THE  OASIS7PALMS TENT IN '' THE THINK FAIR''

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JOURNEY AMONG THE VIKING

THE LEGEND OF THOR

      I had already decided for some time to travel to meet my family in the North, the last message received from my mother, I do not think my father had been able to do it for that in winter he settles in the large hall and spends his time there between food and slaves, I said the last place where they lived was the village of Jasmine, I knew it from visiting it years ago when I lived in the North.

We went up the river with my ship to the great Vosk, then to the Gulf of Thassa and off to the north after passing the archipelago of Cos, I had forgotten the cold of winter, living in the desert is easily forgotten, the more we climbed towards Torwsland the more the temperature dropped and in the distance the mountains were already covered with snow.

 One morning we woke up immersed in a fog bank, everything had disappeared, we could no longer see the mountains and nothing else in front of us. The commander put a lookout on top of the mast to make sure not to run into some rock, went on like this until the  afternoon until the  lookout cry there is a fire on the port side, finally we all breathed a sigh of relief, and the commander ordered to lower the sails by burping on that signal fire,  which gradually enlarged, until we saw the coast with  other fires, now the coast was clear and the docks could be glimpsed with some ships docked, we remained at anchor in the Rada, and I with some guards went ashore with a spear.

 

It was a very large village and a big sign said ''Viking Settlement of Rungardvik'' I had never heard of this remote village, but big enough, and a lot of snow everywhere, we met the commander of the guards, who welcomed us with respect and made himself available to let us visit the village. She told us that they had different laws from those of other villages on the planet, here women have the same rights and, lately a woman and the Chief Administrator and warrior, their Jarl, in short, lived like their ancestors andrejected the new rules of the villages.

 

  He took us around showing us and explaining the various buildings, the great hall where everyone gathers in winter, then he took us to the hill where they had their temple, but their great Totem was a very large tree where he told me that souls were buried around, and when I asked him to explain well he told me:

 Trees have profound roles in both real and imaginary worlds. With their majestic bark, lush branches, and cloud of swaying leaves, humans are drawn to them with deep charm. This magic is embodied in the wonderful account of the Nordic World Tree. According to Norse mythology, the whole world is actually a tree, called Yggdrasil ("igg-dreh-sell") located at the center of the universe.

 

According to legends, Yggdrasil is a giant living ash tree with branches stretching above the skies and a trunk firmly anchored to the ground by three large roots. Here, the gods gather and meet, seek sustenance from its life-giving branches and watch over the worlds. Radiating from this center extend the nine realms of existence, including Asgard, the abode of the gods and the hall of Valhalla, and Midgard, the land of mortal humans. An anonymous eagle sits atop its branches in constant conflict with an evil snake, Nidhogg, which tries to unbalance the tree by chewing one of its roots.

 

The three large roots of Yggdrasil are irrigated by three wells, Urdarbrunnr, Hvergelmr and Mimisbrunnr. Urdarbrunnr, or Urda's Well, is cared for by the three maidens Norn, Urda (past), Verdandi (present) and Skuld (future), who weave the threads of destiny for all beingshim.

 It was a fascinating thing something that I had never heard before, even if in many places on the planet there are other customs, I looked at that fascinated man and asked him to tell me more and he gave me a parchment that I want to copy in my story.

    Passed from one hofgothi to another through the dark mists of time, it tells the story of a great battle between Thor and the Jotun. The battle raged for days and covered huge expanses of land and sea. On the third day, the battle reached the shores of Rudgardvik. People rushed to the Jarl's house and crowded around the fire as the ground shook and flashes of light illuminated the ground and sky around the building. The men felt unable to protect their families and watched as their wives held their children and looked with pleading eyes at their husbands. The children were crying and the women were crying.

 

The jarl went around his people and continued to reassure them that Thor would protect his loyal people. Finally, the gothi stood up and led the people in prayer to Thor. They all drank mead from a drinking horn and poured its contents on the floor and into the fire, begging Thor to protect them from the storm outside.

 

After what seemed like an eternity, the sounds of battle began to diminish and outside began to shed light, when a horrible explosion shook the earth and people fell to the floor as the ground below trembled violently back and forth.

 

And then everything went quiet. A strange stillness that crept into their bones and left a mark. Eventually, it seemed that the wax was melting from their ears and they could hear again. At first all they heard was the crackling of the fire and then the whining of children, mothers and even some men.

