We’re about to tackle a subject that concerns both one of the most fundamental aspects of Gor’s urban civilization, justice, and the body that governs and operates it, the scribal caste, although this is only one of its functions, scribes really being so much more than bureaucrats and notaries!

I apologize in advance for the length of the article (14 word pages), but this is due to the list of examples of Gorean laws and legal customs needed to illustrate the second part of the article. I hope you find it useful, and happy reading!

What nonsense I’ve heard about the scribe caste (but ultimately no more than about the builders’ and doctors’ caste, that said). So, yes, I’m going to introduce you to the scribe caste, the second most powerful high-caste in the order of precedence of Gorean culture, using novels as my source and deducing the rest from comparative historical and cultural data. This is the principle of the Gorean Archives, and I stick to it: everything I write is more or less contained in the novels, or deduced from the same references as Norman, namely the period of the Imperial Roman world, at least as a cultural model. Nothing comes from writings on other news websites, nor from notecards on Second Life.

With that in mind, let’s get down to business! We’ll start by talking about the scribes, before discussing the principles of Gorean justice.

1- Teaching on Gor

The basis of teaching on Gor is the principle of transmission of knowledge from father to son. The caste principle requires that the son follow the same professional path as his father, within the same caste, i.e. both the same socio-professional category and the same social rank. So, even though most education is transmitted directly from father to son, each caste also has its own schools, where only children from that caste can study. The only exception is for children who are very gifted in a particular field, who, if noticed, are invited to join the caste where their talents will be showcased. This literally means that they are adopted by another caste, and it’s quite rare. A carpenter’s son (a low-caste) with incredible mechanical talent might be adopted by a representative of the builders’ caste, seeing in him a genius to be exploited for the benefit of their caste.

With all this in mind, it’s clear that one of the most basic elements of education – reading and arithmetic – is not at all the same for all castes, and will be more or less neglected and privileged. The peasant who toils from morning till night to feed his family has no time to learn to read – and probably no means to buy a book. In Rome, and we’re talking about the city itself, most Romans couldn’t read; less than five percent had enough education to read poetry or classical texts. Yes, even the Middle Ages were ultimately more literate than the Roman world (even if only in the cities).

“Occasionally heralds, or criers, would pass by, calling out news or announcements. Many on this world, you see, cannot read. Thus the importance of the heralds, the criers, and such. Many things are advertised, too, in such a way, by calling out bargains, the fruits in season, the markets, the cost of cloth, and such. Too, one may hear men, or often boys, for it costs less to hire them, calling out the pleasures of various taverns, and the delights that may be found within.”

Witness of Gor

You’d think that with public libraries, knowledge of paper and printing, and a well-organized general education system in Gorean cities, the literacy rate would be much higher. But this is where a religious law comes into play, a taboo for Goreans: the First and Second Knowledge.

It’s a weapon of social control, erected by the Priest-Kings, managed and monitored by the caste of Initiates. The aim is to prevent the lower-caste from gaining access to the most advanced knowledge. Since knowledge is power – and believe me, this is not an image – the lower classes must remain ignorant and superstitious. And yet, it’s not that simple, and not that closed, as we’ll come back to in a moment.

What’s the difference? The First Knowledge is reserved for the lower castes and describes a flat world, oceans falling into the void on the horizon, monsters and demons in unknown places, diseases and natural plagues as divine punishments or curses, etc… The First Knowledge encourages superstition surrounding strange natural phenomena, and the abilities and knowledge of High-castes, and discourages excessive intellectual curiosity. The Second Knowledge is, in a way, what everyone in the ^21st century knows, understands, or has learned about the physical and natural world: the Earth is round and is not the center of the universe, other planets and stars with planets exist, microbes, worms, rats and cockroaches are not born by spontaneous generation, and diseases are caused by viruses and bacteria, not curses, etc…

“I was also instructed in the Double Knowledge – that is, I was instructed in what the people, on the whole, believed, and then I was instructed in what the intellectuals were expected to know. Sometimes there was a surprising discrepancy between the two. For example, the population as a whole, the castes below the High Castes, were encouraged to believe that their world was a broad flat disc. Perhaps this was to discourage them from exploration or to develop in them a habit of relying on common-sense prejudices – something of a social control device.”

