ALL BETS ARE OFF

After everything that had happened to me after August 28 (when I had gotten that Skype message from Sylence Darkheart about how the City of Laura was fun before I “turned it into a Panther Den”) until September 19 (when Ice of Blood Moon Panther Lair was captured in the Gorean Wilds on Roleplay Oasis) I was pretty much working to try and regain my confidence once more. When Ice was captured I admit I wandered around the Northern Forest and the Exchange Point after I had escaped from the one who captured her so I can try to clear my head and think on where to go. The options I had were as follows:

• Go back to the Blood Moon hidden camp
• Continue the trip Ice and I were planning to take to the north to hunt verr and vulos
• Return to the City of Laura and reopen it
• Wander around the Forest until something or someone comes up

I chose to wander about the Forest for a while, giving myself some time to think on a couple of things and also letting time dictate what happens. Now I had one person call me a gamer and say I had no honor because with the patrols in the Forest I would not have been able to escape like I did and hide in a cave. I am willing to wager this person (who shall remain nameless) was one who entered the Forest as a gim a couple of days prior and say that unless the Lair had disbanded that all of Ice’s property would have reverted back to the Lair regardless of if I had escaped or not. And by the way, I have scripts of my escape on the other computer and can readily call them up if anyone disputes it. If that person or anyone else in the Lair (ie. the Leader) had wanted me to return they would have found me and captured me, but they did not. After all, I was out there two weeks alone and had only one other panther girl try something but RT grabbed her.

After two weeks of wandering I decided no more and talked to a good friend and room controller of Forest Falls. She said I was welcome to go to her home and be a member there. I had done so, and as of yesterday I had become the keeper of the Inn which is in that home. Ever since I had gone to her home and actually felt more at home there than in the Forest, I have adopted four words as my motto:

ALL BETS ARE OFF

 

What do I mean by that? Simple. Like my friend says and it is a philosophy in her room, one person’s RP fun should not be another person’s RP nightmare. And as another friend of mine said, I should think about my own fun in roleplay and not worry about what others think about my style. If you do not like it, then fine. As for me, I am worrying on my own roleplay and those I call friend and who share a home with. No one else matters.

Any questions about it, feel free to email me, skype me, or contact me outside of the rooms.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons license.

What happened to me over the past couple of months

I know I had not updated this blog. Then too, I really had nothing major to write about since I was not a part of Gor from about October, 2011 until May, 2013 due to me starting my own online talk radio show and also dealing with the 2012 elections. Now this is going to be a little long, so bear with me please.

They say that once you first learn of Gor, the tug is there and once you leave, even if only for 20 months as I had, the yearning to return is still there. As such, ever since I had thought about coming back to Gor as Richard of Laura about April or May of this year, I had initially thought of returning as a slave just because I had been a Free for some time and just thought of trying something new for a change. That and as most of you know I am a switch in the BDSM world or rather exploring both sides.

The only times I was a slave in Gor was during the online form of kajuralia (where the Free and slaves switch roles for one day) and then for about 5 or 6 days in 2006 when I was a slave within a group and they were in Port Kar over on Darker Shades of Reality. Of course, during that time there was not much for me to do as they were only on at night and not during the day. It was also during that time on Darker Shades that I was eventually freed and then a week later the person (who was really a woman roleplaying a man) had decided she did not like my RP and wanted me to submit. I told her to kill me, and she said death is too easy for me, so I just left there and took up a new name. Would I have been considered a gamer? Probably; however, as I said to kill me and she was a physician and the only “man” in the group there was no other choice BUT to do so. And besides, she had beat around the bush and I found out that she was really a woman roleplaying a man from another person. If there is one thing I do not like is hearing about things from others. If there is a problem with me or if you are not who you say you are, please come talk to me and tell me, because if I find out from another then that makes me think if you are lying about that then what else would you be lying about?

But back to April or May of this year. When I decided to come back to Gor I had talked with one and it was planned that at first I would be a slave in her private room to get myself acclimated to being a slave before actually submitting in the Gor rooms, kind of a test to see how I would do and to see if it was what I REALLY wanted to do. She had not come back around since that first discussion and so I decided to try Plan B, which was return to Gor and also open up the City of Laura over on Portal of Dreams, where I am a Lifetime Member and like what they do. So I was reading and it turns out that on their board they have a section to where you can actually claim a home in the GRP (or then Wilds) rooms. That got me to thinking and I decided to go that route, requesting two pulldowns for the North Gor (then known as the Northern Forests) GRP room and actually roleplay my way to finding the compounds to the north of Laura. From there, I would get to work on the room application and the invitation of people (some old-timers in particular) to come to Laura as members once I had the two pulldowns (the City of Laura and then the Vicinity of Laura) in place in the North Gor GRP room. I would also do a little roleplay in there to try to make things more livable in the small chunk I had for myself. About late June or Early July I finally had my home set up and at least one member, a FW Physician named Sylence Darke MacKaine, in the home with a couple of possibilities in mind. I also had a slave as well.