 

The jarl approached the door and cautiously opened the door to see what was left of their beautiful Rungardvik.

 

Huge trees were scattered all over the ground, as if someone was playing a game of sticks. Slowly everyone left the building and, with tears in their eyes, looked incredulously at what was left of their beautiful paradise.

 

Immediately, the Góthi gathered the people and headed to their sacred grove to honor the gods and thank them for protecting their families during this catastrophe.

 

Only, where once there was a lush, verdant grove, there was nothing. Not even a tree. The land itself had been stripped away from the rock on which the grove had stood for so many centuries. All the trees had landed in the meadow below, torn to pieces and without a leaf left on the branches.

 

Everyone stood on the rock with a sense of mourning and looked at the jarl to tell them what to do. Suddenly, the gothi shivered and closed his eyes, and shouted "Hail Thor, hail the god of thunder, hail the protector," and fell to the ground. The jarl ran to his gothi and tried to wake him up from the trance. Slowly, the gothi opened their eyes and began to speak.

 

"Thor spoke to me. He saw the devastation of our land and blessed this rock. This land will never experience such storms again. And to cement his promise, Thor touched the rock and left the imprint of his hand as a binding sign of his promise.

 

Rejoicing to know that Thor had blessed them, the people gathered all the trees from the meadow and using the wood of the sacred grove, built a beautiful temple on the rock.

 

From that first gothi, which was then the hofgothi, there was an unbroken line of hofgothis. I am only the last, but the line will continue after me.

 

Thor kept his promise, this temple has stood the test of time and storms and continues to thrive, as do the people they worship in its sacred halls.

    What else to say we are still here to listen to their stories and their customs, when they warned us that the fog had cleared and it was time to leave at high tide towards Jasmine, it was a few days of travel and we left.

 

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For some time, I had been living in the castle of Lady Ralush, my companion and lover, in a medieval setting with knights and damsels. I had arrived on planet Earth after a long journey, having departed with others from my planet, Gor. A twin planet to Earth but located on the opposite side of the sun, the two planets, though twins, would never have seen or known each other if one day an Earth spaceship had not landed on Gor. This happened many years before I was born, and the wise elders recount it in the old books written by the Initiates, a sort of intermediary Priests for the Priest Kings, the rulers of the planet.

I had been at the castle for some time with that beautiful woman, a warrior, who fought against the knights like a man. When I met her, wandering through the valleys of that region, she took me with her. She asked me my name. I told her that on my planet, my name was Ulysses, a name given to me by my father, a lover of Greek literature, books jealously guarded in libraries where anyone can read them to learn the history of our peoples.

       It is said that the Priest Kings, highly intelligent animals with the appearance of large ants, were a community run by their mother, the queen, but out of a thirst for power, they fought among themselves for control of the planet.

It is said that when the Earth spaceship landed on Gor, with their deadly weapons, they tried to conquer the planet, but the Priest Kings, extremely intelligent, built tunnels around the spaceship, a series of tunnels that served to capture those men who landed with their weapons. Those who fell into those traps became prisoners and were taken to the iron, copper and gold mines. For those very intelligent ants, understanding the technology of that spaceship was child's play, so they decided to invade Planet Earth in turn to populate Gor with men and women to increase life.

On Earth, they captured the strongest men and most skilled fighters, builders, doctors, and the most beautiful women they encountered. The Earth's population was defenseless against these monsters who could read their minds and understand their intentions. They captured men and women from every region, from the far north to the southern deserts, Vikings and raiders, pirates and traders. When they completed their cargo, they set off again, not forgetting to capture women destined for slavery and the service of the castes.

What they initially did was insert a microchip into the prisoners' brains that allowed them to control them. At the same time, those who had reached the age of 25 were injected with the elixir of long life and the ability to avoid getting sick like on their planet.

