Which character archetype can be played on Gor?

What can be played on Gor? What kind of role, character, avatar idea to create and background to imagine?

Because once you start discovering the Gor universe, you’re tempted to ask what kind of character, and what kind of character archetype, you can play in the role-playing context, without it being easy to get detailed information, or to draw up a more or less complete list.

Here, then, is an anthology of character archetypes and roles in Gor selected for their interest in embodying them, and their ability to provide interaction, intrigue and life to a community of players in a Gorean context. I thought of this as I put my tabletop role-playing game designer hat on my head, since that’s what I do for a living after all. So, here, we’re going further than the triptych: free man, free woman, slave, and also further than the most well-known castes.

And if you want to explore the basic roles of Gor, and the castes that underpin Gor’s social principles, follow the weblinks!

I’ve added a notation to the role from * to **** :

– *= role suitable for beginners with a basic knowledge of Gor.

– **= role requiring some knowledge of the universe.

– ***= role requiring a good knowledge of the world of Gor, and having read at least 2 or 3 of the Gor cycle novels.

– ****= role requiring a thorough knowledge of the world of Gor, and having read more than 3 or 4 novels in the Gor cycle.

1- Warrior archetypes :

The rarius * to **

A rarius is a warrior of the Red Caste of Gor, whose appearance, weapons and organization closely resemble the Roman legions and the mentality of Spartan warriors. Educated and trained from childhood, within his family and then in the military academies of the city-states, the rarius is the armed arm of the cities. Disciplined, a proud and loyal soldier, faithful to his legion, his family and his brothers-in-arms, he follows a specific Code of Honor from which he rarely deviates. He has two roles: he protects the walls of his city, and wages war on enemy cities. He’s a military man in the strictest sense of the word, devoting his life to his mission and training, and knowing only the battlefield and preparation for war.

Of course, there are no female Rarius.

To find out more: https: //www.psychee.org/gorpedia/war-on-gor-and-the-warrior-caste/

The warrior of Torvaldsland *

The “torvis” are a Nordic people very similar to the Vikings in films and TV series, and virtually all their men are fighters. There are no castes among them, and therefore no real warrior elite. So the farmer, the fisherman, the hunter, the craftsman, the sailor, is also a warrior. But the warrior as a profession also exists. They are the henchmen, bodyguards and security force of clan and village chiefs, often in charge of preparing summer raids, and the vessels adapted to these raids: the “boat-snakes”. These warriors also often have a plot of land, which their families cultivate. When they’re not serving their chief, the High Jarl, or preparing for raids, they work the land, or fish, hunt or craft, like most Nordic people. The warrior of Torvaldsland is a proud, bellicose, shady man who values honor, but does not follow a rigid code of military discipline. He is therefore more devious and barbaric in his ways than the rarius. They also prefer guerrilla warfare to mass confrontation.

In Gor’s world, there are technically no Nordic female warriors.

The mercenary * to **

Whether Nordic, tribal or Gorean rarius, whether a simple man of low caste who has shown talent with weapons, or born on a battlefield, the mercenary is a warrior who rents his arm to whoever can pay him. In a violent world, in perpetual conflict, where war is a raison d’être and an art of living, many men lose everything in sieges and raids, and to survive, try to join a mercenary group and put themselves at the service of one or other for a hard-earned buck. Even if these men have lost much, they still have their honor, and their Hearthstone. The mercenary can also be a rarius who works in the private sector, for example as a private soldier for a merchant company, but who will respond immediately to his city’s call to arms. The mercenary remains a respected man, even if he is distrusted, as his loyalty can be bought.

There are female mercenaries in Gor’s world, but they are rare. One of the novels briefly introduces them, but the vast majority of men will never admit it, and will be tempted to enslave such a woman.

The bodyguard * to **

Like the mercenary, the bodyguard rents out his arm and martial skills, but often for a wealthy personality, to whom he swears protection, loyalty and service. Merchants often demand their services, as do wealthy high-castes, for example, to travel, or as protector of the women in their family, or as champion to settle a serious dispute with iron. Unlike mercenaries, bodyguards rarely change allegiance or boss. They are not there to wage war, but to protect people. Living as close as possible to their bosses, bodyguards often end up becoming part of the family, like their employees and intimate servants. The bodyguard is often as highly regarded and respected as the rarius, and often comes from this caste.