Tarnsman of Gor

But Second Knowledge is not hidden! While the secrets of each caste are jealously guarded – and it’s easy to see why – anyone can read a treatise on astronomy in a public library! But to do so, you need to know how to read, and be curious enough to look beyond your beliefs and superstitions. And as this is not common, in the end, the wall between these two degrees of knowledge remains watertight, ensuring its role: that the high-castes control the rest of the people.

“The distinctions, however, between knowledge tend to be somewhat imperfect and artificial. For example, the second knowledge, while required of the higher castes and not of the lower castes, is not prohibited to the lower castes. It is not a body of secret or jealously guarded truths, for example. Gorean libraries, like the tables of Kaissa tournaments, tend to be open to men of all castes.”

Kajira of Gor

There is a Third Knowledge, but one that is virtually unknown to all. Only a few people in each city are initiated into it, and it’s a jealously guarded secret. It is, in fact, knowledge of some of the sciences and technologies of the Priest-Kings, including, for example, electronics, computing, electrical engineering, advanced physics and chemistry, extensive knowledge of Earth culture and geopolitics, knowledge of the organization of the Acquisition Trips networks, which are set up between Earth and Gor, and which kidnap earthlings to sell them as slaves on Gor. It is, of course, also knowledge available to agents of the Priest-Kings… and the Kurris.

“The classical knowledge distinctions on Gor tend to follow caste lines, the first knowledge being regarded as appropriate for the lower castes and the second knowledge for the higher castes. That there is a Third Knowledge, that of Priest-Kings, is also a common belief.”

Kajira of Gor

2- The scribe caste

I’ve said elsewhere that the Scribe caste is reputed to be particularly haughty, closed-minded and jealous of its knowledge and rank, a kind of pedantic aristocracy that never mixes with the common man. So, it’s still a reputation, even if it has some basis, but we’ll see that it’s more nuanced than that.

The color of the scribe caste is blue and, on Gor Second Life, their symbol is often the quill and inkwell (a symbol that doesn’t appear in the novels). If builders are Gor’s engineers, scribes are its scholars and intellectuals. Their primary role, in a way their caste oath, is to faithfully transcribe the history of Gor, then protect and transmit this history, and the knowledge of codes and laws, to the people. In short, above all, they are archivists. Scribes always display the blue of their caste, conspicuously, on their attire, and it’s not uncommon for them to wear a mantel or cape to be recognized from afar.

Note: caste blue is not sky blue, blue-gray or green blue, but what is known as royal blue, a vivid, deep blue.

Gor’s teachers

This is the true role of all scribes, whether historians, geographers or magistrates. Knowledge is only valuable if it is passed on, understood and used, and their role is to pass it on. That’s why they’re always at the head of public libraries, and why you’ll find them teaching in a military barracks, a builders’ university or a hospital classroom.

Yes, so every scribe is a scholar. Their knowledge is first and foremost theoretical and intellectual, but many scribes travel the world to find rare books, gather local knowledge, map new regions or identify new species of plants and animals. Their intellectual training also makes them highly observant, and their attention to detail is usually quite surprising to other Goreans. Finally, administrative paperwork and justice are just one facet of their many activities.

Female scribes

While the majority of women in the caste are confined to domestic tasks or family management, there are many women in the caste who practice their trade, at least if it doesn’t fall into the category of activities that put them at too great a risk. And, yes, you may come across a woman magistrate, prosecutor or lawyer. As they are there to dispense justice according to written codes and procedures, their authority lies in their title, not in their status as women. That said, scribes are like all Goreans: sexist enough to prefer to reserve positions of responsibility for men, if at all possible.

Note: there are many members of the scribe caste, and, no, it’s not a caste swimming in gold. Many scribes have to work for private employers. If there are rich scribes, there are also poor ones, who struggle to feed their families, and who sometimes, to alleviate their misery, don’t hesitate to sell their daughters, even those who are already educated and cultured. Scribes’ daughters are highly prized on the slave market. It’s not the only high-caste to do so, but it happens more often here than elsewhere.

