The Three Covenants

The main setting of my first novel will center around a jiang-hu like parallel world where magic exists alongside martial arts as effective methods of combat. The Realm is populated by various martial and militant orders (comparable to say the Shao Lin, Wu Dang, Hua Shan, Emei, and various other pugilist sects found in chinese wuxia stories). This post will not go into detail about the nature or background of these orders. I have that written up on my ipad actually, and I may eventually bring it here, but tonight I want to focus on a specific aspect of the militant orders in my fictitious world: the Three Covenants.

The Three Covenants were originated by the first knights of the Realm. Legend tells us they were three men determined to establish secret orders where students could learn sacred and ancient combat techniques for use in battle against tyranny and injustice.

The First Knight's order focused on establishing a strong foundation of discipline, willpower and inner strength. The First Knight's students were stalwart and resolute in character, loyal and faithful to the bone. Their descendants would eventually be known as the Knights Lazarenth.

The Second Knight's school taught tremendous martial skills and forms, and became unchallenged in the art of combat. Obedience, Diligence and This School would eventually become known as the Immaculate Swords.

The Third Knight was not like his companions, a lone wolf among a pack of lions. he understood the value of Duty and Loyalty, but he was also wary that power was corrupting. He forbade his disciples from ever revealing his teachings and he impressed upon his followers the necessity of secrecy - and made them swear never to interfere in the affairs of other orders.

Having established their own schools of discipline, the three knights were eager to see their students grow and learn from their teachings. However, they soon discovered that their disciples fell easily into conflict, with students of each school of thought eager to prove his devotion by impressing his beliefs upon the other orders. The knights knew that if they did not do something, their three orders would descend into war. Thus, they joined together once more to bind themselves to the Three Covenants (also referred to as the Unbreakable Covenants), each an aspect of the three knights' teachings.

Thus, the Realm's Assembly became ruled by the Covenants of Loyalty, Duty, and Secrecy.

This is the most commonly accepted accounting of the covenants, though some reclusive scholars insist that it is merely myth. Regardless of the covenants' origination, their interpretation has varied, sometimes radically, from generation to generation. At one time the Covenant of Loyalty meant only that knights were forbidden from declaring themselves of other orders. In recent times, it has also been used to forbid disciples from learning the fighting styles of any outsider teachings.

The Covenant of Secrecy also has changed since its origination. During the reign of the Late Emperor, Knights were forbidden from declaring their affiliations to those outside of the Assembly. This was a practical matter, as the Emperor had been known to be actively rooting out these upstart martial orders. In times past, it also meant that no knight could take political office.

Those who defy the Covenants openly are subject to exile, and even death, depending on the nature and circumstances of each violation. In recent years, however, the chaos caused by the Emperor's death has caused enforcement of the Covenants to fall lax.

I will discuss the Faith of the Pristine Path in the next entry.