"A
creature who had not known hatred, lust and
terror, I suspected, would be ill-fitted to
understand the Kur, or men." (Tribesman of
Gor, p.218)
Gor is not safe. Neither is Earth. An alien
race, the Kurii, wish to conquer both
worlds. "Kurii" is a Gorean corruption of
their own name for themselves and in Gorean
it means "beasts." "Kur" is the singular
form of this word. They are also sometimes
called the "Others" by those less familiar
with them. There are two primary types of
Kurii, those of the Steel Worlds and those
living on Gor, some which are now native
after several generations on Gor. The Kurii
are the great enemies of the Gorean series
and serve as villains in a fair number of
the books.
The Kurii have had a civilization for about
one hundred thousand years, much longer than
mankind has had such. Kurii legends state
that many thousands of years ago, in
internecine wars, the Kurii destroyed the
viability of their native world. There is no
reason given for these massive wars between
themselves. Their sun was a yellow,
medium-sized slow-rotating star with a
planetary system, one small enough to
nourish life but large enough to have a
suitable habitable zone. Maybe forty
thousand years ago, the Kurii possessed
incredible technology, far beyond what they
have now. But most of this technology was
destroyed in the wars among themselves.
Their civilization has regressed in some
ways and appears on a technological decline.
At least twenty thousand years ago, the
Kurii possessed a deep space capability.
At about that time, the Kurii came to our
solar system seeking a new home. Nothing is
mentioned about the type of starships they
possess and how they were able to reach our
system. We do not know how far or for how
long the Kurii traveled until they reached
our system. We also do not know how many
other planetary systems they might have
first stopped at before deciding on our
system. We also do not know if they still
possess the means to travel between the
stars. If they do not, it might explain why
they have remained for so long in our solar
system fighting a battle they have lost so
many times.
Once they arrived in our solar system, the
Kurii came into contact with the
Priest-Kings and war was the result and has
been ongoing for almost twenty thousand
years. We have no information on this first
contact. We do not know how the Priest-Kings
initially treated the Kurii. We do not know
if the Kurii met force from the start or if
the Kurii were the first to use force. Based
on our knowledge of the two races, it is
more likely the Kurii were the initial
aggressors. The Kurii have been driven from
our solar system eleven times but they
always eventually return. They refuse to
close with the Priest-King ships because
they know that their own ships are no match
for the superior weaponry of the
Priest-Kings.
Why haven't the Kurii given up and gone
elsewhere? They have been unsuccessful for
about twenty thousand years, a very long
time. Are there few planetary systems
conducive to their biology? Are they simply
so headstrong that they will always strive
for success no matter how many defeats they
must face? Have their starships lost the
ability for intergalactic travel? Have they
run out of the necessary fuel for
intergalactic travel? Do they have an
unknown vested interest in Gor? Lots of
questions exist but no answers.
Most Kurii live in their spaceships, steel
worlds called Master Ships. Each ship is
almost an artificial planet, some pasangs in
diameter. The steel ships wait near Jupiter,
called Hesius by Goreans. For thousands of
years, the Kurii had left Gor alone but have
recently begun to direct their attentions to
it. Though they outnumber the Priest-Kings
by more than a thousand times, the superior
power of the Priest-Kings continues to hold
them off. Kurii starship sensors may be the
match of the Priest-Kings. Kurii weapons,
though primitive, are effective at ranges of
up to one hundred thousand pasangs, about
seventy thousand miles. Priest-Kings
expeditions to repel the Kurii are costly,
dangerous and difficult. Thus, the
Priest-Kings take little direct action
against the Kurii ships. They prefer more
defensive than offensive actions. Kurii have
never met or captured an actual Priest-King.
Since they are ignorant of much of their
nature, the Kurii are hesitant to fully
attack Gor.
Some Kurii ships have crashed on Gor over
the years. The Priest-Kings will destroy the
ships but they do little about any Kurii who
escape from those ships. As long as these
Kurii obey the Technology and Weapon Laws,
the Kurii are allowed to remain on Gor.
