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| Preface A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z |
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"I am offering a libation," he said. "Ta-Sardar-Gor."
"What does that mean?" I asked, my words fumbling a bit, blurred by the liquor, made unsteady by my fear. "It means," laughed Cabot, a mithless laugh, "to the Priest-Kings of Gor!" Book 2, Outlaw: pg 13 [b] |
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The grapes were purple and, I suppose, Ta-grapes from the lower vine-yards of the terraced island of Cos...
Book 3, Priest-Kings: pg 45 [C] One girl held back our head, and others, from goblets, gave us of wines, Turian wine, sweet and thick, Ta wine, from the famed Ta grapes, from the terraces of Cos, wines even, Ka-la-nas, sweets and drys, from distant Ar. Book 10, Tribesman: pg 213 [tLi] Cos had many terraces, on which the Ta grapes are grown. Book 6, Raiders: pg 139 [tLi] |
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Cabot lifted his Scotch again, holding it before him, not drinking. Then,
ceremoniously, bitterly, he poured a bit of it onto the table,
where it splattered, partly soaking into a napkin. As he
performed this gesture, he uttered some formula in that strange
tongue I had heard but once before -- when I had nearly perished
at his hands. Somehow I had the feeling that he was becoming
dangerous. I was uneasy. "What are you doing?" I asked. "I am offering a libation," he said. "Ta-Sardar-Gor." "What does that mean?" I asked, my words fumbling a bit, blurred by the liquor, made unsteady by my fear. "It means," laughed Cabot, a mirthless laugh, " - to the Priest-Kings of Gor!" Book 2, Outlaw: pg 13 [C] |
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Accordingly, the main divisions of the
map are Ta-Sardar-Var, and the other seven; taking the Sardar as
our "north pole" the other directions, clockwise as Earth clocks move
(Gorean clock hands move in the opposite direction) would be, first,
Ta-Sardar-Var, then, in order, Ror, Rim, Tun, Vask (sometimes spoken
of as Verus Var, or the true turning away), Cart, Klim, and Kail,
and then again, of course, Ta-Sardar-Var.
Book 4, Nomads: pg 3 (footnote) [tLi] |
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Eta pulled at the bit of rag she wore. "Ta-Teera," she said. I looked down at the scrap of rag, outrageously brief, so scandalous, so shameful, fit only for a slave girl, which I wore. I smiled. I had been placed in a Ta-Teera. Book 11, Slavegirl: pg 81 [C] One of the most exciting slave garments, if a slave is permitted clothing, is the Ta-Teera or, as it is sometimes called, the slave rag. This is analogous to the tunic, but it is little more, and intentionally so, than a rag or rags. In it the girl is in no doubt as the whether or not she is a slave. Some cities do not wish girls in Ta-Teeras to be seen publicly on the streets. Some masters put their girls in such garments only when they are camping, or in the wild. Others, of course, may prescribe the Ta-Teera for their girls when they are within their own compartments. Book 16, Guardsmen: pg 107 [C] |
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"Ta-Sardar-Gor. Ta-Thassa," said I, in Gorean. "To the Priest-Kings of Gor, and to the Sea."
Then, slowly, I poured the wine, and the oil into the sea, and the salt.
Book 8, Hunters: pg 73 [b] |
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... before what, I asked myself, would even the black larl flee; and I asked
myself how far it had been driven; perhaps even from the
mountains of Ta-Thassa, that loomed in this hemisphere, Gor's
southern, at the shore of Thassa, the sea, said to be in the
myths without a farther shore.
Book 4, Nomads: pg 2 [tLi] |
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One girl held back our head, and others, from goblets, gave us of wines,
Turian wine, sweet and thick, Ta wine, from the famed Ta grapes,
from the terraces of Cos, wines even, Ka-la-nas, sweets and drys,
from distant Ar.
Book 10, Tribesmen: pg 213 [tLi] It was Ta wine, from the Ta grapes of the terraces of Cos...In the last year heavy import duties had been levied by the high council of Vonda again the wines of certain other cities, in particular against the Ka-la-na of Ar. Book 14, Fighting Slave: pg 306 [C] |
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Tabor is an exchange island in Thassa, south of Teletus. It is named for the drum, which, rearing out of the sea, it resembles
8, Hunters: pg 42
A skirl on a flute and a sudden pounding on twin tabors, small, hand
drums, called my attention to the square of sand at the side of
which sat the musicians.
Book 13, Explorers: pg 133 [C] I heard a swirl from a flute, the simple flute, not the double flute, and the quick pounding of a small tabor, these instruments now in the hands of Philebus' assistants. Book 24, Vagabonds: pg 36 [b] One wiped the flute, the other was addressing himself to the tabor, loosening some pegs, relaxing the tension of the drumhead. The drumhead is usually made of verrskin, as most often are wineskins. Book 24, Vagabonds: pg 40 [tLi] |
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I would call myself Bosk, of Tabor. Tabor is an exchange island in Thassa,
south of Teletus. It is named for the drum, which, rearing out of
the sea, it resembles.
Book 8, Hunters: pg 42 [b] |
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The cry of "Tabuk!" is used by the tarnsman on long flights when
time is precious, and he does not wish to dismount and free the
bird to find prey. When he spots a tabuk in the fields below,
or, indeed, any animal in the prey range of the tarn, he may cry
"Tabuk!" and this is the signal that the tarn may hunt.
It makes its kill, devours it, and the flight resumes, the
tarnsman never leaving the saddle. This was the first time I had
called "Tabuk!" but the bird would have been conditioned
to the call by the tarn-keepers of Ko-ro-ba years ago, and might
still respond.
Book 2, Outlaw: pg 126 [b] |
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Once I brought the carcass of a tabuk, one of Gor's single-horned, yellow
antelopes, which I had felled in a Ka-la-na thicket, to the hut
of a peasant and his wife.
Book 2, Outlaw: pg 48 [tLi] In several cases tarns have devoured their own masters, and it is not unusual for them, when loosed for feeding, to attack a human being with the same predatory zest they bestow on the yellow antelope, the tabuk, their favourite kill, or the ill-tempered, cumbersome bosk, a shaggy, long-haired wild ox of the Gorean plains. Book 2, Outlaw: pg 125 [tLi] The tabuk is the most common Gorean antelope, a small graceful animal, one-horned and yellow, that haunts the Ka-la-na thickets of the planet and occasionally ventures daintily into its meadows in search of berries and salt. It is also one of the favourite kills of a tarn. Book 2, Outlaw: pg 126 [tLi] On the [jungle] floor itself are also found ... more than twenty kinds of small, fleet, single-horned tabuk. Book 13, Explorers: pg 312 [tLi] |
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They were northern tabuk, massive, tawny and swift; many of them
ten hands at the shoulder, a quite different animal from the
small, yellow-pelted antelope-like quadruped of the south. On the
other hand, they too were distinguished by the single horn of the
tabuk. On these animals, however, that object, in swirling ivory,
was often, at its base, some two and one half inches in diameter,
and better than a yard in length. A charging tabuk, because of
the swiftness of its reflexes, is quite a dangerous animal.
Book 12, Beasts: pg 152 [C] |
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Once a tabuk, a prairie tabuk, tawny in the Barrens,
singlehorned, gazellelike, had grazed nearby. It had browsed within feet of
us. In a sense this had pleased me, suggesting that our quarry might be in
the vicinity; in a sense it had displeased me, suggesting that abundant,
alternative game might also be in the vicinity, the tabuk tending to travel
in herds. Some varieties of prairie tabuk, interestingly, when sensing
danger, tend to lie down. This is counterinstinctual for most varieties of
tabuk, which, when sensing danger, tend to freeze, in a tense, standing
position and then, if alarmed further, tend to scurry away, depending on
their ability and speed to escape predators....
Book 18, Blood Brothers: pp 316-317 [b] The response disposition of lying down, apparently selected for in some varieties of tabuk, tends to be useful in an environment in which high grass is plentiful and one of the most common predators depends primarily on vision to detect and locate its prey.... Any tabuk, of course, if it is sufficiently alarmed, will bound away. It can attain short-term speeds of from eighty to ninety pasangs an Ahn. Its evasive leaps, in the Gorean gravity, can cover from thirty to forty feet in length, and attain heights of ten to fifteen feet. Book 18, Blood Brothers: pg 317 [b] |
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The next towns west on the river were Victoria and Tafa.
West of Tafa was Port Cos, which had been founded by settlers from Cos over a century ago.
Book 15, Rogue: pg 64 [tLi] "Yes," I said, drying my face with a towel. "And if Ar's Station should be destroyed, the eastern river, between Tafa and Lara would lie much at the mercy of the raiders." Book 15, Rogue: pg 120 [tLi] |
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The area, in extent, east of Tor, was hundreds of pasangs in depth, and
perhaps thousands in length. The Gorean expression for this area
simply means the Wastes, or the Emptiness. It is a vast area, and
generally rocky, and hilly, save in the dune country. It is
almost constantly windblown and almost waterless. In areas it has
been centuries between rains. Its oases are fed from underground
rivers flowing southeast ward from the Voltai slopes. The water,
seeping underground, eventually, in places, due to rock
formations, erupts in oasis springs, or, more usually, is reached
by deep wells, some of them more than two hundred feet deep. It
takes more than a hundred and fifty years for some of this water
to make the underground journey, seeping hundreds of feet at
times beneath the dry surface, moving only a few miles a year, to
reach the oases. Diurnal air temperatures in the, shade are
commonly in the range of 120 degrees Fahrenheit. Surface
temperature, diurnally, is, of course, much higher. In the dune
country, by day, if one were so unwise as to go barefoot, the
bright sand would quickly cripple a man, abrading and burning the
flesh from his feet in a matter of hours.
Book 10, Tribesman: pg 71 [C] In the oasis towns of the Tahari, and in the vicinity of the great desert, sometimes even free women are belled, and wear ankle chains, as well, that the length of their stride may be measured and made beautiful, and perhaps, too, to remind them, even though they be free, that they are but women. Book 24, Vagabonds: pg 21 [tLi] |
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With its bloodied paw the ring from its finger. It thrust it toward me.
It was covered with blood, that I assumed of men it had slain.
The circle of the ring was not made for a human finger. It was an
inch and a quarter in diameter. It pressed the ring into my
hands. With a bit of leather string, from the wrappings on my
feet, I tied it about my neck.
Book 10, Tribesmen: pg 285 [b] "Of course," I said, "it is the ring which I obtained in the Tahari, that ring which projects the light diversion field, which renders its wearer invisible in the normal visible range of the spectrum." Book 13, Explorers: pg 34 [b] |
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To my right were the lines of the Aretai. The Aretai themselves, of course,
with black kaffiyeh and white agal cording, held their center.
Their right flank was held by the Luraz and the Tashid. Their
left flank was held by the Raviri, and four minor tribes, the Ti,
the Zevar, the Arani and the Tajuks. The Tajuks are
not actually a vassal tribe of the Aretai, though they ride with
them. More than two hundred years ago a wandering Tajuk had been
rescued in the desert by Aretai riders, who had treated him well,
and had given him water and a kaiila. The man had found his way
back to his own tents. Since that time the Tajuks had,
whenever they heard the Aretai were gathering, and summoning
tribes, come to ride with them. They had never been summoned by
the Aretai, who had no right to do this, but they had never failed to come.
Book 10, Tribesman: pg 301 [C] |
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"Kavars," he said. "Tribesmen. And men of their vassal tribe, the Ta`Kara."
Book 10, Tribesmen: pg 93 [tLi] |
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"Tal, Master," they said to me. "Tal, Slave Girls," I said to them. Book 10, Tribesmen: pg 345 [C] "Tal, Kajirae!" cried one of the men, waving. Book 7, Captive: pg 87 [C] |
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I saw of set of ridges, lofty and steep, rearing out of a broad, yellow
meadow of talenders, a delicate, yellow-petaled flower,
often woven into garlands by Gorean maidens
Book 2, Outlaw: pg 131 [C] The talender, fixed in her hair, is a slave girl's wordless confession, which, commonly, she dares not speak, that she cares for her Master. Book 8, Hunters: pg 65 [C] The talender is a flower which, in the Gorean mind, is associated with beauty and passion. Free Companions, on the Feast of their Free Companionship, commonly wear a garland of talenders. Sometimes slave girls, having been subdued, but fearing to speak, will fix talenders in their hair, that their master may know that they have at last surrendered themselves to him as helpless love slaves. Book 6, Raiders: pg 215-216 [tLi] |
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"The talmit of skin of sea sleen is mine!" he laughed. The talmit is
a headband. It is not unusual for the men of Torvaldsland to wear
them, though none of Forkbeard's men did. They followed an outlaw.
Some talmits have special significance. Special talmits sometimes
distinguish officers, and Jarls; or a district's lawmen, in the pay
of the Jarl; the different districts, too, sometimes have different
styles of talmit, varying in their material and design; talmits, too,
can be awarded as prizes.
Book 9, Marauders: pg 139 [C] Ena, who had been sewing a talmit, a headband sometimes worn by tarnsmen in flight, came to me. Book 7, Captive: pg 275 [tLi] |
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I looked up at Ute. "You wear the Kajira talmit," I said. "The first girl of the work slaves," said Ute, "had been sold shortly before my capture. There had been dissensions, factions, among the girls, each wanting one of their own party to be first girl. I was new. I had no allegiances. Rask of Treve, by his will, and because, for some reason, he trusted me, set me above them all." Book 7, Captive: pg 286 [b] |
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A talu is approximately two gallons.
Book 10, Tribesmen: pg 242 [C] |
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A talu bag is a small bag. It is the sort carried by a nomad herding
verr afoot in the vicinity of his camp. Bags that small are
seldom carried in caravan, except at the saddles of scouts. A
talu bag is a small bag. It is the sort carried by a nomad
herding verr afoot in the vicinity of his camp. Bags that small
are seldom carried in caravan, except at the saddles of scouts.
Book 10, Tribesmen: pg 242 [C] |
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"The chief says the river is dangerous beyond this point.
He says there are hostile tribes, dangerous waters, great animals,
monsters, and talunas, white-skinned jungle girls..."
Book 13, Explorers: pg 303 [raina{OcL}/tLi] "Look, Master!" cried Alice. "There, near the shore! A white girl!" She was slender-legged and dark-haired. She wore brief skins. She ran down to the edge of the water. Her hands were not bound together but, from each wrist, there hung a knotted rope. It was as though she had been bound and, somehow, had been freed. "Please save me!" she cried. "Help me!" I examined the condition of the skins she wore. I noted, also, that she wore a golden armlet and, on her neck, a necklace of claws. She also had, about her waist, a belt, with a dagger sheath, though the sheath was now empty. ... "They speak Gorean," I pointed out. "Thus they are not originally of the jungle. The color of their skins alone, white, should make that clear to you. Book 13, Explorers: pg 338 [raina{OcL}/tLi] |
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I looked at Janice, harshly. "Are you not a slave girl in the presence of free men?" I asked.
"Forgive me, Master," she cried. Swiftly she knelt. The small men regarded her, startled and frightened. "Put your head to their feet," I said. "Kiss their feet. Beg their forgiveness for the affront you have shown them." Janice put down her head and kissed the feet of the small men. "Forgive me, Masters," she begged. They looked at her in wonder. "Get up," I told the girl. I then, roughly, tied her hands together behind her back. The small men gathered around, seeing that her hands, truly, were tightly tied. "This is a slave," I told them. They spoke quickly among themselves. It was not in Gorean. "We are the slaves of the talunas," said one of the men their leader. I nodded. I had thought so, from their behavior. It was from the talunas, too, doubtless, that they had learned their Gorean. "We fish and hunt for them, and make cloth, and serve them," said one of the men. "Men should not be the slaves of women," I said. "Women should be the slaves of men." "We are small," said a man. "The talunas are too large and strong for us." "They may be taken. and made slaves, as any women." I said. Book 13, Explorers: pg 393 [raina{OcL}/tLi] Lightly I dropped down within the stockade of the talunas. It contained several small, thatched huts. Book 13, Explorers: pg 395 [raina{OcL}/tLi] |
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"They are probably
false stones," I said, "amber droplets, the pearls of the Vosk sorp, the
polished shell of the Tamber clam, glass colored and cut in Ar for trade
with ignorant southern peoples."
Book 4, Nomads: pg 20 [b] |
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The [Vosk] delta is claimed by Port Kar, which lies within it, some hundred
pasangs from its northwestern edge, bordering on the shallow
Tamber Gulf, beyond which is gleaming Thassa, the Sea.
Book 6, Raiders: pg 102 [tLi] |
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The procession did not chant, nor sing, for this was not a time for such things, nor did it carry boughs of Ka-la-na, nor were the sounds of the sista or tambor heard in the sunlight that morning. At such a time as this Goreans do not sing nor speak.
Book 5, Assassin: pg 2 [ilene{Klt}/tLi] |
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Several ships coming and going, made their trips between Lara and the nearer
downriver towns, such as White Water and Tancred's Landing.
Book 6, Raiders: pg 43 [tLi] |
tarn disk, copper money a unit of currency. [T]“” 2 T
The birds resemble hawks of Earth, only much larger. Vicious and fierce, they are carnivorous, and sometimes turn on their own riders. War tarns commonly have armored talons and are trained to serve not only as a mount, but as a weapon in their own right. Racing tarns are lighter and trained for the racing arena.
Though the tarn, like most birds, is surprisingly light for its size, this primarily having to do with the comparative hollowness of the bones, it is an extremely powerful bird, powerful even beyond what one would expect from such a monster. Whereas large Earth birds, such as the eagle, must, when taking flight from the ground, begin with a running start, the tarn with its incredible musculature, aided undoubtedly by the somewhat lighter gravity of Gor, can with a spring and a sudden flurry of its giant wings lift both himself and his rider into the air. In Gorean, these birds are sometimes spoken of as "Brothers of the Wind."
The plumage of tarns is various, and they are bred for their colors as well as their strength and intelligence. Blacktarns are used for night raids, white tarns in winter campaigns, and multicolored, resplendent tarns are bred for warriors who wish to ride proudly, regardless of the lack of camouflage. The most common tarn, however is greenish brown. Disregarding the disproportion in size, the Earth bird, which the tarn most closely resembles, is the hawk, with the exception that it has a crest somewhat of the nature of a jay's.
continued in Q2...
Tarns, who are vicious things, are seldom more than half tamed and, like their diminutive earthly counterparts, the hawks, are carnivorous. It is not unknown for a tarn to attack and devour his rider. They fear nothing but the tarn-goad.
Book 1, Tarnsman: pg 51 [C]
The tarns were, of course, racing tarns, a bird in many ways quite different from the common tarns of Gor, or the war tarns. The differences among these tarns are not simply in the training, which does differ, but in size, strength, build and tendencies of the bird. Some tarns are bred primarily for strength and are used in transporting wares by carrying basket. Usually these birds fly more slowly and are less vicious than the war tarns or racing tarns. The war tarns, of course, are bred for both strength and speed, but also for agility, swiftness of reflex, and combative instincts. War tarns, whose talons are shod with steel, tend to be extremely dangerous birds, even more so than other tarns, none of whom could be regarded as fully domesticated. The racing tarn, interestingly, is and extremely light bird; two men can lift one; even its beak is narrower and lighter than the common tarn or war tarn; its wings are commonly broader and shorter than those of other tarns, permitting a swifter take off.
Book 5, Assassin: pgs 144 [C]
tarn cot noun (sometimes, tarncot as one word) building in which domesticated tarns are housed.
“” T
At the entrance to the compound was a gigantic, temporary wire cage, a tarn cot
Book 1, Tarnsman: pg 165 [b]
There was a tarncot, too, but now, within it, there was only one tarn. From the condition of the bird, and its nature, its apparent ferocity and alertness, I speculated that it might be a warrior's mount.
Book 23, Renegades: pg 39 [Janus]
tarn cot, faction noun a tarn cot for use by numerous owners involved in a faction. [T]
“” T
I did know, further, that a tarn cot for the Steels had been established during Se'Var and riders had been hired. The backing of the faction was a bit mysterious.
Book 5, Assassin: pg 169 [b]
tarn death noun each limb of a person is attached by rope or chain to different tarns and the person is flown aloft then torn apart. [T]
“” T
"Well done, young warrior," acclaimed Marlenus. "I thought I would see if you would die like a slave." He addressed his men, pointing to me. "What say you?" he laughed. "Has this warrior not earned his right to the tarn death?"
"He has indeed," said one of the tarnsmen, who held a wadded lump of tunic over his slashed rib cage. I was dragged outside, and binding fibre was fastened to my wrists and ankles. The loose ends of the fibre were then attached by broad leather straps to two tarns, one of them my own sable giant. "You will be torn to pieces," said Marlenus. "Not pleasant, but better than impalement."
