A New Face, a Salt Dispute, and Lessons Ahead

Regions: Turmus,Olni

Events: Welcoming Freya of Thentis,Morning Blackwine,Salt Bounty Discussion,Class Calendar Work

A Visitor Lost Beneath Turmus

My day began early in Turmus, where I met a visibly upset woman who had found her way into the maze beneath the city. She introduced herself as Freya Moonchild of Thentis and blamed the Harbor Master, Zino, for telling her to explore without warning her about what she might find below. She had feared that she would not make her way out again.

After she had calmed, Freya explained that Zino had suggested she might find business opportunities in Turmus. The passage had been inexpensive, so she decided to visit. She complimented the city and told me that she belonged to the Slavers’ Caste. Her business at her Home Stone had declined because of circumstances she did not fully explain, and she was considering some form of import and export trade involving rarities.

The city’s slaver was not expected to be available for some time, and Carola was busy, so I offered Freya a beverage and led her to the inn. I showed her the restaurant, the rooms, and the place where several of us free women gather for blackwine in the mornings. I told her that four of us could sit comfortably before we needed to add more chairs.

Freya spoke warmly of Thentis and admitted that blackwine was one of the things she missed most while traveling. I told her she would be welcome to join us, since we always enjoy speaking with women from other cities.

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Blackwine with Freya and Carola

Carola arrived a short time later, and I introduced the two women. Freya explained that she had not yet arranged passage back to Thentis and might remain in Turmus for a while. Carola and I both encouraged her to stay.

Freya had no intention of sleeping aboard the Harbor Master’s ship. Carola warned that doing so could compromise a free woman and advised her to ignore unwanted advances. I offered Freya the inn room bearing the reserved sign, explaining that it had once been my room. She accepted the suggestion and said she hoped to continue exploring Turmus over the next several days.

After Freya left, Carola admitted that she could not quite understand her. Freya did not behave as roughly as Carola expected of a slaver, and Carola wondered whether she might be in disguise. Carola also observed that Turmus needed active merchants who understood their products more than it needed another slaver or another member of the High Castes.

I thought Freya seemed pleasant and interested in becoming involved in the city. Whatever her full story might be, I saw no harm in being friendly and allowing her actions to reveal her intentions in time.

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Laela’s Messenger Story

Laela joined us and spoke excitedly about a story she was developing with Master Cooper. They were considering how a scroll girl might carry a message from one city to another while stepping beyond the most familiar stories and customs.

Laela had considered tunnels, hiding aboard a departing wagon, or even sending a vulo. Carola explained that city tunnels would not ordinarily connect distant cities and that a kajira traveling alone would face serious danger. She suggested that the girl might disguise herself as a she-urt, since such a lowly free woman might travel without drawing the same attention as a richly dressed woman without a male guard.

Laela loved the idea and hurried to add it to the possibilities for the story. I had to step away for part of the discussion, but it was enjoyable to hear her imagination at work when I returned.

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The Great Drama of Soap—and Salt

Pandora Audax arrived and greeted us before turning her attention to Carola. She announced that Carola had become famous and referred to an article and a wanted poster concerning the origin of the salt Carola sold.

Carola insisted that she had never claimed her salt came from a particular southern oasis or that it was mined in the Tahari. Her price list merely described red salt from deep inland pits and mines, transported by caravans across plains and deserts. Pandora agreed that the list did not name the disputed oasis, but advised Carola to seek protection from the city guard because a mercenary might attempt to collect the bounty whether the accusation was true or not.

Pandora teased that, if Carola were taken and sold for one gold tarsk, she might buy her and perhaps free her once the paperwork was finished. Carola was not amused. She intended to continue selling her salt and planned to consult a Magistrate about the wanted notice.

When Carola asked me who the best Magistrate in Turmus was now that I had retired, I named Kelli. When she asked for the second best, I suggested Marcus and noted that Aries was still new. Carola decided to leave a message for Marcus and ask for a meeting.

Pandora departed after giving Laela a bar of her “best soap in Gor.” I could only observe that the encounter had been different and wonder aloud who knew there could be so much drama in soap. Carola quickly corrected me: the dispute was about salt.

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Checking the Class Calendars

I spent much of the remaining day checking and adjusting the public class-calendar boards in Turmus and Olni. The two cities use different teaching schedules: Olni’s board showed Saturday classes at noon and Tuesday and Thursday classes at 2:00 p.m., while Turmus showed Saturday at 11:00 a.m. and Tuesday and Thursday classes at noon and 4:00 p.m.

I traveled briefly to Olni in the morning to examine its board, returned to Turmus, and later made another quick comparison between the two. Several board refreshes showed the schedule expanding through October 10. I also turned off the date headers on the Turmus display and worked on updating lesson titles.

One important title changed from The Administrator: Office, Authority, and Responsibility to Administrator and Ubar: Civil Rule and the Rule of War. The September 10 display, however, showed The Slave Market: Inspection, Bidding, and Sale at noon while the 4:00 p.m. event still showed Weights, Measures, and Merchant Scales. That remaining mismatch will need to be checked.

The calendar work took many small adjustments, but the boards were beginning to show the fuller progression of lessons planned for the coming months.

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Meeting Summaries

No formal meetings were held today.

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To Do

• Welcome Freya again if she returns and confirm that the reserved inn room is available for her.

• Introduce Freya to appropriate merchant contacts if she decides to establish a business in Turmus.

• Ask whether Carola was able to meet with Marcus about the wanted notice and salt accusation.

• Correct or confirm the September 10 Turmus calendar entries so the noon and 4:00 p.m. class titles agree.

• Compare the remaining Olni and Turmus calendar dates, titles, and city-specific teaching times.

Standards, Companionships, and Quiet Hopes

Regions: Turmus,Shades of Turmus,Thunder Mountain

Events: Free Women’s Dance Planning Meeting,Weights and Measures Class,Double Free Companionship Ceremony,Evening Visits

Plans for Dance and Learning

I met with Odette Atheria and Willow during the morning. We first gathered in Turmus, where Nerine offered to serve us. Odette explained that our meeting might include OOC information and was intended only for the free women, so Nerine was dismissed with our good wishes. Once Willow arrived, Odette took us to a private dance circle in the Shades of Turmus.

The place had once been used for solo slave-dance competitions, but it also contained an older free dance HUD that still worked. Odette explained that many free women do not own dance HUDs or know how to use them. Willow was familiar with Spot On, choreography movers, Stage Manager, and Performance Director, while I admitted that I had never used a dance HUD.

We also spoke of Luella, whom none of us had heard from recently. Odette said Luella had returned home after being ill, but had not been seen online. We all hoped she would be able to return soon.

The discussion then turned toward possible dance classes. Odette suggested beginning with the basics: animation priorities, why an AO sometimes must be turned off, how to place dances into a HUD, how to create sequences, and where to find good free dances. Willow offered to help teach and said she would also be glad to attend a class taught by Pinx Mosely, who knows the Spot On system well.

Odette suggested that free-woman dance classes might be offered through my Educational Hall, perhaps with help from Pinx or BilliAnn. I agreed that the Hall could be used as long as someone else taught the classes. Odette told me to take one of the free HUDs and offered to teach me how to use it when we had time.

The rain and thunder began while we were meeting, frightening my dogs and making it difficult for me to follow everything. I explained that I had been so focused on preparing my lessons and dealing with my surgeries that I had not given much thought to what I might like to learn. Even so, the proposed beginner class sounded useful, and I left the meeting amused by Odette’s description of me as “a sponge for education of any type.”

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Teaching Weights and Measures

At noon I taught Weights and Measures: Ensuring Fair Trade in the Turmus Educational Hall. Storm and Ubara Selia attended.

This was the next lesson in Level 2’s first track, Trade, Markets, and Commercial Life. I explained that fair trade requires a shared standard, an appropriate measuring instrument, honest use of that instrument, and a record or witness capable of proving what the parties agreed to exchange.

The lesson began with the official Stone and Merchant Foot standards kept near the Sardar. From there, we examined the Stone and Weight; the hort, Merchant Foot, pasang, ah-il, and ah-ral; the tef, tefa, and huda; and the talu and other liquid measures. We also discussed how dishonest weights, false instruments, altered methods, or misleading descriptions could affect a transaction, while remembering that an inaccurate measurement does not by itself prove intentional fraud.

I ended with the five-step fair-measure test:

NAME → STANDARD → INSTRUMENT → METHOD → RECORD

Storm said that any questions he might have had were answered during the lecture. Ubara Selia had studied much of the material before and had no questions. Both thanked me for the class, and we ended shortly before 12:40 p.m.

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Two Free Companionships at Thunder Mountain

After class, I traveled to Thunder Mountain and witnessed a double Free Companionship ceremony conducted by Lady Jessika Roberts. Sir Frances Markova was joined with Lady Ceres, while Marcus Aurelius Antoninus was joined with Lady Myriam-Aliyah Aurelius Antonius.

Lady Jessika spoke of the traditions surrounding Free Companionship and placed flowers upon the women’s heads. Each couple answered questions concerning protection, fidelity, family responsibilities, honor, and the customs of their Home Stone. Veils were removed at different stages, and each person gave personal vows before the witnesses.

The couples then shared the wine of companionship, two drinking from one goblet. The remaining wine was returned to the ground as Lady Jessika spoke of life coming full circle. Fire, salt, and bread were presented as treasured rights of the Home Stone, now to be shared by each couple as one household rather than two separate people.

When both unions had been accepted in writing and before the gathered witnesses, Lady Jessika presented the newly joined couples. Those gathered applauded and offered their congratulations. It was a moving ceremony, made especially memorable by seeing two couples begin their companionships together.

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Friends from Olni

Later in Turmus, I was pleased to see Lady Huntsy Silverpath and Paul SpiritWeaver, both of whom I knew from Olni. Huntsy said she had been worried about me after the trouble involving the slaver and asked what had happened after the meeting. I told her that matters had quieted after I informed Kael that my father had refused him permission to court me.

Paul was unhappy with the way a woman of his Home Stone had been treated and said he would like to speak with the slaver. I told him that I had not seen the man since all the commotion. I also explained that, after so many years as a female Magistrate and High Magistrate, I had learned that the position sometimes brought out the worst in certain men. Some had threatened me with a collar, but none had ever succeeded in putting one on me.

Huntsy remained concerned that I traveled alone too often and reminded me that caution was still important. I assured her that I did my best to remain safe, and I offered to show her and Paul my Educational Hall and my house on a future visit.

As the evening continued, we spoke more personally. Kael had left Turmus and said he was going to Telnus, although Father later told me that he had never arrived there. It did not sound as if Kael wished to remain after Father refused to allow him to court me. Kael had told Izzy, one of Father’s men, that he was my intended before he had received either my agreement or Father’s permission. Father did not appreciate someone making such a claim about me without first speaking to him.

