Here is the comprehensive lecture script for GOR 220, Week 4.
We leave the burning sands of the Tahari and travel south to the vast, grassy oceans of the Southern Plains. This lecture introduces a culture that is diametrically opposed to the city-dwellers of Ar: The Wagon Peoples. We focus on their unique nomadic infrastructure, their dependence on the Bosk, and the distinct personalities of the Four Tribes.
Lecture Script: GOR 220 - The Wagon Peoples
Instructor: Magistrate Kati Evans Location: Gorean College of Lara / Ar’s Station Educational Hall Week 4: The Cities of Dust (The Four Tribes, The Bosk, and The Wagon) Duration: Approx. 60 Minutes
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I. Introduction: The Land Without Walls (00-10 Mins)
(Action: The salt block is gone. The room smells of sweetgrass and leather. On the desk sits a single, heavy horn—a Bosk horn—polished and capped with silver. You stand holding it, looking out at the class with a restless energy.)
Magistrate Evans: Tal.
We have survived the mines. We have climbed out of the dark. Now, look at the horizon. Imagine a sea of grass, green and gold, stretching for a thousand pasangs. No roads. No towers. No walls.
To a citizen of Ar, this is terrifying. We like our walls. We like to know where "Inside" ends and "Outside" begins. But to the people we meet today, walls are for cattle. Walls are for prisoners.
We are entering the domain of the Wagon Peoples.
They are the Tuchuks, the Kassars, the Kataii, and the Paravaci. They are the Lords of the Plains. They do not build cities; they drive them. Their Home Stone is not a rock in a cellar; it is the axle of a wagon and the beat of a drum.
Today, we study the Culture of the Bosk. We will learn why a man might love a cow more than a gold piece, and why the "Wagon" is the most formidable fortress on the plains.
Open your tablets. And watch where you step; the herds are moving.
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II. The Four Tribes: The Nations of the Grass (10-25 Mins)
Magistrate Evans: The Wagon Peoples are not a monolith. They are four distinct nations, united by culture but divided by rivalry. They speak the same language (Gorean, but with a dialect), use the same weapons, and worship the same Sky Spirits. But they hate each other almost as much as they hate us.
1. The Tuchuks (The Cunning)
Magistrate Evans:
Standard: The Four-Horned Bosk Skull.
Character: They are the most famous. They are known for their intelligence, their humor, and their treachery. A Tuchuk will steal your boots while explaining why it is philosophically necessary for you to walk barefoot.
Warfare: They are master tacticians. They use the Kaiila (which we discussed in the Tahari module) to encircle enemies.
2. The Kassars (The Bloodthirsty)
Magistrate Evans:
Standard: The Scarlet Bosk Head (Blood-red).
Character: They are grim, humorless, and violent. While a Tuchuk might trick you, a Kassar will simply kill you.
Reputation: Even other Wagon Peoples find them excessive. They are the "Berserkers" of the South.
3. The Kataii (The Silent)
Magistrate Evans:
Standard: The Black Bosk.
Character: They are known for their dark philosophy and their silence. They are arguably the best night-fighters.
4. The Paravaci (The Wealthy)
Magistrate Evans:
Standard: The Golden Bosk.
Character: They are the richest tribe. They have the largest herds. They wear the most gold. But wealth makes them slow; the Tuchuks often raid them for sport.
The Balance of Power: These four tribes are usually at war with each other. This is good for Ar. If they ever united—truly united—under one Ubar, they could sweep the civilized world into the sea. This happened once, under Tarl Cabot, but the alliance was fragile.
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III. The Bosk: The Engine of the Plains (25-40 Mins)
(Action: Lift the heavy horn on the desk.)
Magistrate Evans: In Ar, money is silver. In the Plains, money walks on four legs. It is the Bosk.
The Bosk is a massive, shaggy bovine, similar to the Earth Buffalo but larger and more aggressive. It has four horns (two curving forward, two curving back).
