Codex Nobilis

CODEX NOBILIS
Let all those who bear the burden of noble blood know that these are the rules of the beahavior of the nobility. Those nobles who do not obey them and who do not keep them close to thier hearts are not truly noble. Those nobles who fail to respect the noble code are not true nobility - a pox upon the realm whose rulers ignor the law. Those lords who turn a deaf ear to the obligations of chivalry shall command no loyalty - no oath sworn to them shall be true, no task they order shall be obeyed, and no battle in which they lead shall be won. The chivalrous noble who clings to the law despite all hardship and loss shall be honored forever. The pretenders to royalty who eschew these laws shall be cast aside and forgotten.

Thou shalt swear fealty to thy liege lord, and uphold all convictions that are theirs. Defend the honor of thy liege as if it were thine own - brook no evil that would be spoken of them. Truly, there is no greater honor then to offer up thine own life defending thy liege lord. Thy liege is thy parent, and thou must honor them as thou would honor thy mother and thy father - yes, with even more honor, for while life flows from thy parents to thyself, life flows from your liege to both thyself and to the land and to thy fellow vassals that thy liege commands.

Stand by the words and deeds and laws of thy family, and be loyal to them, as they are loyal to thee. Dishonor not thy family nor lead them to dishonor. If thou dost commit a shameful act, the dishonor is shared among thy parents, thy siblings, and thy children, and they must make amends for thy misdeeds, as thou wouldst in turn make amends for theirs. Therefore, stand always on the side of right and honor, and may thy family always stand with thee.

Do not consort with the enemy, either with thine own enemies or the enemies of the realm. Thy liege lord's enemies or thine own. Stand by the side of thy liege as they face their enemies, and leave not their side, unless commanded to do so, least thine abansonment of thy post lead to the defeat of thy liege. A noble who hath abandoned their liege or their people to the desires of their enemies hast also abandoned their honor and their soul. Thou art the commoner's protection against the evils of the world, so that the common folk may work, toil, and sweat to perform their duties, If thou are not a true gardian of thy people, then they cannot and will not labor for thee.

Thy word is thy bond. The noble who makes a promise and then breaks it, the noble who swears and oath and fails to fulfill it, is beneath contempt and deserves not the privilege of nobility. A noble is obliged to stand by their word, even to a vow made to a commoner. If thou doth swear an oath to one, ans swears another oath to another, ans the two oaths be in contention with one another, then thou art of necessity forsworn. But if a noble stands in the light of justice, righteousness, and chivalry, then there will be some way to preserve both oaths and hence thy honor and dignity. Only one who is not right can be forsworn.

Defend the realm from all enemies, be they from outside the realm or within. Never surrender before the enemy, though thou are overwhelmed and certian to be defeated. The keystone of the code of chivalry is that the one who is in the right shall always prevail in the end against the dishonorable, the shameful, the outcasts, or the wicked. Even if thy foe outnumbersa thee and is overwhelmingly powerful, if thou art in the right then, at the final battle, thou must be victorious. If thou failest to defeat thy enemies ere the last battle is over, then thou wert not in the right.

Finally, and most importantly, there be only one reason why nobility exists, why they are given such benifits and burdens, such laws and responsibilities, such power and such glory - to champion the cause of right and justice and to defend the innocent and weak against the mightly and baneful. Never falter in this task, never cease the struggle of right against wrong, for though it may take ten thousand years, the righteous and true noble shall always prevail.

The Treatment of Commoners and Vassals
As thy liege lord is thy parent, the common folk are thy children. Thou shalt defend the common folk as thou wouldst thine own offspring, for truly they are as necessary to thy life and to the realm as the very air that thou breathest. Thou shouldst brook no disobedience from the commoner, but punish them no more harshly than proscribed by the laws of the realm. The common folk have sworn an oath of fealty to thee, so treat thy obligation to them with no less solemnity.

The common law constrains thee as much as it does the commoner, not in obedience to it, but in the enforcement of the law and in the punishment of those who disobey it. Administer the common law fairly and justly. Use wisdom and forbearance, deliberation and temperance, as thou doth make thy rulings and declarest the appropriate punishments. Let thy sentences for the breaking of the common law fit the degree of criminality, venality, and intent of the lawbreaker. Yield not to the temptation to administer punishment for the pleasure of thyself, for thy fellow nobles, or for the common populace. Do not torment the innocent for the sake of the guilty, nor allow the guilty to escape judgment for the sake of the innocent.

The Laws of Hospitality
Between a woman and a man, there is no more solemn oath than the vows of matrimony. From a vassal to a noble, there is no more important an oath than the oath of fealty. And for the noble or commoner who is master of castle or keep, home or household, there is no more sacred an obligation than the oath of a host to their guest, or the respect that a guest owes to the master of the place in which they partake of a table, a roof, and a bed.

