On the Question of a Unified Scribe Academy: A Personal Treatise by Arealius, Scribe of Port Olni
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Customs, and values may not align with modern societal standards or moral principles.
Please note that the Gorean Saga is a fictional series, and its world,
Gor is Copyrighted by John Norman
On the Question of a Unified Scribe Academy
By Arealius, Scribe of Port Olni
I set quill to parchment today not as a representative of any council, nor as a voice of authority over my caste, but simply as a man who has lived long among the scrolls and the dust of many cities. My path has taken me from the reed huts of the marshes to the high shelves of Tyros, from the merchant ledgers of Port Olni to the quiet chambers of Soaring Herlit. In each place I have found the Scribe Caste shaped not by abstract ideals, but by the needs of the soil beneath its feet. It is for this reason that I regard the recent establishment of a Gor‑wide Scribe Academy with both interest and unease.
Gor is not a single realm. It is a mosaic of fiercely independent city‑states, each with its own customs, rivalries, and ambitions. The river cities of the Vosk do not look to Ar for guidance, nor does Ar expect them to. Pride is the mortar that holds our walls together. Rivalry is the fire that tempers our steel. To imagine that all Scribes might be trained under one roof is to imagine a Gor that does not exist — a Gor without the jealous autonomy of its cities.
A Scribe of the Sa‑Tarna fields must understand the rhythms of harvest, the cycles of irrigation, the disputes of land and yield. A Scribe of the mines must know contracts of extraction, mineral rights, and the dangers of collapsed tunnels. A Scribe of the timber towns must master shipping manifests, tariffs, and the laws of river trade. These are not universal concerns. They are regional necessities, born of the land itself.
This is not the first attempt. There have been the others — the grand halls that opened with ceremony and closed in silence. They failed not because the idea was poorly executed, but because the idea itself was flawed. A centralized academy traditionally cannot sustain a staff or a student body because it asks cities to surrender what they will not: their identity, their autonomy, their way of shaping their own Scribes. The very people they need daily to continue their daily administrative duties regardless of how well they are trained or how much experience they have.
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To be forthright, as a scribe of Port Olni during the Salerian Confederacy Project I was trained in the city of Vonda by the by the city Administrator Jarvis Quan and Lady Janette to serve as the city Merchant Magistrate. The confederacy at the time consisted of the Olni River cities of Lara, Tancred's Landing, Ti, Port Olni, and Vonda. All of the cities shared the same culture as port cities on the Olni River and were allies against local river pirates supported by Imperial Ar. I already was serving as the Head of Caste for the Merchants of Port Olni. I was not an apprentice. I had knowledge of the Merchant Caste from daily experience, and knowledge of the Scribe Caste from my apprenticeship at Port Kar. I was seasoned and experienced before I began the magistrate training at Vonda, not a impressionable apprentice.
To impose a single curriculum upon all Scribes would be to flatten these differences — to make us less responsive to the cities we serve. Some argue that a unified academy would strengthen the caste. I fear the opposite. Centralization invites influence. Influence invites control. And control, once established, rarely loosens its grip.
If Ar were to host such an academy, would not its customs become the “standard”? Would not its political interests seep into the training of every apprentice? Even if the academy were placed in a neutral city, how long before factions sought to sway it? Knowledge is power. And power, when concentrated, becomes a lever for imperial ambition.
Our caste has endured for ages not because it was unified, but because it was rooted. Apprentices learn from Masters who know their city’s needs. Pledges are shaped by the archives they will one day tend. Each city trains its own, and in doing so preserves its identity. This is not a weakness. It is the very reason our caste remains adaptable, diverse, and resilient.
I do not oppose dialogue among cities. I do not oppose the sharing of scrolls, or the exchange of scholars for limited periods of time, or the occasional gathering of scribes to debate matters of law and record. Such things enrich us, I have participated in them myself at the seasonal fairs hosted by the Merchant Caste. But I cannot support the creation of a single academy that would presume to speak for all Scribes of Gor. Our strength lies in our differences, not in their erasure. Let each city train its own. Let each region shape its caste according to its needs. Let the archives of Gor remain many, not one. For in the end, a scribe serves his or her city first — and through it, Gor as a whole.
