Where is it.. 'That Gor..."

Where did it go?  You know what I mean, I  am talking about 'That Gor.."

I came to telnet chat.. to irc.. even eventually to Second Life, looking for 'That Gor'

What is it?  What do I define as 'That Gor' ?

Its very simple, its the Gor, from the books, roleplayed well, and as strict as possible, I did not come looking for drama, for one person to constantly question another about validity of roleplay, or if someone was doing something wrong.  By the way, you most likely are.

That said.

My Gor, my Gor is a place where if a slave is wearing a skirt, or any sort of clothing, it could be taken from her for any reason. Forget if she did something wrong, if her owner decided she should be stripped, she was stripped.

My Gor, is a place where a slave is welcome whipped the moment the collar graces her neck, she learns the value of obedience, and avoiding that whip.  She also learns that you have it in you to certainly DO that whipping.  To often I have seen someone say 'I cant do that, that's not me',  My first retort to them, then you shouldn't be IN Gor.. you wont keep a slave, you wont have the ability to role play anything near what Gor is supposed to be.

My Gor, is a place that makes you feel alive, your heart pounding.  This goes the same for MEN as well as WOMEN, for slaves as well, regardless of gender.

My Gor is a place where when you backhand a slave, or a free woman for displeasing you, you stop, and think, you wonder if those around you and question you, attack you, or applaud you.  This Gor seems to have gone.  One of them exists mainly, the one where they attack you.

My Gor is a place where you can truly act the Gorean man as YOU see him, and build your 'character' in a decently built Gorean environment, and expect 'tit for tat' in role play, without being meta gamed, or forced into illogical role play.  My Gor, is a place where people actually took time to read each others posts if it concerned them.

Admittedly, keeping up can be hard, but to have Gor fall so far behind the standards of what it SHOULD be?  I need to wonder...

My Gor, is a place where your heart races cause you made a mistake, and you could be collared, or killed for it, if someone caught you.  Where you take PERSONAL responsibility for your part in the roleplay REGARDLESS of how it might be interpreted by others.

My Gor, is harsh, unyeilding, unquestionably a black or white unfair barbaric environment, and in that I find the exquisite beauty that I would enjoy.

Some say that Gor is gone, never to return, I hear stories occasionally, and on the occasion I speak to someone, 'oh I know your type, yea, your type came through about 5 years ago.. 3 years ago.. 6 months ago.. they left however, for more fertile grounds.. a better place, somewhere they could be themselves..'

This is drek, this is impossible, this is the nature of insanity.  'That Gor' the Gor we are seeking, the roleplay, the world, the environment, this exact environment, INTELLIGENTLY role played, with a sense of abandonment of any earth issues, for even 30 minutes of your time, is vital to us, this is found, it is not lost, however its up to each, and every single one of us, to revive it.  Its not lost, its not mysteriously moved, it moves with us, it travels from one forum to another, WITH US, its spirit and meanings follow US, its us who let it down.

Its us who allow that feeling, that sense of adventure, that sense of wonder when we stand up, and make that singular post that might well define us, its us, that when the chips get tough, cause some complete and utter moron says 'but the books do not say anything about that' or worse yet 'this passage argues you cant do that', we abandon 'That Gor'.  That Gor which is the purview of the strong, of those who take what they wish, those who are rightly strong enough to own women, the vital lovely creatures that could inflame nations to war...

Its us that fail Gor

Where is that Gor?

Its in you.  Let it out, let it LIVE.

Celebrating Gor - The Month of September

~ Third Hand August 28-September 1
~ Fourth Hand September 2-6 
~ Fifth Hand September 7-11
~ Sixth Passage Hand September 12-16

Month of Se'Kara (The Second Turning)

~ First Hand September 17-21
~ Second Hand September 22-26 Wagon People-The Passing of Turia
                                                       The Fair of Se'Kara 
~ Third Hand September 27-October 1 


The month of September straddles TWO Gorean months.  The 6th Gorean month (as yet unnamed) and the month of Se'Kara.  There are not alot of celebrations according to the books during this time period, and while we know there are a number of celebrations that do take place, it would be easy to just pick a date.  In the spirit of listing these according to what is in the books, and make it easier to celebrate them in a roleplay enviroinment, we will keep it to strictly according to the books.

The Wagon Peoples war among themselves, but once in every two hands of years, there is a time of gathering of the peoples, and this, I had learned, was that time. In the thinking of the Wagon Peoples it is called the Omen Year, though the Omen Year is actually a season, rather than a year, which occupies a part of two of their regular years, for the Wagon Peoples calculate the year from the Season of Snows to the Season of Snows; Turians, incidentally, figure the year from summer solstice to summer solstice; Goreans generally, on the other hand, figure the year from vernal equinox to vernal equinox, their new year beginning, like nature's, with the spring; the Omen Year, or season, lasts several months, and consists of three phases, called the Passing of Turia, which takes place in the fall; the Wintering, which takes place north of Turia and commonly south of the Cartius, the equator of course lying to the north in this hemisphere; and the Return to Turia, in the spring, or, as the Wagon Peoples say, in the Season of Little Grass. It is near Turia, in the spring, that the Omen Year is completed, when the omens are taken, usually over several days by hundreds of haruspexes, mostly readers of bosk blood and verr livers, to determine if they are favorable for a choosing of a Ubar San, a One Ubar, a Ubar who would be High Ubar, a Ubar of all the Wagons, a Ubar of all the Peoples, one who could lead them as one people.