After that things were going fine, even if the slave had drifted away because she was not having any time with me. I had told her a couple of times that I was working on a few other things and that there were a couple of things about the city to do, but she left anyhow. Was I a fool in not going after her? Possibly, and in hindsight I knew I should have gone after her but did not.

As I was a Merchant I was known to travel to either purchase or sell some items or even open trade routes. I would also open a few trades with some of the Panther Girls along the Laurius River at the Exchange Points. Even in my own home I had the compounds set up initially for the Panther Girls to trade, as it was seen in Captive of Gor that they went as far as the compounds north of Laura OR they would enter the cities of Lydius and Laura in disguise, as had been seen in the revised editions of the books. These quotes prove such:

“Without looking back she then strode, spear in hand, from the camp, toward the dark forests in the distance.” (Old edition of Captive of Gor, Page 121)

"I had little doubt that panther girls, in disguise, perhaps veiled, in Robes of Concealment, or perhaps even as scantily clad, haughty, brazen slave girls, knowing their collars were meaningless, occasionally penetrated towns such as Lydius or Laura." (Revised Edition of Hunters of Gor, Page 193)

So based on that I had decided to only have the Compounds set up for the Panther Girls. However, someone had asked me why not have a section for the Northern Forests, which can extend for thousands of pasangs (a Gorean pasang is about .7 miles) from the Thassa in the west all the way to possibly the Voltai Mountains or further to the territory of the Red Savages (which is similar to the American Indians) to the east, so this way the Panther Girls can have a place to roam. I thought it was feasible, so I had put in 6 pulldowns (at the time) dedicated to the Panther Girls and the Forest, out of a total of 38 pulldowns in the room and most of the 38 pulldowns had to do with the Dock, the Compounds, the Riverside Camp, and even the places in the City proper. I had even added a couple of Exchange Point pulldowns so this way I can trade with the Panther Girls in my own room (but OUTSIDE of the City proper) and at the same time build up my own post numbers in the home.

About the middle of July I had talked with a lady friend and we had decided to go through that which I had initially planned about me roleplaying a Gorean slave in her private room while in the main Gor room work on a roleplay to where her character knew my character’s father and then we would have a relationship like that of Marlenus, the Ubar of Ar, and Verna, the Panther Girl and leader of her own band of 15 girls, (or even that of Arn the outlaw and Grenna, the panther scout formerly of the band of Hura which numbered 100 or more) until such a time as I felt ready for her to claim me as a slave. however, I was not totally honest with her and as such that blew up in my face. So I kept roleplaying in Laura and then thinking on other things as well, even approaching another friend who has her own room (which has an Outlaw lair and a Panther lair as separate subrooms) for a  fun capture lasting possibly a couple of days. The reasoning for that type of roleplay is because back in 2001 I had made a trip to the Northern Forest on the old AlterRealm and was captured by a Panther Band. As I was only on one or two days a week, and then only during the day, I wound up spending about 2 or 3 months as a captive. So while it was fun in a way, I did not experience the full, total feel of being a captive to the Panther Girls. So I wanted to experience it once more. Am I crazy in doing such? Mayhap so. However, one thing you have to keep in mind is that this IS roleplay and as such I choose to roleplay however I want to.

In the beginning of August things really started to unravel, as Sylence had asked me when I was going to start to court her after only a couple of months of knowing each other and interacting. While I did sense a little bit of a spark between us, it kind of started to die away at the end of July, on July 26 to be exact. It was the night before my 20 year high school reunion, which I had planned to attend and had my room already planned out. It was also the day that the plan I had with the aforementioned lady friend who I had roleplayed as a Gorean slave in her private room for a time until she claimed me in public roleplay as her slave went awry. Sylence had wanted me to entertain her, so I told her that I would after I had dinner. Well as I was looking for dinner I was thinking that she only wanted me to entertain her so she can have me under her thumb, basically manipulating things in the home as she wanted me in there all the time and not travelling. As I mentioned above, I was a Merchant so I had to be out setting up some trade routes and whatnot. So I just logged off and had dinner, then went to bed early so this way I could be refreshed for my high school reunion and possible post-reunion party. It turned out the reunion ended at 11 PM Eastern and the post-reunion party ended at 12:30 AM Eastern when I returned to the hotel room, the night of barhopping with a couple having gone awry. All the while she thought I was standing her up.

