is not easily shed. The girl sits and fumes within at the actions of another slave and her Master’s attention to that slave. She views him as her possession, forgetting it is the other way around. The girl is however does not exhibit this, but instead sits in silent frustration, unwittingly bound by her earth mindset of "being polite" or "being dignified in the face of adversity." Make no mistake, these are Earth mindsets, not Gorean ones. Goreans are strong, and that includes Gorean women. Not strong like a man, but strong in their own right, strong in what makes them women, their femininity. A slave girl will compete for her Master’s affection just as she would for a scrap of food or piece of silk. Rather than repress what makes her a slave, she will draw upon its strength and use it, ultimately because her very survival depends upon it. This does not mean that a girl will be "bratty" towards her master, attempting to make her displeasure known and get him to change, quite the opposite. She will be all the more pleasing to him, seeking to bring the attention back to herself, and see the other girl forgotten.

"My Master is going to take another slave, what do I do?"
The possession of more then one slave is the right of the master, you can do nothing to stop this. If you are going to "be Gorean," be it as a Lifestyle or an RPGer, then when you are, you must think from the mindset of a Gorean as best you can. This includes your reaction to your master's possessions. Instead of seeing the girl as a threat, see her as a potential sister and friend to share things with. If she is worthy of this, you will soon find the situation to not be so bad. If she is a brat and seeks to compete with or get rid of you, then again act as a Gorean slave would, and make certain that your master knows who his truly prized possession is. Women are armed with a weapon all their own, their femininity. Use all that you have. A second slave is only competiton to those that are insecure in the eyes of their masters. If you are truly pleasing, then you have nothing to worry about. If you are worried, then perhaps you should not concern yourself with the other girl, but with changing how you yourself act and behave.

"Why would I not want to be bratty, they get more attention?"
Disregarding the obvious fact of punishment, that question can be answered simply. The attention given a "brat" is fleeting. Besides being unrealistic in the context of Gor and possible punishment, brats simply get boring very fast.

"Then how do I get more attention from my Master?"
The more pleasing you are, the more you fulfill his desires, and the more you are something he enjoys having near, the more attention you will get and the less he will seek the attentions of others.
Any girl can be a brat. Any girl can be displeasing. But not all girls can be slaves, the type men desire. And those are the ones that stand out, for they are few.

Kajira is the term for "slave-girl" in John Norman's Gor novels. Slaves in the Gorean lifestyle will refer to themselves as kajirae. The phrase "la kajira" is said to mean "I am a slave-girl" in the Gorean language, the most widely-spoken lingua franca in the known regions of the planet Gor (this is one of the few complete Gorean-language sentences given in the Gor novels).


Historical and modern versions of Chinese character Unicode U5974 奴, used by some Goreans as a non-Norman-derived kajira symbol.[1]
The word is usually seen in the feminine form "kajira" (pl. "kajirae"), as most slaves in the Gorean lifestyle are female; the masculine forms are "kajirus" and "kajiri" (following the rules of Latin nominative adjective morphology, as seen also with words such as "alumnus"/"alumna", etc.). The construction "kajiras" is incorrect, but is occasionally seen in third-party writing.
A common misconception among people practicing the lifestyle or playing out the Gorean theme online is that kajirae never refer to themselves in the first person, using the terms "me" or "I", instead being allowed only to refer to themselves in the third person. If one is adhering to the novels this is inaccurate, as virtually all of the kajirae in the Gor novels do often refer to themselves in the first person (the phrase "la kajira" being an example), with third person speech being uncommon in the text. However, the books do support the idea that third-person speech is considered distinctively slave speech (in Captive of Gor, chapter 15, Ute issues the command "Speak as a slave!", meaning in the third person), and that slaves may be specifically commanded to speak in such a way. In the books, a girl is ordered to speak in the third person usually as a punishment.
There exists various techniques in Gorean culture to teach Gorean slave corresponding conduct. Slave tasks may include not only sexual slavery, but also the ability to maintain a household, possess artistic skills, wear an appealing outfit and address the master in certain manner. Gorean slave women are branded, which means they are marked with certain signs burned into the flesh by the master to indicate their slavery. Another way to mark a slave as her owner's property is to put a collar on her
The main purposes for forming a free companionship are biological (for the man to continue his line with free children) and political (for alliances between families, castes, or cities). Free Companionship is the closest thing Gor has to a marriage bond on Earth; it is a annually renewable contract which if not re-avowed on its anniversary is considered ended.
"From the Gorean point of view the wife of Earth occupies, a status which is higher than that of the slave but lower than that of the Free Companion." (Explorers of Gor, 365)
The free companion is a woman, but like the woman who shares the city's Home Stone so cannot be unjustifiably enslaved, the free companion shares perhaps the city's Home Stone but definitely the home's Home Stone. The free companion must behave as a respectable free woman or risk enslavement, but she is not the same as a slave. She is far from rightless... she is subdued but not subjugated.
A free companion need not ask permission to speak, for example. She retains her name and all other possessions in her own right not simply because it pleases her man. She may conduct business.
Some think a Gorean man foolish to seek a Free Companionship over the ownership of a slave, yet some men are quite drawn to it.

A Companion Contract will state what the Companionship Price is, any clauses necessary to govern the relationship, events that would legally govern a dissolution of contract, and what property belongs to whom in case of a dissolution of the Companionship.
After the Betrothal Journey, a ceremony called the Feast of Free Comapnionship is observed between the pledged Companions. The Feast of Free Companionship is a well-known ritual in all Gorean cities except Port Kar which does not recognize Free Companionship, only that a man takes a woman as "his woman." (Raiders of Gor, page 295)
This is the formal celebration and there is some tradition to a woman wearing a garland of talendars during the Feast. "The talendar is a flower which, in the Gorean mind, is associated with beauty and passion. Free Companions, on the Feast of their Free Companionship, commonly wear a garland of talendars." (Raiders of Gor, page 217)
The most important moment of the Feast of Free Companionship is the sharing of wine. Indeed many Companionships may form solely around the wishes of the participants and this ritual. "The wine was brought and Relius and Virginia, lost in one another's eyes, arms interlocked, drank together." (Assassin of Gor, page 402)
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