220 Week 9: The Unveiled Pride (Free Women, The She-Sleen, and

 Here is the comprehensive lecture script for GOR 220, Week 9.

This lecture examines the domestic and political sphere of the female half of the Wagon Peoples. It contrasts the fierce, unveiled pride of the Tuchuk Free Woman with the veiled, protected status of her Southern counterpart. It also explores the intense, often violent rivalry between the Free Woman and the slave (the She-Sleen).

Lecture Script: GOR 220 - The Wagon Peoples

Instructor: Magistrate Kati Evans Location: Gorean College of Lara / Ar’s Station Educational Hall Week 9: The Unveiled Pride (Free Women, The She-Sleen, and The Hearth) Duration: Approx. 60 Minutes

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I. Introduction: The Tiger in the Wagon (00-10 Mins)

(Action: The room is filled with the scent of heavy perfume and roasting meat. On the desk sits a heavy gold necklace set with rough turquoises, and a simple iron collar. You stand between them.)

Magistrate Evans: Tal.

In Ar, a Free Woman is a flower. She is delicate. She is hidden behind a veil. She faints at the sight of blood. In the North, a Free Woman is a partner. She holds the keys.

But in the Plains of Turia, the Free Woman is something else entirely. She is a Prize. She is a Queen. And she is dangerous.

The Tuchuk warrior fears nothing. He laughs at death. He laughs at torture. But he does not laugh at his wife.

Today, we study the Women of the Wagons. We will learn why they go unveiled in their own camps. We will study the "She-Sleen" (the slave) and why the Free Women hate them with a burning passion. And we will see how the politics of the Wagon are driven not by the Ubar on the throne, but by the woman whispering in his ear.

Open your tablets. And remember: The female of the species is often deadlier than the male.

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II. The Free Woman: Unveiled and Proud (10-25 Mins)

Magistrate Evans: If you walk into a Tuchuk camp as a guest, you will be shocked. The women do not hide. They walk with their heads high. They look you in the eye. And—most shockingly to a Southern mind—they are Unveiled.

The Logic of the Veil

Magistrate Evans:

Outside the Camp: When a Wagon Woman enters a city (like Turia), she veils heavily. She hides herself from the "filthy" city men.

Inside the Camp: She is among her people. Her tribe is her family. To veil among Tuchuks would be an insult to their honor.

The Appearance

Magistrate Evans: They are famous for their beauty and their vanity.

Jewelry: They wear their wealth. Gold coins, heavy necklaces, bracelets. A rich woman tinkles when she walks.

Attire: Bright silks, stolen or bought from Turia.

Attitude: They are imperious. A Tuchuk woman expects to be treated like a goddess. If a man disrespects her, her brothers or husband will kill him instantly.

Magistrate’s Insight: Do not mistake this freedom for looseness. Their morality is iron. Adultery is death. But within the bounds of marriage, they are fierce, vocal, and demanding.

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III. The She-Sleen: The Rivalry (25-40 Mins)

(Action: Pick up the iron collar. Drop it on the desk with a clang.)

Magistrate Evans: But there is another woman in the camp. The Kajira. The slave. The Tuchuks call them "She-Sleens."

To the Tuchuk man, the She-Sleen is a plaything. A creature of pleasure. He treats her like a favorite dog. To the Tuchuk Free Woman, the She-Sleen is the Enemy.

The Dynamic of Hate

Magistrate Evans:

The Free Woman is respected, honored, and expensive.

The She-Sleen is used, leashed, and cheap.

The Free Women despise the slaves. They force them to walk behind the wagons in the dust. They beat them. They humiliate them. Why? Jealousy. The Tuchuk warrior respects his wife, but he desires his slave. The Free Woman knows this. She knows that while she rules the wagon, the slave often rules the warrior's nights. This creates a domestic war zone that is famous throughout Gor.

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IV. Domestic Politics: The Neck that Turns the Head (40-50 Mins)

Magistrate Evans: The Ubar sits on the High Seat. He commands the army. But who commands the Ubar?

The Free Women of the Wagons are master manipulators. They cannot speak in the Council of Captains. That is forbidden. So they speak in the Bed-Chamber.

Alliances: Marriages are used to bind clans together. A clever mother arranges marriages that make her family untouchable.

Incitement: If a woman feels insulted by a rival clan, she will goad her husband into war. "Are you a man or a bosk? That Kassar spit near my wagon! Do something!"

Many bloody wars on the Plains started not over land or water, but because a Free Woman felt slighted and demanded blood to restore her honor.

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V. The Arts of the Wagon (50-55 Mins)

Magistrate Evans: What do they do all day while the men raid? They are not idle. They are the Keepers of Culture.

Weaving: They weave the magnificent carpets and rugs that line the wagons. These rugs tell stories. They are the history books of the tribe.

Leatherwork: They cure the bosk hides.

Oral History: They teach the children the names of the Ancestors.

Without the women, the tribe would just be a gang of bandits. The women turn the bandits into a Nation.

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VI. Conclusion & Assignment (55-60 Mins)

(Action: Pick up the gold necklace. Hold it up to the light.)

Magistrate Evans: The Wagon Woman is a paradox. She is property (bought with a bride price), yet she acts like a queen. She is unveiled, yet untouchable. She is the heart of the tribe, yet she drives the men to violence.

To understand the Wagon Peoples, you must understand that the men fight for the women. The gold they steal hangs around the necks of their wives. The glory they win is laid at their feet.

(Action: Pick up the assignment scroll.)

Magistrate Evans: Your Assignment for Week 9:

You are a Free Woman of the Tuchuks. Your husband, a famous warrior, has just brought home a new, beautiful slave girl (She-Sleen) from Turia. He seems very fond of her.

The Task: Write a Monologue/Speech to your husband (200 words).

The Assertion of Status: Remind him who you are. (Mention your dowry, your brothers, your ancestors).

The Threat: Subtle or overt. What happens if he humiliates you by favoring the slave too much?

The Demand: What must he do to get back into your good graces? (Gold? A new wagon? Sending the slave to the bosk pens?)

Be imperious. Be terrifying.

Next week, in GOR 220, Week 10, we reach the end of our journey. We will have the Grand Symposium of the Outsiders. We will compare the Tahari and the Wagon Peoples, and answer the final question: Can Civilization survive the Wild?

(Action: Sharp nod.)

Magistrate Evans: Class dismissed.

Tal.