Noble Conduct

by Sir Devan Arrkeel, Viscount of Elysia

(As taken from "Chivalry for Commoners", by Dame Anastasia of Dragonshire)

Thou shalt respect the weak, and thou shalt constitute thyself the defender of them.
Most persons, commoner and noble do work which is helpful to society, whether they be slaying monsters or staying behind to heal the wrriors who do, whether they are protecting our borders or staying home to make weapons for those who do. One must protect the weak from physical or verbal attack. All persons are deserving of respect until they have earned your disrespect, and even then, all should receive common courtesy.

Thou shalt love the country in which thou hast sworn fealty.
Nobles are in the service of the land, and of the people of the land. Nobles are expected to protect the integrity of their respective noble court. While we must respect those of other lands, and may be called upon to defend them in times of need, one must love their own land first, and ensure the safety of their own country before that of others. It would be inappropriate to send food to another land, if people were starving in your own. The rest of the Code of Chivalry prevents this from being taken to excess.

Thou shalt not recoil before thine enemy.
One must not hesitate to defend their lands. This does not mean rushing into battle without a plan. It would be a violation of this code to do absolutely nothing to stop your enemy. When faced with attack, it shows more respect for this law, and for your lands to assemble forces and a plan and seek to effectively defeat the enemy rather than to rush in and face certain defeat.

Thou shalt make war against evil without cessation.
Evil is not to be tolerated. Doing things for the greater good is not synonymous with choosing the lesser of two evils. To show tolerance to the smallest of evils will invite other evils. Nobles are to behave in a manner that is above reproach at all times, and in all places. "Evil in all its forms must not be alled to exacerbate itself...All evils must be dealt with fully and completely until obliterated from the Kingdom."~His Grace, Duke Ryldinmar Capulanus

Thou shalt scrupulously perform thy noble duties be they not contrary to the laws of the land.
While squires, as commoners, may not, in general, question the order of a noble, nobles are responsible for their actions.
I will now quote an article written by Baron Vandal Ravensblood of Capulus:
"Recent events have made obvious the need to clarify a point of law concerning the duty of nobles, and the degree to which on must follow the orders of one's liege.
The example given at that time was this:
Suppose your Baron were to order you to kill the Duke? What would you do? The answer traditionally considered most correct is that you should obey your immediate liege and kill the Duke, and then IMMEDIATELY demand an explanation - preferably in time for a life spell to be administered should the explanation prove unsatisfactory."
This hypothetical situation has sadly been extrapolated by unscrupulous nobles and squires to allow them to think that they can follow any treasonous or unlawful order issued, and not be held accountable for crime. Let me assure all that this is not the case.
One should always follow the orders of one's liege without reservation when time is of the essence~ on the field of battle, or when the order is to be acted upon immediately. It is essential that there be trust in a relationship between Vassal and Lord. Remember, however, that one of the benefits of nobility is that a noble may request an explanation from a superior, and he or she should expect an answer. Under certain circumstances it may in fact be your duty to demand such an explanation. These circumstances would be any time an order is given which appears to be treasonous or unlawful. Further, if it is known that your liege is suffering under the effects of enslavement or other form of charm, you have no duty whatsoever to follow orders which you believe are the product of the charm. If dishonorable orders are given, should the circumstances allow, you must demand an explanation. If the explanation is unsatisfactory, it is your duty to disobey and report your Liege to his or her superior. If you have not done so, but had the opportunity to, it is you who will be held responsible, as well as your liege.
Remember, your oath is not only to your immediate superior, but also to his or her superiors, on up to His Royal Majesty, Mykel Endarr II, King of Evendarr, from whom all rights originate. A noble's oath should not only be to his immediate liege, but should also include an obligation to his or her liege's superiors, from whom their right to confer nobility originates. Noble title is not a license to commit crimes, nor is the management of the lands to be used solely for personal gain."

Thou shalt never lie and thou shalt remain faithful to thy word.
A noble must never lie. Not even to protect the most important secret. Silence is acceptable. Lies are not. Do not swear an oath to protect someone if you cannot. Do not swear fealty to someone if you cannot follow his or her orders. If you swear an oath to a Liche, you are bound by that oath. You may be in violation of your oath to make war against evil if you keep that oath and you will be in violation of this part of The Code if you break your oath. It is best to avoid making such promises. Swear only to those that you trust, and have faith in.

Thou shalt be generous and thou shalt give freely to everyone.
A noble's generosity is not limited to money. Nobles should be generous with their time and energy, their knowledge and their life. A noble should be willing to lay down his or her life for the land, its people, or its liege.

Thou shalt be everywhere and always the champion of the right and the good against injustice and evil.
To many, this is the most embracing part of the Code, but how can one always be everywhere? What this means is that wherever you are and whenever you are there, you are to defend the good against evil. You must uphold the Code even when no one is looking, you must behave in a chivalrous manner even in foreign lands. For example, if you go to a foreign land where Necromancy is legal, you may still not employ its use while there.
The following is an addition to the accepted Evendarrian Code of Chivalry for the Duchy of Elysia:

Thou shalt be ever courteous and remain most humble.
Most people are deserving of respect and in many cases even those that have earned your disrespect are still deserving of basic courtesy. Being vindictive and rude is unbecoming of a noble as is arrogance. This is not to say that you must be courteous to true villains but even among honorable enemies chivalry may still exist. Nobles are in the service of their lieges to ensure the safety and prosperity of the people and this cannot be forgotten.