I explained that Wind is my third father. He had not been part of my life when Kael and I were companioned in either 2010 or 2019, and he does not know Kael. My first two fathers have passed away.

When Huntsy asked what I wanted, I answered honestly. I would like to find a good companion who does not have anger issues—someone easy to talk to, with good control of himself. I have spent most of my years as a Magistrate alone, and I would like something gentler and more dependable if I ever companion again.

Huntsy also asked whether I had made my report to Falconer after asking her to inform him. I could not remember whether I had included it when I wrote and had not yet seen him. Before she and Paul left, Huntsy promised to visit more often. I invited her to join the free women for blackwine one morning, and she said she would like that very much.

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Nerine’s Offer to Cook

After Huntsy and Paul departed, I joined Aries Marchese and Nerine. I learned that Nerine belongs to Magistrate Sebastian Riley, who lives nearby but travels often. Because she had been left alone without proper care, the slavers had arranged for her to sleep safely in the kennel.

Nerine had caught nine tuna in the last fishing contest and joked that she could prepare tuna steaks. She then said she could also make good bosk steaks and either fried or mashed suls. I admitted that I could use the help of a girl who cooks well, since I am often busy and never learned to cook very well myself. Nerine offered to prepare meals for me when needed, and I told her I would appreciate the assistance.

Amalia later joined us, and I told Aries about my visitors from Olni. Huntsy is a healer, although I could not remember Paul’s position at that moment. Aries hoped they had enjoyed their visit and might return for one of my classes. Since Huntsy had promised to come back often, I thought that was possible.

After wishing Aries, Nerine, and Amalia a good night, I wandered home shortly before eight in the evening.

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Meeting Summaries

Free Women’s Dance Planning Meeting

Time: Approximately 11:02–11:43 a.m.

Location: Private dance circle, Shades of Turmus

Attendees: Lady Kati Evans,Lady Odette Atheria,Lady Willow

Summary: We discussed creating beginner dance classes for free women. Proposed subjects included animation priorities, turning off an AO, adding dances to a HUD, creating sequences, and finding free dances. Pinx Mosely may be asked to prepare a class, and Willow offered her assistance. The Turmus Educational Hall may host the classes if another person teaches them. Odette also offered to help me learn to use the free dance HUD.

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Weights and Measures Class

Time: Approximately 12:03–12:40 p.m.

Location: Turmus Educational Hall

Teacher: Lady Kati Evans

Attendees: Storm,Ubara Selia

Summary: I taught the Level 2 lesson Weights and Measures: Ensuring Fair Trade, covering Gorean standards of mass, length, dry volume, and liquid volume; the Sardar reference standards; common forms of measurement error or fraud; and the five-step fair-measure test. Neither student had questions at the end.

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Double Free Companionship Ceremony

Time: Approximately 1:06–2:24 p.m.

Location: Thunder Mountain

Officiant: Lady Jessika Roberts

Companions: Sir Frances Markova and Lady Ceres; Marcus Aurelius Antoninus and Lady Myriam-Aliyah Aurelius Antonius

Other Named Witnesses: Lady Kati Evans,Lady Trinity Dangerfield,Nemesis,Ariana “Pippa” Krigerand,MORRIgan Fitheach,Nephtides na Neidos

Summary: The two couples exchanged pledges and personal vows, shared the wine of companionship, received fire, salt, and bread as joined households, and were presented to the gathered witnesses as Free Companions.

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To Do

• Decide whether to host free-woman dance classes in the Turmus Educational Hall once a teacher and schedule are confirmed.

• Ask Odette to show me how to use the free dance HUD.

• Confirm whether Falconer received my report concerning the earlier trouble.

• Arrange a future visit with Huntsy and Paul to show them the Educational Hall and my Turmus house.

• Follow up with Nerine when I need help preparing a meal.

Choosing Turmus, Teaching the Administrator, and Looking Ahead

Regions: Turmus,Olni

Events: Discussion with Kelli about my future in Turmus; resignation as Magistrate of Olni; two presentations of Class 83; evening conversation in Turmus

A Quiet Morning Before the Decisions

I began the day very early and spent part of the morning looking at new clothing and hairstyles. I found several blue outfits and a number of different hairstyles to try. It was a quiet beginning to what became a much more important day.

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Choosing Where I Belong

Later in the morning, I finally had the conversation with Kelli that I had been trying to arrange for several weeks. I told him that Turmus felt more like my home than Olni because people here actually spoke with me. I explained that I was only a resident of Olni and had never sworn to its Home Stone.

When Kelli asked whether I intended to become a citizen of Turmus, I told him I would be willing and that I liked it here. He said that once I had officially left Olni, we could discuss a position for me within the Scribe Caste of Turmus.

I told him plainly that I would rather be a Scribe who teaches in Turmus without the title of Magistrate than remain a Magistrate in Olni while preferring to live and work here. I was content to teach and serve as a Scribe, although I would also be willing to do more if Turmus had need of me. My father still has land on one of Olni's regions, so I may continue to visit him there.

Kelli made certain that I understood I would have to cut my official ties with Olni before Turmus could formally welcome me. I agreed and said I would tell Jarek that day, even if I had to do so by notecard. We arranged to meet again the following morning to discuss my future in Turmus after that had been done.

Before the noon class, I told Carola that I had submitted my resignation letter to the Ubar of Olni, resigning my position as Magistrate. She thought the decision seemed drastic at first, but after I explained that I had only been a resident of Olni and still might teach there or visit my father, she said the decision had merit. To me, it made little sense to carry an official title in a city where I was not a citizen when I preferred to live, teach, and serve in Turmus.

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Class 83 in Turmus

At noon, I taught Class 83 — The Administrator: Office, Authority, and Responsibility in Turmus. Ubar Bactu and Ubara Selia attended, along with Carola and Tasdron.

The lesson explained the Administrator as a book-supported civil office associated with ordinary civic government and the High Council. I described the Administrator as a bridge between policy and execution: receiving lawful decisions, verifying their authority, assigning work to the proper offices, preserving records, coordinating among Castes, and reporting the result.

The class became difficult but useful when Carola questioned whether the detailed administrative structure I was describing was actually supported by the books or whether it brought too much modern government into Gor. Tasdron then asked me to cite a passage supporting the lesson. I acknowledged that I did not have the book references with the class and would need to find the passages again.

The discussion then turned to the difference between an Administrator and an Ubar. I explained my understanding that an Ubar rules most directly in wartime, while an Administrator is associated with civic rule during peace and with carrying out the decisions of the High Council. Ubar Bactu added that the form of government depends upon the city. He said that some cities retain Ubars during peacetime, that an Administrator works for the High Council, and that a good Ubar may also consult the Council before making the final decision. He further stated that Port Kar has five Ubars controlling different parts of the city and identified his comments as BtB. I had not known that claim about Port Kar and thanked him for adding it; it will need to be checked against the books before I place it in the lesson.

I completed the class with the Administrator's five-step method:

RECEIVE → VERIFY → ASSIGN → RECORD → REPORT

The discussion made one need very clear: the lesson must include its book references and must distinguish direct BtB material from reasonable interpretation, local practice, and teaching examples.

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Teaching the Lesson Again in Olni

I returned to Olni for the two o'clock presentation of the same lesson. Stefania was waiting, while Falconer was delayed by role-play at the gate. I began once it became clear that he was coming but would be late.

This time I was more explicit that the detailed working model was a teaching aid unless established by local law. Stefania asked whether the Administrator worked with the Council and whether the office differed from that of an Ubar. Falconer observed that the hierarchy of the Red Caste can also vary from place to place. Later, he suggested that I use the word Council rather than the broader modern term government where that wording is more accurate.

Several others joined as the class continued, including libbi, sky, SaphRosie, and Cid. The class concluded with the point that the Administrator's honor lies in coordinating the city without quietly taking authority from the Council, Magistrates, Warriors, or Caste Heads. The next High Caste lesson will examine taxation and the city treasury.

After class, Falconer reminded me that I could use the Learning Center on the wall or the Central Fire if I ever wished to move the Olni class. I explained that the present location seemed visible and easy for people to notice, although it was good to know that other locations were available.

Falconer also told me that a man had recently come to the gates looking for my father, Wind. The visitor had left without identifying himself in role-play, but Falconer later identified him OOC as Bam Bam (sith.parkin). I explained that Bam Bam and Vlad were trying to straighten out access so they could reach the longhouse. Falconer thought he might have an idea that would make matters easier, but he would need to speak with Jarek first.

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The Earlier Hair Dispute Was Still Being Discussed

After I returned to Turmus, I was present while Laela, Cheryl, and Jean spoke about the earlier dispute concerning my hairstyle. Laela said it had given people something to talk about and felt that the city had become emptier when I stopped spending as much time there and Cassian did as well. Cheryl said she hated that both of us were gone over what she called "a silly hair issue," adding that the role-play had been voided. Jean corrected the impression that I had disappeared, saying that I had been in the city every day and was there at that moment.

I did not enter the discussion, but it showed that the incident and its effect upon the city were still on people's minds.

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An Evening Gathering in Turmus

The evening brought a large, informal gathering near the kennel. Aries, Seònai, Nick, Cheryl, Jean, Amalia, Laela, and others joined the conversation at different times.

Aries asked Nick whether any of the new girls might suit my household because I still need a dependable worker. Nick said the newest girls were too new for him to judge properly and asked for a few days. He thought Emma might possibly be suitable, while Zoey and Sandra also appeared promising. I asked him to keep me in mind. I am hoping I may be ready to take a girl next month, once some of the other matters in my life have settled.

The gathering also discussed the need for more activity in Turmus and more reasons for people to come out of their homes. Suggestions included additional tavern activity, a slave chase, a one-day slave auction, dancing, and a drink tasting. Nick explained how much work Tavern Night already requires because he spends hours contacting people individually and cannot begin enjoying the evening himself until near its end. The ideas were interesting, but no formal decision was made.

There was also a useful discussion about the order in which a slave should greet the Free. Aries questioned why Laela had greeted me before the men. I explained that I had addressed Laela first, so it was proper for her to answer me before continuing with the others. When I asked whether she knew the ordinary order among those present, I explained that it would have been Aries first, then Nick, then me, and then Lady Seònai. Circumstances matter, but the general order should still be understood.

Amalia spent much of the evening serving the Free. She brought Aries his ale, Seònai her plain tea, and me a warm spiced mead. She served well, and both Aries and I praised her.

As the gathering quieted, Aries asked about my next surgery. I told him it is scheduled for September 3 and should be similar to the first procedure. I expect to be under anesthesia for about three hours and to be tired afterward, although I hope it will again be scheduled early in the day. Later, I told Marcus that I was recovering well from the first procedure, though still more tired than usual, and that I expected the second part to go well too.