Book 1, Tarnsman: pg 158 [b]
tarn drums noun drums used in a march during war; the signals are used to control flying tarn armies. [T]
“” T
The sound of the great tarn drums reached us, those huge drums whose signals control the complex war formations of Gor's flying cavalries.
Book 1, Tarnsman: pg 130 [C]
tarn goad noun an electrical device much like a cattle prod used for controlling tarns; is c. 20 inches long.
“” T
"A tarn-goad," he replied. He snapped the switch in the barrel to the "on" position and struck the table. It showered sparks in a sudden cascade of yellow light, but left the table unmarked. He turned off the goad and extended it to me. As I reached for it, he snapped it on and slapped it in my palm. A billion tiny yellow stars, like pieces of fiery needles, seemed to explode in my hand. I cried out in shock. I thrust my hand to my mouth. It had been like a sudden, severe electric charge, like the striking of a snake in my hand. I examined my hand; it was unhurt.
"Be careful of a tarn-goad," said the Older Tarl. "It is not for children."
I took it from him, this time being careful to take it near the leather loop, which I fastened around my wrist.
Book 1, Tarnsman: pg 50 [b]
tarn keeper noun one that oversees tarn handling. [T]
“” T
Mip was a chipper fellow, and a bit dapper considering his caste and his close-cropped hair, for his brown leather was shot with green streaks, and he wore a Tarn Keepers cap with a greenish tassel; most Tarn Keepers, incidentally, crop their hair short, as do most Metal Workers; work in the tarncots and in training tarns is often hard, sweaty work.
Book 5, Assassin: pg 168 [tLi]
Tarn Keepers, Caste of caste Those working and training tarns. [T]
“” T
It is not unknown for a tarn to attack and devour his own rider. They fear nothing but the tarn-goad. They are trained by men of the Caste of Tarn Keepers to respond to it while still young, when they can be fastened by wires to the training perches.
Book 1, Tarnsman: pg 51 [tLi]
tarn knife noun A short bladed, single edged utility knife typically used by tarnsmen and generally included among their saddle equipment. Some versions of such knives are designed so that the blade folds into the handle for safety when not in use. Often equipped with a lanyard so that it may be lashed to the tarnsman's saddle or belt, to prevent its loss while in flight
“” T
I saw that he had been given another knife, a tarn knife, of the sort carried by riders.
Book 5, Assassin: pg 363 [C]
tarn ship noun a type of ram-ship, being long and narrow, with a shallow draft, a straight keel, a single lateen-rigged mast, and a single bank of oars; at the prow, below the waterline, is a ram shaped like a tarn's head; it also carries light catapults, shearing blades, and other weaponry
“” T
The Dorna, like most tarn ships, is a long, narrow vessel of shallow draft. She is carvel-built, and her planking is fastened with nails of bronze and iron; in places, wooden pegs are also used; her planking, depending on placement, varies from two to six inches in thickness; also, to strengthen her against the shock of ramming, four-inch-thich wales run longitudinally about her sides. She carrieds a single, removable mast, with its long yard. It is lateen rigged. Her keep, one hundred and twenty-eight feet Gorean, and her beam, sixteen feet Gorean, mark her as heavy class. Her freeboard area, that between the water line and the deck, is five feet Gorean. She is long, low and swift. She has a rather straight keel, and this, with her shallow draft, even given her size, makes it possible to beach her at night, if one wishes. It is common among Gorean seamen to beach their craft in the evening, set watches, make camp, and launch again in the morning. The Dorna's ram, a heavy projection in the shape of a tarn's beak, shod with iron, rides just below the water line.
Book 6, Raiders: pg 192 [b]
tarn whistle noun tarns on the planet Gor are trained to respond to the shrill, piercing call of the tarn whistle or tarn call; a means of summoning. [T]
“” T
He tossed me a small object which nearly fell from my fumbling hands. It was a tarn whistle, with its own note, which would summon one tarn, and one tarn only, the mount which was intended for me.
Book 1, Tarnsman: pg 50 [b]
tarn wire noun razor wire strung between the walls of a city to protect it from aerial attack
“” T
Across the city, from the walls to the cylinders, I could occasionally see the slight flash of sunlight on the swaying tarn wires, literally hundreds of thousands of slender, almost invisible wires stretched in a protective net across the city. Dropping the tarn through such a maze of wire would be an almost impossible task. The wings of a striking tarn would be cut from its body by such wires.
Book 1: Tarnsman of Gor, page 162 [b]
tarnsman noun a man who, lacking fear of the great carniverous beasts, masters the bird, and rides on tarnback, controlling the quixotic beast with leather straps and a 'tarn goad' [tLi]
“” T
I had never seen one of the tarns before, except on the tapestry in my apartment and in illustrations in certain books I had studied devoted to the care, breeding, and equipment of tarns. That I had not been trained for this moment was intentional, as I later discovered. The Goreans believe, incredibly enough, that the capacity to master a tarn is innate and that some men possess this characteristic and that some do not. One does not learn to master a tarn. It is a matter of blood and spirit, of beast and man, of a relation between two beings which must be immediate, intuitive, spontaneous. It is said that a tarn knows who is a tarnsman and who is not, and that those who are not die in this first meeting.
Book 1, Tarnsman: pg 68 [b]
I do not know why it is that women fear tarns so terribly, but we do. But most men do, too. It is a rare man who will approach a tarn. It is said that the tarn knows who is a tarnsman and who is not, and if one approaches him who is not, he will seize him and rip him to pieces. It is little wonder that few men approach the beasts.
Book 7, Captive: pp 91-92 [tLi]
They were wild men, of the caste of warriors, who spent much of their time in the taverns of Laura, fighting and gambling and drinking, while slave girls, excited and with shining eyes, served them and pressed about them, begging to be noticed and ordered to the alcoves. It was no wonder that some men, even warriors, hated and envied the arrogant, regal tarnsmen, one night rich, the next impoverished, always at the elbow of adventure, and war and pleasure, wearing their pride and their manhood in their walk, in the steel at their side and the look in their eyes.
Book 7, Captive: pg 92 [tLi]
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Hup wildly thrust a small, stubby, knobby hand into his pouch and hurled
a coin, a copper tarn disk, to Kuurus who caught it.
Book 5, Assassin: pg 13 [C] |
|
I had had the yellowish, metallic object assayed. It had indeed been gold.
I had sold it to a bullion dealer. It would be melted down. I had
received eighteen hundred dollars for it.
Book 19, kajira: pg 16 [tLi/nineve{Rem}] A golden tarn disk was a small fortune. It would buy one of the great birds themselves, or as many as five slave girls. Book 1, Tarnsman: pg 19 [C] He lifted, heavily, to the dais on which my chair and table sat a heavy leather sack filled with golden tarn disks of double weight, of Cos and Tyros, of Ar and Port Kar, even of distant Thentis and remote Turia, far to the south. Book 6, Raiders: pg 229-230 [tLi] |
|
The next would be the Planting Feast of Sa-Tarna, the Life-Daughter,
celebrated early in the growing season to ensure a good harvest.
Book 1, Tarnsman: pg 68 [b] Economically, the base of the Gorean life was the free peasant, which was perhaps the lowest but undoubtedly the most fundamental caste, and the staple crop was a yellow grain called Sa-Tarna, or Life-Daughter. Book 1, Tarnsman: pg 43 [tLi] The Older Tarl and I may have drunk too much of that fermented brew concocted with fiendish skill from the yellow grain, Sa-Tarna, and called Paga Sa-Tarna, Pleasure of the Life-Daughter, but almost always 'Paga' for short. Book 1, Tarnsman: pg 61 [tLi] |
| So is Dietrich of Tarnburg, of the high city of Tarnburg, some two hundred pasangs to the north and west of Hochburg, both substantially mountain fortresses, both in the more southern and civilized ranges of the Voltai, was well-known to the warriors of Gor. Book 21, Mercenaries: pg 33 [C] |
|
There is even the legend of the tarntauros, or creature, half man,
and half tarn, which in Gorean myth, plays a similar, one might
even say, equivalent, role to that of the centaur in the myths of Earth.
Book 23, Renegades: pg 138 [C] |
|
I thought of the yellow Gorean bread, baked in the shape of round, flat
loaves, fresh and hot; my mouth watered for a tabuk steak or,
perhaps, if I were lucky, a slice of roast tarsk, the
formidable six-tusked wild boar of Gor's temperate forests.
Book 2, Outlaw: pg 76 [C] |
|
One of the guardsmen opened her mouth, not gently, and retrieved the coin,
a rather large one, a tarsk bit. Ten such coins make a
copper tarsk. A hundred copper tarsks make a silver tarsk.
Book 13, Explorers: pg 54 [b] |
|
In many paga taverns, one may have paga and food, and a girl for the alcove,
if one wants for a single copper tarsk. Dancers, to be sure, sometimes cost two.
Book 13, Explorers: pg 54 [C] |
|
I thrust at it again. Again it spun and charged. Again I thrust it back.
There was blood on the blade of the spear and the animal's coat
was glistening with it. Such animals are best hunted from the
back of kaiila with lances, in the open. They are cunning,
persistent and swift. The giant tarsk, which can stand ten
hands at the shoulder, is even hunted with lances from tarnback.
Book 13, Explorers: pg 346 [b] |
|
Nela was an expensive girl, though there were pools where the girls cost
as much as a silver tarn disk. The tarsk is a silver coin,
worth forty copper tarn disks.
Book 5, Assassin: pg 160 [b] |
|
To my right were the lines of the Aretai. The Aretai themselves, of course,
with black kaffiyeh and white agal cording, held their center.
Their right flank was held by the Luraz and the Tashid.
Their left flank was held by the Raviri, and four minor tribes,
the Ti, the Zevar, the Arani and the Tajuks
Book 10, Tribesman: pg 301 [C] |
|
"It was done by Tassa powder," she said. "It was tasteless, and effective," I said. "It shows up, of course," I said, "in water." "It is meant to be mixed with red wine," she said. Book 14, Fighting Slave: pg 223 [C] Inside, in a previously prepared room, on a great table, were aligned two hundred goblets of wine. Each contained Tassa powder. When the pirates, unsuspecting, were within, and giving themselves to the wine, the door would be locked. Book 16, Guardsman: pg 113 [C] Throughout all that had transpired in the booth she had not regained consciousness. Tassa powder is efficient. Book 20, Players: pg 75 [C] |
|
Interestingly enough, the word for meat is Sa-Tassna, which means Life-Mother.
Book 1, Tarnsman: pg 43 [b] |
|
He yelled something raucous and rubald. It had to do with "tastas" or "stick
candies." These are not candies, incidentally, like sticks, as
for example, licorice or peppermint sticks, but soft, rounded,
succulent candies, usually covered with a coating of syrup or
fudge, rather in the nature of the caramel apple, but much
smaller, and, like a caramel apple, mounted on sticks. the candy
is prepared and the the stick, from the bottom, is thrust up,
deeply, into it. It is then ready to be eaten. These candies are usually sold at such places as parks, beaches, and promenades, at carnivals, expositions and fairs, and at various types of popular events, such as plays, song dramas, races, games, and kaissa matches. They are popular even with children. The expression was sometimes used by men for women such as we. Book 22, Dancer: pg 81 [C] |
|
There were many things supposedly strange about Tharna, among them that
she was reportedly ruled by a queen, or Tatrix, and,
reasonably enough in the circumstances, that the position of
women in that city, in contrast with most Gorean custom, was one
of privilege and opportunity.
Book 2, Outlaw: pg 66 [b] "Sheila, Tatrix of Corcyrus?" I said. "Yes," said the girl. "What is a Tatrix?" I asked. "A female ruler," she said. Book 19, Kajira : pg 66 [b] |
|
"The next most frequently occurring letters in Gorean," said Bosk, "are
Tau, Al-Ka, Omnion and Nu. Following these in frequency of
occurrence are Ar, Ina, Shu and Homan, and so on."
Book 11, Slavegirl: pg 383 [C] The punched copper disk, threaded on its thong, was not large. It was about an inch or so in diameter. On it was the letter "Tau" and a number. Book 21, Mercenaries: pg 63 [b] |
|
"They are not regarded as being dangerous to health," she said, "but as being dangerous to the Teaching." "What is the Teaching?" I asked. "That men and women are the same," she said. "That is the central tenet of the Waniyanpi." "Do they believe it?" I asked. "They pretend to," she said. "I do not know if they really believe it or not." "They believe men and women are the same," I marveled. "Except," she smiled, "that women are regarded as somewhat superior." Book 17, Savages: pg 235 [b] |
|
<chattysub> Tal, Sir
* Oryx looks at chatty sub
<Oryx> "Sir"?
<chattysub> yes, we have both Gor and BDSM here in #TheTealRoom
Wanderings of Oryx con Lara [tLi] |
|
For example, incredibly enough, weapon technology is controlled to
the point where the most powerful devices of war are the crossbow and lance.
Book 1, Tarnsman: pg 31 [C] |
|
A handful with the five fingers closed, not open, is a tef. Six such
handfuls constitute a tefa, which is a tiny basket. Five such baskets constitute a huda.
Book 10, Tribesmen: pg 46 [C] |
|
A handful with the five fingers closed, not open, is a tef. Six such
handfuls constitute a tefa, which is a tiny basket. Five such baskets constitute a huda.
Book 10, Tribesmen: pg 46 [C] |
|
Its growth might be contrasted with that of Tetrapoli, much further
west on the river. Ragnar's Hamlet began as a small village and, from
this central nucleus, expanded. Tetrapoli, on the other hand, began
as four separate towns, Ri, Teibar, Heiban and Azdal, as legend has
it founded by four brothers. These towns grew together along the
river and were eventaully consolidated as a polity. The four
districts of the city, as might be supposed, reatin the names of the
original towns. The expression "Tetrapoli" in Gorean, incidentally, means "Four Cities" or "Four Towns."
Book 15, Rogue: pg 63 [tLi] |
|
The rep-cloth veil was red; it had been soaked in a primitive dye, mixed
from water and the mashed roots of the telekint; when he
perspired, it had run; his face was stained.
Book 10, Tribesmen: pg 83 [C] |
|
My four commercial voyages had been among the exchange islands, or free islands, in Thassa, administered as free ports by members of the Merchants. There were several such islands. Three, which I encountered frequently in my voyages, were Teletus, and, south of it, Tabor, named for the drum, which it resembles, and to the north, among the northern islands, Scagnar
Book 6, Raiders: pg 137 [tLi] It is a custom of the Initiates of Teletus, and of certain other islands and cities, if the youth agrees to go to the Sardar when they request it, then his, or her, family or guardians, if they wish it, will receive one tarn disk of gold. Book 7, Hunters: pg 233 [tLi] Tabor is an exchange island in Thassa, south of Teletus. Book 8, Hunters: pg 42 [tLi] |
|
The governance of Lydius, under the merchants, incidentally, is identical to that of the exchange islands, or free islands, in Thassa. Three with which I was familiar, from various voyages, were Tabor, Teletus and, to the north, offshore from Torvaldsland, Scagnar. Of these, to be honest, and to give the merchants their due, I will admit that Tabor and Teletus are rather strictly controlled
Book 8, Hunters: pg 43 [tLi] The merchant caste, too, maintains certain free ports on certain islands and on the coasts of Thassa, such as Teletus and Bazi. Book 11, Slave Girl: pg 257 [tLi] "Ram," said he, "once of Teletus, but friendless now in that island, one banished." "Your crime?" I asked. "In a tavern," he said, "I slew two men in a brawl." "They are strict in Teletus," I said. Book 12, Beasts: pg 153 [tLi] Asperiche, incidentally, is an exchange island, or free island, in Thassa. It is south of Teletus and Tabor Book 20, Player: pg 129 [tLi] |
|
There are four major cities on Cos, of which Telnus is the largest. The others are Selnar, Temos and Jad.
Book 6, Raiders: pg 173 [tLi] |
|
Tur wood is used for galley frames, and beams and clamps and posts, and
for hull planking; Ka-la-na serves for capstans and mastheads;
Tem-wood for rudders and oars; and the needle trees, the
evergreens, for masts and spars, and cabin and deck
planking.
Book 6, Raiders: pg 141 [tLi] |
|
There are four major cities on Cos, of which Telnus is the largest. The others are Selnar, Temos and Jad.
Book 6, Raiders: pg 173 [tLi] |
|
"My thanks, friend," said I, and bidding the helpful fellow farewell I went
to the tent. It was somewhat large, and a bit ostentatious, I
thought, for that of a mere courier. Like most Gorean campaign
tents, at least those set up in large, fixed camps, it was
circular, with a conical roof. It was striped with red and
yellow, and had an entrance canopy. A pennon, one bearing the
insignia of the company of Artemidorus, a sword grasped in the
talon of a tarn, flew from the main pole, projecting through the
roof. I myself prefer lower, more neutral colored tenting. It is
easier, for one thing, to break the outline of such a tent. A
tent, like this, incidentally, would not accompany the tarnsmen
in their flights, borne by draft tarns, but would follow in the
supply wagons of the main body. A company of tarnsmen, such as
that of Artemidorus, is not burdened in flight with the transport
of such items. Such a group would normally move, of course, with
their war gear, such as missiles and weaponry, and supplies for a
given number of days.
Book 24, Vagabonds: pg 51 [b] |
|
The tenth Ahn is noon, the twentieth, midnight
Book 2, Outlaw: pg 26 [b] |
|
Kasra is the capitol of Tyros; its only other major city is Tentium.
Book 6, Raiders: pg 173 [tLi] |
|
Men of Earth tend to think of territory in a manner that might be
considered circumferential, whereas Goreans tend to think of it as a
more radial sort of thing. Consider a circle with a point at its
center. The man of Earth might conceive of the territory as bounded
by the circumference; the man of Gor would be more likely to think of
the territory as a function of the sweep of the radius which emanates
from the central point. Geometrically, of course, these two
conceptions are equivalent. Psychologically, however, they are not.
The man of Earth looks to the periphery; the man of Gor looks to the
center. The man of Earth thinks of territory as static, regardless of
the waxing and wanings of the power that maintains it; the Gorean
tends to think of territory as more dynamic, a realistic consequence
of the geopolitical realities of power centers. Perhaps it would be
better to say that the Gorean tends to think more in terms of sphere
of influence than he does in terms of imaginary lines on maps which
may not reflect current historical realities.
Book 14, Fighting Slave: pg 144 [tLi/nineve{Rem}] Another consequence of the Gorean's tendency to think of territory in terms more analogous to an area warmed or an area illuminated than an area laid out by surveyors once and for all time is that his territoriality tends to increase with nearness to his city or village. One result of this attitude is that most wars, most armed altercations, tend to be very local. They tend to involve, usually, only a few cities and their associated villages and territories, rather than gigantic political entities such as nations. One result of this is that the number of people affected by warfare on Gor usually tends, statistically, to be quite limited. Also, it might be noted that most Gorean warfare is carried out largely by relatively small groups of professional soldiers, seldom more than a few thousand in the field at a given time, trained men, who have their own caste. Total warfare, with its arming of millions of men, and its broadcast slaughter of hundreds of populations, is Gorean neither in concept nor in practice. Goreans, often castigated for their cruelty, would find such monstrosities unthinkable. Book 14, Fighting Slave: pg 145 [tLi/nineve{Rem}] |
|
The active ingredient in the breeding wine, or the "second wine," is a derivative of teslik.
Book 18, Blood Brothers: pg 320 [C] |
|
Its growth might be contrasted with that of Tetrapoli, much further
west on the river. Ragnar's Hamlet began as a small village and, from
this central nucleus, expanded. Tetrapoli, on the other hand, began
as four separate towns, Ri, Teibar, Heiban and Azdal, as legend has
it founded by four brothers. These towns grew together along the
river and were eventaully consolidated as a polity. The four
districts of the city, as might be supposed, reatin the names of the
original towns. The expression "Tetrapoli" in Gorean, incidentally, means "Four Cities" or "Four Towns."
Book 15, Rogue: pg 63 [tLi] The major towns west of Port Cos, discounting minor towns were Tetrapoli, Ven and Turmus. Book 15, Rogue: pg 64 [tLi] |
|
Scarcely had she broken into the clearing, splashing through the
shallow greenish waters near us, than the fearsome head of a wild
tharlarion poked through the reeds, its round, shining eyes
gleaming with excitement, its vast arc of a mouth swung open.