There are no female bodyguards, except in exceptional cases, which are best avoided.

The tarnier **

The tarnier is a sub-caste of the Warrior Caste, a fighter who knows how to ride and direct tarns, huge birds of prey capable of carrying several people. Subjected to a less demanding discipline than the classic rarius, the tarnier is trained to control his mount and fight in the air, including solo. Tarniers take great pride in their exploits, and are more independent and individualistic in their warrior techniques than rarii. In theory, all young tarniers own an ex-free-woman slave captured during a raid on an enemy city. It’s a tradition, and the most daring go off on their own to raid a city, steal a woman, and leave just as quickly, to return with the glory of having captured an enemy woman who will be enslaved and belong to them.

No woman can become a tarnier, especially as tarns, according to Gorean beliefs, will only be obeyed and trained by men.

2- Archetypes of craftsmen and merchants :

The slaver ***

The slaver is a slave trader, a provider of enslaved women and a trainer. It’s a difficult, complex and harsh profession, where pity has no real place. The slave trainer not only trains the slaves, but is also the one who manages the public pens and cages where the city’s kajirae are stored, who runs a breeding farm or Slave House that trains pleasure slaves, and who makes sure that the local slaves do their work, and are in good condition. It’s a complex and difficult role. While a village often has no slaver, every city-state has a number of representatives who ensure the supply of trained and educated slaves. In this profession, training is an art. As a rule, a slave owner never interferes with the fate of a slave, unless he’s been hired and paid to do so; he doesn’t look after the daughters of other free men – that’s none of his business, unless he’s been specifically hired to do so.

Female slavery does exist, even if it’s not all that common.

To find out more: https: //www.psychee.org/gorpedia/gorean-slavery-and-slavers/

The itinerant merchant *

Whether poor or rich, with his own caravans and ships, or almost alone with his cart, the itinerant merchant goes from town to town offering his wares, buying on the one hand what he carries and selling on the other. Merchants being a powerful and indispensable caste, there is a code of honor, called the Merchant’s Law, which forbids raising a single weapon when negotiating. As a result, merchants find it easy to open the gates of towns and cities to practice their trade, and their itinerant activity ensures the constant circulation of goods throughout Gor, giving even the most isolated of villages access to exotic products and news from around the world.

Merchants are the mainstay of the trade, but female merchants are also very common, although they travel less than male merchants.

The blacksmith * to **

The blacksmith is a caste and a profession indispensable to any community anywhere on Gor. He is the metal worker, the sword smith, the only man who can provide solid tools, nails, repair broken implements, or remelt them. The blacksmith also has another very important role to play for the Goreans. Metalworking is a complex art and science, and the less-educated Goreans regard blacksmiths with a certain superstitious respect. Blacksmiths are low-caste, but some members of the builder caste also specialize in metalworking.

Again, it’s a male profession, but less exclusive, and female blacksmiths are not so rare.

The smuggler * to **

The smuggler is a specialist in receiving and trafficking illicit, stolen, rare or forbidden products. He sells drugs, poisons, rare spices, forbidden books, information, stolen slaves, even illegally enslaved women – in short, anything that’s forbidden – and makes a lot of money. And if need be, he doesn’t hesitate to get in on the act himself, stealing things and often engaging in piracy and looting. The smuggler knows where to find what is rare and forbidden, and how to supply it, and charges all the more for his generally illegal services. Smugglers generally have few scruples and a very elastic sense of honor, and those who survive are the most devious, knowing that cowardice is often the only way to stay alive.

Women in this profession are rare (you can guess why) and are often the most cunning, devious and ruthless.

The local craftsman *

The local craftsman works for his community, a member of his caste, of which he is proud, and of his trade, which he often practices with jealous care for the secrets of his art. Bakers, leather workers, coopers, weavers, tailors – the artisan is rarely a poor man, because everyone needs his manufactured products. Some wealthy craftsmen run workshops with dozens of employees of their own caste, and dozens of slaves chained to their posts. But most of the time, the craftsman runs his business modestly, with his family, apprentices and sometimes one or two slaves to help him.