We are shaped by our cities, our lands, our histories. We are not clay to be molded by Imperial hands. I have seen too many cycles of this same proposal to be rattled by it now. The river has taught me patience. The archives have taught me perspective. And the failures of past academies have taught me that centralization is a dream only the powerful can afford to believe in. So I write to you not in anger, but in resolve. Stand firm. Do not be drawn into the noise. Do not let the loudness of others drown out the quiet truth of your own cities. We are many. We are distinct. We are river‑born. And as long as we remember that, no central academy will ever define us. We are freemen and freewomen of Gor sworn to our own Homestones.
Areailus, Scribe of Port Olni
Editor's Notes: (Supporting Scribe: Microsoft's Copilot)
1. Did the novels ever show a centralized academy for a caste?
Based on both canon and serious fan scholarship: no, there is no Gor‑wide central academy for any caste in the books.
The novels show:
- City‑states that are fiercely autonomous and jealous of their own customs
- Castes that are hereditary and local, with training usually by apprenticeship, family, and city institutions (archives, courts, physicians’ rooms, builders’ projects, etc.)
Serious fan compilers like Psychee explicitly note how little Norman gives us in terms of formal institutional structure, and how much has to be extrapolated or invented by role‑players:
- On the Physicians’ Caste, Psychee points out that Norman wrote “almost nothing about medicine, and even less about the medical profession,” and that fans must “develop the subject… without betraying the spirit of Gor.” psychee.org
- On the Initiates, Psychee describes having to go back through multiple novels and comb them for fragments to reconstruct the Caste’s structure and role, again emphasizing how sparse and scattered institutional detail is in the canon. psychee.org
That pattern is important: when actual castes are discussed in detail by book‑focused fan scholars, they consistently:
- Collect scattered references from many novels
- Reconstruct local practice (how a particular caste behaves in a particular city or context)
- Do not describe continent‑wide academies or standardized training structures
The Gorean Cave, another highly book‑oriented reference site, follows the same method: it collects book citations for each caste or quasi‑caste (like sleen keepers/trainers) and reports what’s in the books, but intentionally avoids making broad institutional pronouncements that aren’t supported by text. thegoreancave.com That silence about any pan‑Gorean academy is telling, especially given how meticulous Fogaban is about pulling every mention he can find.
By contrast, where you do see “academies” are in role‑play constructs, not canon:
- “Gorean Legal Academy,” “Gorean Campus,” and similar institutions are explicitly SL/online role‑play creations, such as those catalogued in magistrate/advocate training blogs. magistratekati.blogspot.com
- Modern projects like “Gorean Continental University” are openly meta/SL‑based teaching initiatives, not reconstructions of something described in the novels. YouTube
Even your own essay on “Scribe City Caste Training” is explicit that the academy concept is a contemporary fan discussion, not something drawn directly from the Saga: you frame it as a current debate among Scribes, grounded in population changes and role‑play needs. wanderingsofasailor.blogspot.com
When a serious textual site like “I Am Gorean” explains the world, it strongly emphasizes that understanding Gor requires reading the books themselves and doing supplementary research into the history and philosophy Norman drew from. gorean.uk Yet again: no mention of any canon‑described, centralized academies.
Putting all of this together:
- Where the books are quoted and indexed carefully (Psychee, Gorean Cave), no Gor‑wide academy for any caste appears. psychee.org thegoreancave.com psychee.org
- Where “academies” are mentioned, they are clearly role‑play inventions, not book canon. YouTube magistratekati.blogspot.com wanderingsofasailor.blogspot.com
So, to your direct question:
Did John Norman ever describe a centralized academy for a caste in the Gorean Saga?
From everything we can see in book‑focused fan scholarship and index work: no, he did not.
2. Is a centralized academy for a caste “canon” in spirit?
Now the more interesting piece: does the idea fit the Gorean setting as Norman presents it?
Everything about how Gor is built argues against a Gor‑wide, centralized academy.
2.1. City‑state structure and rivalry
Gor is a world of independent city‑states, not a unified empire. Rivalry is structural, not incidental. A pan‑Gorean academy would require:
- Cross‑city cooperation
- Shared standards
- Acceptance of another city’s “authority” to train one’s own caste
That’s already at odds with:
- Ar’s imperial posture and reputation for arrogance
- The jealous pride of cities like the Vosk and Olni river towns
- The entrenched, local nature of caste identity and civic loyalty
Serious commentators who stay close to the text repeatedly emphasize the city‑state nature of Gor and the way castes are woven into local civic life gorean.uk. A Gor‑wide academy would imply a level of inter‑city institutional trust that Norman’s political landscape simply doesn’t support.
