scarlet_caste

~ The Caste of Warriors ~

You may think that to be a warrior is to be large, or strong, and to be skilled with weapons, to have a blade at your hip, to know the grasp of the spear, to wear the scarlet, to know the fitting of the iron helm upon one's countenance, but they are things that are not truly needful; they are not, truly what makes a man a warrior and another not. Many men are strong, and large, and skilled with weapons, Any man might place upon his brow the helm of iron. But it is not the scarlet or the steel, nor the helm which makes a warrior. It is the codes.

{Beasts of Gor, page 340}

The warrior caste is one of the high five castes on Gor, though it is the least of the high castes. Red, or scarlet, is the color of the warrior caste and warriors often wear red tunics to denote their status. The Gorean term for warrior is "rarius" and the plural form is "rarii".

Of all the five Gorean high castes, the most romanticized and probably the most often interpreteted caste is the Scarlet Caste ... the Caste of Warriors. Too many foolish young men seemed compelled to pronounce themselves "Warriors" simply because they like to think of themselves as dangerous, mysterious and chivalrous. This not only is an insult to those who truly are of that caste, it tends to result in the delivery of many such braggarts to the Cities of Dust by the able hands of those who truly know and follow the codes. To be a warrior is not a matter of owning armaments, nor even having a practical knowledge of the use of weapons. Warriors come in all shapes and sizes, and are found manifested among both sexes, though typically not in equal numbers. For some reason males seem to be more readily able to grasp and practice the basic fundamental concepts which enable one to espouse the more single-minded, more stubborn, and even more sentimental, about such things, whereas women are often far too subtle and pragmatic to dedicate themselves to a single, black and white view of such things as combat, loyalty, and honor. Women tend to make the most vicious fighters ... but it is the men who seem to be best suited to be Warriors.

Although upon the world of Gor, warrior is a social caste title; in truth, social position tends to matter little in dictating who shall be true warriors. Nor does physical size determine who may consider themselves a warrior. The fact of the matter is that being a warrior is almost completely dependent upon learning, and maintaining, a specific "mindset" which applies to all things in your life, a set of rules which you strive to live by.

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