In most cases, this is as much a female as a male role.

The local trader *

Responsible for supplying and selling the products of local artisans, farms and livestock, the local merchant is a key role. He’s a locally-established merchant, in contact with all low-castes. A good administrator, he is often also responsible or co-responsible for the town’s stocks, and is in charge of making sure that no one runs out of anything, by selling whatever the town may lack in the way of staples and essential resources. Local merchants may or may not specialize, depending on the size of the city-state. In a village or town, they’re the local grocer and bazaar, selling everything. The larger the city, the more the merchant specializes and manages specific stocks: wines, spices, grains, butchery, cold meats and meats, vegetables and fresh produce, fabrics, clothing etc…

In most cases, this is a role for both men and women.

Scholar archetypes :

Apothecary ** to ***

Whether pharmacist or alchemist, the apothecary can often be a member of the Caste of Physicians , whose profession is closely related to chemistry and the art of remedies, but can also be a plant-savvy bonesetter, or a witch with strange elixirs. The apothecaries of the Physicians Caste know how to supply Longevity Serum, and all know how to make Slave Wine, and all the medicines in the vast and effective Gorean pharmacopoeia. Some simply buy, prepare and supply the remedies, while others are scientists and travelers, searching in their laboratories or on their travels for new plants and compounds to enrich the Gorean medical panoply. Like most Physicians, they are close to the people, loved and respected. The most unscrupulous, of course, know how to make poisons, and sell them…. which is illegal and frowned upon everywhere.

In most cases, this is a role for both men and women.

Magistrate ***

Judge, prosecutor, investigator, law-keeper and guardian of justice, the magistrate is, for the Goreans, always of the Scribe caste, and for the Nordics, an elder, a scalde, or a man recognized as wise and versed in tradition. The magistrate’s task is to apply the law, and ensure that justice is done according to the rules, codes and texts of the law, in trials. It’s also often up to the magistrate to conduct investigations and interrogations in order to gather testimony and evidence. A Gorean magistrate is called a Praetor, recognizable by his large staff, and is entitled to investigate and judge any case presented to him, whether the culprit is a beggar or his own Ubar. Among the people of Torvaldsland, this function is held above all by the scaldes, who are the guardians of Nordic traditions, and therefore have the role of prosecutor in the Thing‘s judgments.

Both men and women can be magistrates. It’s a difficult role, requiring a deep knowledge of the world of Gor, its peoples, laws and traditions.

To find out more: https: //www.psychee.org/gorpedia/the-scribe-caste-education-gorean-justice/

The local scribe **

Copyist, archivist, librarian or private secretary, the local scribe performs a variety of indispensable functions in a village or small town. For Goreans, local scribes are generally notaries. They are in charge of handling legal and administrative documents, such as commercial contracts, companionship contracts, certificates of ownership (including slaves), inheritance documents, etc. They are often hired by wealthy men with important businesses, to keep their accounts up to date and take care of administration. They are also the chroniclers of private and state affairs. The people of Torvaldsland employ very few scribes, as the written word is rarely used, and the Torvis see no real virtue in writing.

In most cases, this is a role for both men and women.

The storyteller **

Troubadours, minstrels, storytellers, itinerant poets and Nordic scaldes are all storytellers. In taverns and inns, in village squares, even in amphitheaters, the storyteller is sought after by goreans who like to have fun, get out of the house and entertain themselves. Whether they belong to the great caste of Artists or not, storytellers are eagerly awaited and appreciated. Not content with entertaining, he also has two recognized social roles: firstly, as an itinerant, he gives news of communities near and far, and tells of the world that most people will never be able to visit. Secondly, through his tales, he brings to the fore what the people of Gore think about cruelty, injustice, the failings of the powerful, love and death. In short, through his tales, he teaches lessons about life and takes the liberty of questioning and criticizing it.

In most cases, this is a role for both men and women.