2.2. Caste training as local and hereditary
Book‑oriented fan scholarship describes castes as:
- Hereditary (born into father’s caste)
- Structured around families, sub‑castes, and local practice angelfire.com thegoreancave.com
- With skills typically passed down through mentorship and apprenticeship, not general schooling
The Angelfire caste overview (though not a scholarly site, it reflects common book‑based understanding): castes are hereditary, often contain sub‑castes, and one may change caste only in exceptional circumstances angelfire.com. That framework fits local training and local codes, not academy‑style standardization.
Psychee’s work on Physicians and Initiates reinforces that:
- Norman gives scattered practice, often tied to particular cities and circumstances
- There is no single, unified institutional model fans can point to as “the academy” for any caste psychee.org psychee.org
So by both detail and omission, the books point toward city‑rooted training, not centralized schooling.
2.3. The role‑play “academy model” is extra‑canonical
In the modern role‑play community, the “academy model” arises to solve out‑of‑character problems:
- How do you teach new players lore?
- How do you standardize expectations across sims?
- How do you certify roles like Magistrate, Physician, or Scribe in a way people recognize?
That’s why you see things like:
- Gorean Legal Academy (GLA) course lists and legal training programs magistratekati.blogspot.com
- GCU and similar projects on YouTube presenting Gorean “courses” YouTube
- Your own blog explicitly framing the centralized academy for Scribes as a proposal and a subject of contemporary debate wanderingsofasailor.blogspot.com
These are meta‑solutions to RP coordination, not reconstructions of a canon institution.
In other words:
- In‑character canon Gor: no evidence of Gor‑wide central academies, everything points to local, city‑based caste formation
- OOC role‑play Gor: academies are tools to help humans teach, coordinate, and credential
3. So: is a central academy “canon” for Gor?
Putting it bluntly and precisely:
Textual canon:
- There is no described Gor‑wide academy for any caste in the novels, as evidenced by the silence of major textual indexes like Psychee’s archives and The Gorean Cave psychee.org thegoreancave.com psychee.org.
- Caste training is implicitly local, hereditary, and apprenticeship‑driven.
Thematic canon (spirit of the setting):
- Gor is a world of proud, rival city‑states, with deeply local identities and jealous autonomy gorean.uk.
- A Gor‑wide academy that standardizes caste training across cities fits poorly with that political and cultural structure.
Role‑play practice:
- Central academies (Gorean Legal Academy, GCU, etc.) are fan institutions created to solve modern RP needs YouTube magistratekati.blogspot.com wanderingsofasailor.blogspot.com.
- They are non‑canonical by design, even when they strive to be lore‑respectful.
So from a canon‑philosophical standpoint:
A centralized, Gor‑wide academy is not canon, and it arguably runs against the structural logic of Norman’s world.
What is lore‑consistent is exactly what you’ve been arguing for in your fiction and essays:
- City‑based caste training
- Regional specialization tied to local economy and history
- Diverse practices across cities, even within the same high caste
- Occasional exchange of scrolls, letters, or visiting scholars, but no surrender of training sovereignty
4. Useful links and references for you and your readers
Here are direct links to the most relevant fan‑scholar sources mentioned:
Psychee’s Gorean Archives – Physicians’ Caste (example of reconstructing a caste from scattered canon, no central academy)
https://www.psychee.org/gorpedia/gorean-medicine-the-physicians-caste/ psychee.orgPsychee’s Gorean Archives – Initiate Caste (again, canon fragments, no academy)
https://www.psychee.org/gorpedia/religion-on-gor-and-the-initiate-caste/ psychee.orgThe Gorean Cave – example caste page (Sleen Keepers/Trainers) with strictly book‑based references, no institutional extrapolation
https://www.thegoreancave.com/castes/sleen_keepers.php thegoreancave.com“I Am Gorean” overview – emphasizes returning to the books and understanding the city‑state, philosophical basis of the setting
https://www.gorean.uk/ gorean.ukExample of RP “Academy” structures (non‑canonical, meta‑educational):
Gorean Legal Academy course listings and links to Gorean Campus etc.
https://magistratekati.blogspot.com/p/gorean-legal-academy-gla-legal-courses.html magistratekati.blogspot.comYour own essay that explicitly frames the Scribe academy concept as contemporary, RP‑side debate:
https://wanderingsofasailor.blogspot.com/2025/10/this-gorean-fan-fiction-was-generated.html wanderingsofasailor.blogspot.com
Certificates can be useful, but they are not essential. Caste training and apprenticeship are the responsibility of each Caste, and what is accepted in one place may not be accepted in another, including certificates.
