Ryder Honor Code

AKA The Rules, AKA The Kerrenese Chivalric Code

The Honor Code is a code of conduct that was clearly understood although it is never specifically written down. The Honor Code is an extension of Kerrenese Preserve thought and simple 'right living' in the Kerrenese Environment. Everyone on Kerren follows this code to some degree. Only Ryder are held to it, by themselves and others.

This code seems self evident to The Kerenese. It is deeply engrained in their culture. However, since players are NOT deeply enculturated, here they are as strident guidelines for players.

Co-Operation: Kerren society is built upon the foundation of cooperation. You are bound to help people in need, to do what you can for the wing/ ward/ cluster/ society as a whole. You may hate someone's guts, but when the Zhan are falling, you work with them as a full part of your team. Sometimes people repress honesty to make cooperation possible. Sometimes your need to do what is best for the group, you have to toss other personal considerations aside.

Duty: Every person has a job to do and they should do it, no matter what. Kerren's cooperative society: everyone does there part. If you have been given a duty, you have to do it, as everyone is counting upon you. Some people see this as a need for excellence. The ideal of the codes, implies you just need to do the job well and to at least the minimum of expectations.

Honesty:
To self: Since you have to be honest with your self, you find yourself doing and acting on feelings, that other societies would normally suppress (by lying to yourself about their importance).
To everyone: You are supposed to be honest with everyone, yet we we all know how too much honesty can be a problem. This rule is often in conflict with Duty and Cooperation

Loyalty: Loyalty to ones's crew, one's 'captain', and one's friends is a very important ideal. However, it creates the conflict when dealing with duty, cooperation, and honest.

'Word': This is not technically part of the 'code'. It is a bi-product. It is one's reputation. In a society and as stratified and small as Kerren's, your reputation IS how people see you. Since many of the laws and rules are subjective to the Warden (head of the ward), the ward's opinion of you becomes very important. that is why when someone is a bit too honest, duels will often erupt to defend one's word.

Like all honor systems, when someone over emphasizes one aspect (and believes everyone else should), it can generate some strange results. This can lead to some of the interpersonal drama that marks an Against the Storms game.