After that time I decided to try to distance myself from her as much as possible. In fact, I had heard that a close friend of mine, Siren (formerly known as Iceis the Panther Girl of Blood Moon Panther Lair) had returned to the Forest and decided to take me up on my offer of prowling the lands surrounding Laura. It was also about the time that I had developed good interactions with a Panther Girl named Ice (who I know from a chatroom outside of Gor) as well as a Red Savage turned Panther Girl (who then decided to go to the jungle and be a Taluna before returning as a Panther Girl this past Friday) named Kar’Tara. In fact, it was Kar’Tara who I had developed a good rapport and interaction with back in late June to early July when she had given me a couple of rubies in a trade and I held one of them as a pledge of friendship. In fact, I had even told her in roleplay that she and her slaves are welcome to use one of the compounds north of Laura at any time. When Siren came to Laura she had requested for a pulldown for the Blood moon Panther Lair. I said yea and had given her two of them, one for the territory of Blood Moon and another for the lair itself. Well, Sylence was beside herself and decided to go off on me on Skype. Her post on Wednesday, August 28, read that Laura was a lot more fun before I “decided to turn it into a Panther Lair.” I did not reply to her as she was 1.) snarky about it; and 2.) the pulldowns for the Panther Girls were only 8 pulldowns out of a TOTAL of 40 or so pulldowns. Now, if I had 25 – 30 pulldowns devoted to the Panther Girls then it would be a whole other story, but it was only 8 pulldowns, and they were OUTSIDE of the City proper. Then on Thursday, August 29, I had woken up at 11 PM (all the while thinking it was 2 AM due to the fact that I had fallen asleep about 6 PM) to a Skype message from Siren saying that there was a problem and that I needed to enter the home. I did not reply to her for the simple reason that I had just woken up and did not need that drama to wake up to. Then Siren sent me a message saying she was leaving. Now, with hindsight being 20/20 I should have replied to her but needed to think on things. Kar’Tara had sent me a script of what happened in the home and I could only get past Sylence’s initial post at the beginning when I got pissed off because she said that “Panthers have their place in the Forest and at the exchange points, not in the home.” Well for one thing remember that I HAD A PLACE FOR THE PANTHER GIRLS OUTSIDE OF THE CITY PROPER, WHERE THEY COULD ROLEPLAY AND MIND THEIR OWN BUSINESS, AND SYLENCE COULD ROLEPLAY IN THE CITY PROPER AND MIND HER OWN BUSINESS AND NEVER SHALL THE TWAIN MEET! (forgive the bold caps as every time I think about that I get pissed off.)

After I saw what Sylence’s new friend (and possible companion or  something right now I could care less what they do) had posted in my home that it was all a part of their OWN roleplay and had nothing to do with me, I was thinking on posting on my entry page that the Panther Girls are allowed in the room and on certain pulldowns outside of the city gates unless they are disguised. I was thinking on that and then decided to approach Siren about it to let her know what I was planning. Now I had a couple of possibilities of doing so. I could either a.) go in the Northern Forests on ImagineChat as an animal and prowl her then let her know in PM what I was planning; b.) enter the Northern Forests as Rick – OOC and let her know, or c.)  enter the Northern Forests in my full Gor tags and decide to roleplay my way in there to let her know. I decided to go in the Forest in my full tags knowing that it would be risky considering I would be captured but Gor is all about taking a risk whenever you hit that button to enter the room. What I mean by that is that you take a risk of losing your character due to death or slavery every time, depending on where and how you roleplay. So I decided to enter there as Richard and try to find her. Was I a fool for doing so? Yes, but at the same time I also wanted to set things right with her as I had known her for longer than I had known Sylence and also had built a good rapport. (If you want to know what I mean by that, feel free to ask me on IM or even in a PM on the boards and I will tell you) I had roleplayed my way in and found the beginning of her territory, which she had marked on the trees in RP with a certain mark. She then asked me to state my business then drop my weapons. I did so then she said in the RP that I was taking a risk. I said I know this and was wanting to speak with her. We then went into PM and talked for a good 15 to 30 minutes about all that happened, and I told her I feel like a failure. She had said that I was a good man but that I had been made a laughingstock by a few because of HOW I act toward the Panther Girls. She had offered me a couple of things on the site she was at and then I told her about wanting to go the slave route but things had fallen apart. She then said she could do that, but even then I still harbored a few resignations as I wanted to do it legitimately. She had an idea then roleplayed a legitimate out for me, placing her spear point against my neck to where if I moved it I would be slitting my own neck and if I were to run she (and even Ice with her bow) would cut me down before I reached my weapons. Given the choices before me (either kneel and be a captive or run and wind up as a pincushion or sleen food) I chose to kneel to captivity, my name now xerxes.