By then it was late for me, and I said good night to Marcus and Laela before going to bed.

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Meeting Summaries

Discussion About My Future in Turmus

Date: August 25, 2026
Time: 9:35–10:16 AM
Location: Turmus
Purpose: To discuss my possible citizenship and future service within the Scribe Caste of Turmus

Summary: I told Kelli that Turmus felt more like my home and that I would rather serve here as a Scribe and teacher than remain a Magistrate of Olni. Kelli said I must first end my official ties to Olni. We agreed to speak again the following morning after I had done so.

Attendance: Lady Kati Evans; Kelli GreyMoon-Rizzo (kellygr5)

Class 83 — Turmus Presentation

Date: August 25, 2026
Time: 12:09–1:06 PM
Location: Turmus Educational Hall
Teacher: Lady Kati Evans
Subject: The Administrator: Office, Authority, and Responsibility

Summary: The class examined the Administrator's civil authority, relationship to the High Council, administrative coordination, records, lawful delegation, and crisis reporting. Carola challenged whether the detailed structure was supported by the books, and Tasdron requested citations. I acknowledged that the references needed to be added. Ubar Bactu contributed his understanding of how Administrators and Ubars vary among cities. The lesson was completed, but revision and source verification are required.

Attendance: Lady Kati Evans; Ubar Bactu (conner14144); Ubara Selia (violet325); Carola Aromata Titus (charlottefrees); Tasdron

Class 83 — Olni Presentation

Date: August 25, 2026
Time: 2:24–3:02 PM
Location: Olni
Teacher: Lady Kati Evans
Subject: The Administrator: Office, Authority, and Responsibility

Summary: I presented the lesson with clearer notice that the detailed working model was a teaching aid unless supported by local law. Stefania and Falconer discussed the Administrator's relationship to the Council and the Ubar. Falconer suggested using Council rather than government where appropriate. The class ended with the distinction among the Administrator, Council, Magistrates, Warriors, and Caste Heads.

Attendance: Lady Kati Evans; Stefania Wildrose; Falconer McKeenan; libbi (liberty.luckstone); sky (pesky.jigsaw); SaphRosie (sapphirerose6); Cid Vicious (cid1010)

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To Do

• Meet with Kelli on the morning of August 26 to discuss my future in Turmus after ending my official ties with Olni.

• Confirm that Jarek received my resignation and determine whether I will continue as a traveling teacher in Olni.

• Revise Class 83 to include a Book References section with specific citations concerning Administrators, High Councils, and Ubars.

• Clearly mark direct BtB material, interpretation, local law or practice, and teaching examples throughout Class 83.

• Verify the statement about Port Kar having five Ubars before including it as BtB material.

• Review Falconer's suggestion to use Council instead of government where that wording is more accurate.

• Decide whether to keep the Olni class in its present visible location or use the Learning Center or Central Fire.

• Ask Nick again in a few days whether Emma or another new girl might be suitable for my household.

• Keep September 3 clear for the second surgery and allow time afterward to rest.

Black Wine and the Hairpin Toss

August 24, 2026

Locations: Turmus and Olni

My morning began in Turmus, where I joined Carola for conversation and much-needed black wine. Carola asked whether I had considered an activity for the Free Women during the next festival.

I first suggested throwing darts to pop balloons, then remembered how one of my girls once enjoyed practicing by throwing hairpins. From that came a simple name for the activity: The Hairpin Toss.

Carola seemed to like the idea and gave me an item bearing that name. It may prove to be an entertaining festival activity for the Free Women, provided we determine the rules and arrange a suitable place to hold it.

Later that morning, I received a blank Turmus Incident Report form and the accompanying notecard giver. During the afternoon, I left Nile River and traveled to Olni Var.

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To Dos

• Examine the item Carola gave me for The Hairpin Toss.
• Decide whether the activity will use hairpins, darts and balloons, or a safer substitute.
• Develop the rules, scoring, and prizes for the festival activity.
• Test the game before the next festival.
• Review the Turmus Incident Report form and notecard giver.

Choosing Peace and Finding the Shield Maker

Date: August 23, 2026

Regions: Turmus (Nile River), Olni, and Olni Var

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Morning Blackwine in Turmus

Present: Carola Aromata Titus, Stefania Wildrose, Kati Evans
Later involved: sosla Beck

I returned to Turmus before dawn and joined Carola and Stefania for blackwine. Our morning gatherings near the swings are becoming a comforting routine.

We spoke about how quiet the city has been. The wine shop and Pani restaurant have closed, and Carola thought the approaching school year and Labor Day might make the next couple of weeks quieter still. She also asked for ideas for a Free Women’s event during the Fall Festival. A foot race and the Game of Favors have already been suggested. A performance by the dance circle seems unlikely because Luella has only recently left the infirmary and has not been able to complete the choreography.

I told them about a strange dream in which I wore a shimmering band around my right arm that I could not remove. Carola teased that it sounded like a collar, but I quickly rejected that thought.

Our peaceful morning was interrupted by a man named sosla Beck. He asked for blackwine and attempted to sit beside us even after Carola explained that the benches were full and that it would be improper for him to sit so close to an uncompanioned Free Woman. He mocked us, ignored the warning, and crowded Stefania.

Rather than remain and allow the situation to worsen, we left for my house. Stefania made her opinion of his odor very clear as we departed.

Once safely inside, Carola told us she had encountered him before and had been warned to keep her distance. She said he had previously harassed a slave who could not simply walk away from him. I remembered that Father knew the man from Fjord and would not permit him to remain there.

Carola believed that he deliberately pushed Free Women until they did something he could describe as slave-like. We remained inside until he left.

A Conversation About Kael

While we were at my house, I spoke honestly with Carola and Stefania about Kael. He has begun speaking as though he wants companionship with me again, and I have been struggling with what to say.

Carola advised me to tell him that Father forbids it and to send Kael directly to Father if he wishes to challenge the decision. However, the truth is that I do not want another companionship with Kael. Twice was enough—once in 2010 and again in 2019.

He showed me in Selnar that his temper remains. He changed his mind about me, decided he wanted companionship again, and then left Turmus when matters did not go as he wished. Now that he has sent his girls away, he says he only wants me. I am not blind to the timing.

Stefania offered a simple measure for judging a man:

A man entering my world should bring peace, not chaos.

That stayed with me. I admitted that the price of being with Kael has always been too high. Perhaps what I miss is the wish of what things might have been rather than the life we actually shared.

I will remain Kael’s friend, but I do not want to become his companion again. With Aries, I felt comfortable and at peace. That difference matters.

I showed Carola and Stefania the initials hidden in the wall textures of my house. I explained that I had originally decorated the house for Kael. After the region was rolled back, I picked everything up, but Kael refused to let me restore it and instead filled the house with a strange collection of furnishings. It was another reminder that he does not respond well when matters do not go his way.

After Stefania left, Kael came to see me. He remarked that I was completely covered, embraced me twice, and then went offline.

⊰════════════════════════════⊱

Morning in Olni

Present: Balkan Sands, Tura, Paul SpiritWeaver, Kael, Kati Evans, and an unidentified man using the marker “A”

I traveled to Olni later in the morning. Balkan Sands was there with Tura, who addressed him as her Master. Balkan said he was expected at the High Council meeting and needed to prepare incident and council reports.

An unidentified man questioned whether I lived in two or three cities and warned that a Free Woman should not travel without an escort. I explained that Olni remains my home and that I teach in both Olni and Turmus. I recently received a house in Turmus, so I no longer need to stay at the inn when I teach there. At present, more people attend my classes in Turmus, but Olni remains home.

Paul asked about my health. I told him my surgery was finished and that I was doing as well as could be expected.

Kael, Kelli, and Father’s Decision

Kael arrived and asked about my proposed meeting with Kelli and the continuing problem involving Cass. Cass had objected to the way I wore my hair because he thought it resembled a slave knot. I told Kael that I wanted to hear Kelli out. I never wanted the matter to become as serious as it did.

Kael maintained that Cass had violated the law and should have faced a formal trial. He said Kelli had been prepared to proceed until Bactu intervened. I explained that Bactu stepped in because he had been listening to me at a time when I was not permitted to speak for myself. Kael still believed that a trial would have been the proper course.

At one point, Kael called me timid and said that he made up for it. He then joked that our future children would be properly balanced. It was another sign that he was already speaking as though companionship between us had been decided.

Father settled the matter.

I told Kael:

[11:04 AM] Kati Evans: Wind says you can’t court me.

Father refused because Kael had told Izzy that he was my intended before he ever asked Father for permission. Kael claimed he had merely said that he intended to court me, but the distinction did not change Father’s decision.

Kael asked me to tell him if I did not want him in either Olni or Turmus. He later left for Teletus but asked to be informed about my meeting with Kelli. The meeting will likely be Tuesday near 7:00 AM.

I was becoming tired from my medication, and Kael advised me not to fight the sleep.

Evening Conversation with Laela

Present: Laela and Kati Evans

That evening, I gave Laela the updated schedules for the Educational Hall and the upcoming Olni discussions. I told her that my greatest difficulty is getting the word out about the classes.

Laela said she would meet with me again so we could review the dates and decide how best to advertise them. We agreed to work on a plan over this week and next. I also told her I could use help cleaning my Turmus house—and that I would enjoy her company.

Our conversation also revealed something important about Kael. Laela said she had seen him at my house that morning. She also mentioned another man she knew from Turmus:

Rhyder Thibaud

According to Laela, Kael and Rhyder had both been banned from Turmus in the past because of incidents involving their anger. Both men were eventually permitted to return, and she said Kael had not caused such a disturbance for some time.

I also told her that Father had refused to permit Kael to court me because Kael had already told Izzy that he was my intended. Laela was surprised but understood the situation.

⊰════════════════════════════⊱

The Shield Mystery — Solved

I found it. The slave girl was Tura, previously called Ixia, account name jalanihermosa. She belonged to Balkan Sands.

First Shield Conversation — June 27, 2026

[10:09 AM] Kati Evans: I need to find a round shield that works to do that to.

[10:10 AM] Balkan Sands: to do what?

[10:11 AM] Kati Evans: Father wants a shield with his logo on it

[10:13 AM] Balkan Sands: (( Ture can create it in Blender ))

[10:13 AM] Balkan Sands: (( Tura ))

[10:14 AM] Tura: ((indeed i can, just need the logo texture))

[10:17 AM] Balkan Sands: Tura you sketch it Ill forge it

[10:18 AM] Tura: “Yes, my master. I hope it most pleasing for the mistresses father and meets all his standards”

[10:19 AM] Balkan Sands: Katis father is a well known man in the North

[10:19 AM] Balkan Sands: the shield has to represent that

[10:28 AM] Tura: “Like on top of the shield at the top or curved over like it is in the drawing? I can sketch either of them, or make the sketch appear to come off the page more”

[10:29 AM] Kati Evans: a 3D bull on the shield.