Their headquarters were located in the Sardar mountains, east of the great valley. They lived in deep, impassable caves; anyone who tried to reach them died. Only the Initiates, that is, faithful and devoted men, acted as intermediaries between the Priest Kings and the Elders, destined to promulgate the laws entrusted to them from time to time. A true hierarchy of command was established, creating in each city under construction towers with five rings for as many Castes, consisting of the following orders on the first ring with the following outfits:

White - initiates

Blue - scribes, magistrates

Green - doctors and healers

Yellow - builders, palaces and ships

Red - warriors and combatants

- the rings started from the top of the tower down to the ground floor, then the Subcastes were determined, mainly made up of Merchants. Everything was well organized and functional. For each city, command was given to a great Warrior-fighter whom they called Ubar, while in the North, where there were no castes, the government was headed by a Jarl, or a Tatrix. In the South, however, in the desert, the terrestrial roles were maintained, that is, creating Oases and giving power to the Pashas or Emirs. The only obligation was to undertake the journey to the Sanctuary in the plain below the Sardar mountains where they injected them. Elysium and the microchip...

My adventure began in the city of Egeria. I had arrived there at the invitation of Sir Darian Bonetto, a great Gorean at the time we met. We immediately became friends. He had the same name as me, and I always wondered why, until one day he confessed to me that he too was a knight of Lady Ralush, and had gotten his name from her. We shared the same history and the same loves.

I arrived in the city without knowing anyone, but many spoke my Earth dialect, so I immediately tried to get to know them. But as often happens, not everyone agreed. I often encountered unfamiliar situations, and I was often uneasy. So I decided to set out into the unknown in search of a livable city where I could surely prove my worth.

or value.

I heard of a city ruled by Sir Ming, with his companion Lady Chiara, and I headed in that direction. The city was called Falsworth. There I met the beautiful Betty. She was a farmer at the time and spent her time cultivating the fields and fishing in the sea outside the walls. With Lady Chiara and Sir Ming, I immediately hit it off; I lived with them and worked. I was still nobody, just a simple citizen, and I would later go to the University of Scribes.

One day, a slaver arrived in the city with a very beautiful slave girl for sale, a tall, dark-amber-colored girl with very long hair and fiery lips. I busied myself buying her and bringing her to my house, but Sir Ming never let any opportunity slip. He wanted her for himself, sparking the jealousy of Lady Chiara, who, after many arguments, was chased away by Ming, who freed the slave and married her (who later died in real life). Lady Chiara fled to the North, specifically to Finnursborg, and I followed her because I had always been in love with that beautiful woman. In that northern village, I couldn't find my home; we lived in caves. After saying goodbye to Chiara, I left for Hammersgaard, a Viking village, where I met good and happy people and lived with them for a while until I returned south to live in the city of Cartassa, where Lady BB Arliss adopted me along with her companion, Sir Mith.

end 1st part

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 A GREAT ADVENTURE

DARIAN MET THE PRIEST
KING

We set off at dawn on a morning that promised to be warmer than usual.

     Brjiana wanted to join us on this new adventure. I had received a message from a tribal chief of a village just outside the Thahari Desert, which was part of my territory. He was asking for help with some strange disappearances that had been occurring in the village for some time.

As Emir of the Oasis, I was concerned; he had never heard of unexplained disappearances, and that was strange enough even for the inhabitants of my Oasis.

I took some trusted guards with me, not many to be honest; I didn't think there could be any great danger. I left the first Commander at the Oasis, and the Captain of the Guards came with me, a trustworthy man, though a bit stubborn in his interpretations. After crossing part of the desert, we entered the forest where the village was located. I had forgotten how difficult it was to walk in the forest; I had lived in the desert for years.

After a few days of walking through that damned forest, we finally saw smoke rising high into the sky from a high hill, and we were all happy; we'd rest and eat something hot after days of walking.

The village chief was a burly, dark-skinned man, dressed in a long robe, with very long hair tied back at the nape of his neck and an unkempt beard. He explained to me that in recent months, many men had disappeared without a trace, without reporting or leaving a trace. I was very worried: if it had been the work of the Black Panthers, they would surely have left some trace. They like to let everyone know about their raids; I didn't think Merchants or Slavers would go that far. They couldn't have sold slaves without documents, and a voluntary escape seemed unlikely.

We studied the map of the area with the Captain and the Guide, to find a safe route and begin our search. The next day, after a night's rest, we gathered supplies and plenty of water and began our reconnaissance. Toward afternoon, the forest began to thin out, but a thick blanket of fog enveloped the area. That part of the forest wasn't marked on any map. We continued until we found ourselves beneath a high fence made of large, impassable logs. We set up camp and tents near some rocks, keeping the fence in sight—we were safe from any surprises—and we prepared for the night, organizing our guard shifts.