The principle of integrity

Warriors have honor, scribes have integrity. This can be summed up as “always acting wisely and righteously, in accordance with one’s values and beliefs, with the aim of making the most just decision.” Yeah, a scribe is really supposed to have integrity. He’ll refuse to lie or take a bribe, may go against the law if the law doesn’t allow for a just and honorable outcome, and will generally refuse to compromise himself. It is largely this integrity that earns them their haughty, pedantic reputation. Scribes must be morally irreproachable, and they take great pride in this requirement, which guides their work and their raison d’être. This character trait gives them a reputation for courage, not through arms, but through their ability to take risks to do the right thing.

“And Caprus seemed in a good humor; that perhaps was significant, betokening an end in sight for my mission. In thinking about this I realized what a brave man Caprus was, and how little I had respected his courage and his work. He had risked much, probably much more than I. I felt ashamed. He was only a Scribe, and yet what he had done had taken great courage, probably more courage than that possessed by many Warriors.”

Assassin of Gor

So, are they all really? Well, no more than warriors are all honorable, or doctors are all altruists! Especially since, in order to survive, they often have to work for a private employer, which increases the risk of compromise and corruption.

There is one point to be made about this integrity: the scribes are the first to discourage the lower castes from too much intellectual curiosity. This is not done with clear prohibitions, but more subtly, for example by making access to books or literacy complicated, rare or too expensive for the average person. And a scribe has to lie about his knowledge of the Second Knowledge to a member of the lower caste. Which, for an upright individual, is a truly difficult and unpleasant endeavor, driving them to avoid mingling with the lower-caste. Once again, their haughty reputation can be explained, but it goes even further: the caste of Initiates doesn’t like the caste of Scribes at all. Well, I’d be tempted to say that the only high caste the Initiates like is the Warrior caste, and even then. Because scribes live to pass on their knowledge, and for their intellectual integrity. Two things that strongly contradict the role of the Initiate caste.

The scribe’s accent

One detail that gives scribes away is their diction and rich vocabulary. Scribes don’t speak like other Goreans, but with a much broader and richer lexical baggage. It’s easy to recognize a slave who’s a former member of the scribe caste, just by getting her to talk a little. She’ll have a hard time hiding that accent and refined diction. That said, scribes are not the only ones to have it, but outside this caste, it’s rather rare, and the sign of a refined intellectual education.

3- The scribe’s expertise

There are many, so I’ll just list the most common and noteworthy:

Clerks

Basically, the scribe who draws up legal property papers and private and commercial contracts. He works for the city, or for a high caste or the merchant caste, and knows the civil and commercial laws.

Tax agents

They too work for the city, or for the merchant caste, and are in charge of verifying the conformity of products offered for sale with the city’s commercial laws, charging taxes, revealing fraud and counterfeiting, and often controlling auctions, whether of luxury goods or large quantities. It’s a role that interferes with everything commercial.

Accountants

Need I go into too much detail? Every powerful Gor family has one, and he’s in charge of the treasury in the broadest sense of the term.

Magistrates

Basically, judge and prosecutor, this is the local authority who, in the service of the town, listens to the pleadings of defendants and plaintiffs, receives evidence and testimonies, decides on the legal penalty and reparation to be applied and is responsible for applying the local code of law in its judgments. We talk about justice on Gor below.

The lawyers

Where there’s a trial and a magistrate, there’s a lawyer. Any scribe can take on this role, but some make it their profession, either independently or in the service of a family. They defend the interests of a defendant or plaintiff, and sometimes investigate, gather witnesses and evidence to help their client win the case.

Archivists

In general, archivists are in charge of private and public libraries, and city archives. Their role is to ensure that history and knowledge are transcribed, classified, protected and, if necessary, disseminated. They are often good writers and highly erudite historians themselves.