If thou doth offer hospitality to a visitor, and they do accept, then thou must treat the visitor as an honored guest. Thou art obliged to guard and protect them and keep them from harm for as long as they stay under thy roof. Likewise, thy guest is obliged not to abuse the hospitality that thou hast offered. They may cause no harm against any member of thy household, nor speak harsh word against thee, thy household, nor any other guests under thy roof. Woe betide one who violates the laws of hospitality, for they shall never know peace, nor rest, nor justice under their roof nor under the roof of anyone else, lest and until they make full wergild for their dishonorable deeds.

The Honor Duel
Should a dispute arise between one noble and another, or between one commoner and another, and no other means of recourse be available to resolve the dispute, then they may settle the dispute by means of a duel of honor. The victor in an honorable duel shall be the one who is in the right, in accordance with the laws of chivalry. In ancient times, people believed might made right and points of law and politics were settled with an honor duel. In these more enlightened times, honor duels are only fought over points of personal honor, never over the law. Should any person feel they have been wronged by the judgment of a person of higher standing, the proper recourse is to find a noble of higher standing to appeal their plight and champion their cause. A commoner can challenge a noble and a noble of lesser standing may challenge a noble of higher standing to a duel. A commoner or noble may challenge one of equal standing as well. A noble shall not issue challenge to a commoner, nor to a noble of lesser degree than themselves – it is not just that a noble should use an honor duel to punish or chastise one of lesser station. A duel of honor must proceed in this way – one of the parties involved in the dispute must challenge the other. The challenger must be able to state the reason for the challenge, and state the issue to be decided by the duel. The challenged, if they deem the matter worthy of a duel, and if the consequence of the duel is acceptable to them, may perforce answer the challenge. Should the challenged accept the duel, they have the choice of weapons, including but not limited to martial arms, mystical forces, or a test of pure will – if the challenged feels bold enough, they may open the contest to any and all weapons by either duelist. Both the challenger and challenged then appoint seconds. The seconds arrange amongst themselves the time and place and rules for the duel. If a combatant in the duel is unable to attend – perhaps because they have been slain and no member of their family is available to take their place – then it is the duty of the second to fight the duel in their stead. A duel must be fought and conducted honorably. If there is any hint of dishonor, any sign that one of the combatants is cheating, then the other combatant is declared the victor.

The Code of Chivalry
Below are the laws of Chivalry. Every noble must aspire to follow all of these to be truly called noble.

Ø Thou shalt love thy country thou hath made thine home and not surrender to thine enemies. Thou shalt be loyal and known for thy unwavering commitment to thine people. Thou shalt perform loyally thy feudal duties, if they be not contrary to the laws of the land. There are many places where compromise is expected; loyalty is not amongst them.

Ø Thou shalt live ones life so that it is worthy of respect and honor. Thou shalt never lie and shall remain faithful to thy word of honor. Thou shalt always carry thyself with the decorum, dignity, and seriousness of thine station and responsibility.

Ø Thou shalt be courageous and be prepared to make personal sacrifices in service of the precepts and people thou doth value. Thou shalt take the side of truth in all matters, rather than seeking the expedient lie. Seek the truth whenever possible, but remember to temper justice with mercy, or the pure truth can bring grief. Being a true noble often means choosing the path of courage, the more difficult path, the personally expensive one.

Ø Thou shalt value first the contributions of others. Do not boast of thine own accomplishments; let others do this for thee. Tell the deeds of others before thine own, according them the renown they have rightfully earned through their virtuous deeds.

Ø Thou shalt be generous in so far as thine resources allow; largesse used in this way counters gluttony. It also makes the path of mercy easier to discern when a difficult decision of justice is required.

Ø Thou shalt be everywhere and always the champion of the right and the good against injustice and evil, unencumbered by bias or personal interest. Recognize that the sword of justice can be a terrible thing, so it must be tempered by humanity and mercy. Thou shalt seek justice without bending to the temptation for expediency. In this way, thou wilt earn renown beyond measure.

Ø Thou shalt respect the weak and innocent and shalt count thine self as a defender to them. Thou shalt protect women for they are delicate, weak and in need of protection. Thou shalt protect children for they are innocent and helpless.

Ø Thou shalt uphold thine oath to defend thine liege lord and those who depend upon thee. Seek always to defend thine country, thine family, and those worthy of loyalty.

Ø Thou shalt never attack an unarmed foe and use excessive force on a foe unworthy of thy might. Thou shalt always give quarter when asked from an honorable foe.

Ø Thou shalt seek excellence in all endeavors expected of a noble, martial, magical, and otherwise; seeking strength to be used in the service of justice, rather than in personal aggrandizement.

Thou shalt have faith in thine beliefs, for faith roots thee and gives thee hope against the despair that human failings create.