Alethi Codes of War

The Alethi Codes of War, sometimes referred to as the War Codes, are a list of guidelines for Alethi officers on Roshar to follow in times of war.
== History ==
=== Origin ===
It is not clear who created or documented the Codes. The Alethi king Gavilar Kholin says that they are from "the old days" when "Alethkar meant something" and Dalinar says that they are a relic of "old Alethkar". However, Alethkar's predecessor, the Silver Kingdom of Alethela, is sometimes referred to as "Alethkar" by modern Alethi, obscuring the provenance of the Codes. 
At some point, the Codes fell into disuse, and they have not been followed for centuries. Dalinar's embrace of the Codes seems to be a major step in his journey to become a Knight Radiant, but it is not clear if there were ancient Radiants in Alethkar who followed the Codes prior to the Day of Recreance.
=== Gavilar's Discovery ===
Gavilar somehow rediscovers the Codes towards the end of his rule. He first mentions them to his brother Dalinar at the feast where Evi is introduced. Gavilar was taken by the Codes and reintroduced their use, but his Highprinces, including Torol Sadeas and Dalinar, dismissed them as foolish. Elhokar and others saw Gavilar's emphasis on the Codes as a symptom of a possible decline in his mental health.
=== Dalinar's Adoption ===
Dalinar is drunk when Gavilar is assassinated and he realizes that he may have been able to help if he had been following the Codes, which prohibit alcohol. At Gavilar's funeral, Dalinar thinks about the Codes and his failures; he later listens to Jasnah read passages from The Way of Kings, and reaches a turning point in his life. Dalinar and his children begin strictly adhering to the Codes. Dalinar believes that the Codes help him manage the extreme parts of his personality that he cannot otherwise control. 
Dalinar believes that the Alethi leadership is not staying prepared and vigilant during the War of Reckoning. His adherence to the Codes causes friction with the other highprinces, including Sadeas, who tells Dalinar that his honor is going to get him killed. Like Gavilar before him, other Alethi elites (including Elhokar and Adolin) begin to question Dalinar's sanity, with the Codes and his visions among their causes for concern. 
Adolin is sometimes frustrated by his father's interpretation of the Codes of War, even as Dalinar's resolve to follow them continues to grow. Adolin does not like wearing his Shardplate in low-risk situations and he wishes that he could challenge more people to duels. He eventually realizes that the Codes remind officers and society at large that they are at war, and that following them inspires confidence in the military.
After Dalinar survives the Battle of the Tower and is made Highprince of War, he decides to enforce the Codes in all of the warcamps on the Shattered Plains. This is met with immediate resistance, but Dalinar plans to increase his authority by having Adolin duel and win Shardblades or Shardplate from other armies if they do not comply with his directive.
== The Codes ==
;Readiness: The officer will be prepared at all times for battle. Never drunken on wine, never without his weapon.
;Inspiration: The officer will wear his uniform when in public, to look ready for war and to give strength to his troops.
;Restraint:The officer will refrain from needless duels, arguments or squabbles with other officers in camp, to prevent injury to men who may be needed to command.
;Leadership: The officer will require no action of his soldiers that he would not be willing to perform himself.
;Honor: The officer will not abandon allies on the field, nor will he seek to profit from the loss of his allies.
== Notes ==