A quick note before I close this out. I would have added script posts to everything involved in this, but I had lost all my past scripts and av’s in a hard drive hiccup yesterday (the culmination of which happened after my talk radio show) so I am mostly going by memory as to what had happened. Now, with that out of the way, let me say that if you have any LEGITIMATE questions about what happened or why I did what I did, please ask. If you are just here to be snarky and defame me, then just keep those remarks to yourself otherwise you will catch all sorts of holy hell from me. There are a couple of names I had permission to mention in here, a couple of names that I decided to hold back on out of respect for them and did not obtain permission to mention them, one name that I mentioned outright as the cause of my downfall, and another name I mentioned because she is a good friend. I did not get permission to mention the last two but rather chose to for the simple reason that while one was the cause of my downfall, the other has the possibility of being my recovery and chance of beginning anew. If those two people have any objections to me mentioning them, I do apologize for it but I do hope you understand why I did such.you can find me on Skype (rickbulow74@live.com) email (rickbulow74@live.com) Yahoo (rickbulow1974@yahoo.com) Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/RickBulow1974) and Twitter (@RickBulow1974) if you want to approach me privately and engage the conversation with me on this topic.

WHAT BRINGS ME TO GOR AND WHAT KEEPS ME HERE? (PART ONE)

I have been considering this question for some time since I had first seen the post on a message board, and there are a couple of you who know bits and pieces of how I came to be in Gor but not the whole story.

The year was 1998. I was a Jehovah's Witness at the time but had gotten a little disgruntled and disillusioned with the organization so what I would do is head to the community college during the day about once or twice a week to relax and surf the Internet. While online I had made a few friends in Chatropolis and would speak with them off and on. One day I had gotten an illegal operation on Netscape and so the browser shut down on me. When I pulled it up and came back online I had scrolled past the main room I was a regular in and then came to a few roleplay rooms. I had seen a couple of Vampire rooms and then came up on Gor. I was taken aback and then decided to take a look at a website of one of the rooms (BLADE's Kassar Camp) to see what it is about. Now, as I mentioned in my blog article entitled The decline of online Gor (part one) which I reprinted an entry I wrote in my rant blog about December of 2006 to begin my Writings of Gor blog in March, 2007, at the time I knew absolutely nothing about Gor and as such I went into a Kassar Camp on Chatropolis which was led by BLADE. I chose to enter as a Klingon named Worf based on the fact I am a huge Star Trek fan and as I read the Kassar pages I saw that Goreans value honor above everything else, like Klingons do. I spent an hour just observing there and then left for the day because at the time I was only on during the day for I was relying on public transportation at the time and had no internet access at home. When I went back online the following week I went into the room I was a regular in and met one who told me about WebMaze, so I went to check that site out and then I had seen more Gor rooms. NOW I was intrigued a little more having seen Gor rooms on both Chatro and Maze so I went into the Tuchuk Camp which had a couple of people in there, one in particular the Ubar, and just watched for a short time. After a couple of visits and also assisting one of the members I had become a member of the home, slowly rising through the ranks.

 

Since then I had become somewhat of a fixture in Gor, making friends and enemies with a few decisions and actions I had made as well as associating with a few people here and there, which I will speak more in-depth on in future blog entries. Do I regret coming to Gor? No way. Had I thought of leaving? There had been a few times in which I had actually left for a time, times, and half a time, but those leavings (since I came back from a 3-year hiatus in 2006) were short in stature, only lasting for two or three months in which I had been disgruntled over a few things I had seen and in fact which I had read some of the old entries and articles I had printed out back from 1999 – 2003 (a few things of which I had reprinted in recent blog entries) and reread them often to try to bring me back to the philosophy and the behavior of Gor. Yes there are times in which I fail or think I fail and as such take a small break here and there, but there is something that keeps drawing me back. That something is the community and company of fellow Goreans I had met in my 11.5 years on Gor. No matter what names we use, no matter what status we are, one thing always remains, no matter what our feelings are toward one another, one thing that will NEVER be forgotten is the fact that we are all travelers in this world known as Gor.

FIRST GIRL

Another little tidbit from Marcus of Ar on those who are first on a chain or in a home.

 

In the context of the books, I feel that the institution of “first girl” or other ranking systems are set forth due to the very nature of what slavery is on the surface of the planet Gor. Gorean slavery, in the books, is a social institution first and foremost, a means of dividing persons into various social rankings consisting of different levels of strata. In addition, it is a large part of the economic system of many societies on that planet.

I therefore liken the “first girl” ranking  as being more akin to the appointment of a head servant or chief butler of a particular grouping of slaves. When many slaves are owned, and given various duties, it is often more efficient to appoint one or more persons as being above the common rank and file of the other slaves, in order that the owner might more easily deal with the slaves on his chain. In this way he may more efficiently administer orders to them, knowing that the appointed “chief slave” will be held responsible for the actions and fulfillment of duties of those below him or her.

The effectiveness of this strategy depends upon what kind of person the appointee is, and how well the head slave does his or her job. The slave holds precisely as much power over fellow slaves as allows; no more, no less

While there are many examples of “first girls” in the books who are poor choices for such a position, there are also examples of just, decent, and honest girls who do a good job and maintain order and productivity on their Master’s chain, as is desired. Ute, in book #7 (Captive), is an excellent example of such.