The village priest ***

Whether a Gorean Initiate serving the Priest-Kings or a Rune Priest from Torvaldsland, the village priest’s role is to look after his flock and intercede between spirituality and mankind. Initiates are feared as much as respected, not only out of superstition, but also because their Caste, the highest in Gor, is very powerful and meddles in all material affairs to ensure that everyone respects the taboos, beliefs, rites and sacraments of the priest-kings. The rune priest of Torvaldsland is also feared, but because he represents complicated, battling and cruel gods, and because the Torvis believe in magic far more than the Goreans. Among other things, he is in charge of divination, omens, blessings, good and bad signs, and no Torvi embarks on an important project without seeking his advice.

This is an exclusively male role.

The general practitioner ***

The Caste of Physicians is widespread among the Goreans, and takes its profession very much to heart. Doctors can be found in towns and large villages, and their job is to ensure the general health of the inhabitants, fight epidemics and monitor the health and hygiene of slaves to prevent the introduction or spread of disease. The general practitioner knows the basics of surgery, can treat common illnesses, administer Longevity Serum, prescribe Slave Wine, etc. He is close to the people, and generally held in high esteem, since he saves lives. In Torvaldsland, there are no such Physicians , replaced by healers trained by oral tradition, and often less efficient and competent than the Caste of Doctors. Note that in Gorean city-states, practicing medicine without being a Physicians Caste is a crime punishable by death.

This is a role for both men and women.

For further information: https: //www.psychee.org/gorpedia/gorean-medicine-the-physicians-caste/

Intendant **

In a clan, guild, community or city, the steward is responsible for stock management, day-to-day business, general administration of staff and slaves, overseeing scribes, bookkeeping and, in short, making sure that everyone’s work is done properly and that the organization in his charge runs smoothly. Stewards may be private, for a merchant’s house, for example, or public, and are city administrators, often members of the Council. They are also often enlightened and influential advisors to powerful personalities. They are often of the Scribe caste, but this is by no means a general rule.

This is a role for both men and women.

The artist *

The artist is most often a member of the respected Gorean Caste of Artists, which in fact encompasses a whole host of different arts: music, painting, singing, sculpture, theater, etc. Artists are respected, and recognized, by their peers. Artists are respected and recognized. It is forbidden to enslave them, under any conditions whatsoever. Artists are often itinerant, traveling in troupes that organize festivities and shows. They are in contact with the authorities of the City-States and with the Initiates, to organize them. Some artists are sponsored by wealthy men or paid to create a work in their honor. It’s also common for some to be protected by patrons, although within the Caste, she knows how to look after her own.

This is a role for both men and women.

Marginal archetypes :

The rogue **

Thief, pirate, burglar or swindler, the roublard – who may be a member of the dreaded Caste des Voleurs de Port-Kar – is a man who robs others of their possessions by cunning and malice, rather than by force, although in the case of pirates, this is rather violent. Theft is harshly punished everywhere on Gor, so the thieves who get away with it are clever and cunning. They’re also efficient spies, able to find the best way to get in anywhere. Despite their dubious activity, thieves aren’t as frowned upon as outlaws, and we love stories featuring the boldest and most daring among them.

Female thieves are rare (we can guess why) and are often the most cunning, devious and ruthless.

The outlaw *

The outlaw is a man who has fallen into one of the worst forms of decay, because for goreans and torvis, an outlaw has no honor and no home. Outlaws live in gangs, pillaging and killing to survive, often making a mockery of codes and traditions. They don’t respect much, and you’re lucky if you find an outlaw who still has honor and pride. Outlaws are always hunted down without mercy as soon as you hear about them.

This is, in most cases, a male role.

The she-urt *

Among Gor’s free women, there are those who by a twist of fate lose everything, and find themselves beggars, homeless and penniless. Despite a certain caste solidarity, it’s sometimes impossible to avoid a ruined or exterminated family leaving women with nothing. Nevertheless, she-urt remains a free woman, and is treated as such. The lowest social stratum of Gor’s free men, they survive by performing the dirtiest and vilest services required by villages and cities, taking care of sewers, latrines, pigsties and stables, etc., in exchange for a meal and a bit of straw to sleep on. However, the goreans hold them in respect, and the slaves treat them like mistresses, however dirty and soiled they may be.

