vanea-DISCLAIMER: we of The_Gorean_Voice are in no way, shape or form, responsible for any slave attacks, screen licking, or abundance of collar begging that might concur from this interview.

Ahhh once again vanea has the great pleasure of being allowed to interview another very well known face and voice in the Gorean community. This time vanea takes the readers to a place that is more than a hopping ground for kangaroos. We are fortunate to have an all-exclusive interview with Master Tusker from "Down Under", as Americans so often like to call it.

Master Tusker was born in 1963 (vanea will figure this up, so no one has to get their calculators out …ahhhh 36 years young), in an inner suburb of Sydney. The exact place was St. Margaret’s Hospital for Women, Darlinghurst, N.S.W., Australia. He now resides about 40 miles south west of Sydney. He came about living there as he liked the area and it was close to where his two daughters lived with their mother.

Master Tusker works in the financial services industry. When he is not working you will find him riding his (pedal-push) bike, walking on a treadmill, playing with his children, perusing the WWW, terrorizing unwary slaves and stupid slaves-in-denial as he calls them. He might also be found expressing his words on the various Gorean boards online, watching his sports which are cricket in summer and rugby league in the winter, or sitting at the op table of Silk&Steel on dalnet picking some lint from his navel.

Master Tusker had this comment concerning his Caste. "While I’ve never actually served in any of the Armed Forces in Australia I have tried to fulfill my "Warrior heart" by enlisting when I was 18 years old (’m 36 now) as an infantryman in the RAA. Unfortunately, in 1981, the RAA didn’t want 18-year-old men to have acne and I wasn’t accepted. Therefore, I consider myself to be *of* the Warriors. Others will define me (or not) as actually *being* a Warrior.

One day Master Tusker was looking at the WWW for commercial purposes, reading up on the benefits and things to be aware of when a subsection of the material he was studying mentioned "real time" chat rooms. Master Tusker said, "The rest is history". He has been on irc for 3 years. He did not come to irc looking for Gorean places to chat. When asked this he replied, "Are you kidding? I thought everyone online was either a pedophile, axe murderer or one of your general assortments of psychos. I hadn’t even heard of "Gor" until someone in #30+ on Austnet said, "Don’t go there! They’re all sick freaks!" The first ever channel he visited was #30+ on Austnet. The first channel of a Gorean nature was #Pool_of_Blue_Flowers, also on Austnet. He doesn’t consider an earlier channel, run by a male and female switch, to be of Gorean nature.

Master Tusker first learned of the word Gor when he was visiting friends from #30+ in Ca., USA and Ontario, Canada in 1997. He has not read all the books yet but plans to do so. "What is your favorite and your least favorite of the Gor books you have read," vanea inquires. "I don’t really have a favorite. Perhaps, if I didn’t find a philosophy within them, I wouldn’t even be considered a fan. You’ll find me discussing issues of a philosophical nature rather than from the point of view of a fan. While I have enjoyed some of his books, I find Norman to be a hard read. The two I have enjoyed the most are Outlaws and Marauders. They were quite fantastic and swashbuckling. I liked them. I don’t have a least favorite."

One of the all time favorite questions heard is what does it mean to you to be Gorean? Master Tusker admits that is an interesting question and one, which he knew, was coming. "I never considered myself to be a Gorean (primarily because I’d never heard of it until 3 years ago), but, I knew I wasn’t a conformist who would submit himself to others. I refused to be a self-emasculated male. Contrary to the advice of my ex-wife’s father, I would not comply, rather, I felt that it was others who should comply with me or find themselves another path. My way or the highway, as it were, was and always has been my attitude. I had seen submissive men, acquaintances and relatives (the kind of men whom would cause some women to say, "why can’t you be like him?" or "you never do those kinds of things for me") and I’ve not liked that which I’ve seen. Now being able to identify that part of me is important. I am able to see that there is a purpose in being what I am. That purpose being to fulfill my dreams and ambitions my own way without apology. Being Gorean means that I am selective in whom my friends are. It means that I live, as uncompromisingly as I can, by a set of codes. For me, it means that I share a Home Stone and brotherhood with others of my ilk. Being one who appreciates the philosophical nature of that race in the books, which are referred to as "Goreans" gives me an appreciation of the natural order. It helps me to have a healthy awareness of my place as one who was born to be dominant and who will never surrender his dominance."

