Yautja Encyclopedia: Honor

Honor

The Code of Honor is the highest law of the Yautja society. It is taken with the utmost seriousness. To break the Code is to stop being Yautja, and becoming that is to be killed with as little consideration and honor as an illness-carrying insect: they are destroyed when met.

A Yautja without honor must prove himself in the new caste he finds himself in (or herself in rarer cases). They may have weapons and armor but no trophies, having traded them off for newer trinkets. When a predator finds dishonor and his caste discovers this, he must either face consequences or be outcasted.

Ranks:

Roles


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CONSEQUENCES:

[Yautja]

When the Predator is placed in the negative, his weapons will be removed to off the balance. He is never removed from his caste, but is considered a dishonored member of it. Because of the high honor of Honored and Elders, the chance of them being dishonored in this nature is virtually impossible. Usually only Warriors and under find this level of punishment. Eventually, if the dishonor is so great, the warrior must give up all possessions. If this eventually puts him back into the positive honor, he may continue in the fight.

Most crimes for Yautja are obvious, and are dealt with by an Arbitrator. False accusations of an Honor Code violation will get a Yautja torn limb from limb when the news of the discretion is made public.

However, sometimes when each party is accusing the other, the case is resolved by a wrestling match. Usually this is to block out or off ring, but in the case of one side accusing the other of claiming another's kill, it is to the death. The most common reasons for a match is as follows:

If the Yautja remains in the negative, he is considered less of a person. These dishonored live without quarters in the slums of the ships, forced to live on whatever they can find. Most here do not believe they will ever be strong again. Some try to fight for honor and challenge other Predators for their honor to be acknowledged again. If they continue to loose, their dishonor grows deeper. If their dishonor continues, this Predator is no longer allowed in the Caste. They cannot be reduced to another caste…the Predator is forced to endure discomidation. Stripped of his honor and banished, this Predator is left with his clothes and maybe a side blade on a planet to live the rest of his life without honor. Some of these Predators continue the hunt in their own mind. Some others kill themselves. Others adapt.

These Predators are not outcastes, just discomidated and not acknowledged. Outcastes are different. If a dishonored predator who freely accepted his punishment is needed again, there have been reports of an elder making a special case and letting a trained discomidated Predator on a hunt. They usually have no major weapons and armor. If they survive, they are accepted. This is extremely rare. A hunt occurs on a planet with a dishonored Predator and that Predator saves the life of the leader. That Predator may be brought and accepted back. -

BAD BLOODS / OUTCASTS:

The criminals among the Yautja have committed crimes such as murder, dishonorable hunting and failure. Strangely enough, other Predators can recognize Outcasted Predators on sight, as if their face is placed on a bulletin board for all to see. If discovered to have dishonored the caste and the Predator flees rather than accept punishment, there can be no forgiveness. The Predator flees with what he or she can carry--some of them already earned a ship or they might continue their dishonor by stealing one-never to return.

Outcasted Predators that leave this way are never accepted back. Upon seeing them, honored predators are ordered to eliminate these dishonored fools. Outcasted Predators do not often hunt except for food.

They travel, always alone, from place to place, aimless, without purpose. Some are evil incarnate, hunting and slaying anything alive, even other Yautja. This is the unfortunate norm since most dishonor is had not by defeat, but by crimes against the caste. There have been reports of a rare few predators that have been outcastes, only to exist as farmers on an abandoned distant world. It does not matter what life they have chosen. Outcastes are outcastes and those who help them are as bad as they are.

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RECOGNIZING HONOR IN OTHERS

Machiko

Predators are, in many ways, isolationists, which do not accept others into their broods. However, if a member of another species shows to have amazing honor, there have been known to be reports of a mutual respect between species. Most of the time, however, the Predator considers this an opponent and worthy trophy. This is always the case with hunters in Honored castes or less because they are in the constant search for more honor and will find it anywhere.

However, Elders are more laid back, having earned enough honor for a permanent position. They consider honored fighters of other species as respected as their own kin. Elders have often let warriors of other species live after they have proven themselves honored warriors. This usually only occurs if the subject has killed a Yautja or fought alongside a Yautja in a fight. There is also a common practice in these cases, to maintain honor by exchanging trophies by both sides. This can offer equal or more honor than killing the opponent.

Currently, there has been only one story of a human living in a Yautja community. This came from her fighting alongside an elder predator in a hunt. When he died, the human was accepted into the caste because of the obvious endorsement from a late elder. She was given the Mark of Honor, and therefore, became accepted.