I was looking on the faces of four men, warriors of the Wagon Peoples. On the
face of each there were, almost like corded chevrons, brightly colored scars.
the vivid coloring and intensity of these scars, their prominence, reminded me
of the hideous markings on the faces of mandrills; But these disfigurements, as
I soon recognized, were cultural, not congenital, and bespoke not of natural
innocence of the work of genes but of glories, and status, the arrogance the
prides, of their bearers. The scars had been worked into the faces, with needles
and knives and pigments and the dung of bosk over the period of days and nights.
Men had died in the fixing of such scars. Most scars were set in pairs, moving
diagonally down from the side of the head toward the nose and chin. The man
facing me had seven such scars ceremonially worked into the tissue of his
countenance, the highest being red, the next yellow, the next blue, the fourth
black, then two yellow then black again. The faces of the men I saw were all
scarred differently, but each was scarred. The effect of the scars, ugly,
startling, terrible, perhaps in part calculated to terrify enemies, had even
prompted me, for a wild moment, to conjecture that what I faced on the plains of
Turia were not men, but perhaps aliens of some sort, brought to Gor long ago
from remote worlds to serve some now discarded or forgotten purpose of the
Priest Kings; but now I knew better; now I could see them as men; as now more
significantly, I recalled what I had heard whispered of once before, in a tavern
of Ar, the terrible Scar Codes of the Wagon Peoples, for each of the hideous
marks on the face of these men had meaning, a significance that could be read by
the Paravaci, the Kassars, the Kataii, the Tuchuks, as clearly as you or I might
read a sign in a window or a sentence in a book. At that time I could read only
the top scar, the red, bright, fierce cordlike scar that was the Courage Scar.
It is always the highest scar on the face. Indeed, without that scar, no other
scar can be granted. The wagon peoples value courage above all else.
Nomads
of Gor, page. 15-16
Courage
Scar: The Courage Scar is a bright red scar and
is always the highest scar on your face. It is a prerequisite for all other
scars. In order to get this scar You must
have respect for Others as well as earn respect from Others. Without this scar, you cannot pay court to a free woman,
own a wagon, or own more than five bosk or three kailla. Not all wear their
Courage Scar visibly though, depending on the circumstances though it would be
very rare.
Loyality
Scar:
Given to Warriors who have risked their life for
a Homestone, or cause. The color of this is yellow.
Virtue Scar: Scars given
to Those true of heart in Their actions and Their words. The color is blue.
Valor Scar: Warriors receive this Scar when They have demonstrated
Their Honor and that of Their Homestone during times of conflict. The color of
this is black.