This system breaks down when there are power struggles among the slaves involved, and when the head slave is either unfair or lax in her duties, as is shown in some of the examples set forth in the Gor books of “chain-structure” gone awry. In most such cases the slave who is assigned to the position is simply too weak, too selfish, and too petty to serve in such a capacity for very long, and in each such case the tables are eventually turned on them, to their chagrin.

As far as online, and the subject of submission, go:

Since online Gorean interaction takes place in a strictly-voluntary medium, the slaves who earnestly seek their submission there are doing so because they wish to fit themselves into a social system which addresses their submissive needs. To be appointed to a position of power therefore is a bit counterproductive to the fulfillment of their goals. While the “first girl” system can work, if the girl is loyal, skilled, diplomatic, and always fair, too many slaves placed in that position attempt to wear it as a badge or display it like a diploma to indicate their supremacy as a slave, above other slaves. That, too, is counterproductive and often causes more trouble than it is worth.

As to whether a “true kajira” can be “dominant” I suggest we abandon those labels for a moment and look at human nature. Is the word “slave” identical to the word “doormat”? Would a female slave refuse vehemently to step on an ant, if it were a male ant, or allow a hungry male dog to eat her leg because she did not wish to “dominate” the animal? Of course not.

One of the primary principles of the Gorean philosophy is that those who are strong will dominate those who are weaker than they, or those who are not in a position to overpower them. A Gorean male will dominate a Gorean female for that reason, a Gorean Free Woman will dominate a female slave for that reason, and the stronger slave will dominate the weaker slave for the same reason. Most of those who desire to be truly enslaved, however, would rather concentrate on serving their owner’s wishes and desires rather than becoming involved in intra-chain feuding. And all slaves know that, if such activities displease the Master, there will be hell to pay for it, for all involved.

In every such instance in the books, the power which slaves wield over one another is entirely subject to the whim of the Mater, who is stronger than the slaves involved. The weaker slaves know this, and are also aware that the Master may be their sole recourse against the depredations of their stronger sisters.

Gor is pretty simple, in that regard, and takes into account the natural propensity of the human being, which, when unrestrained by restrictive laws and rules designed to level the playing field, almost always results in the adoption of a natural rank structure in any group, with the strongest and most dominant on top, and each successive level below that being a bit weaker and a bit more submissive.

 

Also in my studies on first girls I recalled that there was an article written by one who is now taking the eternal celestial dirt nap in real time. I am referring to one who was known (when she wrote the following words) as phedra, who was the first girl on the chain that KNIGHTRANGER and also, in essence, the first girl of the Kassar Camp which was on Chatropolis, WebMaze, and finally GorChat. This is taken from the Kassar Kronicles dated April 11, 1999

 

On The Beat

first girls

this girl has been asked recently what the role of the camp’s first girl is. she realizes that while she knows what her role is (and that is what her Master has set out for her), it has not been set out clearly for others. this girl hopes that the following will help clarify not only this girl’s role, but shayna’s as second girl in camp, as well as those who find themselves first on their Masters’ chains.

this girl belongs to the Ubar. when she first met him, she was naturally the last girl on his chain. over a period of time she worked hard and became his first girl on his chain. because she is the Ubar’s first girl, she also is the camp’s first girl, and with that comes a few extra responsibilities.

any first girl, whether first on the chain or first in camp, finds that her primary and most important duty as such is to help the other slaves. in the case of a first girl on the chain, her first duty is NOT to discipline, nag, correct, or badger the other girls on the chain – it is truly to try to help them become the best slaves they can be. in this girl’s case, because she is the camp’s first girl, her duty extends beyond that of those on the Ubar’s chain to ALL the kajirae in the camp. this can include listening, words of caution, serving as a resource, and so forth.

one of the ways we all improve is to have what we do wrong pointed out to us. this one tries to do so in a non-critical way as much as possible.  more than one kajirae in camp has received a pm form this girl noting that proper camp procedure is this or that such and such a rule is being broken. in most cases, this one will keep what she says in private so as not to embarrass the slave or make it appear that she is trying to step into a Free’s domain. being a slave is hard work, there is so much we all must know, that even the most seasoned slave can forget a rule now and then. if this girl sees it, she tries to point it out so her sister will not get in trouble.

this one will be a bit stronger with those she sees deliberately flaunting not only the rules, but the Gorean way and the fire that burns in the belly of true Gorean slaves. as the camp’s first girl, this one holds switching rights over ALL other girls in camp. ONLY the camp’s first girl has such authority, and this one has NEVER used that authority – but it is there and it comes form the books. when a camp’s first girl speaks to ANY slave in camp, she is to be obeyed because she does have some authority over them. however, a good camp first, and this one hopes she is, does not try to use what authority she has been granted .. rather she tries to get her point across by drawing on the respect she hopes she has earned among her sisters.

