Post by marvis on Mar 12, 2005 16:00:07 GMT -5
Women are not the only gender that may be enslaved on Gor. Men also may face that fate, though in far fewer numbers. On Gor, one of the terms for a male slave is a "kajirus" and its plural form is "kajiri." "Kajiri" is also used to refer to a group of slaves consisting of women and men. A common mistake is that some believe that "kajirus" is the plural form and that the singular form is "kajiru." The number of male slaves on Gor is very low, especially in the cities. Only about 10% of all the slaves on Gor are males. Men captured during wars or raids are usually slain instead of being taken captive and enslaved. Most male slaves are either debtors or criminals though a small number are captives.
Male slaves are mainly enslaved for economic reasons, as cheap labor. The Gorean philosophy of "natural order" supports female slavery but it does not support male slavery. Gorean society though recognizes the validity, legality and economic necessity of male slavery. It is a more practical decision and not one based on a deeper philosophy. Under these justifications, anyone can be enslaved. Not all societal institutions need be based on an underlying philosophical foundation. Some are simply practical concepts.
Few male slaves are considered valuable and they generally do not garner high prices, even at auction. The primary exceptions are male silk slaves and exotics. The normal high price for a male slave, not a silk slave or exotic, is a silver tarsk. Many female slaves would sell for more than that amount. There are also very few male slaves with long pedigrees. There are few reasons to breed male slaves except as exotics. Nearly any Gorean man can serve as a typical work slave.
The most common types of male slaves are the work slaves. They are usually used on cargo galleys, mines, great farms or as porters on wharves. Port Kar, Cos and Tyros utilize thousands of male galley slaves. Many cities use male slaves for some of the more unpleasant labor in the cities, such as in the refuse pits or cleaning the public baths. Some slaves may pull wagons in teams. Most men work on chains with other slaves. In some cities like Ar, an unchained male slave is rarely ever seen. Work gangs commonly consist of fifty to one hundred men though they may be as large as one thousand men. They are commonly considered to be cheap and expendable labor.
Free work chains also exist as slaves are not permitted to engage in certain construction work. Work slaves are not used for road construction, siege works, erecting walls, or the construction of temples and public buildings. In many respects though, free chains are often not much different from slaves. Many free chains consist of criminals. These criminals have been sold, for a nominal fee, to work gang leaders to serve out the rest of their sentence as a laborer. Though they are technically supposed to be freed when their prison term would be up not all are. Some work masters create stringent rules for their workers. If you violate one of these rules, it will add time onto your sentence. The rules are created so most of the workers will violate them at some point, effectively keeping the workers much longer than their original sentence. The workers are commonly kept under slave discipline and the work master can do anything he wants to them, including killing them.
Probably the lowest of all work slaves are the salt slaves of Klima. Klima is located deep in the dune country of the Tahari region. Its exact location is a well kept secret. Thousands of salt slaves work there to extract salt from brine pits, generally by drilling or flush mining. Salt slaves are taken there on foot. They are hooded, chained and led through the desert. Many never make it as far as Klima. Escape from Klima is nearly impossible and no one until Tarl Cabot had ever escaped from there. No kaiila are permitted there and there is no water for a thousand pasangs. No women are permitted there and the workday is from dawn to dusk. It is brutal work and few slaves last too long there.
Other male slaves may end up as fighting slaves, either gladiators or bodyguards. Many Gorean cities have arenas for gladiatorial combat. This combat is often quite lethal and many fighting slaves are seriously injured or killed during these games. These male slaves may learn the use of certain weapons, primarily cestae and other common arena weapons. The hook knife is a common arena weapon, either sheated or unsheathed. The hook knife is a small, thick, curved blade. In nonlethal combat, the weapon is sheathed and the sheath is coated with a bluish pigment to mark strikes. In most cases, free men do not enter these arena games.
Less formal fighting slaves may engage in stable bouts, generally a Low Caste form of entertainment. Many of these bouts are little more than bloody brawls. The bouts are commonly divided by weight classes. The two combatants, unarmed, enter a shallow pit. Their hands are usually wrapped in leather so they do not break their hands. There are few rules except holds to the death are not permitted. Men may punch, kick and such until only one man is standing. The combatants do get rest periods which are given only to make the fight last longer. Much betting goes on at these events. Another less formal type are the sport slaves who are used in hunts, often by women, as the prey.
