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THE BROTHER’S GUIDE TO KEEPING THE PEACE “I SHALL NOT FALTER.” Written by the Hand of SER ARTHUR GANT On the 7th day of Joma ag Umund of 487 E.S PREFACE “Through God, he gave us stewardship of the realm.” A sworn brother is more than a brigand draped in black and yellow. The Sers may ride in the vanguard and stand at the side of the throne all clad in black; but it is we who keep the king’s peace. A common soldier must know when to draw steel in the name of his king, who to bleed, and how to go about it. It is the goal of this document to provide you, that common soldier, with the necessary knowledge to carry out your duties swiftly, and justly. What shall follow is a list of common crimes, both petty and grand, and suitable punishments for each. Let these guide you in your judgement. Should a crime be unlisted, do not fret. Consult the words of our sworn oath and the Holy Scrolls for guidance. PETTY CRIMINALITY VIII. Assault He who raises his hand against another invites the same to be done to him. Beat the assailant in kind, and break him should his crime be grievous. IX. Thievery Do not be swayed by honeyed words or shallow tears. It matters not why he has stolen, the thief has chosen his path. Seize what he carries, and take from him his sword hand. XXI. Harassment The harasser has spoken his piece, do not hear his words. Fine him a sum of fifty mina. Should he be unable to pay, deliver unto him five lashings. XII. Defamation Drag the gossip before their victim, and demand he retract his words. Should he refuse, fine him a sum of fifty mina. If he cannot pay, take from him a number of teeth, or his tongue. XIII. Trespass A man who walks where he does not belong has little need of his legs. On the first offense, remind him of this. On the second, break them. XVII. Obstruction He who impedes you is a pest. Demand he leave, and should he refuse, fine him a sum of fifty mina. If he is unable to pay, beat him into submission. XXXIII. Sabotage He who obstructs the work of a healer invites death. Should the patient die, so too must the saboteur. Otherwise, deliver unto him ten lashings. GRAND CRIMINALITY VII. Murder He who has unjustly taken a life has no right to his own. In all cases, the murderer shall be put to death. X. Banditry The brigand has forfeit his honour, and lives only for coin. Hang him, regardless of station or title. XV. Treason The traitor deserves no quarter. Put him to death without question, in a manner befitting his station. XX. Desertion He who forsakes his oath forfeits his life. Should an Officer deem a brother guilty, drag him before the rest. Execute him by crossbow volley, as is tradition. XXIII. Enslavement The freedom of a Haenseman is guaranteed by ancient custom. The slaver must in all cases be put to death. XXVII. Invasion The invader deserves no quarter, for he would put our lands to the torch and our people to the sword. Cut his throat, and hang him for all to see. XXIX. Kidnapping He who abducts another is no more than a petty slaver. Put him to death in a manner befitting his station. XXXII. Malpractice A healer who kills is no more than a murderer. Put him to death in a manner befitting his station. CRIMES OF FAITH XVIII. Sacrilege A man who speaks against GOD has no need of his tongue. Take it from him, and banish him from the realm. XIX. Desecration A man who soils a site of GOD has no need of his hands. Take them from him, and banish him from the realm. XXV. Fornication A man who lays with another outside of marriage is a fool, but he may yet be redeemed in GOD’s eyes. Deliver him to the Holy Mother Church, fine him a sum of fifty mina, and let him be on his way. XXIV. Cannibalism The cannibal is a sinner of the highest degree, and his soul is truly lost. Lash him to a post, and deliver unto him the mercy of cleansing flame. XXVI. Miscegenation A man who lays with the inhuman is black of soul, and condemns his vile offspring to a life of suffering. Deliver him to the Holy Mother Church, fine him a sum of two-hundred fifty mina, and banish him from the realm. XXX. Dark Witchcraft The evil of the witch must be purged, and her along with it. Lash her to a post, and deliver unto her the mercy of cleansing flame. XXXI. Abomination Daemons and darkspawn must be put to the sword, for their very existence is an affront to GOD. Cut the daemon down where it stands, and burn whatever remains. CRIMES OF INK AND PARCHMENT XI. Forgery | XVI. Fraud | XXII. Corruption | XXVIII. Racketeering These are the crimes of the high nobility or the crafty merchant. Unlike the others, they do not disturb the King’s Peace. They are crimes of ink and parchment, outside of our domain. Leave them to the King’s Justices, for they shall deliver justice rightly. ON AUTHORITY The laws of the land dictate that judgement shall be delivered by one of the King’s Justices. A list of said Justices shall be posted in the courtyard of the barracks. If none may be found, seek an officer of the Brotherhood. Only if there is no alternative may you deliver justice by your own hand. That being said, you, the sworn brother, are entrusted to keep the King’s Peace. Blood must be spilled, I understand this better than most. I know as well that our fields cannot be tended by corpses. The King has given unto us great power, and should you abuse it, you will be treated no better than a brigand. ON EXECUTION AND UNDEATH It is known that in Aevos the dead are not fond of rest. You may hang a man, quarter him, and burn him to bones, yet still he will arrive at the gates upon the next Saint’s Day. Burn a Hussariyan into the forehead of the condemned. Should one come bearing this mark of undeath, cut him down. KRUSAE ZWY KONGZEM, Ser Arthur Gant, Lord Marshal of Hanseti-Ruska, Knight of the Crow

WHY DO YOU MAKE THE AXE BACKWARD??????????

Ser Arthur Gant strapped the Iron Bulava to his belt, and slid the Sword of the Kingdom into a sheath at his hip. Sergeant, Marshal. It was of no difference. The knight would do his duty.