Nomads of Gor     Book 4     Page 11

The fair of Se'Kara is one of the great sardar fairs, which occur four times a year.  As mentioned before, its a great celebration, a time where heads of castes meet.  A grand celebration, grand meetings, grand games, a huge time of pleasures.  The fairs, as told previously, all Goreans must visit at least one of these fairs at least once in their lifetime, before they turn of age.

Celebrating Gor - The month of August

Fifth Month
~Third Hand (July 29 -August 2)
~Fourth Hand (August 3-7)
~Fifth Hand (August 8-12) Kajuralia in Ar
Fifth Passage Hand (August 13-17) Love Feast in Ar
Sixth Month
~First Hand (August 18-22)
~Second Hand (August 23-27)
~Third Hand (August 28-Sept. 1)

The month of August straddles two seperate Gorean months again.  Todate, John Norman has not seen fit to name them.  

There are two specific celebration we can hold during this month.  The Love Feasts of Ar, which may or may not have variations within other cities, we know that when Kajuralia is mentioned, most citie hold such a event, only dates, or times of year might change.  Here however it DOES take place in Ar.

The Kajuralia celebration 

This is more of a extreme version of a Sadie Hawkins dance, where slaves have no limits, where they run wild.  During this time you will find slaves doing just about anything that pleases them.  Including, but not limited to 'turn about is fair play' where occassionally men are captured and put to their use. Keep in mind, the day after Kajuralia ends, these same slaves, slide back into their comfort level.  You know, I have often thought, what if Kajuralia is practiced more often in Second Life Gor, what if  we allowed all the slaves to have a day where they can run wild.  Might we have less to worry about when it comes to them sliding into 'princess tiara mode'.
By all accounts, its takes place for approximately ONE HAND, which is our equivalent of a week.

Love Feasts of Ar 

This festival takes place according to established 'canon' right after 'slaves gone wild' or as it more widely known, kajuralia (See above)

On the other hand, the single greatest period for the sale of slaves is the five days of the Fifth Passage Hand, coming late in summer, called jointly the Love Feast.

Assassin of Gor     Book 5     Page 193

Many houses would doubtless have put them up for sale in En'Kara but Cernus, as I had heard, was saving them for the Love Feast, which occupies the five days of the fifth passage hand, falling late in the summer. There was a variety of reasons why he was postponing their sale. The most obvious was that good prices are commanded on the Love Feast. 

Assassin of Gor     Book 5     Page 205

in the late summer, during the Fifth Passage Hand, on the Love Feast.

Assassin of Gor     Book 5     Page 211

on the last day of the fifth month, which is the day preceding the Love Feast.

Assassin of Gor     Book 5     Page 229

The Love Feast, incidentally, as I may have mentioned, occupies the full five days of the Fifth Passage Hand, occurring late in summer. It is also a time of great feasting, of races and games. Cernus, sensing the temper and curiosity of the crowds, had determined to make them wait for his surprise delights, over a hundred Of them, whose supposed qualities of beauty and skill, enhanced by the mysterious aura of barbaric origin, had been for months the object of ever more eager rumors and excited speculations. Many were the furious Gorean slave girls who found themselves, early in the Love Feast, forced to ascend the block, while buyers were still waiting, before the larger quantities of gold would be spent, to be sold for prices less than they might otherwise have won for themselves under the conditions of a more normal market. The evening of the fourth day of the Love Feast is usually taken as its climax from the point of view of slave sales. The fifth day, special races and games are celebrated, regarded by many Goreans as the fitting consummation of the holidays. These games are among the most heavily attended and important of the year.

Assassin of Gor     Book 5     Page 281

The Ubar's Race is the final and climactic race of the Love Feast.

Assassin of Gor     Book 5     Page 335

Slavers remain active all year on Gor, but the peak seasons for slaving are the spring and early summer. This has to do with such matters as the weather, and the major markets associated with certain feasts and holidays, for example, the Love Feast in Ar, which occurs in the late summer, occupying the full five days of the Fifth Passage Hand.

Players of Gor     Book 20     Page 13

For all intensive purposes, its a time of great celebration.  Perhaps on a level one might consider similar to the sardar fair.  Just held in Ar.  While at the same time being a major source for sales among slaving houses, it is a time of many games, probably not unlike celebratons like 'The Thing' in Torvaldsland.

The rest of the month of our month of August seems to be celebration free, at least so far, until John Norman deems the need to include something else.  This does NOT mean we can not find something to celebrate, a variation on a theme of these perhaps, or on others held throughout the year.

Celebrating Gor,

Godric Kharg