Civilized Honor

Civilised Code of Honour

This is the code of honour practiced by most knights and nobles from the civilised lands. Some civilised warriors, soldiers and mercenaries also practice this code of honour.

A character with a civilised code of honour will:

• Respect alliances with other honourable civilised characters. He may also respect alliances with honourable barbaric characters but this is not required.

• Respect an alliance with a dishonourable civilised character until that character breaks the alliance.

• Offer his allegiance to any leader who might be regarded as a legitimate authority, or to a greater cause of some kind; once he grants his allegiance, the character must be utterly loyal, so long as his leader or cause remains honourable and loyal to him in return. Note that a character with a civilised code of honour need not necessarily retain an allegiance that was always intended to be temporary, such as a mercenary contract, after the conditions are fulfilled.

• If seriously insulted, demand a formal duel at the next suitable opportunity. Honour may also be satisfied with sincere and profuse apologies, at the discretion of the insulted party.

• Protect those weaker than himself, if such protection is formally requested and if the person requesting protection is highborn.

• Obey the laws of his homeland and co-operate with lawful authorities in other lands wherever possible, unless at war with those lands. This applies even if such behaviour would be to the detriment of his friends or allies.

• Have no in-principle objection to slavery, being willing to keep or free slaves as suits his purposes. Respect religious authorities.

• If religious, make war upon the enemies of his religion without showing mercy or offering quarter.

A character with a civilised code of honour will not:

• Break the law of the land, unless he has formally thrown in his lot with an organised and (in his opinion) legitimate force of rebels.

• Slay an honourable foe who offers a ransom or throws himself on the character’s mercy, unless ordered to do so by a legitimate authority. Even in the latter case, if the character believes that such an order indicates that the authority is no longer legitimate, he may at the Games Master’s discretion be able to avoid killing the foe, so long as he immediately attempts to remove the illegitimate authority from power; this may involve something along the lines of the rebellion mentioned above.

• Slay a dishonourable foe of noble birth who offers a ransom or throws himself on the character’s mercy, unless ordered to do so by a legitimate authority.

• Knowingly work for a dishonourable employer.

• Attack peasants or ordinary civilians and tradesmen, unless those folk have openly rebelled against a lawful authority.