Post by adreannaTal{fb} on Nov 21, 2010 11:22:13 GMT -5
The Geography Of Gor
It is unlikely that you will ever need to know any of the geography, of Gor, for real life. However, it is still important that you know something of the geography of Gor, if you are to be a well round, and properly educated kajira. The Geography is extensive so I do not expect you will memorize everything from this page, but you should try and learn some of the information on this page.
There are hundreds of known cities on Gor yet many of them remain unnamed in the books. The following is a list of numerous cities, towns, villages and other civilized settlements on the mainland of Gor. Each listing is brief and does not go into all the details of that area.
On the bottom of this page is a link to a very large map of Gor. While there are no actual maps in the books, Marcus Of Ar (as he is known online) created a very good interpretation based off descriptions on the book.
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Cities/Towns/Villages
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Ar:
This might be the largest and most glorious city on Gor. It is situated low in the temperate latitudes in the northern hemisphere. The city is located south of the Vosk River and north of the Cartius River. Ar claims the land between the Vosk and the Cartius. Ar tarnsmen do not fly south of the Cartius. There is a swamp forest to the north border of Ar. Ar is the hereditary enemy of Ko-ro-ba. It is also an enemy of Cos and Tyros. Ar claims the southern shore of the Vosk. As Ar has no port, the Vosk is very important. Ar is a central city containing the Home Stones of a dozen other cities. It has become an empire. It is composed of more than a hundred thousand cylinders and bridges. Its population is thought to be about two to three million free people.
Ar's Station:
This was established around 10114 C.A., by the city of Ar, as an outpost and trading station on the south bank of the Vosk River. It commands the northern terminus of the Viktel Aria (Ar's Triumph), also known as the Vosk Road.
Argentum:
This city is an ally of Ar and an enemy of Corcyrus and Cos. Argentum is very southwest of Ar. Cladius is Ubar of Argentum. The city claims ownership of nearby silver mines that might be as rich as those of Tharna.
Bazi:
This is a free coastal port which make commerce possible with Cos and Tyros and the land based cities. The people are brown skinned. It was struck by a plague for a couple years.
Besnit:
This is a small city within a hundred pasangs of Esalinus and Harfax. It is an ally of Harfax. Besnit does not upkeep its roads in order to isolate itself. It is next to impossible to reach the city in the spring due to the rains.
Brundisium:
This is a port on the coast of Thassa, a hundred pasangs or so south of the Vosk delta. It was initially an ally of Ar but was conquered by Cos during the Cos/Ar war. There are eleven towers in the city and it is one of the largest and busiest ports in its area.
Clearus:
This is a village in the realm of Tor.
Corcyrus:
This is a city southwest of Ar, and to the east and somewhat north of Argentum. The ocean is more than one thousand pasangs to the west. It was once ruled by Sheila, a Tatrix. It was allied with Cos.
Esalinus:
This city is within a hundred pasangs of Besnit and Harfax.
Fina:
This town is part of the Vosk League. It is located east of Ar's Station.
Forest Port:
This town is a part of the Vosk League. It is located on the northern bank and is east of Ar's Station.
Fort Haskins:
Located at the foot of the Boswell Pass, this is a military outpost of Thentis though it has now become mostly a trading post.
Fortress of Saphronicus:
This is a small merchant polis and it has four tributary villages.
Hammerfest:
This town is part of the Vosk League. It is located west of Ar's Station.
Harfax:
This city is within a hundred pasangs of Besnit and Esalinus. It is an ally of Besnit.
Helmutsport:
This is a free coastal port.
Hochburg:
This is a mountain fortress in the southern Voltai.
Holmesk:
Located one hundred pasangs south of the Vosk, this is the winter camp of the forces of Ar.
Iskander:
This town is part of the Vosk League. It is east of Ar's Station and Forest Port.
Jasmine:
This town is part of the Vosk League. It is located west of Ar's Station, Jort's Ferry and
Point Alfred.
Jort's Ferry:
This town is part of the Vosk League. It is located on the northern bank and is west of Ar's Station.
Kailiauk:
This town is the easternmost town at the foot of the Thentis mountains. It lies almost at the edge of the Ihanke, or Boundary, which marks the start of the lands of the red savages. The Administrator is a Merchant named Publius Crassus. Its major business is in hides and kaiila.
Kasra:
This is a river port on the Lower Fayeen. It is downriver from Kurtzal and west of Tor. It is famed on Gor for its production of red salt. The salt is brought in from secret pits and mines in heavy cylinders on pack kaiila.
Kassau:
This is a town at the northern brink of the great forests of Gor. It is northwest of the Thentis mountains. It is the seat of the High Initiate of the north who claims spiritual sovereignty over Torvaldsland. The town is constructed mostly of wood. The temple is the greatest building in the town. The town is surrounded by a wall with two gates. One large gate faces the inlet, leading in from Thassa. The small gate leads to the forest behind the town. Its main business is trade, lumber and fishing. The trade is largely in furs from the north, exchanged for weapons, ironbars, salt and luxury items from the south. It has a population of about eleven hundred people. Gurt is the Administrator of Kassau.
Ko-ro-ba:
This city lies northwest of the Thentis Mountains. The Sardar is over one thousand pasangs away. It is also northwest of Ar, across the Vosk. Ko-ro-ba is an archaic expression for a village market. The city is also known as the Towers of the Morning. Its Administrator is Matthew Cabot, the father of Tarl Cabot. He was Earth-born and has been alive since before 1640 A.D. He was the Ubar at one time. The city was destroyed by the Priest-Kings once but was permitted to be rebuilt.
Kurtzal:
This village is north of Tor. It is little more than a loading and shipping point on the Lower Fayeen.
Lara:
This city is part of the Salerian Confederation. It is located at the confluence of the Vosk
and Olni Rivers.
Laura:
This city is northeast of Koroba, on the banks of Laurius river. It is two hundred pasangs inland from the Thassa coast. It is a small trading city. The city consists mostly of warehouses and taverns, a clearing house for many goods. It is the only civilized area in the region. Mostly rough goods sold in the city as there is little market for the more exquisite goods of Gor.
Lydius:
This is a free coastal port controlled by the Merchant Caste. It is located at the mouth of the Laurius River where it empties into Thassa. It is one of the few cities in the north with public baths. It also has the only mint within one thousand pasangs of Torvaldsland. Many cities maintain warehouses and small communities in Lydius. Many goods, particularly wood, wood products and hides, make their way westward on the Laurius, eventually landing at Lydius. The first major town east of Lydius is Vonda on the Olni River.
Market of Semris:
This town is located about two days southeast of Samnium. It is well known for its sales of tarsks.
Minus:
This is a village under the control of Ar.
Point Alfred:
This town is a part of the Vosk League. It is located west of Ar's Station and Jort's Ferry.
Port Cos:
This town is a part of the Vosk League. It was founded by settlers from Cos over a century ago. It is a colony whose ties to Cos are largely historical and cultural. Many officers of Port Cos were native Cosians, mercenaries or veterans of the Cosian navy. It also has its own Home Stone. It is located west of Tafa.