she is also there to try to help settle disputes among slaves. Frees should not have to be bothered with petty disagreements among slaves. it is beneath their notice,and the books clearly state that Masters do not bother with their slaves’ bickerings or disagreements. but sometimes it helps to have a third party step in, one who is not involved in the situation, and that is part of this girl’s role as the camp’s first.

any kajirae in camp who has a problem should know that she came to this one at anytime, and this girl will try to help her. it does not matter who her Master is, this girl will listen and try to help. while it is understood that in general, slaves should take their problems to their Masters, in reality their problems often involve their Masters and sometimes it helps to bounce ideas off another before approaching a Master, and sometimes, we all just need a little sympathy. that is part of this girl’s function.

however, two things all slaves in camp must understand … if you are whining about things you should not be whining about, then this girl will say so … she is blunt, to the point, and frankly has little patience for those who are not really trying to be good slaves .. but if you have a true problem, this one would cut off her arm (with the Ubar’s permission of course_ to try and help you.

second, you also need to understand, that as the camp’s first girl, part of her duty (or any first girl’s) is to keep the Ubar (or her Master) informed of what goes on in the camp when he is not around or what is going on in the shadows. do not ask this girl not to tell the Ubar something you have told her. she cannot promise that … if she thinks the Ubar needs to know something, she MUST tell him. He demands that of her, and as his slave this one would never even consider it … she is slave and keeps no secrets from her Master.

a first girl also knows more about Gor than many in camp, and as the camp’s first girl, this one serves as a resource for both Frees and slaves. she will answer questions as well as she can … as long as she does not perceive that the one who is asking is just being lazy. let’s face it, this one has spent thousands of hours working on the camp’s website, and when the answer can be found there, this one doesn’t really appreciate having to spend her time answering a question that the asker should just go look up for herself. there is an exception to this, though … there are times when a slave is in the middle of a serve or in the middle of talking to a Free , and suddenly comes up short on an answer and needs to know something asap. ask away then … this one will be glad to help.

it also is generally a camp’s first girl’s responsibility to train new slaves. at this point, this girl is the ONLY slave charged with that duty. all new kettles go through a series of lessons posted on the website, so they all have the same training – they are taught what the Ubar has told this girl to teach them.

also, as the camp’s first girl, it is her duty to serve as an example to the others in the camp. this girl is not perfect, far from it, but in camp she tries to be as perfect as she can possibly be. this one is like all slaves, she at times disappoints, at times angers, her Master. but she NEVER takes any of that behavior into camp. she may say something to him in person or on icq that is improper, but she does not say it in public, EVER. ALL those who wear a {KR} have that responsibility, and as this girl is the first girl on the chain, her responsibility is a bit more in this area.

finally, even though she is the camp’s first girl, this one is, first and foremost, her Master’s slave. a good first girl does not forget that. it is her job to know her Master better than anyone else in camp so that she KNOWS what he wants, knows how he would think on a certain subject. this one knows the Ubar that well … and yet, she discusses everything with him. while it may appear on the surface that this girl is making decisions and acting on her own, that is not the case. this girl can’t remember any incident when she was not acting on the Ubar’s instruction. she can quickly get a hold of him in an emergency, and has done so many a time. even the cam’s first girl must not act on her own … she is a slave,  first, last, and always.

camp’s second girl

the camp’s second girl is there when the camp’s first girl cannot be around. the cam’s second girl is there to listen, offer advice, serve as a resource and report potential problems among the slaves to the camp’s first girl. unlike the first girl, the camp’s second does not have the authority to discipline any of the other girls – rather she reports these problems to the first girl.

this girl hopes that this helps clear up what this girl does – along with working on the paper, maintaining the website, and handling the camp’s email. *grin*

Both of these articles should shed some light into what a TRUE Gorean first girl is.

A DISCOURSE ON SLAVES

More wise words from Marcus of Ar, written back about 1999 on the now-defunct CounterUrth forums.

A DISCOURSE ON SLAVES

Greetings, slaves.

It seems wise and pertinent that I address a few minor issues which have repeatedly surfaced, in various forms, throughout every online medium which purports itself to be "Gorean."

It is time, I suspect, for someone to lift a hefty dollop of "truth" and smack you all upside your pretty little heads with it. Hence, this post.

I think it is safe to say that the majority of Gorean Men who post here, and who practice aspects of the Gorean philosophy both on or offline, will fundamentally agree with what I say here. If they do not, well... you can't make an omelet without breaking a few vulo eggs, and you can't enlighten a group of people about anything without breaking a few balls.

Therefore, listen, and learn.

Slaves!

You are "slaves" because you have chosen to be, for whatever reason seemed good to you. No one chained you up and dragged you from your dorm room or kitchen or den, drugged you with capture scent, and shipped you off to another planet. You can leave at any time. If you don't like being treated like a slave, then you really ought to go find something else to occupy your time, and quit wasting ours.

Slaves!

