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{{culture
|image=Alethi Codes of War.jpg
|related=[[Alethkar]] [[category: Alethi culture]]
|world=Roshar
|universe=[[Cosmere]]
|books=[[The Stormlight Archive]]
}}
The '''Alethi Codes of War''', sometimes referred to as the '''War Codes''', are a list of guidelines for [[Alethi]] soldiers 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" {{book ref|sa1|19}} and [[Dalinar]] says that they are a relic of "old Alethkar".{{book ref|sa1|15}} However, Alethkar's predecessor, the [[Silver Kingdoms|Silver Kingdom]] of [[Alethela]],{{map ref|Silver Kingdoms}} is sometimes referred to as "Alethkar" by modern Alethi,{{book ref|sa1|24}} obscuring the provenance of the Codes.
At some point, the Codes fell into disuse, and they have not been followed for centuries.{{book ref|sa1|12}} Dalinar's embrace of the Codes seems to be a major step in his journey to become a [[Knight Radiant]],{{book ref|sa3|105}} but it is not clear if there were ancient Radiants in Alethkar who followed the Codes prior to the [[Day of Recreance]].
;'''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.▼
===
{{Quote
|Brother, follow the Codes tonight. There is something strange upon the winds.
|Gavilar's last words to Dalinar{{book ref|sa1|15}}
}}
Gavilar somehow rediscovers the Codes towards the end of his rule.{{book ref|sa1|15}} He first mentions them to his brother Dalinar at the feast where [[Evi]] is introduced.{{book ref|sa3|19}} Gavilar was taken by the Codes and reintroduced their use, but his [[Highprince]]s, including [[Torol Sadeas]] and Dalinar, dismissed them as foolish.{{book ref|sa1|15}} [[Elhokar]] and others saw Gavilar's emphasis on the Codes as a symptom of a possible decline in his mental health.{{book ref|sa1|18}}
=== Dalinar's Adoption ===
Dalinar is drunk when [[Assassination of Gavilar|Gavilar is assassinated]] and he realizes that he may have been able to help if he had been following the Codes, which prohibit alcohol.{{book ref|sa1|15}}{{book ref|sa3|114}} 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.{{book ref|sa3|105}} 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.{{book ref|sa1|64}}
{{Quote
|We follow the Codes not because they bring gain, but because we loathe the people we would otherwise become. We stand here on this battlefield alone because of who we are.
|Dalinar, preparing himself and the [[Cobalt Guard]] for death at the [[Battle of the Tower]]{{book ref|sa1|66}}
}}
Dalinar believes that the Alethi leadership is not staying prepared and vigilant during the [[War of Reckoning]].{{book ref|sa1|18}} His adherence to the Codes causes friction with the other [[highprince]]s, including Sadeas, who tells Dalinar that his honor is going to get him killed.{{book ref|sa1|56}} Like Gavilar before him, other Alethi elites (including [[Elhokar]] and [[Adolin]]) begin to question Dalinar's sanity, with the Codes and [[Dalinar's visions|his visions]] among their causes for concern.{{book ref|sa1|18}}{{book ref|sa1|26}}
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.{{book ref|sa1|18}} Adolin does not like wearing his [[Shardplate]] in low-risk situations and he wishes that he could challenge more people to duels.{{book ref|sa1|12}} He eventually realizes that the Codes remind soldiers and society at large that they are at war, and that following them inspires confidence in the military.{{book ref|sa1|58}}
{{Quote|Never ask of your men a sacrifice you wouldn’t make yourself. Never make them fight in conditions you would refuse to fight in yourself. Never ask a man to perform an act you wouldn’t soil your own hands doing.|[[Dalinar]]s interpretation of the codes}}▼
{{Quote
▲
|Dalinar's interpretation of the "Leadership" Code{{book ref|sa1|65}}
}}
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]].{{book ref|sa1|69}} This is met with immediate resistance, but Dalinar plans to increase his authority by having Adolin duel and win [[Shardblade]]s or Shardplate from other armies if they do not comply with his directive.{{book ref|sa2|5}}
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== Notes ==
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