Vargor, Laws

Most Gorean behavior is dictated by tradition rather than law. Goreans are, for the most part, traditionalists and law abiding. Vargor's laws specifically address modesty, theft, property damage, assault, merchant law, submission, and slave law. Most minor issues are handled by immediate ruling or challenge, with more significant issues being brought before the court for litigation.

Let it be known that the following laws are in effect for the town of Vargor. Let it further be made clear that the laws of Vargor extend only to the boundaries of the town and districts.

Resolution

Vargor recognizes the right of its free people to seek redress or resolution via challenge, mediation or litigation. Challenges are required to take place either within the central arena or outside of town boundaries.

Modesty

It is the privilege and obligation of free women to maintain their modesty. Any person who reduces a free woman's right to traditional modesty, including themselves, are subject to fines as a first offense. <Read More>

Theft or Property Damage

Theft goods or services, or damaged to property is against the law in Vargor. Vargor recognizes a citizens right to seek redress to a financial factor of two for any and all property damage or theft of services. <Read More>

Assault

Assault is against the law in Vargor and Vargor recognizes a citizen's right to seek redress should they be assaulted. <Read More>

Merchant Law

Merchant Law is recognized in Vargor. <Read More>

Submission

The act of submission by a free women, regardless if accepted, is grounds for irrevocable enslavement. Limited enslavement by an act of submission has no legal grounds. Vargor recognizes that contract woman are legally free.

Free women who engage in conduct indicating suitability for the collar may be brought before the court for litigation and possible enslavement. <Read More>

Slave Law

Vargor recognizes the right of free person to punish slaves as long as such punishment does not damage the property, in which case, the property owner has the right to seek redress. <Read More>

Leadership

• Town officials are defined as the Administrator/Ubar, officially recognized magistrates, scribes working for the town rather then independently, the captain of the guard, the head of the merchant (slaver) caste, and any other head of one of the five high castes.
• Any head of caste is elected by a quarum of caste members.
• The administrator is elected by a quarum of the heads of the five high castes.
• An ubar is elected by a quarum of the warrior caste.
• Captain of the guard is appointed by the administrator or ubar.
• Magistrates are appointed by the scribe head of caste.

Please Note

Leadership positions all elected by the player base under traditional Gorean rules for each. Details above. (Only when necessary will the staff selected player to these positions, but they can be changed by the player base.). Additional positions such as captain, other physicians, other slavers, are all appointed by the corresponding head of caste/Ubar/Administrator.

Definitions

Bet

A challenge that doesn't require the skill of both players is considered a bet, however, honoring one's bets is expected. Refusing to honor a bet can grounds for challenge, mediation or litigation.

Challenge

If a free man challenges another to any type of duel it is considered binding by tradition. What the challenge is, where it is, what it is for and how it is settled are a factor of tradition and negotiation. Duels are typically weapon-duels but can be anything requiring skill such as Kaissa or other feats of strength. Weapon-Duels must happen either at the town arena or outside of the town's boundaries. Refusal to accept a challenge, specifically that of a weapon-duel is usually cause for the other party to demand a forfeit. If both challenge and forfeit are refused mediation or litigation maybe sought.

Judgement (vs Ruling)

Judgements are passed down during town meetings or court sessions, and are usually by consensus from the officials and magistrates present at the session. Judgements are recorded into the session logs and typically published.

Litigation

Bringing a matter before the court which would result in a judgement.

Magistrate

A magistrate is someone who has been trained in Gorean law, they are often of the scribe caste but the training can be independent of caste, for example in Torvaldsland Rune Priest act as magistrates and law keepers for the thing-fair law assemblies. If you are trained as a magistrate and wish to work for the town as such, please present yourself to the Administrator/Ubar.

Mediation

Bringing a matter before a magistrate or other higher ranked official for the purposes of making a ruling.

Quarum

For the purposes of Vargor's player voting system a Quorum is defined as 5 players of the requisite profession, caste or gender.

Quarums are always based on the number of players who show up for the in game vote/discussion. Proxy holders for qualifying characters are acceptable for those who are can't make the event.

In the absence of a quarum any free person who claims Vargor as a home, and is present at the time of the vote/discussion, will have an equal voice/vote on the issue. Only proxies from elected town leadership will be accepted in such cases when a quarum can not be met.

Example: If a vote for Ubar requires a quarum of warriors and only 3 are present, players may bring the proxy of other warrior players. If there is still not a quarum, then all present free persons of the Home Stone may vote on the topic. In this case, only elected town officials may send a proxy.

