Voltai Mountain Region

The Voltai Mountains are the largest and highest mountain range on Gor.  They are sometimes referred to as the Red Mountains due to its common reddish cliffs.  The reddish color comes from heavy concentrations of iron oxide within the stone.  The Voltai Mountains are located south of the Vosk River and east of Ar.  You can see the highest cylinders of Ar from certain areas of the Voltai Mountains.  The Fulvian Hills, located northeast of Ar, are foothills of the Voltai.  The Fulvian Hills have become a location for villas of the citizens of Ar, small white-washed homes.  A few roads wind through these hills reaching some of the isolated villas.      The Voltai Mountains are inhabited by many different forms of wildife.  The verr and the larl are two creatures very prevalent in the rocky crags of this range.  The verr is a long-haired mountain goat. It possesses spiral horns and can be quite belligerent.  Goreans have bred and domesticated a breed of short-haired verr.  The larl is a feline creature indigenous to most mountain areas, especially the Voltai.  They are solely wild creatures and no one has ever been able to tame one.  They are possibly the most successful predator on Gor, next to man.  Men often come to the Voltai to hunt the elusive larl.  Larl hunters commonly wield a spear to hunt them, traveling in a single file.  When they encounter a larl, the first person in line, the First Spear, hurls his spear at the beast and then drops to the ground, covering himself with his shield.  He hopes to kill it with his strike but if he fails, he wants the next man in line to have a clear shot.  Each man in line will do the same except for the last man, the Last Spear.  The Last Spear, if the larl is not dead after his throw of the spear, must then face the creature alone with his gladius.  This will allow the other hunters time to escape.  The Last Spear will likely die fighting the vicious larl.  The first hunter in line is commonly the best spearsman of the group and the last man in line is the least skilled.  If they kill the larl, the hunter who did so will eat a piece of its heart.  This is meant to bring good luck and the heart of the larl brings more luck than that of a sleen.      The Voltai Mountains are also the home of many men, including outlaws.  Small raider camps can be easily hidden within the crags and caves of the Voltai.  There are a number of isolated, mountain fortresses within the Voltai as well as a couple of cities.  The southern section of the Voltai is the most inhabited area and considered the safer section.  Most of the settlements within the Voltai have received little description within the books.  They have maintained a certain air of mystery about them.  Most of the inhabitants of the Voltai are tarnsmen as it would be difficult to access many areas of these mountains without the ability to fly.  A number of mercenary captains come from cities or fortresses within the Voltai.      Hochburg is a mountain fortress in the southern Voltai.  We know little of this place except that Conrad, a famous mercenary captain, comes from this location.  About 200 pasangs northwest of Hochburg is the high city of Tarnburg.  It is still considered to be within the southern reaches of the Voltai.  Tarnburg is also a mountain fortress and the books give little information concerning it.  We do know that Dietrich, an almost legendary mercenary captain, comes from Tarnburg.  Dietrich is a military and political genius.  His military campaigns, strategies and tactics are studied in war schools across Gor.  He has introduced many new military tactics to the art of war on Gor.  His mercenary army numbers around five thousand, a massive army for a mercenary captain to lead.  His services are very expensive but you are getting one of the best.  His standard is a silver tarn, mounted on a silver pole.      The city of the Voltai with the most recognizable name across Gor must be the city of Treve. The infamy of Treve is well known in many Gorean cities but most of what is known is rumor and supposition.  Facts about Treve are rare and the books have so far given us few hard facts about this bandit city.  Much of what will be described here is subject to change once more information about Treve is ever published.  Witness of Gor, the proposed 26th book of the Gorean series, should be the first Gor novel to take place in Treve.  From the available information, Witness will deal with Marlenus and his attack on Treve.  We should learn much more about the true workings of Treve.  Thus, this new book is eagerly awaited, to help fill in a void of information concerning the infamous Treve.      The exact location of Treve within the Voltai is a well-kept secret though there is some speculation as to its general location within the mountains.  Some Gorean maps show its suspected location as about 700 pasangs from Ar, toward the Sardar.  It is thought that it is a mountain fortress, accessible only by tarn.  