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.

There are six formal tenants for a warrior to follow:

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 ready to 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.