I’ve never understood why some men refuse to let their slaves do certain things in Second Life.
Many girls come to SL Gor looking to explore submission, but many of them also come because they love roleplay. They certainly learn submission when they have to give up their roleplaying, because their Master says:
Don’t travel.
Don’t serve.
Don’t furr.
Don’t get captured.
Don’t be in the city when there’s a raid.
I could understand if these things were limited so that roleplay would be plausible. A kajira certainly can’t travel by herself. But sometimes it seems as though a Master limits what his slave can be out of fear that someone bad will happen.
Great. But what can happen? A person behind the screen is controlling a pretty bunch of pixels. The pixel person can be captured, whipped, raped, killed — that has no bearings on the feelings of the person playing the character.
Sometimes I wonder if Masters place such limits of their slaves because they fear that, by allowing slaves to have a rich variety of experiences, they might find someone they prefer more. I can understand that concept, as I often worry about that with my Master.
But if a girl is looking for someone else, looking for another Master, she’ll find one no matter the limits placed. And if she is looking, a Master is better off without her anyway.
I really think, though, the real reason in many cases is that Masters just don’t want to deal with situations that come up because a slave was captured or hurt. I can understand, and it is more important that a Master have an enjoyable time while logged in.
But what does it do for the health of the slave to be sitting idly by while watching other kajirae enjoy in rich and varied roleplay? And doesn’t being able to engage in such roleplay give a girl a vast selection of stories with which to entertain her Master?
Don’t travel.
Fair enough, why would a slave travel unescorted? If my slave is to go anywhere, it will be with me or another Free of my village. To have slaves travel freely is unrealistic.
Don’t serve.
Retarded. It is their position in the Gorean society to serve.
Don’t furr.
Again, retarded. I have no such rule, but, I expect the integrity of my household to be respected. If someone wants to make use of my property, I expect to be consulted. I would not let anyone borrow my car, or let anyone take my dog hunting for that matter, so I expect to be consulted before the jungle boogie begins. It’s a matter of respect, and if I am disrespected I will hunt down and kill the person responsible.
Don’t get captured.
Well, duh, who needs a rule for this? Of course I do not want my slave to get captured, it is a bother IC and OOC.
Don’t be in the city when there’s a raid.
Never, ever, seen this one. If I had a rule on this subject, it would be the exact opposite. Stay in the village, and help tend to the wounded, put out fires etc.
And I think you forgot another silly one:
No IM’s.
I used to have this, until I realized how idiotic it was, and what a bother it was to me to constantly have to approve people. The slave is mine, IC and OOC, so if I want to know what she is talking to Person X about, I need only command her to tell me.
By: jerichowr on July 26, 2008
at 3:44 am
I agree that slaves should not travel all over SL Gor alone. It’s just not realistic. But, if I wanted to visit a friend in Black Sleen Isle while my Master was away, I *could* go, and roleplay that my Master is on the ship still, and that he sent me ahead on errands. That’s logical, and within the spirit of Gor.
By: Dear Darling on July 26, 2008
at 10:59 am
It *could* work, but turning your Master into an NPC is tricky business. The best solution would be to obtain permission to travel, and be escorted there by your friend, if your friend is Free, and if not, by her Master.
And I just thought of another idiotic one. “May only be punished by her Master” *thuds head against wall repeatedly*
By: jerichowr on July 26, 2008
at 12:45 pm
I wouldn’t go anywhere in SL Gor without first asking permission. But the point of the post is Masters who won’t let their kajirae do much of -anything- for a variety of reasons, including fear.
By: Dear Darling on July 26, 2008
at 4:16 pm
It is rather amusing to see, isn’t it? It always leaves me thinking “Wow, the amount of insecurity that lies behind that must be staggering”
By: jerichowr on July 26, 2008
at 5:04 pm
I guess it is amusing, except for the slaves who have Masters like that. I feel a lot of sympathy for them.
By: Dear Darling on July 27, 2008
at 10:09 am
Two stories:
A man was sleeping at night in his cabin when suddenly his room filled with light, and the Lord told the man he had work for him to do, and showed him a large rock in front of his cabin. The Lord explained that the man was to push against the rock with all his might. So, this the man did, day after day. For many years he toiled from sun up to sun down; his shoulders set squarely against the cold, massive surface of the unmoving rock, pushing with all of his might. Each night the man returned to his cabin sore and worn out, feeling that his whole day had been spent in vain.
The man began to despair: he had been pushing against that rock for a long time, and it had not moved at all. The man began to believe that the task was impossible and that he was a failure. These thoughts discouraged and disheartened the man. He began to think, “Why kill myself over this? Just give just the minimum effort and that will be good enough. After all, this task is impossible!”
That’s what he planned to do, but decided to make it a matter of prayer and take his troubled thoughts to the Lord. “Lord,” he said, “I have labored long and hard in your service, putting all my strength to do that which you have asked. Yet, after all this time, I have not even budged that rock by half a millimeter. What is wrong? Why am I failing?”
The Lord responded compassionately, “My Servant, when I asked you to serve Me and you accepted, I told you that your task was to push against the rock with all of your strength, which you have done. So, now look at yourself: your arms are strong and muscled, your back sinewy and brown, your hands are callused from constant pressure, your legs have become massive and hard. Through opposition you have grown much, and your abilities now surpass that which you used to have.
You come to Me with your strength spent, thinking that you have failed. You used your own intellect to believe that I have given you an impossible task. And indeed, despite years of trying, you have not moved the rock. What made you think I ever wanted you to move it?”
By: enkidug on July 27, 2008
at 3:55 pm
Second story:
A shy disciple wanted to become self-confident.
The Master said, “You look for certainty in the eyes of others and you think that is self-confidence.”
“Shall I give no weight to the opinion of others, then?” the disciple asked.
“On the contrary,” replied the Master. “Weigh everything they say, but do not be controlled by it.”
The disciple looked puzzled, “How can I break the control of the words?”
The Master answered, “How does one break a delusion?”
The disciple thought and thought. “But Master, I still do not understand. How can I be certain if they are deluding me or telling the truth?”
The Master smiled and responded sagely, “The eye sees only what the mind is prepared to comprehend.”
By: enkidug on July 27, 2008
at 3:55 pm