Generally, these Kurii degenerate quickly to
a state of barbarism and anarchy. Some Kurii
have lived on Gor for several generations
and know little, if anything, of the Steel
Worlds. They usually live in isolated areas
of Gor such as the frozen wastes of the
north. The Kurii that live in the cold north
live in field shelters made of skins and
furs arched over bent saplings. Kurii do not
like sleeping exposed. In an open field,
they will burrow into the ground. These
northern Kurii commonly wield great axes.
White-furred Kurii are called ice beasts by
the Red Hunters of the polar basin. These
Kurii hunt from ice floes and have an
affinity for water unlike other Kurii. There
are few Kurii in the Barrens and Tahari as
there is too little cover, the summer heat
is too severe and game is scarce in the
winters.
Kurii usually range from seven to nine feet
tall and weigh from seven to nine hundred
pounds. Their arms are longer and larger
than their legs. Their biceps are commonly
about eight inches wide and their wrists are
about five inches wide. Their hands are
clawed and pawlike with six digits,
extra-jointed, and almost like tentacles.
These hand claws are usually filed allowing
them to better able use tools and
technological items. Most Kur are
right-handed as the left hemisphere of their
brain is dominant. Their hind legs are eight
to ten inches wide. Though their legs are
short, with their arms they can move on all
fours rapidly like an ape. For short
distances it can even outrun a tarsk. They
are also excellent climbers. The claws on
its feet are retractable, usually not filed
and over four inches long. Their most common
fur color is dark brown though they can also
be brownish red, sable or white. A mottling
of white in their coloration commonly
denotes disease.
Their heads are the width of the chest of a
large man with a mouth large enough to cover
a man's head. The mouth contains two rows of
fangs, four being prominent in the position
of canines. The upper two canines are long
and curved. Its tongue is dark. Their eyes
are large and round, with black pupils and a
yellowish cornea. They have excellent vision
in the dark and their eyes adjust to light
changes quicker than humans. Their ears are
large, pointed and wide. They can be laid
back flat against its head. Its snout is
wide and leathery with two slitlike
nostrils. They have a tracking capacity,
including both smell and hearing, equivalent
to a larl though not as good as a sleen.
Their blood is red but the plasma has a very
high percentage of salt that acts as a
protein solvent. This means that they can
eat vast quantities of meat, which would
kill a man who tried to eat a similar
amount. They also have a second stomach, a
storage place where food is not digested.
The food can be moved at will to their true
stomach, or chemical stomach. They usually
do not carry excess food and water unless
when they are anticipating a time of
scarcity. Additional food is a weight burden
and impairs their performance. Kur also have
good metabolic control and can slow or speed
their digestion at will.
They speak with rumbles, snarls, growls, and
half roars. Though it may sound like animal
noises initially, once you listen to the
noises they do form the rhythms of a
language. Kurii phonemes for the most part
elude representation in the alphabets of
men. No known Gorean can speak the language
of the Kurii. Kurii find it difficult to
speak Gorean and most do not speak it. When
they do speak it, it is a horrifying
approximation. It does not actually hurt
them to speak Gorean, it is only difficult
for them to do so. They prefer to use
translators when dealing with Goreans. This
produces a flat, mechanical form of speech
that is often awkward and choppy.
Translators are notorious for being too
literal at times due to the limitations of
the translation.
Kurii are divided into four sexes: Dominant,
Nondominant, Egg-carrier, and Blood-nursers.
The order of structure in their society is
the Dominant, Egg-carrier, Nondominant and
Blood-nurser. The Dominants correspond
roughly to the human male. Their instinct is
to enter the killings and to mate. Most
Kurii are born Dominants but many do not
survive the killings. Nondominants are
Dominants who do not join in the killings or
mating. Nondominants are despicable and
hated by the Dominants. Sometimes though a
Nondominant will transform into a Dominant
if there are no other Dominants around or
the Nondominant is particularly stressed.