Port Kar:
This city is also known as the Tarn of the Sea, the Scourge of Thassa and the Dark Jewel in her gleaming green waters. It is located in the northwest portion of the estuary of the Vosk. On one side is the delta and on the other is the strong tides of the Tamber Gulf. It is known as a den of pirates, and its name is a synonym for cruelty and piracy. Their fleets range from the Ta-Thassa Mountains of the South to the ice lakes of the north, and westward beyond Cos and Tyros. The delta is Port Kar's best defense. It is very difficult to bring large armies through the delta. The nearest solid land is one hundred pasangs to the north and that land lays hundreds of pasangs from the nearest city. The Home Stone of Port Kar was created in 10120 C.A. The slave Fish was sent to find a rock in the streets of Port Kar. He brought back a common rock, bigger than a fist, gray and heavy. Tarl Cabot carved the initials of Port Kar in block script on the rock. The people of port Kar accepted it as their Home Stone.
Port Olni:
This city is part of the Salerian Confederation. It is located on the Olni River..
Ragnar's Hamlet:
This town is a part of the Vosk League. It is located far west of Ar's Station. It is a good-sized town..
Rarir:
This tiny village is located south of the Vosk and near the shores of Thassa.
Rarn:
This small city is noted for its copper mining. It lies southeast of Tharna.
Rive-de-Bois:
Raymond, a mercenary captain is from here.
Rorus:
This is a village on the route to Rarir.
Sais:
This town is part of the Vosk League. It is located west of Ar's Station, Jort's Ferry, Point Alfred, Jasmine, and Siba.
Salerian Confederation:
It is also known as the Four Cities of Saleria. The Confederation consists of the cities of Ti, Vonda, Port Olni and Lara. All four cities lie on the Olni River. The Confederation is a growing power in the north. Ti is farthest from the joining of the Olni and Vosk Rivers. Port Olni is next in line, then Vonda and Lara. Lara lies at the junction of the Olni and Vosk. The Olni River is mostly free of pirates. The Confederation got its name because the oath of the league was signed in the meadow of Salerius on the northern bank of the Olni between Port Olni and Vonda. The largest and principal city is Ti. The Confederation maintains close relations with Cos due to their mutual distrust with Ar.
Samnium:
This city is some two hundred pasangs east and a bit south of Brundisium. It is an ally of Cos.
Schendi:
This is the infamous port of the black slavers of Schendi, the League of Black Slavers. They are pirates and known for their cruelty on shipping. The city is an equatorial free port and ships going to and from Schendi are safe. The slaving is commonly restricted to the high seas and coastal towns well north and south of Schendi. Schendi has a population of about a million, most being black. Its waters are open to shipping year round.
Siba:
This town is part of the Vosk League. It is located west of Ar's Station, Jort's Ferry, Point Alfred, and Jasmine.
Sulport:
This town is part of the Vosk League. It is located far west of Ar's Station.
Tabuk's Ford:
This is a large village located in the basin area of the Verl River. It is four hundred pasangs generally north and slightly west of Ar. It is twenty pasangs west of the Vosk Road. The village contains about forty families. Thurnus is the peasant caste leader and Melina is his free companion. It is a rich village known for sleen breeding.
Tafa:
This town is part of the Vosk League. It is located far east of Ar's Station.
Tancred's Landing:
This town is part of the Vosk League. It is downriver on the Olni and near Lara. It is located east of Ar's Station, Forest Port, and Iskander..
Tarnburg:
This city is a mountain fortress in the southern range of the Voltai. It is about two hundred pasangs northwest of Hochburg. The legendary mercenary captain, Dietrich, is from here.
Tarnwald:
A city of unknown location. The mercenary known as Edgar is from this city.
Teslit:
This is a small village on route to Holmesk, halfway to the Vosk.
Tetrapoli:
This polity is part of the Vosk League. It is much further west on the river than Ar's Station. It began as four separate towns, Ri, Teibar, Heiban and Azdak. Legend states that the towns were formed by four brothers. The towns eventually consolidated into a polity, the four districts maintaining the same names. The expression "tetrapoli" means "four cities" or "four towns.".
Tharna:
This city was once ruled by a Tatrix and women dominated. A revolution came about though and changed everything. Now, there are very few free women in Tharna. Kron, once a metal worker, is currently the Administrator. Tharna owns many valuable silver mines and is sometimes called he City of Silver.
Thentis:
This city is remote in the mountains from which it takes its name. It is famed for its tarn flocks. It is one day by tarn from Ko-ro-ba to Thentis, but by wagon it would take the better part of a month. It has some silver mines but they are not as rich as Tharna..
Ti:
This city is part of the Salerian Confederation. It lies on the Olni River, a tributary of the Vosk, north of Tharna. Ti is ruled by Ebullius Gaius Cassius, an Administrator and Warrior. It is the largest and most populous city of the Salerian Confederation.
Tor:
This city lies in the northwest corner of the Tahari. It is an opulent city of the desert, well known for its splendors, comforts and pleasures. It is also the principal supply point for the oasis communities of the Wastes. The buildings are of mud brick, covered with colored, often flaking, plaster. The buildings are rarely more than four stories high. Thousands of caravan merchants are headquartered here and much of the city is organized to support the caravan trade. The city is built in concentric circles broken by numerous, narrow crooked streets.
Torcodino:
This is a crossroads city located on the flats of Serpeto. It is located at the intersection of various routes, the Genesian, Northern Salt Line (runs east to west), Northern Silk Road (runs south to north), the Pilgrim's Road (leads to the Sardar), and Eastern Way (also known as the Treasure Road, links the western cities with Ar). It once was an ally of Ar but in the Ar/Cosian war changed sides. Two aqueducts bring water to the city from more than one hundred pasangs away, one from the Issus, a northwestwardly flowing tributary of the Vosk and the other from springs in the Hills of Eteocles, southwest of Corcyrus.
Treve:
This is a bandit city located high in the crags of the Voltai. Few know its exact location and it is said you can only reach it by tarn. They do not grow food and raid the harvests of others. They live by plunder. Their tarnsmen rank with those of Thentis and Ko-ro-ba. It is alleged to lie some seven hundred pasangs north of Ar and toward the Sardar. There are no trade routes to the city. It even has some silver mines. It is also known as the Tarn of the Voltai. Merchants and ambassadors are brought to the city only under conduct, hooded, and in bonds.
Turia:
This great city is called the Ar of the south. It is located in the southern hemisphere, lying in the midst of huge prairies claimed by the Wagon Peoples. It is a high walled, nine-gated city said to be indolent and luxury-loving. It is ruled by Phanius Turmus. They calculate their years from summer solstice to summer solstice. The true power of Turia lies with the Caste of Merchants. Hundreds of caravans and thousands of merchants come here each year. It had never been conquered until recently by Kamchak, Ubar of the Wagon Peoples. Much of the city was burned during the conquest but the People departed Turia and allowed it to be rebuilt.
Stones of Turmus:
This once was a Turian outpost merchant fort and trading station. It had high white outer walls, over eighty feet high and six towers on the walls. It was eventually burnt by men of Treve.
Turmus:
This town is part of the Vosk League. It is the last major river port on the Vosk before the nearly impassable marshes of the delta. It is on the northern bank of the Vosk..
Ven:
This small city is part of the Vosk League. It is a river port on the southern bank of the Vosk. It is the last town to the west on the south bank until the delta. Ven is at the junction of the Ta-Thassa Cartius and the Vosk.
Venna:
This is a small, exclusive resort city, located about two hundred pasangs north of Ar. It is noted for its fine baths and tharlarion races. Venna has many small and fine shops, catering to the wealthy. The Telluria section, in the northwest part of the city, on a hill, is the preferred residential section.
Victoria:
This city is the capital of the Vosk League. It is located on the northern bank, east of Ar's Station. It once was a den of thieves, a market and slave town. Most of the pirates and thieves have been run out of the town. Tasdron is the Administrator.