"Ah wonder if they'll keep beggin' to Aaun n' Balian," Ser Arthur Gant pondered. "Elves, Adrians... Everyone else they can ge', really. Would they still cry o' coalitions if it all wen' their way?"

"AHAHA!" laughed the Lord Marshal of Haense. He slapped his belly with fervour.

Ser Arthur Gant narrowed his eyes as he read the missive. He moved a candle close to the parchment and ran his finger under the word... "Inbred," he muttered to himself. "Well, tha' explains it. Legs're too twisted to leave their city."

"THIS IS A CHANGE OF TONE!" Ser Arthur Gant slapped his belly, and wheezed heartily as he snatched the missive from his squire. "NORDLING SAVAGES PLAYIN' THE VICTIM IN A WAR THEY STARTED!"

"This man needs a new set o' eyes," Ser Arthur Gant scoffed. "Ah stabbed 'er once, then cut off 'er 'ead. It was as clean a death as any."

"A strange day it is when the smallfolk weep fer vampyrs n' other creatures o' the nigh'," grumbled Ser Arthur Gant. Nonetheless, the knight lit a candle for the babe that never was.

"Declare war already!" exclaimed Ser Arthur Gant, growing tired of this war of words.

"At least 'e showed up!" said Ser Arthur Gant.

Ser Arthur Gant stared at a copy of the treaty. He felt no anger, for he knew this was coming."'undreds of Haensemen dead. My sister be'eaded... And fer wha'?" he muttered, coldly. "There's no grea'er sin than cowardice."

"Love the dwarves," Ser Arthur commented to his squire as they walked the halls of the barracks. "Migh' no' be Canonists, bu' they've more 'onour n' spine than 'alf the men alive."

Ser Arthur of House Gant put a crossbow in his mouth.

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"Well, now we've 'ad three treacherous women. Ah cut one's 'ead off, an' Vanhart go' the other," Ser Arthur Gant thought to himself. "Ah wonder who'll swing the blade on this one?"

"Wha' ever 'appened to tha' Anton fellow?" Ser Arthur mumbled to himself as he read the missive. He scratched his beard, ponderously...

Ser Arthur Gant looked to the sword he carried at his hip. "By GOD, it would no' surprise me if one o' these quill-pushers came fer me steel," he thought to himself, as he drummed his fingers against its pommel. "Skaul is an 'onourable man. Worthy o' me vote!"

Ser Arthur Gant donned his armour with newfound vigour.

"Dead? The king is dead?" Ser Arthur could almost not believe the news, though he knew it in his heart to be true. The knight had been tending to his armour, idly beating the dents from it with a hammer. It was a strange thing he felt. The two did not speak often, for they were far too different in character. The king was fond of his women, his poetry and literature, while Arthur lusted only for battle. Despite this, the knight had sworn every moment of his life to serving this man. And now he was dead. "Leave a man to 'is thoughts," he grumbled to the squire that'd delivered the news. The boy nodded, and slammed a clenched fist against his breastplate. Bells resounded through the streets as the squire set off down the dusty cobbles. He struck hammer to steel as those thoughts came back to him. He thought of his Duchess, dressed in black once more, and how he would go to her. He thought of the traitor, and her bloodied head rolling from the block. He thought of his sister, twisted and broken in a cell. And finally, he thought of the prince. The man who had ridden at his side throughout it all. A man of war. A man he could call friend. Visions of fire came to him. Then of blood staining red walls and pooling in black streets. Ser Arthur felt his lips tug into a smile beneath his beard. "Long live the king."

"Let us pray this one keeps 'er 'ead," Ser Arthur Gant grumbled as he dragged a whetstone along the edge of his longsword.

WYLZK VA SPARVEED MARTIAL JUDGEMENT OF 481 E.S “I SHALL NOT FALTER.” Written by the Hand of SER ARTHUR GANT On the 10th day of Joma ag Umund of 481 E.S MEA BORSAS, “To my left I see my fellow brothers, to the right I see the same. For all in the world, we fight for the peace of this land.” These are the words we swear, our oath bound by blood. To break it is to spit in the face of our fathers, and their fathers before them. We fight to keep the king’s peace, and to preserve the freedom of our fellow Haensemen. We do not draw steel in the name of petty politics. We do not bloody our fists at every slight, and by GOD, we do not do so in the king’s own halls. After consultation with His Excellency, Lord Marshal Wilheim of House Barclay, we see fit to render judgment upon Lord Andrik var Ruthern and Initiate Kaida Valtonen-Novikov. These sworn brothers turned against one another in the Esrova, and engaged in a bloody and reckless brawl. Each shall receive five lashings in the barracks courtyard, all of which shall be delivered by the Lord Marshal’s hand. Lord Andrik, Initiate Kaida, present yourselves to myself or the Lord Marshal. You have two Saint’s Days. Should you fail to do so, the Brotherhood of St. Karl shall seize you. Let us end this rightly. KRUSAE ZWY KONGZEM, His Excellency, Sir Wilheim Konstanz Barclay KOU, Lord Marshal of Hanseti-Ruska Ser Arthur Gant, Knight of the Order of the Crow

turn grief back on for the last few days.

Ser Arthur Gant stood before the Karosgradi newspole, hands on his waist. "A good lad, tha' Hans," he remarked to himself. "Bu', justice is justice. Ah pray 'e returns to GOD."

Ser Arthur Gant muttered to himself as he stood before the newspole. "This is the war o' our fathers, n' their fathers before them. I' will never end."