 

The next morning, we awoke ready to inspect the great palisade. In the distance, we spotted a figure slowly approaching. We hid behind a large rock and waited until we saw a strange warrior wrapped in strange bandages around his body, a very tall, dark-skinned man, like someone imported from planet Earth, something never seen before, not even among the barbarians who populate the planet.

I ordered everyone to remain hidden and went out, trying to contact the man, who, upon seeing me, became aggressive, adopting a combative stance. I unsheathed my scimitar, but to my surprise, the man, with a superhuman leap, attempted to attack me, colliding with me. As our bodies collided, he transformed into two identical men, a cloning process never seen before. The guards intervened in the fight, and we quickly gained the upper hand, killing both of them. They reverted to human bodies, just as they had been in their village.

To my amazement, I realized that upon impact with that man, I had absorbed his powers. I felt strong, and my body took on an almost dark reddish color, very similar to earth.

My subjects, Brjiana and the Captain, were terrified. I reassured them, saying it was all over, and I wanted to use my transformation to infiltrate that great fortification protecting the village.

I ordered everyone to remain hidden and silent; I would go inside to take a look, and so it was. I passed through the door the man had left open, approaching. What I saw before me was something astonishing: the road led to an immense stone building, with a grand staircase and men standing guard all around.

The closer I got, the more the guards all looked alike. As if they were twins, all dressed with bandages wrapped around their bodies, armed with small, oddly shaped spears, as if they were torches. I heard the door close behind me and men silently approaching, pushing me towards the grand staircase. I climbed, escorted by two lines of men, silent and expressionless, as if they were automatons, until I entered that great palace.

At the end of the great hall, men in long white robes, similar to those of the Initiates, were waiting for me. They asked my name and what part of the planet I was from. I explained that I was the Emir of the Oasis of the Seven Palms, a tribal chief from the forest had asked for my help. They didn't seem threatening, and I was quite calm. The one who must have been the Chief took me into a room where the walls were decorated with many mirrors and small lights flashing like fireflies. In the mirrors, which he told me were monitors, were men and women from every village and city. When placed in the foreground, each one seemed to be there with us.

He explained to me that they were the king's chosen ones and that they controlled the hall. They were testing a kind of new planetary warrior, a faithful and confident fighter, to form a single planetary army. That was why the disappearances were taking men from the villages and cities, taking them to the underground, where they were educated and cloned, with small Receivers in their brains to obey orders.

I couldn't believe my eyes. I'd read about something like this in old books, but I never imagined I'd one day find myself face to face with the King's chosen ones.

The High Priest, as he told me to call him, knew full well he was speaking to a great and valiant Emir. He told me they would host me until the Grand Council decided what to do  

The following evening, the Captain, seeing me fail to return, took a trusted guard with him and dared to climb over the fence. He entered the great palace under cover of darkness and found himself in that great hall surrounded by guards. The Priest, who had seen the man climb over the fence and enter the hall, with a lightning-fast move took the High Priest hostage, ordering him to free the Emir and leave. At that point, I, who had witnessed the scene, joined in the action by capturing another Priest. I told the men to let us pass and leave go away in peace.

The High Priest ordered the guards to let us go, but not before making us swear not to reveal the location and whereabouts of the Temple, otherwise the Kings would take revenge on the peoples of the planet.

And so it was.

We returned to the oasis without passing through the village. I told Brjiana what I had seen, telling her it would be our secret, one we would keep for the rest of our lives.

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                                                   NEW EVENT

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Valkyrie%20Forest/36/52/2009

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 THE RETURN OF SIERRAROSE

ESCAPE FROM VENNA

While preparations are underway in the city for the fair we will soon inaugurate on the occasion of the festival of Se-Var, the annual fair held on the winter solstice, when day defeats night and the sun provides ever more light day after day.

While the stalls and booths of the various Castes and the many merchants who have come to the city are being prepared, I set up two newsstands on the main avenue, one opposite Lady Luelar's barbershop. Our newspaper is doing very well, and sales are improving day by day. With the consent of Administrator Sir Pettigrew, I plan to add more copies, hoping to get a little help by making sure everyone knows where to get them. Of course, at the fair, newspapers are free for everyone.

sir Argos

Suddenly, a guard came running, announcing the arrival of a caravan from the Silverstone Oasis, where I knew Sir Yuroki lived with his companion, Lady Sabayna, and their daughter, Sierra Rose. The young woman I had first courted in Port Victoria, but she had followed her family first to the Cartassa Oasis and then to their Silverstone Oasis.