Egg-carriers, also known as conceivers, are
the ones impregnated by a Dominant. They
roughly correspond to the Gorean female.
They can be frequently impregnated, about
once a month, which helps promote a rapid
reproduction rate. An Egg-carrier is smaller
than a Dominant and they do not participate
in the killings. Shortly after an
impregnation, within a moon, the Egg-carrier
deposits the fertilized egg into a Blood-nurser.
Blood-nursers, also known as Carriers, are
basically baby incubators. They are
sluggish, immobile and mouthed. They fasten
themselves to hard surfaces. An egg will
develop inside their body and the unborn
receives blood from the Carrier. Some months
later, the baby will tear itself free of the
Carrier, likely killing the Carrier.
The
newborn Kur will follow the first
Egg-carrier of Nondominant that it sees. It
will ignore a Blood-nurser. If it sees a
Dominant, its response will depend on its
own sex. If the newborn is also a Dominant,
it will bare its tiny fangs and claws. The
Dominant will ignore the newborn. If the
newborn is an Egg-carrier or Nondominant, it
will shun the Dominant that might decide to
kill it. The newborns live on water and
common protein. They are capable of hunting
small animals shortly after leaving the
Blood-nurser.
Kurii of the Steel Worlds consist of several
"Peoples" who speak different languages,
vary in coloration, texture of fur,
temperament, tooth arrangement, ear shape,
and more. These different Peoples form
differing factions and continually vie for
control. The Steel Worlds are led by a High
Council, composed of seventy-two members
elected from the representatives of the
thousand tribes of the cliffs. All these
Kurii are bound by Ship Loyalty and Ship
Law. In the statutes of the Steel Worlds,
the High Council is the judge and jury. A
criminal defendant's presence is not
necessary at a trial. Evidence against the
court is inadmissible and it is wrong to
speak on behalf of a criminal. You have
little chance of being found innocent in
such a trial. The majority vote of the High
Council rules. Much depends on which Kurii
faction is in power and which Kurii are
currently in favor.
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The Steel
Worlds even have some Kurii groups in
hibernation. Little is said in the books
about these hibernated Kurii. We do not know
how many are hibernated, for how long they
remain in hibernation, or why they are
hibernated. It may be that the Steel Worlds
have limited space and resources and must
conserve by placing a portion of their
population into a hibernated stasis. Such
hibernation may have been very important
when they travel through space to avoid
relativistic effects such as time dilation.
Killing is not discouraged on their ships
except under conditions of battle or when
the functioning of the vessel might be
impaired. Killing helps to cull the weak.
Kurii have traditions of dueling, and the
tradition of the fang and claw. Their
Killings are arena-like battles fought for
the joy of killing and the reward of mating.
Kurii may fight amidst themselves but they
would never betray each other to another
species such as man. A single Kur against a
man is a formidable opponent. Men commonly
must gang up on a Kur to kill it though some
Goreans have ben able to single-handedly
vanquish a Kur. They hold glory above all
else.
The military of the Kurii is well organized
into specific units. Six Kurii equal a
"Hand" and its leader is called an "Eye."
Two Hands and Two Eyes equal a "Kur," or
Beast, which is commanded by a "Blood."
Twelve Kur equal a "Band" which is also led
by a Blood of higher ranking. Twelve Bands
equal a "March" which is also led by a
Blood. A March consists of 2,173 Kurii.
Twelve Marches equal a "People" which is
also led by a Blood. A People consists of
25,977 Kurii. The term "blood" has been
adopted for use to denote a leader from an
old belief that thought was a function of
the blood and not the brain.