Ruling (vs Judgement)

Rulings are unofficial but are generally binding and made by any town official or trained town magistrate. Rulings can be made anywhere at any time and do not require formal documentation nor any specific procedure. Rulings can be appealed.

Only formal litigation, not a ruling, can enslave a free person of Vargor.

Ruling, Caste

Caste Head can rule on caste specific business but it could still go to a the court if not settled.

Ruling, District

If one of the three districts has chosen a district representative, such as a Jarl for Torvald's Quarter, a Pasha for Turan Quarter, or Patrician for the Argentum Quarter, they may also make rulings as it relates to district specific business. Any district ruling can be appealed to a court session where a final judgement can be made.

OOC Clarifications

A review of Laws and Legal Principles (Luther) is strongly encouraged by anyone acting as a magistrate or looking to proceed with litigation. A more detailed question and answer page can be found in the discussion page.

Modesty

This means you can not remove a free woman's clothes or veils to any state below that of "tradition". This includes removing a veil if they choose to wear one - this is called "face stripping" in Gor. The minimum level of traditional modesty is defined on the IC restrictions page. This law also applies to the free woman HERSELF who can also be charged with immodesty.

Entering a place traditionally reserved for free women, especially one with the possibility of viewing a free woman unclothed or unveiled is considered an abuse of their modesty. Stay out of the free women's side of the bath house!

Assault

Assault, not other wise considered a formal duel between men, is defined as causing physical injury requiring medical attention, and can result in fines or imprisonment.

Restraint, including binding, gagging, tethering and coffling, are not considered assault if they do not result in injury which requires medical attention.

Please Note

While free woman have the right to speak their mind - it is a respect given to them. However, they can be "put in time out" should they abuse it. "Time out" can not be assault, but a free woman can be gagged, hooded, tied up or even spanked. Obviously, their companion, guard, or clan/tribe leader might then have something to say about it.

Theft or Property Damage

• Theft ONLY applies to stealing from another citizen of Vargor and does not apply to outlaws or those of another Home Stone.
• Using a slave you do not own for sex without payment is considered theft of services. Few owners bother to seek redress when this happens, but it is within their legal right to do so.

Slave Law

There is no by the book reference to anything called 'slave law' that I am aware of. I am only putting in here because we have enough role-players who are new to Gor and do not understand that this "law" is considered the universal right of all free persons.

Merchant Law

According to Merchant Law, a person is considered to be a prisoner and not a slave, as long as they have not been branded, collared or performed a gesture of submission. (Collared is not the same as being coffled, i.e. restrained with a rope or similar around one's neck.)

Because we have so many who are new to Gor, it should be POLICY to assume that a capture free woman has not been "collared" and reduced to slavery. Rather, assume they were simply coffled and are a prisoner, unless they have been branded or performed an act of submission.

Submission

There are a lot of really good examples on what constitutes "conduct indicating suitability for the collar" on Luther's legal page. Please read it - here are some quotes:

• The principle he had alluded to pertains to conduct in a free woman which is taken as sufficient to warrant her reduction to slavery. The most common application of this principle occurs in areas such as fraud and theft. Other applications may occur, for example, in cases of indigency and vagrancy. Prostitution, rare on Gor because of female slaves, is another case. The women are taken, enslaved, cleaned up and controlled. Indulgence in sensuous dance is another case. Sensuous dance is almost always performed by slaves on Gor. A free woman who performs such dancing publicly is almost begging for the collar. In some cities the sentence of bondage is mandatory for such a woman." (Renegades of Gor, p.372).
• "In many cities, such actions, attempting to spy on masters and slaves, disguising oneself as a slave, garbing oneself as a slave, even in the supposed secrey of one's own compartments, lingering about slave shelves and markets, even exhibiting an interest in, or fascination with, bondage, can result in a reduction to bondage. The theory is apparently that such actions and interests are those of a slave, and that the female who exhibits them should, accordingly, be imbonded." (Magicians of Gor, p.50)
• "Conduct indicating suitability for the collar, of course, can be interpreted in various ways, and more broadly and narrowly. It is almost always understood, of course, fortunately for women, and as I suppose the phrase itself makes clear, in the special legal sense of the phrase, as having to do with overt behavior rather than psychological predispositions and such." (Renegades of Gor, p.372)
• It is illegal for a person on their own to collar a free woman for "conduct indicating suitability for the collar." Free women who may have violated this legal principle must be brought before a magistrate or judge for a legal determination as to whether there has been a violation sufficient to warrant a reduction to slavery.