Almost too rapid to be visible, a long brown lash of a tongue
darted from its mouth and curled around the slender, helpless
figure of the girl. She screamed hysterically, trying to force
the adhesive band from her waist. It began to withdraw towards
the mouth of the beast. In an instant I had splashed into the
marsh at the foot of the tree and raced towards the tharlarion,
my sword raised. I rushed between its mouth and the girl, and
with a swift downward slash of my blade severed that foul brown
tongue.
A shattering squeal of pain rent the heavy air of the swamp forest, and the tharlarion actually reared on its hind legs and spun about in pain, sucking the brown stump of its tongue back into its mouth with an ugly popping noise. Then it splashed on its back in the water, rolled quickly on to its legs, and began to move its head in rapid scanning motions. Almost immediately its eyes fixed on me; its mouth, now filled with a colorless scum, opened, revealing its teeth ridges. It charged, its great webbed feet striking the marsh water like explosions. In an instant the mouth had snapped for me, and I had left the mark of my blade deep in the teeth ridges of its lower jaw. It snapped again, and I knelt, the jaws passing over me as I thrust upward with the sword, piercing the neck. It backed away to about four or five paces, slowly, unsteadily. The tongue, or rather its stump, flitted in and out of its mouth two or three times, as if the creature could not understand that it was no longer at its disposal. Book 1: Tarnsman of Gor, page 84 [C] |
tharlarion boots raiment high boots of soft leather worn by riders of high tharlarion to protect their legs from the abrasive hides of their mountsTharna location a harsh and humorless city once ruled by a Tatrix (Lara ), NE of Corcyrus , located between Ko-ro-ba and the Sardar . The city is well known for its silver mines. A man who visits in Tharna for more than 10 hours is enslaved. The slaves of Tharna are native-born to the city and there are supposedly no free women. The men of Tharna can be recognized by two yellow cords, thrust over the belt which are presented as part of the Home Stone ceremony. The Caste of Poets is outlawed there. [tLi]
“” T
In addition, the mounted warriors inevitably wear a high, soft pair of boots called tharlarion boots. These protect their legs from the abrasive hides of their mounts.
Book 1, Tarnsman: pg 125 [b]
tharlarion, broad fauna sluggish tharlarion used as draft animals; herbivorous
“” T
The high tharlarions, unlike their draught brethren, the slow-moving, four-footed broad tharlarion, were carnivorous. However, their metabolism was slower than that of a tarn, whose mind never seemed far from food and, if it was available, could consume half its weight in a single day.
Book 1, Tarnsman: pg 125 [b]
Behind them, stretching into the distance, came a long line of broad thalarions, or the four-footed draft monsters of Gor. These beasts, yoked in braces, were drawing mighty wagons, filled with merchandise protected under the lashings of its red rain-canvas.
Book 1, Tarnsman: pg 118 [b]
tharlarion, high fauna agile tharlarion used as a mount for riding; like T. rex, they have very short, almost useless, forlegs; carnivorous
“” T
When the high tharlarion moves slowly, its stride is best described as a proud, stalking movement, each great clawed foot striking the earth with a measured rhythm. When urged to speed, however, the high tharlarion bounds, in great leaping movements that carry it twenty paces at a time.
Book 1, Tarnsman: pg 125 [b]
tharlarion lance weapon lance used by those astride a tharlarion; used at times for death by impalement
“” T
In a minute the rider appeared in view - a fine, bearded warrior with a golden helmet and a tharlarion lance.
Book 1, Tarnsmans: pg 115 [C]
tharlarion, land fauna land dwelling tharlarion used for towing. The land tharlarion can swim, though not as efficiently as the river tharlarion.[T]
“” T
Those approaching were drawn by land tharlarion, plodding on log roads along the edges of the river. The land tharlarion can swim barges across the river. The land tharlarion can swim barges across the river, but he is not as efficient as the vast river tharlarion.
Book 7, Captive: pg 81 [tLi]
tharlarion, marsh fauna inhabitants of the marshes that comprise the delta of the Vosk; similar to crocodile. [T]
“” T
It is trackless and treacherous, and the habitat of marsh tharlarion and the predatory Ul, a winged lizard with wing-spans of several feet
Book 13, Explorers: pg 26 [b]
I nodded. The marsh tharlarion, and river tharlarion, of Gor are, I suspect, genetically different from the alligators, caymens and crocodiles of Earth. I suspect this to be the case because these Earth reptiles are so well adapted to their environments that they have changed very little in tens of millions of years.
Book 13, Explorers: pg 326 [b]
tharlarion, racing fauna these high tharlarions are bred and registered for racing. Unlike the animals used as cavalry, these are chosen from 'medium class' tharlarion, being smaller and ligher. Famous bloodlines include Venetzia, Toraii, and Thalonian. [T]
“” T
We were astride rented tharlarion, high tharlarion, bipedalian tharlarion. Although our mounts were such, they are not to be confused with the high tharlarion commonly used by Gorean shock cavalry, swift, enormous beasts the charge of which can be so devastating to unformed infantry. If one may use terminology reminiscent of the sea, these were medium-class tharlarion, comparatively light beasts, at least compared to their brethren of the contact cavalries, such cavalries being opposed to the sorts commonly employed in missions such as foraging, scouting, skirmishing and screening troop movements. Rather our mounts were typical of the breeds from which are extracted racing tharlarion, of the sort used, for example, in the Vennan races. To be sure, it is only select varieties of such breeds, such as the Venetzia, Torarii and Thalonian, which are commonly used for the racers.
Book 25, Magicians: pg 290 [b]
tharlarion, river fauna extremely large, herbivorous, web-footed lizards used by bargemen of the Cartius River to pull barges
“” T
These barges, constructed of layered timbers of Ka-la-na wood, are towed by teams of river tharlarion, domesticated, vast, herbivorous, web-footed lizards raised and driven by the Cartius bargemen, fathers and sons, interrelated clans, claiming the status of a caste for themselves.
Book 4, Nomads: pg 10 [tLi]
It was drawn by two gigantic, web-footed river tharlarion. There were the first tharlarion that I had ever seen. They frightened me. They were scaled, vast and long-necked. Yet in the water it seemed, for all their bulk, they moved delicately. One dipped its head under the surface and, moments later, the head emerged, dripping, the eyes blinking, a silverish fish struggling in the small, triangular-toothed jaws. It engorged the fish, and turned its small head, eyes now unblinking, to regard us. They were harnessed to the broad barge. They were controlled by bargemen, with a long whipping stick, who was ensconced in a leather basket, part of the harness, slung between the two animals. He would also shout at them, commands, interspersed with florid Gorean profanity, and, slowly, not undelicately, they responded to his cries.
Book 7, Captive: pp 79-80 [tLi]
"...I screamed. In the pool, clambering over one another, lifting their jaws upward were crocodiles, beasts like river tharlarion but differently hided and plated."
I nodded. The marsh tharlarion, and river tharlarion, of Gor are, I suspect, genetically different from the alligators, caymens and crocodiles of Earth. I suspect this to be the case because these Earth reptiles are so well adapted to their environments that they have changed very little in tens of millions of years. The marsh and river tharlarion, accordingly, if descended from such beasts, brought long ago to Gor on Voyages of Acquisition by Priest-Kings, would presumably resemble them more closely.
Book 13, Explorers: pg 326 [tLi]
tharlarion, rock fauna a small reptile of the Tahari, common south of Tor [tLi]
“?” T
... the status of the thrall, correspondingly, however, such as it was, declined; he was now regarded as much in the same category with the urts that one clubs in the Sa-Tarna sheds, or are pursued by small pet sleen, kept there for that purpose, or with the tiny, six-toed rock tharlarion of southern Torvaldsland, favored for their legs and tails, which are speared by children.
Book 9, Marauders: pg 152 [tLi] I looked at the tiny lamp on the shelf near the door. It smoked, and burned oil, probably from tiny rock tharlarions, abundant south of Tor in the spring.
Book 10, Tribesman: pg ??? (Chapter 14) [C]
tharlarion saddle noun Saddle constructed with the leather seat mounted on a hydraulic fitting which floats in a thick lubricant. Made to absorb shock with the added ability of the seat always being parallel to the ground [C]
“” T
The tharlarion saddle, unlike the tarn saddle, is constructed to absorb shock. Primarily, this is done by constructing the tree of the saddle in such a way that the leather seat is mounted on a hydraulic fitting which actually floats in a thick lubricant. Not only does this lubricant absorb much of the shock involved, but it tends, except under abnormal stress, to keep the seat of the saddle parallel to the ground.
Book 1, Tarnsman: pg 125 [b]
tharlarion, torn apart by noun a form of execution that involves ropes being tied to the offender's wrists and ankles. These bindings are attached to two different tharlarion which are then drawn in opposite directions. [T]
“” T
"No, let them be torn apart by them," said another. In this fashion ropes are tied separately to the victim's wrists and ankles, these ropes then attached to the harnesses of two different tharlarion, which are, of course, then driven in opposite directions.
Book 23, Renegades: pg 14 [b]
tharlarion, trampled by noun form of execution. The offender is bound before a tharlarion and trampled to death or until maimed. [T]
“” T
"Let them be trampled by tharlarion," said a fellow.
Book 23, Renegades: pg 14 [b]
tharlarion, water fauna described as not much more than 'teeth and tail', this tiny scavenger follows in the wake of the larger water tharlarion and is not more than 6 inches long. It inhabits the marshes. [T]
“” T
To my right, some two or three feet under the water, I saw the sudden, rolling yellowish flash of the slatted belly of a water thalarion, turning as it made its swift strike.
Book 6, Raiders: pg 1 [b]
|
There was reputedly one exception to this generally prevalent
attitude of hostility towards the stranger, the city of Tharna,
which, according to rumour, was willing to engage in what on Gor
might be accounted the adventure of hospitality. There were many
things supposedly strange about Tharna, among them that she was
reportedly ruled by a queen, or Tatrix, and, reasonably enough in the
circumstances, that the position of women in that city, in contrast
with most Gorean custom, was one of privilege and opportunity.
Book 2, Outlaw: pg 65 [b] The small fellow, I had gathered, might have once been from Tharna. That is a city far to the north and east of Venna. It is well know for its silver mines Book 22, Dancer: pg 386 [b] |
|
I looked down at Ina. She could not look up at me, for I had tied her on
her knees, with her head down. In this particular tie, the
Tharnan tie, as it is sometimes called, the ankles are crossed and bound and the head is tied down, fastened by a short tether running back to the ankles. Any pressure in this tie is, as usual, of course, at the back of the neck, not at the fragile, vulnerable throat. It can be used with chain collars, and such. The bands, as a last touch, are simply tied together behind the back.
Book 24, Vagabonds: pg 375 [b] |
|
"It is more than a thousand pasangs to the west, Mistress," said the girl.
"Is it the Alantic Ocean or the Pacific Ocean?" I asked. "No, Mistress," said the girl. "It is the Indian Ocean?" I asked. "No, Mistress," said the girl. I looked at her, puzzled. "It is Thassa, the Sea, Mistress," said the girl. "What sea is it?" I asked. "That is how we think of her," said the girl, "as the sea, Thassa." Book 19, Kajira: pg 40 [b] |
|
The Older Tarl had told me that Thentis is a city famed for its tarn flocks
and remote in the mountains from which the city takes its name.
Raiders from Ar had struck at the tarn flocks and the outlying
cylinders of Thentis, and the girl had been captured. She had
been sold in Ar on the Day of the Love Feast and had been
purchased by an agent of my father. He, in accordance with the
plan of the Council, had need of a girl who would be willing to
give her life to be avenged on the men of Ar.
Book 1, Tarnsman: pg 69 [b] |
|
"That," he said with animation, "is the Theory of the Sun Shield." He
added, "That is why I like to think of the planet as the
Counter-Earth, not only because of its resemblance to our native
world, but because, as a matter of fact, it is placed as a
counterpoise to the Earth. It has the same plane of orbit and
maintains its orbit in such a way as always to keep The Central Fire
between it and its planetary sister, our Earth, even though this
necessitates occasional adjustments in its speed of revolution.
Book 1, Tarnsman: pg 33 [b] |
|
There is even, in Port Kar, a recognized Caste of Thieves, the only
such I know of on Gor. They are recognized by the Thiefs Scar,
which they wear as a caste mark, a tiny, three-pronged brand
burned into the face, in back of and below the eye, over the
right cheekbone.
Book 6, Raiders: pg 104 [C] On his right cheek, over the cheekbone was the Thief brand of the Caste of Thieves of Port Kar, who use the small brand to identify their members. Book 5, Assassin: pg 96 [C] |
|
On his right cheek, over the cheekbone was the Thief brand of the
Caste of Thieves of Port Kar, who use the small brand to identify
their members.
Book 5, Assassin: pg 96 [tLi] "Some thief," I said, "one who is highly skillful, one worthy even of the thief's scar of Port Kar, though I doubt he wears it." The thief's scar in Port Kar is a tiny, three pronged brand, burned into the face over the right cheekbone. It marks the members of the Caste of Thieves in Port Kar. That is the only city in which, as far as I know, there is a recognized caste for thieves. Book 21, Mercenaries: pg 239 [b] There is even, in Port Kar, a recognized caste of Thieves, the only such I know of on Gor, which, in the lower canals and perimeters of the city, has much power, that of the threat and the knife. They are recognized by the Thief's Scar, which they wear as a caste mark, a tiny, three-pronged brand burned into the face in back of and below the eye, over the right cheekbone Book 6, Raiders: pg 104 [b] |
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If a magistrate should chance upon them in some alley he will
commonly say, "Thigh," to them, and they will turn the girl, so that
he may see if she is branded or not. If she is branded, he will commonly continue on his rounds.
Book 16, Guardsman: pg 184 [b] "Thigh," I said. The dark-haired woman turned immediately to her side, exposing her left thigh to me. There was a chain on her neck, run to a stake near the wagon. A small copper bowl was beside her. "Thigh," I said, to the other woman, also dark-haired, but smaller. With an exciting, sensuous movement she exhibited her thigh. She was confined as was the other. Beside her, too, on the ground, was a small copper bowl. Book 24, Vagabonds: pg 383 [b] |
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I wondered, however, if the Second Knowledge, that of the intellectuals, might not be as carefully tailored to preclude inquiry on their level as the First Knowledge apparently was
to preclude inquiry on the level of the Lower Castes. I would guess that there is a Third Knowledge, that reserved to the Priest-Kings."
Book 1, Tarnsman: pg 41 [b] |
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"Who!" she demanded.
"I did," I cried. "I did!" "Speak as a slave!" demanded Ute. "El-in-or betrayed Ute!" I cried. "El-in-nor betrayed Ute!" Book 7, Captive: pg 287 [JD] "A girl is grateful," she said, "that this night you had her chained to your slave ring." "Who is grateful?" I asked. "Elicia is grateful," she said. "Who is Elicia?" I asked. "I am Elicia," she said. "That is the name my Master has seen fit to give me." Book 17, Savages: pg 12 [tLi/nineve{Rem}] |
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Thorstein Camp, well to the south, but yet north of Einar's Skerry,
was a camp of fighting men, which controlled the countryside
about it, for some fifty pasangs, taking tribute from the farms.
Thorstein of Thorstein's Camp was their Jarl. The camp was of
wood, surrounded by a palisade, built on an island in an inlet,
called the inlet of Thorestein Camp, formally known as the inlet
of Parsit, because of the rich fishing there.
Book 9, Marauders: pg 147 [b] |
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"If you are washed and readied," said a young thrall, collared in a
kirtle of white wool, "it is permissible to present yourself before
the high seat of the house, before my master, Svein Blue Tooth, Jarl of Torvaldsland."
Book 9, Marauders: pg 194 [C] ...among them stood, too, thralls. Their heads were not lower than those with whom they stood. Among them was the lad called Tarsk, formerly Wulfstan of Kassau, to whom Thyri had once been given for the night. In the night of the attack he, at the Forkbeard's encampment near the thing field, with an ax, had slain a Kur. I remembered finding the carcass of the animal beneath the fallen, half-burned canvas of the Forkbeard's tent. Thralls are not permitted to touch the war arrow, but they are permitted to kneel to those who have. Wulfstan had handed the Forkbeard the ax, disarming himself, and had then knelt before him, putting his head to his feet. Thralls may be slain for so much as touching a weapon. He had taken dirt from beneath the feet of the Forkbeard and, kneeling, had poured it on his head. "Rise, Thrall," had said the Forkbeard. The young man had then stood, and straightly, head high, before the Forkbeard. The Forkbeard threw him back the ax. "Carry it," said the Forkbeard." Book 9, Marauders: pg 238 [C] |
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The tarn is guided by virtue of a throat strap, to which are attached,
normally, six leather streamers, or reins, which are fixed in a
metal ring on the forward portion of the saddle. The reins are
of different colours, but one learns them by ring position and
not colour. Each of the reins attaches to a small ring on the
throat strap, and the rings are spaced evenly.
Accordingly, the mechanics are simple. One draws on the streamer,
or rein, which is attached to the ring most nearly approximating
the direction one wishes to go.
Book 1, Tarnsman: pg 55 [b] |
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In her hand was a curved throwing stick, used for hunting birds.
It is not a boomerang, which would be largely useless among the
sedges and rushes, but it would, of course, float, and might be
recovered and used indefinitely. Some girls are quite skilled
with this light weapon. It stuns the bird, which is then
gathered from the water and tied, alive, in the craft. The
birds are later, on the rence islands, killed and cooked.
Book 6, Raiders: pg 10 [b] |
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Ti was the largest and most populous city of the Salerian Confederation.
Book 15, Rogue: p 24 [tLi] Eventually, after several days of uneasy encampments, the haruspexes of Port Olni, Ti and Ar, meeting on a truce ground, had determined by taking the auspices, read from the liver and entrails of slaughtered verr, that is was propitious for both armies to withdraw. Book 15, Rogue: p 61 [tLi] |
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To my right were the lines of the Aretai. The Aretai themselves, of course, with black kaffiyeh and white agal cording, held their center. Their right flank was held by the Luraz and the Tashid. Their left flank was held by the Raviri, and four minor tribes, the Ti, the Zevar, the Arani and the Tajuks.
Book 10, Tribesman: pg 301 [C] |
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I heard the cry of sea birds, broad-winged gulls and the small, stick-legged tibits, pecking in the sand for tiny mollusks
Book 8, Hunters: pg 247 [C] |
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time, Gorean measurement
The Gorean Day is divided into twenty Ahn, so the tenth Ahn is
noon, and the 20th, midnight. Each Ahn is divided into 40 Ehn
(parallel to Earth minutes), while each Ehn is divided into 80
Ihn, parallel to Earth seconds.
Thus,
“” T
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Behind and about him had swirled a gigantic cloak of yellow and red feathers,
from the crested lit and the fruit tindel, brightly
plumaged birds of the rain forest. In making such a cloak only
two feathers are taken from the breast of each bird.
Book 13, Explorers: pg 236 [b] In the second level, that of the canopies, is found an incredible variety of birds, Warblers, finches, mindars, the crested lit and the common lit, the fruit tindel, the yellow gim, tanagers, some varieties of parrot, and many more Book 13, Explorers: pg 311 [b] |
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Small bright eyes twinkled under heavy white eyebrows. Most was I surprised
to find him holding a tiny, round pipe from which curled a bright
wisp of smoke. Tobacco is unknown on Gor, though there are
certain vices or habits to take its place, in particular the
stimulation afforded by chewing on the leaves of the Kanda plant,
the roots of which, oddly enough, when ground and dried,
constitute an extremely deadly poison.
Book 3, Priest-Kings: pp 24-25 [tLi] Then, smartly, Parp cracked his pipe a few times against the side of the throne, scattering ashes and unsmoked tobacco about on the floor of the dais. I regarded him without moving. Then he began to fumble with the wallet which was slung from his belt, and removed a plastic envelope. I watched him closely, following every move. A frown crossed my face as I saw him take a pinch of tobacco from the bag and refill his pipe. Then he fumbled about a bit more and emerged with a narrow cylindrical, silverish object. For an instant it seemed to point at me. Book 3, Priest-Kings: pg 28 [tLi] |
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"Except on the three great holidays," said Misk. Sarm's antennae twitched angrily.
"What are the three great holidays?" I asked. "The Nest Feast Cycle," said Misk, "Tola, Tolam and Tolama." "What are these feasts?" I asked. "They are the Anniversary of the Nuptial Flight," said Misk, "the Feast of the Deposition of the First Egg, and the Celebration of the Hatching of the First Egg." Book 3, Priest-Kings: pg 87 [b] |
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I swung the transportation disk in a graceful arc to one side of the tunnel
to avoid running into a crablike organism covered with
overlapping plating and then swung the disk back in another
sweeping arc to avoid slicing into a stalking Priest-King who
lifted his antennae quizzically as we shot past. "The one who was not a Priest-King," quickly said Mul-Al-Ka, "was a Matok and is called a Toos and lives on discarded fungus spores." Book 3, Priest-Kings: pg 142 [C] |
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I then threw the second blanket, the top blanket, over her, covering
her completely. When a blanket, or cloak, or covering of any
sort, is thrown over a slave like this she may not speak or rise.
