If you are a Gorean Master, then you already know that it is useless for others to dictate your actions. You live within the circle of your own blade, doing as you please. The swords of others set your limits.

Nevertheless, an astute man realizes that others may have travelled down the road ahead of him, and a wise man listens to the advice of those who have gone before him.

So, for your edification, presented below is a collection of writings which could be considered: Advice for Masters

How to Conduct a Collaring
by Rollo the Ax

The thing that a new Master must try to understand is that collaring a slave v/t is not a thing to be done lightly. The Master and slave are making a commitment to each other. A Gorean Master cares for any slave that he owns: if you are not willing to invest the time and effort to be here for the slave that you are about to collar, then re-think your position. The slave is giving herself to you, body and soul; if you can't reciprocate, then now, before collaring her, is the time to stop the proceedings.

With that said, this is a list of things that should be done to make it a proper collaring, and may be considered a minimum list of actions. More embellishment is certainly allowed and encouraged. If you have ANY questions about what to do, or when, ask a Master with more experience, or better yet, ask one of the Captains for guidance. Remember, this is an event of importance, make many postings which will allow the slave and others in the room to interact with the proceedings.

First, the slave should be kneeling, at your feet, head bowed, hands out-stretched and crossed for binding, showing her submission to you. She should be asked if she understands that she is being enslaved by you.

Then a collar is produced, and placed on her neck, locking it, and the Master retaining the key. NEVER give a slave the key to her collar, unless you don't want her. Even then, you should remove the collar, not her. The collar may be fancy, or plain to your own taste, but very fancy collars are not the norm on Gor. It can be marked with your name, showing ownership, or not, as you wish. Typically, a collar would say "Property of ____," or "A girl, owned by ______", or might simply have the name of the slave and her owner's name etched on the steel.

The girl should then be named. If you wish her to retain her old name, fine. In fact it is recommended that you keep her name the same, to prevent confusion. But as Master, you own her, she doesn't even own her name. It is a gift from you. Once named, she should be sent from the room, to return with her new name, and collar showing your ownership, ie: her name, followed by your initials in brackets, such as "peggy {KK}".

Upon returning, you have the choice of whipping her to instil your Mastery, and power over her, or not. Either way is Gorean; consult local customs, or ask someone for an opinion. Instead of whipping, you may simply have the girl kiss the whip, a show of devotion and love. If you decide to whip the slave: tie the girl to the whipping post, and use a slave whip (5 strips of leather about 2 ft. long, on a handle 1 ft. - 18 inches long) NOT a bullwhip. Slave whips cause pain, without damage to the girl. Again your choice to the number of strokes, anywhere from 2 to 10 is average. IT SHOULD BE NOTED HERE: the whip hurts! The girl feels the pain; it is not a game. Don't whip a girl, and then expect her to be able to carry on as if nothing has happened!

Next comes branding. If the girl is new, and unbranded, it is necessary to brand her. If you are collaring an established slave, she will already have been branded. Again it is your choice to rebrand the girl, or not (but it is not recommended: one brand is usually enough for a slave). To brand a slave, carry the girl to the branding rack, and lock, chain, tie, strap, whatever you want to say, the girl to the rack to hold her perfectly still so as not to make the brand uneven, or not perfect. Next get a white-hot iron from the fire, and brand her, holding the iron on for 5 seconds(ihns), or a count of five, etc... Then remove the iron, and put it back. The type of brand is your choice again. The most common slave brand is the " Kef " a fancy K, for the first letter in the word, kajira, meaning female slave. But there are many brands, letters, flowers, signs. Make your own, or ask someone again. NOW, again, the girl feels the pain. This is not a game. Imagine for yourself just how bad it would hurt to have a white-hot metal rod stuck on yourself. She will scream or cry out, maybe even pass out. She will then need the care and bandaging of the brand by the other slaves. Let them take care of her. And again, remember for her it is REAL; she will not be in any shape to sit in your lap, serve you drinks, or take to an alcove! Let her rest and be pampered by her sisters. You have forever to use her, a day off won't kill either of you. LOL....LOL....

Well, that is a rough outline of what should, and can happen for a collaring. If you have any questions, ASK. Don't try to fake it!!

I hope this information will help, but remember different Gor sites have different customs, so it is best to check things out first. Enjoy your first collaring, and your first kajira.

