Editing Valkor (section)

==Templar Customs==

Horses are especially important animals in Templar culture, and the relationship between Templar and horse begins as soon as a child has the balance to sit upright.  They are essential to the Templar knights, and even an ordinary knight will own at least three. The knights prefer mares because the milk provides an extra source of food during long war rides and they are generally easier to train than stallions. 
 
The Templar knights live and work as soldiers, they wear simple and functional clothing. Furs are leather and are preferred over fabric clothing which is less durable. The soldiers wear little jewelry and carry weapons almost everywhere. In their behavior they are generally silent, expressionless and straightforward to the point of brutality.
 
Noble Templars, on the other hand, strive to wear the finest clothes possible. The rich and mighty bring silk from far away lands for their pleasure; they also wear large amounts of gold and silver jewelry.  To make it easier to ‘keep the face’ (and preserve their honour and the honour of their family), noble Templars will cover the lower part of their face with a scarf or cloth, except in the presence of their friends and relatives. 
 
All Templars are very polite in their behavior, even with their enemies; they identify behavior as the decisive difference between humans and animals. A skilled templar can (and will) insult a competitor or enemy subtly and seemingly politely and do so unendingly. It is not at all uncommon in official circumstances for two longtime enemies to swap courtesies for several hours at a time, and do so with great devotion, each trying to goad the other into to losing his temper and thus ‘lose the face’.
 
As they greet each other, Templars politely bow their arms crossed over their chest or kneel in front of truly high-profile women.
 
Templars tend to exchange small gifts in many situations, such as when guests arrive or when they meet an old acquaintance after a long time. A good gift is elegant rather than functional, and comes with an interesting detail or story. However, the gift should not be too expensive or spectacular, because the receiving party must reciprocate with an equally marvelous gift and story, and do so within a reasonable time.