Lecture Script: Week 1 - The Foundation
Instructor: Lady Kati Evans (Magistrate) Location: Gorean College of Lara / Ar’s Station Topic: The Counter-Earth, The Home Stone, and The Arrival Duration: Approx. 60 Minutes
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I. Introduction: The Nature of Reality (00-10 Mins)
(Action: Stand behind the lectern. Do not speak immediately. Let the silence stretch out. Organize your scrolls with agonizing slowness. Gaze sternly across the room, making eye contact with individual students until they look away. Wait for absolute pin-drop silence.)
Magistrate Evans: Tal, students.
Take your seats quickly. If you are standing when I begin, you will remain standing for the duration of the Ahn.
I am Lady Evans. I am a Magistrate. That means I am a woman of the law, a woman of the Blue Caste, and a woman who deals in facts, not fantasies. For the next hand of weeks, I will be guiding you through the fundamental structures of our world.
Look around you.
(Action: Gesture vaguely to the room.)
Some of you are Free Companions, draped in robes of status. Some of you are men of the sword, your hands already calloused from the hilt. Some of you are slaves, kneeling in the silk or the dust, allowed to listen only by the grace of your Masters. And some of you... some of you are fresh from the world of Earth. You still smell of the chemicals and the stagnation of that world.
It does not matter. Whether you are free-born to this world, a slave, or newly arrived from the barbarian world of Terra, you are here to learn civilization.
This course is not merely history; it is survival. To live on Gor is to understand your place within it. On Earth, you are taught that you can be anything. You are taught that the world bends to your whims. On Gor, we teach you that the world is stone, and you must find where you fit into the wall, or you will be crushed by it.
Settle in. For those of you who are permitted to write, get out your scroll and quill. For those who are not, etch these words into your memory, for I will not repeat them.
We begin with the ground beneath your feet. We begin with the impossible fact that you are here at all.
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II. The Counter-Earth Theory: Astronomy and Isolation (10-25 Mins)
Magistrate Evans: Today we start with a secret. A secret that, surprisingly, few of the lower castes on Gor ever truly contemplate, and one that drives the Earth-born mad with confusion.
Many of you have looked at the sky at night. You have seen the stars. If you know the constellations of Earth—the Bear, the Hunter, the Chair—you will see them here, too. You see the same universe as the world of your ancestors. And yet, if you look for Terra—if you look for that blue marble from which some of you came—you will not find it.
Why?
Gor is the Antichthon. The Counter-Earth.
(Action: If a chart or blackboard is available, draw a simple diagram: The Sun in the center, Earth on one side, Gor on the exact opposite side.)
Magistrate Evans: We share an orbit with the world of Earth. We are exactly opposite them, hidden forever behind the burning face of the Sun. We move in perfect synchronization. When Earth is in its summer, we are in ours. When they round the ellipse, so do we. Because of this shared orbit, the distance to the sun is identical. The heat is comparable. The length of the year is the same.
But that is where the similarities end.
The nature of our world is superior. This is not arrogance; this is physics.
Note the gravity. Those of you born on Earth, think back to your first few days here. Did you feel light? Did you feel as though you were walking on springs? When you dropped a cup, did it seem to float for a fraction of a second longer than it should?
The specific gravity of Gor is significantly less than that of Earth. This is a fundamental constant of our existence. It dictates our biology and our architecture.
Because the gravity is lower, our blood pumps with greater efficiency. We can jump higher. We can move faster. A Gorean warrior can run distances that would kill a terrestrial athlete. A Gorean slave girl can dance with a grace that Earth gravity would punish.
Look at the High Bridges of Ar. Look at the spires of this very city. On Earth, such structures would collapse under their own weight. Here, we soar. Our tarns—the great birds of prey—can fly while bearing a rider in full armor because the air and the gravity allow it.
(Action: Lean forward over the podium, your voice dropping to a warning tone.)
Magistrate Evans: But do not mistake this lightness for weakness. The environment of Gor is harsh. The gravity may be forgiving, but the land is not.
It selects for strength. We do not have the padded safety of Earth's modern societies. The weak do not survive the winters of the Voltai Mountains. The foolish do not survive the heat of the Tahari. The slow are eaten by the sleen.
We are a world hidden by the Priest-Kings for a purpose. We are a protected garden.
You must understand this: The Priest-Kings, who dwell in the Sardar Mountains, possess technology far beyond your comprehension. They could turn this world into a machine if they wished. But they do not. They keep us isolated from the "steel worlds." They keep us isolated from the madness of industrialization, of gunpowder, of the weaponization of the atom.