[10:38 AM] Tura: “I can certainly do that, mistress. And i do not worry that my master would be unable to forge anything”

Later that morning, Tura said:

[10:59 AM] Tura: if you have any other specifications about the shield or your father does let me know :)

[11:17 AM] Kati Evans: He probably will give one to all of the silver blades.

[11:23 AM] Tura: okay, so that will be a full perm then, good to know :)

What Followed

• July 1: Tura showed me the rough bull sculpture.
• July 10: She showed me additional versions, and I requested a gunmetal bull instead of a gold one.
• July 11: She showed me the eyes on the shield.
• July 14–15: She delivered “Father’s Shield – Kati Evans 20260715” and “Father’s Bull for Shield 20260715.”

Tura’s ownership is also confirmed by a conversation from June 16. Ixia/Tura greeted Balkan as “Master,” and Balkan responded by “nodding at his girl.”

⊰════════════════════════════⊱

To Dos

• Meet with Kelli, probably Tuesday near 7:00 AM, and hear her account of the matter involving Cass.
• Let Kael know when the meeting with Kelli is confirmed.
• Meet with Laela tomorrow afternoon.
• Review the Educational Hall and Olni discussion schedules with Laela.
• Develop a plan over this week and next for advertising the upcoming classes.
• Ask Laela for help cleaning the Turmus house.
• Consider ideas for the Free Women’s Fall Festival event.
• Continue choosing peace and maintain clear boundaries with Kael.

A Warning in the Street and a Night with the Marvels

August 22, 2026

Regions: Turmus (Nile River), Olni, and Olni Var

I spent the early part of the day quietly moving between my homes in Turmus and Olni. I was still recovering from surgery and did not remain active for long during the morning.

When I returned during the afternoon, I traveled to Olni and deposited eighteen silver and seventy-five copper into my account. After checking on my home there, I returned to Turmus.

While walking through the city, I encountered Antonio Batistuta escorting a newly collared woman named Sabella to the smithy. He explained that she had only been enslaved the previous day and had not yet been branded. She remained openly defiant, speaking disrespectfully and accusing him of taking advantage of her.

Antonio struck her when she continued speaking out of place and explained that she had owed him more money than she could repay. Because they did not share a Home Stone, he had enslaved her for the debt. He decided that she needed to be placed in a cell until she received proper training.

As Antonio led her away, Sabella called back to me:

“Let this be a warning to you, Lady. Do not trust men. They will use what they can to enslave you at the flick of a whim!”

Antonio seemed bewildered that she had only just discovered such a truth about Gorean men. I remained out of his way and could only hope that the newly collared woman would learn before her defiance brought her greater punishment.

⊰════════════════════════════⊱

Later that afternoon, Turmus set aside its usual Gorean role-play for an OOC concert featuring Dazzler & The Marvels. We were warned that the performance contained an intense light show and that the environment should be set to midnight for the best view. Those who were sensitive to flashing lights were advised to take precautions.

The performance began shortly after four o’clock. Dazzler and the band offered nearly two hours of rock music, dramatic lighting, dancing, and laughter. The audience was encouraged to invite friends, and more people continued arriving as the show progressed.

The crowd joked with Cassian when he discovered that some of the dances were clearly not designed for men. He decided he might continue if someone placed coins in his belt. Nicholas enthusiastically encouraged everyone to dance, although he predicted he would be sore the following morning. Odette repeatedly insisted, “I DIDN’T DO IT,” even when no one had accused her of anything.

A runaway slave from Turmus named Dolunay cautiously asked whether she was permitted to attend. Since the concert was OOC and open to everyone, she was welcomed without incident. The others teased her about the possibility of being caught once role-play resumed.

The performance included music by Heart, Blondie, Pat Benatar, Cyndi Lauper, Bonnie Tyler, The Bangles, The Go-Go’s, Jefferson Airplane, Blackmore’s Night, Berlin, Alannah Myles, and several others. Some of the most memorable songs included:

• “Suffragette City”
• “Would I Lie to You?”
• “White Rabbit”
• “I Want You to Want Me”
• “Heartbreaker”
• “Barracuda”
• “Because the Night”
• “Venus”
• “While My Guitar Gently Weeps”
• “These Dreams”
• “Time After Time”
• “You’re No Good”
• “Have You Ever Seen the Rain”
• “Under a Violet Moon”
• “Take My Breath Away”
• “Black Velvet”
• “Manic Monday”
• “Head Over Heels”
• “Call Me”
• “One Way or Another”
• “Goodbye to You”

When the scheduled performance ended, the audience called for more. Dazzler and the Marvels answered with an encore that included “Nowhere Fast,” “I Need a Hero,” and “Walking on Sunshine.”

The evening ended with loud applause, cheers, and many expressions of thanks. BilliAnn announced that Dazzler & The Marvels hoped to return and that Blue Day was expected to perform another concert the following month.

It was a lively gathering and a welcome change from the tension and seriousness that had surrounded recent days. For a short time, everyone simply enjoyed the music, the light show, the dancing, and one another’s company.

⊰════════════════════════════⊱

Event Summary — Dazzler & The Marvels Concert

Date: August 22, 2026
Time: Approximately 4:16–6:00 PM SLT
Location: Turmus, Nile River
Type: OOC concert and social gathering

Performers

• Dazzler: BilliAnn Bravin-Ireman — lead vocals and lighting
• Captain Marvel: Dawna Nikki Ireman — keyboard and saxophone
• Spider-Man, Deadpool, and Luke Cage: guitars
• Black Panther: bass
• Wolverine: drums
• Jean Grey and Howard the Duck: backing vocals
• Stan Lee: special appearance on piano
• Cougar Ireman: announcements and event assistance

Observed Attendees

Kati Evans, Selia, Nicholas Eel, Cassian Leoric, Odette Atheria, Nerine, Seònai Christensen, Amalia, Aries Marchese, Melita, leena, Jean, Alexander Onyx, Inkeri, Ajax Alecto, Zoey Soburin, Gaius, Chantal O, Dolunay, Cross “Old Scar” Avro, Tarl Daines, Marcus Galbreus, Killertrees Yue, Lucy Starchild, Fee, Jet, Ira, and other citizens and visitors.

Highlights

• An elaborate and intense lighting display accompanied the performance.
• The concert was declared OOC and open to everyone.
• Numerous citizens and visitors danced and joined in the playful conversation.
• The audience requested an encore after the scheduled set.
• Blue Day was announced as the expected concert for the following month.

⊰════════════════════════════⊱

To Do

• Continue resting and allowing myself time to recover from surgery.
• Prepare the upcoming lessons for August 25, August 27, and August 29.
• Watch for details about the Blue Day concert next month.
• Follow up on the unresolved dispute involving the slaver and my former hairstyle after my recovery.

Healing, Friendship, and Where I Feel at Home

August 21, 2026

Regions: Turmus (Nile River), Olni, and Olni Var

I began the morning in Turmus, checking the Educational Hall calendar before traveling to Olni to examine the class schedules there. After making sure the upcoming lessons were displayed, I returned to Turmus.

I joined Lady Carola and Lady Cherry, although I was later than expected because I had slept longer than intended. I explained that I had undergone minor surgery the previous day. I was sore, tired, and rather fuzzy-headed from the medication, but I still welcomed the company and conversation.

Cherry entertained us with some playful gossip about a mysterious man peering through windows and a woman supposedly carrying a five-silver bounty upon her head. Carola also asked what activities the Free Women might enjoy during Ramius’s planned Fall Festival. She suggested the Game of Favors, in which each Free Woman would attempt to give ten small favors—such as flowers, scarves, handkerchiefs, or jewelry pins—to Free Men.

At first, I misunderstood the meaning of “favors” and wondered whether the men would later return them in exchange for work or assistance. Once Carola explained that they were simply small gifts, I understood the game better, although I still thought a man might misunderstand a woman offering him a favor. My mind was clearly wandering through every possible implication. Carola told me that I tend to think beyond the surface and consider everything that might interact with a piece of knowledge. She compared me to Kael in that respect, calling me intelligent and a sponge for knowledge and possibilities. She then firmly told me to return to bed and rest. I laughingly answered, “Yes, Mom,” and did as I was told.

⊰════════════════════════════⊱

After sleeping for several hours, I returned to Turmus and encountered Lady Stefania. I invited her to my house for tea and showed her the Educational Hall along the way. We sat in my private garden corner, surrounded by flowers, and spoke about my recovery and my experiences in Turmus and Olni.

I admitted that although I teach in both cities, more people attend my classes in Turmus. In Olni, sometimes no one attends, while in Turmus I usually have several students. More importantly, I find more conversation and a stronger feeling of community in Turmus.

Stefania observed that I never seemed entirely comfortable in Olni. I had not realized that it showed. I explained that I often feel as if I merely fill a space there without truly belonging because few people speak with me. I am accustomed to watching others as a Magistrate rather than entering into their activities, and joining conversations can feel strange. In Turmus, however, several people actively look for me, so I have learned to look for them as well. That makes me feel accepted, appreciated, and more comfortable.

I had originally intended only to teach in Turmus, but recently I requested a house. The home turned out beautifully, and it has helped deepen my connection to the city.

After tea, I gave Stefania a tour. I showed her the kitchen with its many cabinets, some bearing my initials; the small sitting area; the living room filled with books and scrolls; my writing desk; the beverage station; the balcony; and my bedroom. She admired the wardrobe, the storage areas, the basin and chamber pot, and the dresser holding Father’s picture. I was pleased to show her the walls and explained that I had created and applied the textures myself.

The conversation about the walls led me to mention that I had originally designed darker walls for Kael’s home. I explained that Kaellaed Rhode had been my companion many years ago and had served as Turmus’s Ambassador until recently.

I told Stefania about the dispute involving my former northern hairstyle. A slaver believed the knot in my braided hair resembled a slave knot and threatened to take and collar me. Kael believed the slaver was wrong and wanted the matter brought to trial so that he could defend me. My father, one of Father’s men, and Kael all rose to my defense and threatened the slaver.

What I had wanted, however, was not more threats. I simply wanted someone to listen to my side of the matter.

The dispute eventually came before the Ubar and Ubara, but everything was placed on hold because of my surgery. Kael apparently interpreted the delay as meaning there would be no trial. He became upset, left Turmus, and went to Olni. The slaver believes his good name has been damaged, although nothing has yet been formally decided.

