Tuchuk is family, and Tuchuk is a Wagon camp upon the Plains of Gor.
In this there is love and unity... but there must also be strength and determination.
Tuchuk is only as strong as the weakest member, just as a chain is only as strong as its weakest link.
It is always said that Gor is harsh. Well... it is. It is a very harsh world. In that world one can also find love, compassion, desire, belonging, and every other fundamental aspect of human development. It can never be forgotten, however, that it IS Gor. It is survival of the fittest. It is unbridled passion. In many ways I see it as earthen emotional aspects without restraint in a highly structured society.
In that, it is every aspect of our lives that make us who we are multiplied and magnified to a point of freedom none have ever really imagined, be they free or slave. Yet at the same time, Gorean society is so structured that it allows these emotions to be free while at the same time demanding strict discipline in order for society to function. Strict, need not always mean without the ability to be free. There will be those who understand this. There will be those who will come to discover this. Unfortunately, there will be some who will never grasp the concept.
Gor is not for everyone... and Tuchuk is the same way. Some are not able to handle Gor for whatever reason, and some are not able to handle Tuchuk.
For some it is the slavery, the passion, the violence, the honor, the call to something greater than themselves, etc.
Some will always seek only for their own selfish wants. Instead of learning about Gor and becoming a part of a family, they decide to take the path of fucking around in pm's behind the family's backs. Some seek only personal gain. When do I get honored? When do I get my scars. When can I own a slave. When do I get my full tags, etc.
When have you done something for Tuchuk to be honored? What have you done to earn your scars? What have you learned of Gor to make you a true Master or Mistress able to care for a slave as they need to be without causing potentially irreparable harm? Have you even taken the time to read our family's webpages to know how to seek membership in our home?
Tuchuk has never been about rank or who has the most toys or attention. It has always been about working together for a common goal. Unity in times of duress. Its about something greater than ones self.
Some are unable to look at others above themselves. Some are unable to grasp the concept of teamwork. Some simply do not care about anyone or anything but themselves.
Some see cliques in Tuchuk. I do not see cliques. What I do see are those who have come to role play, act and react, and to feed off one another on a regular nightly basis they have become family. It is hard to fit right in when you only come into camp a few times a month. It is hard to know what is happening when you do not read the boards. Yet when these people do decide to come into camp for their bi-monthy visit, they just can't seem to understand why nobody falls at their feet to worship their presence... or why they are asked in pm to get with the program when they are sitting on their ass at the fire as they always due when Tuchuk has been migrating for a week.
I cannot even begin to count how many of our so called absentee family members pop in out of nowhere and ask me how my Ubara is. Then they stumble all over themselves when I inform them she has passed on several months ago.
DUH!!!
Family is not about taking all you can get from those who give.... it is also about giving something back.
There is no required amount of time one must put into Tuchuk. Tuchuk accepts whatever you are able to give in regards to time. Just have the common sense to look at the board to see what is taking place. See what you can offer to the role play. Even just adding casual posts of what you are doing in the context of the role play adds a great deal to the atmosphere of the room.
I try to make the rounds of everyone in my family. I try to spend time with them and include them in what is taking place. I cannot and do not just drop everything to throw myself at anyone simply because they decided to grace us with their presence and they feel for some reason that, of and by itself, should be a given.
At the very least read the room history when you enter before posting.
I have been Ubar of Tuchuk for 11 years, and it never ceases to amaze me to see someone come in after being gone awhile.... see that our family is involved in a roleplay... and go off on their own role play tangent without any regard to what is taking place. Then they become upset that Tuchuk did not jump into the role play with them. For some reason they have to make it all about them.
Sure.... everyone likes attention. Everyone wants some role play. A family works together. Family is not all about one person.
At times it becomes necessary to clean house. To be rid of those who are a detriment to the family as a whole. This is not fun, nor is it easy, but it has to be done.
At times it becomes necessary for an individual to move on. I understand this. Many who move on looking for something more eventually return, discovering they had it all along but were unable to see it. Some do not. I understand this. Some have been long time family members. Yet suddenly they decide they are no longer family and pull idiotic stunts like running away, sneaking out, gaming, and in general just showing how big an ass they really are.
99.9% of the time all they have to do is come speak with me... and though I may be saddened, I usually understand and parting on good terms is the result. No bridges are burned, friendships maintained, and visits are even possible.
Goreans, especially Tuchuks, hold Courage, Honor, Duty in high regards. This is how we live. It is how we die. If we must part ways... should it not also be the same?
As for whipping slaves, five lashes is more of a reminder than anything. In light of current events, it was deemed necessary. Some took it as punishment. Some as a deep reminder of their slavery. Some may have found release in it and others may find it liberating.
It is pretty simple really. Take what you wish but give something back. If all of Tuchuk looks out for the other, someone is looking out for you. Life is that of Tuchuk... not of an individual. All of Tuchuk serves... free and slave.