Gor is a preserve. It is kept primitive by design, not by accident. We fight with steel because it preserves honor. We illuminate our rooms with oil because it preserves the rhythm of the night. We are hidden behind the sun to keep the disease of Earth from infecting us.
(Action: Pause for brief notation. Walk a few paces to the left, then turn back.)
Magistrate Evans: You will also note our moons. Earth has one, a pale, dead rock. Gor has three.
The largest, the Master Moon, dominates our night. Then the Handmaiden, and the smallest, the Prisoner. These three moons pull at our tides and our blood. They create a rhythm of life that is more complex, more vibrant than anything on Terra. When all three are full, the night is as bright as dusk. When they are dark, the darkness is absolute.
Are there any questions regarding our physical location in the stars before I proceed? No? Good. You accept the reality of the ground. Now let us discuss the reality of the soul.
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III. The Home Stone: The Soul of the City (25-40 Mins)
(Action: Straighten your posture. This is the most important part of the lecture. Your voice should take on a reverent, almost religious quality.)
Magistrate Evans: Now, we move to the most important concept you will learn in your life. If you remember nothing else from my voice, remember this.
The Home Stone.
On Earth, what is a city? It is a tax jurisdiction. It is a collection of roads, sewers, and buildings. It is a location on a map defined by arbitrary lines drawn by politicians. If you move from one city to another, you change nothing but your address.
On Gor, a city does not exist without a Home Stone.
A peasant might say, "It is a rock." And physically, he is correct. A Home Stone is typically a simple rock. It is rarely a gem; gems can be sold. A Home Stone cannot be sold, for it is priceless. It is usually a piece of granite or basalt, flat on one side, perhaps carved with a single letter—the initial of the city.
But a Magistrate will tell you: "It is the soul."
It represents the sovereignty of the territory. It is the metaphysical anchor that holds the society together.
Imagine a circle. In the center of that circle is the Home Stone. Everything inside that circle is law, order, civilization, and protection. Everything outside that circle is chaos.
Every free person has a Home Stone. It is the first question you ask a stranger: "What is your Home Stone?" You are asking them: "To what laws do you hold yourself accountable? For whom will you die?"
(Action: Hold up a hand, counting off the points.)
Magistrate Evans: There are levels to this.
First, the Personal Home Stone. Every free household has one. It sits on the hearth. It implies that the master of the house is the sovereign of his domain. No man, not even an Ubar, may enter a man's house without invitation, because to cross the threshold is to invade a sovereign territory.
Second, the City Home Stone. This is the collective soul of all the families. It is kept in the central cylinder or the highest tower, guarded day and night by the High Caste warriors.
To lose a Home Stone is to lose the city.
Listen to me closely. If a city’s Home Stone is stolen, the city is effectively dead. Even if the walls still stand, even if the people are still alive, the city has ceased to exist. Its lights are extinguished. Its citizens wander in shame. They become the "Dark Castes," or the "Wandering Ones." They have no rights. They have no law. They are ghosts.
There is a Gorean saying: "A man who has no Home Stone is a beast."
Why? Because a beast acts only for itself. A beast eats when it is hungry and kills when it is angry. A man with a Home Stone acts for something greater than himself. He restrains his hunger for the good of the city. He fights not because he is angry, but because the Stone is threatened.
Without a Home Stone, there is no loyalty. Without loyalty, there is no civilization.
(Action: Step out from behind the lectern, removing the barrier between you and the students.)
Magistrate Evans: In this class, and in this city, we respect the Home Stone.
When you walk through the plaza and you see the symbol of the city, you will see Warriors salute it. You will see peasants bow to it. This is not idolatry. They are not worshipping a rock. They are saluting the idea that we are a community. They are saluting the law that keeps them safe.
If you are an Earth girl, or a barbarian, this will seem strange to you. You are used to loving nothing but yourself. You must break that habit. You must find a stone to serve, or you will never be truly Gorean. You will merely be a tourist in a dangerous land.
In my capacity as a Magistrate, I deal with the law every day. The law flows from the Stone. If you steal a loaf of bread, you do not offend the baker; you offend the Home Stone of the city. You have disturbed the peace of the Stone. That is why the punishment is severe. You have attacked the soul of us all.
