Holy Code of War

This time is the rules of war as dictated by the god Daeme herself after the fall of the Draconic Empire. A way to conduct conflict civilly and to prevent undue harm to those who have not called battle onto themselves. It is widely read and accepted as the proper way to war. However that has not stopped more vindictive and brutal rulers and commanders from disregarding its pages in order to reap the benefits. While the gods do look down and influence the world, they rarely reach down to correct the transgressions of mortals. Daeme will not extend blessings or other divine aid to those who blatantly break the code.
The exact writing of the text is so full of protocol that even the most devote paladins struggle to obey every bit of the code. But while there is a lot of pomp, circumstance, and nuance to the written book, its main tenants are simple to follow.

1. Unaligned Civilians, Land, and Items

Civilians who have not pledged themselves to a cause or against your may not be intentionally harmed in the course of battle. Neither shall they be forced to claim an allegiance in order to justify harm. Should suspicion be raised of subterfuge and spying, civilians may be imprisoned to prevent a determent to battle, but only on the conditions they are fed, watered, bathed, and healed as needed.
To the same effect, unaligned properties and goods may not be destroyed or seized without them being obviously owned or declared to be owned by an opposing force. Supplies and goods may be confiscated should they be expected to fall into enemy hands but not destroyed. Unaligned Property can be occupied should it hold a strategic significance. However the occupying force shall take responsibility for any damages that befall it in result of combat.

2. Torture and Prisoners of War

The lives, rights and dignity of enemy prisoners shall be preserved. They must be given food and water, protected from violence, allowed healing and communicate with their families. Exception may be taken with arcanists should there not be an allied caster who can dispel magical trickery on communications out.
Torture is only allowed for the express purpose of procuring information out of enemy combatants and only enemy combatants. Once information has been given up the treatment must cease and only resume should the information be proven false and given in ill will, not ignorance. Even in the use of gathering information, the torment must not leave the victim permanently maimed. Any long lasting wounds and crippling must be able to be healed by the torturer's own forces if they are to be done.

3. Unaligned Adventurers and Healers

The wounded and sick always have a right to be cared for, regardless of which side of the conflict they're on. Healers who are aligned with an enemy force may not be harmed but can be captured and moved to a war prison after their immediate healing duties have completed. Unaligned healers must be protected by all warring parties and allowed access to collect and care for the wounded and sick. Aligned Healers healers who pose as unaligned healers for the purposes of spycraft are revoked of all protections however.
Unaligned Adventurers my be attempted to be drafted into service or persuaded into joining a conflict. However the actions of these individuals are not the responsibility of a faction unless they encourage, approve, or ordered these actions directly. Adventurers who are serving the purposes of spycraft have all protections revoked to them should they be caught.

4. Passage of Unaligned Peoples

Parties to a conflict must take all reasonable steps to evacuate civilians from areas where there is fighting. In the heat of conflict, such steps can take the form of advanced warnings or the creation of "safe corridors" for civilians to leave a besieged city and for healers to deliver aid and services. Civilians who do not flee from a combat area however can be considered aligned to the defenders. With the exception of a retaking of a location within 5 years time. This exception is not valid if a civil coup was is what drove the original occupies of the location away.

5. Excessive Destruction

Magics and actions that result in the destruction of unaligned peoples, properties, and the environment without the foreseen majority destruction of an enemy force is forbidden. Should the destruction risk to spill over and destroy an amount of peoples, properties, and environment in excess to the enemy force. That act of destruction is forbidden to take place. An exception to this rule is given to enemies that in themselves risk to cause a greater destruction to unaligned peoples, land, and the environment. This exception is also extended to the 8 rule of war.

6. Spycraft

Those practicing the art of subterfuge, deception, and espionage are not afforded the protections granted to aligned or unaligned people. Their treatment is left up to the people they have betrayed in an effort for their allies to win.

7. Messengers & Representatives

Messengers and Representatives are enemy aligned or unaligned parties who must be treated in all respects like allied peoples. They can be denied entry to your territories but they may never be harmed by a factions actions. If accepted into your territory they must be expected to act as the eyes and ears for your enemies. They may be regulated to specific areas if allowed in, upon which they are obligated to obey in return for your protection. Should they not obey your restrictions, their protections are revoked and are treated as enemy spies.

8. The Undead

Practitioners of the arts of undeath and the abominations they raise are the lowest of all creatures. In their presence, all other hostilities must cease and their extermination must be had. No quarter, no mercy, no surrender. Any person who refuses to lay aside their conflict to aid in the destruction of the unholy threat will be treated as an ally of the undead and be treated as such.

9. Surrender, Parlay, & No Quarter

Under the parlay of a white flag, the highest leaders of the conflict come together to negotiate. This negotiation can be anything the parties wish to talk about. While under the white flag of parlay no hostile action make take place. This includes any sort of spellcraft that involves a member of the opposite party without their consent. The material of the flag is unimportant. Whether it be a cloth, painted wood, a white stone, or an illusion. While the flag is up parlay is happening, and is over when it is lowered. None of the parlay participants or allies of them may pull down, destroy, or dispel the flag to cease the parlay.
Surrender is signaled by the dropping of the weapons and opening of fortifications with the leader of the surrendering parties at its front. During battle it is just the dropping of weapons. A surrendering force may not be killed and must be taken prisoner with all of the protections intact.
If the black flag of No Quarter is raised, it is a sign that no mercy shall be given in the coming combat regardless of surrender and that the fliers expect the same. Once flown the meaning of the flag of No Quarter should be considered always true regardless if the flag still flies.

Type

Text, Religious