The Gorean Measure

I would like to invite Arealius of Port Olni and Abraham Jacobsen of Teletus to participate in a structured, public debate on a question that has generated significant discussion among scribes, physicians, and scholars across multiple cities:

Does the presence of schools, tutors, and renowned centers of learning in the Gorean canon support the creation or legitimacy of a centralized, Gor-wide academy with authority over caste training?

Both men have contributed to this discussion, though in markedly different ways.

Arealius has presented a direct, personal argument grounded in long experience across multiple cities and castes. His position does not deny the existence of education, teachers, or inter-city study on Gor. Rather, it challenges whether such examples imply the existence, or appropriateness, of a centralized institution with authority over caste formation, training, or recognition across Home Stones.

You may read his treatise here: 

On the Question of a Unified Scribe Academy: A Personal Treatise by Arealius, Scribe of Port Olni

Abraham has circulated a citation originally advanced by another scribe, drawing attention to canonical references to university towns, tutors, and formal education. These references are valuable and relevant. However, they do not, on their own, constitute a rebuttal to Arealius’ central claim. The question is not whether education exists on Gor, but whether education implies centralized authority.

What Abraham Circulated: 

Sabayna December 22, 2025 at 5:35 AM

It’s strange, but when someone writes that this or that doesn’t exist on Gor, it usually does.

In the eighth chapter of *Conspirators of Gor* (Vol. 31), we read about four university towns to which the families of Ar send their sons to study: Harfax, Venna, Besnit, and Brundisium.

“Behold this barbarian vulo,” said the auctioneer. “Surely she is of some interest. Might she not be useful as a third or fourth slave in your house, to relieve higher, better slaves of disagreeable tasks? Perhaps she might do as a starter slave, for a son, or a gift for a son or nephew, returning from his studies in Harfax, Venna, Besnit, or Brundisium.”

*Conspirators of Gor* (Vol. 31), Chapter 8

The scene takes place at a slave auction in Ar. The text mentions university towns comparable to Oxford, Cambridge, Heidelberg, and Göttingen, as well as homecoming parties where a simple starter slave is apparently a common gift.

The Gorean’s horizons extend beyond the boundaries of their city or caste. Mobility, migration, cultural exchange, and scientific discourse are as much a part of Gor as the Home Stone and the caste system. In this respect, Gor is no different from the ancient Mediterranean or medieval Europe.

We should abandon the notion of a dull and narrow-minded Gor who thinks only within city and caste boundaries. The books paint a different picture. Even on Gor, diverse educational models and systems exist.

Sabayna
Physician of Isfahan

This debate therefore seeks to move beyond quotation-sharing and toward direct engagement.

The proposed discussion could focus question such as:

• Do university towns, war schools, tutors, and teachers represent prestige and opportunity, or institutional authority and standardization?
• Does canon support inter-city centers of learning without granting them regulatory power over castes?
• At what point does education become governance, and is that point ever reached in the novels?
• How should role-play distinguish between canon-inspired education and modern certification or credentialing systems?

Because this debate concerns authority, participants are asked to speak in their own voices, clearly distinguish citation from interpretation, and disclose any personal or institutional role they hold in the structures being discussed. Advocacy is not disqualifying, but transparency is essential, particularly when one holds office within a centralized educational institution attached to a Home Stone other than one’s own.

This is not a debate about whether Gor is sophisticated or parochial. It is a debate about how power is distributed in a world of autonomous city-states, and whether knowledge on Gor ever overrides loyalty to one’s Home Stone.

Both participants are encouraged to cite canon directly, address the strongest version of opposing arguments, and avoid substituting forwarded commentary for personal reasoning.

As scholars, we do not serve Gor by defending positions reflexively. We serve it by examining assumptions, clarifying distinctions, and preserving the balance between learning and sovereignty that defines Gorean society.

I invite Arealius of Port Olni and Abraham Jacobsen of Teletus to engage this discussion openly and publicly, for the benefit of all who value thoughtful, book-conscious role-play.

Should any wish to speak with me directly on these matters, my door remains open. I am willing to listen, to discuss, and to engage in good faith with those who approach with sincerity.

By my hand,

Lady Jessie Spiritweaver
Historian
Caste of Scribes
Resident of the Isle of Teletus