Branded...

I have been branded. Upon the thigh of my avatar is a small symbol that looks like a filigreed K. The symbol stands for Kef - or the first letter of the word kajira in the Gorean alphabet. It is actually very pretty when you look at it. The hardest part about the branding was the role play itself. How does one create the sensation of a red hot brand being pressed into your flesh if you have never felt something like that before? I have tattoos so the prick of the needles don't bother me. I have piercings so that doesn't bother me. I can pull upon both experiences in order to create the role play for the branding. But unless you actually feel red hot metal on your flesh, you can't be authentic about it.

My avatar was strung up on a branding pole, which looks like a large piece of a telephone pole, her pixelated head thrashing back and forth widely. In the chat, I begged and pleaded with my master to not brand my skin. Fruitless begging. According to the Gor books, of which I have only read one so far ( I honestly can not say if I will read anymore. The one I read was just bad and I had to force myself to get through it. I might read the Tribesman of Gor as I am in the process of speaking with a master there about being collared by him. He is part of a desert SIM as I belong to a Sea Port City right now) the branding takes place for 8 seconds with a white hot iron placed against the skin. In real life that would cause severe burns that would require medical attention, hospitalization, and possible death. Norman apparently did not research that when writing how kajira are branded.

Prior to my branding I would look at the other kajira I interacted with on a regular basis and their brands and would wonder when I would receive mine. Much like the opening of a slave from white silk to red, I find that the brand is a flag of honor to the kajira. It is just one more piece in the puzzle of submission. Now that I have it, I have to remember to put it on when walking around the Gor SIM. I take it off when I head to other SIMs to play the games, dance, or do my SL job. My collar however NEVER leaves my neck.

Submission. That is a common word bandied about when playing in Gor. There is a deep gloss of BDSM to everything in the Gorean realm. However, it is not truly BDSM. Someone I talked to mentioned the term "lifestyler" to me. It means someone who strives to live the Gorean life in the real world. I am not sure how this would work. Rape and tortue and the like are acceptable in Gor. Not so  much in real life. That's why I think so many people I've run across in the Gor Role Play world are members of the BDSM community.

I have seen sites online about this Lifestylers and such. It is fascinating to me as is any sexual proclivity. They can say it is a way of life, a religions experience, or how they truly feel but they can not deny there is an inherent sexual energy that pervades almost every aspect of Gor. Especially for the slave girl. A kajira wears little clothing. An outfit that can be ripped off when ever the man wants, or pushed aside in some cases. Easy access to the slave is the ultimate goal of the camisk. However I did learn today from my soon to be tribesman master, that the desert dwelling kajira are more covered then their Port dwelling sisters. The heat is the explanation I was given. As someone who resides in a very hot high desert in Real Life I can understand that completely.

What is the brand? What does it mean to me as kajira? As a real woman in the real world? Why do I continue to submit in the online world? Perhaps by exploring Gor, I am exploring the inside of me...something I've been longing for but never found.

Maybe I am looking for a Master.

Side note - if you Google Kef and look in the images you will be astounded to see how many of the images are of real women.