Cartographers & naturalists

They travel all over Gor, gathering geographical, physical and natural knowledge, and returning with it to make new books that will be as much new and precious knowledge to preserve and pass on. They may work for the city, or for patrons of the arts.

Teachers

Private or public, working solely for their caste or teaching more generally, these are the professors, maitres d’école and maitres de conférences, each with their own specialty. They form the hard core of the caste, since it is their role to pass on knowledge, albeit with restrictions.

4- Gor’s justice system

The laws of Gor are based on three principles: Honor, respect for the Homestone, and individual responsibility.

Honor

For every Gorrean, a person without honor is no longer human, but a savage beast, an outlaw. A man without honor is a man without words, whose claims, deeds and actions are worthless. So, for Goreans, to be dishonored is one of the worst things in life. Even the most despicable bandit places his honor above all else, and even the most wretched she-urt still has this last treasure as his only wealth. An honorless gorean can be robbed, enslaved or killed by anyone.

The Homestone

One of the greatest honors for a Gorean is to be found in his Homestone. For a Gorean, the Homestone represents what the flag would be for us patriotic 21st-century inhabitants. It is the heart of the city, its code, its honor, the symbol of citizen unity. Not to respect the Homestone, not to fight to defend it, to insult it, to lose it, is one of the worst dishonors there is. When a Gorean wants to assert the value of his promise or oath, he does so on his Homestone, consecrating an oath that he will never be able to undo.

This idea gives rise to the principle that the Homestone is superior to the men who make up the city. Thus, a Gorean will respect the city’s leaders, who also serve this Homestone, as well as defend it against those he feels may serve it poorly, including its leaders. A man without a Homestone is, for Goreans, a man without honor, an outlaw.

Individual responsibility

In general, Goreans never recognize the notion of extenuating circumstances. Honor dictates that each individual is responsible for his or her words, deeds and actions, and must therefore assume responsibility for them in the name of honor, and bear the consequences. That’s why Goreans are quite careful about what they say, because they must take responsibility for everything they say, and be prepared to answer for it, either with iron or in a court of law.

This notion introduces a few characteristics: if a man is robbed in his own home, but had no means, or opportunity, to have a good lock or to defend his property, he is declared as responsible as the thief. The latter will be punished as a thief, but the victim, responsible for his lack of prudence, will probably not be able to claim any additional compensation. Gor’s Law, in general, is straightforward, simple and strict, with no excuses, extenuating circumstances or context to justify the criminal act or offence.

By extension, a person who has been wronged, swindled or cheated, a poor person or a drug addict, is considered responsible for his or her condition, and must answer for it. So, for example, in the case of taxes, a poor man can’t justify not being able to pay his share because he can’t afford to. Gor’s Law is just, but without pity, compassion or leniency.

Justice in the cities of Gor

Justice in the cities is dispensed by magistrates. They are in charge of justice and trials, and can be recognized by their court dress and the high stick that designates them for their role. All are authorized to hand down legal rulings, and all citizens, whatever their rank, are bound by these rulings.

Every citizen has the right to a trial, which means that all complaints must be registered and investigated, with the magistrates deciding how the complaint is to be handled. A misdemeanor or a commercial complaint will be handled by a local magistrate. The most serious crimes will require the intervention of a high magistrate delegated directly by the authority in place. Justice is detached from caste, so a crime committed by a doctor or warrior is judged by the same laws as a merchant or peasant. High castes have their own legal system, but this only applies to offences committed by a member of their caste against caste rules. This private jurisdiction therefore has limited powers. If a serious crime is committed within the caste, the city court will be in charge of the proceedings.

There are no presumption of innocence, no bail on Gor. An indicted individual is imprisoned until his trial. A important individual will be placed under house arrest, either at home or in a comfortable house, forbidden to move and closely guarded. Gorean justice does not seem to oblige the accused to prove his innocence, but magistrates are in charge of proving his guilt or innocence. However, the notion of modern material evidence remains secondary: first and foremost, what counts in a trial is testimony, and therefore the word of honor. Thus, a well-disguised crime, with no witnesses, is very difficult to judge, even if we know the culprit.

