Many of the great Gorean city-states date from antiquity; of the largest and most ancient, Ar in the north and Turia in the south immediately come to mind. Never the less, despite their massive wealth and influence, as well as their superior armed forces, both of these great cities has fallen to invaders. Turia to an invading horde of Tuchuk warriors in the summer of 10,119 C.A., and mighty Ar herself to a monumental force of Cosian warriors and mercenaries twenty years later.
Like most Gorean settlements, these two huge cities are (or were, in the case of Ar) surrounded by a set of high defensive walls of stone, designed to repel attack from invasion. In addition, certain northern cities such as Ar have created and maintain a zone of devastation beyond the territories directly controlled by the city, a wasteland some 200-300 pasangs wide over which an invading army cannot easily cross.
Inside the walls a typical Gorean city is comprised of many hundreds (or thousands) of small flat-roofed, multi-storied structures, shops and houses, apartments and public buildings. The greatest of all structures in a city, however, are her cylinders....huge, towering monoliths, cylindrical in shape, sometimes rising as high as a thousand feet into the air. Many of the higher cylinders are connected one to another by means of a series of foot bridges. These bridges customarily have no handrail or safety guards, and are rarely traversed by the faint of heart. Each Gorean city literally bristles with cylinders and out thrusting tarn perches to accommodate the needs of her warriors and citizenry.
Each city also commonly possesses a "Street of Brands"; a particular district of the city environs in which can be found the houses and pens of the city slave traders.
Most of the inhabitants of any major Gorean city dwell within the lofty cylinders, if they are wealthy enough to afford such, or within an apartment of one of the city's many insular, or inns. Certain of the wealthiest citizens of a Gorean city often dwell in persona; holdings, well-fortified villa typically located on the outskirts of the city, though occasionally existing within the city walls. Each such villa is designed to be a virtual fortress in the event of enemy attack.
Also nestled amidst the many structures of a Gorean city are pleasure gardens of infinite variety, walled away from unwanted visitors, in which the wealthy free women of the city pass their hours in gossip and idle play.
It is also typical for a city to possess several public bathhouses of varying size and quality to serve the needs of her citizens. Water is transported throughout the city through a series of well-engineered aqueducts, and all trash and daily waste is removed to a series of craniums, or waste pits, beyond the walls, where it is composted and buried.
News about matters of public importance is distributed to the citizenry through means of a series of "public boards" large notice boards normally found near the city center or marketplace.
Stadiums and arenas are also to be found within the larger Gorean cities, in which her champions may do battle in gladiatorial games or airborne tarn races.
It is customary, in some Gorean cities, for the citizens to possess a small chip-like token called an ostrakon, which they carry upon their person, and which proves their citizenship. The wide spread practice of counterfeiting such ostraka often precludes their general usefulness, however. Citizenship is a very important part of Gorean culture...to be without it means that you have no recourse in the legalities of the Gorean social system. Bereft of a city to call your won, you are automatically categorized by other Goreans as being an outlaw, and therefore an enemy.
| This Ring of Gor Webring site is owned by sweet angel
Want to join the Ring of Gor Webring? [Prev] [Next] [Random] [Next 5] [Skip Next] [List Sites] |
 |
This GOREAN Webring site is owned by sweet angel Want to join the GOREAN Webring? [Prev] [Next] [Random] [Next 5] [Skip Next] [List Sites] |
 |