Robert

Tarl Cabot must prove his final loyalty to the harsh and caste-bound planet known as Counter Earth. “Surrender Gor,” reads a message sent from the Others, a mysterious people from the worlds of steel. Either the proud rulers of Gor must submit or be destroyed. Now Tarl is leaving the decadent city of Port Kar to wander in the wilds of Gor, taking up the sword to defend his rulers and enemies, the Priest-Kings, for he knows that the fate of his home planet, Earth, is inextricably tied to the fate of Gor.

Former earthman Tarl Cabot has been struggling to free himself from the cruel control of the Priest-Kings of Gor to no avail. As he pits his strength against such a formidable enemy, a terrible beast appears from the mysterious northern lands, bearing a token of the demise of Tarl's once-beloved woman Talena. The missive is a sign of defiance and disrespect from his enemies, meant to humiliate him and force him to challenge them in response.