Vonda:
This city is part of the Salerian Confederation. It is located downriver of the Olni River. Vonda has no tarnsmen.
Vosk League:
The League was formed in 10127 C.A. and consists of nineteen towns located on the Vosk River. These include Port Cos, Victoria, Turmus, Ven, Tetrapoli, Tafa, Fina, Ragnar's Hamlet, Hammerfest, Sulport, Sais, Siba, Jasmine, Point Alfred, Jort's Ferry, Forest Port, Iskander, Tancred's Landing and White Water. Ar did not permit Ar's Station to join the League. Its headquarters are in Victoria. Its purpose is to protect against river piracy. After the Vosk League was formed, institutionalized piracy on the Vosk had been largely removed. The topaz used to be a pledge symbol, used among pirates, when combining for massive assaults. The topaz was captured by the Vosk League and now is a private pledge between Port Cos and Ar's Station. The topaz is broken into two fragments of polished stone. When joined together, the discolorations on each piece make the picture of a river galley. White Water: This town is part of the Vosk League. It is downriver of the Olni and near Lara. It is the farthest east town and is on northern bank..
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Islands
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All of the islands of Gor are located on Thassa, the great ocean. Most of the islands are free ports administered by the Merchants. There are numerous small, unnamed islands as well on the sea.
Anango:
This is an exchange island, a free port administered by members of the Merchant Caste. It is located very far south of the equator, almost beyond the ken of most Goreans. It is close to the shore of Thassa. The jungles of its interior serve as the setting for many fanciful stories of strange races, mysterious plants and fabulous animals. The "magicians of Anango" are well known everywhere except on Anango. They speak Gorean.
Asperiche:
This is an exchange island, a free port administered by members of the Merchant Caste. It is located south of Teletus and Tabor..
Cos:
This is a terraced island about four hundred pasangs west of Port Ka and north of Tyros. It is a lofty island with level fields to the west. Cos and Tyros have a combine navy equal to that of Port Kar. Cos is also a major enemy of Ar. The capital city of Cos is Telnus. The three other major cities are Selnar, Temos and Jad. The Ubar is Lurius of Jad. Family is very important on Cos. Blue is the color of Cos..
Farnacium:
This is an exchange island, a free port administered by members of the Merchant Caste.
Hulneth:
This is an exchange island, a free port administered by members of the Merchant Caste.
Hunjer:
This is an exchange island, a free port administered by members of the Merchant Caste. It is located far to the north..
Ianda:
This is an exchange island, a free port administered by members of the Merchant Caste. It is located north of Anango and is close to the shore of Thassa. It has a number of shipyards..
Northern islands:
These are numerous but small islands, extending in an archipelago like a scimitar northeastward from Cos. The islands are not united. Their governments are usually no more than a village council. They usually possess no vessels larger than clinker-built skiffs and coasters..
Scagnar:
This is an exchange island, a free port administered by members of the Merchant Caste. It is located in the far north. Thorgard is its Jarl. He owns the Black Sleen, a warship and the swiftest ship in the north.
Skjern:
This is an exchange island, a free port administered by members of the Merchant Caste. It lies west of Torvaldsland. They seldom venture south or as far inland as Ko-ro-ba..
Tabor:
This is an exchange island, a free port administered by members of the Merchant Caste. It is named for the drum it resembles. It fears Tyros, its powerful neighbor. Their merchants are famed for the accuracy of their accounts..
Teletus:
This is an exchange island, a free port administered by members of the Merchant Caste.
Tyros:
This is a rugged island with mountains, located west of Port Kar. It has mazes of vart caves. Kasra is the capital of Tyros and the only other major city is Tentium. The Ubar is Chenbar of Kasra, the Sea Sleen. It is an enemy of Ar and Port Kar. Family is important on Tyros as it is on Cos. Tyros has trained varts, some the size of small dogs, to be used as weapons..
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Bodies of Water/Waterways
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Cartius River:
This is an important subequatorial waterway. It flows west by northwest, entering the tropical rainforests, and empties into Lake Ushindi. The Thassa Cartius and the subequatorial Cartius are not the same river. It is a broad and swift flowing tributary of the Vosk..
Issus River:
This is a northwestward flowing river, a tributary to the Vosk. It is more than one hundred pasangs from Torcodino which uses aqueducts to bring water from this river.
Kamba River:
Kamba is an inland word, not Gorean, and means "rope." It flows directly into Thassa. It is a wide leisurely river located in the jungles near Schendi.
Lake Ias:
This is located near Corycus.
Lake Ngao:
Ngao is an inland word, not Gorean, and means "shield." It is larger than Lake Ushindi. It is a vast, deep, long, oval lake. It is fed by a major river called the Ua River. It is located in the jungles near Schendi.
Lake Shaba:
This lake was unknown until discovered in Explorers of Gor. It is a large lake and the source of the Ua. It is named after the geographer who discovered it. There are the ruins of an ancient civilization on its shore.
Lake Ushindi:
Ushindi is an inland word, not Gorean, and means "victory." This lake is drained by the Kamba and Nyoka rivers. To the west of Lake Ushindi are flood lands, marshes and bogs. It is located in the jungles near Schendi..
Laurius River:
This is a winding, long, gentle, slow river. It flows in a generally westerly direction though it inclines some to the southwest emptying into Thassa at the free port of Lydius. Only common ships seen here are light galleys and barges. Above Laura, the river is less navigable, especially in the late summer.
Lower Fayeen River:
This is a tributary of the Cartius, located west of Tor.
Nyoka River:
Nyoka is an inland word, not Gorean, and means "serpent." Nyoka flows into Schendi harbor and thence to Thassa. It is a wide leisurely river.
Olni River:
This is a tributary of the Vosk, located north of Tharna. The cities of the Salerian Confederation are located on this river..
Tamber Gulf:
The Vosk River empties here into Thassa. Port Kar is located in this gulf.
Thassa Cartius River:
This river is a tributary of the Vosk. It drains the Ven highlands and has its own tributaries.
Ua River:
Ua is an inland word, not Gorean, and means "flower." It is a major river, at least as big as the Vosk. There are many cataracts on the Ua which make it very difficult to cross. Its source is Lake Shaba.
Upper Fayeen River:
This is a tributary of the Cartius..
Verl River:
This is a tributary of the Vosk that flows northwestward into the Vosk.
Vosk delta:
The delta is a treacherous are and difficult to navigate. Its channels change almost overnight and is often little more than a trackless marsh. There is little visibility due to the rence plants. Its sluggish, muddy waters vary from a few inches deep to deep enough for a ship. The average depth, after the spring thaws upriver, is three to five feet. It is teeming with wildlife. The eastern portion has fresh water. The delta is claimed by Port Kar which lies some hundred pasangs from its northwest edge, bordering on the shallow Tamber Gulf. The delta is at least over four to five hundred pasangs long. Ships from Thassa cannot pass through the delta to the Vosk River due to the delta's almost impassibility..
Vosk River:
This is a mighty river, some forty pasangs in width, that passes by Ar and pours into the Tamber Gulf. The Vosk is below Ko-ro-ba and north of Ar. Most towns on the river are free states and belong to the Vosk League. River ships of Ar and Cos battle here for influence over the river and its towns. The southern bank is much less populous than the northern bank..
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Mountains/Hills
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Hills of Eteocles:
These are located southwest of Corcyrus. Springs in the hills feed aqueducts for Torcodino.
