Gorean Freewomen are those who dwell within the insulae
and shops, or behind walls and guards in the secret pleasure gardens and
relaxation pools of the city, performing their labors, managing their
households, taking their pleasures and seeing to the birth, maintenance and
correct training of the children of Gor. It is a difficult and perilous
undertaking for a Gorean freewoman to maintain her status... in fact, a Gorean
freewoman is expected to choose the option of free and honorable death rather
than accept the fate of living in slavery. In practice, however, this rarely
occurs. Few women, even Gorean women of high caste and social position, will
willingly choose to suffer a grisly death rather than brave the degradations of
bondage.
Many Gorean freewomen would rarely visit, much less
frequent, a public paga tavern, as such places are, in essence, a Gorean cross
between a strip-joint and a brothel. The men who visit such places do so because
they have come to have sex with the slaves for the price of a cup of paga, or
because they wish to take their ease and comfort in such a den of
disrepute. The key trait a Gorean warrior expects to find in the freewomen
of his city is "virtuous." To the Gorean mind, any woman who possesses
the raw lust and submissive desire openly displayed by collared slavegirls
deserves to be one, and if a freewoman's actions seem to suggest that she either
secretly or openly wishes to be enslaved, sooner or later she will be called
forth to disprove such accusations. Nevertheless, the honor in which a true
freewoman is held is so great that normally several such offenses must be
committed before she is stripped and collared. In such a case, a freewoman will
first be warned to abstain from slave-like behavior... if she continues to
behave so, then to the mind of the Gorean male, and according to the rules of
Gorean society, she is actively seeking enslavement. Similarly a freewoman who
willingly places herself into a perilous situation in which enslavement might be
the outcome is assumed by most Gorean males to be "courting the
collar." In such instances it is generally accepted practice to bestow upon
the freewoman the very thing which she so seems to want, a brand and collar of
her very own.
Perhaps the worse offense which can be performed against a freewoman is that of public facestripping, i.e. when the veils of a freewoman are removed from her by force. This is the equivalent of stripping her naked, though even the loss of her robes of concealment is not as great an insult as the loss of her veils. It is regarded as the right, duty and privilege of Gorean freewomen of the high cities to remain veiled... even when captured by the Warriors of an enemy city, the freewoman will commonly be allowed to retain her veils at least until her final fate has been decided.
If at any time, or for any reason, a freewoman decides that it is in her best interests either to become a slave or to openly submit herself to a male for his protection and use, this is accomplished by the performance of a formal gesture of submission by which she invokes the ancient Gorean "rite of submission." Many freewomen would rather die than perform such a subserviant act. It is important that a freewoman understand that when this rite is invoked, there is no going back. Typically there are only two possible outcomes when a freewoman submits so; either she is enslaved and becomes the personal chattel of the male, his to do with as he sees fit, or she is found lacking in desirability by the male in question and is driven from him in disgrace. In the case of a Warrior, the consequences are even more dire, since a Warrior is not permitted by his codes to abandon the female while she is still alive. Therefore, most Warriors have no qualms whatsoever against putting the submitting female to death on the spot. Indeed, to a Warrior's mind, it is better by far to take the supplicant's life than to abandon her to be randomly enslaved by the first person who comes along. Believe it or not, in such a situation a Warrior is acting to preserve the honor of the former freewoman and her caste and family.
The way the rite is invoked is this: the freewoman typically facestrips herself, publicly announces that she willingly submits to the individual she has chosen, and then assumes "the Position of Female Submission," wherein the freewoman kneels at her captor's feet and leans her body back, sitting upon her heels, with her arms extended upward, crossed at the wrists, and her head beneath them lowered in supplication.
If the male accepts her, she becomes his slave and forfeits all titles, rank and property immediately. If he does not, she accepts the consequences of her actions, even if it means her death.
It should be obvious that a freewoman does not invoke the Rite of Submission hastily or without much consideration, as the very act can cost her her life.
