Order of the White Rose/History

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Grand Masters of the Order

Those who have Fallen

Creation of the Order

The Order of the White Rose was founded by the first Grand Master, Saul Tarvitz, in the region of Santoo, Luria Nova with the assistance of Aldrakar Renodin, Viscount of Sulorte, Luria Nova. The Order was created for the purpose of bringing together the nobility of not just Luria Nova, but of the entirety of Dwilight in the hopes that there might become a common standard of honour amongst the nobles.

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A manuscript written by the first Seneschal of the Order of the White Rose on Valour. Written in the 28th Year, Spring. By the hand of Aldrakar Renodin.

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Esteemed members of the White Rose,

Today I wished to share with you the Code and the Virtues of the Order as one might find them written in each of the Order Chapter Houses.

The Code of the White Rose

1. To protect the weak and the defenceless

2. To refrain from the wanton giving of offence

3. To live by honour and glory

4. To guard the honour of fellow members of the Order

5. To eschew unfairness, meanness and deceit

6. At all times to speak the truth

7. To persevere to the end in any enterprise begun

8. Never to refuse a challenge from an equal

9. Never to turn the back upon a foe

10.To seek out and vanquish evil wherever it is found

The Values of the White Rose

Justice

Sagacity

Prudence

Temperance

Resolution

Truth

Liberality

Diligence

Hope

Valour

Where I will highlight one of the Values today, it is my hope another will take up this torch and highlight one of the other Values or stipulations of the Code as he or she envisions it. Through this I hope to spark the sharing of wisdom and vision and reach a greater understanding.

I will choose to tell you about Valour.

Valour, that Leonine quality all warriors claim and all that run must lack. Wrong I say onto you. Valour is not vanquishing your foes and riding down the stranglers or rushing in a great horde the few who stand to resist and get utterly shattered. Is it exactly those few that dare to stand, to uphold their believes and stand, come what may, that are valorous.

Do not mistake bravery for Valour either. Where Bravery comes from the heart and some men are born with it and others may be conditioned to it there are few who truly become valorous. Where one may feel the fear of death, of injury and choose to stay and fight or to face the consequences of a tough decision. It is different still. A valorous person may know that there will be pain, he may already foresee that future and know what consequences he must face down the road he must walk upon. Not because that road is easy but because it is hard. That road is the only road he could walk if he wishes to remain in the light.

Valour is knowing, beforehand, that the road you will walk upon will be hard and realize the bad that may befall you. Despite the actions of good that you will take upon this path. A brave man might do the same but never realize he is upon the path and he never knew it was the right one either.

This foreknowing, this sacrifice before the deed is where true valour springs from. Not the heart's passion but the mind's calm. Accepting, knowing and taking the path that is right and leads not into darkness and the cool but into the light where you may take a burn but never shy away from the true. This supersedes bravery and becomes a conscious choice. Seeing a friend in need and realizing there is little hope but riding all the same to his or her aid. Giving a last bread to a starving man, knowing you will go hungry. Giving up a favored sword or helm to a squire whom you desire to survive a coming battle, knowing you will need it just as much.

A woman who tells her fighting man she believes in him and will be waiting for him. Knowing he may perish and realizes that her hidden sorrow and confident words will give him strength.

There are many forms of Valour and many are not displayed on the field of battle. Bravery leaps from the hearts passion to conquer fear.Courage is the repeat of bravery and the Dauntless are conditioned to display courage a dozen times over. Valour comes from the mind and must be chosen.

In this I share my views with you and hope you may see wisdom in them. I also invite discussion and another to continue in this same vein with another Value of the Order of a part of the Code.

With warm regards,

Aldrakar Renodin Margrave of Giask Seneschal of Order of the White Rose

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A manuscript written by the first Seneschal of the Order of the White Rose on Valour. Written in the 28th Year, Summer. By the hand of Aldrakar Renodin.

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Lord, Initiate Cordun of Luria Nova,

Your words are keen to turn my open invitation onto my own person. I will take up this gauntlet and attempt to share my views.

The Code of the White Rose

1. To protect the weak and the defenceless

2. To refrain from the wanton giving of offence

3. To live by honour and glory

4. To guard the honour of fellow members of the Order

5. To eschew unfairness, meanness and deceit

6. At all times to speak the truth

7. To persevere to the end in any enterprise begun

8. Never to refuse a challenge from an equal

9. Never to turn the back upon a foe

10.To seek out and vanquish evil wherever it is found

The Values of the White Rose

Justice

Sagacity

Prudence

Temperance

Resolution

Truth

Liberality

Diligence

Hope

Valour

Lord Cordun asked me to give my own views on the matter of Justice. It is true that I was recently appointed Imperial Magistrate of Luria Nova. It is the position of the Highest Judge. Not a very simple position with so many powerful Nobles inside Luria Nova. Justice, the ideal to render onto each their due deserved and allow for a balance to be struck between action and consequence. I find it a most difficult subject.

As Lord Cordun puts it, is the Law of a Realm above that of a personal Code or it the ultimate justice derived from duty to one's realm. I reckon tied into this question lies what consequences are acceptable, when does justice break laws and when the sword becomes the instrument to play the last melody. Punishment is another side of this consideration and then instantly we find ourselves tangled in culture and expectation. I will attempt to bring it down to what I believe is justice and will welcome any of your to add or bring forth other points.

Justice for me is to see right being done. To see the wrong and wicked brought to accountability and allow the land tranquility as the rule of law is enabled. Allow me to state that I see Law and Justice as separate entities. A law may be unjust and justice dispensed without a court or a lawyer. The two should in an ideal world be married happily and its offspring be peace, order and happiness.

There are many ways to be just and many ways to be wrong or bad. When looking at that I would state that actions borne from Kindness have a tendency to be just and those borne from Greed or self-interest a tendency to Injustice. A selfless act does not need to be just and neither an attempt to help one self to be cruel or wicked.

Helping and its counterpart, to torment, are perhaps the beginning principles of Justice. The Laws of men are devoid of Justice when they reward the wicked and punish the just, but it happens. A man sharing his bounty can be generous but also just when the one that helped him gain that bounty saw his own bounty wither away due to negligence. The helper should be awarded a part, equal to his effort. This is a just concept. A law may state that the receiver of the help needs not share his bounty and if the man chooses not to share he will be seen as greedy.

Courtesy is a form of justice for to act with respect and offer opportunity can be just. A fair chance given to a man or woman to prove themselves is a just act. Justice is the recognition of those acts that are fair, that enable a true chance, that see a rightly proportion of reward, a balance given between struggle and reward. Any disruption to the equal balance between these two we call injustice and can usually be done by the powerful. Those without power have no influence over these transactions and are at the mercy of those able to be just. A mother and a child, a father and his family, a master and his journeymen, a steward and his city, a Lord and his vassals, a King and his realm.

Justice would mean the opportunity to prove yourself, to be rewarded to the extend of your efforts and the grace given when you make honest mistakes. A kind heart is where Justice flows from and is taken away by greedy hands or a fearful mind.

I encourage you all to discuss these words and write upon other virtues or codes of the White Rose. Let us share in our combined knowledge and strive towards greater understanding of that which we seek to attain and master.

With warm regards,

Aldrakar Renodin Imperial Magistrate of Luria Nova Margrave of Giask Seneschal of Order of the White Rose

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There are many blank pages in the Codex awaiting ink written with wisdom.