She must remain as she is, silent, until the master, or some free
man, lifts the covering away.
Book 13, Explorers: pg 94 [b] |
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I turned the object slowly in my hand. It was a fragment of polished stone,
a fragment of what apeared to have once been a beveled,
rectangular solid. It was about the size of a fist. It was a
yellowish stone, with an intricate and unusual brownish
discoloration at the point where it had apparently been broken
from a larger stone. "What is it?" she asked. "I am not sure," I said. "I think it is the topaz." Book 15, Rogue: pg 124 [b] "I had expected the topaz to be delivered earlier," said Policrates. "I had sent word to Ragnar Voskjard more than fifty days ago." Book 15, Rogue: pg 184 [b] I wore a mask identical to that which I had worn when I had first gained admittance to the holding of Policrates, when I had, long ago, pretended to be an agent of Ragnar Voskjard, he who was the bearer of the topaz. I remembered well the feast at which I had been entertained. Book 16, Guardsman: pg 271 [b] "You are then indeed a stranger to Ar's Station, and to the river," said a fellow. "The pledge of the topaz was originally an agreement between river pirates, a pledge of mutual assistance and, in crisis, alliance, between them, those of the eastern and western Vosk, between Policrates in the east and Ragnar Voskjard in the west. When the ports of the river, and their men, rose up against the predations, the tolls and tributes, of these pirates, the topaz fell into the hands of the victorious rebels. From such fighting came the formation of the Vosk League." Book 23, Renegades: pg 346 [tLi] |
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"Too," she whispered, "if Lale is not chosen tonight, she will be whipped. Do not let Lale be whipped. Master does not want Lale whipped."
"I see now why you have not been used in two nights," I said. "Apparently you are not satisfactory." "No," she said. "No, Master!" "Return to the line," I said. "Master, please!" she protested. "What is going on?" asked the woman with the whip. "She is trying to influence my choice by extraneous considerations," I said. "I choose not to accept this attempt at manipulation." The woman suddenly cracked her whip. The girls stopped dancing. "Kneel," she said to them. "You, Lale, remain where you are." "What did she say?" asked the woman with the whip. Lale trembled, and moaned. "Nothing, really, I said. "It was merely that she attempted to elicit my pity, to win my choice, telling me that if she was not chosen tonight she would be whipped." "Head to the floor!" cried the hostess. Lale put her head down to the floor. The lash fell once, fiercely, across her back. Lale cried out in misery. "It is not worth whipping her about," I said. "It is not her fault if she is not popular." "Not popular?" laughed the hostess. "Oh, she is a sly one, the little she-sleen! She is one of the most popular girls in the house," "Oh?" I said. Lale cried out as the whip fell on her again. "Look up, little fool," said the hostess, "and see the man you tried to manipulate." Lale looked up in misery, the tears streaming down her face. "Does he look like the kind of man you could play your silly little games with, does he look like the kind of man you could manipulate with pity? Can you not see he knows what slaves are, and knows how to handle them. Head down!" Book 21, Mercenaries: pp 327-328 [tLi] |
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It was now grayishly light, a few Ehn past dawn. I could not yet see the
golden rim of Tor-tu-Gor, Light Upon the Home Stone, rising in the east over the city.
Book 13, Explorers: pg 52 [b] |
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"I, too, think it is a tor shrub," I said. The shrub has various
names but one of them is the tor shrub, which name might be fairly
translated, I would think, as, say, the bright shrub, or the shrub of
light, it having that name, I suppose, because of its abundant,
bright flowers, either yellow or white, depending on the variety. It
is a very lovely shrub in bloom. It was not in bloom now, of course,
as it flowers in the fall.
Book 24, Vagabonds: pg 339 [b] |
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Tor, lying at the northwest corner of the Tahari, is the principal
supplying point for the scattered oasis communities of that dry
vastness. These communities, sometimes quite large, numbering in
the hundreds, sometimes thousands of citizens, depending on the
water available, are often hundreds of passangs apart. They
depend on caravans, usually from Tor, sometimes from
Kasra, sometimes even from far Turia, to supply many of their
needs. In turn, of course, caravans export the products of the
oases. To the oases caravans bring various goods, for example,
rep cloth, embroidered cloths, silks, rugs, silver, gold,
jewelry, mirrors, kailiauk tusk, perfumes, hides, skins,
feathers, precious woods, tools, needles, worked leather goods,
salt, nuts and spices, jungle birds, prized as pets, weapons,
rough woods, sheets of tin and copper, the tea of Bazi, wool from
the bounding Hurt, decorated, beaded whips, female slaves, and
any other forms of merchandise.
Book 10, Tribesman: pg 38 [C] |
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In the back room I tracked these matters by means of one of the observation portals. One of the two magistrates, he who was senior, Tolmar, of the second Octavii, an important gens but one independent of the well-known Octavii, sometimes spoken of simply as the Octavii, or sometimes as the first Octavii, deputy commissioner in the records office, much of which had been destroyed in a recent fire, was at the other portal.
His colleague, Venlisius, a bright young man who was now, by adoption, a scion of the Toratti, was with him. Venlisius was in the same office. He was records officer, or archon of records, for the Metallan district, in which we were located. Both magistrates wore their robes, and fillets, of office. They also carried their wands of office, which, I suspect, from the look of them, and despite the weapons laws of Cos, contained concealed blades
Book 25, Magicians: pp 441-442 [tLi] |
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Torcodino, on the flats of Serpeto, is a crossroads city. It is located
at the intersection of various routes, the genesian, connecting
Brundisium and other coastal cities with the south. The Northern
Salt Line and the Northern Silk Road, leading respectively west
and north from the east and south, the Pilgrim's Road, leading to
the Sardar, and the Eastern Way, sometimes called the Treasure
Road, which links the western cities with Ar. Supposedly
Torcodino, with its strategic location, was an ally of Ar. The natural wells of Torcodino, originally sufficing for a small population, had, more than a century ago, proved inadequate to furnish sufficient water for and expanding city. Two aqueducts now brought fresh water to Torcodino from more than a hundred pasangs away, one from the Issus, a north westwardly flowing tributary to the Vosk and the other from springs in the Hills of Eteocles, southwest of Corcyrus. Book 21, Mercenaries: pg 101 [C] |
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As he spoke, my father often referred to the planet Gor as the
Counter-Earth, taking the name from the writings of the
Pythagoreans who had first speculated on the existence of such a
body. Oddly enough, one of the expressions in the tongue of Gor
for our sun was Lar-Torvis, which means The Central Fire, another
Pythagorean expression, except that it had not been, as I
understand it, originally used by the Pythagoreans to refer to
the sun but to another body. The more common expression for the
sun was Tor-tu-Gor, which means Light Upon the Home Stone. There
was a sect among the people that worshipped the sun, but it was
insignificant both in numbers and power when compared with the
worship of the Priest-Kings who, whatever they were, were
accorded the honours of divinity. Theirs, it seems, was the
honour of being enshrined as the most ancient gods of Gor, and in
time of danger a prayer to the Priest-Kings might escape the lips of even the bravest men.
Book 1, Tarnsman: pg 28 [tLi] It was now grayishly light, a few Ehn past dawn. I could not yet see the golden rim of Tor-tu-Gor, Light Upon the Home Stone, rising in the east over the city. Book 13, Explorers: pg 52 [tLi] |
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I hoped that I would be granted death in battle, if death it must be. The
Wagon Peoples, of all those on Gor that I know, are the only
ones that have a clan of torturers, trained as carefully
as scribes or physicians, in the arts of detaining life. Some of
these men have achieved fortune and fame in various Gorean
cities, for their services to Initiates and Ubars, and others
with an interest in the arts of detection and persuasion. For
some reason they have all worn hoods. It is said they remove the
hood only when the sentence is death, so that it is only
condemned men who have seen whatever it is that lies beneath the hood.
Book 4, Nomads: pg 10 [b] |
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"There is plankton here," said Ivar, "that of the banks south of the skerry
of Einar, and the temperature of the water tells me that we are
now in the stream of Torvald, which moves eastward to the coast
and then north." The stream of Torvald is a current, as a broad
river in the sea, pasangs wide, whose temperature is greater than
that of the surrounding water. Without it, much of Torvaldsland,
bleak as it is, would be only a frozen waste.
Book 9, Marauders: pg 56 [b] Without the stream of Torvald it would probably be impossible to raise cereal crops in sufficient quantity to feed even its relatively sparse population. Book 9, Marauders: pg 56 [tLi] |
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Torvaldsland is a cruel, harsh, rocky land. It contains many cliffs, inlets
and mountains. Its arable soil is thin and found in patches. The
size of the average farm is very small. Good soil is rare and
highly prized. Communication between farms is often by sea, in
small boats. Without the stream of Torvald it would probably be
impossible to raise cereal crops in sufficient quantity to feed
even its relatively sparse population. There is often not enough
food under any conditions, particularly in northern Torvaldsland,
and famine is not unknown. In such cases men feed on bark, and
lichens and seaweed. It is not strange that the young men of
Torvaldsland often look to the sea, and beyond it, for their
fortunes.
Book 9, Marauders: pg 56 [tLi/hali] |
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Many of them were giants, huge men, inured to the cold, accustomed to war
and the labor of the oar, raised from boyhood on steep, isolated
farms near the sea, grown strong and hard on work, and meat and
cereals. Such men, from boyhood, in harsh games had learned to
run, to leap, to throw the spear, to wield the sword, to wield
the axe, to stand against steel, even bloodied, unflinching. Such
men, these, would be the hardest of the hard, for only the
largest, the swiftest and finest might win for themselves a bench
on the ship of a captain, and the man great enough to command
such as they must be first and mightiest among them....
Book 9, Marauders: pg 38 [C] |
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Torvcliffs, inlets and mountasin. Its arable soil is thin and found in patches. The size of the average farm is very small. Good farms is often by sea, in small boats. Without the stream of Tovald it would probably be I possible to raise cereal crops in sufficient quantity to fee even its relatively sparse population. There is often not enough food under any conditions, particularly I n northern Torvaldsland, and famine is not known.
the incorrect electronic version of Marauders Torvaldsland is a cruel, harsh, rocky land. It contains many cliffs, inlets and mountains. Its arable soil is thin and found in patches. The size of the average farm is very small. Good soil is rare and highly prized. Communication between farms is often by sea, in small boats. Without the stream of Torvald it would probably be impossible to raise cereal crops in sufficient quantity to feed even its relatively sparse population. There is often not enough food under any conditions, particularly in northern Torvaldsland, and famine is not unknown. Book 9, Marauders: pg 56 [tLi/hali] |
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Oddly enough, one of the expressions in the tongue of Gor for our sun was
Lar-Torvis, which means The Central Fire, another
Pythagorean expression, except that it had not been, as I
understand it, originally used by the Pythagoreans to refer to
the sun but to another body.
Book 1, Tarnsman: pg 28 [b] |
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On the back of the kaiila, the black lance in hand, bending down in the
saddle, I raced past a wooden wand fixed in the earth, on the top
of which was placed a dried tospit, a small, wrinkled,
yellowish-white peachlike fruit, about the size of a plum, which
grows on the tospit bush, patches of which are indigenous to the
drier valleys of the western Cartius. They are bitter but edible.
Book 4, Nomads: pg 59 [tLi] I was mildly surprised that the boy had been eating the tospit raw, for they are quite bitter, but, I knew, that the people of the Tahari regions, these bright, hot regions, relished strong tastes and smells. Book 10, Tribesmen: pg 46 [C] |
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The position of the Tower Slave, in which Vika knelt, differs from
that of a free woman only in the position of the wrists which are
held before her and, when not occupied, crossed as though for
binding. The position of the Pleasure Slave, incidentally,
differs from the position of both the free woman and the Tower
Slave. The hands of a Pleasure Slave normally rest on her
thighs but, in some cities, for example, Thentis, I believe, they
are crossed behind her. More significantly, for the free woman's
hands may also rest on her thighs, there is a difference in the
placement of the knees. In all these kneeling positions,
incidentally, even that of the Pleasure Slave, the Gorean woman carries herself well; her back is straight and her chin is high.
She tends to be vital and beautiful to look upon.
Book 3, Priest-Kings: pg 47 [C] The position of the tower slave, in most cities, is very similar to that of the pleasure slave. The major difference is that the tower slave, whose duties are commonly, primarily, domestic, kneels with her knees in a closed position, where as the pleasure slave, in a symbolic recognition of the fuller nature of her bondage, and its most significant aspects, kneels with them in an open position. Book 18, Blood Brothers: pg 107 [tLi] |
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A long-handled, single-bladed ax was pressed into her hands. It was a trade
ax. Its back was blunted, for the driving of pegs, stakes and wedges.
Book 18, Blood Brothers: pg 35 [C] |
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The creature then detached, from the broad strap, which hung diagonally
about its body, from its right shoulder to the left hip, an
instrumented, metallic, oblong, boxlike device, which it placed on the table. "It is a translator," I said to Samos. I had seen one in a complex; some years earlier, in the north. Book 17, Savages: pg 25 [tLi/nineve{Rem}] |
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One of the things I did was run the translator over the red
plastic tunic I had been issued and listen to the information
which had been recorded on it. There was not much save my
name and city, that I was a Matok under the supervision of
Misk, that I had no record-scars and that I might be
dangerous.
Book 3, Priest-Kings: pg 110 [tLi] |
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And so we sat with our backs against the flower tree in the House of Saphrar,
merchant of Turia. I looked at the lovely, dangling loops of
interwoven blossoms which hung from the curved branches of the
tree. I knew that the clusters of flowers which, cluster upon
cluster, graced those linear, hanging stems, would each be a
bouquet in itself, for the trees are so bred that the clustered
flowers emerge in subtle, delicate patterns of shades and hues.
Book 4, Nomads: pg 217 [b] |
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On that rise there were two trees, white-barked trees, some fifty feet tall,
with shimmering green leaves. They stood within some thrity to
forty feet of one another and both were outlined dramatically against the sky. "What?" asked Cuwignaka. I stared, trembling, at the lonely pair of trees. "The trees," I said. "The trees." They were Hogarthe trees, named for Hogarthe, one of the early explorers in the area of the Barrens, usually growing along the banks of small streams or muddy, sluggish rivers. Their shape is very reminiscent of poplar trees on Earth, to which, perhaps in virtue of seeds brought to the Counter-Earth, they may be related. Book 18, Blood Brothers: pg 300 [tLi] |
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Lastly, as the culmination of Ar's Planting Feast, and of the greatest importance
to the plan of the Council of Ko-ro-ba, a member of the Ubar's
family goes to the roof at night, under the three full moons with
which the feast is correlated, and casts grain upon the stone and
drops of a red, winelike drink made from the fruit of the Ka-la-na tree
Book 1, Tarnsman: pg 96 [b] |
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Tuchuk women, unveiled, in their long leather dresses, long hair bound in braids, tended cooking pots hung on Tem-wood tripods over dung fires.
Book 4, Nomads: pg 27 [tLi] Surprisingly the wagons are almost square, each the size of a large rooms, which is drawn by a double team of bosk, four in a team, with each team linked to its wagon tongue, the tongues being joined by Tem-wood crossbars. The two axles of the wagon are also of Tem-wood, which perhaps, because of its flexibility, joined with the general flatness of the southern Gorean plains, permits the width of the wagon. The wagon box, which stands almost six feet from the ground, is formed of black, lacquered planks of Tem-wood. Book 4, Nomads: pg 27 [tLi] ...there was also, at one side of the garden, against the far wall, a grove of Tem-wood, linear, black, supple. Book 4, Nomads: pg 217 [b] |
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Besides several of the flower trees there were also some Ka-la-na trees,
or the yellow wine trees of Gor; there was one large-bunked,
reddish Tur tree, about which curled its assemblage of
Tur-Pah, a vinelike tree parasite with curled, scarlet, ovate
leaves, rather lovely to look upon; the leaves of the Tur-Pah
incidentally are edible and figure in certain Gorean dishes, such
as sullage, a kind of soup...
Book 4, Nomads: pg 217 [b] |
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tressure heraldry (non-Gorean) an inner border about a coat of arms, usually signifying Royalty [tLi]
T | ![[tressure]](pix/tressure.gif) tressure | ![[double tressure]](pix/dbltressure.gif) double tressure |
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Indeed, there was little known even of the city of Treve. It lay
somewhere among the lofty, vast terrains of the rugged Voltai,
perhaps as much a fortress, a lair, of outlaw tarnsmen as a city. It
was said to be accessible only by tarnback. No woman, it was said,
could be brought to the city, save as a hooded, stripped slave girl,
bound across the saddle of a tarn. Indeed, even merchants and
ambassadors were permitted to approach the city only under conduct,
and then only when hooded and in bonds, as though none not of Treve
might approach her save as slaves or captive supplicants. The
location of the city, it was said, was known only to her own. Even
girls brought to Treve as slaves, obedient within her harsh walls,
looking up, seeing her rushing, swift skies, did not know wherein lay
the city in which they served. And even should they be dispatched to
the walls, perhaps upon some servile errand, they could see, for
looming, remote pasangs about them, only the wild, bleak crags of the
scarlet Voltai, and the sickening drop below them, the sheer fall
from the walls and the cliffs below to the valley, some pasangs
beneath. They would know only that they were slaves in this place but
would not know where this place in which they were slaves might be.
It was said no woman had ever escaped from Treve.
Book 7, Captive: pg 190 [tLi] Treve was a warlike city somewhere in the trackless magnificence of the Voltai Range. I had never been there but I knew her reputation. Her warriors were said to be fierce and brave, her women proud and beautiful. Her tarnsmen were ranked with those of Thentis, famed for its tarn flocks, and Ko-ro-ba, even great Ar itself. Book 3, Priest-Kings: pg 61 [tLi] Warriors of Treve, I had heard, had a fondness for warm wines.... Too, I had heard, they were fond of combing the hair of their slave girls. Book 7, Captive: pg 274 [tLi] |
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"I could use some paga," said he. He had purchased the net in the morning
with a trident, the traditional weapons of the fisherman of the
western shore and the western islands.
Book 6, Raiders: pg 112 [T] The crowd is fond of seeing various types of weapons used against others, and styles of fighting. Buckler and short sword are perhaps most popular, but there are few weapons on Gor which are not seen over a period of three or four days of the games. Another popular set of weapons, as in the ancient ludi of Rome, is net and trident. Usually those most skilled with this set of weapons are from the shore and islands of distant, gleaming Thassa, the sea, where they doubtless originally developed among fishermen. Book 5, Assassin: pg 189 [tLi] |
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Seems that slave girls mostly ate their gruel from troughs or from
bowls, using their fingers. I shared breakfast with Elizabeth who
informed me that it was better than the porridge below in the
trough in the feeding room for female staff slaves....
Book 5, Assassin: pg 107 [C] |
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* artemis gracefully sets the tiny shot-glass of tsipouro before the Afentis
<Kastus> is it well-chilled, little one? <artemis> yes, Afentis * Kastus looks at the glass, at the small bubble rings all around the glass's rim <Kastus> O only stocks the best here at tLi! <artemis> would the handsome Afentis like an additive to His tsipouro? <Kastus> one can add ice or water to it... I'll go with a bit of water, girl * artemis gazes at the deep wood-stained surface of the table through the crystal-clear tsipouro, then slowly adds chilled water, watching as each clear droplet turns milky, turning the whole glassful a pure, opaque white. <artemis> oooooo! Conversations in tLi, #the-Lara-inn |
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I could not yet see the golden rim of Tor-tu-Gor, Light Upon the Home Stone, rising in the east over the city.
Book 13, Explorers: pg 52 [b] |
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She was kneeling down and I knelt across from her. "La Kajira," said Eta,
pointing to herself. "Tu Kajira," she said, pointing to me. "La Kajira," I said, pointing to myself. "Tu Kajira," I said, pointing to Eta. I am a slave girl. You are a slave girl." Book 11, Slavegirl: pg 80 [b] |
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And there were four Wagon Peoples, the Paravaci, the Kataii, the Kassars, and the dreaded Tuchuks.
