#arthamir

Codex Sanguine

By Arthamir Tyrellian, Champion of the Order

Introduction

After the Fall of Quel'Thalas the late Prince Kael'Thas, prior to his treason, proclaimed a rebirth of our people as Sin'dorei, Children of the Blood, rendered in the common tongue as “blood elves.” This name was chosen as a way to mourn our countless fallen, and to remind the world that we do not, will not, cannot forget or forgive the crimes committed against us. Against this backdrop of loss and desire for vengeance, the Order of Blood Knights was formed. To many, shackling a being of the Light that seemed to have abandoned us was only fitting in that time of darkness and despair.

In this new age of hope and progress, what, then, does it mean to honor the blood? The Lich King has met his true death, as has Illidan Stormrage and those who followed our former Prince into his treachery. Vengeance has been dealt, and that justice has lain to rest the angry spirits of our dead. It can be argued that the blood of those lost to the Purge of Dalaran cry out for justice, but is this to be >the< purpose of an Order that has accomplished so much in its mere decade of life?

The Order of Blood Knights is, at its core, a militant fraternity born of an indomitable will to punish those who brought their people low. In its infancy, our beloved Order was responsible for many dark deeds; the infamous capture and torture of Mu'ru for power and the desecration of both the tomb of the Lightbringer and Alonsus Chapel were, unfortunately, only so far beneath par for the virtue of Blood Knights. In the years since, we have assisted in the defeat of the Illidari and Legion forces on Outland, the repulsion of Kil'jaeden’s attempted conquest of the Isle of Quel'Danas, the final destruction of Arthas Menethil, and every Thalassian conflict between and since.

That, of course, is all history - But history is a part of us. We must are Blood Knights still, after all - a military order, not martial-monastic. How, then, can one reconcile the darkness and suffering of our past with the bright future we now aim to build? This is not a question that has a simple answer. Rather, we must reach that decision through examining who we are as an Order, as a force for good in our world in the name of our people. Simply put, we muchst decipher the meaning of the term “Blood Knight.”

> I have a personal appreciation for the Order's history, and perhaps we all do, but reviewing it in this detail seems more fit for a history lesson. <

Chivalry and the Order > Really? I'm not sure that's the term that brings to mind the right image, whatever your purpose in using it. <

In many ways, the Order is the Thalassian incarnation of the human chivalric ideal. Our devotion to crown (as held in regency by Lord Theron) and country parallels the human knight’s service to their suzerain, and just as a human knight is sworn to protect the weak, a Blood Knight defends law-abiding citizens of Quel'Thalas regardless of personal concerns. Though others have written on the subject of the Order’s chivalry, I feel none have quite captured the needs of the Order at present. Therefore, I offer the following virtues for the modern, honorable Blood Knight to strive for.

Duty

First and foremost, a Blood Knight must be dutiful. We swear to defend Quel'Thalas, her people, and her interests. Our duties may >include but are not limited to<  be summed up as follows:

Obey the lawful orders of your commanding officer, and complete all tasks given to you.

Protect the people and interests of Quel'Thalas. If the physical security of the Sin'dorei is in any way threatened, steps should be taken to eliminate or otherwise neutralize this threat.

Frustrate the interests of our people’s enemies. Destroy their militaries, raze their strongholds, and otherwise participate in military action against them.

Assist the allies of Quel'Thalas where this will not compromise the kingdom’s own interests.

Uphold the law of the kingdom, by behaving lawfully and ensuring that the civil authorities are properly informed when a crime is witnessed.

> I feel it should not be necessary to stress Duty, to this level. Duty should be a universal standard to military service. I admit the concept escapes many in the Order, of late, but I should hope we could aspire to a better goal than to simply do what is expected of us.

I might rather suggest “Loyalty”.  A little something more than Duty, and something I think the Order could better aspire to. Loyalty to the state, its laws, and the citizenry, certainly; but also loyalty to each other. As you mention later in this document, a united front is important before the citizenry, but I think we fail to stress its importance within. Someone can probably say it fancier or more formally than I can, but we need to strive for brotherhood within the Order and fealty without. <

Honor

The honor of a Blood Knight is not the honor of a nobleman squabbling with his fellow over some perceived slight. To a Blood Knight, honor is behaving as befits a gentleman/woman and an officer of Quel'Thalas. That is to say:

Deal honestly and politely with those who cross your path. Do not tell lies or deliberately give insult; generally, if you feel the need to throw out an insult, their shortcoming is already apparent and does not require your lowering yourself to hurling vitriol. If you feel you must correct someone’s behavior, address them in private.

