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Honor is a difficult thing to define. You cannot see it except in
another's actions. You cannot touch it except to exist within its
boundaries. It is an intangible but essential part of everyday life,
especially to the Companions of the Court of Light. Honor, personal
honor in particular, is a measure of our worth in noble society.
This is not to say that the common man is entirely without honor, but for
him, life is possible without it. Among the nobility, however, honor
is life. There is no such thing as an honorless knight or druin,
for it is this exact quality of Light that makes us what we are.
Without honor, we would be as the creatures of Darkness we are sworn to
combat. Without honor, we would be nothing.
A person’s honor can be determined by how closely he or she follows the Code of Chivalry. While Chivalry is only one particular code of conduct, it contains enough of the qualities deemed honorable by most good-spirited men and women that we may use it as an example. For as long as Man has had civilization, he has had laws to guide it. The Ten Commandments, the Code of Hammurabi, even the Golden Rule, all were created to guide and control humanity so it would not destroy itself. The Code of Chivalry and the concept of honor exist for exactly the same reason. Chivalry is a set of laws, a means of controlling the nobility for the protection of the peasantry, the economy, and ultimately, the nobles themselves. Let us look at the various tenets of Chivalry with this philosophy in mind. “Courtesy to one’s superiors” ensures that the superior in question does not become angered and go to war with a less-powerful knight, probably destroying much of the lesser knight’s holdings and possibly even killing him as well. This benefits both sides because (a) the superior does not lose a valued servant, and (b) the servant does not lose his property and/or his life. “Courtesy to women” shows everyone how the knight would treat a bride, thereby making a lady’s father more inclined to choose him for his daughter’s husband. Marriage, of course, is important for the cementing of alliances and the consolidation of a family’s hold on its territory through the production of heirs. “Scorn for those lowly and ignoble” keeps the peasantry in check without violence, and preserves the social order while at the same time ensures a lord’s adherence to this code for fear of being ostracized and perhaps even warred upon by his (former) peers should he violate it. “Gallantry in battle” ensures that a lord gets his money’s worth from the knights under his command on the battlefield. “Piety to God” assures loyalty to the church that created Chivalry in the first place. As Chivalry is a code for the modern noble warrior, many of its tenets are directly applicable to warfare. Bravery in battle, loyalty to one’s lord, protecting the weak and innocent, are all obviously martial in aspect. However, most if not all of these rules can be applied to everyday life. It takes an equal amount of courage to cast a powerful enchantment or face the daily adversities of governing a fiefdom as it does to cross swords with an enemy. Loyalty is a quality that is tested every day, as the noble Companion must remain true to his or her regent in word, thought, and deed at all times. There are also many different ways to protect those who need protecting. Consider the healers at the Hospital who fight a daily battle against the forces of disease and accidental injury, or the landlord whose very life is given to the governing of his people, ensuring that they have roofs over their heads and food in their bellies. Chivalry is a way of life, both on and off the battlefield. Chivalry exists to ensure that each and every one of us is treated fairly by our peers. Treachery and lies are considered dishonorable and are condemned by the code and those who follow it. In combat, the honorable warrior limits himself to those arms and armor shared by his opponent, and never resorts to back-stabbing or other dirty tricks, even if his opponent does so. While limiting himself in such a manner may seem foolish to the unenlightened, by doing so the warrior demonstrates to all that he is an honorable man, while at the same time providing a fair fight for an honorable opponent. Victory is meaningless if it is achieved through less than honorable means. Chivalry also has applications beyond the pragmatic, especially concerning the treatment of fellow nobles. Courtesy and proper etiquette are as essential to the chivalrous as bravery in battle or loyalty to one’s regent. Courteous behavior towards those who deserve it, whether through station, deed, or by virtue of gender, demonstrates nobility of character and serves to set us apart from the common man. Etiquette and courtesy are intended to create a comfortable environment for the nobility, a small reward for those of us who follow the code. Conversely, the chivalrous knight or druin is expected to disdain those who are without honor, for such individuals are deserving of nothing but our scorn and contempt. It is only through such treatment can we ensure that those who are worthy of respect receive it, while those who are not go without. Perhaps in some small way we can hope to convince those who live their lives without honor to change their ways by demonstrating what the rewards are like. Because of its origins in the Church, Chivalry is often viewed as God's ideal. As the punishment for living outside of God's grace is eternal damnation, this serves as a powerful deterrent to dishonorable behavior. However, not all nobles are this pious, and some worship darker gods or none at all. Worse than the openly dishonorable man is he who pretends to live a chivalrous life but is secretly treacherous and wicked. All too often, this modern-day Janus receives all the benefits of honor while retaining the freedom to pursue their goals by all means possible. Such hypocrites give the truly honorable man a bad name, not to mention a healthy dose of paranoia. After all, if the dishonorable man can fool us into believing he is chivalrous, only to gain the upper hand in a conflict, then why should any of us follow the code? Thus, the wise knight or druin will give his seemingly honorable opponent the benefit of the doubt, but will always be wary of treachery. It is essential to maintain one's own honor while doing so, however; otherwise, the purpose of Chivalry will be defeated. |
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