Book 4, Nomads: pg 10 [tLi] I could see he (Tuchuk) carried a small rounded shield, glossy, black, lacquered: he wore a conical, fur rimmed iron helmet, a net of colored chains depending from the helmet protecting his face, leaving only holes for the eyes. He wore a quilted jacket and under this a leather jerkin; the jacket was trimmed with fur and had a for collar; his boots were made of hide and also trimmed with fur; he had a wide, five buckled belt. I could not see his face because of the net of chain that hung before it. I also noted, about his throat, now lowered, there was a soft leather wind scarf which might, when the helmet and veil was lifted, be drawn over the mouth and nose, against the wind and dust of his ride. He was very erect in the saddle. His lance remained on his back, but he carried in his right hand the small, powerful, horn bow of the Wagon Peoples and attached to his saddle was a lacquered, narrow, rectangular quiver containing as many as forty arrows. On the saddle there also hung, on one side, a coiled robe of braided bosk hide and, on the other, a long, three weighted bola f the sort used in hunting tumits and men; in the saddle itself, on the right side, indicating the rider must be right handed, were the seven sheaths for the almost legendary quivas, the balanced saddle knives of the prairie. It was said a youth of the Wagon Peoples was taught the bow, the quiva, and the lance before their parents would consent to give them a name, for names are precious among the Wagon Peoples, as among goreans in general, and they are not to be wasted on one who is likely to die, one who cannot handle the weapons of the hunt and war. Until the youth has mastered the bow, the quiva, and the lance he is simply known as first, or the second, and so on, son of such and such a father. Book 4, Nomads: pg 11 [C] |
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Along the river, of course, many other species of birds may be found, such
as jungle gants, tufted fishers and ring-necked and yellow-legged waders
Book 13, Explorers: pg 311 [C] |
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...beyond them I saw one of the tumits, a large, flightless bird
whose hooked beak, as long as my forearm, attested only too
clearly to its gustatory habits; I lifted my shield and grasped
the long spear, but it did not turn in my direction; it passed, unaware....
Book 4, Nomads: pg 2 [C] |
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The Gorean alphabet has twenty-eight characters, all of which, I suspect,
owe their origin to one or another of the alphabets of Earth.
'Tun' and 'Val' are probably calligraphically drifted from demotic.
Book 13, Explorers: pg 9 [b] |
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Accordingly, the main divisions of the
map are Ta-Sardar-Var, and the other seven; taking the Sardar as
our "north pole" the other directions, clockwise as Earth clocks move
(Gorean clock hands move in the opposite direction) would be, first,
Ta-Sardar-Var, then, in order, Ror, Rim, Tun, Vask (sometimes spoken
of as Verus Var, or the true turning away), Cart, Klim, and Kail,
and then again, of course, Ta-Sardar-Var.
Book 4, Nomads: pg 3 (footnote) [tLi] |
tunic chain raiment a slave garb or bond of Tyros not otherwise described. [T]tur flora a lofty, reddish tree having a large trunk. The City of Turia takes its name from this tree. Provides wood for shipbuilding and the host of the parasite, Tur-Pah, one of the ingredients of sullage. [tLi]
“” T
Sometimes, too, it is controversial as to what constitutes a garment and what a bond. For example, is a slave harness a garment or a bond; objectively, I suppose, it is both. So, too, I would suppose, are the tunic chains of Tyros.
Book 16, Guardsman: pg 108 [tLi/la`dina{Seij}]
tunic, male raiment a garb which may be a wrap around style that hangs to mid thigh. It is closed by brooch or pin which must be set to allow unhindered access to his sword. [tLi]
“” T
A similar provision does occur, incidentally, in various Gorean garments, having to do with pins, brooches and such. Also the male tunic of the wraparound variety has its overlap to the right, presumably for a similar reason
Book 25, Magicians: pg 395 [C]
tunic, mul raiment
“” T
"Yes," said the other, "five record-scars and she will be destroyed."
"A record-scar," I said, "is some sort of mark on your records?"
"Yes," said the first slave, "it is entered on your scent-tape and also, in odour, inscribed on your tunic."
"The tunic," said the other, "is inscribed with much information, and it is by means of the tunic that Priest-Kings can recognise us."
Book 3, Priest-Kings: pg ??? [tLi]
tunic, mul, purple raiment plastic tunic allotted to females in the nest [tLi]
“” T
She wore the brief tunic of purple plastic allotted to female Muls in the nest and save for her eyelashes her hair had been completely removed.
Book 3, Priest-Kings: pg 197 [tLi]
tunic, mul, red raiment plastic tunic allotted to males in the nest [tLi]
“” T
One of the things I did was run the translator over the red plastic tunic I had been issued and listen to the information which had been recorded on it. There was not much save my name and city, that I was a Matok under the supervision of Misk, that I had no record-scars and that I might be dangerous.
Book 3, Priest-Kings: pg 110 [tLi]
tunic, rence raiment tunic worn by the rence-growers of the Vosk delta [tLi]
“” T
He wore a sleeveless tunic of rence cloth, like most of the rence growers.
Book 6, Raiders: pp 16 [tLi]
Her hips were sweet, her belly a rhythm made for the touch of a man, and her breasts, full and beautiful, magnificent, tormenting me, strained against the brittle rence cloth of her tunic with an insolence of softness, as though, insistent, they would make clear their contempt for any subterfuge of concealment
Book 6, Raiders: pp 27-28 [tLi]
tunic, slave raiment a simple, sleeveless pullover tunic of brown cloth, slit deeply at the hips with narrow shoulder straps, little more than strings.Some have a disrobing loop at the shoulder. [T]
“” T
Quickly I reached down and picked up the object, its folds tucked in among themselves. I opened it, and shook it out. It was a brief slave tunic, slit deeply at the hips, with narrow shoulder straps, little more than strings.
Book 22, Dancer: pg 155 [b]
The most common Gorean garment for a slave is a brief slave tunic. This tunic is invariably sleeveless, and usually, has a deep, plunging neckline. It may be of a great variety of materials, from rich satins and silks to thin, form revealing, clinging rep-cloth.
Book 16, Guardsman: pg 108 [C]
"A slave tunic," he said, sternly.
"Of course, Master," she said, delightedly, "for I am a slave!" It was a sleeveless, pullover tunic of brown rep cloth. It was generously notched on both sides at the hem, which touch guarantees an additional baring of its occupant's flanks.
Book 25, Magicians: pg 21 [b]
tunic, scribe`s cloth raiment sometimes slaves were tasked with the duties of a Scribe; in such circumstances, it was apparently customary to dress them in "scribe`s cloth" tunics [tLi]
“” T
I looked down the long table, and, far to my right, sitting alone at the end of the long bench behind the table, was Luma, my slave and chief scribe. Poor, scrawny, plain Luma, thought I, in her tunic of scribe's cloth, and collar!
Book 6, Raiders: pg 224 [tLi]
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The forests of the northern temperate latitudes of Gor are countries
in themselves, covering hundreds of thousands of square pasangs of
area. They contain great numbers of various species of trees, and
different portions of the forests may differ considerably among
themselves. The most typical and famous tree of these forests is the
lofty, reddish Tur tree, some varieties of which grow more than two
hundred feet high.... We found ourselves now in a stand of the lofty
Tur trees. I could see broadly spreading branches some two hundred
feet or more above my head. The trunks of the trees were almost bare
of branches until, so far above, branches seemed to explode in an
interlacing blanket of foliage, almost obliterating the sky.
Book 7, Captive: pg 129 [tLi] There was one large trunked, reddish Tur tree, about which curled its assemblage of Tur-Pah, a vine like tree parasite with curled scarlet, ovate leaves, rather lovely to look upon; the leaves of the Tur-Pah incidentally are edible and figure in certain Gorean dishes; such as sullage, a kind of soup; long ago, I had heard, a Tur tree was found on the prairie, near a spring, planted perhaps long before by someone who passed by; it was from that Tur tree that the city of Turia took its name. Book 4, Nomads: pg 217 [C] Tur wood is used for galley frames, and beams and clamps and posts, and for hull planking; Ka-la-na serves for capstans and mastheads; Tem-wood for rudders and oars; and the needle trees, the evergreens, for masts and spars, and cabin and deck planking. Book 6, Raiders: pg 140 [tLi] |
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Some two or three years ago it had fallen to barbarians, nomadic
warriors, and many of its citizens, in flight from the city, had
escaped north. With then had come certain articles, techniques and
customs. One could tell a Turian because he insisted on celebrating
the New Year at the summer solstice, for instance. They also used
very sweet, syrupy wines, which were now, in many cities, available.
The Turian collar, too, a looser ring of steel, large enough for a
man's fist to grasp on the girl's throat, was occasionally seen now
in the northern cities. The piercing of the ears of slave girls, that
they might have earrings fastened in them, was another Turian custom.
It has been known on Gor before, but it was only with the flight of
the escaping Turians that it had become more widespread recently.
Book 7, Captives: pg 160 [tLi] Turia the high-walled, the nine-gated, was the Gorean city lying in the midst of the huge prairies claimed by the Wagon Peoples. Book 4, Nomands: pg 1 [b] I had heard, a Tur tree was found on the prairie, near a spring, planted perhaps long before by someone who passed by; it was from that Tur tree that the city of Turia took its name; Book 4, Nomads: pg 331 [b] I saw, by the cut of their robes, they were from distant Turia. Forkbeard's girls shrank away from them Book 9, Marauders: pg 152 [tLi] |
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Before them had been placed large golden dishes heaped with delicacies prepared
by the kitchens of the Ubar, tall precious goblets filled with
Turian wines, the small bowls of spices and sugars with
their stirring spoons at hand.
Book 4, Nomads: pg 84 [b] One girl held back our head, and others, from goblets, gave us of wines, Turian wine, sweet and thick, Ta wine, from the famed Ta grapes, from the terraces of Cos, wines even, Ka-la-nas, sweets and drys, from distant Ar Book 10, Tribesman pg 213 [tLi/raina{OcL}] |
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From the long, leather tube, Kog removed what appeared to be a large
piece of closely rolled, soft-tanned hide. It was very light in
color, almost white, and tied with string. There was a slight smell
of smoke about it, probably from the smoke of the turl bush. Such
hides may be waterproofed by suspending them from, and wrapping them
about, a small tripod of sticks, this set over a small fire on which,
to produce the desiderated smoke, the leaves and branches of the turl
bush are heavily strewn.
Book 17, Savages: pg 32 [tLi/nineve{Rem}] |
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"It had been thought, and shown on many maps," I said, "that the
subequatorial Cartius not only flowed into Lake Ushindi, but emerged
northward, traversing the sloping western flatlands to join the Vosk
at Turmus." Turmus was the last major river port on the
Vosk before the almost impassable marshes of the delta.
Book 13, Explorers: pg 16 [b] The major towns west of Port Cos, discounting minor towns were Tetrapoli, Ven and Turmus. Ven at the junction of the Ta-Thassa Cartius and the Vosk, and Turmus, at the eastern end of the Vosk's great delta, the last town on the river itself. Book 15, Rogue: pg 64 [tLi] |
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The principal ingredients of Sullage are the golden Sul, the curled, red,
ovate leaves of the Tur-Pah, a tree parasite, cultivated
in host orchards of Tur trees and the salty, blue secondary roots
of the Kes shrub, a small, deeply rooted plant which grows best in sandy soil.
Book 3, Priest-Kings: pg 45 [C] "...the host of the parasite, Tur-Pah, one of the ingredients of sullage. "there was one large trunked, reddish Tur tree, about which curled its assemblage of Tur-Pah, a vine like tree parasite with curled scarlet, ovate leaves, rather lovely to look upon; the leaves of the Tur-Pah incidentally are edible and figure in certain Gorean dishes; such as sullage, a kind of soup; long ago, ..." Book 4, Nomads: pg 217 [C] The slave boy, Fish, had emerged from the kitchen, holding over his head on a large silver platter a whole roasted tarsk, steaming and crisped, basted, shining under the torch light, a larma in its mouth, garnished with suls and Tur-Pah. Book 6: Raiders of Gor, page 219 [C] |
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It might, too, be a Vosk turtle. Some of them are gigantic, almost
impossible to kill, persistent, carnivorous. Yet, if it had been
a tharlarion or a Vosk turtle, it might well have broken the
surface for air. It did not.
Book 4, Nomads: pg 204 [b] |
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The Gorean day is divided into twenty Ahn, which are numbered consecutively.
The tenth Ahn is noon, the twentieth, midnight. Each Ahn
consists of forty Ehn, or minutes, and each Ehn of eighty Ihn, or seconds.
Book 2, Outlaw: pg 26 [b] |
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"Two-strap!" I called, and the bird now veered to the right,still climbing at the same angle.
Book 2, Outlaw: pg 130 [b] |
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Both lie some four hundred pasangs west of Port Kar, Tyros to the
south of Cos, separated by some hundred pasangs from her.
Tyros is a rugged island, with mountains. She is famed for her
vart caves, and indeed, on that island, trained varts, batlike
creatures, some the size of small dogs, are used as weapons.
Book 6, Raiders: pg 139 [C] Twice we had been scouted by pirates from Tyros, in their green ships, painted to resemble the sea, but neither of them had chosen to engage us. Book 6, Raiders: pg 137 [tLi] Kasra is the capitol of Tyros; its only other major city is Tentium. Book 6, Raiders: pg 173 [tLi] There is a little market in simple Laura for the more exquisite goods of Gor. Seldom will one find there Torian rolls of gold wire, interlocking cubes of silver from Tharna, rubies carved into tiny, burning panthers from Schendi, nutmegs and cloves, spikenard and peppers from the lands east of Bazi, the floral brocades, the perfumes of Tyros, the dark wines, the gorgeous diaphanous silks of glorious Ar. Book 7, Captive: pg 86 [tLi] |
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* Kastus sips the tiny shot-glass of chilled, milky-white tsipouro
<Kastus> artemis! <artemis> yes, Afentis? * Kastus looks at the glass, at the small bubble rings all around the glass's rim <Kastus> O still has some of that awesome tzatziki that pyxi made up, yeah? tLi! <artemis> would the handsome Afentis like a bowlful to accompany His tsiporo? <Kastus> yes, and some of that fresh pita that the Lady Myst just baked * artemis skips to the kitchen, deftly grasps a bowl, then enters the cool-room, and takes out a generous helping of the spicy white stuff. returning to the handsome Afentis, she picks up a sheaf of hot pita fresh-warmed on the hearth. Conversations in tLi, #the-Lara-inn [tLi] |
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| Preface A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z |
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The Ua River is, literally, the Flower River.
Book 13, Explorers: pg 100 [tLi] |
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"And it was there that he discovered that Lake Ngao was fed, incredibly
enough, by only one major river, as its eastern extremity, a
river vast enough to challenge even the Vosk in its breadth and
might, a river which he called the Ua." "Yes," said Samos. "It is impassable," I said, "because of various falls and cataracts." Book 13, Explorers: pg 19 [tLi] The Ua River is, literally, the Flower River. Book 13, Explorers: pg 100 [b] |
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"The High Castes in a given city," said my father, "elect an administrator
and council for stated terms. In times of crisis, a war chief, or
Ubar, is named, who rules without check and by decree until, in
his judgement, the crisis is passed." "In his judgement?" I asked skeptically. "Normally the office is surrendered after the passing of the crisis," said my father. "It is part of the Warrior"s Code." "But what if he does not give up the office?" I asked. I had learned enough of Gor by now to know that one could not always count on the Caste Codes being observed. "Those who do not desire to surrender their power," said my father, "are usually deserted by their men. The offending war chief is simply abandoned, left alone in his palace to be impaled by the citizens of the city he has tried to usurp." Book 1, Tarnsman: pg 42 [tLi] I sensed, then, for a moment, what it must be to be a Ubar. It was then, in that instant, that I first truly saw him, as he was, and as he must be. I looked then on loneliness and decision, and power. The Ubar must contain within himself dark strengths. He must be capable of doing, as many men are not, what is necessary. Only one can sit upon the throne, as it is said. And, as it is said, he who sits upon the throne is the most alone of men. Book 13, Explorers: pg 242 [C] <Morgus> After I asked the question, JN said in a letter dated Nov 29, 2010 : <Morgus> "I have always, personally, pronounced the word 'You-bar.'" Conversations in tLi, #the-Lara-inn |
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It is near Turia, in the spring, that the Omen Year is completed, when the
omens are taken usually over several days by hundreds of
haruspexes, mostly readers of bask blood and verr livers, to
determine if they are favorable for a choosing of a Ubar San, a
One Ubar, a Ubar who would be High Ubar, a Ubar of an the Wagons,
a Ubar of all the Peoples, one who could lead them as one people.
Book 4, Nomads: pg 11 <Oryx> Oh, the head of the COC should most probably be termed an "ubar san" <pyxi{OcL}> what is that, Master? <Oryx> it's like the inscription on My Ring, little one * Oryx shows the pretty slave cuddled in His lap His ring, the inscription seeming to glow through the yellow metal <pyxi{OcL}> this one can't read that script, it's not Gorean <Oryx> no, sweet-slut, it's Qenyan, and the language is the Black Speech. It says: Ash ubar durbatuluk,<pyxi{OcL}> oh Master, that even sounds disgusting! * pyxi{OcL} nuzzles under Master's bushy beard, kissing and nipping at the sensitive flesh, and begs, "Master... would You tell this one what that means?" * Oryx chuckles, shivering a bit at His love-slave's attentions, and says: One ubar to rule them all, Conversations in tLi, #the-Lara-inn |
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I have been unable to learn the fate of my father, my friends, my warrior
companions, and my beloved Talena, she who was the daughter of
Marlenus, who had once been Ubar of Ar - my sweet, fierce, wild,
gentle, savage, beautiful love, she who is my Free Companion, my
Talena, forever the Ubara of my heart, she who burns forever in
the sweet, lonely darkness of my dreams.
Book 3, Priest-Kings: pg 38 [tLi] "This woman," said Kamchak of the Tuchuks, brusquely, his voice stern but almost breaking, "is called Aphris know her she is Ubara of the Tuchuks, she is Ubara Sana, of my heart Ubara Sana!" Book 4, Nomads: pg 340 [tLi] He owned a luscious young slave, Vina, whom he well mastered. She, now a love slave, had once been the ward of Chenbar, Ubar of Tyros, and once had been intended to be the free companion of gross Lurius of Jad, the Ubar of Cos, thence to be proclaimed Ubara of Cos, which union would have even further strengthened the ties between those two great island ubarates. Book 20, Player: pg 9 [tLi] |
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He had received his fifth ship as a gift from the Ubar Henrius Sevarius,
claiming to be the fifth of his line. Henrius Sevarius was said
to be a mere boy, and his Ubarate one which was administered by
his regent, Claudius, once of Tyros.
Book 6, Raiders: pg 129 [b] |
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"I was born Waniyanpi, in one of the Waniyanpi enclosures of the Kailiauk,"
she said, "the product of a forced mating, between parents
unknown even to themselves, parents selected and matched by the
red masters, parents who, even though they were Sames, were
forced to perform the Ugly Act, hooded and under whips, on
the day of Waniyanpi breeding."
Book 17, Savages: pg 234 [b] "Have these women been brought to the camp to be bred with other Waniyanpi?" I asked. "It seems they have been prepared for what you fold refer to as 'the Ugly Act.' Is the day of Waniyanpi Breeding at hand?" Book 18, Blood Brothers: pg 156 [tLi] |
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Only one creature in the marshes dares to outline itself against the sky, the predatory Ul, the winged thalarion.
Book 6, Raiders: pg 1 [C] I had also seen then, as I had come closer, the small head of the creature, small considering the size of its body, and the span of its wings, lift up, above the rence, with its long narrow, toothed jaws, like a long snout or bill, with that long, narrow extension of skin and bone in the back, balancing the weight of the long, narrow jaws, contributing, to, given the creature's weight and general ungainliness in structure, to stability in flight, particularly in soaring... It had opened its wings, suddenly. The span must have been twenty-five to thirty foot Gorean. Then it closed them, folding them back, against its body... It uttered a hissing, grunting sound, expelling air from its lungs. It had a long, snakelike tail, terminating with a flat, spade like structure. This tail lashed, the spade like structure dashing sand about. This tail, with its termination, too, I think, had its role to play in flight, primarily one of increasing stability... Again it opened its wings. These are of skin and stretch from the jointed, hind legs, clawed, of the creature to an extremely long, fourth digit on its clawed hand... It is little wonder, I thought, that many take the predatory Ul, the winged tharlarion, to be the monarch of the delta. Book 24, Vagabonds: pg 180 [C] We heard, outside, the screaming of a predatory ul, a gigantic, toothed, winged lizard, soaring over the marshes. Book 17, Savages: pg 16 [b] |
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The ulo, or woman's knife, with its semicircular blade, customarily fixed to a wooden handle, is not well suited to carving. It is better at cutting meat and slicing sinew.
