 |
 |
|
WARRIOR CODE
Of all the five Gorean High Castes, the most romanticized and probably the most often
misinterpreted Caste is that of the Scarlet... the Caste of Warriors. Too many foolish young
men seem compelled to pronounce themselves "Warriors" simply because they like to think
of themselves as dangerous, mysterious and chivalrous. This not only is an insult to those
who truly are of that Caste, it tends to result in the delivery of many such braggarts to the
Cities of Dust by the able hands of those who truly know and follow the codes.
Although upon the world of Gor the word "Warrior" is a social caste title, in truth social
position tends to matter little in dictating who shall be true Warriors. Nor does physical size
determine who may consider himself a Warrior. Being a Warrior is almost completely
dependent upon learning, and maintaining, a specific "mindset" which applies to all things in
Your life, a set of rules which You strive to live by.
Honor
First and foremost among the traits of any Warrior is His Honor. It is His singularly most
precious possession... once lost or damaged, it can only be regained through rigorous trial
or longterm atonement, and sometimes not even then. A Warrior's Honor is a beautiful,
fragile, powerful, and often fleeting thing, and so it is the responsibility of the Warrior to
maintain it at all costs. The concept of a Warrior's Honor is difficult to put into words,
especially for those who have never sought it or possessed it. It is a highly personal matter,
and cannot be judged by any but the Warrior Himself.
Perhaps the best way to explain Honor is through example, and comparison. The Honor of a
Gorean Warrior is similar in many respects to what some would define as "character." For
example: A Gorean Warrior values highly such personal traits as courage, determination,
and honesty. He even values these traits when they are manifested by enemies, and will
admire and respect such an enemy even when locked in deadly combat with Him. Through
the very act of engaging in combat, and fighting honorably, with the respect for one who
dares to take up arms against Him, a Warrior acknowledges the belief that Honor
transcends even boundary lines of caste, city, and code. This is character; this is Honor.
When all persons in a room defer to the judgement of one individual, due to respect of His
wisdom and/or fear of His weaponry, they are, in effect, doing Him Honor. It is not the
weaponry in itself which is feared...without the hand which wields it, a weapon is merely an
object, an empty symbol. What makes a weapon fearsome is the certain knowledge that the
person who carries it is willing to use it when necessary. When those who meet a Warrior
know that He is prepared to instantly enforce His decisions and defend His personal code
regardless of the cost, then it is foolish for any to stand in His way unless they, too, have
declared such an objective. You may not agree with a Warrior, but any attempt by you to
prevent Him from taking the action He deems necessary will have immediate and dire
consequences. A Warrior is prepared to face those consequences at any time. Others Honor
His commitment, and take it seriously, whether they agree with it or not. In fearing and
respecting the Warrior, they do Him honor.
When a Warrior is taken at His word by others, and earnestly fulfills every vow, every
promise, every letter of His codes though perhaps none are at hand to enforce His
adherence to these things, then, and only then, can He truly be said to be a Man of Honor.
When in the course of combat His enemy is reduced by chance or circumstance to defeat,
and is stripped of the means by which to die well in service to His codes, an Honorable
Warrior will, if possible, provide His enemy with an opportunity to stand and be counted until
the bitter end. This, also, is Honor.
It should be remembered that those who disregard Honor and behave dishonorably, through
lies, treachery, or other such base acts, have in effect abandoned their right to Honorable
treatment by men of Honor. If identified as being without Honor, such dishonorable persons
are seldom treated with respect or afforded the right to an Honorable end.
Your Word
One of the greatest and most important points of personal Honor is a person's word. This is
the yardstick whereby personal Honor may be measured. Naturally, it is not always wise to
tell the truth, and in certain circumstances the unfailing adherence to veracity can cause
great complications, the death or injury of the speaker not withstanding. However, there is a
difference between always telling the truth and breaking one's word.
A person's word, is, quite literally, His word of Honor. Personally, I have seen many
occasions where the ability to bend or stretch the truth was critical to protecting someone's
feelings, or avoiding unnecessary confrontation... indeed, oftimes "the truth" is entirely a
matter of personal opinion and viewpoint. But when a person offers His hand to another and
"shakes on it", or even simply looks another in the eye and pledges His word that something
is a certain way, or swears that something will be done, then that is the formal pledge of the
swearer's word of Honor. If one pledges His word in such a fashion and then breaks faith
often enough, then in a short time that person's "word of Honor" will come to mean nothing.
