I let something in my mind slip, and had an emotional few moments yesterday when I was asked a question, and it shouldn't have.It triggerd some memories of years past, exciting places and interesting people, friendships gained and lost, enemies made and befriended and then stabbed in the back, Free Women that I'd met, Companioned, escorted and sold, and slaves i've owned, free'd, Companioned and then reenslaved. Men I fought beside, against, drank with, tore up taverns with, knocked out when a tankard, swore oaths of brotherhood to. I've been at this for perhaps 20-25 years, and I can honestly say that back then it was rarely ever dull.
We had on average 7-9 rooms open per day, more at night, sometimes more, with 8-12 people in them, minimum. There was always something going on, whether it be an outright war with real consequences, raids to capture slaves, free women or simply paga or just for the pleasure of hearing glass tinkle, Sparring contests, honor and death matches, tavern trawling, dance contests...though i tended to go watch tv or something till they were over unless mine was in it, and i only watched hers, i don't care for dances... We had raids with slaves and free women taken, buildings set on fire. There was danger and excitement everywhere to be had. People lived, loved, fought, bled, told their stories the way they wanted them told, went where they wanted unless someone stronger than them saw fit to stop them. Free women had escorts wherever they went for obvious reasons. Free didn't need a reason to slap a slave around, much less actually punish one and most of the time they didn't bother waiting on its owner, because it was felt that, why wait, deal with the problem now, and owners generally agreed. They did it because they were Free, and that's all that really mattered. People, lived. They took their rp seriously.
Because for a little while there was no "away time", if you died, there wasn't any coming back, it was a permanent bye-bye, You had to think before you spoke. This was done away with eventually, else gorland would have depopulated itself in a year or so. But the threat was there.
It wasn't all golden. It wasn't all rainbows and diamonds and ponies that poop rainbows and diamonds. It had its horrible aspects. A home leader making megalomaniacal decisions and ostracising one of his members, who gets so depressed and cold that he decides to go solo attack an enemy city and "die with honor at last", but gets talked out of it and ends up suiciding anyway by sinking his ship and going down with it. A Free Companion leaving her contractual partner for another man who challenges to an "honor" match with her as the prize, nevermind that she was leaving either way whatever happened, and years of lies and slander happened afterwards. The slave grapevine at the time brands a certain free man a perverted sick person based on hearsay and one goes as far as calling the police in that man's town and having him arresrted on false charges, and nothing happens to the slave in realityland, or gor, but the man's and by extension the his home's reputation is destroyed. Stupid little wars fought over bs in the tabloids, people dying unnecessary deaths over petty drama. Free women whoring themselves out in messenger and Skype, while acting prim and pristine in rooms, and when it comes up it's dismissed as "not in a room, so it isn't gor and so can't be held accountable".
There are still people here from perhaps half that time, that knew me back then, and i occasionally wonder if they think I've mellowed. Maybe if i'd gone soft, or gave up in some ways. Well, yes, i have. There is no danger. What's to get excited about? Another slave is getting brainwashed into being another harem roleolay participant, hooray! Another safe room opened in Buzzen, let's go there and not roll their tavern in a good ole fashoned bar brawl, hooray! Someone made me angry and if i decided to challenge them or just beat the snot of them they'd use the op hammer to handle the issue instead of roleplaying, hooray! I just heard a couple days ago one of my longest friends in gorland did something submissive to someone she said she'd never do, a couple months ago and hooray for that too! This is what I have to look forward to, every time I log in and look at the room lists, IF there are people in rooms at all, if i'm not already permabanned from it. And I'm supposed to get excited?
Yes, I know the not quite golden age is not ever going to come back. I really don't think i want it to do so. Very few of you would really know what to do. But I don't say that for your sakes. You'd feel restricted in your words, you'd feel responsible for your actions, because you'd be held arccountable for them. And you'd not at all like the danger of simply setting foot outside your comfort zones. I said comfort,not safe. But, Gor is what you make it. It can be as good or as bad as you want. Horrible or paradise, its up to you, regardless of station, free or slave. So while Old isn't ever going to become golden in today's roleplay, at the very least it'll be that way inside my mind, and those that were there to experience and appreciate it for what they made of it.
I'll remember it for you, since yosome of you either can't, or don't care to. And if I seem snappish, or cold in a given circumstance or because of some of your actions, its probably because I'm remembering when people like you were slapped alongside the head for being retarded, or simply killed out of hand so you'd not infect the rest of the herd. There...ended it on a good ole fashined Old Gor note. And if that wasn't enough:
Obey and submit to your Overlord! ...yeah. I miss those days too.
