"...In many cities only members of the high castes may belong to the city's high council. Most Gorean cites are governed by an executive, the Administrator, in conjunction with the high council. Some cities are governed by a Ubar, who is in effect a military sovereign, sometimes a tyrant, whose word is law." Slave Girl of Gor
High Council are composed and elected by any of the High Castes. The Council is elected for stated terms. In times of crisis whether war or instability, a war chief or Ubar is elected who holds supreme power.
"How is leadership determined in these cities?" I asked. "Rulers," he said, "are chosen from any High Caste."
"High Caste?" I asked.
"Yes, of course," was his answer. "In fact, in the First Knowledge, there is a story told to the young in their public nurseries, that if a man from Lower Caste should come to rule in a city, the city would come to ruin."
. . .
"The High Castes in a given city," said my father, "elect an administrator and council for stated terms. In times of crisis, a war chief, or Ubar, is named, who rules without check and by decree until, in his judgment, the crisis is passed." Tarnsman of Gor
The Chamber of the Council is the room in which the elected representatives of the High Castes of Ko-ro-ba hold their meetings. Each city has such a chamber. It was in the widest of cylinders, and the ceiling was at least six times the height of the normal living level. The ceiling was lit as if by stars, and the walls were of five colors, applied laterally, beginning from the bottom - white, blue, yellow, green, and red, caste colors. Benches of stone, on which the members of the Council sat, rose in five monumental tiers about the walls, one tier for each of the High Castes. These tiers shared the color of that portion of the wall behind them, the caste colors.
The tier nearest the floor, which denoted some preferential status, the white tier, was occupied by Initiates, Interpreters of the Will of the Priest-Kings. In order, the ascending tiers, blue, yellow, green, and red, were occupied by representatives of the Scribes, Builders, Physicians, and Warriors. Tarnsman of Gor
It perhaps need only be added that now being a Warrior, and thus of High Caste, he was now eligible for a seat on the High Council of the city, and even for the throne itself, whether it be that of Administrator or Ubar. Assassin of Gor
High Council can approve a change in caste
I knew that Gorean caste lines, though largely following birth, were not inflexible, and that a man who did not care for his caste might be allowed to change caste, if approved by the High Council of his city, an approval usually contingent on his qualifications for the work of another caste and the willingness of the members of the new caste to accept him as a Caste Brother. Priest-Kings of Gor
Further, because of his services to the state, including the sponsorship of games and races, Cernus was, upon the petition of Saphronicus, Captain of the Taurentians, invested in the scarlet of the Warrior, thus honoring him with High Caste. He did not, of course, give up the House of Cernus nor any other of his widely ranging interests in Ar and beyond it. I do not suppose the Hinrabian Administrator much cared to approve this raising of caste in the case of Cernus, but he lacked the courage to go against the wishes of the Taurentians, and of the city generally. The High Council, with scarcely a murmur, agreed to the investiture. Assassin of Gor
In rare cases, one might have been permitted by the Council of High Caste to raise caste. None of course would accept a lower caste, there were lower caste, the caste of Peasants for example, the most basic Caste of all Gor. Outlaws of Gor
Merchants are not usually permitted a seat on the High Council. That is not to say that Merchants don’t have considerable influence on Council and do not hesitate to exert their influence. Gold, even on Gor, talks. There are some cities, however, particularly close to the barrens whose High Council may be headed by a member of the Merchant caste or formed almost entirely by Merchants.
It might be mentioned, for those unaware of the fact, that the Caste of Merchants is not considered one of the traditional five High Castes of Gor the Initiates, Scribes, Physicians, Builders and Warriors. Most commonly, and doubtless unfortunately, it is only members of the five high castes who occupy positions on the High Councils of the cities. Nonetheless, as might be expected, the gold of merchants, in most cities, exercises its not imponderable influence, not always in so vulgar a form as bribery and gratuities, but more often in the delicate matters of extending or refusing to extend credit in connection with the projects, desires or needs of the High Councils. Nomads of Gor
Portus laughed bitterly. "Without the gold of this house, how could the Administrator and the High Initiate have sponsored the races and the games that won them the favor of the lower castes?"