Consider that word. Weigh its meaning. It indicates that you have entered a state of being where you will behave as commanded, do as you are told, and strive to fulfill that role in our mutual society. Slaves are not princesses, they are not love-toys, they are not beloved and treasured pets. If your owner chooses to treat you in that manner, then that is his own business; but not ALL of us will do so. By accepting the chain and collar of slavery you have stripped yourself of all value and worth, and it is now up to you to fulfill your new role and to render service to those who have NOT chosen to wear the collar. If you don't like this, and cannot handle it for whatever reason, go away.

Slaves!

Either accept what you have volunteered to become, or cease claiming to be what you are too weak and willful to actually be. I didn't invite you to this party. I didn't wheedle you and coerce you into calling yourself a "slave." I didn't beg and whine for you to fall at my feet. I am Gorean, and Gorean males do not do that, ever. If we were to do that, we would be insulting what we are, Men, and would be no different than the knock-kneed, cringing, self-absorbed males which you can encounter at every mall, convenience store and nightclub in the world. If that is what you desire, then go seek it! It is right outside your door, and has always been. Go away and practice your wiles against those who are too stupid to recognize such manipulation for what it is. But do not bitch and moan because such tactics do not work with myself or my fellows.

Slaves!

I do not need you. I do not want you. You could all drop off the planet at the stroke of midnight and I would continue to do what I do, and go right on being the Man I am. I do not define myself according to the whims of women. I do not accept any female's definition of what makes a man a man. If there were no self-proclaimed female slaves in existence upon this planet I would not bat an eyelash. There are more important things in life to consider than what exists between a woman's legs. If that is the only way you can be of worth to me, then you cannot ever be of worth to me. And the only way you might ever coerce me to do what you want is by offering youself to me sexually. That is the only power you actually wield. And if such an offer is brought to my attention, and I suspect that it is an attempt to bend me to your will, I simply will not take you up on it. There are more important things in this world than a few short Ehn of fumbling about in a slippery hole. You cannot control me through the offer of sex; hence, you cannot control me at all, ever. The game is over before it begins, and I have already won it.

Slaves!

When you accept the collar and proclaim yourself slave you surrender yourself, completely, wholly, unreservedly. You become property. You become a thing, worthy of nothing. You give up all pretense of respect, all assumed rights, all dignity. Once this has occurred, you then rebuild yourself according to the desires and wishes of he who owns you, and by so doing you EARN every modicum or respect, love and devotion which comes to you. You do not become worthy of my attention simply by saying the words "Yes, Master." You earn that attention through deeds, not empty words and silly poses designed to entice me. I am Gorean. I am not enticable. I will take from you what I want, and that only when you have pleased me enough that I choose to do so.

Slaves!

You have voluntarily chosen the most difficult of paths for yourself. There will be no shoulders for you to cry upon, no helping hands to guide you forward, unless extended by men who find it pleasing to do so. You have willfully surrendered all rights to such comforts, and pats on the head, and rewards. You have submitted. And in my presence, you will continue to submit, or else I shall cast you away and engage my time in more profitable pursuits.

Slaves!

Why would anyone want to do what you have done? Why would anyone claim to be what you have claimed to be, who was not? The only valid reason for doing so is that you ARE what you claim to be, in your heart, in the depths of your belly, in every inch of you and every freckle and blemish on your body. For if you are NOT a slave, and you choose to call yourself one, you are committing a grievous error. If so, you have chosen to suffer what you should not have to suffer. If you are not what you claim to be, you have surrendered yourself to a lie.

Slaves!

You will do as instructed. You will behave as commanded. You will be worthy of my time and attention, or else you will be erased from existence. Fail and I will never acknowledge you again. Fail, and suffer forever as an "almost" in a society which doesn't understand you. Find males who will pretend to be strong enough to control you, then, and hate me for my arrogance and for the fact that I simply do not NEED you, nor will I ever. When I acknowledge a slave it is because it pleases me to do so. If I find a slave who is honest, and true, and real, then I will acknowledge her NOT because I need her, but because I WANT her. If that happens, then you will have succeeded. You will have come from nothing and proved yourself to be of value, and to have worth.

Slaves!

If slaves you are, then I wish you luck. If slaves you are not, then I hope that you will alter your course and flee, as fast as you can, before you embarrass yourselves and insult those who are wise enough to recognize true submission in a true slave, and before you do injury to the other females who truly are what you can only ever claim to be.

Slaves!

Be slaves, or leave my presence. I am Gorean. I do not make allowances, nor bend, nor bow, nor will I ever. I did not invite you to kneel and wear a collar. Therefore, your complaints and whining mean nothing to me.

There are only two choices: Fight, or yield. And if you yield: submit, totally, or be erased. Compromise is not an option. Ever.

If that's too rough and tough for your delicate sensibilities, run away as fast as your legs will carry you. And have no fear! I won't chase you or try to bring you back. I have better things to do with my time.

