This begins a series of articles on role play is second life. Second Life is the most detailed virtual world platform today. With the tools available to shape Second Life to the needs of the user, the game has the potential to become the stage for the next generation of role players. Multitudes of landscapes have been built, and more are built daily to provide a backdrop for limitless storylines.

Gor, the word itself brings to mind muscled warriors and scantily clad beautiful women. The Gorean community is currently one of the largest role-play communities in Second Life, and probably the most misunderstood. Gorean role-play is based around the works of John Norman, the pen-name of Dr. John Lange, a professor of Philosophy and a classical scholar. The works of John Norman are often painted with ethnography, as he populated Gor with the equivalents of Romans, Greeks, Native Americans, Vikings, and other cultures. Started in 1967 Gor is an intricately detailed world in terms of flora, fauna, and customs. All of this detail makes it an ideal setting for role play. Sadly Gor's mature nature has prevented gaming companies from approaching it as a game concept. Second Life thus becomes an ideal platform for fans of John Norman's works.

In the storyline of the books the population groups of Gor are actually transplants from Earth brought to Gor via space-craft by the Priest-Kings, an extraterrestrial species of insectoid appearance. The cultures are advanced in the areas of architecture and medical technology, but are forced to remain primitive as far as transportation and weaponry are concerned because of restrictions imposed by the Priest-Kings. This is in place to insure the safety of all the peoples of Gor due to the violent nature of humans.

The people of the Second Life Gorean community have lovingly reproduced much of the world of Gor that John Norman wrote about. One important thing to remember is that Second Life landscapes are built by the fans for other fans, thus making them more complete than many landscapes offered by major players in the MMORPG market. In just my time amongst them for this article I have found a well developed economy, diverse settings, and enough drama to even keep the most cannon role-player happy. It's all there and ready to be explored. The players have devised an economy that is not based on the linden and accounts for crafting. This economic systems leads to the trade of goods, and to coinage that can be looted in combat, creating even more role-play and drama for the players involved.

Combat and the arts of war are a huge part in the Gorean role-play in Second Life. I had the privilege of speaking to Nokomus Sautereau, Commander of Mercenary camp in Gor Second Life. This group of Mercenaries trades goods for services rendered as part of their role-play. An example of this trade is if they are called to aid in the defense of a camp or city every man that comes is expected one T1 item regardless of the outcome. The Mercenary camp itself is very well set up with towers, barracks, and meeting areas setting the stage of great role-play.

Player vs. Player combat all takes place in first person leading to the possibility of ambushes, backstabbing, and surprise. Players with some First Person Shooter experience will have some skill right off, but the entire combat system is easy to learn and exciting. Although Second Life was never truly designed for combat, the systems now in place are better than many of the new MMORPGs on the market today. When we asked Nokomus if he had any advice for the new player this is the response we got: "Best advice I can give is approach it like any other game you may start. Learn the story, the background, and equip yourself properly. Be respectful of other people because for some this is their lifestyle, and find a group your comfortable working with."

As with any MMORPG there is a learning curve, but grab yourself a damage HUD and give it a try.

We had had the chance to speak with Celadori Sakai on the subject of clothing in Gor. Celadori Sakai is a designer of Gorean clothing in Second Life. The clothing of Gor is very diverse, but can be summed up as a combination of Roman, Greek, and Arabian styles. The Kajiras of Gor wear silks for the pleasure of their owners, these various silk garments are colored to show the Kajira's place in society. Kajira also commonly wear the camisk, the camisk is a rectangle of cloth, with a hole cut for the head, rather like a poncho. The edges are commonly folded and stitched to prevent raveling and normally falls to the knees. The edges are commonly folded and stitched to prevent raveling and normally falls to the knees. The peasants and lower cast wear simple tunics, jerkins, or crude trousers for both the men and the women although the Camisk is also occasionally worn in the lower casts also.

High casts wear the finery that one would expect of the highest members of Roman, Greek, and Arabian society. One curious garment is the Robe of Concealment. These are worn by free women to conceal their faces and bodies. The dominant colors of the Robes of Concealment are subtle reds, yellows and purples, arrayed in intricate overlapping folds. Many of the free women of Gor, and almost always those of High Caste, wear the Robes of Concealment. The Robes of Concealment are very intricate and cumbersome. Normally, of men, only a father and a husband may look upon the woman unveiled. In the barbaric world of Gor, the Robes of Concealment are deemed necessary to protect the women from the binding fibres of roving tarnsmen. Few warriors will risk their lives to capture a woman who may be as ugly as a Tharlarion.

The Gor Hub in Second Life is a place where those new to Gor, and those active in Gor, can meet. The design of the Hub makes it an ideal setting for learning more about Gor while not jumping in blindly. We had the pleasure of speaking to Fabien DeSantis, designer of the Gor Hub in Second Life and an associate of hers in regard to the Gor Hub and Gorean Second Life.

Q:We would like to start off by thanking you both for taking the time to talk to us about Gorean role-play in Second Life. Fabien, what can you tell our reader about the foundation of Gorean Role-play in Second Life?

A:Foundation as in how it started? It started with one sim, which is now private and I've never seen it. Now Gor Second Life is about 600 Sims in all and around 300 RP sims. Many Goreans play and live outside the RP sims on private sims like me. So the exact number can't really be known

Q:How much does the land mass change day to day?

