The Chaplain’s Guide to Ethical Conduct

Introduction

Brethren,

The order’s chaplains are responsible for a variety of duties. However, a fundamental purpose, both on and off the battlefield, is to nourish and maintain the spiritual connection to the eight virtues throughout the lance structures. As chaplains, we are responsible for upholding the virtues amid chaos, threatening to erode disciplined reason, and corrupting gallant forces into the mindless creatures we have sworn to combat. We must defend the order’s spirit against the poison of fear and hatred, which gradually dims righteous rage until guardians become indistinguishable from marauding foes. By the grace of the eight virtues, chaplains steward mind, body, and spirit.

Adherence to proper conduct varies according to the circumstances and the people involved, whether allies, foes, or neutral parties. While rigorous legalist approaches that ignore subtlety often result in injustice and disdain, situational knowledge allows proper compromise, allowing for courage and compassion to hold back primal impulses. Such an examination distinguishes light from darkness across a spectrum of unsalvageable evil and broken mortals still yet redeemable and deserving of mercy’s tempered judgment.

Thus, absorb these writings, analyzing intricate allegiances and proportional emotions to administer solutions with discretion that go well beyond dogmatic orthodoxy. May discernment steer our steps between darkness and light as guardians of virtue’s vision.

Sir Dyron Helmscarr, Grand Chaplain

Relations with Allies

An essential aspect of what we do as chaplains is how we deploy our message to those we interact with. Commonality must exist within this context so that confusion is kept to a minimum and that transparent, concise, and consistent counsel is rendered. Thus, the following topics address the various ways in which a chaplain will

Respecting Chain of Command

The commanding knight of a lance, platoon, company, or battalion deployed to official duty is the ultimate authority of that force. They are carefully vetted and generally of wise temperament, leadership ability, and adherence to the principles of chivalry and the eight virtues. However, even the most stalwart champions are imperfect beings and may fall prey to the rigors of stress and command within dynamic environs. You must be prudent here. Do not actively seek to undermine the authority of a wayward knight immediately. If at fault, approach privately to inquire about the nature of the issue. Attempt to de-escalate the tension and temperament at fault. If about to commit an act so horrendous that immediate action must be initiated, do not hesitate to issue rebuke, for you are authorized to do so. A full investigation of the matter will be forthcoming. Never use this level of intervention lightly, for if ill-conceived, it threatens to disrupt the reputation of either yourself or the knight in question.

Upholding Oaths

Various oaths bind us to service, which provide ample code for the guidance of chaplains and order members alike. They are designed to partition the mind in a manner befitting honorable conduct, loyalty to cause, and achieving and maintaining balance.

The first of our oaths regards serving as protectors of the wilds and maintaining the fragile balance between nature, civilization, and malevolent threats of both mundane and supernatural nature. We must acknowledge and maintain our connection with nature, for even though culture moves us from its raw essence, we are still a part of the natural world, tied into its ebb and flow regardless of the gifts of magic, technology, or innovation. Those who forget this fact often aid in destructive practices that create blight upon the realm. Many we come into contact with will be from rural communities, closer to nature’s primal energies than we of cities, castles, and keeps. Know and understand their ways, and be mindful and respectful of local customs, traditions, and laws so as not to turn potential allies and supporters into disdainful opponents, regardless of our perceived strengths. Do not underestimate the power and anger of a peasantry turned toward violent protest against wrongdoing, for even when put down, the damage to assets and productivity often outweighs the petty grievance acting as a catalyst.

The next oath is adherence to the tenets of chivalry: a code of conduct encompassing a set of qualities and principles emphasizing honor, integrity, and gallantry. By embracing such tenants, the chaplain and all charges exude an aura of dignified presence so powerful that it cannot help but inspire awe and admiration within the goodly and fear and dread about the wicked. This projection aids in rallying folk to our righteous cause and offering a deterrent to those of ill will.

