Merchant law dictates there are three standard marking places for brands, on the left thigh, right thigh, lower left abdomen, and right ankle.
- Slaves may not wear veils.
- A child born to a slave is thus a slave and is owned by the mother’s owner.
- Slaves are not allowed in temples.
- If a father cannot pay his debts, his daughter becomes a slave of the state. She will be put up for sale at public auction. The proceeds of her sale will be used to equitably satisfy the creditors.
- Barbarians do not have a Homestone so there are no legalities that prevent their capture and enslavement.
- A slave, on threat of torture and impalement, must endure whatever abuse a free person cares to inflict upon him or her.
- Any free person may discipline an insolent or errant slave, even one who is in the least bit displeasing. If the slave is killed or injured, the free person need only pay compensation to the owner for the loss of property.
- Freed slaves require explicit papers of manumission or they may be enslaved again without repercussion. Slaves who have been branded should absolutely keep their papers on them at all times.
- Pierced slaves will never free and will remain slaves until they go to the city of dust.
- The principle of “conduct indicating suitability for the collar” deals with conduct by a free woman sufficient to warrant her reduction to slavery. It is commonly applied to fraud, theft, indecency, vagrancy, prostitution, and indulgence in sensuous dance.
- Other behavior which might trigger the principles includes attempting to spy on masters and slaves, disguising oneself as a slave, garbing oneself as a slave even in the supposed secrecy of one’s own compartment, baring too much flesh, lingering about slave shelves and markets, and even exhibiting and interest or fascination with bondage. The principles deal with overt behavior and not thoughts.
- A free woman, if caught in any act with a male (free or slave) that is not her mate/companion will be placed in a collar and she will remain so until her mate/companion deems her punishment time is up. If ever he wishes it. She will lose everything she entered the companionship with.
- Slaves must wear a visible token of their slavery with in the city limits.
- When a person is collared, it cancels their past. They begin a new life as a slave and may not be held accountable for any crimes that occurred while they were free.
- It is illegal to sell a slave that is not your own, without the owner’s permission.
- If a slave fails to kneel in the presence of a free person, it can be a capital offense, especially if the slave intentionally fails to do so. In that case, the slave may be tortured to death. The decision will be left to the individual she failed to respect.
- Slaves are considered property, on the same level as animals. Their owner may do anything they wish to them without repercussions. An owner can even kill his own property with impunity.
- Slaves may not own anything, including a name.
- It is illegal for slaves to play Kaissa.
- In any legal proceedings, the testimony of slaves may be taken by torture.
- The property of one who becomes a slave is transferred to the nearest male relative or the nearest relative if no male exists, or to the city or a guardian. Even if the slave is later freed, the property cannot ever be recovered.
- If lost, stolen, runaway, or if the slave is taken by another free person, the original master has only one hand to regain his property before legal title passes to the new master. However if stolen the individual who stole her will have one hand to return the slave or a bounty will be placed on his/her head.
- For a slave to run away from her owner is a serious offense. For the first offense, the penalty is commonly a severe beating. But she is only allowed that single mistake. The penalty for the second offense is usually ham stringing.
- Slaves are not permitted outside the city gates unless accompanied by a free person. {NPC Guards work – but please know how to play them, and play them at all times.}
- Slaves who are reserved must wear a slave belt. If they are out in public and not wearing such then they are not reserved because of the laws of absolute obedience.
- It is a capital offense for a slave to wield or touch any weapon; the only circumstance this will be allowed is, Pit slaves secured in an arena environment for training and pit fighting. To aide and assist a physician with scalpels, etc.
- It is a capital offense for a female slave to wear the garments of a free woman. The only exception is a taharian slave which wears the traditional haik as the free women do of the tahari do.
- A slave may not touch any document of the City. If so, she is put to the death
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"On Gor, slavery is an ancient, historically developed institution. It is complex, with its hundreds of aspects and facets, legal, social and aesthetic. Slavery has its basis in the biological differences of men and women. Male dominance is pervasive among mammals and universal among primates. Goreans accept slavery as a natural part of life and few question its basic validity. "Female slavery is the institutionalized expression, in a civilization congenial to nature, of the fundamental biological relationship between the sexes. In the institution of female slavery we find this basic relationship recognized, accepted, clarified, fixed and celebrated."pg. 193-4 Savages of Gor,
"Even the gentlest and kindest of masters has absolute power over the slave. She is no less owned by him than she would be by the cruelest brute on Gor." pg. 359 Renegades of GOR <P
- Slaves are property, no better and no different than animals. The owner may do anything he wishes with, or to, his slaves, up to and including killing them. `What do you think should be her punishment ?' asked Callimachus of me. `If she is guilty,' I said, `whatever you wish, as she is a slave.' This was in full accord with Gorean law. Indeed, anything, for whatever reason, or without a reason, may be done to a slave. pg 115 Guardsman of GOR however, Perhaps it should only be added that the Gorean master, though often strict, is seldom cruel. The girl knows, if she pleases him, her lot will be an easy one. She will almost never encounter sadism or wanton cruelty, for the psychological environment that tends to breed these diseases is largely absent from Gor. pg 104 Outlaw of GOR
- A slave owner's right to punish his slave according to the above may be limited by the laws given below, which in the case of a capital offense, will supersede his rights as a master.