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Thoughts on Gamers
by Xern

A typical day on Gor

...The paga tavern in Port Kar was busy that day. A group of Council members and various merchants and other prominent members of the city were meeting over goblets of kalana to discuss the new raids by ships from the North. More than a few rounds ships of the City were overdue, and the discussion was intense. Several of the merchants were advocating for increased patrols and escorts for the merchant fleets of the City. The Council members, concerned with the costs of increasing tarnship escorts, were arguing for merchants to band together for their own protection. The debate was heated.

Tavern slaves, dressed in their silks and bells, bustled about the tavern, serving the men and remaining relatively quiet, in light of the weighty topics being discussed. The group of musicians in the room were quiet, not wishing to disturb the group. A few patrons, not part of the debate, sat at low tables, drinking, eating, or speaking quietly with a few of the paga slaves. The tavern owner, behind the servery bar, was pleased to see so many distinguished patrons in his tavern, and hoped that they would return in the future to his establishment and continue to spend the money which was flowing this day as freely as the paga.

The door burst open and the patrons were greeted with the sight of a seaman fresh from a voyage on Thassa. He muttered a few words in passing greetings to the other patrons and went immediately in search of a pleasure slave and an open alcove. The merchants and Council members grinned to themselves as they saw the sailor toss a few copper tarsks onto a table and drag a slave into an alcove, closing the curtain behind him. The sounds escaping from the alcove were quickly drowned out as the men at the tables picked up their conversations where they had left off...


A typical day on online Gor

...The chat room at www.gortalk.com was busy. The Ubar of the room was present, along with his First Sword and Lieutenant of the Guard. A few Warriors were near him, and they were involved in a heated debate about whether online slaves could ever become Free Women again. The Ubar and a few of the Warriors were advocating that the slaves could be free, recalling many instances in the books in which slaves became Free Women. The First Sword and the others were arguing that the nature of online chat mandated a strict policy against Switching. The debate was heated.

The collared and uncollared slaves in the tavern remained relatively quiet, preferring to pm among themselves rather than disturb the group engaged in such philosophical debate. A few Free Women and Warriors, not desiring to engage in such weighty conversation, were bantering with each other, or were surfing the Net on another browser. The site administrator was happy to see the site so full, and hoped that the discussion forums would continue to be held in his chat site.

A new person logged into the chat room "BigStud". He typed "Tal A/all" and immediately started to pm one of the slaves, asking if she'd go to a private room for a little online sex. The slave posted BigStud's pm in the open; and the Ubar and group immediately began to berate the newcomer, calling him a "Gamer" and telling him that this was not a Disney Gor site. BigStud replied that he thought he could do whatever he liked, at which time the Ubar chopped off his virtual head with his virtual war-ax and booted him from the chat site...

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Discussion

What is the difference between these two scenarios? Why would an unknown online person interested in obtaining quick sex from a kajira be branded a HNG and a Gamer; while on Gor an unknown person with the exact same goal wouldn't even cause a raised eyebrow from the other tavern guests?

We all talk about Gamers. We all shudder at the thoughts of HNG's and Gamers who come to the taverns and chat sites and play their silly or worse, harmful, games. We make distinctions between "role-playing" such as drinking paga and collaring an online slave and "gaming" in which the typical goal of the Gamer is to obtain some quick sex or amuse himself at others' expenses. We call for educating newcomers, and not tolerating those who we perceive to be Gamers.

Yet, we need to carefully consider what exactly it is that makes a Gamer and distinguishes him from a Role-Player. Role-playing is not only tolerated online, it is encouraged. Any site which purports to be a tavern, or ship, or bathhouse, or pleasure garden, or anything other than a discussion forum, is actively soliciting people to engage in role-play. And rightly so, I believe. Few people want to come to online Gor just to discuss day in and day out the weighty topics of gorean philosophy. We come to Gor to sit at a table, cross-legged, and leer at the slaves, and drink paga, and spar with Warriors, and generally try to engage in the type of behavior which would occur in a paga tavern.

We are all Role-Players then, to some degree. The minute you place an imaginary bowl of paga to your lips, you are role-playing. The minute you leer at a slave, you are role-playing. The minute you undertake any action in a paga tavern which you are not simultaneously conducting at your computer keyboard terminal, you are role-playing. And guess what? Role-playing is completely acceptable.