Respect
Another aspect of Honor, and a fundamental tool in the use and practice of the Gorean
Warrior's codes, is respect. Respect is a valuable device whereby Honor may be done to
another by You, but it is also the means whereby a Warrior may maintain His status and
indeed His very life, through wise application of this particular concept. A Warrior does not
like to face a brace of caged sleen, in fact He probably fears them to some extent. But that
fear is not blind, thoughtless terror... it takes the form of respect: the respect for a thing
which can do Him harm. A Warrior may Honor such a beast with a swift death, or through
blood ritual after the hunt... this is simply because He admires the creature's deadliness and
strength of spirit. But more than He Honors it, He respects it for what it can do to Him.
A Warrior respects anything which can harm Him or His fellow Warriors, although again that
respect does not necessarily reflect fear on His part. He also respects beauty and skill, as
well as any talent and ability which requires time and talent to perfect... the cunning
strategic mind of the Master Kaissa Player, the skill of the musician who strums the kalika,
the beautiful and intricate patterns of a delicate tapestry. It takes great skill to throw a spear
accurately and far... it takes no less skill for a belled pleasure slave to dance superbly for her
Master's pleasure. While a Free Man might not Honor a slave, He can certainly respect her
talents and well-tuned slave nature.
Duty
One of the primary parts of the Gorean Warrior's daily life is service, or duty. Service is any
act which is performed on the behalf of another... another Warrior, the general of an army,
or a Freeperson in need of aid. Duty is the sense of responsibility which compels a Warrior
to serve another, and it is also the manner by which He prioritizes such service. To so serve
is to "do One's duty" in the classic sense, that is to faithfully serve the people or institutions
to whom One has pledged His service. This is never done blindly, however.... each and every
Warrior on Gor uses His own judgement, and stands by the decisions He makes... this is His
duty to Himself... the duty of maintaining His Honor.
Life and Death (Gorean pragmatism):
It is important, when considering the mentality of the Gorean Warrior, to remember that
Gor is a deadly place, filled with savage creatures, not the least of which is man. The law of
"survival of the fittest" is in constant practice there, and the entire culture of Gor is founded
upon that principle. Each Gorean is the result of a culmination of countless centuries of
selective breeding, in which the weaker and less adaptive elements of human stock have
been culled from the populace, and the strong strain of those who have survived has
become the majority of the planetary population. This is actively reflected in basic Gorean
philosophy, as well as being a fundamental part of that planet's own culture. In short, survival
is never taken for granted; the very act of day to day living is prized and much appreciated;
and the most ruthless facts of life are brought home to Goreans on a daily basis. Goreans
feel that all things which are weak deserve to be enslaved.
Gold and Steel
~Gorean Tactical Thinking~
Tactical thinking is a large part of the Gorean Warrior's training and mindset... tactics of
thought, tactics of combat, tactics of battle. Most Gorean Warriors will debate these
subjects for many ahn, sometimes applying their own personal techniques and strategies to
a long session over the Kaissa board. But all in all, despite the many subtle variations
espoused by different Warriors from the various cultures and areas of Gor, a single dictum,
common to all Gorean Warriors, seems to remain the centerpiece of Gorean tactical
philosophy. It can be written as:
Do what seems best to You;
Expend as little effort as possible to achieve maximum gain;
Do not fear to try something new and different, should it seem wise to do so.
When a Gorean Warrior says "there exists nothing but gold and steel" what He is saying is
that when all matters of human existence are pared down to their essentials, these two
items are the absolute sum in the equation... the final driving forces whose interaction
impacts His life to the greatest extent. A Gorean likes to get down to basics in such a
fashion; not only does it remind Him not to waste His time on foolish pursuits, it also allows
Him the luxury of forgetting trivialities and concentrating upon the most important things
which currently exist in His life, whether those things consist of leading tarnsmen in an attack
on an enemy cylinder or correctly lacing His sandals in preparation for a long march.
This, then, is an interpretation of the mindset of the basic Gorean Warrior. Do not
pronounce Yourself a Warrior unless You understand and are prepared to accept these
dictims. To do otherwise is to ensure that Your life on Gor will be either short and
unpleasant, or lengthy and unfulfilling.