Defend the honor of your family and your fellow Blood Knights. The defense need not be violent; refuse to participate in gossip with outsiders about your relations or brother and sister Knights, and shut these harmful discourses down where possible. If you have a personal dispute,keep it behind closed doors. In all things, maintain the appearance of unity.

Grant mercy to worthy opponents where possible. If it is simply a soldier on the other side of the fence, there need not be a particular quarrel between you; even if you do have a grudge, however, make sure their prison is clean and as comfortable as is practical, and do not permit abuse of prisoners outside of what is absolutely necessary during interrogation. If immediate execution is required, it is to be clean and as painless as possible - preferably by beheading or the coup-de-grace.

Treat the weak and less fortunate with kindness and magnanimity. Crimes committed in the name of survival are never to be punished by your own hand. Report them to the guard or, if you believe they are able and willing to mend their ways, forgive the trespass. If you have the means, there are few nobler uses of wealth than to give much-needed shelter and employment, temporary or otherwise, to those that need it.

Respect the opinions and beliefs of others. You lose nothing by simply declining to argue, and gain nothing by insulting your fellow citizen over a matter of opinion or religion. A rule taught to children comes to mind - if you cannot say something nice, say nothing at all.

> A well-chosen tenant, if amusingly renamed from Respect. <

Valor

A Blood Knight is, ultimately, a soldier. We are the best that Quel'Thalas has to offer, and we will prove this on as many battlefields as need be. Whether you are a kight-errant adventuring in the Order’s name, a clerk, or a heavy lancer in the company of thousands, the following tenets will serve you well:

Be courageous and unyielding. Accept nothing short of total victory if you can justify its cost in lives. Never retreat if standing firm will better serve your people, but remember that a tactical retreat when a glorious last stand will accomplish nothing is not cowardice, but good sense.

Strive for excellence in all things. This need not only be on the battlefield. To strive for excellence in everything, every day, despite every challenge, takes courage as surely as war. Never accept “good enough,” and always push for the absolute best that you are capable of, and then press on further.

> Another amusing rename. You might as well abandon the idea of Duty as a necessary tenant and rename Compassion for the third. <

Disputes of Honor

When one speaks of honor, it can mean any of a thousand different things - after all, who among us can claim to have heard only one definition, one usage of the word? For a Blood Knight, however, I contend that a very unique code of honor ought to be employed by such a very unique Order.

First to the mind of many on the topic of honor is what insults their own, and what is acceptable in its defense. Once, the Order’s honor expected - no, demanded - that any slight or challenge be met with ruthless retaliation. Now that we have come into our own, such things are no longer necessary.

As we have established our place in the world as a respected and feared brotherhood, many of the challenges that might once have been answered at swordpoint should be, must be, ignored. To accept that your honor has been slighted is to accept the offending party as an equal. A superior’s criticism must be accepted with grace, even if you disagree. An inferior’s mocking must be taken for the bitter envy it is. An equal’s challenge, therefore, must be met - Preferably through private civil debate, but on the field of honor if need be. As the nobility by and large are given their status by birth rather than merit, a Blood Knight Master is to be considered above them for the purposes of default assessment of status. This both reminds the public that the Order is elite and meritocratic, and frees officers of the Order from needless argument with the unworthy of the nobility.

Duelists are to choose seconds of worth, preferably Blood Knights or officers of other branches. A noble of good standing is permissible at need. The seconds ought not to be involved in the dispute, and are to be as neutral and rational individuals as can be found. To duel is not to bring honor to either side; it is to prevent further embarassment. On that note, frivolous dueling is dishonorable to both parties - The duel, with all its rules and protections, is intended to bring some civility to armed confrontation. To duel frivolously is to mock the entire process, and brings dishonor on both parties.

Before the duel begins, the seconds are to negotiate with each other on their compatriots’ behalf, seeking a peaceable resolution. If such is not found, they will negotiate the terms for the duel, and will be charged with the physical wellbeing of their compatriot afterward.

As a Blood Knight is dedicated to the defense of their people, they must never engage in the savage practice of dueling to the death. A duel to first blood or disarmament is ideal, with the most grievous of arguments permitting a contest to the yield. In the latter case, both combatants are to yield to the judgment of the unanimous opinion of the duelists’ seconds if the duel is becoming too barbaric. In the interest of promoting skill and courage, dissuading needless dueling, and minimizing the risk of the duel becoming a brawl, the preferred terms of combat are to forbid armor and use of non-defensive magic, save for such usage as conjured weaponry and precise strikes.