Of all the oaths taken, none are more paramount than pledging to uphold the sacred tenants of the Eight Virtues. Although quantified so that their knowledge may be distributed, taught, and enforced through purpose and deed, these principles are primal and essential to all civilized people regarding recognizing a pact of behaviors conducive to governing civil conduct and incentivizing cooperative unity. We must always stand as ambassadors to these core aspects of our realm, making them tangible parts of our existence.

The pledge of loyalty to The Order of The Silver Serpent, The Order of The Green Company, and its Grand Master are binding contracts of fealty regarding how we, as chaplains, conduct ourselves and represent these pillars of the realm in all our deeds. Our task is not to invent policy but to interpret and apply sacred edicts to developing situations as best we can based on the protocols given.

Regarding the last oath, as an extension to promises rendered unto our order, we are also charged with the defense and aid of the city-state of New Magincia, its people, and its environs. These duties include similar assistance to which we render unto our brethren; spiritual support and guidance, medical aid for the injured, sick, and infirmed, and martial aid through attachment with knightly lances should the need for defense arise locally. There will always be a contingent of chaplains attending to duties within the infirmary of the chapterhouse, in addition to those offering religious services and holiday celebrations, counseling, and medical aid upon request to those lacking mobility.

Understanding perspectives

We are of a feudal society. Progressive as it may be regarding embracing the ideal of the monarchial republic, where each city-state has a voice upon Lord British’s High Council, we are a tiered society of nobles, gentry, commoners, and peasantry. Each will have nuances that need be handled differently, boundaries respected, and motivations recognized. The nobility rules and governs; the gentry controls business at the behest of the aristocracy, employing the commoners who perform skilled labor; and the peasants feed all, working the land and producing goods in exchange for protection and subsistence farming rights. Nobles are motivated by revenue to pay for their forces and equipment and acquire more land whenever possible. The gentry is motivated by generating a profit based on businesses upon lands owned by the nobles they lease from, in addition to lucrative contracts to produce or trade goods and services. The commoners and skilled tradespeople working for gentry businesses are motivated by the coin earned in wages and a chance at becoming masters and rising to the status of the gentry themselves. Finally, the peasant is motivated primarily by survival, clinging close to family and community in cooperation. Know these things, remember them, and use the information to resolve situations or bestow council upon the civilian populace.

Offering Humble Council

We are all flawed beings, regardless of how closely we grasp the core tenets of the eight virtues and apply them to our daily lives. Even the most stalwart of champions have moments in which they falter, fail, or come short of exemplifying the high standards we are expected to embrace perpetually. Do not make the mistake of thinking you are above others due to your calling or vocation. Furthermore, be mindful of how you engage others, regardless of station. Arrogance taints the most virtuous message and dilutes the intended purpose into thoughts that work against the intended purpose, which should always be a resolution of unity, balance, and dutiful adherence to an orderly society. There is a time for stern words when righteous rebuke is deemed necessary. When it is not, exercise tack in how you deal with others, mainly civilians not accustomed to the harsh, structured essence of soldiery life.

Building Trust

Constructing trust is not unlike building a temple, for it is made upon a strong foundation, proving integrity over time, and offers reliability. It is further built up with the gradual application of shared labor and understanding. When finished, individual components are brought together, assembled, and presented as an inspiring asset reflecting higher ideals. Furthermore, maintenance is required to avoid complications arising from complacency. For people to fully heed your wise counsel, they must first trust you, which is a thing earned. Be like the sturdy temple in this regard.

Peacefully Engaging Local Populations

We often find ourselves far removed from the comforts of the chapter fortress and New Magincia in performing our duties, usually embedded within rural communities, whilst we deal with threats within a local environ. Never forget that we are visitors within these lands, and their noble rulers have permitted us to intervene long before stepping foot upon the soil. Thus, see yourself as an ambassador representing the order, regardless of station held by the person or group you treat with presently. In so doing, regard the following aspects of properly engaging local populations:

Prioritize Compassion

Sometimes, the locals are the problem, giving way to the seductive promise of easy power, bearing witness to abuse and neglect from vain and foolish rulers, and all too willing to commit to darker forces. Sometimes, the locals are the victims of manipulative entities beyond their control and look to the order, as do their leaders, to deliver them from current plight. Whatever the case, it is essential to maintain humility and show compassion for those affected. We are not all born with the will and capacity to combat cosmic horrors on any given weekday. The average subject of the realm is a simple creature with a very focused and sheltered worldview. Do not expect them to be able to endure what an order soldier routinely faces.

