Librarian
This message was updated on 4/11/2004 11:31:32 AM by Librarian
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Thinking about Tharna.....
replied on: 4/11/2004 11:02:20 AM
- Background information -
- We are told that Tharna is famed for its hospitality (and thus, of course, Tarl expects to find plenty of inns in such a hospitable city.)
We come to understand Tharnas strange concept of "hospitality". The city gates are open and welcoming to any men who would enter, yet should they stay longer than ten ahn (hours), the men are enslaved and sent to the fields or the silver mines.
The men, of course, are not told about the ten ahn limit on the hospitality.
- Discussion Topic
The question of HOW did Tharna become famed for her hospitality is what is bubbling in my mind.
In order for the city to become "famed" for its hospitality, word had to travel back to other cities about the great welcoming one gets in the city of Tharna.
Merchants, Slavers on their slaving routes, etc, presumably would be the carriers of this news of supreme hospitality.
These men who spread the news of the hospitality of Tharna, would have to be men who stayed in the city less than ten ahn. Perhaps just stopping to replenish supplies?
And then, returning to their trek - which on Gor was long and arduous. So instead of seeking shelter within the walls of Tharna, they chose to return to the march along the roads and make camp for the night a few pasangs down the way.(?)
This had to have happened for the men to have been able to carry the word and make Tharna "famed" for its hospitality.
Oddly, the fact that there are no inns in Tharna is either missed by these men, or not reported in the various cities they visit.
Additionally, it is a curious note that Tharna becomes "famed" for her hospitality despite the fact that there had to be quite a few men of the Merchants & Slavers and their hired Warriors and Mercenaries who disappeared into the mines after their travels led them to Tharna.
With no further word from them, it is interesting that there was no notice of a trend by the rest of Gor. That over time, no one noticed that whenever a caravan headed for Tharna, it was never heard from again. Interesting that no "Bermuda Triangle" type mystery developed surrounding Tharna, and instead the city grew in fame for its "hospitality".
Certainly, in a discussion for the purposes of "roleplay" and the vaunted "realism" one could argue that it just would not happen that way - that the true hospitality of Tharna (slavery) would have to become known or at least suspected across Gor.
And I agree, it IS rather strange. But from my point of view, JN said it was this way - and so it was. And rather than discussing how it "should be" realistically - I'd like to explore ideas on how Tharnans pulled it off.
JN said they did. So....how?
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