How about a quick geographical portrait of Gor’s world? It’s a vast world, really, and just looking at the cities, the big rivers, the mountains and so on, we’d never finish.

This article will therefore attempt to describe Gor’s geography in a concise way, to give you a quickly accessible entry point. One day, I’ll start articles describing geopolitics and Gor’s main city-states, one by one. But I’ve already got a lot of work to do on other major subjects first!

1- Gor, the Counter-Earth:

Let’s start with a physical description of the planet:

Gor is located in the solar system, exactly opposite, on the ecliptic plane, to our planet’s orbit, and has a relative revolution speed that places it always behind the sun, from Earth’s relative view. So it’s visually undetectable from our planet.

I place my scientific hat on my head to note vehemently that this is not at all credible: as early as the ^18th century, astrophysics was sufficiently developed to detect, on the basis of Newton’s equations and his laws of universal gravitation, celestial bodies such as planets without needing to see them! Neptune was discovered by calculating gravitational interactions, before being confirmed by observation, Pluto was found because William Tombaugh was looking to find a planetary body detected by calculation and Mercury and its eccentric solar revolution gave Einstein, thanks to Newtonian calculation, the idea for the theory of General Relativity.

So, either the Earthlings know that Gor exists, and a huge conspiracy is keeping this information secret (and as any astrophysics student with a computer can do these calculations and see that there’s a planetary body hidden not far away, it doesn’t work), or the technology of the Priest-Kings is capable of concealing Gor’s presence, and its gravitational interaction with the rest of the solar system. But how? I haven’t the faintest idea, but of the two explanations, it’s really the less far-fetched.

Let’s continue: Gor is a little smaller than the Earth, and has a lower mass and density, which means it has less gravity: 0.85G. It is also, logically, a little closer to the sun than the Earth, otherwise it would be in the same orbit as the Earth, and that, for the stability of a planet’s revolutions, is a very bad idea. It also explains why, in the novels, the general climate on Gor seems much milder and more clement than on Earth. All this has a few effects.

Firstly, and this is very important to emphasize, the earthlings who are taken from Earth during the Acquisition trips arrive on Gor with a relative strength superior to that of the Goreans. This point is hardly taken into account in the novels, and even less so in the Gorean role-playing game on SL, with the exception of Tarl Cabot, who takes advantage of this strength to become the hero of the novels. But in fact, a frail urban earthling thrown onto Gor turns out to be surprisingly strong.

So, no, it’s not super-strength (the gain is 15% in relative strength), but it can be fun to interpret, especially as it’s both an asset and a handicap (you jump farther, you have to learn to walk again… if you want an idea, watch the film John Carter of Mars and John Carter’s troubles on arriving on Mars).

Secondly, the sun shines brighter, and it’s a little warmer on Gor. But as the planet is more tilted on its axis than the Earth, and Gor has three small moons instead of one large one, its axis tends to tilt more often, which explains why the two poles have fairly extensive polar caps.

Finally, in addition to its different gravity and temperature, Gor’s atmosphere, in addition to being significantly cleaner than Earth’s, is also a little richer in oxygen, which explains certain characteristics of the fauna in general, but also of the Goreans, concerning their build relative to that of humans: more oxygen, when you’re adapted to it, equals more ease in fueling large, powerful bodies.

As mentioned above, the planet of Gor has three small moons, roughly round but still large celestial pebbles. They are not named in the novels, except for the smallest of the three, which is called the Prison Moon. For a long time, Tarl Cabot wonders why this name is given, because nobody knows. But we learn in Kurs of Gor novel, which begins on this moon, that the Prison Moon is a space station on an asteroid, and that it is indeed a prison created by the Priest-Kings.

Another point, which changes nothing for its inhabitants, but which is worth knowing: Gor was never formed in the solar system. It was brought there two million years ago! Yes, that gives you an idea of what Priest-Kings can do when it comes to technology. Its location was also well and truly chosen to hide it from the Earth. This is where we can imagine how the highly advanced technology of the Priest-Kings also conceals the existence of Gor with Earth’s powerful and advanced detection capabilities. After all, and not surprisingly, the King-Priests clearly have such advanced technology that, even for Earthlings, it almost borders on magic. They are therefore totally capable of controlling gravity, a fact that is still confirmed in the various novels.

2- What the Goreans know about their planet

That depends entirely on who you ask. And here I digress to talk about the Gorean population.

There are around half a billion humans on Gor, an estimate provided by Norman himself in an interview. Some 90% of Goreans are farmers, workers or small craftsmen, from the Lower Castes, most of them living in villages and farms, far from any form of education. The remaining 10 or 12% are merchants, wealthy craftsmen and the High Castes, warriors included. So, even if there must be some working farmers and small craftsmen who know how to read and write (Gor knows about paper, printing and therefore the printed book, which is then relatively affordable), it’s not far from 90% of Goreans who have no advanced education at all.

The difference in education between low-caste and high-caste is also linked to the socio-cultural and religious wall of the First Knowledge, and the Second Knowledge (to find out more, read this article!).