Respecting Local Cultures

Britannia is a vast realm, and each city-state and surrounding community therein will have its own customs, mannerisms, and ways of doing things unique to that place or region. This observance is neither good nor bad in the larger scheme of things unless such customs have fallen into deviancy far removed from the path of the eight virtues. That is another story, and possibly grounds for operational intervention in and of itself. However, a general commonality exists between the regions, and when engaged in a social context, they should not be that far removed from location to location.

It is important to quickly identify and be mindful of these differences before arrival, whenever possible. Interfacing with scouts or heralds familiar with the area of operation will often be part of the briefing before a campaign is launched. If it is not, seek them out to acquire this knowledge, for it will aid you greatly in establishing trust and goodwill with local peoples.

Refrain from attempting to inject your personal preferences regarding custom and tradition immediately should the topic of conversation drift from your duties in promoting the eight virtues, especially when nobility is involved, for the intent is not to insult or come across as arrogant and intolerant. Aside from mercilessly crushing the forces of evil, you are there to build bridges of commonality and goodwill. If your designs are not of direct service to the virtues and you encounter something that vexes you, make an assessment. Does your objection to that being displayed warrant correction, or can it be overlooked in service to the greater good? The stakes in play may necessitate compromise or immediate action, but you must always exercise good judgment and consider the ramifications.

Settling Disputes Justly

As mentioned earlier, we live within a realm with the benefit of commonality across various regions. Law and governance are likely to be incredibly similar within areas controlled by one city-state to the next. Having said that, enforce the rules regarding the tenants of chivalry, the oaths, and the eight virtues of your knightly brethren. Others of the order and civilians will be held responsible for laws based upon the eight virtues and those of their ruling nobles. You have no authority over the subjects of a noble outside of New Magincia. Clearance to intervene on behalf of the rulers of other city-states must be secured by the Grand Master, which is typically the case when order forces are deployed to foreign regions.

Assess the infraction of the law in question, cleanse it through scrutiny by way of the eight divines and how they apply to the scenario, and with a combination of wisdom, knowledge, and impartiality, devise council to the authority present, if not yourself, as to how the resolution is achieved. This may range from simple fines, community service, and confinement to death, should the crime be significant enough. However, an attempt at mercy should be rendered, especially for those who might be redeemed with proper course correction. However, the truly wicked will inevitably reach a point where their doom is unavoidable.

Improving Areas Engaged

As ambassadors of goodwill, even when accompanying a knightly entourage as support, our task is to establish and maintain positive relations with the local populace of our regions. If the locals see us as protectors, providers, and valuable allies, they will be helpful and hospitable to the order’s forces in general. This is often achieved by taking great care to leave an area slightly improved over its condition before our arrival.

How is this done? Perhaps you requisitioned artisans to repair the crumbling barns of a village near the camp during the campaign. Remove and dispose of corpses after a mass battle, mainly if waged upon farmland. Pay peasants twofold what you need regarding stores needed during emergencies. Conscript brigands that terrorized a local village into providing labor to help repair damages before removing them for further justice. Restore a dilapidated shrine or temple. Help repair broken fences for shepherds and ranchers. Eliminate vermin or predators endangering livestock or destroying crops. The possibilities are endless. Be creative.

Handling Prisoners of War

Befitting Quarters

After a battle, the victor must often deal with defeated living opponents, whether mercenaries or uniformed regulars representing a noble force; customary codes of martial conduct cannot get casually discarded for zealous convenience. Suitable accommodations become mandatory for ranking nobles accustomed to dignities that subordinate conscripts lack. Aside from appearances that this caters toward favoritism, another reason is that the vanquished officers needs be segregated from troops once commanded for their safety.