Total Reliance
Magistrate Evans: The Wagon Peoples use every part of the Bosk.
Food: Meat (roasted or dried into jerky) and Milk (fermented into curds or liquor).
Shelter: The hides cover the wagons and make the tents.
Fuel: On the treeless plains, dried Bosk dung (chips) is the only fuel for fire.
Transport: The Bosk pull the massive wagons.
The Herdsman’s Bond
Magistrate Evans: A Tuchuk knows every Bosk in his herd by name. He knows its lineage better than he knows the lineage of the Administrator of Ar. To steal a Bosk is a capital crime. To kill a Bosk without ritual is a sin. The migration of the tribes is dictated not by the men, but by the grass. Where the Bosk go, the city follows.
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IV. The Wagon: The Mobile Fortress (40-50 Mins)
Magistrate Evans: We call them "Wagon Peoples," but do not imagine a small cart. Imagine a house on wheels.
The Structure
Magistrate Evans:
Size: These wagons are massive. Two or three stories high.
Construction: Heavy timber (imported or stolen). The wheels are taller than a man, rimmed with iron.
Draft: Pulled by teams of 20 to 40 Bosk.
The Camp Circle
Magistrate Evans: When the tribe stops for the night, they do not park randomly. They form the Wagon Fort. They chain the wagons together in a massive circle.
Inside the Circle: The women, children, and the Bosk (for protection).
The Perimeter: The men patrol the outside.
This turns the camp into an instant fortress. A cavalry charge breaks against the wall of wagons. It is impenetrable to anything short of siege engines.
The Home Stone
Magistrate Evans: Do they have a Home Stone? Yes. But it is small. It is kept in the wagon of the Ubar. When the wagon moves, the Home Stone moves. This is a radical concept for a Gorean: Home is not a place. Home is a trajectory.
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V. The Omen Year: The Cycle of Migration (50-55 Mins)
Magistrate Evans: The Tribes follow a seasonal cycle known as the Omen Year.
Spring: They move North, following the melting snow and fresh grass. This brings them dangerously close to Turia.
Summer: They graze on the high plains.
Autumn: The Passing of Turia. This is the tense moment. The herds pass the city. Trade happens. Raids happen.
Winter: They retreat South to the winter pastures.
The Turian Tax: The City of Turia pays the Wagon Peoples a massive tribute of gold to keep them from attacking during the Passing. The Turians call it a "Gift." The Tuchuks call it "Rent."
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VI. Conclusion & Assignment (55-60 Mins)
(Action: Set the horn down. The sound echoes.)
Magistrate Evans: The Wagon Peoples teach us about Self-Sufficiency. They do not need the city. They despise the city. They look at us—trapped in our stone boxes, eating food grown by others—and they pity us.
As Administrators, you must respect them. They are the only force on Gor that is truly free from the laws of the Priest-Kings' geography. They go where they please, and they take what they want.
(Action: Pick up the assignment scroll.)
Magistrate Evans: Your Assignment for Week 4:
You are a Scout for the Tuchuks.
The Scenario: The herd is moving North. You spot a patch of "Sweet Grass"—the best grazing land. However, it is currently occupied by a herd of the Kassars (The Bloodthirsty Ones). You have 500 Bosk that need to eat within the hour.
The Task: Write a Report to Kamchak (The Ubar) (200-300 words).
The Option: Do you fight the Kassars for the grass? (Risk losing warriors).
The Alternative: Do you bypass them? (Risk the Bosk losing weight/milk).
The Trick: Is there a "Tuchuk" way to get the grass without a full battle? (Perhaps a stampede? A distraction?)
Think like a Tuchuk. Be cunning.
Next week, in GOR 220, Week 5, we look at the Warfare of the Plains. We study the Kaiila Cavalry, the Bola, and the tactics that defeated the heavy infantry of Turia.
(Action: Sharp nod.)
Magistrate Evans: Class dismissed.
Tal.
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