Defendants are sometimes treated harshly in a trial. Gor’s justice remains fair (relatively speaking), but it is merciless, even cruel. For a serious crime, an accused man or woman may well be kept in a cage, naked, with no amenities. Torture can be used to speed up proceedings and obtain confessions, depending on the crime and the city. Lawyers are there to defend their clients, prove their innocence and try to prevent the worst forms of abuse. But you have to be able to afford one, and a lawyer is not at all compulsory in a trial. However, defendants are never denied a lawyer if they can afford one.

When a slave is a witness to a crime being investigated, he is usually systematically tortured, since his word is worthless. Being a slave, confession under torture is then acceptable, which also means that you can make him confess whatever you want.

Penalties on Gor are exemplary, and cruel. Prison as punishment is rare, and in some places non-existent. Punishments include compensation, fines, lashes or canings, the pillory, banishment, mutilation, enslavement or death. The Goreans sentenced people to death for crimes which, from our point of view, would only merit imprisonment: let’s cite insult to the Homestone, arson, assault with injury on a free woman, insult to an Initiate, possession of an unauthorized copy of the city keys, etc…

There are several types of punishment:

For a commercial offence, akin to theft or deceit, and depending on the seriousness of the offence, the individual may be scared by having his earlobe sliced off, and will in any case be forced to pay reparations. In the event of a repeat offence, the penalty is a severed hand for a man, and enslavement for a woman.

In the case of perjury against a plaintiff, if the two parties are unable to settle their dispute, reparations are generally payable. In the case of serious perjury, the real sentence may be a public declaration of the guilty party’s dishonor. A way of condemning him to exile and losing everything… if he has time to flee before being killed.

For offenses such as insults or depredation of property, if the offenders have not settled the matter by a duel or an agreement, the accused must pay reparations. In cases of recidivism, they can be whipped, publicly flogged or even enslaved.

In the case of an assault on a free woman, the Goreans are quite implacable: you don’t touch a free woman. Most often, it’s banishment, or death. It should be noted that such an assault on a man by another man, or a woman, will not be considered a priori. A man is responsible for defending himself. A woman who assaults a man is answerable to her family, Companion or guardian, and the assaulted man will seek redress himself. The courts only intervene to settle a dispute if both parties are unable to resolve it.

The most serious crimes, those which end in death, with or without prior torture, but which can also be condemned by death sentences, each more horrible than the last, such as being thrown into the desert with the sinews cut, the ordeal of the wheel, or of being drawn apart, etc., are :

• – Characterized insult to the Hearth Stone
• – Theft of the Homestone
• – Assault or murder of a Council member or caste head
• – Betrayal of the city and complicity with the enemy (opening doors to the enemy, trading with an enemy, providing detailed maps of the city, providing access or a key, perjuring an oath on the Hearthstone, etc.),
• – Assaulting or insulting an Initiate or the Priest-Kings,
• – Assaulting any member of the Artists’ Caste.

There must be others of the same ilk.

Who writes the laws?

The laws of Gorean cities are enacted by decree, usually by the City Council, sometimes by the Ubars. But both the Ubars and any member of the Council are subject to these laws, just like the last she-urt. If the authorities, after a crime committed by one of them, were to change the laws by decree, they would not apply retrospectively. Thus, every member of the city is answerable to the law, whatever his or her rank, and cannot escape impeachment by a magistrate if he or she so orders. As we have seen, the latter may simply be a scribe competent in the field, or a Praetor who has come to investigate and judge the case.

Women and the Law

In terms of the Law, women in a city are highly protected. It’s forbidden to enslave a woman without a trial, they have the same rights as men, but what’s more, no one can assault them without having to answer to the Law – and the Goreans won’t stand for anyone raising a hand to a free woman in their city. They can give their opinion, respond, even tell off a man without him slapping them in the face to shut them up, without risking the wrath of the citizens and, if he’s hurt her, a trial that’s likely to go badly for him.

