Home Stone, Law and Outlaws

How do we handle Home Stones? What are laws versus codes, rights and tradition? What does it mean to be an outlaw? What are Local Laws and how do they differ in Season Four from Civic laws?

This is one of the thorniest and hardest issues and concepts to deal with in Gorean role-play, especially places like Second Life and Conan which have places to live in with homes and such. So I’m going to offer some Luther articles for anyone who needs more overview:

• Laws and Legal Principles (Luther)
• Castes of Gor (Luther)

Definitions

The books use the word law and code many times all over the place, and they do not mean the same things. So I am going to generally define what types of things Norman calls some type of law before I begin.

Natural Law

Norman’s concept of biological gender constructs.

Honor

personal behavior towards other men – often tied to Caste Codes.

Tradition

Societal Structure of expected behavior that may be even more important to Goreans then City Law.

Rights

There is the concept of capture rights, house rights, camp rights and gens/clan rights. These are not explained in a lot of detail, how it is to be noted, that many of these rights are coded in some cities as law.

Sets of Laws

City/Civic Law

Laws of a city that extend to the city walls, as well as outward from the city in a radius of power and control.

Caste Law

Laws or codes that apply to a person because of the caste they belong to.

Merchant Law

A set of laws universally accepted everywhere on Gor and enforced by both cities and the merchant caste. “Slave Law” is generally accepted as being a subset of Merchant or City Law.

Initiate Law

Laws imposed by the initiates to the whole of Gor, yes, even Torvaldsland, that are predominantly enforced by the Initiate caste.

Rights

Capture rights

The right of a man to enslave a woman who attacks him or a woman not of his house/clan that he saves from attack.

House rights and camp rights

“Rules” set by the head of house or camp leader which are defined within the borders of a house or camp.

Gens/clan rights

“Rules” set by the head of a family or chieftain that apply to members of a family/clan.

Criminals, Outlaws and Due Process

Outlaw

• To be considered an outlaw on Gor you must reject your Caste. Rejecting your caste is not the same as breaking caste code or caste laws.
• Be exiled from your Home Stone, as in being denied salt and fire like Marlenus or exiled like Forkbeard. Exile happens only if you break the law of your Home Stone and refuse to accept punishment.
• You can not technically be outlawed by a city to which you do not belong. If you are of Ar, and break the laws in Vonda and run rather than accept punishment you are not an outlaw.

Criminal

A criminal is not by assumption an outlaw. If a person breaks a law and accepts punishment they are not considered an outlaw.

Due Process

The legal process of the city or caste.

City Laws

It is important to understand the reach of city law. Here are some examples:

• If you are a resident of a city that has laws against stealing and you steal something from another resident WITHIN the reach of the city you have broken the law and are subject to due process. (If you refuse punishment, you can be outlawed.)
• If you are visiting a city and steal something, you have broken their law, and if caught can be punished, but may not be granted any due process, and rather treated like an enemy. (However, you can not be outlawed for running away or refusing punishment.)
• You do anything to anyone in any way while not within the reach of city law. NO CITY LAW can be broken.

Cities laws by tradition allow capture, house, camp, and gens/clan rights to trump city laws if clearly understood by all parties. (Ideally, this is clearly stated in the laws.)

Home Stone Guesting Tradition

It is rare for a Gorean to change their Home Stone and many Gorean role-players refuse to claim a Home Stone of anywhere but the city of their birth. However, very few of us are able to role-play in our Home Stone, which creates some quirky loyalty and organizational challenges for those building Gorean role play communities. Due to this challenge the whole topic of Home Stones is generally ignored.

Our Solution

If you're living in a town/village/region you don't change your Home Stone, but you treat the area you live in, AS IF it was a secondary Home Stone with the same obligation to uphold and abide by its laws. Breaking the law of the area in which you LIVE and refusing to accept punishment can make you an outlaw.

Season Four

• Civic Law. There are two sets of laws which apply to all regions: one for regions in the south, Aurumvale and one for regions in the north, Nordhagen.
• Merchant Law. This is universally agreed upon and enforced by Murun and Aurumvale or Nordhagen civic law.
• Initiate Law which is also universal and might be enforced by Murun.

No laws other than the laws above may be enforced on the Merchant Road.

Local Law

However, settlements (public clans) that are WALLED (or otherwise clearly delineated) and not on or around the merchant road may implement local laws ONLY within the walls.

1. It must be posted with Notice Boards and the giant sign stating “local laws” at each entrance.
2. Can only be enforced within the walls.
3. If a visitor breaks a law and escapes, they are not an outlaw, nor can they be extradited. Of course if they return they can be treated as a criminal or enemy.
4. Any settlement that rejects any portion of the Civic law is no longer protected by due process from the regions and is treated as if completely separate. And the settlement can not be named the same as the region.
5. You can ADD laws and remain included in the region’s overall legal due process, but you can not enforce these laws to travelers on Merchant Road.

Note

Unlike Season 3 we are not doing protectorates where some protectorates accepted Vargor’s laws and some didn’t. Civic Laws apply to all of the regions.