Witcher´s Code

“*Shove your knightly virtues up your arse, Erland!*”
―Arnaghad, founder of the School of the Bear
As such, most witcher schools (with the School of the Griffin being one of the exceptions) did not possess a code of conduct for a long time (until the Second Conjunction of the Spheres). The moral aspect of adept witchers was instilled by their tutor or tutors during their training or through the circumstances experienced by the witcher themselves. This allowed certain witchers to invent their own code. However, this does not mean that prior to the era of the schools, when the Order of Witchers still existed, this was not a reality.

A sort of prototype was elaborated by Alzur himself, inspired by books he had read as a child, such as "A Guide to Chivalric Virtues" by Sir Mateo of Metinna. Based on this, an anonymous witcher would later create the code, although the majority attributes authorship to the founder of the School of the Griffin, Erland of Larvik. The code of the School of the Griffin is practically identical to the code of the Order, likely as a way for Erland to preserve the values of the Order despite its extinction. Some also say that the sword tutor of the first witchers, Taliesin Bleddyn Yorath aep Lywelyn, nicknamed Gryphon, aided in the process.

This code is a set of teachings, mostly in the form of poems, stories, and parables, that dictate how witchers should behave. Witchers who complete their trials are asked to meditate on the teachings, and those who fail to interpret them appropriately face an impasse in their training. Graduate witchers have a clear idea of how they must act, and the following is a minimum standard of 'honorable':

* **Respect legitimate authority, and abide by the rules and customs of the host land**.
* **Polite courtesy**: A witcher has no reason to be cruel, and no need to prove his strength. Courtesy distinguishes a man from an animal and reveals one’s true strength. While proper respect and courtesy should be shown, a witcher serves neither man nor king and therefore always has a choice whether to follow commands.
* **Act with honor (not cheating, using poisons, nor fighting unarmed opponents, and so forth)**. While lying is not strictly forbidden, a witcher deals openly and honestly with others. When a witcher has said that he shall perform an action, it is as good as done.
* **Help those in need and protect the innocent (with violence as a last resort**). A witcher takes every opportunity to aid others and creates opportunities when they do not arise. With power comes responsibility: responsibility to use that power to help others***.***
* **Maintain Neutrality**: Witchers steer clear of political schemes and power struggles. They do not meddle in the affairs of rulers and governments unless directly related to their monster-hunting duties.
* **Fair Compensation**: Witchers expect fair payment for their services but do not exploit the desperation of those seeking their help. They strive for a balance between earning a living and aiding those in need.

As already mentioned, after the Second Conjunction of the Spheres, with the creation of new witcher schools (like the School of the Crane) and the revival of others previously established, a new code of conduct, inspired in part by the legend of Geralt of Rivia, was created by the Crane founders, Putnam Pitch and Jolanta Dinmarb. This code, called the Codex of the White-Haired, was first adopted by witchers in Fabiolan countries and later, with the assistance of the Fox Grandmaster Adalwulf of Aedirn, became the moral standard for most witcher schools on both continents. The exceptions were the School of the Griffin and the School of the Dragon, the latter due to their isolation.

## Trivia

* This article is inspired in this article from the *World Wiki* *( Witcher´s Code*) and the 5 edition fanon manual of a D&D setting in the Witcher´s world along with canon information.