Yet, legally speaking, women are not that free, far from it. A woman is subject all her life to a guardian who can decide for her, and has all the power. It’s the head of the family, the father, the guardian, the Companion. Indeed, while a free woman cannot be beaten or raped by anyone without great risk to the aggressor, her guardian can beat, punish, molest and even enslave her, without the Law being able to oppose it.

Basically, a woman is totally subject to the authority of her guardian, who has almost complete power over her and her property. However, some companionship contracts limit this guardianship.

A free woman does not usually choose her Companion. Companionship is a contract to found a family, with the aim of having heirs, possibly negotiating alliances, and moving up the caste hierarchy. The woman passes from parental authority to that of her companion, who in private can do pretty much whatever he wants. As a result, women tend to keep a low profile, not because any man can come down on them – because he can’t – but because if he complains to his guardian or companion, there’s going to be hell to pay.

Since honor dictates that contempt should not go unpunished, the guardian who receives the complaint from the offended will feel obliged, if he recognizes the contempt, to punish the woman. He may well lock her up, take away her possessions, whip her, or even in the worst cases, enslave her for a while, permanently. In such cases, women cannot count on the protection of the law, but on the leniency of their guardians.

Laws, codes and customs common to Gorean cities

It’s not easy to find all the examples, codes and laws common to Gorean cities. Norman hasn’t gone into too much detail, so examples taken directly from the novels are few and far between. It’s worth noting that we learn more about the laws concerning slaves than we do about free men and women.

But here’s a quick sample of the Gorean laws to be found in the novels. It’s not a strict code to be followed; some laws are city-specific, others are customary, and still others are relatively common. The laws serve as a guide to help players, not as rules to be followed absolutely and in their entirety:

1- “There is a saying in Gor, that the laws of the city extend no further than its walls.” (Outlaw of Gor) : Basically, once you’re outside the city’s direct sphere of influence, its laws no longer apply; a city’s walls also legally protect you, hence the fact that a woman outside a city’s walls, or the clearly defined zone of its judicial and police influence, has a lot to worry about if she doesn’t have an escort.

2- Claiming a territory of one’s own involves placing a claim symbol, usually yellow, on the ground in the morning sunlight, then staying close to it and defending it all day. At nightfall, if the symbol has remained, the claimed land becomes the property of your Homestone. The Homestone is not limited to the symbol of a city. Every prestigious family has its own Homestone, even if it does not represent the power of a city. It’s a bit like the family coat of arms in Switzerland: it’s only symbolic, but every old family has its own, and displays it with pride. On Gor, this family Homestone represents its honour. It is therefore as precious to the family as the city’s Homestone.

3- Stealing a Homestone is one of the worst crimes on Gor. The thief is often punished by being scalded in oil. On the other hand, the same thief returning home with a stolen Homestone is hailed and honored as a hero, blessed by the Priest-Kings. Having a Homestone stolen does not condemn a city to submission to the city that stole its stone. It’s just a symbol. But on the other hand, that city has lost its reputation and honour, and honour, in Gorean geopolitics, is as important as the strength of armies or the economy.

4- A man can be killed on the spot for talking about his Homestone without standing up. Whether this is a law or a form of custom is unclear. Personally, I think it’s a custom, not necessarily applied, to encourage people to respect their city and their oath.

5- Only the High Castes vote for a city’s Council; each caste votes for its own caste Councillor. Note: there are several cases in the novels where a low-caste is a member of the council, as if it were a high-caste. Most often, it’s the merchant caste.

6- Only High Castes can vote to elect an administrator, or appoint an Ubar. Low castes have no voting rights.

7- It’s not made clear whether High Caste women have the right to vote. “While it is only high-caste men who elect the members of the City Council” (Assassin of Gor), doesn’t specify whether we’re talking about High-Castes in general, or only male High-Caste individuals. However, Council members can be women, so, a priori, they are undoubtedly entitled to vote.

8-It is forbidden to take a map of the city and its territory out of a city, just as it is forbidden for a non-citizen to possess a map of a city that is not his or her Homestone.