I explained that I am not a Magistrate of Turmus. Kelli, Aries, and another man hold the city’s judicial authority. Kelli spoke with us in his office before the meeting with the Ubar and Ubara, while Aries has listened to my concerns. I have not encountered the slaver again, and I no longer wear the hairstyle that caused the disagreement.

When Stefania asked how safe and comfortable I felt after everything that happened, I admitted that I presently preferred being in Turmus rather than Olni. She understood and said she would try to be more present in Turmus. I was genuinely pleased because I had been excited to learn that she was visiting the city.

The medication eventually made me sleepy again, so Stefania thanked me for my friendship and hospitality before leaving me to rest.

⊰════════════════════════════⊱

That evening, Kael came to see me in Turmus. He asked about the surgery and listened as I described the stiffness, soreness, and unexpected pain around my ribs. He made certain I could eat and move around and asked whether I had medication. I told him that I had pain medicine and an antibiotic and expected to feel better after another day.

Kael advised me to rest, remain hydrated, and allow nature to take its course. He hugged me before leaving for the night. I told him I had already taken three naps that day, and he assured me that naps were good.

Despite the discomfort and confusion of recovering from surgery, the day reminded me that I am surrounded by people who care about me. It also helped me recognize how important conversation, friendship, and a genuine sense of belonging have become to me—and why Turmus is beginning to feel like more than merely the place where I teach.

⊰════════════════════════════⊱

To Do

• Continue resting, hydrating, and taking the prescribed medication.
• Prepare The Administrator: Office, Authority, and Responsibility for August 25.
• Prepare Weights, Measures, and Merchant Scales for August 27.
• Consider an appropriate Free Women’s activity for the Turmus Fall Festival.
• Continue working toward membership in the Turmus Dance Circle.
• Revisit the matter involving the slaver and my hair after recovering from surgery.
• Speak with the appropriate Turmus officials about whether the matter will receive a formal hearing.

A House Made My Own

Journal Entry — Thursday, August 20, 2026

A House Made My Own

Regions: Nile River, Olni and Olni Var
Events: Selia’s visit and a tour of my newly furnished home

Afternoon — Selia Visits My Home

Selia came to visit me at my new home, and I had the pleasure of showing her everything I had been working on. We began outside, where I showed her how the mound was concealed beneath the chairs. I had added a statue and a table for visitors, arranging them so they fit comfortably within the circular space. Selia thought the area looked very nice and said the table fit perfectly.

I then showed her the stairs, the seating on the porch and the small sitting area just inside. From there, we went through the kitchen, where I pointed out the cabinets and pantry. Selia seemed impressed by how much had been added and how well everything fit together.

Upstairs, I showed her the main room. With all its books and scrolls, there could be no doubt that a Scribe lived there. The room also held a beverage area and opened onto a balcony furnished with two chairs. Selia especially liked the balconies and described the home as very classy.

We continued to my private room on the upper floor. I showed her the picture of Father displayed on the dresser and the large wardrobe that provided plenty of storage. She complimented the colors, and I pointed out one of my favorite personal touches—my initials carved into portions of the woodwork.

Before Selia left, I thanked her for coming and told her she would always be welcome. I promised that I would gladly prepare blackwine or tea whenever she visited again. She said that she was glad I was doing well and expected that we would see one another again soon. I thanked her for her good wishes and for helping me with the mound before we exchanged farewells.

⊰════════════════════════════⊱

A Quiet Remainder of the Day

After Selia departed, I traveled briefly through Olni and Olni Var before returning to the Nile River. While in Olni Var, I encountered Frollin once more. Upon seeing me, he quickly knelt and lowered his eyes in respectful acknowledgment, although we had no further conversation.

The remainder of the evening was quiet, giving me time to enjoy the home that was finally beginning to feel distinctly my own.

⊰════════════════════════════⊱

⊰════════════════════════════⊱

To Do

• Continue making the final small adjustments to the house and grounds.

• Welcome Selia back for blackwine or tea when she next visits.

Summits, Stories, and Changing Tides

 

Journal Entry — Wednesday, August 19, 2026

Regions: Olni Var, Nile River, Isle of Teletus and Turmus
Events: SCoG* Scribe Summit Planning Meeting and Turmus Story Time

Morning — Scribe Summit Planning Meeting

I traveled to the Isle of Teletus for the SCoG* meeting concerning the September Scribe Summit. Trygg Tyran thanked Jessika Roberts, Head Scribe of Teletus, Ubar Caine and Lady Kar for making the Teletus facilities available and hosting the gathering.

The schedule still had many open presentation spaces. The organizers wanted it substantially completed by September 2 so the Summit could be advertised for approximately three weeks before it began. Presenter-registration forms, the current schedule and a list of previously presented topics were distributed. Posters would also be sent for display in the participating cities.

The group was encouraged to approach knowledgeable people and invite them to present. Myriam emphasized that the gathering was meant to bring the Blue Caste together across city allegiances and personal differences. She directly encouraged Lady Wynna, Lady Kati and Sir Marcus, as teachers, to consider sharing their work.

Hermes proposed a presentation based on the continuing biological research in Isfahan. His possible subject would cover where Gorean plants and animals are found, what regions can produce for export, and which resources are useful or safe for builders, healers, merchants and other scholars. The organizers welcomed the proposal. Presentations should ordinarily be one ahn, although a broad subject may be divided into two one-ahn sessions.

The next meeting was scheduled for September 2 at 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. SLT at Thunder Mountain, the site of the Summit.

⊰════════════════════════════⊱

A Visit with Kaellaed

After returning to Olni, I spent time with Kaellaed before my surgery. He was writing to Lady Kar in his capacity as an ambassador and asked me to proofread his scroll. The first item he tried to show me appeared blank, but he then gave me the completed scroll.

Kaellaed explained that he had left Turmus and therefore could not attend the previously arranged ambassadorial meeting. He was frustrated by the recent dispute and believed the matter should have been handled through a proper public trial under the laws. Before leaving, he gave me a large hug and said that he would see me soon.

⊰════════════════════════════⊱

Work Around the House

Much of the quieter portion of the day was spent working with furniture, seating, paths, plants and other pieces around the house and grounds. I continued adjusting the new home and checking its furnishings before returning to Turmus.

⊰════════════════════════════⊱

Afternoon — The Turmus Slave House

I encountered a very new man named Frollin who wanted to be trained as a slave. I directed him into the Slave House, rang for a slaver and told him to wait. When Nicholas arrived, I explained that the young man wanted training and left him in Nicholas’s care.

Frollin hoped to be owned by a Free Woman immediately, but Nicholas explained that he knew very little of Gorean culture and would require extensive training—perhaps three months at the earliest—before he could reasonably be sold. There appeared to be little current demand among the Free Women present for a male slave.

Aries then asked me to accompany him while he spoke with Nicholas about Melita. Aries had captured her and turned her over to the Slave House, but she subsequently ran away, submitted to the wagon people and was collared by Old Scar. Although Aries accepted the Ubar’s decision to let the matter go, he was dissatisfied that he had lost the opportunity to exercise his capture rights.

Nicholas explained the procedure as he understood it: a person captured outside the city may be claimed immediately by the captor. When a captive is taken inside the city and surrendered to the Slave House, the captor must declare at the time of surrender that he wishes to have the first opportunity to rent or claim the slave after processing. The declaration places him first in line but does not obligate him to complete the rental later.

Lady Seònai discussed her interest in training Kyrstal. She felt Melita would require considerable work, while Kyrstal might better suit her purposes.

⊰════════════════════════════⊱

Fishing with Aries

Aries invited Lady Seònai and me to visit the fishing area. I admitted that the fishing itself might not interest me, but I accepted when he made clear that he wanted my company. I joined Aries, Uli and Amalia at the docks and sat watching while they fished and prepared their catches.

Amalia proudly displayed boots she had taken from the Blackwatch bond. When she said that she should not kneel in them, Aries corrected her. I observed that it was surprising for her not to be kneeling while a Free Woman was present. Aries ordered her to kneel away from the fish slime, but her continued complaints and request to leave angered him. He dismissed her from Story Time and ordered her home to scrub the floors.

As Story Time approached, Aries said that he needed to prepare for the High Council meeting. I left him to his work and went to the gathering.

⊰════════════════════════════⊱

Evening — Turmus Story Time

Nicholas welcomed the Ubar, Ubara and assembled guests before turning the event over to Cooper Galena. Cooper hosted alongside Lady BilliAnn Bravin-Ireman, speaking as Anja Steinnsdottir.

Three stories were presented:

1. “Green Lanterns of Gor vs. Gor-Jira, King of the Tharlarions!” — Anja Steinnsdottir

2. “News travels Fast” — Cooper Galena

3. “A Sack of Misery” — Cooper Galena

The stories are preserved below as they were presented. Timestamps, system messages and audience interruptions have been removed, but the storytellers’ wording has been retained.

⊰════════════════════════════⊱

Green Lanterns of Gor vs. Gor-Jira, King of the Tharlarions!

Author: Anja Steinnsdottir, Skald of Torvaldsland

Spoken by: BilliAnn Bravin-Ireman as Anja Steinnsdottir

Author’s Prologue

A bit of a prologue first . . .

The genesis of this story came about after the first Gorean sim I RPed at closed down and I was looking for another one. Several of us from the sim were supposed to stick together to find a new BtB home in Gor. I went out checking different sims for how BtB they were, putting together checklists of pros and cons in hope we could make a good choice where to go next.

After doing a lot of work along those lines, I was shocked to learn that the others had decided to join a "Furry Gor" sim . . . which, to me, was the very antithesis of BtB! Possibly why they didn't ask for my input. I couldn't think of many concepts more different than Gor and furries. I wondered what next--a Klingon Gor sim where instead of paga, the warriors drank bloodwine, or maybe a Wonderland Gor sim, where a kanda chewing caterpillar had given you the call?

Anyway, from time to time, my mind works in weird ways and I come up with similarly odd variations on Gor. And so, in that genre-bending vein, I offer to you, tongue firmly in cheek and most definitely not BtB (and with a short epilogue following "The End". . . :)

Story

Little did the Priest-Kings know that, when they shot down the Kurii ship over Thassa, near the Twelve Islands, that they were creating a menace the likes of which had never been fathomed on the planet Gor! The Kurii ship had contained a secret weapon that, on impact with the sea floor, began to leak out a toxic, radioactive substance that soon had a devastating effect on the surrounding sealife. Most of it died instantly upon contacting the poison oozing from the downed vessel. But it had a very different effect on one sea thalarion that swam too close to the doomed ship!