Fulvians Hills:
These are the foothills of the Voltai and are northeast of Ar.
Hrimgar Mountains:
Hrimgar means "Barrier" mountains. It is really two mountain chains. Axe Glacier lies in a valley between them. There are many passes in these mountains. One such is called the pass of Tancred because that is where the herd passes through. These mountains are both east and north of Torvaldsland.
Sardar Mountains:
This range is the home of the Priest-Kings. It is more than a thousand pasangs from Ko-ro-ba. The Sardar fairs occur at the base of the mountains four times a year..
Ta-Thassa Mountains:
These are located on the shore of Thassa, in the southern hemisphere.
Thentis Mountains:
This range is the home of the city of Thentis. There are passes through the mountains to the Barrens, the lands of the Red Savages..
Voltai Range:
These are also known as the Red Mountains. They are located south of the Vosk and east of Ar. They are dull reddish cliffs due to large deposits of iron oxide. They are the greatest mountain range on known Gor. You can see the spires of Ar from the nearer Voltai ranges. The Voltai is home to several bandit cities and bands of outlaws including Treve.
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Forests
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Forests of Northern Gor:
This is the largest forest area on Gor. It covers hundreds of thousands of square pasangs. The most typical tree is the lofty, reddish Tur tree that may grow to two hundred feet or more. They are north of Laura and no one knows how far east they go. They extend north to Torvaldsland, past the northern ridges of the Thentis Mountains. The forests are home to various outlaws, forest people and panther girls.
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Roads
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Argentum Road:
This road goes from Argentum east to the Viktel Aria, which then leads south to Ar.
Clearchus Road:
This road leads from the southwest to the Sardar, once a common route to the Fairs. It is north of the new Cyprianus Road. The Clearchus Road passes for several pasangs through the Clearchus woods, a haunt of brigands. It is also called the West Road. It is graveled and rutted, sometimes paves with logs and plated stone. It can be impassable in rainy weather and dusty in dry, warm weather. The edge of the woods of Clearchus are about two hundred pasangs from the fairgrounds of the Sardar.
Cyprianus Road:
This was named for the engineer in charge of building it. It lead to the Sardar fairs from the southwest. It reduced traffic on the Clearchus road, which had always been a dangerous road. The Cyprianus also passes through less rough terrain. Cyprianus is also called the New West Road. It is graveled and rutted, sometimes paved with logs and plated stone. It can be impassable in rainy weather and dusty in dry, warm weather.
Eastern Way:
This is also called the Treasure Road. It links the western cities with Ar. Torcodino is on this road.
Genesian Road:
This road is south of Samnium. It connects Brundisium and other coastal cities with the south. From Torcodino, you go north on this road to Brundisium.
Northern Salt Line:
This is an east/west road. Torcodino is on this road.
Northern Silk Road:
This is a north/south road. Torcodino is on this road.
Pilgrim's Road:
This road leads to the Sardar. Torcodino is on this road.
Viktel Aria:
This means "Ar's Triumph" or "The Triumph of Ar" and is also known as the Vosk Road. It is the most direct route from Ar to the Vosk. It is a military road. It is wide and built like a wall set into the earth. It is marked with pasang stones. There are deep ditches along much of the road except for crossroads and turn-offs, to make it harder to bring supply wagons onto the road from the east and west..
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Other Regions
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The Barrens:
The Barrens are vast tracts of rolling grasslands east of the Thentis Mountains. There are no large bodies of water and rainfall is reduced. The grass can grow to heights of several feet. In the winter there can be terrible blizzards and in the summer, extreme heat and droughts. There may also be sudden storms, tornadoes, flash floods, and hail storms. The Barrens are the home of the Red Savages, similar to the Native Americans of North America. No white man has ever penetrated to the eastern edge of the Barrens. The Red Savage culture is nomadic, based on the kaiila. There are a few tribes that have not mastered the kailla and some tribes that use tarns. They depend on the kailiauk for their lives, for food, clothing, shelter, tools and weapons. Almost all tribes hate whites.
Equatorial Rainforests:
There are jungles on the equator near the city of Schendi. There are many villages in the jungles and most of their inhabitants do not speak Gorean. They speak a number of different inland dialects. Fishing is a major source of livelihood for many. Bila Huruma is a black Ubar who has united the six ubarates of the southern shore of Lake Ushindi. The Ukungu villages lay to the northeast on the coast. It is a country of coastal villages speaking the same or similar dialects. The central village is Nyundo. Talunas, pygmies and cannibals also inhabit the jungles. The rainforest is also the home of a myriad of wildlife..
Plains of Turia:
The Plains are also called the Land of the Wagon Peoples. The Wagon Peoples claim the southern prairies from Thassa and the Mountains of Ta-Thassa to the southern foothills of the Voltai Range. To the north, they claim lands to the rush grown banks of the Cartius River. The Wagon Peoples consist of four separate tribes: the Paravaci, Kataii, Kassars, and the Tuchuks. The Peoples are primarily herders of bosk, living off their meat and milk. They do not grow any food and will eat nothing of the earth. They are very proud and regard city dwellers as vermin in holes.
Polar Cap:
The northern polar region is the home of the Red Hunters, a people similar to the Eskimos of Earth. The red hunters live as nomads, depending on the migration of certain animals including the tabuk and four varieties of sea sleen. Little is known of them. The polar seas are frozen half the year. Icebergs, also called ice mountains, are a constant threat. The red hunters are generally kind, peaceable folk. They call themselves Innuit which means "the People." They live in scattered, isolated communities and war is largely unknown. The polar north is very dry. Less snow falls there than in lower latitudes. The snow that does fall is less likely to melt. Most of the land is tundra, a cool, generally level or slightly wavy, treeless plain. In the summer, the tundra is soft and spongy due to mosses, shrubs and lichen. In the winter, it is desolate and barren. White pelted Kur, called ice beasts by the red hunters, also live in the polar region..
Tahari:
Located southeast of Ar, below the eastern foothills of the Voltai, and to the south is the Tahari. This is a desert area also known as the Wastes, or the Emptiness. It is shaped like a gigantic, lengthy trapezoid with eastward leaning sides. At its northwest corner is Tor. The area east of Tor is hundreds of pasangs in depth, maybe thousands. It is generally rocky and hilly, save in the dune country. It is almost constantly windblown by a hot wind and waterless. There are oases fed from underground rivers flowing southeast from the Voltai range. The water erupts in oases springs or is reached by deep well, down to two hundred feet. The day temperatures in the shade are 120 degrees. The oasis communities number from a hundred to thousands of people and are often hundreds of pasangs apart from each other. They depend on caravans for their needs..
Torvaldsland:
This area is commonly taken to start with the thinning of the great forest trees northward. It is northwest up the coast from the Vosk delta. The Skerry of Einar, by the Rune-Stone of the Torvaldsmark, marks the boundary of the Torvaldsland and the south. The Stream of Torvald, a current, moves eastward to the coast and then north. It is like a broad river in the sea, pasangs wide. The temperature is warmer than the surrounding water and helps warm Torvaldsland. The people couldn't live without this stream. Torvaldsland is a cruel, harsh, and rocky land. Arable soil is thin and found in patches. Good soil is rare and highly prized. Though not treeless, it is a bleak land. Ka-la-na and temwood cannot grow there and are highly prized. The men are inured to the cold, accustomed to war and the labor of the oar. They are raised from boyhood on steep, isolated farms near the sea. They hold to old gods, like Odin and Thor. They are much like the Vikings of Earth.
