My four commercial voyages had been among
the exchange islands, or free islands, in Thassa, administered as free ports
by members of the Merchants. There were several such islands. Three,
which I encountereed frequently in my voyages, were Teletus, and, south
of it, Tabor, named for the drum, which it resembles, and to the north,
among the northern islands, Scagnar. Others were Farnacium, Hulneth and
Asperiche. I did not go as far south as Anango or Ianda, or as far north
as Hunjer or Skjern, west of Torvaldsland. These islands, with occasional
free ports on the coast, north and south of the Gorean equator, such as
Lydius and Helmutsport, and Schendi and Bazi, make possible the commerce
between Cos and Tyros, and the mainland, and its cities, such as Ko-ro-ba,
Thentis, Tor, Ar, Turia, and many others.
Raiders
Exchange islands and free ports administered by Merchants
My four commercial voyages had been among
the exchange islands, or free islands, in Thassa, administered as free ports
by members of the Merchants.
Raiders
At the age of twelve, Ute had been purchased by a leather worker, who
dwelt on the exchange island, administered by the Merchants, of Teletus.
Captive
Anango, like Asperiche, is an exchange, or free, island in Thassa,
administered by members of the caste of merchants.
Players
The administration of a free port or exchange island
Merchants control free ports and exchange islands, under merchant law
Merchants more interested in payment for wharfage & trade business in the port
than proper (legal & correct)paperwork The representative of the Merchants, to whom I reported my business, and
to whom I paid wharfage, asked no questions. He did not even demand the
proof of registration of the Tesephone of Tabor. The Merchants, who
control Lydius, under merchant law, for it is a free port, like Helmutsport,
and Schendi and Bazi, are more interested in having their port heavily
trafficked than strictly policed.
Hunters
Pirates, paying wharfage and declaring some sort of trade business in the port
are allowed entry Indeed, at the wharves I had even seen
two green ships. Green is the color common to pirates. I supposed, did
they pay their wharfage and declare some sort of business, the captains
of those ships were as little interrogated as I.
Hunters
Government of free ports & exchange islands is identical (falling under Merchant
law which is common through Gor)
Though some may be more strictly controlled and others more permissive The governance of Lydius,
under the merchants, incidentally, is identical to that of the exchange
islands, or free islands, in Thassa. Three with which I was familiar, from
various voyages, were Tabor, Teletus and, to the north, offshore from
Torvaldsland, Scagnar. Of these, to be honest, and to give the merchants
their due, I will admit that Tabor and Teletus are rather strictly
controlled. It is said, however, by some of the merchants there, that this
manner of caution and restriction, has to some extent diminished their
position in the spheres of trade. Be that as it may, Lydius, though not
what you would call an open port, was indulgent, and permissive.
Hunters
Ports and islands that are not exchange islands or free ports, and not managed
by the Merchants, are commonly managed by magistrated appointed by the
city council. Most
ports and islands on Thassa, of course, are not managed by the Merchants,
but, commonly, by magistrates appointed by the city councils. In Port Kar,
my city, the utilization of the facilities of the port is regulated by a
board of four magistrates, the Port Consortium, which reports directly to
the Council of Captains, which, since the downfall of the warring Ubars,
is sovereign in the city. I suppose the magistrate, who, with his papers,
met us at the dock, did not believe my story.
Hunters
Management of a free port is similar to management of a free keep maintained
by the merchants "You are Dina," she said. "You are slave now within the Keep of Stones
of Turmus. This is a merchant keep, under the banner and shield of Turia."
That the keep was under the banner of Tuna designated it as a Turian keep,
distinguishing it in this sense not only from keeps maintained by other
cities but more importantly from the "free keeps" maintained by the merchant
caste in its own right, keeps without specific municipal affiliations.
Similarly, the merchant caste, which is international, so to speak, in its
organization, arranges and conducts the four great fairs which occur
annually in the vicinity of the Sardar mountains. The merchant caste, too,
maintains certain free ports on certain islands and on the coasts of
Thassa, such as Teletus and Bazi.
Slave Girl
Space in a free port, as in a free keep, is rented on a commercial basis,
regardless of municipal affiliation
Space in a "free keep" is rented on a
commercial basis, regardless of municipal affiliation. In a banner keep,
or one maintained by a given city, preference, if not exclusive rights,
are accorded to the merchants and citizens of the city under whose banner
the keep is established and administered.