The Robes of Concealment worn by freewomen in the high cities are elaborate affairs, and are subject to the dictates of the current fashion in her city. They can be highly personal modes of garb, cut and fashioned in countless ways and in numerous styles, according to the whims and desires of the wearer and the restrictions imposed by local sumptuary laws. Nevertheless, they universally have these things in common:
They consist of several layers of thick, opaque cloth. Normally opaque hose are worn beneath them, and gloves, to insure that no part of the wearer's body is visible. The typical garments worn by a freewoman of the high cities includes a shaped and fitted brocade gown with an ankle-length hem and a high collar which reaches to just below the chin. Atop that is worn a loose fitting robe to further conceal the lines and shape of her body. A quilted or brocade headpiece, similar to the arab kafiyeh, is worn pinned or buttoned in place to cover her head, and drapes to the shoulders. The various veils are then attached over the wearer's face through the use of pins and ties, completing the ensemble. A freewoman may wear slippers or even close-fitting boots beneath her robes, and it is also the custom for women of extremely high rank to wear ornate platform shoes which increase her height by as much as ten inches. Such adornments as those are normally worn only within doors, however, since they are exceedingly difficult to walk in over uneven surfaces. A wealthy freewoman typically wears much jewelry, consisting of brooches, medallions and chains of office and rank, rings and armlets. Many freewomen are very careful about wearing wristlets and bangles of precious metal, however, or even close fitting necklaces and especially ornamental "chokers." Such jewelry is thought by many to be an ornamental derivative of the collar and slave-bracelets of a kajira, therefore it is almost never worn by the suitably cautious freewoman, and under no circumstances will a freewoman wear any sort of jewelry or even a tied scarf about her left ankle, since the left ankle is universally acknowledged by Goreans as the "slave ankle," and any sort of adornment there by a freewoman is unthinkable. Her avoidance of such jewelry is part of her ongoing effort to distance herself from women who have fallen to bondage.
There are no restrictions upon the weaponry owned and used by freewomen, apart from the general prohibition of technological items sanctioned by the Priest Kings. Nevertheless, the freewomen of the larger and more civilized cities of Gor seldom carry weaponry which cannot easily be concealed. The two primary weapons in use by such women are the dagger and the poisoned needle, both of which can be secreted among the many folds of her robes and drawn forth for use at a moment's notice. In fact, most Gorean freewomen spend many hours practicing such movements, knowing that a moment's hesitation may one day make the difference for them between a life of ease and honor or a life of imbonditude. Bladed hair combs and the long, razor sharp pins which hold her many veils in place are often used by the freewoman in such an instance. In general, the typical Gorean freewoman doesn't carry a weapon large enough to be perceived beneath her robes... she knows that there is little chance she will prevail in open combat against a trained Warrior. Her weapons are of stealth and surprise, combined with the desperate desire to remain free at all costs.
In AOL Gor the freewoman may also have a fighting slave as a bodyguard. To him falls the first line of defense. It is also a heavy responsibility and can only be entrusted to those that know weaponry and are perfectly loyal to their mistress. Fighting slaves whose mistresses have been taken or killed often find themselves executed for they have failed in their duty. A fighting kajiru, however, must be more slave than any. For he carries, at all times, the honor of his Mistress, and considering the attitude of most masters, the slightest fault in the kajiru's actions could have dire consequences.
Remember your status! A freewoman is proud, but she does not challenge or insult. To do so is to invite a face-stripping. Most channels are typically full of Warriors, and one of the things that Warriors do is collar and enslave freewomen. To draw attention to yourself by making yourself a nuisance to such men is foolhardy to say the least. Be attractive, witty, graceful, and behave with honor, and you will be t reated with the respect due to one your station.
Many Warriors of Gor will protect you from overzealous Masters in search of a slave, as long as you do not actively provoke such unwanted attention. Act like a slave, and you will wind up as one. Behave like the lady you are, and enjoy the respect and honor of Gorean males. Your choice.
A Gorean freewoman does not draw a weapon against another freeperson unless she is under attack. Beware! According to his codes, to draw a weapon against a member of the Warrior Caste is to place yourself within his capture rites. This includes drawing weapons and placing them on a table or displaying such objects in a threatening manner to others in the room, without suitable provocation.
A Gorean freewoman may own and use slaves, both male and female, as she sees fit. Remember however that those freewomen not within the precincts of their own city/state might fall prey to chain luck while visiting another city if they are not careful. Extreme caution is advised.