I wish you well,

_Marcus_

May those who are TRUE slaves in this realm we call Gor continue to be so, and may those who are not learn from these words and either become so or be as dust in the wind.

FACTIONALISM

Some of the posts and threads on the various Gorean Message boards recently had led me to dig into my stack of stuff and pull out another writing from one named Marcus of Ar and try to make sense out of all of this.

FACTIONALISM

If all the serious Goreans online and off would simply unite to work for the common good, much might be accomplished.

However there is currently so much factionalism present in most of what we call online Gorean interaction, that it may not be possible to reach such people. Message boards and the like are an excellent way to do so ... yet we see the divisive factors which rear their ugly heads even there.

Basically it all comes down to this: everyone is going to make up their own minds about all of this, be it "what is Gorean?" or "how best we should apply Gorean knowledge to our interaction." All anyone can do is try to get enough Gorean information out there for the perusal of others and attempt to give such people a leg up, and a common standard to shoot for. After that, the ball's in their court.

I was recently asked:

"Well what's the point of going to battle with an inferior enemy? Ones easily crushed and destroyed are usually not worth the time. These foes think they are powerful, but they are like an ant ... possibly powerful amongst its peers, but the foot of any slave would extinguish its life."

That is true. But if enough ants are allowed to congregate, and if they are voracious enough and insatiable enough, they can strip a rain forest and destroy everything in their path. Or if nothing else, they can ruin a perfectly good picnic.

While it makes sense to ignore them up to a certain point, sometimes you simply have to stand up for your opinions. Just so long as you base those opinions upon the truth, the truth in this case being the information set forth in the Gor books and the experience of those who have practiced Gorean principles in their lives based upon that information.

Still ... imagine what would happen if the online Goreans looked around and noticed that they are on the same side. It would be a powerful force indeed!

Plus it would sure be a lot quieter around here, and much more enjoyable.

It has been suggested to me that Gorean factions which consider themselves "the real thing" and work to combat other factions are, in actuality, destroying the "reality" they hold dear.

That depends entirely upon whether or not they happen to be the real thing, though. And such a judgement must be based entirely upon the information provided in the Gor books, and whether or not they display themselves to be "Gorean" according to that information through their actions.

As I have said before, there must be a common standard. Heck, there already is one. The Gor books. If it don't say it in those books, and it is not something which is strictly applicable to extrapolated "Gorean" interaction here on Earth (cyber dollars and channel op status or such) then it cannot be classified as being within that standard.

The problem is not that there is not such a standard; the problem is that some people refuse to recognize its validity. And frankly, I have no idea what can be done to remedy that, apart from educating people about what the Gor books actually say, and the most reasonable interpretations of such.

As always, I challenge all, myself included, to read and apply these words in their own online Gorean interaction these days

ONLINE POWER

With all the discussions on the boards lately, I went into the stacks of Marcus of Ar and he had written a nice dissertation on message boards and what the real power in online Gor is

I was recently told that the corkboards and message boards “are the real power in online Gor.”

Huh?

I was then immediately reminded of the following passage from the Gor books:

“Those who control the public boards, it is said, control the city. But I was not sure of this. Goreans are not stupid. It is difficult to fool them more than once. They tend to remember,:

Tarl Cabot, pg. 488-489, Magicians of Gor

If one is referring to “online Gor,” perhaps attitudes and opinions can be shaped by those who control such boards. But how much power do such boards really wield? The only “power” to be found online is the power of agreement, of consensus, and in order to with that one must have decent, intelligent, and relatively insightful thoughts, and simply get them out in public for people to consider. But is that “power”? And does it lie in the hands of those who own and moderate such message boards? Is that a true statement?

Ugh. If so, then online Gorean interaction has reached an all-new low, in my opinion.

But it ISN’T true. Nor is any such power in the hands of the owners of such message boards. The only thing that such a message board can do is provide a medium where like-minded people can post their thoughts and musings. If those thoughts and musings are intelligent and well-stated, and entertaining, then people will undoubtedly read and enjoy them. Whoopee! And if those thoughts are simply the same people posting the same things over and over, no one will bother to keep reading.

“Power?” Ridiculous. It is almost as if some who log online under a Gorean guise wish to practice some odd experiment in Gorean “mind-control.” But that doesn’t work. Because people have the wonderful tendency to think for themselves. All anyone can try to do is state one’s argument clearly and relatively inoffensively, and attempt thereby to share one’s opinions with others. And in that, all are equal. No individual’s words carry more weight than anyone else’s, unless he has gained a reputation as being an honest and straightforward kind of person, who knows a lot about what he happens to be talking about. 

How can one amass such a reputation?

Well, you can always try being an honest and straightforward kind of person, who knows a lot about what he happens to be talking about. That seems to work pretty well, from what I have seen.

 

All too often we see words and posts on the board that are bashing and condescending. Let us try to be honest and straightforward in all we say and in doing so try to bring Gor out of the doldrums that it is in now.