Little is said about the use of male slaves as bodyguards. No guidelines are given for their use. In general, slaves are not permitted weapons so it is unsure if an exception is made for bodyguards. It is possible that such slaves can only rely on unarmed combat to defend their owner. It seems more likely that if someone wished to good bodyguard, they would hire a Warrior. Slave bodyguards might serve better to protect free women, walking the city streets, from Slavers and other such parties. Such slaves would be expected to give their lives to protect their Mistress.
Male slaves are mainly enslaved for economic reasons, as cheap labor. The Gorean philosophy of "natural order" supports female slavery but it does not support male slavery. Gorean society though recognizes the validity, legality and economic necessity of male slavery. It is a more practical decision and not one based on a deeper philosophy. Under these justifications, anyone can be enslaved. Not all societal institutions need be based on an underlying philosophical foundation. Some are simply practical concepts.
Few male slaves are considered valuable and they generally do not garner high prices, even at auction. The primary exceptions are male silk slaves and exotics. The normal high price for a male slave, not a silk slave or exotic, is a silver tarsk. Many female slaves would sell for more than that amount. There are also very few male slaves with long pedigrees. There are few reasons to breed male slaves except as exotics. Nearly any Gorean man can serve as a typical work slave.
The most common types of male slaves are the work slaves. They are usually used on cargo galleys, mines, great farms or as porters on wharves. Port Kar, Cos and Tyros utilize thousands of male galley slaves. Many cities use male slaves for some of the more unpleasant labor in the cities, such as in the refuse pits or cleaning the public baths. Some slaves may pull wagons in teams. Most men work on chains with other slaves. In some cities like Ar, an unchained male slave is rarely ever seen. Work gangs commonly consist of fifty to one hundred men though they may be as large as one thousand men. They are commonly considered to be cheap and expendable labor.
Free work chains also exist as slaves are not permitted to engage in certain construction work. Work slaves are not used for road construction, siege works, erecting walls, or the construction of temples and public buildings. In many respects though, free chains are often not much different from slaves. Many free chains consist of criminals. These criminals have been sold, for a nominal fee, to work gang leaders to serve out the rest of their sentence as a laborer. Though they are technically supposed to be freed when their prison term would be up not all are. Some work masters create stringent rules for their workers. If you violate one of these rules, it will add time onto your sentence. The rules are created so most of the workers will violate them at some point, effectively keeping the workers much longer than their original sentence. The workers are commonly kept under slave discipline and the work master can do anything he wants to them, including killing them.
Probably the lowest of all work slaves are the salt slaves of Klima. Klima is located deep in the dune country of the Tahari region. Its exact location is a well kept secret. Thousands of salt slaves work there to extract salt from brine pits, generally by drilling or flush mining. Salt slaves are taken there on foot. They are hooded, chained and led through the desert. Many never make it as far as Klima. Escape from Klima is nearly impossible and no one until Tarl Cabot had ever escaped from there. No kaiila are permitted there and there is no water for a thousand pasangs. No women are permitted there and the workday is from dawn to dusk. It is brutal work and few slaves last too long there.
Other male slaves may end up as fighting slaves, either gladiators or bodyguards. Many Gorean cities have arenas for gladiatorial combat. This combat is often quite lethal and many fighting slaves are seriously injured or killed during these games. These male slaves may learn the use of certain weapons, primarily cestae and other common arena weapons. The hook knife is a common arena weapon, either sheated or unsheathed. The hook knife is a small, thick, curved blade. In nonlethal combat, the weapon is sheathed and the sheath is coated with a bluish pigment to mark strikes. In most cases, free men do not enter these arena games.
Less formal fighting slaves may engage in stable bouts, generally a Low Caste form of entertainment. Many of these bouts are little more than bloody brawls. The bouts are commonly divided by weight classes. The two combatants, unarmed, enter a shallow pit. Their hands are usually wrapped in leather so they do not break their hands. There are few rules except holds to the death are not permitted. Men may punch, kick and such until only one man is standing. The combatants do get rest periods which are given only to make the fight last longer. Much betting goes on at these events. Another less formal type are the sport slaves who are used in hunts, often by women, as the prey.
Little is said about the use of male slaves as bodyguards. No guidelines are given for their use. In general, slaves are not permitted weapons so it is unsure if an exception is made for bodyguards. It is possible that such slaves can only rely on unarmed combat to defend their owner. It seems more likely that if someone wished to good bodyguard, they would hire a Warrior. Slave bodyguards might serve better to protect free women, walking the city streets, from Slavers and other such parties. Such slaves would be expected to give their lives to protect their Mistress.