It is unlikely that you will ever need to know any of the geography, of Gor, for real life. However, it is still important that you know something of the geography of Gor, if you are to be a well round, and properly educated kajira. The Geography is extensive so I do not expect you will memorize everything from this page, but you should try and learn some of the information on this page.
There are hundreds of known cities on Gor yet many of them remain unnamed in the books. The following is a list of numerous cities, towns, villages and other civilized settlements on the mainland of Gor. Each listing is brief and does not go into all the details of that area.
On the bottom of this page is a link to a very large map of Gor. While there are no actual maps in the books, Marcus Of Ar (as he is known online) created a very good interpretation based off descriptions on the book.
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Cities/Towns/Villages
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Ar:
This might be the largest and most glorious city on Gor. It is situated low in the temperate latitudes in the northern hemisphere. The city is located south of the Vosk River and north of the Cartius River. Ar claims the land between the Vosk and the Cartius. Ar tarnsmen do not fly south of the Cartius. There is a swamp forest to the north border of Ar. Ar is the hereditary enemy of Ko-ro-ba. It is also an enemy of Cos and Tyros. Ar claims the southern shore of the Vosk. As Ar has no port, the Vosk is very important. Ar is a central city containing the Home Stones of a dozen other cities. It has become an empire. It is composed of more than a hundred thousand cylinders and bridges. Its population is thought to be about two to three million free people.
Ar's Station:
This was established around 10114 C.A., by the city of Ar, as an outpost and trading station on the south bank of the Vosk River. It commands the northern terminus of the Viktel Aria (Ar's Triumph), also known as the Vosk Road.
Argentum:
This city is an ally of Ar and an enemy of Corcyrus and Cos. Argentum is very southwest of Ar. Cladius is Ubar of Argentum. The city claims ownership of nearby silver mines that might be as rich as those of Tharna.
Bazi:
This is a free coastal port which make commerce possible with Cos and Tyros and the land based cities. The people are brown skinned. It was struck by a plague for a couple years.
Besnit:
This is a small city within a hundred pasangs of Esalinus and Harfax. It is an ally of Harfax. Besnit does not upkeep its roads in order to isolate itself. It is next to impossible to reach the city in the spring due to the rains.
Brundisium:
This is a port on the coast of Thassa, a hundred pasangs or so south of the Vosk delta. It was initially an ally of Ar but was conquered by Cos during the Cos/Ar war. There are eleven towers in the city and it is one of the largest and busiest ports in its area.
Clearus:
This is a village in the realm of Tor.
Corcyrus:
This is a city southwest of Ar, and to the east and somewhat north of Argentum. The ocean is more than one thousand pasangs to the west. It was once ruled by Sheila, a Tatrix. It was allied with Cos.
Esalinus:
This city is within a hundred pasangs of Besnit and Harfax.
Fina:
This town is part of the Vosk League. It is located east of Ar's Station.
Forest Port:
This town is a part of the Vosk League. It is located on the northern bank and is east of Ar's Station.
Fort Haskins:
Located at the foot of the Boswell Pass, this is a military outpost of Thentis though it has now become mostly a trading post.
Fortress of Saphronicus:
This is a small merchant polis and it has four tributary villages.
Hammerfest:
This town is part of the Vosk League. It is located west of Ar's Station.
Harfax:
This city is within a hundred pasangs of Besnit and Esalinus. It is an ally of Besnit.
Helmutsport:
This is a free coastal port.
Hochburg:
This is a mountain fortress in the southern Voltai.
Holmesk:
Located one hundred pasangs south of the Vosk, this is the winter camp of the forces of Ar.
Iskander:
This town is part of the Vosk League. It is east of Ar's Station and Forest Port.
Jasmine:
This town is part of the Vosk League. It is located west of Ar's Station, Jort's Ferry and
Point Alfred.
Jort's Ferry:
This town is part of the Vosk League. It is located on the northern bank and is west of Ar's Station.
Kailiauk:
This town is the easternmost town at the foot of the Thentis mountains. It lies almost at the edge of the Ihanke, or Boundary, which marks the start of the lands of the red savages. The Administrator is a Merchant named Publius Crassus. Its major business is in hides and kaiila.
Kasra:
This is a river port on the Lower Fayeen. It is downriver from Kurtzal and west of Tor. It is famed on Gor for its production of red salt. The salt is brought in from secret pits and mines in heavy cylinders on pack kaiila.
Kassau:
This is a town at the northern brink of the great forests of Gor. It is northwest of the Thentis mountains. It is the seat of the High Initiate of the north who claims spiritual sovereignty over Torvaldsland. The town is constructed mostly of wood. The temple is the greatest building in the town. The town is surrounded by a wall with two gates. One large gate faces the inlet, leading in from Thassa. The small gate leads to the forest behind the town. Its main business is trade, lumber and fishing. The trade is largely in furs from the north, exchanged for weapons, ironbars, salt and luxury items from the south. It has a population of about eleven hundred people. Gurt is the Administrator of Kassau.
Ko-ro-ba:
This city lies northwest of the Thentis Mountains. The Sardar is over one thousand pasangs away. It is also northwest of Ar, across the Vosk. Ko-ro-ba is an archaic expression for a village market. The city is also known as the Towers of the Morning. Its Administrator is Matthew Cabot, the father of Tarl Cabot. He was Earth-born and has been alive since before 1640 A.D. He was the Ubar at one time. The city was destroyed by the Priest-Kings once but was permitted to be rebuilt.
Kurtzal:
This village is north of Tor. It is little more than a loading and shipping point on the Lower Fayeen.
Lara:
This city is part of the Salerian Confederation. It is located at the confluence of the Vosk
and Olni Rivers.
Laura:
This city is northeast of Koroba, on the banks of Laurius river. It is two hundred pasangs inland from the Thassa coast. It is a small trading city. The city consists mostly of warehouses and taverns, a clearing house for many goods. It is the only civilized area in the region. Mostly rough goods sold in the city as there is little market for the more exquisite goods of Gor.
Lydius:
This is a free coastal port controlled by the Merchant Caste. It is located at the mouth of the Laurius River where it empties into Thassa. It is one of the few cities in the north with public baths. It also has the only mint within one thousand pasangs of Torvaldsland. Many cities maintain warehouses and small communities in Lydius. Many goods, particularly wood, wood products and hides, make their way westward on the Laurius, eventually landing at Lydius. The first major town east of Lydius is Vonda on the Olni River.
Market of Semris:
This town is located about two days southeast of Samnium. It is well known for its sales of tarsks.
Minus:
This is a village under the control of Ar.
Point Alfred:
This town is a part of the Vosk League. It is located west of Ar's Station and Jort's Ferry.
Port Cos:
This town is a part of the Vosk League. It was founded by settlers from Cos over a century ago. It is a colony whose ties to Cos are largely historical and cultural. Many officers of Port Cos were native Cosians, mercenaries or veterans of the Cosian navy. It also has its own Home Stone. It is located west of Tafa.