Kurii are also divided into those either
below the rings, within the rings, or above
the rings. Those below the rings are the
non-warriors, such as the Nondominants, and
lesser warriors. Those within the rings are
the leaders. Those above the rings are the
Chieftains of the People. The Blood of a
Band wears two plain rings, of a reddish
alloy, welded onto his left wrist. This
unknown metal is immune to Gorean files. The
Blood of a March wears only one ring. The
Blood of a People wears no rings as he is
above the rings. Some Kurii may wear
decorative rings, including earrings, but
these signify nothing. There are also Kurii
"Princes" who earn that title by skill in
battle. The books do not detail any
privilieges gained by Princes. Failure is
not tolerated by the Kurii, especially for
one of the rings. A kur may make a solem vow
by swearing and placing a paw upon the rings
of a leader.
Kurii are carnivorous and view man as a
foodstuff. Their words for "food" include
humans which is sometimes translated as
"cattle" or "meat animal." They have
difficulty differentiating humans from each
other. They prefer raw meat as they feel
that cooked meat weakens the jaws. Blood is
an agitant to them like it is to a shark. A
Kur will not eat another Kur. Kurii respect
the prowess of the sleen, considering it a
worthy adversary.
Kurii are predominantly nocturnal creatures
though they have no difficulties acting
during the daytime. When their ears are laid
back, it is commonly a sign of readiness to
attack. The baring of their fangs can also
indicate agression. Kurii are highly
intelligent creatures. The number six is
important to them as that is how many
fingers they have on one hand. Thus, they
use base-twelve mathematics. A Kur day is
divided into twelve hours. Kurii highly
value grooming themselves with combs and
brushes. Some would be even considered vain
about their appearance. They commonly do not
swim well or like the water. Some Kurii can
ride tarns. We are unsure if they have any
type of religious beliefs. They do not
believe in immortality. A sprinkling of some
dust on a body can count as a Kur burial.
Besides their Master Ships, the Kurii have a
number of smaller spaceships they use for
various missions. Most of these ships are
black, saucer-like vehicles similar to the
ships of the Priest-King. Kurii ships though
have observation apertures that the
Priest-Kings ships lack. One type of Kurii
ship is about thirty feet in diameter and
eight feet high. Other sized ships also
exist. Their ships have a hatch on the top
of the disk as well as a side hatch that
opens to form a type of ramp. They are
similar to the "flying saucers" seen in many
"B" movies. Kurii ships have a
radar-screening device and a
light-camouflage system to reduce detection
of their ships.
These ships, usually the smaller ones, visit
Earth to capture women and to obtain certain
Earth items. Human agents of the Kurii often
man such ships. Captured Earth girls have an
identification bracelet placed on their
ankles. Kurii slaves may be sold in Gorean
markets or eventually end up as Kurii food.
They burden their male slaves heavily but
they do not allow their female slaves to
engage in heavy labor. It is though that
such labor will toughen the meat. There are
likely even Kurii on Earth, maybe exiles,
degenerate castaways and such, hidden in the
isolated areas of the world. They may be the
basis for the Earth legends of the yeti and
sasquatch.
A few other items of Kurii technology were
mentioned in the books. Their agents engaged
in captures on Earth use an ointment on cuts
that is odorless and appears to be absorbed
into the skin almost immediately. Its effect
is to heal the wounds quicker without a
scar. They have language translators. These
are metallic, instrumented, boxlike devices.
They have a small, conical red light that
glows on the top of the device to show it is
operating. The Kurii possess physical and
chemical techniques to date the age of
objects. They have a projectile weapon that
fires a six-inch long, conical, gas-impelled
dart. The weapons have carved wooden stocks
with unusual designs on the stocks. The
weapon is fired by a button on the forepart
of the stock. They can also create an aurora
borealis-like effect. They saturate the
atmosphere with certain patterns of charged
particles. This can be used as a signaling
device to other Kurii and their human
agents.
Prasdak of the Cliff of Karrash was a famous
Kur scientist. He was also very secretive in
his creations. Thousands of years ago, he
created five rings that allowed a Kur to
become invisible. Before Prasdak died, he
destroyed the plans to create these rings.