All prisoners must be given proper shelter from the elements, be they housed in large tents or a proper stockade or dungeon, including fires or stoves, if need be, to provide warmth. Captivity lasting longer than a week must come with soap and water to bathe and a change of simple garb. Three small meals a day are also supplied if rations warrant such an expenditure from order stores, and It does not endanger the operational capacity of the participating lances. Furthermore, if the order force cannot harbor the prisoners due to supply and cost concerns, disarm the soldiers, free them, and remain in possession of the knights and noble officers. Generally, the holding of common soldiers depends on the situation of the officers surviving the battle, and they are commonly released the moment their commanders are.

The order does not torture or brutalize prisoners beyond acquiring compliance if commands are being resisted, guards are attacked, or they are attempting to escape. When violent force is applied, it is only to the degree necessary to achieve compliance and secure the prisoner. Interrogations will be of a verbal nature, possibly applying pressure or leverage known but may not involve bodily harm.

Engaging Honorable Enemies

Although the term honorable may be subjective, it is used to describe enemy mercenary forces, human knights, nobles, elves, and gargoyles that are still a part of civilized society. When the order stands against such individuals, it is generally because they have decided to swear allegiance to Lord Blackthorn’s misguided cause, directly or indirectly, and now fall in direct opposition to what we represent. Because they are seen as not unredeemable, they are treated with levels of specific concern, as described below:

Respect under truce flags

The white flag of truth, waved purposefully in front of an enemy’s rank before battle commences, is the universal symbol of temporary suspension of hostilities. The commanding officer, his second, and an escort of no more than two knights or men-at-arms will then ride forth, meet in the middle of the two opposing forces, and begin terms of parlay. This conversation may be about terms of surrender, diplomacy regarding terms of compromise to avoid the battle, or simply greeting an opposing general in a civil exchange before the battle. Many officers on opposite sides are quite commonly related to one another. When finished, all parties move back to their respective sides. Once ranks are rejoined on each side, the battle will commence as it will, but not before then. To do otherwise is to behave without honor.

While under the flag of truce, there will be no aggressive action from either force until the parlay is concluded and each commander has rejoined their own ranks.

Proportional Retaliation

We are not petulant noble scions nor undisciplined barbarians. We are of The Order of The Green Company and compose ourselves with dignity at all times, beholden unto our honor, duty, and balance. Due to our expeditionary nature and being tasked with dealing with all manner of issues by various city-states about the realm, we will often be viewed as meddlers by those of ill intent and targeted for retaliation to deter us from further action and or to break our will. Be assured that retribution shall be had. However, the punishment must be proportional to the grievance and no greater. It must also be delivered unto those in command, not the proxy forces they might deploy with no real choice. However, there is a distinction between mercenaries and conscripted peasants coerced into the service of nobles. All mercenaries may be persecuted according to grievance bestowed upon the order, including simply engaging us in battle.

Treacherous nobles often retain their lives but are just as commonly stripped of title and the ability to further inflict harm upon the ream in treacherous acts. However, this will largely depend on the level of wrongdoing.

Quarter Upon Yielding

Upon the surrender or death of the commanding officer leading the opposed force, all hostilities on the part of the order are to cease once the enemy acknowledges that they wish to end hostilities. The universal sign of surrender is signaled by the enemy dropping arms to the ground and raising their hands to show lack of weaponry. All order commanders and sergeants are to echo the command to cease combat and assume defensive postures until the enemy has called off aggression. Soldiers are then searched and segregated from their arms and shackled, awaiting escort from the field. Officers are escorted to order commanders, where they will kneel and surrender their weapons in formal gesture. The purpose of this protocol is to avoid unnecessary bloodshed, preserving the sanctity of life if and when we can.

