The City of Tor, The Light of the Tahari, is the last stop of civilization before entering the harsh world of the Tahari desert. It’s her trade, water and the pleasure cafes full of hot, willing kajira that bring people from all over Gor to her gates. Here you will find people from the plains, Torvaldsland, the Vosk Delta, Ar, Port Kar, and, of course, the men of the desert atop their sand kaiila.
The City of Tor, established October 10, 2005, has served as the Jewel of the Tahari desert, a roleplay sim based on the Chronicles of Gor by John Norman, the lives of its residents mirrors the roles of Free Men, Free Women, and slaves of Gor.
These pages provide a source of reference for the Residents and Visitors who frequent Tor and those who wish to know more of the city, its people, heritage, and history. Information on Gor at large can be found on many other sites.
“Tor was, as Gorean cities went, a rich, trading city. It was headquarters for thousands of caravan merchants. In it, too, were housed many craftsmen, practicing their industries, carvers, varnishers, table makers, gem cutters, jewelers, carders, dyers of cloth, weavers of rugs, tanners, makers of slippers, toolers of leather, potters, glaziers, makers of cups and kettles, weapon smiths, and many others. Much of the city, of course, was organized to support the caravan trade.” “Tribesmen of Gor” Page 39
Ruler of Tor: Tribesmen of Gor describes it best:
“Most of those in the Tahari who sit upon the rugs of office are those who are the descendants of men who ruled, in ruder days, scimitar in hand, from the high, red leather of the kaiila saddle. The forms change but, in the Tahari, as elsewhere, order, justice and law rest ultimately upon the determination of men, and steel.” (Tribesmen of Gor, page 151)
The sultan/pasha is council, ubar, head of whichever profession, magistrate and head of the warriors, in command of the guards – all in one person. His ruling is absolute and untouchable. The concept of an elected council would cause him to burst out laughing and probably kill the person suggesting such a thing. He sees the tribe as the heritage of his great grand parents, the oasis was their land and a council would be seen as intruding in his birth rights.
Trade:
The city has a large bazaar, with hundreds of small merchant stalls vending a wide variety of wares. There are also market streets located near the bazaar, each street commonly bearing a variety of related businesses. The bazaar itself is most commonly reached through the market gate. Merchants usually arrive early in the morning at the bazaar, vying for a spot near the market gate. Thus, it appears that many of the Merchants do not have set places within the bazaar. Their position within the bazaar can vary, dependent upon when they arrive in the morning. A number of these vendors come from villages located outside of Tor.
Merchant caravans bring to the oases a multitude of wares, including: rep-cloth, embroidered cloths, silks, rugs, silver, gold, jewelry, mirrors, perfumes, hides, skins, feathers, precious woods, tools, needles, worked leather goods, salt, nuts and spices, jungle birds which are prized as pets, weapons, rough woods, sheets of tin and copper, Bazi tea, Hurt wool, decorated and beaded whips, kajirae, and many other things. Sereem diamonds and opals, rare in the Tahari gem trade, are thus highly prized.
The carpets of Tor are very famous and are similar to the oriental rugs of Earth. Creation of such a rug can be a lengthy process as it can take five women more than one year to make some of these rugs. The specific patterns are very intricate and usually passed down through families but they are not written down, instead being memorized. The rugs are made on simple looms by free women. Most of the dyes used on the rugs are natural dyes such as vegetable dyes, or others created from barks, leaves, roots, flowers, and animal products. The Caste of Rug Makers is officially a subcaste of the Cloth Makers though they consider themselves a separate caste. This is similar to the situation of the Slaver Caste which is legally a subcaste of the Merchant Caste but which often considers itself a separate Caste.