In the geographical realm, low-caste and uncultured people believe that the world is flat, that the sea falls into the void behind the distant horizon, that the celestial vault is a dome studded with stars that turns slowly in the sky, along with the sun and moons, all created and orchestrated by the absolute power of their gods, mainly the Priest-Kings. They often know nothing of the world beyond a few days’ walk from home, and imagine monsters, demons, magic and fantastic peoples. For these people, earthlings are a slave people living on a distant continent.

In the realm of geography, the educated and high-caste know that the world is a sphere floating in the void and revolving around the sun like the other planets in the sky, that the moons revolve around Gor, and that the stars are so many other suns. They know Gor’s geography, the ancient and undoubtedly Terran origins of the Goreans, and some know how to use compasses and sextants to orient themselves by the sun and stars. They understand the notion of latitude, but longitude, if its theory is understood, is still very difficult to estimate and measure (for this, they need extremely precise chronometers and a system of time zones as references). Finally, they are more or less aware that earthlings come from planet Earth. A rare few know about the cultures of this planet, and its links with Gor.

3-Gor’s geography

As can be seen from the best maps of Gor drawn up by cartographers of the Scribe caste, most of the planet is clearly uncharted and unexplored.

Gor is sparsely populated by humans outside urban centers and their zones of influence, but we’ll come back to that later. Animal life, on the other hand, abounds, with a richness and diversity that makes you dizzy (Find out more about Gor’s flora and fauna here).

Very few people are familiar with the regions to the east of the Voltai and Thentis mountain ranges. There are also vast stretches of equatorial jungle north of Schendi that are largely unexplored. Ships generally travel no more than one or two hundred pasangs west of Cos and Tyros. The open sea of Thassa is nicknamed the end of the world. All those who have ventured there by sea have never returned, and no tarn can attempt such a sea distance. That said, off the coast of Thassa, beyond the limits of Cos and accessible only by open sea, lie the Pani Islands.

4- The main regions

To make things easier for you, we’re going to describe the main regions from north to south and from west to east on the Gor map, which you can find at this address: https: //i1.wp.com/www.psychee.org/gorpedia/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/map_of_gor_by_gorean_art-d3obll6.jpg

1- The Polar north

Gor’s north pole is home to the Red Hunters, a people similar to Earth’s Eskimos. The Red Hunters live as nomads, following the migration of polar tabuks, fish and cetaceans. Little is known about them, and for good reason: they are very isolated, in a hostile region where the seas are frozen for half the year.

The Red Hunters are generally hospitable, peaceful individuals. They call themselves Innuit, which means “the people”. They live in scattered, isolated communities, and war is largely unknown to them. Their only real enemy are the white kurri, known to the Red Hunters as ice beasts. Yes, there’s a whole nation of kurri living at the North Pole.

Beneath the vast glaciers and frozen seas, the landscape becomes tundra, a permanently frozen plain with a surface covered in moss and sparse grasses, feeding vast herds of polar tabuks and huge flocks of birds.

2- The Torvaldsland

This region is generally regarded as the northern edge of the immense Northern Forest (see below). It lies to the north-west of the coast, well above and upstream of the Vosk delta.

Einar’s Skerry, near the Rune Stone of Torvaldsmark, marks the border between Torvaldsland and the world of Gor, which follows the religion of the Priest-Kings.

The Torvald River, as the Torvies call it, is a powerful, warm marine current that flows from the Tamber Gulf eastwards to the coast, then northwards to the first glaciers at the pole. The current is full of fish, and its milder temperature acts like a radiator to warm all the coasts of Torvaldsland. The Torvies couldn’t survive without this warm current, and when it weakens a little, it triggers terrible winters and years of famine.

Torvaldsland is a harsh, arid land. Cultivable soil is scarce, arable land never remains so for long, and fields are precious commodities because they are so rare and prized. It’s also a very grey and rather cold country, even in summer. With the exception of two or three months a year, Torvaldsland usually experiences rain, snow and very rarely blue skies.

Torvies (or Torvaldslanders) are used to the cold, but just as much to war, which is part of their lives, and to navigation, which is at the heart of their traditions and trade. The vast majority of Torvies still live not far from the sea, in protected coves and roadsides.

Finally, Torvies despise the Priest-Kings and cling to old gods such as Odin and Thor. They’re a lot like the Scandinavians of Earth’s Viking period, but in a pop-culture version with little historical credibility.

3- The Northern Forests (The Great Forest)

This is Gor’s largest forest area, and when we say it’s huge, think of a forest the size of Europe! It’s the domain of outlaws, forest savages and the legendary Panthers, Gorean women at odds with society, trying to survive outside the yoke of man.

The forest is literally a barrier between the Gorean civilizations to the south and the Torvie people to the north. It begins on the coast and continues east to the foot of Mount Sardar.

One of the most common species in this forest is the Tur, a red-colored tree that can reach 60 meters in height and grows all over the western part of the forest, as far as Torvaldsland. Needless to say, 90% of this immense forest is totally unknown, and almost impossible to explore. A single man can’t survive for more than a handful of days.

4- The Barrens

The Barrens lie to the far east, beyond the Thentis mountains, after Mount Sardar. They are vast expanses of undulating grassland, dry to arid, covered with tall grasses. When we say tall grass, a child, or even a small adult, can get lost in it.

