Code of Axandorfian Honor

By Sir Bremin Edwinson, Lord of Fieldhoof estate, under Baron Berdon of Haberdin.

1. Be proud of who you are and your affiliations. Do not hide your name. Although trickery can have its uses, it is a low art and should not be practiced by the honorable.

2. Be polite at all times, even towards commoners and the enemy. Discourtesy is a weapon of sorts and should only be used towards those who show themselves to be deliberately rude.

3. Be respectful of your social superiors and of the elderly in general. In turn you should demand respect from your inferiors. Do not allow a commoner, even if he has good value, to become overly familiar in conduct.

4. Loyalty is the key stone of honor. You must follow the commands of your superior, so long as they are not against Royal law. You should take to heart your superior’s general interests acting to protect them as your own. Naturally one is expected to be most loyal to their immediate overlord, having less personal connections to a remote authority, never the less you must never betray your realm. 

5. Integrity is the foundation of honor. When you give your word you must keep it. Unless it is clear that you have been deceived into a course of action that will bring harm to innocents and damage to your overlord. If a man known to be dishonorable demands that you give him your word, you must refuse.

6. Bravery is the sharp blade of honor. You should be bold, displaying leadership and courage. A noble fights alongside his men, never does he hide in safety while they shed blood at his command. This does not mean taking reckless risks or standing against suicidal odds. In a hopeless situation surrender is acceptable. You are expected always to be brave, not always to be victorious.

7. Responding to insults and challenges; according to holy laws it is a matter of appropriateness. A verbal jab should be answered with words not with steel. Naturally this applies to peers, not to everyone. A commoner who insults a noble deserves a short beating and any challenge by a commoner can be ignored. On the other hand any serious challenge by a noble, whatever his rank, must be accepted. The resulting duel must have witnesses and be fought fairly. ( Note that rules for dueling are more strict than the general rules of just combat upon the field. )

8. Fair combat is the proof of a civilized society. This set of rules is expected to be followed by nobles and regular soldiers alike. 1. No sneak attacks. 2. Nobles fight nobles, commoners fight commoners. 3. A foe must be given a chance to surrender. If he is incapacitated he should not be finished off. 4. Prisoners should not be tortured. 5. Nobles should be offered for ransom. 6. Non combatants, peasants especially women and children should never be attacked. 7. If a noble is killed, his sword or armor should be returned to his family, his body too if possible. 8. After any sizable battle there must be a truce to burry the dead.

9. Protecting the weak is a general duty of every noble. Foremost this means protecting the people of your estate from outside dangers. At the other extreme it means helping anyone in distress, if you are reasonably able to do so.

10. Hospitality is a subcategory of politeness. A noble should never turn away a guest. Of course commoners have no claim to hospitality, but they should expect some from an honorable lord. Nobles on the other hand may claim up to three nights as a guest of a peer. Naturally some sort of gift should be presented to the host by the guest.

The capture the princess game.

Taking a noble into protective custody is almost the same as taking him (usually her) hostage. However there are some important differences. A hostage, even if not abused, is generally treated badly. A noble in protective custody is pushed into giving their word that they will not try to escape, where upon they are treated like a guest.

Once a noble is captured in this way, a message is sent to their family demanding a finder’s fee “a ransom” for the swift return of the guest. It must never be implied that any harm will come to the guest. Failure to pay is understood to result in a lengthy delay in the return of the guest.

This is something of a game that goes on between nobles, especially Barons, who are seeking to gain political leverage over rivals. Force is never used on the noble, although the threat of it exists. Force is sometimes used on the attendants resulting in regular soldiers getting hurt or killed. This is considered rude but acceptable behavior.

Actually capturing a princess is a huge risk, undertaken only by Dukes.

( Taken from a 'Noble's Point of View' article ) 

A code of honor is not a legal document. It is a philosophy that outlines the correct ways of acting in all life’s situations. The following is the basic ideas common in all feudal kingdoms, not just Axandorf. 

The three virtues are; respect, responsibility and bravery.

*One must respect elders and social superiors, realizing that they have wisdom and authority. Respect is a healthy recognition of the other person’s honor. It requires obedience, but does not call for blind loyalty. 

 

*One must be responsible, taking credit or blame for their actions, and generally being truthful. They must perform tasks to the best of their ability, regardless of personal feelings. This is often seen as the commoner’s virtue, but it applies to all. It tells the soldier to stand and die fighting. 

 

*One must also be brave in the face of all danger. This is easy if you consider the importance put upon having a heroic death. It is better to take some action, even if it is ill thought out, than to freeze in fright or run away in cowardice. This is not to say that one can never withdraw from a situation. Bravery does not mean foolishly throwing away your life. 

 

Upon these three virtues are based all the rules of Chivalry (as listed above). Respect leads to the complicated social etiquette. Responsibility leads to the honorable forms of combat. Bravery leads to the expectation of a leader to command from the front.