A little debate...

Hello and Welcome back,

It seems my last article sparked a little debate. So I would like to address those things that were brought up. First there was a comment left about if there should or should not be an Ubar in Treve. Most references I have found lists Treve as having an Administrator. Though it could be assumed, if anyone could make war on Treve, Treve would choose an Ubar, like any other city. Though that is just a guess. Our AOLGor perception of the books is skewed, so many things are not played correctly (Port Kar's Admirals being one example).

Secondly, someone brought up, that I was saying that anyone can just meander up and challenge an Administrator or Ubar, for any such reason. I would like to say, no. That's not what I was saying. Allow me to clarify. Any warrior can challenge any other warrior, on a basis of honor, respect, position, etc. Challenges are not entered or made lightly (theoretically). The key to this is the challenge must have basis. You cannot challenge someone for wearing the wrong shoes. You can challenge someone for being dishonorable. It is judged on a case by case basis. Now to be an Administrator is to be a peace-time leader. ANY MALE can be an Administrator. From Physician on down. Administrators are removed by a legal action for legal wrong-doing or ineffectiveness. Ubars MUST be warriors. They have absolute power in war-time. But, a Warrior can be challenged by another warrior. In addition, Ubars must step down when the time of war is over. Any Ubar who does not, is often overthrown by his warriors.

Thirdly, I got an email from Alain Lassiter that I would like to respond too.

The Codes of the Warrior.

A while back there was an issue with a Warrior being brought before the Caste of Warriors for trial. His charges included violations of the codes. It was said that he violated one or more codes of the Warriors and should be removed from his Caste and his position with the Caste. Several numbered "Aphorisms" were listed as the various codes that he had broken.

It would make sense, if you are going to charge someone have a list of the supposed crimes they committed right? However the fault was that there is only one Aphorism listed out by number in the books. The 97th Aphorism, which appears in Book 24 Vagabonds of Gor.
In all 25 books there are only 2 times the word "Aphorism" is used. Both are in Vagabonds, both are in the same chapter and same page.

(The below is the property of John Norman all rights reserved to him, reproduced for editorial comment only.)
“Are you of the Warriors?” asked Labienus.
“Yes,” I said.
“Hear,” said Labienus to his men. “He is of the Warriors.”
“He says he is,” said a fellow, glumly.
“What is the 97th Aphorism in the Codes?” inquired Labienus.
“My scrolls may not be those of Ar,” I said. To be sure, the scrolls should be, at least among the high cities, in virtue of conventions held at the Sardar Fairs, particularly the Fair of En’Kara, much in agreement.
“Will you speak?” asked Labienus.
“Remove the female,” I said.
“He is a Warrior,” said one of the men.
One of the men lifted the bound Ina in his arms, one hand behind the back of her knees, and the other behind her back, and carried her from where we were gathered. In a few moments he returned.
“The female is now out of earshot?” inquired Labienus, staring ahead.
“Yes,” said the fellow, “and she will stay where I left her, on her back, as I tied her hair about the base of a stout shrub.”
“The 97th Aphorism in the Codes I was taught,” I said, “is in the form of a riddle: “What is invisible but more beautiful than diamonds?”
“And the answer?” inquired Labienus.
“That which is silent but deafens thunder.”
The men regarded one another.
“And what is that?” asked Labienus.
“The same,” said I, “as that which depresses no scale but is weightier than gold.”
“And what is that?” asked Labienus.
“Honor,” I said.
“He is of the Warriors,” said a man. Plenius turned away, stricken.
“But I have, in my time,” I said, “betrayed such codes.” Plenius turned back, to regard me, a strange expression on his face.
“I think it is easy enough to do,” I said.
“Yes,” smiled Labienus. “I think that we all, here and there, in our time, have managed that.”
“You are very kind,” I said.


The above, is the ONLY place in the books where an Aphorism of the codes is listed. The ONLY place. Once more.. The Only Place.

So anyone who claims to have a website, or know 100 Aphorisms of the codes, has made them up. They are perhaps Gorean flavored, or intended to be Gorean, but they are not Gorean, nor are many of them of the codes known from the books of Gor. Perhaps some day John Norman will produce a "Compendium" of Gor, an official, guidebook to the setting and characters. Inclusive of the Codes of the Warriors, the Aphorisms, the codes of various castes, the little details that will fill in the cracks we have now on AOLGOR; however until that time, all we have to go on for what IS Gorean and what is NOT, is the 25 published Books of Gor by John Norman.

These books, I do not believe were ever meant for the scrutiny of a roleplaying world. John Norman built himself a world, much like other writers have done before him and after him, but he left holes in it. We have an incomplete Gorean Language, an incomplete understanding of medical technology, ect. I have found the exact same listing of the aphorisms on no less than four other webpages. Someone more diligent and wiser than I must have come up with the 100 aphorisms, and so far as I can tell, a great number of them have quotes to back them up.

"What is it to be a warrior? It is to keep the codes. Nothing else matters." (Beasts of Gor, p.340)

"One does not speak to a slave of the codes" (Beasts of Gor, p.340)

Now I can argue the merits of the 100 Aphorisms with you, until we are both blue in the face. You will say, "because they are not in the books they do not exist, therefore they are not Gorean." And I will return with, "much of what we do not do is listed in the books. How many have rped their character's pilgrimage to the Sadar? How many have rped their stabilization? How many women are branded and then freed? These people who have not or have ever been guilty of not staying true to the books 100% in all things, are therefore not Gorean, and able to be ignored. And if you support their rp choices, you are not Gorean, therefore you should be ignored."

One of the tandamount problems with AOLGor, is that there are gaps in John Norman's world. And we as muns cannot agree on how best to fill those gaps, so we each take our stands and lead off in our own way, and ignore any other way of thinking. I, for one, believe the 100 Aphorisms to be Gorean. They embody what I think defines a warrior, they fill in the gap. I did not write them, but I respect the person who had the wisdom to sit and write them. You don't have to agree with me, and you can continue along your way. But I would challenge you to think on this. What if we did agree? What if there was a set listing of all the gaps in John Norman's writings filled? Is this a possibility? Can we as muns sit down like adults and work out these things and compromise? Or are our muns so fragmented that the thought of submitting to another's ideas to be silly?

I wish you well.

For tomorrow is another day.

Mun of Torrin

(Also, I am accepting articles to be published in the paper. I am taking any sort of editorials on Gorean roleplay, logs of improper Gorean play, crossing, or un-Gorean characters of play)

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