It is to be remembered by all that the purpose of a duel is not to injure the other, but to defend one’s honor without reducing oneself to churlish bickering and brawling. If an argument may be resolved by civil discourse without rancor, it should be. When the duel has reached its conclusion, the debate should be left behind - to borrow from the arguments of democratic populists, despite their otherwise foolish school of thought, the concept of “double jeopardy” ought to be applied to the original dispute that led to the duel.

Furthermore, it is to be remembered that the purpose of a duel is to resolve an argument when words have failed - Not to determine who is right. The duel represents the earnest belief and courage of participants; upon its conclusion, the participants are to be considered to have “agreed to disagree,” to borrow from common parlance.

> I hardly think this review of a more wide-spread social practice is necessary. <

Social Conduct

Books of etiquette are in no short supply, so I shall not go over the minutiate of manners here. Rather, I shall explain the place of a Blood Knight in polite society.

All Blood Knights, regardless of birth, are raised to the gentry. They are to be considered socially superior to the hereditary gentry, and inferior to the heads of noble houses for the purposes of determining precedence. Blood Knight uniform is among the most honorable forms of dress, and both full dress armor and the unarmored garrison uniform are acceptable attire to any occasion. When attending a social function, a Blood Knight ought to wear a functional sword small enough to be worn at the hip, rather than across the back. Take into consideration its potential use as a dueling weapon.

In romantic affairs, the Blood Knight should take the lead role in most social settings. If their partner is a Blood Knight, Magister, or Farstrider, this may be disregarded. As foreign gender roles have seeped into our society, I will take this opportunity to remind my brother and sister Knights that gender has no bearing on precedence in Thalassian polite society. With the exception of Blood Knights being the preferred lead when not partnered to one of their brothers or sisters, a Magister, or a Farstrider, preference determines who leads.

When attending a social function, it is permitted for a Blood Knight to partake in alcoholic beverages in uniform, but only in moderation.

A Blood Knight should never engage in a public argument, especially with a fellow Blood Knight. The line is drawn between civil debate and bickering when voices are raised or personal attacks are employed, whichever comes first.

As protectors of Thalassian society, Blood Knights are not only permitted, but expected to assist any hired security in neutralizing any armed threat to the safety of the attendees to any social function. They are not expected to assist in fully removing the interruption.

Blood Knights are permitted their own politics, but are dissuaded from publicly expressing any opinions that implicitly or blatantly contradict the State line.

Conduct in the Line of Duty

Every Blood Knight is to act according to their own conscience on the field of battle. The lawful orders of a superior are to be followed immediately and completely, but privately questions to your superior are to be considered acceptable unless said superior states otherwise. It is never permissable to argue orders as or directly after they are given.

Mercy is a virtue, and is to be given unless doing so would threaten the mission, or otherwise cause more harm than good. Prisoners of war are to be treated with respect, and given as comfortable quarters as can reasonably be afforded to them. They are to be given the same rations as one below their cognate rank at a minimum, and are not to be abused in any case. Torture is permissible only when it can be reasonably proved that doing so will prevent greater harm. Prisoners of war may be assigned labor, but only in tasks that may be considered useful or constructive.

Fighters that are >not members of any sort of acceptable social body< members of any legitimate military body - such as ununiformed rebels, cultists, demons, and the undead - are not protected under these provisions.

Blood Knights, as soldiers of Quel'Thalas, are given authority to enforce the laws of the Regency. However, our primary purpose is warfare, not policework; with the exception of putting an end to violence occurring in front of us, we are to deal with illegal activity in the same manner as any responsible citizen by reporting the incident to the city guard. If the criminal is considered dangerous, it may be prudent to escort them to the Guard’s custody personally.

A Blood Knight must never threaten a citizen with violence. If said citizen is behaving in a way that warrants use of force, a neutral warning that use of force will be warranted if they continue must suffice. A Blood Knight must never draw their weapon unless they intend to use it presently. A Blood Knight must never react to the taunting of a civilian; not only are they simply looking for a reaction, responding to the heckling of a ne'er-do-well is beneath the dignity of a Knight of the Order.

Never show cowardice in the face of the enemy. Only retreat or prepare to retreat when ordered to do so by your superior. A commanding Blood Knight may only retreat once they have supervised the retreat of their subordinates. It is recommended that a commanding Blood Knight lead any offensive action, and supervise the rear guard during a retreat - soldiers fight better knowing that their commander will never give a command they would not fulfill personally.

Blood Knights should volunteer for the most dangerous duty in a given operation <made up of an all-Sin'dorei force>. As the elite of Quel'Thalas, it is only fitting that we be deployed where we can take the brunt of a given mission’s burden. This is, of course, allowing for the exception of that duty being unsuited to a Blood Knight’s skillset compared to another available party.