There are no established trade routes to the city. The few Merchants and ambassadors that are permitted to deal with Treve must allow themselves to be hooded and bound.  Treve will not allow anyone to come to their city except as slave or captive . Any woman coming to Treve can only enter as a hooded, naked slave girl. Such woman will be commonly bound across a tarn saddle.  The loyalty of its citizens must be strong for no one to have betrayed the location of the city to outsiders.  Many cities would pay dearly to learn the true location of Treve.      Treve, also known as the Tarn of the Voltai, is a city of war.  Though its form of government is never mentioned in the books, it is likely that a Ubar rules.  Treve has many skilled tarnsmen and they rank with those of Thentis, Ko-ro-ba and Ar.  It is their tarnsmen that are seen the most outside of their city.  They are the primary representatives of Treve to the rest of Treve.  They are the raiders who plunder the cities of Gor, capturing women and supplies.  Treve apparently does not engage in agriculture and there may not be a Peasant Caste in Treve.  Instead, Treve raids the harvests of others for their necessary food supplies. Each autumn, they choose an area to raid.  They steal what they can carry and then destroy the rest, often by burning it.  This is to prevent the victim from having sufficient supplies to retaliate against Treve.   Without those supplies, any counterattack would have to be very short.  The victim would not have sufficient supplies to mount a protracted campaign.  Each year, they generally choose a different area to plunder.      Treve does avoid certain cities.  It has never attacked Thentis, likely because Thentis has superb tarnsmen and also because Thentis is a mountain city like itself.  Treve once raided the fields of Ko-ro-ba but no longer do so.  This is a recent development that occurred during the reign of Matthew Cabot.  Ko-ro-ba set up a series of warning beacons to alert the city in case of attack.  These beacons would enable Ko-ro-ba to swiftly react to any attack.  This would thwart Treve who would hope to make a lighting raid against a few defenders.  When instead they would be faced with a large contingent of Koroban tarnsmen, they chose to attack elsewhere.  Treve also does not attack the extensive fields of Ar.      There is some confusion in the books concerning the history of Treve and Ar.  One passage states that about one hundred years ago, Treve and Ar fought a major battle in the skies over the Voltai.  The battle ended in a stalemate and since that time, Treve has no longer attacked Ar's fields.  Another passge states that several years before 10126 C.A., Ar and Treve were involved in a terrible aerial battle over the Voltai, thought to be one of the "bloodiest tarn wars ever."  Again, this was a stalemate though a costly battle to both sides.  It is not clear if these are supposed to be two separate battles or if Norman made an error on the time frame in the original passage.      Whichever is the case, Ar chose to strike back once again against Treve.  In 10129 C.A., Marlenus, Ubar of Ar, chose to lead a punitive raid against Treve.  A force of tarnsmen followed him into the Voltai but unfortunately nothing is known of the results.  The fate of Marlenus is to be told in Witness of Gor but who knows when that will be published.  It is while Marlenus is gone, that traitors within Ar, including his daughter Talena, allow Cos to capture the city.  Indirectly, Treve was thus responsible for the downfall of Ar by preventing Marlenus from returning too quickly to Ar to handle the situation.      Much of the rest of the information concerning Treve in the novels are small facts and rumors that will be listed here.      The Warriors of Treve are said to be "fierce and brave."  They are fond of warm wines. They also enjoy combing the hair of their slaves.      The women of Treve are said to be "proud and beautiful."  Few women of Treve ever become slaves outside of Treve.  They are a rarity and highly prized by collectors.  As the location of Treve is secret, other Gorean cities cannot raid it to steal their women.  They can only try to capture Treve women who venture out of the city, though few free women of Treve seem to leave the city.  It is possible that the free women of Treve may not be required to wear veils and robes of concealment within Treve.  Though they most likely must dress modestly, there is little need to hide their beauty from outsiders within Treve.  Robes and veils are a form of protection against raiders who are less likely to capture an unknown woman.  Without that peril, the women might be permitted some leeway.      All five of the High Castes exist in Gor but it is unknown how each is treated within Treve. The Peasant Caste may not exist in Treve as agriculture appears not to exist.  If anything, some Peasants may raise domestic animals for meat.      Treve has some silver mines, an additional source of income for them, though the mines are not as rich as the silver mines of Tharna.      Treve has spies in many of the cities of Gor.  