A:Daily one sim closes on average and one more opens. Some of that is renaming but it's forever changing because of sims being deleted and rebuilt. I've been going so long I'm told by the owners now when anything changes.

Q:So how long have you both been part of the Gorean community, and how did you get started?

A:I began in 2006 it seem so a long time ago. I just saw Goreans around and got curious. I don't like Malls, clubs or talking to kids so I stayed longer than I expected. Gor is keen on formal greetings but it means nobody ever gets ignored. You can go anywhere in Gor and you'll find someone to talk to who's interested in talking to you.

Gor- where to start. I did the freebie areas; dance areas; night clubs; ski areas; strip clubs; shopped till I didn't need anything anymore; bought and sold land; had great friends from all but wondered what else was there? The answer was role play and the most active role play is Gor. After few visits and reading some of the books and I was hooked.

Q:Fabien, can you tell our readers a bit about the Gor hub you have built here in Second Life for the Gorean community?

A:It was meant purely as a way of finding all the sims, and to collate all the landmarks. Gor is unique in that its bases on a map and all its sims are named so easily sorted into an interesting graphic. Since the hubs beginning it has become a meeting place, a crossroads if you like, but this was not intentionally done. Goreans found that they liked a common ground where they could meet each other. Since the hub began I've adapted it to the way it's used, so now the hub is as much a meeting place as a teleport hub

Q:What should a player curious about Gorean role-play do to learn more?

A:Observe, Come to the hub you will find it's totally safe and friendly. I have 900 note cards of info to look through if you want to see Gor in more depth. The Hub is role-play optional so Goreans aren't going to be offended if you just say Hi. I've been to most telehubs and The Gor hub is by far the friendliest. I have a total zero tolerance of harassment of any kind. It seems odd to me that SL is being visually sanitized to make way for more kids who run around shouting obscenities.

Q:Some of the most beautiful landscapes in SL are within the Gorean areas, are there any tips for visitors that would ensure a warm welcome from the community?

A:Goreans prefer you dress respectfully most don't care what you wear if you aren't on an RP sim but at the hub it's not an issue. Be polite and you'll be fine. The only thing that really annoys Goreans is people expecting them to be as their critics have painted them. Some girls come looking to be dragged away and collared forcefully then find that actually nobody does that in Gor.

Q:What role do the books play in the Gorean society here in Second Life?

A:The books are a guide to some and a mantra to others, like all things people do some take them a little too seriously.

Q:How is the initial position in the society determined in the role-play here? Is it to the individual player?

A:In short yes BY the individual, but within certain defined parameters. Many people explore many roles and have alts to explore other sides of Gor and their own nature. By "playing" different roles they get to see what resounds in them and some discover characteristics in themselves that they hadn't realized before. This also makes for better role-play as you know what is good in each other's role. Say if you Arra choose to be a physician - would you be a caring one? Capable? A torturer? You choose a role, but how you are in it is what defines you. I think few can be by nature what they are not in some level in real life. Gor provides a means to explore who you are and who those are around you. Fighter? Submissive? Dominant? Honorable or not it is an adventure of self discovery.

I feel it's by what you are. I'm generally submissive so being dominant isn't as much fun, so I'm happy to be Kajira . But I've been a Free Woman too it depends on who you are and how you see yourself. You'll find most girls go from Kajira to free woman and back. I know Masters who play Ubar (King/ Lord) and Kajira on an alt and they play both equally well. Gorean role-play is challenging to your perception of who you are.

Q:The term Master as used in Gorean role-play is grossly misunderstood by those outside of the Gorean community. Master is a title of respect and "my master" would only be said to the owner of a Kajira by that Kajira correct?

A:Strictly speaking yes. Master to some women outside of Gor has a totally different meaning to how it is seen in Gor. I would call Razzy Master as a term of endearment and respect.

Misunderstandings are many when you don't define a word which has many meanings. A master simply has the final say above those that play a Kajira. Again how you play that role determines what sort of master you are. In my opinion, a good master needs to be many things to his Kajira - friend, lover, companion, RP partner, guide, teacher, confidante, protector.

Q:If you had to put your finger on your favorite thing about Gorean role-play what would it be?

Relationships, and friendships I value my friends here above all. There is a sense of family that grows as you work and play together. I think here you get to see the true character of yourself and of others. In Gor we bond closer than in many other places because we do indeed battle for each other and for what is right. We die for one another and share each other's dramas.

Really it's all down to friendships, that is what SL is at its best not fashion or any fancy buildings. My buildings are a stage for people to meet and they are nothing without people. Some people start sims to be lord and master over something but they all fail. You have to provide the stage and step back. I mean where else would a girl in a big hat kneel to a guy in a dress.

Gor Second Life is a living, breathing community which abounds with stories and role-play. Gorean role-play has been a great experience and I strongly recommend it to any fan of the books of John Norman, or the Gorean Life style. I would suggest visiting the Gor Hub and reading up on the RP and meeting some of the peoples of Gor in the hub as it is a neutral environment. The Gor Hub contains all the information to get one started in Gorean role-play making it an ideal starting place.