Tour of the Ubarate
...The grapes were purple and, I suppose, Ta grapes from the lower vineyards of the terraced island of Cos some four hundred pasangs from Port Kar.... If they were indeed Ta grapes I supposed they must have come by galley from Cos to Port Kar, and from Port Kar to the Fair of En'Kara. Port Kar and Cos are hereditary enemies, but such traditions would not be likely to preclude some profitable smuggling. But perhaps they were not Ta grapes for Cos was far distant, and even if carried by tarns, the grapes would probably not seem so fresh....
---Priest-Kings of Gor, 6:45
...There are four major cities on Cos, of which Telnus is the largest. The others are Selnar, Temos and Jad.
---Raiders of Gor, 13:174
...Telnus, our destination, is the capital city of the island of Cos, one of Gor's two largest maritime ubarates. Cos lies north of Tyros and west of Port Kar, which latter city is located in the Tamber Gulf, which lies just beyond the Vosk's delta. There are four major cities on Cos, Telnus, Selnar, Temos and Jad. Telnus is the largest of these and has the best harbor. The Ubar of Cos is Lurius, from the city of Jad....
---Slave Girl of Gor, 16:322
Cos (From the Scrolls of Ubar Luther)
Cos is a mountainous island, even loftier than Tyros, though it does have some level fields to the west. There are many terraced areas of Cos and Ta grapes are grown on many of them. Like Tyros, family is very important on Cos. The Cosian color is blue. There are a series of northern islands near Cos. They are numerous but small, extending in an archipelago like a scimitar northeastward from Cos. The islands are not united and their governments are usually no more than a village council. They commonly do possess any sea vessels larger than clinker-built skiffs and coasters.
The seamen of Cos refer to the left side of a ship by its port of destination and the right side by its port of registration. This changes when both are the same. Then, the left side is considered the "harbor side." The exact expressions "port" and "starboard" do not exist in Gorean though there are equivalent expressions.
The capital city of Cos is Telnus, a port city. The harbors of Telnus are vast and wall-encircled. There are two, high, round towers guarding the entrance to its harbor. The three other major cities on Cos are Selnar, Temos and Jad. The Ubar of Cos is Lurius of Jad. Lurius is corpulent, sagging man, like a great bag of meat. He is said to have a daughter from a long-dissolved free companionship. He was once to be companioned to Lady Vivina, the ward of Chenbar of Tyros, but she was captured by Tarl Cabot and enslaved.
The famed Ta grape, is usually associated with Cos though it is also grown in various locales in similar latitudes. Some of these grapes can get as large as a small plum. If eaten, they may often be peeled. They can also be used to make Ta wine. There is no description in the books as to the color or taste of Ta wine. It is likely that like many other wines, it comes in a variety of colors and tastes. The best Ta wines probably come from Cos though some other areas make good Ta wine as well.
The Cosian wingfish is found only in Cosian waters. It is a blue, delicate, four-spined fish. It is about the size of a tarn disk when curled in one's hand. There are larger varieties of wingfish found farther out to sea but this smaller variety is found only near Cos. It has three or four slender spines in its dorsal fin that are poisonous. It can hurl itself from water and glide through the air for brief distances on its stiff pectoral fins. It generally does this to evade sea-tharlarions who are immune to their poison. It is also sometimes called the songfish because of the whistling sound it makes in courting rituals. Both the male and females thrust their heads out of the water to whistle at that time. The wingfish is considered a great delicacy, especially its liver.
One of the most famous people to come from Cos is Centius, a Master Kaissa Player. He is a gentle, soft-spoken man who looks old and gray haired. It is said that the stabilization serums did not work on him until he was fifty years old. Centius loves Kaissa for its beauty and he seeks the perfect game. He is one of the seven or eight top players on Gor though some believe him to be the best player of all time. In 10125 C.A., Centius beat the famed Scormus or Ar in a riveting match at the Sardar Fair. At the present time, he is likely still going from tournament to tournament.