Of course weighty discussions and topics are debated in the chat rooms. That is also part of online Gor. A very important part, for it helps us to focus on what we are in fact doing, and why we bother coming online in the first place. But usually such debates occur only on sporadic occasions, and the rest of the time spent in a paga tavern is engaged in one form of role-play or another. Where then, is the line drawn between role-playing and gaming, and when is that line crossed?

What distinguishes the Gamer from the Role-Player, in my opinion, is the degree of respect which the Role-Player has for both the tenets of Gorean philosophy, and for others. The Role-Player undertakes his activities within the constraints of Gor; each action being performed is put to a mental test: "What would I, a person on Gor, actually do?" The Gamer is not confined by such restraints. The Gamer's goals are completely self-serving, and the Gamer will rely upon any means to fulfil his own selfish interests. The Gamer is not interested in contributing to an environment in which Goreans can meet, interact, and discuss the nature of Gor. The Gamer is only seeking the satisfaction of his puerile needs; and he is prepared to use whatever methods available. And unfortunately, the nature of the Internet provides the Gamer with ample methods for pursuing his asinine ambitions.

Yet, could it not be argued that the Gamer is, in effect, as Gorean as the Role-Player? The Gamer is merely pursuing self-interests, as much as the Role-Player is. The Role-Player is seeking a deeper understanding of Gor, by "role-playing" certain actions and interacting with others in the site. The Gamer is seeking amusement or sexual gratification. We might disagree with the methods used, or the end which the Gamer is seeking to reach. But why do we automatically assume that because an individual does not meet our expectations of a Gorean that he is not?

I am not defending the Gamers, by any means. On the contrary, I abhor them as much as anyone. What I am trying to do is alert others to the fact that because of the nature of the Internet, which we use as a medium for drawing Goreans together, the issue of role-playing versus gaming is not as cut and dry as one might think.

For instance, Gamers are usually marked by such terms as "dishonorable, liars, cheats, users of deception and duplicity". Yet, I look to the books of John Norman, and I see many of these same traits in the lesser characters. Usually they are found in the antagonists of the main characters; but none can dispute that these adversaries are as "Gorean" (if not more so) than Tarl Cabot, Marlenus, Jason Marshall and others. They may not be John Norman's epitome of the Gorean Man; but they are nevertheless inherently Gorean. It should be remembered that the Gorean Warrior, who adheres to the Codes, and places Honor above all else, is in fact a minority in gorean society. The other castes far outnumber the Warriors; and while each of these castes have their own codes and standards of conduct, and while the general concept of Honor is universal, few would hold a member of these other castes as the embodiment of a true "Gorean". People tend to think of the ultimate Gorean as the Gorean Warrior. Yet he is in fact a relative minority even upon Gor. Does that mean that perhaps the "True Gorean" might not be a Warrior?

This brings up the issue of what is a "True Gorean" and whether such exist online. Perhaps that is an issue which needs to be addressed in another essay. For now, let it suffice to say that a true online Gorean is a conundrum, I believe. A true online Gorean is one whom others recognize as a true Gorean; but who frankly does not care what others think of him. He who proclaims loudly from the tavern floor that he is a "True Gorean" most likely is not. The quiet man in the corner, who does not seek the accolades of others but goes about his own business, is probably the truer of the two.

So be careful before you automatically judge someone as a Gamer, or a Role-Player. Consider the person's intent and purposes for being in an online Gorean tavern. We have all known persons who appeared at first to be mere Gamers who turned out to have a willingness and respectful desire to learn about Gor. And we have all been fooled by Gamers who cloak themselves well and appear to be serious Goreans.

One final note. You, the reader, will often find, I think, that I raise questions and do not provide the answers. This is sometimes done to compel you to undertake the analysis yourself.

But sometimes it is because I do not know the answers either.

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What is On-line Gor?
By Rollo the Ax

What is On-line Gor????? To some, it is nothing more than a chat room to speak with others, like any chat room. But these people miss the whole feeling, and concept of the experience.

Gorean rooms, and those that frequent them faithfully, are unlike the average chat room. To these people, it is a commitment to a concept. It is not some place to play Master/slave. True, Gorean Masters are the most demanding of any Master/Dom relationships; to a Gorean Master, he owns his slave, he will demand total obedience from his slave and accept nothing less. Unlike Dom/sub relationships, Gorean Master/slave combinations have set rules of conduct; and limitations are not set by the slave/sub, but by the Master. A Gorean Master may be as loving and tender to his slave as any man to a woman that he cares for deeply. But he will accept no deviation from his orders or commands. This is not only in a sexual facet, but in so small a thing as to the way the woman is allowed to approach him, or in the way she serves his drink.