- A slave may not strike a free person. The penalty can include anything up to death. When one who is a slave strikes a free person the penalty is not infrequently death by impalement, preceded by lengthy torture. pg 74 Assassins of GOR
- Slaves do not own anything, including their names.
- A slave may carry money in their hands or in their mouth, or in a pouch tied around their neck, at their owner's discretion. There is no city ordnance against a slave handling currency. "The girl did not now, of course, carry a purse. Slave girls are not permitted to carry such things. When shopping she carries the coins usually in her mouth or hand. Sometimes she ties them in a scarf about her wrist or ankle. Sometimes her master places them in a bag, which is then tied about her neck. Gorean garments, generally, incidentally, except for the garments of craftsmen, do not have pockets. Coins, and personal items, and such, are usually, by free persons, carried in pouches, which are usually concealed within the robes of a free woman, or slung about the waist, or shoulder, of a free man." pg 250 Guardsman of GOR
- A slave may not play kaissa, nor may a slave touch a kaissa playing piece.
- A slave may be tortured for information.
- The property of a free person who is enslaved goes to the nearest male relative, or to the nearest female relative if there is no male relative, and failing that, to the city. The property cannot be recovered if the person is later freed, except at the discretion of whoever it falls to.
- When a master dies, his slaves become the property of his heirs, if he has any, and failing that, of the city.
- If a slave is stolen, the original owner has one week to regain his property. Failing that, the slave remains the property of the person who stole it.
- For any slave who picks up a weapon, the penalty is death. (Capital Offense)
- For any slave who claims a caste, the penalty is death (Capital Offense)
- A slave girl may not wear a veil. Most slave girls are not permitted to veil themselves. Indeed, not only are they refused the dignity of the veil, but commonly they are placed in brief, exciting slave livery and may not even bind their hair. pg 106 Slave Girl of GOR
- A child born of a slave is herself a slave and becomes the property of her mother's house.
- If a father cannot pay his debts, his daughter will be sold as a slave and the proceeds used to satisfy said debts.
- A free woman who cannot pay her debts will be enslaved. A free man may pay her debts and thus own herr. IF no one redeems her after thirty days, she will be sold to slavers.
- It is illegal for a slave to handle legal documents.
- A slave must kneel in the presence of free persons of either sex. A Gorean slave girl in the presence of a free man or woman always kneels, unless excused from doing so. A Gorean slave, incidentally, always addresses free men as `Master,' and all free women as `Mistress.' pg 73 Captive of GOR
- A free woman may sell herself into slavery for a period of time, ranging from one night to one year. The contract will set forth the limitations of that slavery, including resale, theft of the slave, death, etc. The contract, once entered upon, may not be cancelled by the FW.
- A free woman may at any time submit herself to a free man as a slave. In most cities, on the other hand, a free woman may, with legal tolerance, submit herself as a slave to a specific man. If he refuses her, she is then still free. If he accepts her, she is then, categorically, a slave, and he may do with her what he pleases, even selling her or giving her away, or slaying her, if he wishes. Here we may note a distinction between laws and codes. In the codes of the warriors, if a warrior accepts a woman as a slave, it is prescribed that, at least for a time, an amount of time up to his discretion, she be spared. If she should be the least displeasing, of course, or should prove recalcitrant in even a tiny way, she may be immediately disposed of. It should be noted that this does place a legal obligation on the warrior. It has to do, rather, with the proprieties of the codes. pg 21 Players of GOR
- A slave may be freed by her owner, in which case she will be considered in all respects as free as any other free person. It is not unusual for a Master to free one of his slave girls in order that she may share the full privileges of Free companionship. pg 54 Outlaw of GOR
- Any slave may be punished by any free person except as noted on their profile, in order to protect them from the sadists who roam over Gor.`Any free man may discipline an insolent or errant slave,' I said, `even one who is the least bit displeasing, even one he might merely feel like disciplining. If she is killed, or injured, he need only pay compensation to her master, and that only if the master can be located within a specific amount of time and requests such compensation.' In virtue of such customs and statutes the perfect discipline under which Gorean slaves are kept is maintained and guaranteed even when they are not within the direct purview of their masters or their appointed agents. pg 235 Players of GOR and, 'You cannot punish me!' she cried. 'You are not my masters!' 'Any free person can punish an errant slave girl,' I said. 'Surely you do not think that her behavior fails to be subject to supervision and correction as soon as she is out of her Master's sight?' pg 225 Magicians of GOR