They keep in touch with current events and keep Treve aware of threats or opportunities.      The men of Treve commonly do not conceal their identities though obviously some do.  The spies of Treve conceal their identity.  The famed Rask of Treve is notorious for his skill in disguises.      There is a saying among Goreans that Treve is a "worthy enemy."  Treve is respected for their prowess, bravery and boldness. Their tarnsmen are seen as highly skilled Warriors.      "Civititas Trevis" translates as "I am of the city of Treve."      Treve mints its own coins, each bearing the mark of Treve, a "tau," the Gorean letter "T."      Treve raiders often mark their plunder by attaching a small, metal leaf.  The leaf bears the mark of Treve and also bears the identity of its owner.  When claiming slave girls, the leaf will be attached to a wire and that wire will be attached to a girl's earlobe like an earring.  Even if the girl's ears are not pierced, they will pierce it then and there with the wire.      The common slave brand of Treve is a cursive "tau" that is about 1.5 inches high.      There is a simple collaring ceremony in Treve, used when a man of Treve first collars a new slave.  The woman is brought before the man and she removes all of her clothes.  The man will then say to her "submit." The woman will immediately kneel, lower her head and extend her arms.  She will cross her wrists so that they can be bound.  She will then state her name, caste and city and that she submits to the man, giving his name, caste and city.  For example, she might say the following:  "I, Physician, Rachel, of the city of Vonda, to the Warrior, Rask of the High City of Treve, herewith submit myself as a slave girl.  At his hands I accept my life and my name, declaring myself his to do with as he pleases."  The man will then quickly bind her wrists with a length of binding fiber, likely using a Warrior's capture knot.  The slave girl is then asked to read the words on her collar.  Commonly, it will say "I am the property of…."  The collar will then be locked around her neck.  Finally, after she is collared, she will say "I am yours, Master."  The ceremony will then be completed. People of Treve:      Here are a few people of Treve of note in the books. Terence of Treve:   He is a mercenary captain most noted for aiding Port Kar in its epic sea battle against Cos and Tyros.  Terence controls a mercenary army of tarnsmen.  He took a contract with Tarl Cabot to place his tarns aboard Port Kar ships and then release them far out to sea.  The tarns fought well and helped turn the tide against Cos and Tyros.  Normally, tarns cannot be flown out to sea but when they found themselves surrounded on all sides by the sea, they did not panic at all. T erence would be unlikely to take a contract against Ar due to Treve's past relationship with Ar. Vika of Treve:  Vika was the daughter of a Physician and a Passion Slave.  She chose to journey to the Sardar Mountains, hoping to seduce the Priest-Kings and acquire vast riches. Instead, she was turned into a chamber slave by the Priest-Kings.  Tarl Cabot eventually helps free her from the Priest-Kings.  She chooses to go to Ar to become a Physician. Rask of Treve:  The most infamous of the men of Treve mentioned in the books has to be Rask. Like Treve itself, there are many myths and legends about Rask.  Rask is broad chested and broad shouldered, with a large head surmounted by shaggy black hair.  His skin is very tanned, mostly from wind burn as he is a tarnsman.  His eyes are dark and predatory.  The list of adjectives used to describe him is near endless such as young, audacious, ruthless, powerful, brutal, bold, resourceful, brilliant, and elusive.  Though most men of Treve dislike hiding their identity, Rask is a master of disguise.  He is a superb swordsman and a master tarnsman.  It is rumored that his parents are dead and that he loves flowers.  We must remember that to a Gorean, a warrior that love flowers is not a lesser man.  Most Goreans love nature and it is not unusual for a Warrior to care for such matters.      His reputation concerning women is muchly discussed.  He is said to have a ravenous appetite for women, preferably free woman.  He will never buy a woman though, only steal them.  He is also said to despise women.  He is alleged to only use a woman once, brand her with his mark and then discard her.  He brands her so that she will belong to him no matter who her owner may be.  This is counter to general Gorean custom that a brand does not identify a girl's owner.  He will only use her once because he believes that in that single time, he has exhausted everything of value from her.  She will then possess nothing further to attract him. Despite this brutality, many women fantasize about spending a night in his collar.  Yet, Rask does succumb to love in Captive of Gor.  The Earth girl, Elinor Brinton, touches his heart and though he tries to send her away, he must have her back.  He even pays Tarl Cabot to have her once again, paying 100 gold tarns for her.