Once in contact with the toxic slime from the Kurii ship, the sea tharlarion began to grow and to mutate. It grew to an incredible size, taking on the appearance of a monstrous high thalarion, but with a row of ragged dorsal fins along its back. Its brain was affected as well, driving it into a murderous, destructive rage. It soon emerged from Thassa onto the shores of the Twelve Islands, where it began to rain death and destruction down on the Pani people who lived there. Reminded of an old myth their ancestors had brought with them from Earth, they dubbed the creature . . .

GOR-JIRA--KING OF THE THARLARIONS!

As the monster wrecked havoc on the Twelve Islands, the hero Tarl Cabot (had to get him in somewhere), who happened to be visiting at the time, managed to escape and sail back from World's End to the Gorean mainland, where he soon was able to report to the Priest-Kings about the new threat to Gor. Unfortunately, they'd missed the occurrence completely, having been busy shooting down other Kurii ships trespassing into Gorean space. (Pause for ominous foreshadowing . . .) Forewarned, the Priest Kings prepared to counter the new menace, but they found they were too late--the monstrous tharlarion had laid waste to the Twelve Islands and had disappeared beneath Thassa. (Sorry, Pani fans . . .)

It wasn't long, however, before Gor-jira made landfall on the island of Cos! But the Priest-Kings were ready for the creature (or so they thought)! Almost before the monster could tromp on a single villa, a massive column of blue flame rained down from the sky, completely enveloping the gigantic tharlarion! For a moment, the light was too intense for anyone to see anything. But surely even such a foreboding creature couldn't stand up to the blue flame of the rulers of Gor! But as the smoke from the smoldering ground dissipated and everyone's vision returned, there stood Gor-jira, seemingly unaffected by the blast! Except in one way . . . His dorsal fins began to glow with an eerie blue light before, suddenly, a beam of intense blue flame shot from his huge maw, burning everything in its path. Cos was soon no more.

At this point, the Priest-Kings knew that they had a problem that their normal means were not going to alleviate. And an even bigger one in that the creature was now headed directly toward Port Kar! Now, Port Kar had long been a haven for pirates and so might not have been considered such a loss were it to be stomped and burnt to the ground. But at least two of their agents called the city home, and it had long helped in keeping a balance of power on Thassa, though with Cos now incinerated, that wasn't quite the consideration it had been. Still, should Gor-jira not stop at Port Kar, any coastal city on the Gorean continent might also be at risk. So the Priest-Kings needed to stop the beast somehow before it destroyed all of Gor!

There was only one solution they could imagine. Nearly a century previously, an alien spacecraft of unknown origin had crashed on Gor. It's pilot, a pink-skinned humanoid, had perished in the crash. But the ship contained alien technology the likes of which the Priest-Kings had never seen before. It wasn't Kurii, it wasn't theirs--it was . . . something beyond. For that reason, they'd hidden it deep within the Sardar so that it never fell into the hands of the Kurii. It seemed as though now was the time to uncover it and see whether it might hold a solution to their current situation. Fortunately for the Priest-Kings--and all of Gor--it did.

Almost from the moment the rulers of Gor opened the treasure trove of alien technology, the air around them took on a soft green glow and three . . . objects floated up before their unblinking eyes. They were glowing green globs of pulsating light at first, but in their minds, the Priest-Kings heard a voice asking how they may serve them and in what form need they appear? The Priest-Kings, despite their ancient knowledge, were taken aback. When they failed to respond, they heard in their minds another question--"What is your will for us?" One of the great insectoids formed in its mind a picture of the mighty tharlarion threat they faced and what it had done so far--and what it feared the monster might yet do.

The globules of verdant light flashed several times, and the voice in the Priest-Kings heads seemed to say that it knew what to do to save their planet. The three balls of illumination slowly formed into more concrete shapes--two glowing green rings and a glowing green collar. Then the voice rang again in their heads, telling the Priest-Kings that the objects would seek out three champions for them--champions among the Goreans who would use their newfound power to stop the menace now facing Gor. And then they flew out of the Priest-Kings' hold, out from the Sardar, and off, one ring traveling toward the north, the other with the collar to the south, seeking out the champions to stand up against Gor-Jira!

The first ring--the one that went north--found its way to Torvaldsland, where it soon singled out a lone free woman, sitting on a bench playing a Northern Kalika and singing a skaldic song. She was startled at first, but her curiosity got the better of her, and she reached out a finger to touch the glowing green jewel, upon which it slid onto her finger and she heard a voice in her head: "Anja Steinnsdottir of Torvaldsland, you have been found to have great will and are judged worthy of becoming a Mistress of the Green Light!"

With that, her humble Torvaldsland FW's kirtle began to glow and take on a bright green hue, like that of the needles of the needle tree during the warmer months in the North, and a richness befitting even a high Jarlswoman. An image of what she was to face burnt itself into her mind, and though she gasped at the enormity of the task for which she had been chosen, the voice in her head assured her that she would have allies in the fight ahead and would prevail. With a nod and a look of determination, Anja rose into the sky and headed south.

The other ring and its accompanying collar continued on south, until they reached the vast Tahari desert. Streaking over the dunes like small green meteorites, they soon focused in on a pair of Goreans leading several kaiilas, packed high with trade goods. One was a rough, yet cultured appearing man--a Gorean merchant plying his trade from city to city, region to region, now returning home from a trade journey to the Tahari. The other was a lovely, curvaceous slave girl with dusky skin and raven hair, though she was now covered from head to food with the protective clothing required to traverse the dangerous sands of the Tahari. Night had fallen and the two were taking advantage of the lower temperatures to journey across the desert. But they saw the glowing green objects in the sky coming toward them and stopped, the merchant drawing his sword warily.

The ring and collar slowed and came to a stop, hovering before the pair. The man gingerly poked at the ring with his sword, and at once a voice filled his head: "Cougar Ireman, Merchant of Gor, you have been found to have great will and are judged worthy of becoming a Master of the Green Light!" As he listened and lowered his guard, the ring traced a path along his sword to his hand, nestling itself on his finger. The green collar, meanwhile, moved slowly before the fascinated slave girl, speaking to her mind: "Jazmin Azif, Kajira of the Tahari, you have been found to have a great submissive will and are judged worthy of becoming a Servant of the Green Light, where you will serve and aid your Master in what is to come." Jazmin stood quietly while the green collar opened before her and slide around her neck, locking in place. She felt a surge of energy as she vowed to serve her Master in every way.

Meanwhile, both were enveloped in a green glow, their clothes shifting and taking on that color, for Cougar, the garb of an emerald warrior, for Jazmin, a camisk of the brightest green. For a moment, Cougar grumbled, "Green? I'm no physician--I am a merchant, and proud of it!" As if in response, a symbol appeared on his chest--the balanced scales of a merchant. He harrumphed. "Well, better," as Jazmin giggled. Then their heads, too, were filled with what they had to face. For a moment Jazmin dropped to her knees. "But I am but a slave--I know only how to pleasure and obey, not how to engage in . . . in combat!" As Cougar pulled her to her feet, the green collar around her neck explained to her the duties she would perform in the coming battle--to stay near her Master's side and lend him the power of the collar to supplement that of his ring. Nodding, Jazmin accepted the task laid before her. As her Master took to the air, she followed, as always, staying close by his left side.

The rings and collar knew where to bring their new wearers, and three verdant comets converged in the air high over Port Kar. As the three--Master, Mistress, and slave--made themselves known to each other, the two rings and collar suddenly glowed brighter, and three tendrils formed from them, reaching out and coalescing into the head of a wizened, balding humanoid with a large forehead. The trio frowned for a moment, but the figure began to speak into their minds. "Congratulations--you three have been found worthy to bear the emerald rings of power . . ." He stopped for a moment, looking at Jazmin, his head tilted. "Now, that's a new one," he mumbled before continuing, seemingly unfazed. "The rulers of your world have called upon the power granted to those who bear these artifacts to save your planet from an unimaginable enemy. And the rings have responded. The three of you now are Green Lanterns of Gor, or, I suppose, you are the first of the Green Lantern Gor(ps) . . ."

Cougar, Anja, and Jazmin blinked in confusion as the talking head continued. "Never the mind. Those rings--er, and that collar--that you wear are powered by the will of the owner and can do practically anything that the wearer can think of. Think of it, and you will it into existence! With these rings, you can defeat any foe, no matter how powerful. But you must believe in them. Believe in yourselves. Believe in the goodness of your cause. Do so, and you shall prevail! Your world of Gor depends on you!" And with that, the head started to fade away . . .

"But wait!" Anja called out as the head began to disappear. "Who are you? And how can we contact you if we need your assistance?" The head smiled as it faded away. "I--and my fellows are known as the . . ." He stopped, as though someone had said something to him unheard by the three Goreans. "Are you sure?" he asked. Then he sighed and shook his head and continued. "You can call me--us--the Gor-dians of the Universe! And if you need us, well, you know, just ring us up!" And with that, he was gone!

The three looked at each other--GL Master, GL Mistress, and GL Slave--and shrugged. "I suppose that it's up to us from here on," Cougar declared. And just as he did, Thassa outside the wharves of Port Kar began to roil and bubble and surge upward, revealing the more than imposing form of . . . Gor-Jira, King of the Tharlarions! "Er, Master . . . ?" Jazmin said, timidly pulling at her Master's green threads. He turned to her and took her shoulders in hand. "Just stick close to me, my girl. We are Goreans! We shall endure!" Meanwhile, Anja's face had taken on a look of determination. "In Odin's name, with the might of Thor, I rebuke you, foul creature!" she cried out. And as if by magic, a bolt of green energy shot forth from her ring, forming a perfect--if overgrown--image of Mjolnir, the Hammer of Thor, God of Thunder, of Torvaldsland!

The green hammer flew forward, bashing into the head of the massive monster. For a moment it halted, shaking its head, almost as if dazed. Anja looked down at her ring, shaking her head. "Surely it can't be that easy," she speculated. And it wasn't. Mighty as the blow had been, Gor-jira shook it off. He looked not toward what was to him but three green glowing gnats in the sky, but down on the city of Port Kar, instinctively concluding that something from the city had harmed him. For a moment his dorsal fins began to radiate a pulsating blue light. Then he opened his jaws and a stream of blinding blue flame spread forth from them, igniting the wooden docks of the city and quickly spreading toward the city armory! "Oops--my bad," said Anja with a shrug. "Stop the fire, woman," growled Cougar. "My slave and I will take care of this abomination!"

Anja merely nodded, whispering "Men!" under her breath, and swooped toward the spreading flames, her ring forming a pair of giant buckets connected by a yoke, from the bottoms of which a quenching stream of green liquid poured, snuffing out the flames. Simultaneously, Cougar's ring spawned a huge green Gorean sword, swinging it at Gor-Jira and inflicting upon the beast a grievous wound. But before the Emerald Merchant could follow up his first blow, Gor-Jira spewed forth a river of blue flame toward him and his slave. Instinctively he willed his ring to form a huge shield before him, taking the form of a Merchant banner. The flame was stopped . . . but only for the moment. The pillar of deadly blue fire slowly began to push the shield backward toward Cougar and Jazmin, appearing that it would engulf and incinerate the two within Ihn!