9- Great cities measure time. There are clocks, bells telling the hours, etc., and the duration of time is generally the same everywhere, as time is measured according to the same standards.

10- Citizenship is a privilege, not a right. “Citizenship, or its continuance, on other than a nominal basis, in some cities, is contingent upon such things as being present at public ceremonies, such as participating every six months in auspices, and attending and speaking at numerous public meetings, some of which are called at the last minute.” (Dancer of Gor)

11- . “Citizenship in most Gor communities is not something due by virtue of birth, but earned by virtue of intention and perseverance.” (Slave Girl of Gor). At the age of majority – which varies from 16 to 21 depending on the city, and sometimes even 25, i.e. the age limit for making the pilgrimage to the Sardar mountains – a city resident must take part in the Homestone ceremony. This may be a simple formal ceremony, or it may consist of a real interrogation by a committee of citizens, or members of the Council, to determine your resolve to become a citizen. The oath is usually taken by touching or kissing the Pierre de Foyer, and once done, the new citizen is sometimes presented with a mantle or laurel wreath.

12- Failure to participate in citizenship ceremonies may be punished by banishment. This only applies to people born in the city or born to citizens of the city.

13- You can renounce your current citizenship and acquire the citizenship of another city. Of course, you’ll need to be accepted by that other city as a citizen, with all the above conditions to be met.

14- One of the advantages of citizenship is that it offers some protection against foreign creditors. It is not known whether this protection is covered by the Merchants’ Law or not.

15- The oath of disavowal is an oath that exists in the Warrior Caste and in certain cities. It’s an irreversible sentence, in which a family disowns one of its members forever, who is no longer a member of the family, and loses his caste. It is above all an oath of the Warrior Caste, but an Ubar can pronounce it, and in some cities, it is quite possible for any family head to pronounce it on one of his members.

16- All citizens must have traveled to the Sardar Mountains, the sacred mounts of the Priest-Kings, before reaching the age of 25. The Initiates monitor who does and who doesn’t make this pilgrimage, and, with their great influence, can force young people to make the journey at a specific time. It is said that woe betide the city whose children do not make the pilgrimage.

17- “A man who refuses to practice his livelihood, or changes his status, without the consent of the Council, is, by definition, an outlaw liable to the pal” (Tarnsman of Gor) A man who refuses the law of his caste and social position becomes an outlaw, an outcast, without a Home Stone, who can be killed by anyone. An unenviable fate.

18- Each city determines the legal recognition of Castes and Sub-Castes. It also determines who is high-caste, so merchants, usually low-caste, can be high-caste in certain cities.

19- It is a crime to deceive others by pretending to be another caste, or by carrying out the activities of another caste. Most often, this involves illegal medicine, but also the abuse of authority by pretending to be a rarius. However, for example, it is possible to carry out an activity of another caste if it is commonplace: anyone can sell slaves, but they cannot claim to be of the Slaver Caste.

20- It is possible to change caste. This is very rare, as Goreans are generally VERY proud of their caste. A woman can – but is not forced to – adopt her partner’s caste. The reverse is not true. In other cases, changing caste is subject to the decision of the caste authorities, and to being adopted and recognized by the caste you wish to join.

21- Female doctors are legally prohibited from practicing medicine until they have two children. Female doctors therefore often wear two bracelets, one on each wrist, which are removed with each child they have, and once both bracelets have been removed, they can practice fully.

22- A masterly crime, for a metalworker, is to make a copy of a key without permission.

23- A companionship lasts one year. If it is not renewed by contract before the companionship anniversary, it is automatically dissolved.

24- A Companionship is dissolved in the event of the death or enslavement of one of the two parties. It does not seem to be specified whether a companionship can be dissolved by mutual agreement of both parties before the end of the year.

25- A woman may not change her name in a companionship.

26- The family name – in fact, the clan name – is a convenience that is only transmitted by the Companion. A woman may keep her own surname according to the signed companionship contract, but it cannot supplant her companion’s name for her children.

27- A man may have only one companion, but this rule is not immutable in all cultures.

28- Port-Kar does not recognize -among other things- the Institution of Free Companionship.