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IV. Arrival: The Voyages of Acquisition (40-55 Mins)
Magistrate Evans: I look around this room and I see faces that were not born under the light of our three moons. I see the confusion in your eyes. I see the hesitation.
How did you get here?
You did not build a spaceship. You did not fly a tarn across the void. You did not walk here.
We call these the Voyages of Acquisition.
The Priest-Kings, the rulers of this world who dwell in the Sardar, have the technology to bridge the gap between worlds. They monitor Earth. They watch your radio waves; they watch your wars. And periodically, they reach out.
They bring people here. Sometimes they bring them in great black ships that move through space. Sometimes, it is said, they transport them through the very fabric of light and matter.
Why?
(Action: Resume pacing, looking thoughtful.)
Magistrate Evans: There are many theories.
Some say it is to refresh the bloodlines. Gor is a harsh world; our population is smaller. We need genetic diversity.
Some say it is to save the best of Earth from its own destruction. They look at your world—poisoned skies, endless greed, weapons that can boil the oceans—and they pluck a few flowers before the fire consumes the garden.
And some say they bring people here simply because they require labor, or beauty, or amusement.
Whatever the reason, understand this: Once you are here, there is no going back. The ticket is one-way.
This is the hardest lesson for the newcomers. You dream of waking up in your old bed. You dream of your televisions and your cars. Forget them. They are dust. You are here now.
You must shed the habits of Earth. This is the "Great Filter."
On Earth, you believed in chaos. You believed that money was superior to honor. You believed in machines over muscle. You believed that you had "rights" simply because you were born.
Here, you have no rights. You have duties.
(Action: Point to a student in the front row, perhaps a strong-looking male.)
Magistrate Evans: You, there. On Earth, you might have been an accountant. Here, if you cannot swing a sword or plow a field, you will starve.
(Action: Point to a woman.)
Magistrate Evans: You. On Earth, you might have been a CEO. Here, you must learn that your value lies in your nature, not your bank account.
You must learn the Caste system. You must learn the sword or the plow, the needle or the ledger.
The "Voyages" are a cruelty, yes. But they are also a gift. They are a ticket to a harder, but more meaningful life. On Earth, you were a cog in a machine. On Gor, you are a man or a woman. You feel the wind. You feel the danger. You are alive in a way you never were before.
Do not pine for Earth. It is a world of cement and noise. It is a world where men have forgotten how to be men, and women have forgotten how to be women. You are now citizens—or subjects—of Gor.
Embrace the steel. Embrace the stone. Embrace the caste.
If you fight against this reality, you will break. I have seen it a hundred times as a Magistrate. The man who demands to speak to a lawyer because he was arrested for insolence usually ends up shorter by a head. The woman who demands to speak to the manager usually ends up in a collar.
Acceptance is the first step of survival.
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V. Conclusion & Assignment (55-60 Mins)
Magistrate Evans: We are approaching the end of the Ahn. The sands in the glass run low.
Today, we have laid the foundation. We have established where we are: The Counter-Earth, the Antichthon. We have established who we are: The people of the Home Stone. And we have established how we came to be: Through the will of the Priest-Kings and the Voyages of Acquisition.
Next week, we build the walls upon this foundation. We will discuss the Caste System.
We will define your place in society. We will speak of the High Castes:
The White Caste of the Initiates, who speak for the gods.
The Red Caste of the Warriors, who bleed for the stone.
The Blue Caste of the Scribes—my own caste—who keep the records and the law.
The Green Caste of the Physicians, who hold the power of life.
The Gold Caste of the Builders, who raise the spires.
And we will speak of the essential lower castes—the peasants, the artisans, the singers—without whom the city would starve and go silent.
(Action: Pick up a scroll and tap it against your palm.)
Magistrate Evans: Your Assignment:
Before the next class, I want you to walk the city. Do not just look at your feet. Look up.
Find where the Home Stone is kept, or where the central administration represents it. Stand before it. Do not speak. Just watch.
Observe how people act near it. Do the voices drop? do the warriors straighten their backs? Reflect on what it means to belong to a city, rather than just live in it.
If you are a slave, ask your Master to explain his Home Stone to you. If you are free, go to the plaza and meditate on what you would be willing to die for.
I will remain for a few moments for any final inquiries regarding the geography or the physics of our world. Otherwise, you are dismissed.
Tal.
(Action: Gather your notes with precise movements. Stand rigidly behind the lectern, watching the students file out, maintaining your authority until the last person leaves the room.)
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Lady Kati Evans Magistrate
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