Black Caste of Laura

Today, Gavin sent me a citizen application from someone who wished to be in the Black Caste, in the hopes that I would approve it. In his message to me about this, he seemed to think it would be a good idea to have a leader for this caste. As I said to him at the time, there wasn’t much more I could do than look over the player’s application form, approve it, hand it over to Jessy to add to the city records, and ask Gavin to add the player to the applicable groups.

Laura doesn’t have an assassin guild, it just has me. But this got me thinking. Do we really want an assassin guild in Laura?

Before I go further, here’s a little background on how I came to be both an assassin and a citizen in Laura. After staying in Laura for a couple of weeks, I finally decided I’d love to settle down here, and filled in my application. A little while later, I decided to approach the city magistrate, Drakar, so I could be placed on file as a known assassin (a requirement of the city laws, before any contract could be undertaken in Laura). At this meeting, I advised Drakar of my application for citizenship. Obviously, his initial reaction was that the Black Caste does not claim home stones, which I don’t dispute. My thought was that I would simply live in the city. In the end, the matter had to be discussed by the High Council, and given some measure of precedence from the books. For this, I referred the Council to the tale of Pa-Kur, described as the Master Assassin of Ar. This appellation clearly defines Pa-Kur as someone from Ar, or one who lives there, which shows that assassins do live in cities, even if they don’t swear to the city’s home stone. The High Council agreed, and Drakar named me Master Assassin of Laura. So, that’s what I became.

Now, obviously, as it stands now, I’m the only assassin living in Laura, so this title of Master Assassin doesn’t actually amount to much. You can look at this term in two ways: either a Master Assassin is someone of renowned skill, or someone who has a high rank (or perhaps both). Commonly, in online Gor, it means the latter (the progression is often: Assassin > Elder Assassin > Master Assassin). By accident (or perhaps purpose), then, I appear to be referred to in Laura as the highest ranking killer here (simply by being the first and only one!).

I’ve often thought about this issue of guilds. Back in the day, most of the guilds I came across were rather lame, and for a while some cities shunned assassins as they weren’t very sensible people. However, over time, they have become more respectable, and most cities include a mention of them in their rules. And yet, I still never got round to joining one. This has recently led to something of an issue, as some city rules require assassins to name their guild and mentor. One of the largest guilds is attempting to draw up a master list of “approved assassins”, and give each city in Gor this list, with the notion that only those on the list would be able to perform a contract there (doubtless this might be a bid to monopolise the guild in some way, while at it). These days, having a guild (and perhaps, in the future, being on this list) is important. I think I’ve found a good guild to join now, but after a year of doing what I do, I find myself having to start at the bottom, and waiting for things to happen in it is taking a long, long time.

So, why not form my own guild, here in Laura, and simply affiliate to this larger one? Since, surely, if this master list ever becomes a reality, there will still be more than one guild, and there must be some kind of affiliation scheme in the works, if not now then sometime in the future. It seems reasonable to me that a city of trade like Laura would include the killer’s trade, especially as it’s off the beaten track, so to speak (in fact, I even saw a client and an assassin meet in Laura simply to discuss a contract, because it was seen as an out of the way place).

I very much doubt it would be a large guild. There aren’t many assassins in Gor as it is. But it might be nice to have a guild in place here, to cater for such rare situations as Gavin found today. Honestly, I don’t mind if there is one or not, though I can see some advantages in one (using Laura’s book-authentic theme, having some level of control on it within the region, etc.), though it might also have disadvantages (such as possibly diluting the vision of Laura that the region’s developers have).

So, what do folks think? Good idea or just daftness incarnate? Please discuss, and let me hear your thoughts!

In my reading of Captive (yes, it's been a long while, so I need to do so again) - the vision I got of Laura was akin to Dodge City or Tombstone if the American 'wild west'. It's a pioneer town. It's a rustic pioneer town not because it was the first city on Gor or because it is the oldest.

It is a 'pioneer' town because of it's location. The northern forest is like a great China Wall that divide the continent almost completely as it stretches west to east. All the great population centers are north or south of the great forest. There is Lydius up next to the forest, but out at the coast. This is why many will go 'around' the forest - in order to pass through Lydius.

However there are no doubt a lot of paths and trails that cut through the forest. And sooner or later, someone saw fit to make a permanent camp and it grew into Laura.

There are no other population centers of any size that includes trade in the vicinity. No where. Thus, Laura is the main destination of most who are passing through the forest from one main metropolis to the next. It is a huge pit stop and trading location and has grown on it's own right. It is not the oldest, but the newest of the Gorean cities. Because the city's whole livelihood is on it's trading, it is looser with access through the gates, Strangers will be found on every corner and the ones you see today you will not see tomorrow and have not seen yesterday, because there are so many travelers passing through.