Two years after he died, his city was sacked
and the rings were uncovered. Three of them
were eventually destroyed. Tarl Cabot
obtained one of the rings and it ended up in
the hands of the Priest-Kings. The ring is a
heavy, gold ring set with a tiny square of
silver. If you turn the bezel inward so the
silver faces inward, you can see a circular
switch. Pressing this switch will turn you
invisible and you will also see everything
in a red light. The ring is a light
diversion device that encircles you in a
field.
Undoubtedly, the Kurii possess other
advanced technology that we have yet to see.
But, much of this technology is only
remnants from their past glory days. Little
new technology appears to be produced
currently. They are on a technological
decline. They must also be careful about
using high technology on Gor as the
Priest-Kings will then take notice and act
to destroy the technology. Most of the
technology the Kurii have used on Gor has
been in isolated areas where the
Priest-Kings are less likely to watch such
as the frozen north or the heart of the
Tahari desert.
During the Gorean series, Tarl Cabot and
others have often faced the Kurii and
attempted to thwart their plans. In
Marauders of Gor, book #9, the Kurii made a
major strike against Gor. They attempted to
invade Gor from the northlands and sweep
down toward the southern lands. They were
defeated after a few major battles. In
Tribesmen of Gor, book #10, the Kurii
offered an ultimatum to the Priest-Kings.
They told them to surrender Gor. The
unspoken threat was that would destroy Gor.
Tarl Cabot was able to stop a terrible
explosive device that would have destroyed
the entire planet. In Beasts of Gor, book
#12, a Kurii General, Half-Ear, comes to Gor
to create a secret base in the frozen north.
Tarl helps stop the Kurii and Half-Ear
activates a self-destruction mechanism at
the base. Half-Ear is presumed killed in the
massive explosion. In Savages of Gor and
Blood Brothers of Gor, books #17 and #18, it
is learned that Half-Ear survived and is
hiding in the Barrens. A Kurii Death squad
is sent to kill him for being a traitor.
Tarl helps save Half-Ear's life. Half-Ear
then learns that the death sentence had been
lifted and he returns to the Steel Worlds to
lead them once again.
After this point in the series, the Kurii
try to become much more subtle. They try to
infiltrate their human agents into Gorean
cities. These agents try to seize control
and accomplish certain goals of the Kurii.
The Kurii take a much more behind the scenes
approach. Several of their plans are foiled.
It is possible, though there is no proof as
of yet, that the Kurii may even be behind
the Cosian invasion of Ar. Subtlety is their
new chosen strategy. If they are behind the
Cosians, then their new strategy has been
more effective. We do not know what Half-Ear
has been doing since the events of Blood
Brothers of Gor.
Most Goreans, if not all, would either
attack or flee when confronted by a Kur.
Kurii do not walk the streets of Gorean
cities. They may sometimes be hidden within
buildings in some cities but they do not
walk around freely, even in those buildings.
Few Goreans know of their war with the
Priest-Kings or much about them at all. Most
Goreans would view them as animals or
monsters that should be destroyed. And
killing Kurii is not an easy task.
Kurii do not make friends of humans. They
use them and then eliminate or eat them.
Kurii know that they cannot openly operate
on Gor so they need human agents. Yet, the
Kurii believe themselves to be superior to
man. They would not deign to make friends
with a race they consider food. The closest
a Kur has come to friendship with a human
has been the case of Half-Ear and Tarl
Cabot. These two bonded as warriors, not as
friends. They respect the abilities of each
other. They understand that they will always
be enemies but also know that battle joins
them as brothers. They were civil and
respectful toward each other in the Barrens,
but they each know that they are at war.
They would battle each other if necessary.
The Kurii are the enemies of Gor and Earth.
They wish to destroy the Priest-Kings and
claim the planets for their own. This is a
battle that has gone on for 20,000 years and
the end is nowhere in sight. The Nest War
did weaken the Priest-Kings but a number of
years have passed since then and the
Priest-Kings have been regaining their
power. Neither side can easily gain a
complete victory. It is a war of inches.
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