This is, of course, an all-female role.

The Panther *

Still among the free women of Gor, a small minority can’t bear the weight and harshness of life under the yoke of men. Runaway slaves, threatened women, women in danger, or simply at their wits’ end, they leave the protection of the cities and their families, and decide to try to escape and survive in the wilderness. They become the Panthers, living like wild tribes from day to day, protecting themselves from the men who love to hunt them as best they can. There are whole tribes of Panthers, sometimes with children whose daughters are raised as Panthers. But cruelly, to survive, the Panthers reproduce the same pattern as men, making slaves of both men and women, even selling them, and treating them cruelly. Panthers lead a short, harsh and cruel life. Goreans love to enslave Panthers.

This is, of course, an all-female role.

The assassin **

Even if he belongs to a recognized low-caste, albeit a closed sect, the assassin is on the bangs of Gor’s men. In the city-states, they are feared and tolerated, and an assassin with a black dagger drawn on his forehead on a mission can get doors opened for him, but nobody approaches an assassin. Assassins have no family, no Home Stone. They kill their targets for gold, and don’t ask themselves why they should kill them. They generally have no ties, no friends, are paranoid, and lonely; and it’s common for them not to be served at inns, or only minimally. No Torvaldsland man will let an assassin near his home. Nor can it be said that Goreans love them; they are feared and despised wherever they go.

It’s an all-male role.

The torturer ***

This is a low-caste specific to the tribal people of the Chariot People, who is in charge of torture, a cruelty often considered by goreans as a necessary and effective method in justice investigations, to find out the truth. Torturers always conceal their faces in their work, and when they’re not engaged in their terrible task, don’t reveal a priori what caste they belong to: “The Chariot People, among all those of Gor, are the only ones to have a caste of torturers, instructed as carefully as scribes or doctors in the art of making life last. Some of these specialists have acquired wealth and renown in various cities of Gor for the services they render to Initiates and Ubars, as well as to others, in the art of interrogation and persuasion. For some unknown reason, they all wear hoods, and it is said that they only remove them if the sentence is death. That’s why only those condemned to death have seen what’s under the hood.” (Gor’s Nomads)

This is an all-male role.

Special archetypes:

The agent of the Priest-Kings (or kurri) ****

This is a human, who can be of any origin or caste, male or female, (and even some kajirae, although this is very rare) used as an intelligence or action agent by the Priest-Kings organization known as Sardar (yes, it’s not just a place), or by their enemies, also technologically advanced aliens, the kurri. Agents of the Priest-Kings or the Kurris act invisibly, as spies, interveners, commandos, kidnappers and informers, in a vast system of hidden organization, where each agent knows only the agents he or she is working with, and his or her contact or superior in general. Many agents therefore have no idea what the Priest-Kings or the Kurris are, and most don’t even know they’re working for them. That said, a Priest-King agent is someone who knows things. It’s called Third Knowledge and, in a nutshell, it’s a detailed knowledge of the Earth and the modern, science-fiction technologies of the world of Gor, plus a few secrets they never talk about. Some agents are implanted by Priest-Kings technology, via other high-ranking agents, with a brain implant, a mesh that amplifies information assimilation, with an external connection, not to mention other forms of biotechnology akin to those imagined by cyberpunk. Finally, the Goreans who travel to Earth in spaceships to supply the Gorean market with abducted and enslaved Earth women are all agents of the Priest-Kings, but for the most part, as I said above, they’re not even really aware of it and don’t know who they’re working for, even if they have an idea! And yes, there are goreans living on Earth, organized in secret networks, with local accomplices. I figure it must be weird for them, though. And they travel between Gor and Earth.

It could be a male or female role.

