Unathi Honor

Overview

Traditional Unathi take honor extremely seriously, and following a strict code of honor is required by every individual as well as every clan and every nation. Most Unathi clans have different metrics for honor, but there are near-universal themes that have remained consistent throughout history.

Honor can also be considered to be a clan's face. To lose honor is to lose face, and it can lower a clan's standing with its peers. A Unathi behaving dishonorable can also lose face, lowering his status. This makes honor as much of a political asset and liability as a personal code of conduct.

Honor for the Common Unathi

Common, urban Unathi without feudal obligations aren't necessarily required to follow the warrior code, but are still expected to obey their elders, conform to their clan's wishes, and respect the ancestors.

Typically Unathi are expected to be honest with their business dealings, which makes Unathi Guilds struggle when competing with more pragmatic human corporations.

Honor For The Warrior

The romanticized Unathi warrior follows a strict Warrior's Code. This code has not been written down, but it is the formal code that Unathi are expected to follow. The tenants of the Warrior's Code were severely stressed during the Contact War due to the realities of modern war. There were many abuses and breaches of the code of honor by both sides. There is a slowly growing concern within the Hegemony that the warrior's code has become antiquated, but it still remains deeply important to Unathi that consider themselves warriors, or dream of becoming one.

The Warrior's Tenants

The first duty of a warrior is Loyalty to his Lord or superior. A warrior would gladly lay down their lives without hesitation in defense of their Lord or clan leader. They obey legitimate authority. However, a warrior isn't expected to blindly obey all orders given to them; if their Lord or comrades are behaving dishonorably or committing unspeakable acts, they are obligated to refuse to retain their own honor.

Warriors are Righteous. They are expected to be fair and honest at all times.

A warrior should show Courage at all moments in their life. They must face danger with zeal, courage, and intelligence, and commit their entire being to victory. That doesn't mean a Unathi blindly charges into a fight; winning with peace is just as honorable as winning with power, but a warrior should be constantly prepared to die a warrior's death. Courage is also speaking out for one's ideals even then they are a minority; it is true courage to speak for what is right even when no one else agrees with you.

A warrior shows Mercy for the weak, protecting them from danger. A proper warrior does not abuse prisoners or kill an unarmed foe. Surrendering to an honorable warrior means fair treatment.

When a warrior says something will be done, they get it done. They have Integrity and ensure they do not stop doing what must be done. They don't have to promise or give their word, they just do it.

If a warrior faces terrible failure, or finds their honor to be irrevocably tarnished, they must become Guwandi, committing ritualistic suicide through combat. A Guwandi's goal is to die, because death in battle wipes away all crimes and sins. But this is only true if the Guwandi goes into every fight committed to winning; intentionally losing forever taints a soul and they are forbidden from joining their ancestors.

The Star Code

Despite taking up a life of piracy, a large portion of Unathi pirates are dispossessed Traditionalists from Moghes following the horrors of the Contact War that swept across Moghes. Thanks to Unathi stubbornness with their deeply ingrained beliefs about honor, certain ways of behaving stuck around and metastasized into a shared cultural code of honor frequently called the Star Code. It provides rules for discipline, distribution of seized goods, and compensation for injured pirates. While most Unathi pirates follow it only more or less, the Grim Compact is its most adherent propagators and adherents.

The Code

A pirate must be loyal to his Captain. To flee in battle or show cowardice through desertion is punishable by exile or death, at the Captain’s choice.

A pirate must show integrity when on the ship. Duty and discipline must be maintained until any quarrels can be settled when docked with a duel or brawl.

A pirate must show mercy to women and the infirm. To steal from such weak and pathetic targets is not worth the scorn of the dishonor.

A pirate should spare any who raise their hand against them once, but if they raise their hand a a second time, then it must be cut off.

A ship should only be captured if it is a vessel of war. Unarmed ships should only have a third of its cargo seized, or as much as will keep the freighter's trip profitable, and then be allowed to continue on its way. This way it remains a renewable source of income with repeated seizures.

Hostages should not be mistreated, but those that attempt to escape should have a single leg dislocated. Broken goods sell for less.

It is fair and reasonable that any captive be asked to perform housekeeping or other duties to pay back their hosts for their stay, seperate from their ransom.

Any person that shows valiance and bravery by defeating at least three members of the crew in personal combat, chosen by the Captain, must be allowed the option to join the crew as a full member.