ReplyDeleteBeing qualified to perform a role is not the same as being of a Caste. Caste is a birthright, inherited through the father’s line. Men are expected to fulfill the duties of their Caste, while women may choose whether or not to do so. Yet one may rise through aptitude and ability, or be lowered if they show they lack the knowledge and skill.
If someone claims to be of the Scribes, they are accepted as such, usually on their word. Proof may be asked, but it is rare. When taking up a profession within the Caste, however, they must demonstrate the knowledge, skill, and ability required. Caste identity may be inherited, but competence must be shown through apprenticeship and performance.
Universities and academies may offer instruction, but they hold no authority to decide who is or is not of a Caste. Caste is not granted by a classroom, nor proven by a certificate. Classes are a personal choice, not a requirement. Identity and recognition come from birthright and demonstrated ability, often shown through apprenticeship.
There will always be those who support universal academies and those who oppose them. In the end, each Gorean place decides what it will and will not accept.
Certificates have often carried weight and influenced recognition in SL Gor. Without one, a profession could be kept out of reach until proof was shown that classes had been taken. This created challenges for those without the time or desire to attend, yet who still wished to role-play within their chosen Caste.
Ultimately, Gor and SL Gor will always differ in practice. Certificates may hold sway in some communities, but they are not the measure of Caste. Recognition comes from the knowledge and ability a person demonstrates within their Caste.
This is only my perspective, drawn from years in SL Gor.
-Kar
Scribe of Olni
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteIt's strange, but when someone writes that this or that doesn't exist on Gor, it usually does.
ReplyDeleteIn the eighth chapter of *Conspirators of Gor* (Vol. 31), we read about four university towns to which the families of Ar send their sons to study: Harfax, Venna, Besnit, and Brundisium.
“Behold this barbarian vulo,” said the auctioneer. “Surely she is of some interest. Might she not be useful as a third or fourth slave in your house, to relieve higher, better slaves of disagreeable tasks? Perhaps she might do as a starter slave, for a son, or a gift for a son or nephew, returning from his studies in Harfax, Venna, Besnit, or Brundisium.”
*Conspirators of Gor* (Vol. 31), Chapter 8
The scene takes place at a slave auction in Ar. The text mentions university towns comparable to Oxford, Cambridge, Heidelberg, and Göttingen, as well as homecoming parties where a simple starter slave is apparently a common gift.
The Gorean's horizons extend beyond the boundaries of their city or caste. Mobility, migration, cultural exchange, and scientific discourse are as much a part of Gor as the Home Stone and the caste system. In this respect, Gor is no different from the ancient Mediterranean or medieval Europe.
We should abandon the notion of a dull and narrow-minded Gor who thinks only within city and caste boundaries. The books paint a different picture. Even on Gor, diverse educational models and systems exist.
Sabayna
Physician of Isfahan
"I was trained in the city of Vonda by the by the city Administrator Jarvis Quan and Lady Janette" the two people who did more to make a curriculum for scribes that any others since the founding of SL Gor and people whom Ar uses as proof of his own credentials in the caste. Now to add ot Sabanyna comments I missed the shrill, interminable calls of the vendors, each different; the good-natured banter of friends in the marketplace exchanging gossip and dinner invitations; the shouts of burly porters threading their way through the tumult; the cries of children escaped from their tutors and playing tag among the stalls; the laughter of veiled girls teasing and being teased by young men, girls purportedly on errands for their families, yet somehow finding the time to taunt the young swains of the city, if only by a flash of their dark eyes and a perhaps too casual adjustment of their veil.)) Outlaw of Gor-Page 67
ReplyDeleteHere we see “children escaped from their tutors”. It would be hard to believe, given our own history, that all children would be educated by their parents directly. Those of the High Castes particularly would be assumed to afford nanny’s, governess’s and tutors
((Many castes, incidentally, have branches and divisions. Lawyers and Scholars, for example, and Record Keepers, Teachers, Clerks, Historians and Accountants are all Scribes.))