Port Kar:
This city is also known as the Tarn of the Sea, the Scourge of Thassa and the Dark Jewel in her gleaming green waters. It is located in the northwest portion of the estuary of the Vosk. On one side is the delta and on the other is the strong tides of the Tamber Gulf. It is known as a den of pirates, and its name is a synonym for cruelty and piracy. Their fleets range from the Ta-Thassa Mountains of the South to the ice lakes of the north, and westward beyond Cos and Tyros. The delta is Port Kar's best defense. It is very difficult to bring large armies through the delta. The nearest solid land is one hundred pasangs to the north and that land lays hundreds of pasangs from the nearest city. The Home Stone of Port Kar was created in 10120 C.A. The slave Fish was sent to find a rock in the streets of Port Kar. He brought back a common rock, bigger than a fist, gray and heavy. Tarl Cabot carved the initials of Port Kar in block script on the rock. The people of port Kar accepted it as their Home Stone.
Port Olni:
This city is part of the Salerian Confederation. It is located on the Olni River..
Ragnar's Hamlet:
This town is a part of the Vosk League. It is located far west of Ar's Station. It is a good-sized town..
Rarir:
This tiny village is located south of the Vosk and near the shores of Thassa.
Rarn:
This small city is noted for its copper mining. It lies southeast of Tharna.
Rive-de-Bois:
Raymond, a mercenary captain is from here.
Rorus:
This is a village on the route to Rarir.
Sais:
This town is part of the Vosk League. It is located west of Ar's Station, Jort's Ferry, Point Alfred, Jasmine, and Siba.
Salerian Confederation:
It is also known as the Four Cities of Saleria. The Confederation consists of the cities of Ti, Vonda, Port Olni and Lara. All four cities lie on the Olni River. The Confederation is a growing power in the north. Ti is farthest from the joining of the Olni and Vosk Rivers. Port Olni is next in line, then Vonda and Lara. Lara lies at the junction of the Olni and Vosk. The Olni River is mostly free of pirates. The Confederation got its name because the oath of the league was signed in the meadow of Salerius on the northern bank of the Olni between Port Olni and Vonda. The largest and principal city is Ti. The Confederation maintains close relations with Cos due to their mutual distrust with Ar.
Samnium:
This city is some two hundred pasangs east and a bit south of Brundisium. It is an ally of Cos.
Schendi:
This is the infamous port of the black slavers of Schendi, the League of Black Slavers. They are pirates and known for their cruelty on shipping. The city is an equatorial free port and ships going to and from Schendi are safe. The slaving is commonly restricted to the high seas and coastal towns well north and south of Schendi. Schendi has a population of about a million, most being black. Its waters are open to shipping year round.
Siba:
This town is part of the Vosk League. It is located west of Ar's Station, Jort's Ferry, Point Alfred, and Jasmine.
Sulport:
This town is part of the Vosk League. It is located far west of Ar's Station.
Tabuk's Ford:
This is a large village located in the basin area of the Verl River. It is four hundred pasangs generally north and slightly west of Ar. It is twenty pasangs west of the Vosk Road. The village contains about forty families. Thurnus is the peasant caste leader and Melina is his free companion. It is a rich village known for sleen breeding.
Tafa:
This town is part of the Vosk League. It is located far east of Ar's Station.
Tancred's Landing:
This town is part of the Vosk League. It is downriver on the Olni and near Lara. It is located east of Ar's Station, Forest Port, and Iskander..
Tarnburg:
This city is a mountain fortress in the southern range of the Voltai. It is about two hundred pasangs northwest of Hochburg. The legendary mercenary captain, Dietrich, is from here.
Tarnwald:
A city of unknown location. The mercenary known as Edgar is from this city.
Teslit:
This is a small village on route to Holmesk, halfway to the Vosk.
Tetrapoli:
This polity is part of the Vosk League. It is much further west on the river than Ar's Station. It began as four separate towns, Ri, Teibar, Heiban and Azdak. Legend states that the towns were formed by four brothers. The towns eventually consolidated into a polity, the four districts maintaining the same names. The expression "tetrapoli" means "four cities" or "four towns.".
Tharna:
This city was once ruled by a Tatrix and women dominated. A revolution came about though and changed everything. Now, there are very few free women in Tharna. Kron, once a metal worker, is currently the Administrator. Tharna owns many valuable silver mines and is sometimes called he City of Silver.
Thentis:
This city is remote in the mountains from which it takes its name. It is famed for its tarn flocks. It is one day by tarn from Ko-ro-ba to Thentis, but by wagon it would take the better part of a month. It has some silver mines but they are not as rich as Tharna..
Ti:
This city is part of the Salerian Confederation. It lies on the Olni River, a tributary of the Vosk, north of Tharna. Ti is ruled by Ebullius Gaius Cassius, an Administrator and Warrior. It is the largest and most populous city of the Salerian Confederation.
Tor:
This city lies in the northwest corner of the Tahari. It is an opulent city of the desert, well known for its splendors, comforts and pleasures. It is also the principal supply point for the oasis communities of the Wastes. The buildings are of mud brick, covered with colored, often flaking, plaster. The buildings are rarely more than four stories high. Thousands of caravan merchants are headquartered here and much of the city is organized to support the caravan trade. The city is built in concentric circles broken by numerous, narrow crooked streets.
Torcodino:
This is a crossroads city located on the flats of Serpeto. It is located at the intersection of various routes, the Genesian, Northern Salt Line (runs east to west), Northern Silk Road (runs south to north), the Pilgrim's Road (leads to the Sardar), and Eastern Way (also known as the Treasure Road, links the western cities with Ar). It once was an ally of Ar but in the Ar/Cosian war changed sides. Two aqueducts bring water to the city from more than one hundred pasangs away, one from the Issus, a northwestwardly flowing tributary of the Vosk and the other from springs in the Hills of Eteocles, southwest of Corcyrus.
Treve:
This is a bandit city located high in the crags of the Voltai. Few know its exact location and it is said you can only reach it by tarn. They do not grow food and raid the harvests of others. They live by plunder. Their tarnsmen rank with those of Thentis and Ko-ro-ba. It is alleged to lie some seven hundred pasangs north of Ar and toward the Sardar. There are no trade routes to the city. It even has some silver mines. It is also known as the Tarn of the Voltai. Merchants and ambassadors are brought to the city only under conduct, hooded, and in bonds.
Turia:
This great city is called the Ar of the south. It is located in the southern hemisphere, lying in the midst of huge prairies claimed by the Wagon Peoples. It is a high walled, nine-gated city said to be indolent and luxury-loving. It is ruled by Phanius Turmus. They calculate their years from summer solstice to summer solstice. The true power of Turia lies with the Caste of Merchants. Hundreds of caravans and thousands of merchants come here each year. It had never been conquered until recently by Kamchak, Ubar of the Wagon Peoples. Much of the city was burned during the conquest but the People departed Turia and allowed it to be rebuilt.
Stones of Turmus:
This once was a Turian outpost merchant fort and trading station. It had high white outer walls, over eighty feet high and six towers on the walls. It was eventually burnt by men of Treve.
Turmus:
This town is part of the Vosk League. It is the last major river port on the Vosk before the nearly impassable marshes of the delta. It is on the northern bank of the Vosk..
Ven:
This small city is part of the Vosk League. It is a river port on the southern bank of the Vosk. It is the last town to the west on the south bank until the delta. Ven is at the junction of the Ta-Thassa Cartius and the Vosk.
Venna:
This is a small, exclusive resort city, located about two hundred pasangs north of Ar. It is noted for its fine baths and tharlarion races. Venna has many small and fine shops, catering to the wealthy. The Telluria section, in the northwest part of the city, on a hill, is the preferred residential section.
Victoria:
This city is the capital of the Vosk League. It is located on the northern bank, east of Ar's Station. It once was a den of thieves, a market and slave town. Most of the pirates and thieves have been run out of the town. Tasdron is the Administrator.