Slave archetypes:

The kajira of pleasure ***

The archetype most often featured in novels, the pleasure slave is a woman completely conditioned to live only for, and by, the pleasure of Men. A sensual, erotic animal, generally beautiful and desirable, knowing her charms and their power over men, she’s there for their pleasures and erotic games, and can’t do without them. Appreciative of jewels, perfumes, often wearing bells that goreans appreciate as erotically sonorous jewelry, educated in the arts of seduction, dance, massage and carnal pleasures, she represents an ideal of enslaved and possessed femininity, animal and unfettered. But she’s also a slave, and so the kajira of pleasure can be as happy as she is desperate to escape her fate.

This is primarily a female role, but it can also be a male one.

To find out more: https://www.psychee.org/gorpedia/gors-slave-girls-principles-game-guide/

The domestic slave **

Also known as Fille de Tour, the domestic slave is generally less educated than the pleasure slave. But some can read and write, and can be assistants to scribes and scholars. But on average, their work consists of household chores, from cooking and washing to chores and help in craftsmen’s workshops. A lathe slave isn’t particularly expected to please, dance or excel at sexual games, but a pleasing lathe slave will be used with pleasure by the men. Again, it can be a peaceful life, or a terribly harsh and cruel one – it all depends, as ever, on her owners.

It can be a male or female role.

The torvie captive *

Generally referred to as the Bondmaid, the Torvaldsland captive has nothing in common at first glance with the Gorean slave in the two examples above; she’s far less sophisticated. Torvis don’t educate their slaves, but rather train them in a rudimentary way. Bondmaids follow only a few simple rites, do not serve on their knees, and are rarely on a leash. Their function is twofold: they are in charge of household chores, chores, and help with farm and village work, and they are always sexually available to any man in the village. Bondmaids serve naked in the houses and halls of Torvaldsland. Their life is hard and difficult, and they work hard, but they have generally never known the subtle and terrible cruelties and demands of kajirae upbringing, and have more freedom in their behavior, as long as they obey and do what is expected of them.

This can be a female or male role

Slaves of passion (or exotics) ***

Exotic slaves are slaves with rare physical or psychological traits, trained and educated to a high degree of precision, the result of breeding that selects and favors certain traits. Examples include slaves whose saliva is poisonous, slaves who have been totally isolated from the world and from men to be handed over to wealthy masters who will take advantage of them the first time they see them, slaves with strange-colored eyes, pointed ears, or others trained like real animals moving around on all fours, etc. Exotic slaves are very rare in Gor’s role-playing game, as they’re very expensive, and expensive and unique slaves are usually locked up and never really let out.

This can be a male or female role

The High Slave ***

The High-slaves is a slave of pleasure, in the vast majority of cases, with a very advanced education, remarkable beauty and, more often than not, very rich clothing. In a way, she’s a luxury slave, owned by the wealthiest members of the high castes. High-slaves are highly sophisticated, not only in their manners and speech, but also in their gestures and appearance. They often wear complex hairstyles and sandals, including those with high platforms. They are, along with the educators, the proudest slaves of their nature.

This is primarily a feminine role, but it can also be masculine.

The Educator ***

The educator is a pleasure slave who has been trained to educate other slaves. For if a master trains, it is the slaves who educate their fellow novices. As assistants to the slavers, they know better than anyone else the codes, rites, art of movement, dances, secrets of pleasure, massage, kissing, service and seduction, and pass on this knowledge to train new pleasure slaves. They have every means and power at their disposal, including blows, punishments and violence. They are feared and respected by other slaves. Most educators feel that they stand apart from the slaves, and are superior to them. It’s a complex role that requires a thorough understanding of the principles of slavery. Hiring an educator from a slave owner is quite expensive, so it’s not very common to call on their services.

This is an all-female role.

The earthwoman **

An exciting, and difficult, way to begin role-playing on Gor is to create an Earthling who has just been kidnapped by a Priest-King Acquisition Journey, and thrown, naked, onto Gor. Generally unaware of what has happened to her, unaware that she has been transported in a spaceship to another planet, and often unable to speak the language of the Gor people, she has to learn everything, and finds herself alone and lost in a world where she can know only one fate: to be enslaved. This requires a few accomplices or an excellent setting in which to embody this type of character, but allows her to learn Gor’s world at the same time as her character discovers it.

This can be a male or female role