Real Gor

     We have all seen the topics: "True Gor", "Gorean War Camp", "Real Gor", "This is Gor", "Gorean Tavern", "Gorean Camp", "Gorean Slave Training Hall", "Gorean Inn", "Gorean Castle", "Gorean This", "Gorean That", and so on and so forth. All these little catch phrases designed to attract people to the channel. What do we find in these different places? Considering that they have different topics, they must be different. Let's take a look.

     Clicking into the channel labeled "True Gor", we are greeted by freepeople and slaves. Ok, let's take a seat to watch. As we watch we can see slaves moving around, serving paga or ka-la-na, perhaps a few freepeople "watching" the slaves serve. Another slave enters the door, begs to enter (as if she will be denied) and quickly moves to the serving furs to kneel. A few moments later she may ask to serve. Maybe she will be taken up on it, maybe she will not. As we continue to watch, we see the screen filled by the pink text of slaves serving and freepeople watching. Interspersed among the pink text we may see a few scattered lines of black text, written by people attempting to sound as Gorean as they possibly can. Another person enters the channel with a sudden flourish of pink action text, describing his powerfully built, dark tanned, 6 foot 6 frame. His invariably dark eyes slowly scan the channel for any signs of danger, (?) and he pulls his black hood back, revealing that he does not wear the black dagger upon his forehead (whew! A feeling of relief spreads through the channel). He then addresses the channel in a very deep and darkly sombre voice: "Tal" says he in the scary looking black cape, and sits. (I have shortened this entrance description a bit, due to the rence paper shortage Gor is currently suffering) Ok... that was annoying, now let's scroll back up the screen a bit to see what we missed as this person entered with his 3/4 page long popup. Nothing much it seems. We sit for a few more minutes. The unnoticed slave who came in after us asks permission to leave. It is granted. We follow.

     Scrolling once again through the channel listing, we see a "Gorean War Camp". This looks excitingly different. We pop in to look around and find things to be very similar to the "True Gor" channel we just left. Slaves serving, freepeople watching, more coming and going. We click out, going back to the channel listing, still looking for something, and there it is, in big capital letters: "REAL GOR". This must be it, so we click in, and have a look. Now this is different! Lots of yelling and screaming here about honor and truth and So-n-so is a dead man, and such-n-such{W} dishonored Whoever by not staying in the "Camp" where she was chained. Interested (although amused), we stay to watch the goings on. Moments later another person enters the channel and is given a @ by ChanOp. Immediately he is set upon by one of the other screaming @'s in the channel and is kick/banned! ChanOp then suddenly decides to give a @ to a slave, and she proceeds to kick/ban the person who just kick/banned the newcomer! Then she herself starts rambling on about truth and honor and this and that and behave yourselves... She is then grabbed by someone, and killed. We start to laugh, and consider leaving, but we stay, only to record this sequence of events if only to remind ourselves never again to come to "REAL GOR". With a sinking feeling, we return to the channel listing and see a "Gorean Tavern". This has got to be what we are looking for. Surely, there are some real people somewhere, so we enter. More pink text being typed out by slaves, more lines of text containing a few Gorean words to make it realistic... with an audible sigh, we leave. Continuing down the channel listing, we see more "Gor This" and "Gor That"... then, you see a topic that catches your eye, and decide to look.

     Entering the channel, you are greeted and welcomed by friendly smiles and some pretty non-standard "Hello's". You say hello, and decide to watch, since the screen doesn't seem to be filled with much pink text, and is easy to follow. People are actually talking here. You sit quietly to watch, perhaps not sure of what is expected of you here. As you watch the conversation, you see the slaves speaking to the freepeople present with the respect due their station, and the freepeople speaking back to the slaves, in what you might think of as a normal, everyday tone of voice. You look back up at the topic, and yes, it does say "Gorean". You ask about the "Lifestyles" part of the topic, and might recieve a variety of different answers, all with the same bottom line: This is a discussion channel for those who either seek the "Lifestyle" of Gor, or those who live it. There is little roleplay here, it being limited to perhaps a slave kneeling at a Master's feet as they talk, or a Master stroking a slave's hair as he speaks. There is no service. There is no acting. Only people being themselves, speaking as they would normally speak in "r/l". You wonder how this can be Gor? Of course you do...

     There are many people who actually live life by the "philosophy" which has been set down in the books of Norman. This is not limited to being a "Master", or a "slave", but encompasses many other aspects of Gor: Truth, honor, honesty, respect, pride, duty, etc. etc. These are some of the many "tangibles" that can be applied to our everyday lives. Does this make us "Gorean"? I would say yes. Is this what you will find in this discussion channel you have ventured into? Yes, you will find these things here. Does this sound too "real" for you? Then don't come. Reality can be a frightening thing for many people. Interested? Perhaps you are...

     Welcome to the #Silk&Steel discussion channel on Austnet. All who have the capacity for rational thought and intelligent discussion are welcome here. New to Gor? Stop in and learn some realities. You will have to go elsewhere to learn to serve paga. Curious? Come in and watch. Have a topic to discuss? Bring it. If you have the courage to be yourself, then we welcome you to "real" Gor.

I wish you well