Vonda:
This city is part of the Salerian Confederation. It is located downriver of the Olni River. Vonda has no tarnsmen.
Vosk League:
The League was formed in 10127 C.A. and consists of nineteen towns located on the Vosk River. These include Port Cos, Victoria, Turmus, Ven, Tetrapoli, Tafa, Fina, Ragnar's Hamlet, Hammerfest, Sulport, Sais, Siba, Jasmine, Point Alfred, Jort's Ferry, Forest Port, Iskander, Tancred's Landing and White Water. Ar did not permit Ar's Station to join the League. Its headquarters are in Victoria. Its purpose is to protect against river piracy. After the Vosk League was formed, institutionalized piracy on the Vosk had been largely removed. The topaz used to be a pledge symbol, used among pirates, when combining for massive assaults. The topaz was captured by the Vosk League and now is a private pledge between Port Cos and Ar's Station. The topaz is broken into two fragments of polished stone. When joined together, the discolorations on each piece make the picture of a river galley. White Water: This town is part of the Vosk League. It is downriver of the Olni and near Lara. It is the farthest east town and is on northern bank..
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Islands
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All of the islands of Gor are located on Thassa, the great ocean. Most of the islands are free ports administered by the Merchants. There are numerous small, unnamed islands as well on the sea.
Anango:
This is an exchange island, a free port administered by members of the Merchant Caste. It is located very far south of the equator, almost beyond the ken of most Goreans. It is close to the shore of Thassa. The jungles of its interior serve as the setting for many fanciful stories of strange races, mysterious plants and fabulous animals. The "magicians of Anango" are well known everywhere except on Anango. They speak Gorean.
Asperiche:
This is an exchange island, a free port administered by members of the Merchant Caste. It is located south of Teletus and Tabor..
Cos:
This is a terraced island about four hundred pasangs west of Port Ka and north of Tyros. It is a lofty island with level fields to the west. Cos and Tyros have a combine navy equal to that of Port Kar. Cos is also a major enemy of Ar. The capital city of Cos is Telnus. The three other major cities are Selnar, Temos and Jad. The Ubar is Lurius of Jad. Family is very important on Cos. Blue is the color of Cos..
Farnacium:
This is an exchange island, a free port administered by members of the Merchant Caste.
Hulneth:
This is an exchange island, a free port administered by members of the Merchant Caste.
Hunjer:
This is an exchange island, a free port administered by members of the Merchant Caste. It is located far to the north..
Ianda:
This is an exchange island, a free port administered by members of the Merchant Caste. It is located north of Anango and is close to the shore of Thassa. It has a number of shipyards..
Northern islands:
These are numerous but small islands, extending in an archipelago like a scimitar northeastward from Cos. The islands are not united. Their governments are usually no more than a village council. They usually possess no vessels larger than clinker-built skiffs and coasters..
Scagnar:
This is an exchange island, a free port administered by members of the Merchant Caste. It is located in the far north. Thorgard is its Jarl. He owns the Black Sleen, a warship and the swiftest ship in the north.
Skjern:
This is an exchange island, a free port administered by members of the Merchant Caste. It lies west of Torvaldsland. They seldom venture south or as far inland as Ko-ro-ba..
Tabor:
This is an exchange island, a free port administered by members of the Merchant Caste. It is named for the drum it resembles. It fears Tyros, its powerful neighbor. Their merchants are famed for the accuracy of their accounts..
Teletus:
This is an exchange island, a free port administered by members of the Merchant Caste.
Tyros:
This is a rugged island with mountains, located west of Port Kar. It has mazes of vart caves. Kasra is the capital of Tyros and the only other major city is Tentium. The Ubar is Chenbar of Kasra, the Sea Sleen. It is an enemy of Ar and Port Kar. Family is important on Tyros as it is on Cos. Tyros has trained varts, some the size of small dogs, to be used as weapons..
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Bodies of Water/Waterways
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Cartius River:
This is an important subequatorial waterway. It flows west by northwest, entering the tropical rainforests, and empties into Lake Ushindi. The Thassa Cartius and the subequatorial Cartius are not the same river. It is a broad and swift flowing tributary of the Vosk..
Issus River:
This is a northwestward flowing river, a tributary to the Vosk. It is more than one hundred pasangs from Torcodino which uses aqueducts to bring water from this river.
Kamba River:
Kamba is an inland word, not Gorean, and means "rope." It flows directly into Thassa. It is a wide leisurely river located in the jungles near Schendi.
Lake Ias:
This is located near Corycus.
Lake Ngao:
Ngao is an inland word, not Gorean, and means "shield." It is larger than Lake Ushindi. It is a vast, deep, long, oval lake. It is fed by a major river called the Ua River. It is located in the jungles near Schendi.
Lake Shaba:
This lake was unknown until discovered in Explorers of Gor. It is a large lake and the source of the Ua. It is named after the geographer who discovered it. There are the ruins of an ancient civilization on its shore.
Lake Ushindi:
Ushindi is an inland word, not Gorean, and means "victory." This lake is drained by the Kamba and Nyoka rivers. To the west of Lake Ushindi are flood lands, marshes and bogs. It is located in the jungles near Schendi..
Laurius River:
This is a winding, long, gentle, slow river. It flows in a generally westerly direction though it inclines some to the southwest emptying into Thassa at the free port of Lydius. Only common ships seen here are light galleys and barges. Above Laura, the river is less navigable, especially in the late summer.
Lower Fayeen River:
This is a tributary of the Cartius, located west of Tor.
Nyoka River:
Nyoka is an inland word, not Gorean, and means "serpent." Nyoka flows into Schendi harbor and thence to Thassa. It is a wide leisurely river.
Olni River:
This is a tributary of the Vosk, located north of Tharna. The cities of the Salerian Confederation are located on this river..
Tamber Gulf:
The Vosk River empties here into Thassa. Port Kar is located in this gulf.
Thassa Cartius River:
This river is a tributary of the Vosk. It drains the Ven highlands and has its own tributaries.
Ua River:
Ua is an inland word, not Gorean, and means "flower." It is a major river, at least as big as the Vosk. There are many cataracts on the Ua which make it very difficult to cross. Its source is Lake Shaba.
Upper Fayeen River:
This is a tributary of the Cartius..
Verl River:
This is a tributary of the Vosk that flows northwestward into the Vosk.
Vosk delta:
The delta is a treacherous are and difficult to navigate. Its channels change almost overnight and is often little more than a trackless marsh. There is little visibility due to the rence plants. Its sluggish, muddy waters vary from a few inches deep to deep enough for a ship. The average depth, after the spring thaws upriver, is three to five feet. It is teeming with wildlife. The eastern portion has fresh water. The delta is claimed by Port Kar which lies some hundred pasangs from its northwest edge, bordering on the shallow Tamber Gulf. The delta is at least over four to five hundred pasangs long. Ships from Thassa cannot pass through the delta to the Vosk River due to the delta's almost impassibility..
Vosk River:
This is a mighty river, some forty pasangs in width, that passes by Ar and pours into the Tamber Gulf. The Vosk is below Ko-ro-ba and north of Ar. Most towns on the river are free states and belong to the Vosk League. River ships of Ar and Cos battle here for influence over the river and its towns. The southern bank is much less populous than the northern bank..
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Mountains/Hills
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Hills of Eteocles:
These are located southwest of Corcyrus. Springs in the hills feed aqueducts for Torcodino.
