I can remember ... reading with breathless fascination the Mars novels of Edgar Rice Burroughs. I journeyed with John Carter, gentleman adventurer from Virginia, to "Barsoom," as Mars was known to its inhabitants. I followed herds of eight legged beasts of burden, the thoats. I won the hand of the lovely Dejah Thoris, Princess of Helium. I befriended a four-metre-high green fighting man named Tars Tarkas. I wandered within the spired cities and domed pumping stations of Barsoom, and along the verdant banks of the Nilosyrtis and Nepenthes canals.

Might it really be possible - in fact and not in fancy - to venture with John Carter to the Kingdom of Helium on the planet Mars? Could we venture out on a summer evening, our way illuminated by the two hurtling moons of Barsoom, for a journey of high scientific adventure? ... I can remember spending many an hour, arms resolutely outstretched in an empty field, imploring what I believed to be Mars to transport me there.
--- Carl Sagan, Cosmos



GOR an artificial world, the travelling-planet of an ancient race known by Mankind only as the "Priest-Kings," large, insect-like creatures possessed of vast intellect and curiosity, living in great hive-nests far beneath the surface of their world. Situated on the opposite side of the sun in Earth's orbit, GOR is also known as "the counter-earth." For thousands of years since the Priest-Kings brought their world into this solar system, they had been making occasional visitations to Earth, known as the "Voyages of Acquisition," during which they have abducted tens of thousands of humans over the millenia, bringing them to the surface of their world as a social experiment, letting them share the surface with the other flora and fauna they had collected upon other worlds. Subsequently, there is an exotic collection of creatures on the world, many of which have been pressed into service by Gor's indigenous inhabitants. They have trained the enormous, dinosaurian Tharlarions as draft animals or for cavalry mounts, while fierce, hawk-like Tarns are ridden through the skies by wild warriors. Gorean culture, society and psychology have been heavily influenced by such peoples as the Babylonians, Vikings, and Greco-Romans, and therefore the world is beautifully rich and barbaric in its practices and customs.

What is this water color about? It's something I did about fourteen years ago. Notice the resemblance to Gor's description of a Free Woman/Companion…………… I am not calling myself an artist, but I think it's kind of interesting this is the one and only water color I have ever done. At the time I had no idea what Gor was and probably wouldn't have cared……Over two years ago I introduced the first Gorean Chat room called "Steel Dawn" to internet Chat at the Fantasy Castle…up until that time Gor had been isolated to IRC Chat………..I may be visionary or just a Legend in my own Mind………….but I think the Water Color is an interesting story.

John/Sir Test/Kuurus/Castle Janitor……………………… and Our "Dad"


Want to Play on the Planet Gor? Listen to Trepan Dar, Leader of the Priest King's Words.

Are you being dishonorable on Gor or causing problems? Then tell your story to ~Trepan Dar~