On the Responsibilities of Those with Noble Title
By Lord Diodotus Brynlydon of Garsons's Bridge, Westmarch
Nobles are the servants and protectors of the people and the land. Indeed, true nobility creates a link between the noble and the land. This link is so strong that there ceases to be any distinction between the good of the people, and the good of their liege.
A True Noble seeks peace in her or his lands as all people seek health within their own bodies. A criminal in a noble's lands is a cancer: a bit of the noble's own lifeblood rebelling against him. Letting it remain is dangerous, but removing it is painful.
As such, passing judgement is the hardest job of any noble.
A noble's job as protector requires more than physical protection from war. Nobles must look out for their people in other ways. A noble must feed his people, and keep them clothed and comfortable. A noble is also the protector of morality. The truest noble inspires commoners to honor worthy of a noble.
The local noble, if truly noble, always knows what is good for his or her people. However, the noble does not always know what is good for other lands or people. Sometimes the needs of one area are contrary to the needs of another. There are two means of securing the good of all from petty conflicts between nobles.
The first means is the Code of Chivalry. The Code is an agreement all of noble birth or title, and indeed many commoners of noble spirit. It is a set of laws which may not be broken, even in the defense of the noble's own beloved people. The code demands that the nobility be protective of the weak and loving towards their own people. It demands bravery and intolerance of evil. It demands that they be attentive to their duties, honest and generous. Further it demands that the nobility shall embody these virtues everywhere, towards all.
The second means is through a hierarchy. The local noble owes allegiance to his or her people. He or she also owes fealty to the Barony, County, Duchy, and Kingdom, which contains his or her lands. The ruler of a barony is responsible to every person and parcel of land in his or her barony. In addition, he or she owes fealty to the County, Duchy, and Kingdom, which contains that Barony. Likewise the ruler of a County or Duchy owes their allegiance to every person in his or her lands. The ruler of a County or Duchy also owes fealty to those higher nobles and royalty in whose lands he or she lives. A King or Queen owes allegiance to the entirety of kingdom-its lands and its people.
This of course is a simplification of nobility in Evendarr. Ideally, all those who hold noble title would be truly noble. Unfortunately, there are from time to time those of noble title who do not follow the Code of Chivalry. There are some that show no responsibility towards their people, or towards those of higher rank.
Ravenholt deals harshly with those of noble title who break the Code of Chivalry. The Duke's Circle of Companions judges those ignoble enough to do so. The Companions have the legal authority to pass judgement on Ravenholt nobles. They may strip a noble of title or lands, or otherwise enforce the Code of Chivalry.
Nobility of title is nothing more than privilege. True Nobility is much dearer. Both persons of noble title and Commoners can show True Nobility. True nobility involves the complete acceptance of certain timeless precepts. The precepts include love of all people, bravery, honesty, and generosity. They also include rejection of slavery, rejection of necromancy, and an honest regard for every sentient being on Tyrra.
The Code of Chivalry is a formal list of the most important points of these unwritten precepts. To understand True Nobility, we will consider each of the eight laws of Chivalry in detail. It is fairly easy to interpret the laws of Chivalry. However there are some subtle shades of meaning and interpretation. Those subtle meanings are what we shall consider here.
1. Thou shalt respect the weak and thou shalt constitute thyself the defender
of them.
This law shows that the weak and the strong are alike deserving of respect.
Most people, commoner and noble, do work which is helpful to decent society.
It is wrong to hold a worker in low esteem because of that worker's profession,
if that profession has any value at all. If a general despised tavern wenches,
but demanded that they serve ale, that general would be breaking this code.
Any who accept the need to slay traitors should hold hangmen in esteem. Any
who accept the need of an army should give soldiers praise rather than scorn.
One shall defend the weak, both from physical danger, and from slander.
2. Thou shalt love the country in which thou hast Sworn Fealty.
Nobles are an extension of the land and the people. Most of the Code of Chivalry
is designed to settle differences between nobility, as representatives of lands
with different interests. The Code prevents nobles from caring too much for
their own lands to the detriment of other lands and their people. Nobles must
always remember that the reason that feudal law is effective is that each noble
protects his or her lands first. Nobles must love all lands and all people,
but each noble must set his or her own lands and ho u se in order before lending
his or her skills to other lands and people.
3. Thou shalt not recoil before thine enemy.
Those who are truly noble do not hesitate to defend their lands. This law does
not demand suicidal action. It does however demand whatever action is most likely
to rid the people and the land of the offending presence. An individual who
does nothing to stop his enemy breaks this law. However a person who single-handedly
rushes into an opposing army shows no respect for this law either. That individual
could do more to stop his foe if he took time to formulate a plan.
4. Thou shalt make war against evil without cessation.
Evil is intolerable. Even if it would put a stop to a great evil by coming to
terms with a small evil, it would be wrong. There shall never be any agreement
with evil. Nobles shall constantly fight evil. To show tolerance for evil, even
for a moment, even in the name of peace or common interest, is an invitation
to others to perform evil. Of all the laws of Chivalry, this is the clearest.
5. Thou shalt scrupulously perform thy noble duties, if they be not contrary
to the laws of the land.
Some noble duties are more romantic than others. There are many nobles who are
very brave, but neglect the virtue of charity. Many people work long and hard
to stop evil creatures but put little time into the cultivation of positive
good. Nobility is more than knights in shining armor, whose great deeds are
sung by bards. Nobility requires dedication to even the most trivial detail
for the good of the land. A noble who takes bookkeeping or justice, lightly,
no matter how fine a fighter, is undeserving of title. Those of True Nobility
need no public praise to inspire them to do good. They will attend to the small
virtues as well as to the great ones.
6. Thou shalt never lie, and thou shalt remain faithful to thy word.
In some circles it has been debated that one is free to break one's word if
it was given under duress. However, most scholars of Chivalry in Evendarr maintain
that any word given is solemn. It is obvious that this Code does not require
one to speak secrets. If it did, it would be impossible for a noble to wage
war against an ignoble foe. However, a noble must never lie, even to cover up
the most vital state secret.
7. Thou shalt be generous and thou shalt give freely to everyone.
A noble only keeps wealth and property for her or himself if it is in the interests
of the people as a whole for the noble to hold on to it. In addition, a noble's
generosity includes more than precious metals. Each noble shall give everything
to the people. A noble must be generous with time, and energy. A noble must
also be generous with his or her lifeblood. He or she must lay his or her life
down for the Code, the People and the King.
8. Thou shalt be everywhere and always the champion of the right and the good
against injustice and evil.
This law is seen as all embracing. It is considered the law that covers all
other unwritten points of chivalry. It is considered the parent of the other
laws, which define the right and the good. This law also serves to remind us
that the Code of Chivalry is not an ordinary set of laws. It is a set of laws
that is tied to the health of the land. A noble, who breaks the Code, damages
the link between the people and Tyrra itself. Nobles are similar to healers,
in that if they abuse their powers, the land is damaged rather than preserved.
The Code applies to all nobles, in all lands, discovered or undiscovered. This
law reminds us of the universality of the Code.