29- Entering a city without permission can be punishable by pal. “The spikes on the walls of Gor cities are often topped with the remains of unwelcome guests.” (Outlaw of Gor). That said, merchants, mercenaries and caravanners come and go from town to town quite freely. I assume that this law applies to an individual who is a member of an enemy city, and that it serves, more generally, as a reminder that, once in a city, a foreigner must keep a low profile if he does not want his corpse to decorate the ramparts.

30- Panthers and other Taluna women are considered outlaws. Any outlaw entering a city may be impaled. Yes, let’s keep it simple: if you’re a panther and you enter a city, you’re fair game and you won’t get a trial.

31- Assassins wearing the black mark on their forehead, a drawn dagger, can enter a city without being arrested. But that doesn’t mean they won’t be closely monitored!

32- The Artist caste is always free to enter a city. Even a member of this caste from an enemy city won’t be banned from entering. That’s just the way it is. Artists are sacred on Gor.

33- All heralds and official messengers, all diplomats, are guaranteed immunity within the city for the duration of their mission, and until they leave the city and its geopolitical sphere of influence.

34- Copyright and patents exist only within the walls of a city. Merchant Law cannot cover these rights beyond the walls of the city concerned.

35- All cities use common references, accessible to all, for weights and measures, under the Merchants’ Law. Merchants found with false gauges are severely punished. The same applies to counterfeit coins.

36- Veils and robes of concealment are not necessarily required by law. In Ar, for example, this is not the law. In rare cities, a woman without a veil can be arrested, detained and then forced to veil by the guard, with a fine to pay. But even where there is no specific law, there is a strong custom among Gorean women to wear dresses and veil their faces, but this is above all a custom, not a legal obligation. In fact, when they work, many low-caste women are not veiled, and may work with their arms bared.

The veil, it might be noted, is not legally imperative for a free woman; it is rather a matter of modesty and custom. Some low-class, uncompanioned, free girls do not wear veils. Similarly certain bold free women neglect the veil. Neglect of the veil is not a crime in Gorean cities, though in some it is deemed a brazen and scandalous omission. . . .

In some cities, and among some groups and tribes, it might be mentioned, though this is not common, veils may be for most practical purposes unknown, even among free women. The cities of Gor are numerous and pluralistic. Each has its own history, customs and traditions. On the whole, however, Gorean culture prescribes the veil for free women.

Slave Girl of Gor

37- Even in cities that don’t legislate veiling, there are often laws and customs limiting the amount of bare skin exposed. Hide your legs, your stomach and your cleavage! If too much bare skin is revealed, the woman may be enslaved: “If you want to be stripped like a slave, you’ll be a slave, they say” ( Dancer of Gor).

38- Revealing a woman by force, against her will, is as serious a crime as wounding her.

39- In some cities, it is illegal to let pleasure silks come into contact with the skin of a free woman. These are considered too exciting and erotic.

40- Women are rarely, if ever, allowed to play Kaissa.

41: Dar-Kosis is a disease similar to leprosy, considered sacred and a punishment of the Priest-Kings. It is considered heretical to attempt to treat it or find a cure. This is a major bone of contention between the caste of Initiates, who established this religious law, and the caste of Physicians, who could surely find a cure for this scourge.

42- “ Whoever contracts Dar-Kosis is considered by law to be dead”. (Assassin of Gor). Thus, an infected person loses all possessions and rights.

43- Theft is treated harshly and severely in all cities. The first time, an earlobe is cut off, the second time, a hand is cut off, and for a woman, she is enslaved.

44- There is a caste of thieves in Port-kar. Stealing is illegal, and a man is killed and a woman enslaved if caught.

45- Setting fire to a forest, a field or a house is a crime and a catastrophe for the people of Gore, and the guilty party is usually burned alive.

46- It is the right of every individual, free and slave, to receive the stabilizing serum, Gor’s life-extending treatment. This is perhaps one of the only rights a slave possesses. It is not known whether a slave owner can refuse the serum to his own slave, but there seems to be little reason for such a refusal.