Book 12, Beasts: pg 262 [b] |
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In the lower portion of the canopies, too, can be found heavier birds, such as the ivory-billed woodpecker and theumbrella bird
Book 13, Explorers: pg 311 [C] |
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Wood can be used for sleds, and tent frames and the frames of kayaks and
umiaks, the large, broad vessels which can hold several
individuals, sometimes used in whaling
Book 12, Beasts: pg 257 [b] |
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Species unification, I suspected, would prove not to be a blessing,
but a trap and a bane, a pathology and curse, a societal
sanitarium in which the great and strong would be reduced to, or
must pretend to be reduced to, the level of the blinking, the
cringing, the creeping and the tiny. To be sure, values are
involved here, and one must make decisions. It is natural that
the small and weak will make one decision, and the large and
strong another. There is no single humanity, no single shirt, no
correct pair of shoes, no uniform, even a gray one that will fit
all men. There are a thousand humanities possible. He who denies
this sees only his own horizons. He who disagrees is the denier
of difference, and the murderer of the better futures.
"It is unfortunate," said Sardak, speaking to Kog, "that they have not achieved species unification. Else, once the Priest-Kings are disposed of, it would be easier to herd them to our cattle pens." Book 17, Savages: ppg 30-31 [tLi/nineve{Rem}] |
![[young urt]](pix/youngurt.jpg)
urt, canal fauna rapid moving water mammal living along canals; particularly found in Port Kar. [T]Urt Soldiers noun a warrior society of the Yellow Knife tribe of Red Savages
“” U
I heard one of the giant canal urts twist in the water somewhere beneath me.
Book 6, Raiders: pg 119 [C]
After she had been emptied of information she might then be bound naked and thrown to the urts in the canals, or, perhaps, if we wished, kept as a slave
Book 17, Savages: pg 67 [b]
urt, city fauna; Oryxism related to the canal urts of the Vosk delta, City Urts are found only in Lara where, able to eat anything slower than thay are, they grow to enormous size. [tLi]
“” U
* Oryx watches `davey`, the giant, filthy, and well-barred channel mascot, snarf the offerings in mid-flight, his fetid breath wafting out over those unfortunate enough to be seated near his cage
<Oryx> he is a City Urt, but due to his enriched diet of bratty slaves and HNG parts, has grown to over 2 hort long
* pyxi{OcL} makes a face
Conversations in tLi, #the-Lara-inn
urt, forest fauna nocturnal animal living in the forests, hunted by the hook-billed night crying fleer. [T]
“” U
Over her shoulders she had two small, furred animals, hideous forest urts, about the size of cats, and in her left hand she carried four small, green-and-yellow-plumaged birds.
Book 7, Captive: pg 237 [C]
urt, giant fauna fat, sleek, and white, it has 3 rows of needle-like white teeth, four horns and tusks [tLi]
“” U
It was a giant urt, fat, sleek and white; it bared its three rows of needlelike white teeth at me and squealed in anger; two horns, tusks like flat crescents curved from its jaw; another two horns, similar to the first, modifications of the bony tissue forming the uper ridge of the eye socket, protruded over those gleaming eyes that seemed to feast themselves upon me, as if waiting the permission of the keeper to hurl itself on its feeding trough. Its fat body trembled with anticipation.
Book 2, Outlaw: pg 86 [b]
urt, gliding fauna animal living in the canopies of the rainforests inland of Schendi. [T]
“” U
Here, too, may be found snakes and monkeys, gliding urts, leaf urts, squirrels, climbing, long-tailed porcupines, lizards, sloths, and the usual varieties of insects, ants, centipedes, scorpions, beetles and flies, and so on
Book 13, Explorers: pg 311 [b]
urt, ground fauna a small rodent which inhabits the floor of the rainforests inland of Schendi
“” U
... like the hook-billed gort, which preys largely on rodents, such as ground urts, and the insectivorous whistling finch, and some unflighted, like the grub borer and lang gim.
Book 13, Explorers: pg 312 [b]
urt hunter noun men who attach ropes to the necks of slave girls and swim them in the canals to attract canal urts. The urts are speared as they rise to the bait. The urt hunters are credited with keeping the urt population of the canals manageable. [T]
“” U
"It could be anyone," said Samos. "Perhaps she will be bought by an urt hunter or an oar maker. What then?"
"Then she is owned by an oar maker or an urt hunter," I said. "And we shall consider a new plan."
Urt hunters swim slave girls, ropes on their necks, beside their boats in the dark, cool water of the canals, as bait for urts, which, as they rise to attack the girl, are speared.Urt hunters help to keep the urt population in the canals manageable.
Book 13, Explorers: pg 32 [b]
urt, leaf fauna a small tree-dwelling rodent, having 4 toes, which inhabits the rainforests inland of Schendi
“” U
On the other hand, should a bird, such as a mindar or parrot, or a small animal, such as a leaf urt or tiny tarsk, become entangled in the net the spider swiftly emerges.
Book 13, Explorers: pg 312 [b]
urt people noun the urt people are narrow-shouldered and narrow-chested, measuring only three and a half feet tall when upright with a narrow, elongated face and rather large, ovoid eyes. They have long, thin arms and short, spindly legs along with a bent-over gai,t often bringing the knuckles to the ground, and commonly kept inconspicuously among the large, migratory urt packs. [T]
“” U
I clutched the bars of the narrow cell window, looking out onto the courtyard. I stood on a table which I had dragged to the side of the wall, in order to be able to look out. Behind me, on his straw, crouched the small, narrow-shouldered, spindle-legged representative of the urt people.
Book 20, Players: pg 267 [b]
urt, tree flora a small tree-climbing rodent found in the rainforests inland of Schendi
“” U
Monkeys and tree urts, and snakes and insects, however, can also be found in this highest level.
Book 13, Explorers: pg 311 [b]
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"The painted prints on the flanks of the kaiila of the Yellow Knives?" I asked. The sign of the Urt Soldiers," said Grunt, "a society of the Yellow Knives."
Book 17, Savages: pg 314 [b] |
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"You would have subjected her to use discipline?" "Of course," he said. "But we do not own her," I said. "It does not matter," he said. "True," I said. Use discipline is within the prerogatives of a free person." Book 25, Magicians: pg 330 [b] |
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It was true. I was her current use-master. In these hours, in my blankets, she must be to me as my own slave. In these hours, in my blankets, for all practical purposes, I owned her
Book 17, Savages: pg 197 [b] "May I have the attestation paper?" asked Mirus. He retrieved it from a fellow over to the right. "Thank you," he said. He then waved the paper over his head. "Here is the signed attestation of the noble Tamirus," he said. "She is a virgin!" he then rolled the paper and pointed to me with it. I looked at him. "Behold her," he said, "kneeling there before you, a beautiful slave awaiting her first use master." I put my head down, trembling. I knelt there, my knees wide, awaiting my first use master." Book 22, Dancers: pg 207 [b] The youth thrust the last of the hard bread in his mouth, took another swig of water from the bowl, put it down, leaped up, and seized Ina by the hair, and then, holding her by the hair, her head at his waist, dragged her, she gasping, into some nearby shrubbery. Before she was quite there I did see her face, once, she looking at me, astonished, wincing, as she hurried beside her young use-master to the place of his choosing. Book 24, Vagabonds: pg 354 [b] |
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For themselves, particularly among the Lower Castes, they often have a real
name and what is called a use name. Often only the
closest relatives know the real name. On the level of the First
Knowledge, it is maintained that knowing the real name gives one
power over a person, a capacity to use that name in spells and
insidious magical practices. Perhaps something of the same sort
lingers even on our native Earth, where the first name of a
person is reserved for use by those who know him intimately and
presumably wish him no harm.
Book 1, Tarnsman: pg 58 [b] |
|
Similarly the word Nyoka means serpent. Ushindi means Victory. Thus
Lake Ushindi might be thought of as Lake Victory or Victory Lake.
It was named for some victory over two hundred years ago won on its shores
Book 13, Explorers: pg 100 [b] |
|
His head was surmounted by an elaborate headdress, formed largely from the
long, white, curling feathers of the Ushindi fisher, a long-legged, wading bird
Book 13, Explorers: pg 236 [C] |
|
Ushindi means Victory. Thus Lake Ushindi might be thought of as Lake Victory or Victory Lake It was named for some victory over two hundered years ago won on its shores. the name of the tiny kingdom or ubarate which had won the victory is no longer remembered.
Book 13, Explorers: pg 100 [W] "Will you continue your work on the canal?" I had asked Bila Huruma. "Yes," he had said. When Lakes Ushindi and Ngao had been joined by the canal a continuous waterway would be opened between Thassa and the Ua. Book 13, Explorers: pg 455 [W] |
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| Preface A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z |
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'Tun' and 'Val' are probably calligraphically drifted from demotic
Book 13, Explorers: pg 9 [b] |
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"Suls, Turpah, Vangis!" I heard a woman call, sitting amidst baskets, hawking her produce.
Book 19, Kajira: pg 314 [tLi] |
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... the two main directions, so to speak, in the Gorean way of thinking
are Ta-Sardar-Var and Ta-Sardar-Ki-Var, or as one would normally
say, Var and Ki-Var; 'Var' means a turning and 'Ki' signifies
negation; thus, rather literally, one might speak of 'turning to
the Sardar' and 'not turning to the Sardar', something like
either facing north or not facing north...
Book 4, Nomads: pg 3 (footnote) [tLi] |
|
These however, like the other expressions, usually occur in speech
only as En'Var and Se'Var, or The First Resting and The Second Resting.
Book 2, Outlaw: pg 178 [tLi] |
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The vart is a small, sharp-toothed winged mammal, carnivorous, which commonly flies in flocks
Book 13, Explorers: pg 36 [b] She is famed for her vart caves, and indeed, on the island, trained varts, batlike creatures, some the size of small dogs, are used as weapons Book 6, Raiders: pg 139 [b] Perhaps I most dreaded those nights filled with the shrieks of the vart pack, a blind, batlike swarm of flying rodents, each the size of a small dog. They could strip a carcass in a matter of minutes, each carrying back some fluttering ribbon of flesh to the recesses of whatever dark cave the swarm had chosen for its home. Moreover, some vart packs were rabid. Book 2, Outlaw: pg 26 [b] |
|
I could, however, recognize a row of brown varts, clinging upside
down like large matted fists of teeth and fur and leather on the
heavy, bare, scarred branch in their cave.
Book 3, Priest-Kings: pg 191 [C] |
|
In the lower branches of the "ground zone" may be found, also, small animals,
such as tarsiers, nocturnal jit monkeys, black squirrels,
four-toed leaf urts, jungle varts and the prowling,
solitary giani, tiny, cat-sized panthers, not dangerous to man.
Book 13, Explorers: pg 312 [b] |
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Accordingly, the main divisions of the map are Ta-Sardar-Var, and the other
seven; taking the Sardar as our "north pole" the other
directions, clockwise as Earth clocks move (Gorean clock hands
move in the opposite direction) would be, first, Ta-Sardar-Var,
then, in order, Ror, Rim, Tun, Vask (sometimes spoken of as Verus
Var, or the true turning away), Cart, Klim, and Kail, and then
again, of course, Ta-Sardar-Var.
Book 4, Nomads: pg 3 (footnote) [tLi] From the Sardar I had gone largely Cart, sometimes Vask, then Cart again until I had come to the Plains of Turia, or the Land of the Wagon Peoples. Book 4, Nomads: pg 4 [tLi] |
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I felt myself being rolled roughly on my back. "Veck, Kajira," said a voice, harshly. "Veck, Kajira...." I felt the point of his dagger beneath my chin. It hurt. It thrust up. I cried out, rising almost to my toes. I then stood straight before them. I stood straighter than I had ever stood in my life. The man then stepped back, and he, and the other, inspected me, completely, walking about me. Book 11, Slavegirl: pg 15 [b] |
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I have peas and turnips, garlic and onions in my hut.
Book 2, Outlaw: pg 29 [C] ... and various root vegetables, such as turnips, carrots, radishes, of the sphere and cylinder varieties Book 10, Tribesmen: pg 37 [C] |
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Eta, from behind me, pinned the first of the five veils about my
face. It was light, and shimmering, of white silk, almost
transparent. Then, one after the other, she added the freedom
veil, or veil of the citizeness, the pride veil, the house veil,
and the street veil. Each of these is heavier and more opaque
than the one which lies within. the street veil, worn publicly,
is extremely bulky, quite heavy and completely opaque, not even
the lineaments of the nose and cheeks are discernible when it is
worn; the house veil is worn indoors when there are those present
who are not of the household, as in conversing with or
entertaining associates of one's companion. Veils are worn in
various numbers and combinations by Gorean free women, this
tending to vary by preference and caste. Many low class Gorean
women own only a single veil which must do for all purposes. Not
all high-caste women wear a large number of veils. A free woman,
publicly, will commonly wear one or two veils; a frequent
combination is the light veil, or last veil, and the house or
street veil. Rich, vain women of high caste may wear ostentatiously as
many as nine or ten veils. In certain cities, in
connection with the free companionship, the betrothed or pledged
beauty may wear eight veils, several of which are
ritualistically removed during various phases of the ceremony of
companionship; the final veils, and robes, of course,
removed in private by the male who, following their removal, arms
interlocked with the girl, drinks with her the wine of the
companionship, after which he completes the ceremony.
Book 11, Slavegirl: pg 107 [C] |
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The veil, it might be noted, is not legally imperative for
a free woman; it is rather a matter of modesty and custom.
Book 11, Slavegirl: pg 107 [C] 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. Book 11, Slavegirl: pg 108 [tLi] Free women, drinking, commonly lift their veil, or veils, with the left hand. Low-caste free women, if veiled, usually do the same. Sometimes, however, particularly if in public, they will drink through their veil, or veils. Sometimes, of course, free women will drink unveiled, even with guests. Much depends on how well the individuals are known, and who is present. In their homes, of course, with only members of their families present, or servants and slaves, most free women do not veil themselves, even those of high caste. Book 14, Fighting Slave: pg 276 [tLi/nineve{Rem}] |
veil of the citizeness raiment the second of the veils worn by free women; worn under the pride veil and over the last veilveminium bird fauna a bird with a beautiful song not otherwise described. [T]
“” V
Eta, from behind me, pinned the first of five veils about my face. It was light, and shimmering, of white silk, almost transparent. Then, one after the other, she added the freedom veil, or veil of the citizeness, the pride veil, the house veil, and street veil.
Book 11, Slavegirl: pg 107 [b]
veil, freedom raiment the second in the layer of veils worn by Free women also called the 'veil of the citizeness'. [T]
“” V
Then, one after the other, she added the freedom veil,
Book 11, Slavegirl: pg 107 [T]
veil, house raiment the next-to-last veil worn by free women esp. when in the company of men not of her own family; worn over the pride veil and under the street veil upon leaving the house. [T]
“” V
The house veil is worn indoors when there are those present who are not of the household, as in conversing with or entertaining associates of one's companion
Book 11, Slavegirl: pg 107 [T]
veil, intimacy raiment a long, linear, diaphanous face veil worn by Free woman. Its opacity is determined by how many times it is wrapped about the face. [T]
“” V
I then took forth a long, linear face veil; it was red; it was an intimacy veil; any given layer of this veil is quite diaphanous; its opacity is a function of the number of times it is wrapped about the face.
Book 12, Beasts: pg 404 [b]
veil, last raiment the innermost of the five veils worn by free women; it is worn under the veil of the citizeness and is often very sheer. [T]
“” V
A free woman, publicly, will commonly wear one or two veils; a frequent combination is the light veil, or last veil, and the house or street veil.
Book 11, Slavegirl: pg 107 [tLi]
veil, pride raiment the third veil worn by free women; worn under the house veil and over the veil of the citizeness. [T]
“” V
Then, one after the other, she added the freedom veil, or veil of the citizeness, the pride veil, the house veil, and street veil.
Book 11, Slavegirl: pg 107 [b]
veil, rep-cloth raiment a rough veil worn by Free women of lower caste. [T]
“” V
Some low-caste free women drank through their veils, and there were yellow and purple stains on the rep-cloth.
Book 5, Assassin: pg 141 [b]
veil, slave raiment a small triangle of diaphanous yellow silk worn across the bridge of the nose and covering the lower half of the face; it parodies the heavy veils worn by free women as it conceals nothing and often arouses the lust of masters. [T]
“?” V
Angrily Alyena, the former Miss Priscilla Blake-Allen of Earth, took the tiny, triangular yellow veil, utterly diaphanous, and held it before her face, covering the lower portion of her face. The veil was drawn back and she held it at her ears. The light silk was held across the bridge of her nose, where, beautifully, its porous, yellow sheen broke to the left and right. Her mouth, angry, was visible behind the veil. It, too, covered her chin. The mouth of a woman, by men of the Tahari, and by Goreans generally, is found extremely provocative, sexually. The slave veil is a mockery, in its way. It reveals, as much as conceals, yet it adds a touch of subtlety, mystery; slave veils are made to be torn away, the lips of the master then crushing those of the slave.
Book 10, Tribesman: pg ??? (Ch. 4) [tLi]
Slave girls may or may not be veiled, this depending on the will of their master. Most slave girls are not permitted to veil themselves. Indeed, not only are they refused the dignity of the veil, but commonly they are placed in brief, exciting slave livery and may not even bind their hair.
Book 11, Slavegirl: pg 107 [tLi]
veil, street raiment the outermost veil worn by free women; worn over the house veil when leaving the house [T]
“” V
The street veil, worn publicly, is extremely bulky, quite heavy and completely opaque; not even the lineaments of the nose and cheeks are discernible when it is worn.
Book 11, Slavegirl: pg 107 [b]
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Perhaps in one of those times, due to no fault of Mistress he was charmed
by her voice, as by the songs of the venminium bird...
Book 25, Magicians: pg 363 [b] |
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I smelled veminium oil. The petals of veminium, the "Desert Veminium," purplish, as opposed to the "Thentis Veminium," bluish, which flower grows at the edge of the Tahari, gathered in shallow baskets and carried to a still, are boiled in water. The vapor, which boils off, is condensed into oil. This oil is used to perfume water. This water is not drunk but is used in middle and upper-class homes to rinse the eating hand, before and after the evening meal. Book 10, Tribesmen: pg 50 [tLi] |
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The petals of veminium, the 'Desert Veminium,' purplish, as opposed to the
'Thentis Veminium,' bluish, which flower grows at the edge of the Tahari,
gathered in shallow baskets and carried to a still, are
boiled in water.
Book 10, Tribesmen: pg 50 [tLi] |
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The atmosphere of the pool was further charged with the fragrance of Veminium,
a kind of bluish wildflower commonly found on the lower slopes of the Thentis range...
Book 5, Assassin: pg 163 [C] The petals of veminium, the 'Desert Veminium,' purplish, as opposed to the 'Thentis Veminium,' bluish, which flower grows at the edge of the Tahari, gathered in shallow baskets and carried to a still, are boiled in water. Book 10, Tribesmen: pg 50 [tLi] The verminium is a delicate, five-petaled blue flower common in both the northern and southern hemispheres of Gor. Book 23, Renegades: pg 436 [tLi] |
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There was a reference to the rivalry of Ar and Cos for the markets and resources
of the broad regions drained by the Vosk. Both states desired to
extend their hegemony into these areas. Small cities and towns,
usually ruggedly independent, even belligerently so, along the
river, such as Ven and Turmus, found themselves, to their
discomfort, half coerced by armed might, half enticed with
alliances and treaties, embroiled in the struggles of major powers.
Book 14, Fighting Slave: pg 264 [tLi/nineve{Rem}] The major towns west of Port Cos, discounting minor towns were Tetrapoli, Ven and Turmus. Ven at the junction of the Ta-Thassa Cartius and the Vosk, and Turmus, at the eastern end of the Vosk's great delta, the last town on the river itself. Book 15, Rogue: pg 64 [tLi] |
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"This is the Lady Mira, of Venna," said the bearded officer. "I am
Alfred, captain of this company, mercenary of Port Olni."Venna
is a resort town west of the Voltai, north of Ar. Port Olni is
located on the north bank of the Olni River. It is a member of
the Salerian Confederation.
Book 17, Savages: pg 88 [b] Over the fence, in the distance, I could see the walls of a city. I had been told it was Venna. I had been told this by the girl who was now first on the chain. Book 22, Dancer: pg 319 [b] |
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The smell of fruit and vegetables, and verr milk, was strong.
Book 17, Savages: pg 60 [tLi] In the cafes, I had feasted well. I had had verr meat, cut in chunks and threaded on a metal rod. Book 10, Tribesmen: pg 48. [C] The verr was a mountain goat indigenous to the Voltai. It was a wild, agile, ill-tempered beast, long-haired and spiral-horned. Among the Voltai crags it would be worth one's life to come within twenty yards of one. Book 3, Priest-Kings: pg 63 [b] |
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On the shaded sides of some rocks, and the shaded slopes of hills, here and there, grew stubborn, brownish patches of verr grass.