Now, saying all that to say this: Laura is the perfect place for black caste to make home. It must be among the easiest places to find work, if that is what they seek. Think of the shipping docks, where men in throngs would huddle, hoping to be hired on for the day. That's what Laura is: a shipping dock where people come to trade. And what is trade, other than a "job"? When a black caste is offered a contract - is that not trade? It would make perfect sense to find an assassin or more in the city of Laura. In fact, knowing Laura is a trading city, and that I would likely find black caste there (among the largest cities, such as Ar) - I might go there if I have need of their service.

And better in Laura where 75% of the population would be all passers-through - all about there business not caring much about those around them. Thus, my dealings with anyone will be more discreet by nature and default, unless I am outright flamboyant about it. And other than the southern hemisphere, Laura is centrally located, easy travel and practically equal distance to all the major locations of Gor in the northern half.

So, having a few assassins in Laura does not bother me at all. In fact, it s highly plausible, more plausible than a city mostly of assassins (wasn't SL Tyros an assassin haven at one time?) However, like most Goreans, they are simply tolerated when known. For instance, in role play, I know better than to call others "brother", so I say "friend" or "sir". I never say "friend" to assassins, because as far as I know, their current contract might have my own name on it. I do business with them if they require service of my trade (I sold a girl.) But beyond that, in character, I keep my distance.

So allowing more black caste in laura is fine by me. As for a guild - in character, I highly doubt I would even know about it.

However, in SL terms I fully understand. I personally have no issues with a guild in laura (it actually makes sense IC as Laura is so full of transients - the guild would allow those of the caste who frequent Laura to know the others).

As for starting your own and affiliating with the "main big one" you speak of or start your own - that is a decision you have to make. As for having one in Laura - It's highly plausible and even likely by way of what the city is and how it grows and lives its life. Personally, I would likely start my own guild. The reason being, as all cities and towns on Gor go, Laura is different. It's different in where it is, how it's built, the people that pass through there, and the people that make it home. One could say it is the black sheep of Gorean cities.

Laura is "wild and beautiful" as it were described in the books. Most Gorean cities were beautiful. But Laura is wild. That, to me is the operative term. And because it's wild, the 'wild' people can be found there for 'wild' reasons. And I mean "wild" as in primitive, not 'crazy', though I suspect a lot of that, too.

Thank you, Ari, for this insightful and supportive reply! I have to say, when I recall Laura from the books, I keep on thinking of ‘Twin Peeks’ (the scent of lumber, all those warehouses, etc.). But as soon as you mentioned Tomestone, I thought, “Yes! Absolutely!” It also conjured up images of the Grisom Gang, the Great Depression (Al Capone, and all that), and even ‘Gangs of New York’, ‘Pale Rider’ and ‘Last Man Standing’. A bustling pioneer town of trade, with shady dealings down the dark, muddy alleys between the wooden houses, or in the warehouse down by the dock. You’re quite right, this is an ideal place for the Black Caste!

It’s now also made me think that a new guild or order based in Laura might actually benefit the larger network of the caste in Second Life’s Gor. As you say, the city is different compared to most other cities and outposts, with that rougher, wilder edge of grit to it. It might be an opportunity to present an edgier kind of guild, as close to the books as can be managed, to follow the region’s overall covenant, yet also have that darker, more brutal veneer to it – not the sinister cunning of the opulent and civilised guilds of Glorious Ar, but one with cut-throat venom. It certainly makes me want to raise the bar in my roleplaying here, when thinking of those more accessible images these real-world references provide. Not to mention, having gone it alone for a year already, perhaps I should just continue the tradition!

Byron wrote:

Thank you, Ari, for this insightful and supportive reply! I have to say, when I recall Laura from the books, I keep on thinking of ‘Twin Peeks’ (the scent of lumber, all those warehouses, etc.). But as soon as you mentioned Tomestone, I thought, “Yes! Absolutely!” It also conjured up images of the Grisom Gang, the Great Depression (Al Capone, and all that), and even ‘Gangs of New York’, ‘Pale Rider’ and ‘Last Man Standing’. A bustling pioneer town of trade, with shady dealings down the dark, muddy alleys between the wooden houses, or in the warehouse down by the dock. You’re quite right, this is an ideal place for the Black Caste!

It’s now also made me think that a new guild or order based in Laura might actually benefit the larger network of the caste in Second Life’s Gor. As you say, the city is different compared to most other cities and outposts, with that rougher, wilder edge of grit to it. It might be an opportunity to present an edgier kind of guild, as close to the books as can be managed, to follow the region’s overall covenant, yet also have that darker, more brutal veneer to it – not the sinister cunning of the opulent and civilised guilds of Glorious Ar, but one with cut-throat venom. It certainly makes me want to raise the bar in my roleplaying here, when thinking of those more accessible images these real-world references provide. Not to mention, having gone it alone for a year already, perhaps I should just continue the tradition!

Hahahah. Exactly.