"But the lower castes do not elect the Administrator or the High Initiate," said Kuurus. "The Administrator is appointed by the High Council of the City and the High initiate by the High Council of the Initiates of the City." Assassin of Gor
Two members of the High Council, who had spoken out against the influence of Merchants in the politics of Ar, presumably a veiled reference to Cernus, were found slain, one cut down by killing knife and another throttled and found dangling from a bridge near his home.
. . .
Then, as I would have expected, within the month, there were rumors of peculation, and an accounting and investigation, theoretically to clear the name of the Hinrabian, was demanded by one of the High Council, a Physician whom I had seen upon occasion in the house. Assassin of Gor
I had spent a night on the road and had arrived in Kailiauk, hungry and muddy, yesterday, shortly after the tenth Ahn, the Gorean noon. Indeed, I had heard the striking of the time bar, mounted on the roof of the Administrator's store, as I had approached the town's outskirts. In Kailiauk, as is not unusual in the towns of the perimeter, the Administrator is of the Merchants.Savages of Gor
Brundisium has no Administrator and no Ubar. It is ruled by a Merchant Council, with its day to day affairs managed by an executive committee, chief of which is the harbor master. Mariners of Gor
High Councils often decide legal matters and enforce the associated penalties.
The High Council receiving the promise of Minus Tentius Hinrabius to depart from the city, did not inflict officially the penalty of exile. Assassin of Gor
Then, with music and ceremony, he would be presented before the High Council of Tyros. He would be presented before them as he had marched, naked and in the chains of a slave. Sarus, leader of the men of Tyros in the forest, his captor, would then give him to the council. He would then be pronounced, by the council, slave of Tyros. He might then be given a name more fitting a slave than Marlenus. Hunters of Gor
"Your scrolls have been examined," said Ligurious. "I, the Tatrix, and those of the high councils, have scrutinized them with more care than they deserved. Their evidences are false, their arguments specious, their claims fraudulent." Kajira of Gor
"The evidence is clear," said Miles of Argentum to the Ubar, Claudius, to the members of the high council, to the others in the room. "I rest my case." Kajira of Gor
"I am not touchy on such matters," said Hassan. "I am not a warrior. I am a businessman. I recognize the right of Claudius and the high council to assurances in these matters. Indeed, it is their duty, in so far as they can, to protect Argentum against deception and fraud. Kajira of Gor
"Examine the seals," said Ligurious, triumphantly. "See which bears the true seal of Corcyrus!"
The broken seals were brought to Claudius. He put them on the table before him. Members of the high council crowded about him.
. . .
The seal was examined.
"It is the seal of. Corcyrus," said Claudius.
The letter was opened and examined.
"The descriptions tally with the garments brought to us by Ligurious," said one of the members of the high council.
"Who has signed the letter?" inquired Ligurious.
"Menicius," said one of the members of the high council, looking up. Kajira of Gor
"Your motivations were more complex," I said, "and deeper, and more painful and more cruel. It was not within your province to determine my innocence or guilt. That responsibility was that of Claudius, the Ubar of Argentum, and the high council. In no way was it incumbent on you to risk your commission, your future, your honor, your life, on what must at best have been little more than a remote possibility." Kajira of Gor
High Councils rule over many facets of daily life on Gor including graineries, import duties, grant approve for troupes of players to perform within the city, negotiate treaties with other cities and states
In the last year heavy import duties had been levied by the high council of Vonda against the wines of certain other cities, in particular against the Ka-la-nas of Ar. Fighting Slave of Gor
Such troupes, incidentally, must petition for the right to perform within a city. Usually a sample performance, or a part of a performance, is required, staged before the high council, or a committee delegated by such a council. Sometimes the actresses are expected to perform privately, being "tested," so to speak, for selected officials. If the troupe is approved it may, for a fee, be licensed. Players of Gor
Everyone in the crowd seemed to be on their feet, even those who sat in the marbled tiers beneath the awnings of purple silk. I rose also that I might see. Near the finishing perches, nine of which were standing for this race, were the areas reserved for the Administrator, the High Initiate, and members of the High Council. These areas were almost porches, extending beyond the regular stands, covered with awnings, on which were mounted sets of curule chairs, at different levels. Assassin of Gor