The Chatka and Curla is a large paga tavern in Telnus. It was built on four levels. It has a large open court with a wooden floor. There is an encircling dais, some twenty feet deep, and over the dais are two encircling balconies, each ten feet deep. The place is dimly lit by wagon lanterns, paneled with red glass. They hang on chains from the ceilings and balconies. Over one hundred slave girls work there and each is garbed as a slave of the Wagon People. They all wear the curla, chatka, kalmak and koora. The entire décor of the tavern suggests the lands of the Wagon Peoples. There are painted scenes of hunting, raiding, bosk herds, and the city of Turia. The girls are taught to say to patrons "A girl would rejoice if she were permitted to please you in an alcove." Some patrons bring their own whips or quirts to the tavern so the girls must ensure they do not offend the patrons. Free women may come here, if they are escorted. The tavern sometimes has dancers and they may be displayed in the center of the red wooden floor within the painted yellow ring of the slave circle. The tavern is not an open place though so the girls cannot just leave it. Double iron gates bar the entrance.
The Vosk River has been long an area of contention between Cos and Tyros and their enemy Ar. All of them claim the southern shore of the river as their own. As Ar is landlocked, the Vosk River is very important. Most of the Arian ships were wharfed at Ar's Station. Cos and Tyros must transport their ships to the continent and then carry them overland to the river. Cos and Tyros used to support Vosk pirates against Ar. But, the formation of the Vosk League has ended much of the piracy on the Vosk.
Port Cos, one of the primary cities on the Vosk River, was founded by settlers from Cos over a century ago. It is a colony whose ties to Cos are largely historical and cultural. It possesses its own Home Stone and is independent from Cos. Many officers of Port Cos were once native Cosians, mercenaries or veterans of the Cosian navy, on detached duty. During the events of the Jason Marshall trilogy, the Gorean books #14 to #16, Port Cos became a member of the Vosk League. Ar would not let Ar's Station become a member of the Vosk League because they did not want to lose their influence on the Vosk River.
The events of Players of Gor begin to detail a grand war between the forces of Cos and Tyros against Ar. Once again, traitors within their intended victim, Ar, help Cos and Tyros in their efforts. Cos is the primary leader in this attacking force. The naval forces land at Brundiniusm and conquer that city. They then begin their movements toward Ar. Cos eventually attack's Ar's Station. Cos is repelled by elements of the Vosk League but Ar claims their Home Stone and takes it to Ar. It is claimed that Ar's Station collaborated with Cos and are traitors. About 50,000 troops of Ar are sent to the Vosk Delta seeking Cosians but this is an elaborate trap. About 45,000 of those men perish in the delta on a wild goose chase.
At this time, Marlenus is in the Voltai on a punitive strike against Treve. The regent of Ar is now alleged to be a tyrant and he is subsequently deposed in a military coup. Cos is welcomed into Ar for helping to deliver them from the regent's tyranny. Again, the traitors within Ar aid Cos. Talena, one of the traitors, is now made Ubara of Ar. The military forces of Ar are disbanded and Cosians take their places, sometimes wearing Ar uniforms. The citizens of Ar are disarmed and even the walls surrounding Ar are destroyed. Cos effectively ends up in control of Cos though some rebellious elements remain in Ar. Marlenus is still missing and the future of Ar looks dim.
Unfortunately, this is how the Gorean series ends. The next proposed book, Witness of Gor, allegedly deals with Marlenus and Treve. It is unknown if Marlenus will return to Ar or if the rebellion within Ar can oust Cos. Even the Priest Kings may wish to interfere at this point. The Priest Kings do not want any single city to control too much of Gor. They stopped Ar early in the series when it appeared Ar was getting too large. Another unknown matter is whether Cos has had support from the Kurii. The Kurii have been strangely silent in the later novels and may very well be behind this attack by Cos. We can only hope that new Gorean novels do get published and the ultimate fate of Cos and Ar becomes known.
