The Voice of Gor

A persistent rumor speaks of a mysterious former mercenary commander preparing to challenge the current Salt Ubar. Renowned as a brilliant warrior and leader, his identity and whereabouts remain unknown. To succeed, he would need the support of most Tahari oases and ultimately defeat the reigning Salt Ubar in battle. Whether he is real or merely a desert legend remains uncertain, but the whispers continue to spread.

We have a suspicion.

Nerves are on edge in the Oasis of Lame Kaiila. Two pieces of news have alarmed the residents: a Kur has been sighted again in the ancient labyrinth near the ruins of the abandoned Oasis of Mandara. And then caravan leaders reported being stopped and questioned by a group of heavily armed and hooded desert warriors near the ruins, which is highly unusual. They also noticed construction going on there – it looked like a kasbah.

This needs to be investigated. We are calling on all members of the Southern Trade Alliance to provide us with any available men. We will march there and, if necessary, fight our way to the Exchange Point and the salt mines of the Oasis of Klima.

We need people brave enough to venture into the labyrinth.

Messengers were sent to the Oasis of Sand Sleen, Oasis of Two Scimitars, Oasis of Four Palms and the Oasis of AL-Tariq, although the latter two do not belong to the STA.

Turia – “The Ar of the South.” A great walled city near the Plains of Turia, famed for its wealth, silks, and the powerful Caste of Merchants. Known for its opulent markets and intricate politics…

In the vast underground labyrinth near the abandoned Oasis of Mandara, halfway between the Oasis of Lame Kaiila and the exchange point of the Oasis of Klima. We don’t know who built the ancient labyrinth and for what purpose. You are strongly warned not to explore it on your own and without a local guide.

What Panthers Trade

Though many city merchants regard the Panther Girls merely as outlaws, experienced traders know that they possess a surprising variety of valuable goods. Any merchant willing to enter the northern forests under a flag of truce may find profitable exchanges.

The greatest share of Panther trade consists of products taken from the hunt. Fine pelts and furs are always in demand, together with bones, claws, teeth, and other animal by-products valued by craftsmen, leatherworkers, and artisans throughout Gor.

The forests also provide a wealth of useful plants. Panthers gather medicinal herbs, edible forest plants, and rare culinary herbs that are difficult to obtain elsewhere. Skilled healers and cooks often pay well for such supplies.

Many trade goods are acquired through raids or recovered from abandoned camps and caravans. Cloth, jewelry, tools, and various small luxury items frequently appear among Panther merchandise, often changing hands several times before reaching the cities.

Weapons are another common commodity. Panthers craft excellent bows, arrows, quivers, and hunting knives. Captured weapons taken from travelers, mercenary patrols, or defeated enemies may likewise be offered for trade if they are of sufficient quality.

A wise merchant does not overlook another valuable commodity: information. Panthers know the forests better than any mapmaker. They can reveal hidden trails, safe crossings, caravan routes, dangerous territories, the movements of armed bands, and the activities of outlaws. Such knowledge is often worth more than silver.

Finally, captives may also become objects of negotiation. Prisoners are sometimes ransomed, exchanged, or traded according to local custom and circumstance. On occasion, slaves or captured free persons may likewise form part of larger agreements between Panther bands and those willing to bargain with them.

Those who deal fairly, keep their word, and respect the customs of the forests may find the Panther Girls to be difficult, cautious, yet reliable trading partners. Those who attempt deceit seldom receive a second opportunity.

We had received information from scouts about the following groups of Panthers, but we didn’t know exactly where we would find them.: Sa’ng Gretuk Panthers, Zima Ak’am, Valkyrie Torva, Dani’s Band, Fitheach and Talender band, Shiva Sa’ng Fori and the Sa’Pansheen.

The trade was largely peaceful, although we were initially shot at during our first encounter with Panthers; luckily there were no injuries. Most of the groups that live in the forests offered us rare herbs that are not found in Central Gor and certainly not in the Tahari.

Navigating the small rivers of the northern forests with small but heavily laden boats proves difficult; rapids and fallen trees make passage challenging, and the outposts where the Panthers trade are sometimes so well hidden that only those familiar with the area can find them.

Most groups agreed to the deal not to pay for the trade goods we offered, except in kind, and to give the promise that STA merchants, if they displayed the STA flag, would receive preferential treatment and not be attacked.

But you can’t be sure. The northern forests are home to outlaws and outcasts…

After the supplies were loaded on board in the port of Gteletus, the STA merchants and friendsc set sail towards the Thassa, then along the coast to the northern forests. The “Lysander”, which was built to reach the Pani Islands, is the largest ship on Gor.

Even after we had passed the city of Lydius on the coast, we had the feeling of being watched from the shore.

The passage to the north is considered difficult to navigate. Often there is sudden heaving so that you can hardly see the coast and run the risk of being smashed on the sheer cliffs.

Some of the travelers watched the coastline drift by, relaxed. Others were occupied with the merchandise, some of which had been stowed on deck.

When some rock formations appeared, familiar to the sailors and the navigator, and announcing that the port of Kassau would soon be reached, most of the passengers rushed to the railing or the lookout and curiously observed the coastline.

Finally, the city came into view, and the huge ship was boarded outside the actual harbor. From there, boats took them to the docks.

Kassau sits on the northern edge of Gor’s great forests, northwest of the Thentis Mountains. Built mostly of wood, its tallest structure is the former temple, now the Merchant’s Hall, rising above the clustered homes below. Kassau’s warriors are called Axes; female slaves are bonds; male slaves are thralls. A sharpened-log wall surrounds the town, with nearby villages using Kassau as their market center.

Most of the goods are stored on the docks; rain is not expected at this time of year.

Many residents ran to the dock because they were curious about the huge ship and the travelers. Kassau is an associate member of the STA. Some of the merchants from Kassau had decided to join the expedition into the northern forests.

The members of the Southern Trade Alliance (STA) met in Teletus to prepare for the expedition to the northern forests.

Oasis al Tariq on the banks of the Lower Fayeen river.

Torvald’s Promise

To the mountains of Torvaldsberg you walked, Father
not as a man fleeing the world, but as a warrior answering it.
You left no riches, no throne, no banners to inherit.
You left something far heavier: a promise.

I remember the last embrace.
Not the strength of your arms
but the silence within them.
The certainty of a man who already knew the road ahead
would not be walked twice.

You marched north to meet your fate with empty hands,
owing nothing to anyone but time itself.
Seasons passed.
Snow swallowed the trails.
Songs faded from the halls.
And when no word returned, we followed the wind to find you.

We searched the valleys where the sun burns white on the peaks,
dreaming we would see you standing free in its light.
And in my heart, I know you reached that freedom
for only the immensities witnessed your last horizon.

We returned without you.
Returned to faces that did not understand.
To laughter that hid ignorance.
To whispers that called the dream a nightmare.
They forget what the North remembers:
nightmares often become truth.

So I speak to the wind.
May it carry this song across the distances,
to wherever your star burns above the snows.
See me, Father.
I am still standing.

This pass is my answer to your silence.
This land is my oath made stone.
Here, I walk the path you carved into my soul.
Without you, it is harder than any winter
but I will not be broken.

I will not fail you.

The legacy you left was never meant to rest in graves or memories.
It was meant to live in footsteps, in firelight, in the clash of storms against mountain walls.
Here, your saga continues.
Here, your teachings breathe again.

This is Torvald’s Promise.
And as long as these mountains stand,
so will I.

Fjölşviör Törvaldşön * Chieftain of the Pass of Tancred