Jazmin looked to her Master, seeing the beads of perspiration on his forehead as he used the power of his ring to try to hold back annihilation. Then she remembered what the collar had told her and she quieted her mind, visualizing the full force of a Tahari duststorm. A wall of greenish sand swept forth from her collar into Cougar's ring, and then from that ring, a mighty green whirlwind blew forth, turning back the blue flame and, finally snuffing it out completely! Gor-jira roared in rage: "Skkkkkkrrrrrooooonnnnnkkkk!" And then he charged the two, only to be knocked off his feet by a glowing green . . . frost giant, the product of Anja's ring. Cougar smiled. "I knew there was a reason I liked Torvaldslanders," he said to Jazmin, who giggled in return. "Are you ready, my slave?" The girl nodded and the two flew toward the monstrous tharlarion, now grappling in the waters of the harbor with the emerald frost giant.

Suddenly, from Cougar's ring, a huge set of emerald balances and scales were willed into existence, slamming down on the besieged creature, even as the green giant jollily pummeled the monster with his massive fists! it was too much, even for the King of the Tharlarions, and Gor-jira suddenly disappeared under the waves. The green frost giant stood in the harbor, giving the city a thumbs up as he dissipated with a final cry: "Ho, ho ho!" And it was over. Gor-Jira was defeated, and Port Kar was saved, as was all of Gor. At least for now. As Anja, Cougar, and Jazmin hovered in the air together, sending beams of green energy down toward the city, rebuilding the destroyed structures and healing the wounded, the three looked at each other, as if to say, "Now what?" All at once, the green head of the Gor-dian of the Universe reappeared in a burst of light from the rings and collar.

The head looked around, surveying all below them, his eyebrows raising. "Oh--you actually did it! Er, I mean--of course you did! You're the Green Lantern Gor(ps)! I didn't doubt you for an . . . what do you call in on your world? An Ihn!" The three looked at him, but before they could say anything, he nodded. "Oh, yes--you will keep your rings. Er, and that collar thing . . . In case your Priest-Kings have need of your service again in the future. Who knows what other threats might lie beneath the waves of your Thassa or maybe from out of space . . . those uncouth Kurii, for example. No, no--they are lucky to have you. Just, uh, don't disrupt any balances of power or anything. So time for me to go, and for all of you to head back to your respective lands. But first, of course, you need to recite your oath!"

"Oath?" all three questioned. The Gor-dian shook his green head as it began to dissolve before them. "Yes, your oath--your rings . . . and collar--will give it to you. Farewell!" And he was gone. Then the two rings and the collar began to glow green again, and the following words came to the minds of the three as they recited them out loud:

"In Brightest Tahari Day,

"In Darkest Torvaldsland Night--

"No GE shall escape our sight!

"Let Kurii, female warriors, and sleen take flight--

"Beware our power--Green Lanterns of Gor's Light!"

And with that, three Green Lanterns of Gor took leave of each other, Anja heading back north and Cougar and Jazmin south, until the next threat that Gor might face called them back together . . .

The End . . .?

Well, almost . . . remember those other Kurii ships that were shot down . . .?

In the cold north waters near Torvaldsland, the toxic radiation leaking from the dead Kurii ship found one of the cuttlefish abundant in Northern waters. And it began to grow . . . its head becoming bulbous, its tentacles sprouting from around its maw. Its body took on a humanoid form and vart-like wings sprouted from its back. It began to gurggle, "Ia! Ia! Ia!" It started to swim, looking for a place to rest, an instinctual voice in its head telling it where to go and what to do when it arrived: "Ar . . . Lay!"

In the reedy delta streams of the Vosk, another crashed Kurii ship sank into the muddy water, a toxic pool forming around it, killing fish all about. A screech was heard from above and an huge Ul dove into the water, scarfing up the contaminated fish. Finally it returned to its lair, where it, too, began to grow and evolve, soon to emerge as the flying creature known as . . . Gor-dan!

Another downed Kurii ship crash-landed in the marshes outside of Ar, it too leaking its deadly agent into the surrounding flora and fauna, which began to bend and warp out of shape, taking on an odd non-Gorean color. Curious, one of the spider people ventured too close and the tendrils of the affected vegetation began to wrap around its legs, puncturing it and injecting it with the toxin. Within a few hours, the normally innocuous creature had grown to the size of an arena and began to stalk the marshes, looking for prey as Gor-monga!

And . . . to cap things off . . . from the fourth planet of our solar system, intellects, vast, cool and unsympathetic looked upon the world of Gor with envy, slowly drawing their plans against us . . .

To be continued . . . maybe . . . ?

⊰════════════════════════════⊱

News travels Fast

Author and Speaker: Cooper Galena

The two magistrates, one very old and wise, the other very young and freshly from his schooling, were sitting together discussing how Magistrates managed their affairs. The younger posed a question, to which the elder answered.

"It is a curious thing, how news spread within a Gorean city. Perhaps it moves most swiftly on the feet and lips of kajira as they see to chores, duties, errands and simply moving from one part of the city to another. There is always time for shared knowledge, in alleys and corners where the Free never ventured, because the Free had no need to venture to those places. The amount of information passing at these waypoints in the city was voluminous. As to the accuracy of the information, that is another story."

"Now for official distribution, sometimes birds are used to send a note across a large city, or to another city. But for a short distance, birds were both costly to train and feed, and had a tendency to get taken, by nature or man."

"It is possible to carry your message yourself, or hand it to a house scribe, to be delivered, but this introduces the danger of the information being intercepted and misused. Some scribes are more reliable than others, as were almost all Free, or at least it was hoped they were. More than one city had fallen to information going astray, and being used to corrupt or damage a man, a house, or an entire city."

"So, how to move information both quickly and safely? This is a question faced by all the Castes, Magistrates, all the way up to City Administrator. Scrolls sealed and secured, guards, secret routes, all were capable of being undermined.

In the end, one solution had presented itself to many of the Free."

"Kajira. Specifically kajira identified as knowing the paths and byways of the city, swift of foot, careful and cautious, and above all imbued with a clear knowledge that their lives were forfeit should the information fail to be delivered. There were more than one of these kajira who had in an unspoken way, agreed to take their message to their death, so that the message would not be intercepted."

"The general workings of this type of transport was that a Free person would either possess, or pay for the services of, one of these slaves. The slave would be given a destination, but no knowledge of what they carried. Slaves were mostly illiterate, which reduced the risk of them reading the message, along with the security measures taken to seal and protect the message. She would be garbed in alternate clothing, often drab and nondescript, the idea of having her literally blend into the colors of the city. Slaves had no access to the very precise Gorean chronometers, but these slaves knew themselves and the city. They could accurately judge how long it would take to go to their destination from their starting point."

"Now, in most cases, the slave would return by a different path but return to her starting point with a note from the recipient stating that the document had been received. This confirmation of receipt was based on a coded message shared prior to the primary message being sent between the sender and recipient of the message. If the message was delivered and received as planned, the slave was fed and then released back into general service."

"When it became complicated, was when the first recipient needed to forward the original message, and the recipient’s reply, to another party. Essentially, a chain of recipients might exist, and the slave would need to carefully move from one recipient to the next. This was the most dangerous task for one of these slaves. The chance of being waylaid and the chain being broken was significantly higher. This type of task was reserved for a very few slaves. Depending on the importance of the message, and the complexity of the message chain, the arrangement would often have several kajira stationed along the chain, to run to the originator and confirm that the message was moving along the chain. "

"So, the idea was to find slaves that were reliable, swift, cunning and knowledgeable of the city, to work hard at planning, and then training. It was often the case that a skilled slave would be used sparingly, and only used a few times, so that no pattern or association could be attributed to any one slave. Often, when they were retired from such message carrying they were sold to another city, or in some rare cases, simply killed to reduce risk."

The older Magistrate finished his thought, and then turned to the younger one, and smiled, deciding to let the younger man sleep.

The End

⊰════════════════════════════⊱

A Sack of Misery

Author and Speaker: Cooper Galena

Screaming didn't help, not in the least. Pleading and begging seemed equally futile. The guards ignored her, the slaves simply taunted her, leaving food and water just out of reach, and in some cases worse transgressions. She had been there two hands, captured, stripped and chained into a small cage, barely tall enough to stand in.

She'd demanded proper treatment, worthy of a High Caste Free Woman. This gained her nothing but silence and some mild abuse at the hands of her captors. At first she refused to eat, and then pleaded for food when she could stand her hunger no longer. The bowl she was given was filled with a tepid liquid of indeterminate origin, composed of questionable ingredients, save a severed vulo foot. She wretched, and pleaded for real food, only to have the bowl taken away. That had been two days ago.

Curled up in a ball, hugging her knees to her chest, she did not hear the man at the bars approach. "Slave" he said, not yelling but not whispering. She looked up at a man, of average height and build, wearing a whip, and a slave goad. "Stand up, now" he said, the tone of his words conveying what must be an attitude of being properly obeyed. She rolled over on to her other side, facing away from the man.

The cascade of water was so cold, she felt the breath knocked out of her. She was soaked, covered in freezing water, on the stone floor of her prison cell. She gasped in lungs full of air, and stood. Whirling to face this indignation, she raised her hand as if to strike, her voice on the verge of tearing the very atmosphere between them. The next bucket of freezing water caught her in the chest, knocking her off her feet, and back onto the wet stone floor.

"Stand and be quiet, kajira" he said, and stood at the bars of the cell door. She could see he had another bucket of cold water, poised to carry on this frigid assault. She stood, and did not make a sound. He nodded and motioned her to the cell gate. "Better" She was quiet because she was furious! Never had she been treated this way, never would her Father have permitted even the tiniest bit of this transgression to transpire without someone, perhaps more than one, dying on an impaling spear.

The man took a set of unique looking keys from his belt, and unlocked her cage. She bolted, as quick as her wet feet could gain purchase on the slippery stones. She breathed freedom, up until the moment the slave goad dropper her like a bag of bosk dung. She shivered, gasped and then shrieked in pain and frustration, only to be doused in cold water a third time.

"If you move too quickly, I will put the tip of the goad in the pool of water gathered about you, and the pain you have experienced up to this point, will pale to a fond memory. I suggest, politely if that helps, that you quickly find your knees, and present yourself as a kajira should". His voice was even, terrifyingly so, as He spoke of her very immediate future, and her single choice. She rolled slowly to her knees, and placed her hands on the top of her thighs, palms down. She kept her knees close together, and her head was slightly elevated.