The Barrens’ climate is a nightmare: blizzards in winter, scorching heat in summer, hailstorms in spring, tornadoes in autumn and thunderstorms the rest of the year. These climatic conditions alone make it impossible to establish permanent settlements or farms.

The Barrens are home to the Red Savages, similar to North American Amerindians, albeit in a caricatured way, rather like the Sioux in Western films. With few exceptions, no man from the West – the Red Savages call them “whites” – has ever managed to explore the Barrens beyond their borders. And with good reason: when a Red Savage sees a white man, he kills him first and doesn’t argue afterwards.

Red Savage civilization is nomadic, technologically primitive, and based entirely on the dangerous, devious, omnivorous Gorean pseudo-horse known as the kaiila. The Red Savages are almost, if not more, as warlike as the Torvies.

5- The Vosk Plains, the heart of Gor

The Vosk is Gor’s largest river, and the one that concentrates all of Gor’s most powerful and lively cities in the northern hemisphere. A very rich and fertile region, dotted with towns and villages, with hedged meadows and a thousand roads and paths, stretches around it, over an area two-thirds the size of Europe.

To the east of the river, where it splits in two, lies the heart of Gor civilization: Imperial Ar, Gor’s most powerful city, and its dozens of vassal and allied cities, a region the size of France, incredibly civilized and organized, and the hub of all Gor’s science and commerce. It’s also one of the two or three most densely populated areas in all of Gor.

From the Vosk delta to Ar, along the river, lies the Confederation of the Vosk League, a military and trading alliance of 19 cities that protects the region from pirates, outlaws and the onslaught of legions of independent city-states.

6- The Vosk delta

At the mouth of the Vosk River, where it empties into the Tamber Gulf and the sea beyond, lies a marshland, thousands and thousands of square pasangs in size, an area larger than Florida, vastly wild and inhospitable.

The marshes can be crossed in small boats via ever-changing channels. You need to know your way around and be a native to avoid getting lost or stuck in the sand. Surviving on foot in the delta for more than a few hours, when you don’t know it, is a matter of luck. Predators like sleen and tharlarion abound… and they’re not the scariest monsters you’ll come across.

The entire delta is claimed by the powerful city of Port-kar, the capital of pirates and thieves. But in fact, the city controls very little of it. The delta is inhabited by a few communities of fishermen-gatherers and producers of rence, a textile fiber: they are a fairly isolated indigenous people, known as the Rencers.

7- The jungles of Schendi

Level with the equator lie the vast expanses of the Jungles of the Schendi River (which tends to change name depending on the region it flows through). The jungle and its bangs are inhabited by black-skinned men, who have their own languages and don’t speak Gorean except in the big cities. The jungles of Schendi are vast in length, but rarely wider than 900 or 1000 pasangs.

Port-Schendi is the region’s capital. A gigantic port city with cruel and frightening customs, home to the merchant caste and the dreaded Black Slave League, it is as large as Ar, though less populous and less wealthy. The city is ruled by the often reviled Black Ubar (his nickname), Bila Huruma.

The rest of the region is a land of scattered coastal villages, and crops ill-suited to the tropical climate. Many local dialects are spoken. The jungle, particularly dangerous and hostile, is home to Talunas (southern panthers), pygmies and cannibal tribes.

8- The Turia Plains

The vast, wild Turia Plains lie below the equator and the Schendi Jungles to the west. This region is also known as the Land of the Chariot Peoples.

These peoples claim the meadows from the sea, and the border of the eastern Schendi, which is called the Cartius River, and in the Far East the southern foothills of the Voltai range.

The Chariot Peoples are made up of four distinct tribes: the Paravaci, the Kataii, the Kassars and the Tuchuks. All are primarily bosk-breeding nomads, living off their meat and milk. They cultivate very little, and are said to refuse any food that comes from the land (roots, bulbs, etc.). All these people are very proud and consider city dwellers as rats living in dirty holes.

9 – The Tahari Desert

Far to the south of Ar, beyond the Turia plains, lies the vast Tahari, at the foot of the Voltai mountains. It’s a gigantic, virtually arid desert, stretching over 1,200 pasangs long and at least 800 pasangs wide (it’s not clear where the desert ends in the south).

The desert is mainly rocky and steep, except for the endless sands of the dune country. It is almost constantly swept by a scorching wind that dries out everything. There are, however, some oases, fed by deep aquifers rising in the Voltai. But to reach these springs, wells often have to be over 60 meters deep,

Tahari is home to a number of large, verdant cities, all built around the oases or on the banks of the Cartius River to the north. The best-known are Tor and Kasra. All are merchant cities, heavily dependent on trade and caravan convoys. Here you’ll find the other species of Kaiila, which is easier to domesticate and better adapted to the desert.

10- The Pani islands

I won’t go into it now, but this is a series of islands off the coast of Thassa. Here you’ll find the Pani people, largely inspired by the feudal Japanese of the ^14th century, an isolationist and xenophobic people who don’t recognize the Priest-Kings religion and caste system.

So much for this overview of Gor’s geography!