The High Castes of Gor are the foundation of the caste system among the cities of the Gorean World. They are ranked in order of importance, the first being the Initiates, second is the Scribes, third is the Builders, fourth is the Physicians, and the fifth are the Warriors.

The Chamber of the Council is the room in which the elected representatives of the High Castes of Ko-ro-ba hold their meetings. Each city has such a chamber. It was in the widest of cylinders, and the ceiling was at least six times the height of the normal living level. The ceiling was lit as if by stars, and the walls were of five colours, applied laterally, beginning from the bottom - white, blue, yellow, green, and red, caste colours. Benches of stone, on which the members of the Council sat, rose in five monumental tiers about the walls, one tier for each of the High Castes. These tiers shared the colour of that portion of the wall behind them, the caste colours.

The tier nearest the floor, which denoted some preferential status, the white tier, was occupied by Initiates, Interpreters of the Will of Priest-Kings. In order, the ascending tiers, blue, yellow, green, and red, were occupied by representatives of the Scribes, Builders, Physicians, and Warriors." --Tarnsman of Gor, p.61

"The scribes, of course, are the scholars and clerks of Gor, and their divisions and rankings within the group, from simple copiers to the savants of the city." --Tarnsman of Gor

Overview of Scribe Caste

The Caste of Scribes, denoted by their blue robes, are the scholerly and studious caste. Scribes perform many tasks, but are often specialists. Noted for their intellect, they are the bookkeepers, accountants, historians, legal experts, compilers of data, mathematicians, and notaries of Gor. The goal of the Scribe caste is to record accurately the history of Gor, and to educate the population as to laws and protocols of the people. They are explorers, looking always to further their knowledge. They are ones who write stories to spark the imagination, and also to record heroic deeds. They are ones who keep records of transactions, and keep the books of major houses of Gor. See an example of Gorean writing here.

They are the second of the High Castes. They are the scholars of Gorean society, the writers and the historians. In their keeping is almost all of the accounting, record-keeping, and writing upon Gor. They tend to be serious and studious, with an attention to detail and a passion for knowledge. The Caste of Scribes are the Magistrates and handle many of the judicial matters. They are not enforcers of the Law, but are ones who judge the actions and degree of infraction if a law has been broken. Since much legal business is conducted through Scribes, they generally consider it wise to maintain an unimpeachable reputation, though some rogues do exist. Furthermore, since the Scribes are one the High Castes, the possibility that they may one day sit on the governing council of a city is another incentive to maintain a reputation for honesty.

There are a few that are explorers that journey over the landscape of Gor making maps of little known areas. Many militaries of the city-states employ Scribe Mapmakers to create terrain maps to help in the devising of strategy. Some of the other military duties of Scribes are in the areas of logistics, historical reference, supply systems, pay rosters, enlistment, and other support functions. Though not Warriors, Scribes will fight to defend their homestones, their women, or their honor. To this end, many will seek some training in weapons, but not much.

Requirements of the Scribe Caste

Scribes are highly respected and regarded for their pursuit of knowledge. The training of a Scribe is mentally rigorous, involving much learning, study and reasoning. Online requirements for those of the Caste of Scribes include:

Willingness to learn from the books of John Norman.

An aptitude for researching and studying various subjects from the books.

Knowledge of the caste system, the Homestone, various aspects of Gorean society such as Free Males, Free Woman, slaves, Panthers and outlaws, geography, monetary system, time and calendar.

An understanding of the nature of the Scribe and an awareness that Scribes look for ways to diffuse violence and to diffuse arguments peacefully, and would not often pick up a sword normally preferring to fight their battles with the quill.

Caste Color: Blue

Subcastes: Map Makers, Magistrates, Recordkeepers, Litigators, Writers, Accountants, Teachers, Scholars, Clerks, and Historians.

Each Scribe has a unique seal with which he stamps his work.