Book 10, Tribesmen: pg 71 [C] |
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<Brinlarr> I'll have a large iced paga, with a verve
* lusty gazes at the handsome Master <lusty> will that be live, fresh-killed, or dessicated, Master Brinlarr? <Brinlarr> fresh-killed, of course. And don't muss the fur Conversations in tLi, #the-Lara-inn |
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"The headquarters of the Vosk League, as I understand it," I said, "is to be located in Victoria."
"Yes," smiled Tasdron. "The choice seemed judicious." "Victoria was centrally involved in the resistance to the pirates," said Aemilianus. "And it was here that the decisive victory was won," said Calliodorus. "And in this fashion," grinned Aemilianus, "the headquarters of the league is not in Port Cos." Book 16, Guardsman: pg 235 [b] Some well-known towns in the Vosk League are Victoria, Tafa and Fina Book 23, Renegades: pg 34 [b] The next towns west [from Fina] on the river were Victoria and Tafa. Book 15, Rogue, pg 64 [tLi] The headquarters of the Vosk League is located in the city of Victoria. I suppose there are special historical reasons for this, for Victoria is not centrally located on the river, say, between the delta to the west and the entry of the Olni into the Vosk on the east, which point, incidentally, is controlled by the city of Lara, a member of the Salerian Confederation. Book 23, Renegades: pg 34 [tLi] |
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Ar's Station, incidentally, did not exist at the time of the
massing of the horde of Pa-Kur. It was established four years
afterward, as an outpost and trading station on the south bank of the
Vosk. It also commands, in effect, the northern terminus of one of
the great roads, the Viktel Aria, or Ar's Triumph, leading toward Ar.
This is also the road popularly known as the Vosk Road, particularly
by those viewing it from a riverward direction.
Book 15, Rogue: pg 62 [tLi] "I spoke to her, Master," I said. "I called him, 'Master' for he, like the young men who had caught me at the edge of the Viktel Aria, had made it clear to me that I was to address, whether I was free or not, with a slave's respect." Book 19, Kajira: pg 217 [b] |
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I detected the odor of kort rinds, matted, drying, on the stones, where
they had been scattered from my supper the evening before.
Vints, insects, tiny, sand-colored, covered them.
Book 10, Tribesmen: pg 115 [C] |
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"Game!" I heard, an answering cry, and a fat fellow, of the Caste of
Vintners, puffing and bright eyed, wearing a white tunic with
a representation in green cloth of leaves about the collar and
down the sleeves of the garment, stepped forth from a doorway.
Book 5, Assassin: pg 29 [C] |
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Some dare even the chain, though they retain its key. Free girls, not yet
companions, but of an age appropriate for the companionship,
sometimes signal their availability to possible swains by belling
their left ankles with a single "virgin bell." The note of
this bell, which is bright and clear, is easily distinguished
from those of the degrading, sensual bells of the slave.
Book 10, Tribesmen: pg 45 [C] |
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I was somewhere in the Voltai Range, sometimes called the Red Mountains,
south of the river and to the east of Ar. That would mean that I
had unknowingly passed over the great highway, but whether ahead
of or behind Pa-Kur's horde I had no idea. My calculations as to
my locale tended to be confirmed by the dull reddish color of the
cliffs, due to the presence of large deposits of iron oxide.
Book 1, Tarnsman: pg 144 [T] |
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Vonda was one of the four cities of the Salerian Confederation. The other cities of this confederation were Ti, Port Olni and Lara. All four of these cities lie on the Olni River, which is a tributary to the Vosk.
Book 14, Fighting Slave: pg 171 [tLi] |
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To my right, some two or three feet under the water, I saw the sudden,
rolling yellowish flash of the slatted belly of a water
tharlarion, turning as it made its swift strike, probably a
Vosk carp or marsh turtle
Book 6, Raiders: pg 1 [tLi] |
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No one had been found who would guide me into the delta of the Vosk.
The bargemen of the Vosk will not take their wide,
broad-bottomed craft into the delta. The channels of the Vosk,
to be sure, shift from season to season, and the delta is often
little more than a trackless marsh, literally hundreds of square
pasangs of estuarial wilderness.
Book 6, Raiders: pg 6 [b] The delta of the Vosk, for most practical purposes, a vast marsh, an area of thousands of square pasangs, where the Vosk washes down to the sea, is closed to shipping Book 13, Explorers: pg 26 [b] |
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Two of the men at the table had been signatories to the treaty of the
Vosk League, solemnly signed under festive canopies on the
wharves of Victoria yesterday at the tenth Ahn, Glyco, who had signed
on behalf of Port Cos, and Tasdron, Administrator of Victoria, who
had signed on behalf of Viotoria. In all, nineteen towns had become
members of the League, Turmus, Ven, Tetrapoli, Port Cos, Tafa,
Victoria, Fina, Ragnar's Hamlet, Hammerfest, Sulport, Sais, Siba,
Jasmine, Point Alfred, Jort's Ferry, Forest Port, Iskander, Tancred's Landing and White Water.
And, surely, such a league would prove detrimental to Ar's ambitions on the Vosk and in the Vosk basin Book 16, Guardsman: pg 235 [b] "Why is Cos interested in Ar's Station?" "I am not fully sure," I said, "but there could be various reasons, and some of them would seem obvious. As you know much of the friction between Cos and Ar has to do with their economic competitions in the Vosk Basin. Taking Ar's Station would, in a stroke, diminish the major citadel of Ar's, the Salerian Confederation, and the Vosk League. Book 23, Renegades: pg 33 [tLi] |
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The headquarters of the Vosk League is located in the city of Victoria.
I suppose there are special historical reasons for this, for
Victoria is not centrally located on the river, say, between the
delta to the west and the entry of the Olni into the Vosk on the
east, which point, incidentally, is controlled by the city of
Lara, a member of the Salerian Confederation.
Book 23, Renegades: pg 34 [tLi] "You are then indeed a stranger to Ar's Station, and to the river," said a fellow. "The pledge of the topaz was originally an agreement between river pirates, a pledge of mutual assistance and, in crisis, alliance, between them, those of the eastern and western Vosk, between Policrates in the east and Ragnar Voskjard in the west. When the ports of the river, and their men, rose up against the predations, the tolls and tributes, of these pirates, the topaz fell into the hands of the victorious rebels. From such fighting came the formation of the Vosk League." Book 23, Renegades: pg 346 [tLi] |
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What I would do when we reached the Margin of Desolation and the broad Vosk River, I didn't know.
Book 1, Tarnsman: pg 72 [b] Such borders generally do not exist on Gor, though, to be sure, certain things are commonly understood, for example, that the influence of, say, the city of Ar, has not traditionally extended north of the Vosk River. Book 14, Fighting Slave: pg 144 [tLi] |
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"Frankly," said my father, "I believe the ship was remotely controlled from
the Sardar Mountains, as are said to be all the Voyages of Acquisition." "Of Acquisition?" "Yes," said my father. "And long ago I made the same strange journey. As have others." "But for what end, to what purpose?" I demanded. "Each perhaps for a different end, for each perhaps a different purpose," he said. Book 1, Tarnsman: pg 32 [b] The marsh and river tharlarion, accordingly, if descended from such beasts, brought long ago to Gor on Voyages of Acquisition by Priest-Kings, would presumably resemble them more closely. Book 13, Explorers: pg 326 [b] |
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She had been carrying a wicker basket containing vulos, a domesticated pigeon raised for eggs and meat.
Book 4, Nomads: pg 1 [C] I smelled roast bosk cooking, and fried vulo I held the leg of the fried vulo toward one of the girls Book 8, Hunters: pg 34 [C] To my surprise the five birds began to circle. I looked up. They were wild vulos, tawny and broad-winged. Book 10, Tribesmen: pg ??? [tLi] In the cafes I had feasted well. I had had verr meat, cut in chunks and threaded on a metal rod, with slices of peppers and larma, and roasted; vulo stew with raisins, nuts, onions and honey; a kort with melted cheese and nutmeg; hot Bazi tea, sugared and later, Turian wine. Book 10, Tribesmen: pg 48 [b] |
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| Preface A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z |
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Along the river, of course, many other species of birds may be found, such as jungle gants, tufted fishers and ring-necked and yellow-legged waders
Book 13, Explorers: pg 311 [b] |
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wagmeza victual Red Savage word for maize. [T]
“” W
| ![[maize]](pix/maize.jpg) maize |
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wagmu victual Red Savage word for corn. [tovah{OcL}]
“” W
| ![[corn]](pix/corn.gif) corn |
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The Wagon Peoples grow no food, nor do they have manufacturing, as we know it. They are herders a, and it is said, killers. They eat nothing that has touched the dirt. They live on the meat and milk of the bosk. They are among the proudest peoples on Gor, regarding the dwellers of the cities of Gor as vermin in holes, cowards who must fly behind walls, wretches who fear to live beneath the broad sky, who dare not dispute them the open, windswept plains of their world. The bosk is said to be the Mother of the Wagon Peoples, and they reverence it as such. The man who kills one foolishly is strangled in thongs or suffocated in the hide of the animal he slew
Book 4, Nomads: pg 5 [b] I knew that they spoke a dialect of Gorean, and I hoped I would be able to understand them. If I could not I must die as befitted a swordsman of Ko-ro-ba. I hoped that I would be granted death in battle, if death it must be the Wagon Peoples, of all those on Gor that I know, are the only ones that have a clan of Torturers, trained as carefully as scribes or physicians, in the arts of detaining life. Book 4, Nomads: pg 9 [b] |
wagon, cage noun used to transport both male and female slaves, this wagon has bars surrounding it that can be light or heavy in strength depending on the slaves transported; male slaves are commonly chained by neck, ankles and wrists to wooden stalls within. [T]Waiting Hand holiday the 5-day period between the 12th Passage Hand and the beginning of the New Year, which begins on the Vernal Equinox
“” W
Another common type of slave wagon on Gor is the cage wagon which, depending on the stoutness of its bars and security, may be used for either men or women. The particular slave wagon in which I was fastened combined the features of the cage wagon and common slave wagon.
Book 14, Fighting Slave: pg 326 [b]
wagon, common slave noun used to transport female slaves, it is covered in yellow and blue canvas with a single central bar running the length of the floor where the girl's ankles are attached; this bar is hinged on one end, near the wagon box, and locked near the wagon's gate. [T]
“” W
There are varieties of slave wagons on Gor. A common type, used to transport female slaves, is covered with blue and yellow canvas. A central metal bar, hinged at one end, near the wagon box, and locked at the other, near the wagon bed's gate, usually occurs in such wagons. The girls' ankles are then chained about this bar. When the bar is freed and lifted they may then, still in their shackles, be removed through the rear of the wagon, the wagon gate being lowered.
Book 14, Fighting Slave: pg 325 [b]
wagon, display noun flat-bedded and used to transport female slaves, this wagon has a metal framework that allows girls to be chained in alluring positions and viewed easily by those passing; sometimes one end of the wagon is used as an auction block and girls are sold directly off the wagon. [T]
“” W
Another common type of wagon used generally in the transportation of women is the flat-bedded display wagon, with its mounted iron framework. The girls chained and manacled in various positions within and to this framework, sometimes compellingly attractive positions, are then visible. Sometimes buyers follow such wagons to the markets toward which they are bound.
Sometimes, however, the girls are sold directly from such wagons, the wagons being in effect themselves traveling markets. In such cases usually one side of the flat wagon bed is used as an auction platform, a small but suitable scaffolding on which may be well displayed the lineaments of the girl's beauty, and on which may be exacted from her the provocative performances demanded by cruel and merciless vendors of their beautiful, degraded merchandise.
Book 14, Fighting Slave: pg 326 [b]
wagon, ice noun a wagon specifically built to transport ice from ice houses to the residents of those Goreans wealthy enough to afford ice for the summer [T]
“” W
Some cold storage, of course, does exist. Ice is cut from ponds in the winter, and then stored in ice houses, under sawdust. One may go to the ice houses for it, or have it delivered in ice wagons. Most Goreans, of course, cannot afford the luxury of ice in the summer.
Book 16, Guardsman: pg 295 [b]
wagon justice noun a form of execution which involved tar and tallow, the contents from a wagon's grease bucket, and fire; a detailed description is not given, but it is noted as evidence of the Gorean's distaste of criminals. [T]
“” W
"Because of the storm, the rain and wind, another method of dealing with such fellows had not been suggested back there on the road, but it is not unknown. It is sometimes done as part of what is know as "wagon justice." I will not go into detail, but the method involves the tar and tallow, and fire. Goreans, as I have suggested, do not much approve of criminals.
Book 23, Renegades: pg 22 [b]
wagon, road noun a heavier wagon in comparison to one used within a city. [T]
“” W
Some were even street wagons, and not road wagons, the latter generally of heavier construction, built for use outside the city where roads may be little more than irregular paths, uneven, steep, rugged and treacherous.
Book 25, Magicians: pg 103 [b]
wagon, springless noun A wagon commonly used for public transportation for a fee, it has a jolting ride but is chosen many times by Free Women over the leather-slung fee cart because of the relative comfort of its ride. [T]
“” W
To be perfectly fair, however, most Goreans, and not just free women, will prefer the simple, jolting progress of a springless wagon to the often more rapid progress of a leather-slung fee cart.
Book 23, Renegades: pg 20 [b]
wagon, street noun a light weight wagon, used within a city. [T]
“” W
Some were even street wagons, and not road wagons, the latter generally of heavier construction
Book 25, Magicians: pg 103 [b]
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There are twelve twenty-five day Gorean months, incidentally, in most of
the calendars of the various cities. Each month, containing five
five-day weeks is separated by a five-day period, called the
Passage Hand, from every other month, there being one exception
to this, which is that the last month of the year is separated
from the first month of the year, which begins with the Vernal
Equinox, not only by a Passage Hand, but by another five day
period called the Waiting Hand.
Book 5, Assassin: pg 78 [b] On the first day of the Waiting Hand, the last five days of the old year, the portals of Ar, including that of even the House of Cernus, had been painted white, and in many of the low caste homes, sealed with pitch, not to be opened until the first day of En'Kara. Almost all doors, including that of the House of Cernus, had nailed to them some branches of the Brak Bush, the leaves of which, when chewed, have a purgative effect. It is thought that the pitch and the branches of the Brak Bush discourage entry of bad luck into the houses of the citizens. During the days of the Waiting Hand the streets are almost deserted, and in the houses there is much fasting, and little conversation, and no song. Book 5, Assassin: pg 211 [b] |
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"Wakapapi," said Cuwignaka to me. This is the Kaiila word for pemmican.
Book 18, Blood Brothers: pg 268 [tLi] |
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I watched the girl approach the slave. She approached in rapid, small steps, her head down, her hands to the side, slightly extended, palms back. Book 24, Magicians: pg 389 [C] |
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"Ali," I said. I should have guessed that. Kailiauk is the easternmost town
at the foot of the Thentis mountains. It lies almost at the edge
of the Ihanke, or Boundary. From its outskirts one can see the
markers, the feathers on their tall wands, which mark the
beginning of the country of the red savages.
Book 17, Savages: pg 77 [b] The wand before us was some seven or eight feet high. It is of this height, apparently, that it may be seen above the snow, during the winter moons, such as Waniyetuwi and Wanicokanwi. It was of peeled Ka-la-na wood and, from its top, there dangled two long, narrow, yellow, black-tipped feathers, from the tail of the taloned Herlit... Similar wands I could see some two hundred yards away, on either side, to the left and right. According to Grunt such wands line the perimeter, though usually not in such proximity to one another. They are spaced more closely together, naturally, nearer areas of white habitation. Book 17,Savages: pg 102 [tLi] |
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The word 'Waniyanpi' itself means literally 'tame cattle'. It is an
expression applied to the collectively owned slaves in these tiny
agricultural communities. The Kailiauk is a tribe federated with the Kaiila. They speak closely related dialects.
Book 17, Savages: pg 272 [b] "That men and women are the same," she said. "That is the central tenet of the Waniyanpi." Book 17, Savages: pg 291 [b] |
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On the other hand, the High Castes, specifically the Warriors, Builders, Scribes, Initiates, and Physicians
Book 1, Tarnsman of Gor" pg 41 [b] These tiers shared the color of that portion of the wall behind them, the caste colors. The tier nearest the floor, which denoted some preferential status, the white tier, was occupied by the Initiates, Interpreters of the Will of the Priest-Kings. In order, the ascending tiers; blue, yellow, green and red were occupied by representatives of the Scribes, Builders, Physicians, and Warriors. Book 1, Tarnsman: pg 61 |
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I had sought equipment, but I had found only a scabbard and a damaged helmet,
and soon the tarnsmen of Tharna would arrive. Using the Warrior's
Pace, a slow jog that can be prolonged for hours, I left the Compound of the Mines.
Book 2, Outlaw: pg 176 [b] |
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Warrior Societies in the tribes have many functions. They are a significant
component of tribal existence. Such societies, on an alternating
basis, do such things as keep order in the camps and on the
treks. They function, too, as guards and police. It is part of
their function, too, to keep the tribes apprised as to the
movements of kailiauk and to organize and police tribal hunts.
Such societies, too, it might, be noted, are useful in various
social ways. They provide institutions through which merit can be
recognized and rewarded, and tribal traditions freshened,
maintained and renewed. They preserve medicine bundles, keep
ceremonies and teach histories. It is common for them to give
feasts and hold dances. Their rivalries provide an outlet for
intratribal aggression, and the attendant competitions supply an
encouragement for effort and a stimulus to excellence. Within the
society itself, of course, the members profit from the values of
alliance, camaraderie and friendship. Needless to say, each
society will have, too, its own medicines and mysteries.
Book 17, Savages: pg 260 [b] |
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The washing-booth was remarkably like the showers with which we are
familiar except that one may not regulate the flow of fluid. One
turns on the fluid by stepping into the booth and its amount and
temperature are controlled automatically. I had naturally
supposed the fluid to be simply water which it closely resembled
in appearance, and once had tried to fill my bowl for the morning
meal there, rather than ladling the water out of the water pan.
Choking, my mouth burning, I spat it out in the booth.
Book 3, Priest-Kings: pg 111 [b] |
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"What was your name among the Dust Legs?" I asked.
"Wasnapohdi," she said. "What does that mean?" I asked. "Pimples," she said. "You do not have any pimples," I said. "Master may have noticed that my thighs are not marked," she said. "Yes," I said. "I am not one of those girls from the towns, who has been branded," she said. "Oh, do not fear," she laughed, "that we are not well understood as slaves. In the camps, and among the tribes our red masters keep women such as I in our collars, to remove one of which without permission is death." Book 17, Savages: pg 238 [b] |
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Idly, with repulsion, I watched the body of the tharlarion in the
swamp. As the water lizard had fed, the carcass, lightened, had
shifted, rolling in the water. Now, in a matter of minutes, the
skeleton was visible, picked clean, the bones gleaming except where
the small lizards skittered about on them, seeking a last particle of flesh.
Book 1, Tarnsman: pg 85 [C] |
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Besides the spear and sword, the crossbow and long bow were permitted, and
these later weapons perhaps tended to redistribute the
probabilities of survival somewhat more broadly than the former
Book 1, Tarnsman: pg 46 [C] |
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I was pleased to see that the men of other castes and even castes as low
the Peasants, Saddle-Makers, the Weavers, the Goat-Keepers, the
Poets, and the Merchants
Book 3, Priest-Kings: pg 295 [C] Less impressive perhaps but even more essential to the operation of the House were its kitchens, its laundries, commissaries and storerooms; its medical facilities, in which dental care is also provided; its corridors of rooms for staff members, all of whom live in the House; its library, its records and files; its cubicles for Smiths, Bakers, Cosmeticians, Bleachers, Dyers, Weavers and Leather Workers.... Book 5, Assassin: pg 112 [tLi] |
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<Oryx> I'm going off for a bit to webmasterbate <pyxi{OcL}> yes, Master * pyxi{OcL} pouts, sniffles a bit <Oryx> What is troubling you, My kajira? <pyxi{OcL}> Master, does this one not please You? * Oryx laughs <Oryx> more than anything, little one, I'm just doing webmastering on My own webpage * pyxi{OcL} blushes Conversations in tLi, #the-Lara-inn |
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I have calculated this from the Weight, a Gorean unit of measurement based on the Stone, which is about four Earth pounds. A Weight is ten Stone.
