THE BRANCH RIDER CODE
Branch Riders possess a definitive Code that directs their mission and clarifies the tasks at hand. Crafted from years of experience in adventuring and protecting the realms, this document serves as an unwavering compass and essential guide.
1
Cleanse everything tainted by the Blight.
The Blight threatens the realms and everyone living in them, as well as the Nexus itself. It tears at the fabric of minds, relationships, and reality. If left alone, it spreads. If we fight it using its own means, it spreads. If, by cleansing the realms, we do the Blight’s work for it, our mission has failed.
2
Never surrender to the Blight, even though it can never be destroyed.​​
​
We simply cannot eradicate the Blight. Our mission will never end, and it can be hard not to feel despair. As a Branch Rider, you cannot give up hope because if we surrender, the realms will fall. There are times when the Blight will overcome us, and we must regroup – but we never abandon our duty.
3
Understand the Blight to overcome it.
The more we know of the Blight, the better we can halt its spread and prevent further harm. Some have studied it too closely, however, and become corrupted themselves. Blight Riders are a warning to us all that no one is immune to the Blight’s influence. We must seek to understand not only the Blight, but also its impact on the realms and their inhabitants.
4
Keep the realms separate and unaware of each other.
​​​
Our missions can only succeed if they are secret. The most dangerous mission you might be sent on is one that brings you near your former home. You must not be recognized, and a flawless mission is one that no one notices. You will save the realms, and they will never know your name or what you have done for them.
5
Never reveal the nature of the Blight to any but a Fellow Branch Rider.
​​
Those living in the realms must not learn of the other realms, and they must not learn of the nature of the Blight. This rule was broken in the Chain, and since then, the situation there has steadily worsened. There are those in the realms who would panic if they knew the truth, and others who wish to exploit the power of the Blight for their own gain.