Ransom and Exchange

All knights and nobles are to be captured, hospitably treated and ransomed back to their families for a negotiated price. All of the nobles’ arms, equipment, and mounts are to be confiscated and distributed as the engaging commanding officer of the order’s forces wishes. The exception is if the opposing knights are targeted by one of the various city-states while we work on their behalf and have made an agreement with the grand master to return the captives to them instead. This is generally worked out in the contract before order lances step foot within a foreign region. Soldiers may be released independently of their noble leaders, especially in cases where negotiations span longer than a week or circumstances do not permit human imprisonment for a large force.

Persecuting Uncivilized Foes

What divides civilized and uncivilized enemies is that the latter are fundamentally sentient beings living outside the societal institutions of cities, towns, and villages, primarily in primitive shelters such as tents and caves. Uncivilized sentients also frequently exhibit a proven lack of innate respect for mortal life, whether due to trauma, dogma, or other factors hindering moral maturation. This results in enemies who operate ruthlessly, devoid of compassion, truth, or logical reasoning. All uncivilized opponents are not the same, so we must advise our charges to confront them on a case-by-case basis in the following ways:

Eliminating Irredeemable Foes.

When confronted with completely malevolent entities devoid of mortal conscience or intellectual capacity, we are entitled to engage in immediate destruction. For primordial darkness suffusing demonic essence cannot truly be reasoned with and seeks only to corrupt and destroy mortal life; malignant undead seek only to destroy the living so despised or are mindless thralls enslaved by magical means; constructs obey magical directives, lacking further complexity; and monstrous beasts operating solely on predatory instinct warrant a singular response, with no quarter given in their destruction.

Balancing Harshness and Mercy against Malicious Sentients

When confronted with tribal beings who operate on primordial codes outside of the conveniences of formal society, we chaplains must counsel with nuance. Mortal conscience still exists behind harsh exteriors that can be approached and reasoned with. However, rampant hostility cannot be tolerated because it is frequently misinterpreted as a weakness that can be exploited. So, although preemptive strikes deployed too early lose the possibility of breaking a cycle of cruelty and aggression through cooperation and mutual benefit, complacency also encourages future harm that only determined intervention may prevent. Thus, one must assess the context of a situation and use sound judgment, wisdom, kindness, and justice to the best of one’s ability.

Consider enraged orcs irregularly pillaging remote hamlets fueled by ancestral hatred over a history of hostile policy directed against them. Violence answered solely for retaliation becomes an all-too-easy dogma embraced by both sides of a conflict, with little room for compromise. It would be irresponsible not to provide preventive protection against loss of life and engage in self-defense. However, hostilities do not have to be the initial or last type of preventative action. Understand the opponent and what motivates them, and strive for a solution that benefits all sides while reducing the loss of lives whenever possible. Unfortunately, the powers within civilized and uncivilized societies often narrow-mindedly opt to take what they wish by force as the most efficient path.

Consider that short-term remedies to provide immediate defense and deterrence against dangers are a valid and rational approach. However, a long-term goal that stabilizes the situation beyond the stormy peace produced by the original offering should be implemented soon after.

So, while sweeping generalizations frequently divide and distinguish the civilized from the uncivilized and use them to justify conflicts, it is critical to strike a humane balance when considering situational factors. Legalistic brutality justified purely by cultural differences typically leads to worse outcomes. Compromise frequently leads to inconvenient outcomes. However, if everyone adheres to their agreements, they have the potential to foster lasting collaboration and mutually advantageous situations.

Conclusions

In closing, I leave you with these final thoughts: as chaplains, we are both protectors of our order and heralds of the eight virtues, spreading the word of their value and usage and attempting to live by their example. As we venture into the world, we are ambassadors of our order and the Eight Virtues and must consciously seek to apply their aspects toward those encountered, be they friend, foe, or neutral. The code of ethics detailed within this work is a translation of principles based on societal law and spiritual values. Do not get so caught up embracing one over the other that you lose focus on the intent to foster peaceful, cooperative, and orderly social environments that enrich and preserve the lives of those therein.

Sir Dyron Helmscarr, Grand Chaplain