Justice and the Law

Dispensing Justice: Any noble within his or her jurisdiction is duty-bound to address the matter of common law, and make judgements concerning the breaking of laws. It is the noble's option to turn matters of common law over to the local magistrate. Nobles may, in fact, be asked to do so in certain locations. Anyone attempting to commit a crime should be tried as if the crime were actually committed.

The laws of Elysia, known as "The Dooms of Ryldinmar", are posted publicly on the Elysian tree and it is the responsibility of all that travel within the Duchy of Elysia to become familiar with them. Ignorance of the law cannot and will not be a viable defense. While all are subject to those laws, only citizens and recognized visitors are protected by them. Also of special note are those individuals declared "Enemy of Elysia". I shall now quote His Grace, Duke Ryldinmar Capulanus of Elysia:

"An Enemy of Elysia, established by proclamation of the Duke and Duchess of Elysia, has proven him or herself to be of such vile and evil nature that he or she is banished from the entire dukedom, its provinces and baronies. Enemies of Elysia are not granted protection under the 'Dooms of Ryldinmar', and they are to be further killed on sight if found within the borders of the dukedom."

Honor Combat

Honor Combat, though most commonly reserved for those of noble rank, can also take place between commoners within the borders of Elysia. Combat may occur when a person feels themselves to be the victim of a significant insult. This person will issue a challenge to the offending party. Honor Combat includes that challenge, the naming of terms, the contest itself, and the consequences.

The challenge is made by the person who has been insulted. In the case of Nobility, the challenge may be made directly or by the challenger's squire or other representative to a noble of equal or lesser rank. If a noble wishes to challenge a higher ranking noble, he or she must have sponsor of equal or higher rank to the person challenged, to issue the challenge on their behalf. The sponsor need not believe that the challenger is correct, only that the issue has merit.

Nobles should not challenge commoners, but rather should bring them up on charges of contempt or treason. If a commoner were to challenge a noble, the combat may be refused with no loss of honor to the noble.

The terms are named by the person who is challenged. Terms include method of combat, and the terms of that combat ending. Combat may be with blades, other physical weapons, spells, poisons, or even nonviolent means such as a road race or a game of chess. Ending the battle may be by first blood, loss of consciousness, death, checkmate or other acceptable terms dependent upon the type of combat chosen. Some may disagree and state that nonviolent means are inappropriate. I ask you to consider the following situation:

You are insulted by someone who claims that you are of low intelligence. Does combat or chess best prove that their claim is false?

The consequences are claimed by the victor after the battle and may include apology, loss of title, fine or death. It is the challenged or the challenger who pays the consequences. A champion if involved does not pay. If a fight is to the death, the champion must be lifed and thier representee killed instead.

Champions may be named for two reasons: 1) inability to meet the terms chosen, or 2) infirmity. In the case of Honor Combat between nobles a champion must be a noble of equal or lesser rank to the noble for whom they will fight. Commoners and squires are not usually allowed to be champions for nobles nor can a noble be a champion for a commoner, except in the extreme rare instance where both parties have chosen noble champions. A champion will fight to defend the honor of the noble who has named them. If you ever must name a champion, remember that they are fighting on your behalf.

If the parties cannot agree on terms, a noble of the land, in the case of combat between nobles than one of higher rank, may decide the terms. This settlement may include choice of terms, allowance of champions, or indeed a decision to disallow the combat altogether, and issue a rebuke to either or both parties. Either combatant may ask to have the dispute overseen by a third party voluntarily without the need for intervention.

Whether the combat is taking place between nobles or commoners, the parties must agree on a mediator of noble rank who will oversee the combat. The noble chosen will act as referee and must be sure that both parties will live up to the terms and behave honorably.

Proper Address

All nobles, squires and other commoners need to be familiar with the acceptable forms of address. If you should find yourself addressing a noble but are unsure of his or her standing than Sir or Lady may be used, however, this should only be done out of necessity.

King/Queen - Your Majesty or Your Royal Majesty

Crown Prince/Princess - Your Royal Highness

Prince/Princess - Your Highness

Duke/Duchess - Your Grace or My Liege *

Count/Countess - Your Excellency or My Lord/Lady Count(ess) or My Liege *

Viscount/Viscountess - Your Excellency or My Lord/Lady Viscount(ess) or My Liege *

Baron/Baroness - My Lord/Lady Baron(ess) or My Liege *

Lord/Lady - Your Lordship/Ladyship

Lord Senschal - My Lord/Lady Seneschal

Magistrate - My Lord/Lady Magistrate

Bannerette - Good Sir/Dame Knight

Knight - Sir/Dame _______________

Squires - are commoners and should be addressed as Squire __________________

Merchants - M'Lord/M'Lady

Other Commoners - Goodman/Goodwife

* The address "My Liege" is to be used only by those nobles who have directly sworn an Oath of Fealty to the given individual. Squires should not use this form of address, as they have not yet sworn fealty.