Book 6, Raiders: pg 127 [b] |
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<slavey> well-wishes, Master Oryx * Oryx winces <slavey> did this one offend somehow, Master Oryx? <Oryx> that expression you used... where did you get it? <slavey> this one was taught that "be well" is a command, and should not be used. <Oryx> neither is Gorean, slavey. The only way to say "farewell" as a Gorean kajira is "this slave wishes you well" Conversations in tLi, #the-Lara-inn |
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"The wergild must be high," I speculated. The Forkbeard looked at me, and grinned. "It was set so high," said he, "out of the reach of custom and law, against the protests of the rune-priests and his own men, that none, in his belief, could pay it." "And thus," said I, "that your outlawry would remain in effect until you were apprehended or slain?" "He hoped to drive me from Torvaldsland," said Ivar. "He has not succeeded in doing so," I said. Ivar grinned. "He does not know where I am," said he. "If he did, a hundred ships might enter the inlet." "How much," asked I, "is the wergild?" "A hundred stone of gold," said Ivar. Book 9, Marauders: pg 94 [b] |
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Two weeks ago, some ten or fifteen sleeps ago, by rare fortune, we had managed
harpoon a baleen whale, a bluish, white-spotted blunt fin
Book 12, Beasts: pg 265 [b] |
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Suddenly, not more than a dozen feet from the boat, driving upward, rearing
vertically, surging, expelling, air in the great burst of noise,
shedding icy water, in a tangle of lines and blood, burst the
towering, cylindrical tonnage of the black Hunjer whale.
Book 12, Beasts: pg 258 [C] |
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Sometimes they managed to secure the northern shark, sometimes even the
toothed Hunjer whale or the common Karl whale, which was a
four-fluked, baleen whale.
Book 12, Beasts: pg 36 [b] |
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It is called the Whip Dance, the dance the girl upon the sand danced. She wore a delicate vest and belt of chains and jewels, with shimmering metal droplets attached. And she wore ankle rings, and linked slave bracelets, again with shimmering droplets pendant upon them; and a locked collar, matching. She danced under ships' lanterns, hanging from the ceiling of the paga tavern, it located near the wharves bounding the great arsenal. I heard the snapping of the whip, her cries. The dancing girls of Port Kar are said to be the best of all Gor. They are sought eagerly in the many cities of the planet. They are slave to the core, vicious, treacherous, cunning, seductive, sensuous, dangerous, desirable, excruciatingly desireable.
Book 6, Raiders: pg 100 [b] |
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The whip knife is a delicate weapon, and can be used with elegance,
with finesse; it is, as far as I know, unique to Port Kar.
Book 6, Raiders: pg 107 [b] |
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It is regarded as second only to the five-lash Gorean slave whip, used also
in the south, and what among the men of Torvaldsland is called
the whip of the furs, in which the master, with his body,
incontrovertibly teaches the girl her slavery.
Book 9, Marauders: pg 66 [C] |
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He moved about the wagon and climbed to the wagon box. I heard, in a moment,
his shouting to the lead beast, and the crack of the tharlarion
whip. The whip, incidentally, seldom falls on the beast. Its
proximity, and noise, are usually more than sufficient. Too, it
often functions as an attention-garnering device, a signal, so to
speak, preparing the beast for the sequent issuance of verbal
commands, to which it is trained to respond.
Book 23, Renegades: pg 12 [b] |
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We stopped by the framework of poles, which I had seen before. There was a horizontal pole, itself set on two pairs of poles, leaning together and lashed at the top. I had thought, when first I had seen it, that it was a pole for hanging meat. The horizontal pole was about nine feet high. Beneath its center, on the ground, there was an iron ring. This ring was set in a heavy stone, which was buried in the ground. I stood there, beneath the pole, by Ute's side. I held the greasy pan. "The girl's wrists," said Ute, "are tied together, and then she is tied. Suspended by the wrists, from the high pole. Her ankles are tied together and tied, some six inches from the ground, to the iron ring. That way she does not much swing. I looked at her, holding the pan. "This is a whipping pole," said Ute Book 7, Captive: pg 290 [tLi] |
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I went to the side of the room and, loosening the chain, lowered the chain.
Attached to the end of the chain, on the other side of the beam
ring, now descending, was a wide circle of steel, a steel ring,
some six inches in diameter. I stopped the chain where the steel
ring dangled at her belly. "You know what that is?" I asked her. "It is a whipping ring," she said. I tied her tethered wrists, by the free end of the strap to the ring. Book 15, Rogue: pg 127 [tLi] |
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The tables were covered with cloths of glistening white and a service of
gold. Before each guests there were tiny slices of tospit and
larma, small pastries, and, in a tiny golden cup, with a small
golden spoon, the clustered, black, tiny eggs of the white grunt.
Book 14, Fighting Slave: pg 276 [b] |
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"Are you white silk?" I asked.
"I am a virgin," she said. "Then you are white silk," I said. Book 13, Explorers: pg 172 [C] "It is hard for a white silk girl to be beautiful," said Targo. "Yes," said the guard, "but there is a good market for white silkers." Book 7, Captive: pg 88 [C] She took a white, silken ribbon and wrapped it five times about the collar, not tying it. I had been marked white silk. Book 7, Captive: pg 323 [tLi] The expression "red silk," in Gorean, tends to be used as a category in slaving, and also, outside the slaving context, as an expression in vulgar discourse, indicating that the woman is no longer a virgin, or, as the Goreans say, at least vulgarly of slaves, that her body has been opened by men. Its contrasting term is "white silk," usually used of slaves who are still virgins, or, equivalently, slaves whose bodies have not yet been opened by men. Book 18, Blood Brothers: pg 472 [JD] |
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Some well-known towns in the Vosk League are Victoria, Tafa and Fina. The farthest west town in the league is Turmus, at the delta. The farthest east is White Water.
Book 23, Renegades: pg 34 [b] Several ships coming and going, made their trips between Lara and the nearer downriver towns, such as White Water and Tancred's Landing. Book 6, Raiders: pg 43 [tLi] I had gone from Lara to White Water using the barge canal, to circumvent the rapids, and thence to Tancred's Lansing. Book 15, Rogue: pg 61 [tLi] |
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The first wine, a light white wine, was being deferentially served...
Book 14, Fighting Slave: pg 276 [C] |
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"'Wicayuhencanka'," she said, "words which mean Master."
Book 17: Savages of Gor, page 231 [C] |
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"What did Grunt, who is your master, the fellow in the broad-brimmed hat, call you?' I asked. "'Wicincala'," she said, "which means 'Girl', and 'Amomona', which means 'Baby' or 'Doll'." Book 17, Savages: pg 230 [b] |
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I was later called 'Wihinpaspa', which means lodge-pin or tent-pin,
probably because I was little and thin. Then later, as I have
mentioned, I was called 'Pimples', 'Wasnapohdi', which name,
partly because of habit, and partly because it amused my masters, was kept on me.
Book 17, Savages: pg 238 [T] |
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<Wukka> Winds and Steel *** Wukka leaves * Maitre_Charon laughs <Dracha> and beer in yer mug <Oryx> Do you know where that comes from, Charon? <Maitre_Charon> Of course. Tribesman, p 240 <Oryx> Not in My copy of Tribesman it doesn't <Maitre_Charon> Nor in mine... Conversations in tLi, #the-Lara-inn |
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"You may serve our guest," I said.
"In the manner in which I have been taught?" she asked. "Yes," I said. She made certain her knees were widely spread in the sand, and then she extended her arms, her head down, between them, the bowl held out to our young guest. "Water, captor?" she inquired. He took the bowl from her and, not taking his eyes off her, drank. "Unfortunately we have no wine," I said, "and, of course, she is not a slave." "Oh?" he said. "I refer to the 'Wine-Master' presentation," I said, "in which the slave offers not only wine to the master, but herself, and her beauty, for his consideration." Book 24, Vagabonds: pg 352 [tLi] |
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I saw some fellows gathered about a filled, greased wineskin. There
was much laughter. I went over to watch. He who manages to
balance on it for a given time, usually an Ehn, wins both the
skin and its contents. One pays a tarsk bit for the chance to
compete. It is extremely difficult, incidentally, to balance on
such an object, not only because of the slickness of the skin,
heavily coated with grease, but even more so because if its
rotundity and unpredictable movements, the wine surging within in. "Aii!" cried a fellow flailing about and then spilling from its surface. Book 25, Magicians: pg 36 [b] |
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Near her, on night, lying off her shore, silently, I heard the mating
whistles of the tiny, lovely Cosian wingfish is a small,
delicate fish; it has three or four slender spines in its dorsal
fin, which are poisonous. It is called the wingfish because it
can, on its stiff pectoral fins, for short distances, glide
through the air, usually in an attempt to flee small sea
tharlarion, who are immune to the poison of the spines. It is
also called a songfish, because, in their courtship rituals,
males and females thrust their heads from the water, uttering a
kind of whistle. Their livers are regarded as a delicacy.
Book 6, Raiders: pg 139 [tLi] |
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The Isbu, or Little-Stones band; the Casmu, or Sand, band; the Isanna, the
Little-Knife band; the Napoktan, or Bracelets, band; and the
Wismahi, or Arrowhead band, are the five bands which
constitute the Kaiila tribe.... The Wismahi, or Arrowhead, band is said by some to have once made their winter camp at the confluence of two rivers, the joining of the rivers resembling the point of an arrowhead. Others claim that they once lived in a flintrich area, and prior to the general availability of trade points, conducted a lively trade in flint with surrounding tribes. Book 18: Blood Brothers of Gor, page 10 |
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"Kodakiciyapi," said Grunt. "Hou, Koda. Hou, Mitakoda." 'Peace, friendship,'
had said Grunt, 'Greetings, friend. Greetings, my friend,' in
Dust Leg. He then added, in Kaiila, for good measure,
substantially the same message. "Hou, Kola. Hou, Mitakoda.
Olakota. Wolakota." 'Greetings, Friend. Greetings, my friend. Peace, Peace, Friendship.'
Book 17, Savages: pg 257 [b] |
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In the lower portion of the canopies, too, can be found heavier birds, such
as the ivory-billed woodpecker and the umbrella bird.
Book 13, Explorers: pg 311 [b] |
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His stature and burden proclaimed him a member of the Caste of Carriers
of Wood, or Woodsmen, that Gorean caste which, with the
caste of Charcoal Makers, provides most of the common fuel for
the Gorean cities.
Book 2, Outlaw: pg 27 [C] The Gorean woodsman, it might be mentioned, before he will strike a tree with his ax, speaks to the tree, begs its forgiveness and explains the use to which the wood will be put. Book 7, Captive: pg 237 [tLi] |
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She pointed to Grunt. "Wopeton," she said. "Akihoka, Zontaheca." I looked at Grunt. I knew one of his names among red savages was Wopeton, which means Trader, or Merchant. Book 17, Savages: pg 216 [b] |
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Ionicus was a master of work chains. He had several, the "red chain,"
the "green chain," "the yellow chain," and so on, each of which
boasted several hundred men. Supposedly these were free work chains,
"free" in the sense of not utilizing slaves.
Book 22, Dancer: pg 320 [b] |
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We did not know where lay the world's end, but we knew where It must be sought. The world's end was said to lie beyond Cos and Tyros, at the end of Thassa, at the world's edge. No man had sailed to the world's end and returned. It was not known what had occurred there. Some said that Thassa was endless, and there was no world's end, only the green waters extending forever, gleaming, beckoning the mariner and hero onward, onward until men, one by one, had perished and the lonely ships, their steering oars lashed in place, pursued the voyage in silence, until the timbers rotted and one day, perhaps centuries later, the brave wood, warm in the sun, sank beneath the sea.
Others said, in stories reminiscent of Earth, and which had doubtless there had their origin, that the world's end was protected by clashing rocks and monsters, and by mountains that could pull the nails from ships. Others said, similarly, that the end of the world was sheer, and that a ship might there plunge over the edge, to fall tumbling for days through emptiness until fierce winds broke it apart and the wreckage was lifted up to the bottom of the sea. In the maelstroms south and west of Tyros shattered planking was sometimes found. It was said that some of this was from ships which had sought the world's end. A ship had been prepared, set to sail to the world's end. It had been built by Tersites, the half-blind, mad shipwright, long scorned on Gor. Book 12, Beasts: pp 27-28 [tLi] |
| ~~X~~ |
| Preface A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z |
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As I rounded the tree, I stood aghast at the beast before me. It was large
yet somehow graceful, with long tawny fur reaching down to the
fetlocks of its six legs. Too, it seemed wholly unafraid, and
muchly involved in its feeding. Chewing calmly on what appeared
to be cud, it had a sort of wild intelligence in its jade-green
eyes that belied the rather rodent-like appearance of the two
enormous incisors in its lower jaw. It was a xyro, the
rarely-seen legendary heptoped of the Thentin forests.
The Writings of Oryx con Lara <Oryx> Xyro are much prized by Turians as herd beasts, for their fur, and as house pets. Because of their size, however, most Turians who indulge in xyro-keeping have but the one. <nineve{Rem}> housepets? <Oryx> of course! You know those wild and crazy Turians! <Oryx> Most Turians will deny ever having heard of the xyro. But you may rest assured, where where is a contented Turian household, there sprawls a well-fed Thentin xyro. <nineve{Rem}> sprawls? <Oryx> certainly... you don't expect a well-fed xyro to stand after a meal, do you? <nineve{Rem}> it's hard to say. not in Turia. But, Master... xyro are native to the Thentis area, far to the north of Turia <Oryx> Precisely! That's why they are so prized! Conversations in tLi, #the-Lara-inn <Elisabetta> Oh look, a rumination of xyros * Elisabetta laughs <Oryx> Fine rumination of xyros you have, Farel * Elisabetta looks out over the beasts <Farel> Yes, I got them from prime Thentin breeding stock The Travels of Oryx con Lara, vol XXXIX |
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| Preface A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z |
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In the thinking
of the Wagon Peoples it is called the Omen Year, though the
Omen Year is actually a season, rather than a year, which
occupies a part of two of their regular years, for the Wagon
Peoples calculate the year from the Season of Snows to the
Season of Snows; Turians, incidentally, figure the year from
summer solstice to summer solstice; Goreans generally, on
the other hand, figure the year from vernal equinox to vernal
equinox, their new year beginning, like nature's, with the
spring; the Omen Year, or season, lasts several months, and
consists of three phases, called the Passing of Turia, which
takes place in the fall; the Wintering, which takes place
north of Turia and commonly south of the Cartius, the
equator of course lying to the north in this hemisphere; and
the Return to Curia, in the spring, or, as the Wagon Peoples
say, in the Season of Little Grass.
Book 4, Nomads: pg 12 [tLi] |
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The year names are kept in living memory by the Year Keepers, some
of whom can recall the names of several thousand consecutive years.
Book 4, Nomads: pg 12 (footnote) [b] |
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Then, in its presence they are stripped and collared. They are then, by
the young men, bound with the yellow cords, so that they
will know their feel. Afterwards, they are usually conducted home
by one of the young men, often he whose cords have bound them,
and who may be interested in their acquisition, on his leash,
usually to the home of their mother's owner, usually their
father, to whom, in virtue of such a ceremony, they now legally
count as slave, who will see to their disposition, or sale.
Book 24, Vagabonds: pg 268 [b] |
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But doubtless by then I would have been half digested, much of me little
more than a cream of fluids and proteins then mixing with and
nourishing the substance of my devourer the Yellow Pool of Turia.
Book 4, Nomads: pg 202 [b] |
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"Two societies are represented among the Kaiila here," said Grunt. "Most belong to the All Comrades,
and one belongs to the Yellow-Kaiila Riders. The fellow in the background, with his war shield in its
case, is a member of the Yellow-Kaiila Riders. That may be told by the stylized yellow kaiila print,
outlined in red, on the flanks of his beast, over the red horizontal bars."
Book 17, Savages: pg 314 |
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"It is unusual, is it not, for the Dust Legs to be on the rampage?" I asked.
I had understood them to be one of the most peaceful of the tribes of the Barrens.
Indeed, they often acted as intermediaries between the men of the settlements and
the wilder tribes of the interior, such as the Yellow Knives, the Sleen and Kaiila.
Book 17, Savages: pg 148 [b] |
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She was dressed, save for her bondage strings,
in much the same way as most of the women of the red hunters,
bare-breasted, with high boots and panties. Thistle, however,
behind her, was naked, in a northern yoke and on a leather leash.
The northern yoke is either of wood or bone, and is drilled in
three places. The one Thistle wore was of wood. It was not heavy.
It passed behind her neck at which point one of the drilled holes
occurred. The other two holes occurred at the terminations of the
yoke. A leather strap is knotted about the girl's wrist, passed
through the drilled hole at one end of the yoke, usually that on
her left, taken up through the hole behind the neck, looped twice
about her neck, threaded back down through the center hole, taken
up through the other hole at the end, usually the one at her
right, and tied about her right wrist. She is thus fastened in
the yoke. From each end of the yoke hung a large sack.
Book 12, Beasts: pg 197 [b] |
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Several pairs of strong hands seized me, and I caught a glimpse of a heavy,
curved, silverish object. I tried to rise but was pressed down,
my face to the stone. A heavy object, thick as a hinged beam, was
thrust beneath and over my throat. My wrists were held in
position, and the device closed on my throat and wrists. With a
sinking sensation I heard the snap of a heavy lock. "He's yoked," said a voice. Book 2, Outlaw: pg 91 [tLi] My senses reeled, my body, tortured by the weight of the silver yoke, now wrapped in the flames of the whip, shook with uncontrollable agony. Book 2, Outlaw: pg 102 [tLi] In spite of the yoke I struggled to a cross-legged sitting position, and shook my head. In the food pan I saw half a loaf of coarse bread. Yoked as I was, there was no way to pick it up and get it to my mouth. I might crawl to it on my belly, and if my hunger were great enough, I knew I must, but the thought angered me. The yoke was not simply a device to secure a man, but to humiliate him, to treat him as if he were a beast. Book 2, Outlaw: pg 102 [tLi] |
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| Preface A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z |
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I heard, a short time later, wings, the alighting of one or more large birds.
Such birds, broad-winged, black and white, from afar, follow the
marches to Klima; their beaks, yellowish, narrow, are long and
slightly hooked at the end, useful for probing and tearing. The
birds scattered, squawking, as a Kaiila sped past. The birds are called zads.
Book 10, Tribesmen: pg 232 [C] |
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One was attacked even by zads, clinging to it and tearing at it with their
long, yellowish, slightly curved beaks. These were jungle zads.
They are less to be feared than desert zads, I believe, being
less aggressive. They do, however, share one ugly habit with the
desert zad, that of tearing out the eyes of weakened victims.
That serves as a practical guarantee that the victim, usually an
animal, will die. Portions of flesh the zad will swallow and
carry back to its nest, where it will disgorge the flesh into the
beaks of its fledglings. The zad is, in its way, a dutiful parent.
Book 13, Explorers: pg 415 [b] |
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The zadit is a small, tawny-feathered, sharp-billed bird. It feeds
on insects. When sand flies and other insects, emergent after
rains, infest kaiila, they frequently light on the animals, and
remain for some hours, hunting insects. This relieves the kaiila
of the insects but leaves it with numerous small wounds, which
are unpleasant and irritating, where the bird had dug insects out
of its hide.
Book 10, Tribesmen: pg 152 [C] |
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Between them they had, in the crusts, scratched a board for Zar.
This resembles the Kaissa board. Pieces, however, may he placed only
on the intersections of lines either within or at the edges of the
board. Each player has nine pieces of equal value which are
originally placed on the intersections of the nine interior vertical
lines with what would be the rear horizontal line, constituted by the
back edge of the board, from each player's point of view. The corners
are not used in the original placement, though they constitute
legitimate move points after play begins. The pieces are commonly
pebbles, or bits of verr dung, and sticks. The "pebbles" move first.
Pieces move one intersection at a time, unless jumping. One may jump
either the opponent's pieces or one's own. A jump must be made to an
unoccupied point. Multiple jumps are permissible. The object is to
effect a complete exchange of original placements. The first player
to fully occupy the opponent's initial position wins. Capturing, of
course, does not occur. The game is one of strategy and maneuverability.
Book 10, Tribesman: pg 265 [b] |
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I did see a large, harmless zarlit fly, purple, about two feet long
with four translucent wings, spanning about a yard, humming over the
surface of the water, then alighting and, on its pad-like feet, daintily picking its way across the surface.
Book 6, Raiders: pg 5 [b] The zarlit fly is very large, about two feet long, with four large, translucent wings, with a span of about a yard. It has large, pad like feet on which, when it alights, it can rest on the water, or pick its way delicately across the surface. Most of them are purple. Their appearance is rather formidable and can on |