Slave Girl
Warehouse space in a free port available for rent to merchants for
trade purposes We continued along the docks of Lydius, satisfying our curiosity as to
the port. We passed some fortified warehouse, in which space is available
to merchants. In such places, there would be gems, and gold, silks, and
wines and perfumes, jewelries and spices, richer goods not to be left
exposed on the docks.
Hunters
Merchants maintain fine harbors & markets to encourage business I had been taken by Tellius, the henchman of the Lady Elicia of Ar, by
tarn, to Schendi. This infamous port is the home port of the famed black
slavers of Schendi, a league of slavers well known for their cruel
depredations on shipping, but it is also a free port, administered by
black merchants, and its fine harbor and its inland markets to the north
and east attract much commerce. It is thought that an agreement exists
between the merchants of Schendi and the members of the league of black
slavers, though I know of few who have proclaimed this publicly in Schendi
and lived. The evidence, if evidence it is that such an agreement exists,
is that the black slavers tend to avoid preying on shipping which plies
to and from Schendi. They conduct their work commonly in more northern
waters, returning to Schendi as their home port.
Slave Girl
The civilization of exchange islands and free ports
Populations tend to be more transient in a port or island that
is established and maintained by the merchants for the purposes of trade
than an established city
Some amenities of civilization, including caste structure "Besides," had sniffed Ute, "my foster parents might not even be on the
island, still."
This seemed possible, for the population of an exchange island, like
Teletus, tends to be somewhat more transient than that of an established
city, with a tradition of perhaps a thousand or more years.
"But," I had pressed, "perhaps you could find your way back somehow, and
perhaps, your foster parents still reside on Teletus."
If I were to go with Ute, I would surely prefer to go to an exchange island,
with some of the amenities of civilization, rather than to a rude village
south of the Vosk.
Captive
Caste system on Exchange islands and Free Ports
The societies of exchange islands and free ports, administered by the
caste of merchants, also operate within the caste system.
SEE ALSO Caste system
Caste of Initiates shown existing on exchange island of Teletus
Caste of Leather Workers shown existing on exchange island of Teletus At the age of twelve, Ute had been purchased by a leather worker, who
dwelt on the exchange island, administered by the Merchants, of Teletus.
He, and his companion, had cared for her, and had freed her. They had
adopted her as their daughter, and had seen that she was trained well
in the work of the leather workers, that caste, which, under any
circumstances, had been hers by right of birth.
On her nineteenth birthday, members of the Caste of Initiates had
appeared at the door of the leather worker’s hut.
Captive
Caste of Scribes shown existing on exchange island of Anango “Shaba, the geographer of Anango, the explorer of Lake Ushindi, the
discoverer of Lake Ngao and the Ua River,” said Samos.
Explorers
Another Geographer, of the Caste of Scribes, from the exchange island of
Anango “It had been thought, and shown on many maps,” I said, “that the
subequatorial Cartius not only flowed into Lake Ushindi, but emerged
northward, traversing the sloping western flatlands to join the Vosk
at Turmus.” Turmus was the last major river port on the Vosk before
the almost impassable marshes of the delta.
“Calculations performed by the black geographer, Ramani, of the island of
Anango, suggested that given the elevations involved the two rivers could
not be the same.
Explorers
Caste of Leather Workers shown existing on exchange island of Tabor "Where are odds made on the Kaissa matches?" I asked a small fellow,
in the garb of the leather workers. He wore the colors of Tabor on
his cap.
Beasts
Caste of Players shown existing on exchange island of Tabor I wondered what thoughts occupied these giants of Kaissa on the eve of
their confrontation. Scormus, it was said, walked the tiers of the
amphitheater, alone, restlessly, eagerly, like a pacing, hungry beast.
Centius of Cos, in his tent, it was said, seemed unconcerned with the
match. He was lost in his thoughts, studying a position which had once
occurred a generation ago in a match between the minor masters Ossius
of Tabor, exiled from Teletus, and Philemon of Asperiche, not even of
the players, but only a cloth worker.
Beasts
Exchange Islands and Free Ports on Gor
