Types of Slaves

People have often asked me 'what makes a slave?'. Well, there are in my mind, several types of slave. Allow me to elaborate...

• The Debt Slave. The debt slave is only wearing a collar to work off their debt. their level of compliance can vary greatly, and when not actively working on their duty they tend to act more like a free person (which they almost universally are).
• The Rebellious Slave. The character in question does not want to be a slave. No way no how. Unfortunately the collar locked around their neck marks them as such. These slaves are very highly likely to act up, and may cause trouble for their owners if not handled strictly. Caution should be taken when selecting a slave of this type.
• The Unwilling Slave. Originally this type was blended into the Rebellious Slave type, but there is a difference. Unwilling slaves, while they may begin as Rebellious slaves, settle down into their servitude. Unwilling slaves don't like their station in life, but they've accepted that they are not going to be released from it anytime soon.
• The Pet Slave/The Lover. Perhaps the most confusing of the slave types, The Pet Slave is a slave in name only, or else a slave only in the bedroom. We all know them, and lots are comfortable in this role. The vast majority of slaves in this type are content in their place, and do so willingly. This category has been greatly diminished by the introduction of the Concubine system.
• The True Slave. The True Slave is a slave through-and-through. They are mostly/completely subservient. Often they extend this subservience to those beyond their owners; recognizing that the position of a slave in Belariath is that of property and nothing more. This type of slave is most likely to actively seek an owner if they ever become disowned, having no desire to be a Free Person. (this slave considers herself a true slave)
• The Common (Inn) Slave. By and large, Inn Slaves are True Slaves, and thus this 'type' is more of a special-case. Inn Slaves are owned by the Inn as staff, and serve all who enter their workplace. They are usually selected for their subservience, and so they have little in the way of rebelliousness. Note that Debt Slaves to the Inn do not fall into this category.
• Tu'turadil. Another special class of slave, the Tu'turadil are slaves selected for this high honor because they set an excellent example for other slaves, and are often used to assist owners in instructing new slaves. They exemplify everything that a slave should be. This slave tries her best to behave to the Tu'turadil's standards.

It's worth mentioning at this point that there are as many types of Owners as there are slaves. I will for the moment avoid enumerating them, as I have not comprised a complete list.


Also, a slave can very quickly transition from one type to another, depending on their behavior, owner, and other considerations.