"Are you Gorean and how long have you considered yourself this, Master Tusker?" vanea asks. "Obviously I think so or I wouldn’t be talking to you. I’m sure that if you ask around, however, you’ll get some mixed reviews. J Most of my life I wasn’t able to give it a label, however, until 1997.

vanea asks, "How did you locate #Silk&Steel ? What has made you stay and make Silk&Steel your Home Stone, Master Tusker? Master Tusker replied, "Silk&Steel isn’t my Home Stone; it’s an IRC channel. The Home Stone is kept by Bear at this point. I bitched to Zeb and Risk about being subject to a site ban. While the ban wasn’t aimed at me (* Tusker waves to Brinlarr) it affected me. The men of S&S were and are still the most genuine and sincere I’ve ever met; that’s why I stayed." It will be two years on March 1 that Master Zeb opped Master Tusker in Silk&Steel. Master Tusker does not have a specific mentor online but says the men of his Home Stone in general are men whom he aspires to be like.

What Master Tusker enjoys most about being an op in S&S is the camaraderie. He may not necessarily like everyone with whom he ops, but he shares a Home Stone with them. "I would be lying if I said that wasn’t bigger than whether I liked another op or not", said Master Tusker. One of the things that have brought him joy was, "Meeting my brother, Phormio and good friends Mastiff and Risk. It’s not likely I would have had the opportunity to meet them had we not had the common link which op status provided for us. When asked if there was anything he disliked about being op, Master Tusker just smiled and said, "Sure there is".

Master Tusker is not sure what the funniest thing he remembers seeing in the tavern as he has seen many. He has laughed (and cursed) a lot over the years. A sad and displeasing thing Master Tusker has encountered while op in Silk and Steel was, "discover that one who ops with you is not what they have portrayed themselves to be. Instead they were a pathetic, low female animal who probably considers herself to be even more worthless than any man might think of her."

"How much of this lifestyle do you take into your life offline? How has it affected your life offline?" What you see is what you get. I am the same person in both instances. It has affected my life offline, however, by allowing me to prioritize and rank things by order of their value " says Master Tusker as he reaches down, taking some lint from his navel and places it on top of vanea’s head.

Master Tusker is married to his slave, tess. Currently tess is the only slave he owns. They were married April 3, 1999. Marrying one’s slave has often been debated among the men. To Master Tusker it was simple as to why he married his slave…"I love her. Marriage seems to be a fine expression of love, in my opinion." He does not have a Free Companion.

"Do your family and friends you work with know of your lifestyle, Master Tusker?" "Yes. Some of them may not have been given a label (i.e. not all of them say "Oh, he’s Gorean"), but, the most obvious indicator that I’m not "one of them" is that my slave is in service." "My brother and best friend have sat next to me when I have been online. I have done my best to explain what it means to be Gorean, but I am not quite sure they understand. When they see me use my slave, however, they are quite sure that I am not like them." Out in the public eye, outside my home, I do not carry a whip or any other apparatus at any time, therefore, I hardly have this problem of people understanding. At the same time, however, I am very good at getting my point across. Suffice it to say, I seem to be able to communicate what I want with my slave no matter where I am."

"Are there many people you call Gorean that live near you, Master Tusker?" "Yes. Brinlarr and Lomar live approximately 40 minutes north of me and Risk lives approximately 1 ½ hours south of me."

"Have you met many people from irc offline and did they meet to your expectations, Master Tusker?" "I’ve had the good fortune of meeting one of my brothers, Phormio, in April 1999. He came to San Francisco to be my Best Man at my wedding. I’ll meet Wolf-` eventually too. I enjoyed meeting with Pantheus and sharing two meals with him; one in Sydney, Australia in March 1999 and another in the East Bay, near San Francisco in May 1999. Mastiff happened to be visiting someone near Lake Tahoe, California in May 1999 and went out of his way to meet me in SF. I have shared meals with Brinlarr, Risk and Lomar here in Sydney. All of these men I consider a privilege to have met and shared things with."

Master Tusker believes he is on the record as saying he hates gamers or players but he says frankly, that is not quite true. What he hates are those (i.e. players) who refuse to accept that there are some who live this lifestyle. He sees their playing as mockery to the ones that can and do live it. To him they are the type of people who come to IRC (or some other virtual forum) and use those around them as a means for just some R&R. He does hate gamers and comments on this strongly "Why pretend to be something which you’re not in order to get some kind of psychological gain? Whether that gain is by way of a sexual kink or some other way at the expense of someone who is sincere with you. Why degrade yourself and defraud others?