Fulvians Hills:
These are the foothills of the Voltai and are northeast of Ar.
Hrimgar Mountains:
Hrimgar means "Barrier" mountains. It is really two mountain chains. Axe Glacier lies in a valley between them. There are many passes in these mountains. One such is called the pass of Tancred because that is where the herd passes through. These mountains are both east and north of Torvaldsland.
Sardar Mountains:
This range is the home of the Priest-Kings. It is more than a thousand pasangs from Ko-ro-ba. The Sardar fairs occur at the base of the mountains four times a year..
Ta-Thassa Mountains:
These are located on the shore of Thassa, in the southern hemisphere.
Thentis Mountains:
This range is the home of the city of Thentis. There are passes through the mountains to the Barrens, the lands of the Red Savages..
Voltai Range:
These are also known as the Red Mountains. They are located south of the Vosk and east of Ar. They are dull reddish cliffs due to large deposits of iron oxide. They are the greatest mountain range on known Gor. You can see the spires of Ar from the nearer Voltai ranges. The Voltai is home to several bandit cities and bands of outlaws including Treve.
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Forests
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Forests of Northern Gor:
This is the largest forest area on Gor. It covers hundreds of thousands of square pasangs. The most typical tree is the lofty, reddish Tur tree that may grow to two hundred feet or more. They are north of Laura and no one knows how far east they go. They extend north to Torvaldsland, past the northern ridges of the Thentis Mountains. The forests are home to various outlaws, forest people and panther girls.
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Roads
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Argentum Road:
This road goes from Argentum east to the Viktel Aria, which then leads south to Ar.
Clearchus Road:
This road leads from the southwest to the Sardar, once a common route to the Fairs. It is north of the new Cyprianus Road. The Clearchus Road passes for several pasangs through the Clearchus woods, a haunt of brigands. It is also called the West Road. It is graveled and rutted, sometimes paves with logs and plated stone. It can be impassable in rainy weather and dusty in dry, warm weather. The edge of the woods of Clearchus are about two hundred pasangs from the fairgrounds of the Sardar.
Cyprianus Road:
This was named for the engineer in charge of building it. It lead to the Sardar fairs from the southwest. It reduced traffic on the Clearchus road, which had always been a dangerous road. The Cyprianus also passes through less rough terrain. Cyprianus is also called the New West Road. It is graveled and rutted, sometimes paved with logs and plated stone. It can be impassable in rainy weather and dusty in dry, warm weather.
Eastern Way:
This is also called the Treasure Road. It links the western cities with Ar. Torcodino is on this road.
Genesian Road:
This road is south of Samnium. It connects Brundisium and other coastal cities with the south. From Torcodino, you go north on this road to Brundisium.
Northern Salt Line:
This is an east/west road. Torcodino is on this road.
Northern Silk Road:
This is a north/south road. Torcodino is on this road.
Pilgrim's Road:
This road leads to the Sardar. Torcodino is on this road.
Viktel Aria:
This means "Ar's Triumph" or "The Triumph of Ar" and is also known as the Vosk Road. It is the most direct route from Ar to the Vosk. It is a military road. It is wide and built like a wall set into the earth. It is marked with pasang stones. There are deep ditches along much of the road except for crossroads and turn-offs, to make it harder to bring supply wagons onto the road from the east and west..
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Other Regions
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The Barrens:
The Barrens are vast tracts of rolling grasslands east of the Thentis Mountains. There are no large bodies of water and rainfall is reduced. The grass can grow to heights of several feet. In the winter there can be terrible blizzards and in the summer, extreme heat and droughts. There may also be sudden storms, tornadoes, flash floods, and hail storms. The Barrens are the home of the Red Savages, similar to the Native Americans of North America. No white man has ever penetrated to the eastern edge of the Barrens. The Red Savage culture is nomadic, based on the kaiila. There are a few tribes that have not mastered the kailla and some tribes that use tarns. They depend on the kailiauk for their lives, for food, clothing, shelter, tools and weapons. Almost all tribes hate whites.
Equatorial Rainforests:
There are jungles on the equator near the city of Schendi. There are many villages in the jungles and most of their inhabitants do not speak Gorean. They speak a number of different inland dialects. Fishing is a major source of livelihood for many. Bila Huruma is a black Ubar who has united the six ubarates of the southern shore of Lake Ushindi. The Ukungu villages lay to the northeast on the coast. It is a country of coastal villages speaking the same or similar dialects. The central village is Nyundo. Talunas, pygmies and cannibals also inhabit the jungles. The rainforest is also the home of a myriad of wildlife..
Plains of Turia:
The Plains are also called the Land of the Wagon Peoples. The Wagon Peoples claim the southern prairies from Thassa and the Mountains of Ta-Thassa to the southern foothills of the Voltai Range. To the north, they claim lands to the rush grown banks of the Cartius River. The Wagon Peoples consist of four separate tribes: the Paravaci, Kataii, Kassars, and the Tuchuks. The Peoples are primarily herders of bosk, living off their meat and milk. They do not grow any food and will eat nothing of the earth. They are very proud and regard city dwellers as vermin in holes.
Polar Cap:
The northern polar region is the home of the Red Hunters, a people similar to the Eskimos of Earth. The red hunters live as nomads, depending on the migration of certain animals including the tabuk and four varieties of sea sleen. Little is known of them. The polar seas are frozen half the year. Icebergs, also called ice mountains, are a constant threat. The red hunters are generally kind, peaceable folk. They call themselves Innuit which means "the People." They live in scattered, isolated communities and war is largely unknown. The polar north is very dry. Less snow falls there than in lower latitudes. The snow that does fall is less likely to melt. Most of the land is tundra, a cool, generally level or slightly wavy, treeless plain. In the summer, the tundra is soft and spongy due to mosses, shrubs and lichen. In the winter, it is desolate and barren. White pelted Kur, called ice beasts by the red hunters, also live in the polar region..
Tahari:
Located southeast of Ar, below the eastern foothills of the Voltai, and to the south is the Tahari. This is a desert area also known as the Wastes, or the Emptiness. It is shaped like a gigantic, lengthy trapezoid with eastward leaning sides. At its northwest corner is Tor. The area east of Tor is hundreds of pasangs in depth, maybe thousands. It is generally rocky and hilly, save in the dune country. It is almost constantly windblown by a hot wind and waterless. There are oases fed from underground rivers flowing southeast from the Voltai range. The water erupts in oases springs or is reached by deep well, down to two hundred feet. The day temperatures in the shade are 120 degrees. The oasis communities number from a hundred to thousands of people and are often hundreds of pasangs apart from each other. They depend on caravans for their needs..
Torvaldsland:
This area is commonly taken to start with the thinning of the great forest trees northward. It is northwest up the coast from the Vosk delta. The Skerry of Einar, by the Rune-Stone of the Torvaldsmark, marks the boundary of the Torvaldsland and the south. The Stream of Torvald, a current, moves eastward to the coast and then north. It is like a broad river in the sea, pasangs wide. The temperature is warmer than the surrounding water and helps warm Torvaldsland. The people couldn't live without this stream. Torvaldsland is a cruel, harsh, and rocky land. Arable soil is thin and found in patches. Good soil is rare and highly prized. Though not treeless, it is a bleak land. Ka-la-na and temwood cannot grow there and are highly prized. The men are inured to the cold, accustomed to war and the labor of the oar. They are raised from boyhood on steep, isolated farms near the sea. They hold to old gods, like Odin and Thor. They are much like the Vikings of Earth.