Assassin of Gor- Page 208
Here we see the sub-caste of “teachers”. While these are listed as all Scribes, we must imagine that they wouldn’t be solely teachers of Scribes. Presumably providing basic education in arithmetic, reading / writing, history and such matters, for the High Castes at least.
((This account seemed strange to me, but I supposed she had no reason to lie to me. I had spent several years in the household of my teacher, who would accept no pay, because, for our caste, knowledge is priceless. One day he had said to me, "You may leave now," and I knew then that I was of the Scribes.)) Mariners of Gor-Page 569
Once again we see “teacher” mentioned. And so we can see that Scribes had teachers that weren’t their parents. A perfect example of caste education.
((His campaigns were studied in all the war schools of the high cities. I knew him from scrolls I had studied years ago in Ko-ro-ba, and from volumes in my library in Port Kar, such as the commentaries of Minicius and the anonymous analyses of "The Diaries," sometimes attributed to the military historian, Carl Commenius, of Argentum, rumored to have once been a mercenary himself.)) Mercenaries of Gor-Pages 31 - 32
And here we see the most telling of all, “war schools”. Obviously for the Rarii. And so, in the high cities at least, we can see that there were schools. Why would there be schools for the Warriors and not for the other high castes at a minimum?
In the actual ancient world that Gor is based on, there were famous centers of learning but none of them functioned as world‑wide, standardized academies with authority over professions or castes. They were influential, prestigious, and cosmopolitan — but not universal, not regulatory, and not binding on other cities or cultures. There were prestigious centers of learning, but no ancient institution had universal authority, standardized curricula, or the power to certify professions across the known world.
ReplyDeleteMajor Ancient Centers of Learning (Prestigious, but Not Universal)
The Library and Museum of Alexandria: Cosmopolitan scholarly hub attracting Greeks, Egyptians, Jews, Persians, and others. It was a State‑sponsored research institution, not a credentialing academy. It had no authority over other cities — Athens, Rhodes, Pergamon, and others ignored its standards. It could be argued that Alexandria is the closest historical analogue to a “world center,” yet it never regulated professions.
Plato’s Academy (Athens): Philosophical school, not a professional certifier. Students came from many regions of Greece. No universal recognition — Sparta, Thebes, and Persia did not care who studied there. It's important to remember that prestige does not equal authority.
Aristotle’s Lyceum was a research and teaching center. It was influential in thought, not in governance, there was no pan‑Hellenic credentialing. Again there was respect, but not regulatory power.
The Library of Pergamon was a rival to Alexandria. It had cultural prestige, but no universal jurisdiction. There were multiple regional centers that existed, but none dominated the entire world.
There was also Nalanda (Ancient India), it was an international Buddhist university with students from China, Tibet, Korea, Southeast Asia. But it had no authority outside Buddhist monastic networks. Even this vast institution did not regulate professions or castes.
The House of Wisdom (Baghdad), was a translation and scientific center having Pan‑Islamic influence, but not pan‑world authority, no universal certification. Again, prestige, but not regulation.
I would argue that “University towns” do not equal a unified, standardized academy system.
The passage from Conspirators of Gor shows that certain cities—Harfax, Venna, Besnit, Brundisium—were known for education. That is entirely consistent with my position. Medieval Europe had Bologna, Paris, Oxford, and Salamanca, yet no one would claim there was a Europe‑wide academy system with standardized credentials. Vonda was attractive in its day not for “having a university or school” but because of the giants that resided there. Do not forget that Lady Janette taught scribes at Port Olni too. My argument is there is no evidence of a Gor wide standardization of learning through a world wide educational system establishing standards for all, or requiring practicing scribes or any caste for that matter, to adhere to except for the Merchant Caste and within their system of setting weights and measures for inter-city trade.
I agree that the texts of the Gor saga mirror a model where cities may be known for scholarship, families may send sons to study elsewhere particularly allied or regional cities. But no central authority exists that binds all cities to a single curriculum, credential, or standard. This is precisely why the books emphasize local autonomy, local custom, and local caste governance.
Thank you for your comments! We are after all scribes and so love open and fair discussion, do we not? Lets continue this, please my fellow scribes, critique and comment on the articles, essays, and stories that I write. Improve me.