"You have seen the proper position for a slave, when in the presence of a Free Man, more then once I would believe. Assume it, or we shall begin again, from the beginning." Rage shook her like a leaf in the wind. She slowly parted her thighs, and lowered her head. 'Bracelets" he said, and she grudgingly moved her hands behind her back. From out of the shadows, a pair of slave bracelets quickly clamped down over her wrists, and her eyes darted first behind her, and then up at his face. He was looking behind her, and she heard him say to the shadows "She is all mine now, continue with your efforts" to which a voice responded simply "Aye Master".

The snap of a leash clip on the thin metal collar at her neck, focused her attention immediately. She drew back in fear, and anger, but the crackle of the slave goad got her attention. "Stand" he said, and she slowly struggled to her feet. "That is the last time you will be slow, and it will be the last time you bolt from the leash. Learn to love your leash.." and with that, the man began to walk. She had been busy concocting a vile and vitriolic curse to hurl at the man, when her leash drew taut. She stumbled, earning her a violent look from the man, as she fought to regain her footing while attempting to keep up. "I will kill this man" she thought to herself as she walked sullenly to where she did not know .

She tried to ignore all the stares, all the hisses and whispered threats, from slaves who either recognized her as a former Free Woman, or sensed that she had been at one time, and quite recently. In due time they arrived, the man halting at a door, and slowly untying a lock knot, then opening the door and tugging her inside. A round room, clean, bright, simple, warm! She kept her eyes down as much as possible, and when commanded to, knelt as a slave before a Free Man, a Master. Her bodied obeyed, but her mind was still that of a keen-edged Free Woman about to escape.

"Stand" he said, so she stood. He removed the bracelets on her wrists, and then unclipped the leash from her throat, and when his back was turned, she took a quick look at the door. It appeared unlocked, and so she bolted. Throwing open the door, she ran straight into the largest Warrior she had ever seen. She caromed off his chest, and fell back into the room on her backside. Warm floor or not, these stones still hurt. She howled and curled herself into a tight ball.

The guard was apparently waved off, as he stepped back and closed the door. She heard the other man, the one in the room with her, moving about, rummaging in chests and boxes. Finally his activities ceased, and she heard his command "Come" and she shook her head. The crackle of the slave goad dug deep into her consciousness, and she slowly turned to see him standing, goad in one had, whip in the other. She crawled to his feet, and assumed the proper position.

"Stand" he said, so she stood. He clipped the goad to his belt, and the whip returned to its easy access at his hip. "Arms above your head" he said, and she raised her arms. She watched him pick up a rough pile of cloth, and walk towards her. He lifted the cloth up and over her outstretched hands, and lowered the cloth downwards. In short order, she realized that this was a clean dung sack, perhaps never used, or perhaps simply washed of the filth it normally carried. She began to protest, but a sharp cuff to the side of her head ceased that. She was going to have this man torn to pieces by sleen, she thought to herself, a blind anger boiling over her thoughts.

The sack had holes cut and seamed, for her head and arms, like a low-caste woman's work blouse. It reached to her ankles, and she was angered and embarrassed to be wearing such a foul thing. Her thoughts were interrupted by him grabbing one wrist, clamping a shackle over it, and clipping it to a chain hanging from the ceiling of the room. She was so annoyed with this that she failed to notice him doing the same thing to the other hand, until it was too late to fight back. She was trussed up in a room, naked in a dung sack!

He tied the bottom of the sack tight, using a bit of rope, around her ankles. She felt his hand in her hair, as he pulled it into a single tight bundle at the back of her head, and slipped a bit of knotted tharlarion leather around it to hold it in place. "Complain too much...slave, and I shall start your training by cutting off your hair, right about here!" and tugged on the single tail of hair.

Stepping back, the man watched as the former Free Woman struggled inside the sack. He smiled, and then said "I have it on good authority, from the Warriors that captured you, and sold you, that you were the loveliest of the Free Woman taken. According to one of the captured Red Caste of your City, you were the daughter of the Head Merchant." He removed a jeweled dagger from his belt, and began examining it as he spoke at her.

Glaring at the man, the slave said nothing. He continued "It was said amongst your captors, you fought well, and with spirit. Good, a slave with such a spirit is often quite pleasing in the furs." He grinned at her, and was answered with a scream. He laughed, and smiled as she gasped for breath, clutching lung full of air, her fury unabated. "You are a foul thing, not worth even a name!" she howled at him.

His laughter rolled around the room, and as he laughed he drew close to the slave. She struggled inside the sack, and as she did, she began to feel the rough material rubbing against her cold, wet skin. She stopped struggling, and watched the man as he approached. He reached out, and grasped the sack, taking one bare breast in hand, through the rough cloth. She burst into a fury of movement, no man had ever touched her before, and this one was certainly not going to be the first!

She felt his fingers tighten about her, even though she fought. She watched him move his other hand, fingers extended, towards her neck. "Silence, slave..you shall learn your place. You are no longer a Free Woman, you are a slave, la kajira!" The jeweled knife slipped into the opening of the sack at her neck, and slowly cut downwards, slicing down between her breasts, exposing them to Him

The cold silence in the room as she was exposed, was suddenly broken. Alarm bells, first one, then more, began to peel loudly across the City. The sound of running, metal against metal, spear and sword being drawn, filled the small room. The man turned and looked at the door, then her, then back to the door. "Fear not, slave, you have little to no value now, all trussed up as you are. I shall return!" The man left, and she stayed, not because she wished to, but the shackles stayed her escape. Her first thought was to scream loudly, hoping that she would be rescued from this nightmare. However, she had no idea whom was raiding, and she was just as likely to be left to die of starvation or neglect, as she was to be taken again, exacerbating her enslavement.

The man did not return. She hoped he was dead, having died with the entrails spilled on the stones somewhere, taking a long time to die. Several ahn passed, her body weakening, shoulders screaming in pain. The sun was near to setting, and still no sounds from outside that door.

She slipped in and out of consciousness, dehydration and hunger struggling to kill her. The door opening drew her back to consciousness, and she looked up and stared. She shook her head to clear her thoughts, and then looked again.

"Datun, is that you?" A large man moved to her, and looked at her closely "Lady Kaitlin, I found you!" He released her from the shackles, and wrapped her in a Warrior's blanket from His kit. "We must move swiftly, our efforts were enough to clear the section of the City we felt you might be held in, but we do not control much, or for long. Can you travel?" She smiled, pointed to a bag telling him to bring that, then collapsed. He lifted her over His shoulder, and moved urgently through the small building she was being held in. Three war tarns were close, and a fourth tarn equipped with passenger basket. Datun placed Lady Kaitlin in the basket, then mounted his tarn, and signaled the other Tarnsmen to leave, swiftly, urgently, back to their City.

Days later, in the company of her Father, and a man from the Ubar's court, the Lady Kaitlin, rested and recovered, spoke to them. "I was unsullied, but barely" she said, shivering at the memory of her captor's foul hands. The man from the Ubar's court looked her over closely then said "What can you tell us of the City, Lady? Do they prepare for war, are they preparing to bring war upon us?" She replied softly, her voice barely moving her veils "I was a prisoner, Sir. I can tell you nothing but of pain and shame." The man nodded, the wished her a speedy recovering, and left with a nod to her Father. A few enh passed, and her Father sat with her for a bit, then said "Were you successful?" She shrugged and said "I do not know, I was so close to slavery and death. The plan worked mostly, but my life nearly ended so many times..." Her voice trailed off, then she said "As you surmised, Gattix found me, took me, the daughter of his greatest enemy, and was intent on having me. Datun arrived as planned,

with moments to spare. The bag, from Gattix's quarters, what was in it?"

The Lady Kaitlin's father took his time answering "I placed your life at great risk, but it was worthwhile. I have learned of Gattix's treachery, at the cost of your honor perhaps. A price I was reluctant to pay, save your desire to avenge your Mother. She is avenged, daughter. Now rest" Her father departed, and she was left to herself and her thoughts.

"So, my honor is in question, I have been a slave" she thought, then looked out the window "And now, I am a spy"

The end...

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Meeting Summaries

SCoG* Scribe Summit Planning Meeting

Date and Time: August 19, 2026, approximately 8:00–9:00 a.m. SLT
Location: Isle of Teletus
Meeting Leader: Trygg Tyran
Host: Lady Kar

Attendees observed: Lady Kati Evans, Trygg Tyran, Lady Kar, Myriam-Aliyah Krigerand, Hermes, Lady Wynna Aonifall, Bea Lael Usami, Autumn Krigerand, BB Arliss, Marcus Aurelius Antoninus and Dexter Winters.

Summary: The group concentrated on recruiting and scheduling presenters for the September 25–27 Scribe Summit. The working deadline for completing the presentation schedule was September 2. Members received a registration form and a list of possible subjects. Hermes proposed a two-part presentation on the geographical results of Gorean botanical and zoological research. The group reaffirmed that the Summit should unite scribes across city and personal divisions.

Next Meeting: September 2 at 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. SLT at Thunder Mountain.

Turmus Story Time

Date and Time: August 19, 2026, 5:00–6:00 p.m. SLT
Location: Turmus
Opening Host: Nicholas Eel
Story Host: Cooper Galena
Storytellers: Lady BilliAnn Bravin-Ireman as Anja Steinnsdottir and Cooper Galena

Attendees observed: Lady Kati Evans, Nicholas Eel, Cooper Galena, Lady BilliAnn Bravin-Ireman, Bactu, Selia, Kyrstal Wulfe, Leena, Nerine, Lora, Nixie Marlowe, Cougar Ireman and Kaellaed Rhode.

Summary: Lady BilliAnn opened with a playful Green Lantern and giant-monster crossover set on Gor. Cooper followed with an instructional tale about using specially trained kajirae to carry confidential messages through a city, then closed with the story of Lady Kaitlin, whose apparent capture and enslavement concealed a dangerous spying mission. The gathering applauded all three stories.

Announcements: Story Time is held every other Wednesday at 5:00 p.m. SLT. Lady BilliAnn announced an OOC concert featuring Dazzler & the Marvels for Saturday at 4:00 p.m. SLT on the OOC concert platform.

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To Do

• Review the Scribe Summit presenter-registration form and possible-topic list.

• Decide whether to offer one of my lessons or another Scribe subject for the Summit.

• Encourage other qualified teachers or subject experts to volunteer.

• Display the Scribe Summit poster in the appropriate city or library when it is received.

• Attend the next SCoG* meeting on September 2 at either 8:00 a.m. or 5:00 p.m. SLT at Thunder Mountain.

• Consider attending the Dazzler & the Marvels OOC concert on Saturday at 4:00 p.m. SLT.

• Remember that Turmus Story Time returns every other Wednesday at 5:00 p.m. SLT.