Gorean slaves are, by far, the most well-trained and pleasing of any slaves/subs found anywhere. A Gorean slave that truly has accepted her slavery is at all times willing to be pleasing to her Master; again, not only in the sexual side of such a relationship, but in every way. She feels the sting of a cuffing for failure to be pleasing, as well as the hand that caresses her when praised for a job well done. Gorean slaves are not subs; they set no limits on their degree of servitude. They are not allowed to do so. A Gorean slave doesn't want a soft, weak-willed Master. She wants a Master that tells her just what he expects, and accepts nothing less.

While this type of slave/sub behavior may not be for all, it is the only type that is accepted, and expected of a Gorean slave. While Gorean Master/slave relationships may be described in Earthen terms as Dom/sub couples, they should not be mistaken as S/M relationships. A Master may well hit, kick, slap, or beat his slave; but such things are done to punish, not to excite, or to stimulate. A Gorean slave lives in fear of the whip, not a longing for its touch. While a Master may punish for the smallest of infractions, he is not likely to punish for no reason, and certainly not for the perverse pleasure of inflicting pain for no reason. On the same line, no slave wishes to live in fear of pain for no reason; a Gorean Master is expected to be harsh, but fair in his treatment of his slaves. And slaves wished to be owned by a MASTER, not a Monster.

Men on Gor can be whatever they wish to be: Warrior, Merchant, Pirate, Assassin, Peasant, etc... But he must always act like a Man; even the lowest Peasant is still a Free Man and has the right to be the Master of kajira. And though he may only have a rake, or hoe, a Man will defend that which is his against all that threaten him and his. It should be said, though, that Warriors will usually make up the majority of those in any Gorean room, simply because that is what most Men wish to see themselves as: a Man, pitting his own life, and fortune on his own abilities. It is a concept that appeals to many because of the fact that in r/t this way of life has been taken from the Modern Man.

Society tells today's Man that he should not stand up to all who would take that which is his, but instead be willing to take only that which is allowed him by this same society. And, also, that he should not follow his natural instincts, and seek to dominate a female that takes his interest. Is it then so surprising that now, in this age of social pressures, there has been, in effect, a reversal in the natural order of the roles of the sexes? Mankind is seeing the slow, but inevitable destruction of its self. We are being pushed, and brainwashed, into accepting the unnatural concepts of same-sex relationships and homosexuality. While Men are told it is wrong to forceful and dominant, Women are told it is right and proper for them to be so.

Women on Gor also have choices: to be either a Free Woman, or slave( kajira ). It should be noted here though that there is a Gorean saying about this choice: "There are only two types of Women, those that are slaves, and those that should be slaves." This saying defines the Gorean concept of the sexes. Free Women hide their beauty behind veils, thick robes, many layers of clothing, and even gloves, afraid to let their beauty show, lest it incite some zealous male to capture her and make her his slave. While a simple kajira will many times run around, in effect, naked, showing her charms to all and proud of her beauty, revelling in the fact that many Men see her and desire her. Now, which of the two would you consider the more fortunate?

These concepts and ideals may sound abstract and abnormal to some. That is the right of each human being. But it is also the right of those of us that accept these concepts as true, right, and the natural order of the world, to follow them so.

Perhaps it is too much to ask those who don't hold the concepts of Duty, Loyalty, and Honor as basic tenets of their being to understand or accept much of what is said here about how a man feels or thinks. Maybe only he that holds his Honor more sacred than his life can understand Gorean Honor. He that puts Duty before personal comfort, or wealth, or power. Or only he that has stood side by side with his sword brothers, and watched them die, rather than run and leave them alone, can truly understand Loyalty. For those that understand, no mere words can explain. For those that don't, no amount of words EVER will.

Well, this is what Gor is, or on-line Gor at least. It is my hope that these words and ideas will make it a bit easier to understand about those that call Gor their home. As in all things, many may have slightly different ideas or explanations for the same thing. I offer these as mine and I am willing to discuss or explain them to any person that wishes to talk about them with me.

In parting I offer this idea to ponder: how true can one be in any dealing with others, when they do not even know what is true to themselves? Know and accept yourself before you try to know or understand others. For a Gorean farewell, I say "Be Well" or, "I wish You Well". And for myself I offer the hope that Wodin will watch over those that enter my home and protect them always.

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