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Enslavement can occur for several reasons, not the least of which is "slave-like"
behavior. Typical examples of such behavior are openly admiring the bodies
of male freemen, commenting upon such things in a sexually suggestive
way, flirting lewdly or lasciviously, or repeatedly seeking sexual union
with another who is not one's free companion. A Gorean Free Woman is expected
to behave in a ladylike fashion at all times... she is an object to be
admired and pursued, not the pursuer in such relationships (at least not
openly). The Free Woman is graceful, mysterious and untouchable. The very
right to look upon the delicate expressions and soft features of her face
is a goal to be much sought after by others of her caste and social class.
Any Free Woman who willingly face-strips herself before the eyes of men
who are not her personal servants or close relatives is immediately castigated
by Gorean society as behaving in a "sluttish" fashion. Upon
Gor, such "sluts" are immediately collared for the use and service
of males. Therefore, the term "slut" and the term "Free
Woman" must be considered mutually exclusive of one another at all
times.
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Similarly a Free Woman who willingly places herself into a perilous situation
in which enslavement might be the outcome is assumed by most Gorean males
to be "courting the collar." In such instances it is generally
accepted practice to bestow upon the Free Woman the very thing which she
so seems to want, a brand and collar of her very own. If at any time a
Free Woman loses all means of self-protection and falls prey to a Warrior
or one who is stronger than she, she is said to be within the boundaries
of "capture rites." If she is to be held for ransom, then she
retains her free status... she is not branded or collared, though depending
upon the whim of her captor she might be facestripped or put to sexual
use. During the period of her captivity she does not refer to freemen
as Master, but rather as "Captor." In some cases she is simply
chained in the holding of her captor and ignored until she can be exchanged
for ransom. Since Free Women of high caste typically fetch a ransom equal
to or in excess of their bride price, the richer and more powerful her
family the greater her chance of being ransomed. For a poor Free Woman,
perhaps of the peasants or a similar low caste, she can usually not expect
such treatment. In such a case the Free Woman in question typically may
expect nothing better than either her enslavement, if she proves to be
pleasing, or her execution if she is not. It is important to remember
that when a Gorean city or settlement is conquered, typically all male
survivors of that city are immediately put to death... in short, Goreans
rarely take prisoners of war. When all things are considered, therefore,
if her Home Stone is conquered, at least a Free Woman has a better chance
of surviving, even as a slave, than do the Free Men of her city.
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