See also Draft Tharlarion - the working
beast that pulls carts & heavy loads.
See also War (High) Tharlarion - the
larger variety of high tharlarion used by Gorean warriors
See also Wild Tharlarion - the
species of tharlarion that inhabits swamps and marshes.
See also River Tharlarion - the
species of tharlarion used primarily in moving river barges
Common transportation on Gor
High tharlarion & tarn are two most common mounts of Gorean warrior The tarn is one of the two most common
mounts of a Gorean warrior; the other is the high tharlarion,
a species of saddle-lizard, used mostly by clans who have
never mastered tarns.
Tarnsman
Bred & ridden for thousands of years before tarns were tamed.
These gigantic lizards had been bred on Gor for a
thousand generations before the first tarn was tamed, and
were raised from the leathery shell to carry warriors.
Tarnsman
Descriptions of High/Saddle Tharlarion
High tharlarion moves on two back feet in great bounding strides
Two small forelegs merely dangle He rode the
species of tharlarion which ran on its two back feet in great
bounding strides. Its cavernous mouth was lined with long,
gleaming teeth. Its two small, ridiculously disproportionate
forelegs dangled absurdly in fron of its body.
Tarsnman
Carnivorous
Needs far less food and water than a tarn The high tharlarions, unlike their draught brethren, the
slow-moving, four-footed broad tharlarion, were carnivorous.
However, their metabolism was slower than that of a tarn,
whose mind never seemed far from food and, if it was
available, could consume half its weight in a single day.
Moreover, they needed far less water than tarns.
Tarnsman
Has stamina
Moving slowly - resembles a proud stalking movement.
Moving faster, it bounds in great leaping movements 20 paces at a time. To me, the
most puzzling thing about the domesticated tharlarions, and
the way in which they differed most obviously from wild
tharlarions and the lizards of my native planet, was their
stamina, their capacity for sustained movement. When the
high tharlarion moves slowly, its stride is best described as
a proud, stalking movement, each great clawed foot striking
the earth with a measured rhythm. When urged to speed,
however, the high tharlarion bounds, in great leaping
movements that carry it twenty paces at a time.
>/I>
Tarnsman
Short tempered
Carnivorous Such lizards
are extremely short-tempered, as well as carnivorous, and I
had no intention of attracting attention to myself by beating
my way through them with a spear butt.
Tarnsman
Slower than a kailla The kaiila is extremely agile, and can easily outmaneuver
the slower, more ponderous high tharlarion.
Nomads
Managed by snout reins "Yes, Mistress," I said. I proceeded down the street in the direction
indicated, leading the tharlarion by its reins. Small saddle tharlarion are
generally managed by snout reins.
Fighting Slave
Transparent membraned eye-lids It stood there, placidly. It slid a transparent membrane upward, covering
its eye, as a broad-winged insect crawled on its lid. The insect fluttered
away.
Fighting Slave
Tharlarion Saddle for the smaller saddle tharlarions
Resembles more a stirruped seat.
Leather
Cushioned "Help me into the saddle," she said. I lifted her sandaled foot upward, and
she took her place in the leather seat at the side of the tharlarion's back.
It has stirrups, into which I helped her place her feet, but it is not exactly
a saddle as those of Earth would think of one, even of the sort usually
designated as a sidesaddle. It is somewhat more in the nature of a stirruped
seat. It is at the height of the beast's back, cushioned, held there by
straps. She hooked herself into the seat, or, if one prefers, saddle.
Fighting Slave
Tharlarion related "jobs"
Tharlarion Keeper - presumably much like a Tarn Keeper. "He knows the business and needs of Ar," said the guard, "as would a
Merchant, but he is yet of the Caste of Warriors."
"He has sponsored many games," said a Tharlarion Keeper.
Assassin
Strap Master A bejewelled, curtained platform slung beneath the slow, swaying bodies of
two of the broad tharlarions appeared. The beasts were halted by their
strap-master, and after some seconds the curtains parted.
Tarnsman
Areas of Gor where tharlarions are used
The city of Ar 'What news of Ar?' I asked.
'War,' said the mounted spearman approvingly. 'Now, while
the men of Ar fight among themselves for the cylinders, an
army is gathering from fifty cities, massing on the banks of
the Vosk to invade Ar. There is a camp there such as you
have never seen - a city of tents, pasangs of tharlarion
corrals; the wings of the tarns sound like thunder overhead.
The cooking fires of the soldiers can be seen two days' ride
from the river.'
Tarnsman
Hooded, a chain on my throat, my wrists in steel behind my back, I stumbled
after a tharlarion wagon, to the back of which my throat chain had been bolted,
through the streets of Ar.
Assassin
Lydius Those approaching were drawn by land tharlarion, plodding on log roads along
the edges of the river. The land tharlarion can swim barges across the river,
but he is not as efficient as the vast river tharlarion. Both sides of the
river are used to approach Laura, though the northern shore is favored.
Unharnessed tharlarion, returning to Lydius at the mouth of the Laurius,
generally follow the southern shore road, which is not as much used by
towing tharlarion as the northern.
Captive
Stones of Turmus I had been more than a month now in the keep of Stones of Turmus.
...
Two tharlarion, ponderous and stately, made their way toward the keep. They
were mounted by two warriors, with lances.
Slave Girl
The City of Tharna "Therefore we must scatter to the forests and the mountains, taking cover
where we can. We must live off the land. We will soon be sought by all the
soldiers and guardsmen Tharna can set upon our trail. We will be pursued and
ridden down by the lancers who ride the high tharlarions! We will be hunted
and slain from the air by the bolts of tarnsmen!"
Outlaw This scene takes place in Tharna
The City of Turia On long lines of tharlarion I could see warriors of Turia
approaching in procession the Plains of a Thousand Stakes.
Nomads
I was hardly questioned by guards at the gates of Turia,
for the city is a commercial oasis in the plains and during a
year hundreds of caravans, not to mention thousands of
small merchants, on foot or with a single tharlarion wagon,
enter her gates.
Nomads
Tyros It would be a great triumph in Tyros, to bring the great Marlenus, naked,
in the chains of a slave, branded, before their council. Doubtless they would
first bring him so through the streets, between jeering throngs, chained to
the back of a tharlarion wagon, white-silk maidens of Tyros dancing beside
him, casting love blossoms upon him. Marlenus would doubtless make great
holiday in Tyros.
Hunters
Venna Venna is a small, exclusive resort city, some two hundred pasangs north
of Ar. It is noted for its baths and its tharlarion races.
Fighting Slave
Vonda . The Lady Florence owned many tharlarion. Her stables were among the most
extensive and finest of any owned by a citizen of Vonda.
Fighting Slave
Saddle Tharlarion on Gor