I dropped everything and ran to the gate where the caravan was completing its entry formalities at the guardhouse. They would then wait to meet the leader of the Traders and finally enter the city. Although Venna was a tourist destination, anyone could enter freely as long as they handed over their weapons to the guards. I descended the grand staircase, scanning the crowd, trying to recognize my beloved Sierra among them, and finally I saw her. She ran toward me and literally leaped upon me, breaking every law on female freedom on the planet.

lady Luelar

We hugged and stayed that way for a long time until their mother, Lady Sabayna, came to greet us. Lady Sabayna was a great perfumer, and I had often met her on my travels at fairs, even though her skin was brown and burned by the Thahari sun.

lady Sierra

I didn't see Sir Yuroki with them, and when I asked where he was, they told me he had remained in the ruins of the oasis, after the destruction by the Torvie warriors who lately have been attacking cities and oases, arriving on their Tarls, scaling walls and fences, and destroying and killing everything in their path. Yuriki, along with trusted men, gathered everything they could. He would seek out a new, deserted, more sheltered oasis, perhaps somewhere far from the known trails, and repopulate that new oasis. The women had been sent to a nearby city and placed in the Arem for safekeeping.

We climbed the long staircase to the square, and then sat on the bench in the flowerbed in the garden in front of the Scribes' Palace. We told each other about our past, our love, and our forced separation, until their mother joined us. I took them around the squares and along the avenue where the stalls were lined up on both sides of the avenue. Then I took them to the Scribes' Palace, introducing them first to Lady Zoye, then to Lady Tenka. Lady Tenka was with us in Port Victoria, running the large perfumery on the harbor, and here in Venice she worked hard to find a stall to rent and sell her wonderful products. Although Eva also sells perfumes, Lady Tenka sells various bath and beauty products. I must confess that I also bought soaps from her, which I put in my clothes' cases to perfume them.

lady Sabayna

   Sierra announced that she spoke with her mother and received permission to stay and live with me in Venna. After our engagement period, which usually lasts four Mani Gor (weeks), we will celebrate our companionship ceremony, hoping that her father, Sir Yuroki, will arrive in the meantime.

Meanwhile, I sent a message to Sir Argos, who is L'ubar and the Chief Scribe, to discuss the possibility of Sierra and I taking up a position with the Scribe Caste. However, with preparations for the blessing of the Temple, the preparation of the Caste stall with all the arrivals, and the people around seeking news, we have postponed the meeting, but I hope she can live here with us.

The fair, as usual, was very chaotic, with people arriving from all over. Many Pani citizens came from the foot of the Sardar Mountains to visit the new museum dedicated to Pani art. Lady Luelar was a Pani descendant and was well-known and respected in the city of Venna for her skill as a weaver and ladies' hairdresser.

On the last day, the Temple was inaugurated. An Initiate came for the blessing. The entire city was present and moved. When it was all over and the last merchant had left with his goods, a caravan arrived in the city. They weren't merchants or desert folk, but well-dressed gentlemen, and one was wearing a blue suit. I wanted to go meet him, but something told me he would never be there.a friend, I sat down as usual at the inn table on the stairs and waited, I clearly saw Sir Argos, who was going towards him and greeting him with great effusion, I recognized in that man dressed in blue an old Magistrate student of mine, I stood up and headed towards them, when I was close to them Argos introduced himself saying that he would be the new Head of the Magistrates, a role that I had held until that moment, and that he clearly gave to his friend, I remained silent, I was very disappointed and offended, in the meantime Yuroki arrived in the city, took the family and left for the new Oasis he had rebuilt, Sierra I had lost again, but I was too humiliated at that moment, I packed my trunks and left with the first caravan towards Thassa, I would find another city to live.

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Greetings to all readers

During the GMA (Gorean Merchant Association) meeting, the beautiful Billy Ann wrote this poem dedicated to the Merchant Caste, and I am honored to publish it and share it with you.

darianelnairad