"Belnar, and other members of the high council," he said, "have been conducting negotiations with individuals in various states, in particular, Cos and Ar. I do not fully understand all that is transpiring, but I have some idea. These negotiations, I gather, are generally in cipher. I would like to guarantee the security of those ciphers. One set of cipher keys, at least, is doubtless somewhere here. If you have found them, turn them over to me. Too, surrender yourself to me, to be bound as a prisoner." Players of Gor
High Councils are not restricted to City government. Indeed many Castes have their own High Councils which governs Caste behavior and one would surmise, administers the Caste Code. Individual High Councils of various castes include rune-priests, players, physicians, warriors and assassins
it is my understanding, there might have been decided, however, a generation ago, by one of the rare meetings of the high council of rune-priests, attended by the high rune-priests of each district, that thralls should no longer be sacrificed; Marauders of Gor
Most Gorean cities now, at least in the south, had accepted a standard tournament Kaissa, agreed upon by the high council of the caste of players. Beasts of Gor
The Cylinder of Initiates demanded that the High Council of the Caste of Physicians put an end to our work, not only that it be discontinued but that our results to that date be destroyed. Assassin of Gor
Incidentally, there are many versions of Kaissa played on Gor. In some of these versions, the names of the pieces differ, and, in some, even more alarmingly, their nature and power. The caste of Players, to its credit, has been attempting to standardize Kaissa for years.
A major victory in this matter was secured a few years ago when the caste of Merchants, which organizes and manages the Sardar Fairs, agreed to a standardized version, proposed by, and provisionally approved by, the high council of the caste of Players, for the Sardar tournaments, one of the attractions of the Sardar Fairs. Players of Gor
How is it, I wondered, that each time I put my food down, my head hurts. That was interesting. Could it be normal? There was nothing in the codes of the warriors, as I recalled, that explicitly demanded resistance to brigands, though perhaps it was presupposed. It was an interesting interpretative question, probably one calling for the attention of high councils. Mercenaries of Gor
"If there is a concern here," said a man, "it is to be taken up as a matter between you and the Black Court."
I saw that this did not much please Demetrion. The business of the Black Court was not one in which men lightly dabbled. In many cases one was not even sure who was, and who was not, a member of the black caste. I recalled, from the tale of the stranger, that some evidence had suggested that Tyrtaios, who may have had much to do with the attempted desertion, and who had disappeared from the castle of Lord Temmu, might be of the Assassins. Mariners of Gor
High Councils can also rule over affiliations, confederations and leagues. These would involve perhaps many different individual cities that have banded together for a common purpose. Examples of this are the High Council of the Salerian Confederation and the High Council of the Vosk League.
Ti was the largest and most populous city of the Salerian Confederation. It had, to date, refused to involve itself in the machinations of Vonda and Cos.
"Surely it will be only a matter of time," I said.
"I suspect so," said the man. "Even now Ebullius Gaius Cassius, of the Warriors, Administrator of Ti, meets with the high council of Ti." Rouge of Gor
"The appointment was made earlier this afternoon, in a secret session of the High Council of the Vosk League," said Tasdron, "that body sovereign in the league, composed of representatives drawn from all the member towns." Guardsman of Gor
"How is my old friend Callimachus, commander of the forces of the Vosk League?" asked Aemilianus of Calliodorus. The body sovereign in the Vosk League, incidentally, at least as I understand it, is its High Council, which is composed of representatives from the member towns. This Callimachus, I gathered, then, whoever he was, would be the appointee of that council.
"Hard at work at his desk, attending to numerous administrative duties," said Calliodorus.
"Doubtless he will also be certain to be publicly visible in Victoria," smiled Aemilianus.
"As would you in his situation," smiled Calliodorus.
"Doubtless he will be astonished to learn of yesterday's action at Ar's Station."
"Doubtless," agreed Calliodorus. "We may rest assured, of course, that he will conduct a careful investigation." Renegades of Gor
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