Master Tusker is another who believes we all should contribute back to the communities we live in. Many do this in different ways. Master Tusker was involved in Rotary for 10 years (until a couple of years ago). He did not do it because he felt he had to give something back but because he liked the results of what he did. He thinks if giving something back felt like we were repaying a debt, then most would not likely do it. He also gives to the Gorean community by helping those that come to him. He is not going to go out of his way to seek you out. If you are sincere he will know and he will help in anyway that pleases him. He figures that if you want him you will find him. His name is seen often on the Gorean Board and he is not the least bit shy. (vanea smiles)

Master Tusker finds the camaraderie and the debates the most enjoyable part of irc. The biggest problem he sees with this type of medium is "That it’s easy for people to make a complete mockery of my lifestyle and not give a damn about it where they might be more respectful if I was standing "toe-to-toe" with them. That it’s easy for women to pretend to be men and vice versa. That it’s easy for someone to tell you a lie or a string of lies yet still consider themselves to be "honorable" while you, of course, are nothing more than scurrilous scum. Shall I continue?"

Master Tusker’s favorite colors are two. Aesthetically, he likes blue. Symbolically, he likes scarlet. His favorite food is the cooked variety. He does know how to cook, as he believes a man has got to be self-sufficient, but, I don’t do the barking when the dog is in the backyard. He claims to have a very eclectic taste in music. Anything from Elvis Presley to KISS to the Beatles to The Who to Carlos Santana to…etc.

If Master Tusker could go anywhere in the world for a vacation he would go to New York and Louisiana. When asked what the weather was like right now where he lives, he said "Tepid. It’s been fluctuating between 30c (somewhere between 85-90f) and 25c (somewhere below 85f) for a couple of days. tess is still a puddle, however, even when it’s cooler than that. Seems those from the Bay Area proper don’t deal with warm, human-type weather very well." vanea smiles,"When would be a good time for vanea to visit?..grin…"Any time you like."

"Master Tusker, is there a place in this lifestyle for Free Women?" * Tusker grins, Now, why are you asking *me* this question? Of course there’s a place for Free Women. They are rare animals, however" How he sees the Free Women’s part depends on the woman he concludes. "Would you ever have a FC, Master Tusker?"

Recently I’ve asked myself if I would ever-free tess. Since I’ve never freed a slave before that’s a pertinent question. To put it plainly I don’t believe I’d free any slave. I take pleasure from slaves and I don’t believe freeing them is conducive to that end. Some might ask "But, what if they find they’re not *really* slaves?". My answer to that question is "Be careful what you wish for." "Would I ever have a FC, though? Never say never, girl." His thoughts on if a slave should serve a Free Companion were "sure they should and in whatever manner her owner required." "While this might go without saying, I think the slave, owned or not, should serve the commands of those who are free. If there is a free man around he will control the manner in which the free woman is served. If he can’t control that (in other words, the FW manages to "top" him) he might wish to consider re-evaluating his relationship with his FC and free women in general.

"What do you look for in a slave, Master Tusker? "Sincerity first and foremost followed by acceptance of her position and what she has submitted to. What I first notice about a girl claiming to be a slave is usually a complete lack of the former. Looks, age and intelligence are vital. I have expectations in all areas. These expectations are required to be met. An ability and willingness to work for money is the only criteria I have in the wealth department."

Master Tusker replied that perhaps his greatest asset is persistence and greatest fault…modesty.

The name Master Tusker uses online has no special meaning. He was just in cyberspace on the day he decided to visit a Gorean room. He decided the nick he used in #30+ was inappropriate and the name "Tusker" just came to mind.

"As the interview draws closer to an end vanea wonders if you have seen many changes in the Gorean representation from the time you first encountered it online until now, Master?" "Not really. I think it’s only me who has changed in some respects. The newbies are still as dumb as I was, the gamers are still aplenty and the idiots who misinterpret, deliberately or ignorantly, are still abundant.

For those interested Master Tusker has a personal philosophy he has posted on the S&S web site. "I am the Master, if you wear a collar or a brand I will treat you as a slave. If that’s too harsh then don’t beg to serve me or speak with me for I will surely test you." So if you are female, he tells you not to come looking for the company of strong men only to whine that you are not being treated fairly.

Master Tusker had a favorite quote to conclude this interview. "You have right now exactly what you want." (Author unknown). It is his favorite because it demands he accepts responsibility for that which has happened in his life up to this point.

vanea smiles as she has been allowed another interesting interview to share with the readers, hoping they will enjoy it as much as she enjoyed doing it. vanea wishes to thank Master Tusker for allowing vanea the time and permission to conduct this interview. vanea also makes a note to check with Master Pantheus for any allotment for slave T&E expenses…vanea thinks she could do a much better job at this interviewing Master Pantheus if she could do it face to face…smiling as she holds her razor and toothbrush in hand, all ready to travel…….but Master Pantheus, it might could be a tax write off.