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| The '''Writ of Union''' is the founding charter of, and an oath of service to, the [[Covenant]].{{Ref/Generic|[[Halo 2: Original Soundtrack]]|Volume One}} It was drafted as a peace treaty between the [[Reformist]] [[San'Shyuum]] and the [[Sangheili]] at the end of [[War of Beginnings|dogmatic conflict]] between the two species ([[938 BCE]] to [[852 BCE]]). The document was ratified by the [[High Council of Concordance]], ushering in the [[Ages of Reconciliation|First Age of Reconciliation]].{{Ref/Book|Id=Encyclopedia|Enc09|Page=30}} | | The '''Writ of Union''' is an oath of service to the [[Covenant]], written by the [[Prophets]] and perhaps [[Elites]] who created the [[Covenant]], apparently the Covenant [[High Council]] of [[Council of Concordance|Concordance]] who issued this. In the current [[Covenant]] tradition, when an Elite becomes a warrior, they recite the oath. This "Writ" was apparently authored and first documented in the first [[Age of Reconciliation]]. |
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| ==Overview== | | ==The Oath== |
| ===Terms===
| | The full content is unknown, but here are some excerpts: |
| The union codified the division of labor of the two species in the new alliance: the Sangheili would control the security matters of the Covenant and protect the San'Shyuum{{Ref/Reuse|contact}} while the San'Shyuum would be the religious and bureaucratic authority as the Prophets of the Forerunners.{{Ref/Book|Enc22|Page=188}} | |
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| One term stipulated the decommissioning of the ''[[Anodyne Spirit]]'' and setting it on its anointed altar in ''[[High Charity]]''.{{Ref/Reuse|bcchapt1}} Another term was the dissolution and reconstitution of the [[Ascetic]] guard into the newly made [[Ministry of Abnegation]].{{Ref/Book|Id=HEVG56|HEVG|Section=Elite Ascetic|Page=56}}
| | ''The Arbiter: So full of hate were our eyes that none of us could see.''<br /> |
| | ''Our war would yield countless dead, but never victory.'' |
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| [[Sanghelios]] would be guaranteed by the Writ of Union massive imports of food and manufactured goods, in exchange for military service.{{Ref/Book|Enc22|Page=228}}
| | ''Prophet of Truth: So let us cast arms aside, and like discard our wrath.''<br /> |
| | ''Thou, in faith, will keep us safe, whilst we find the path.''<ref>''[[Halo 2: Original Soundtrack]]''</ref> |
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| ===Text===
| | ---- |
| The beginning of the Writ of Union is as follows:{{Ref/Novel|Id=contact|HCH|Chapter=9}}
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| {{Article quote|So full of hate were our eyes
| | On the Halo 2 level [[The Arbiter (Level)|The Arbiter]], in the opening cutscene, SpecOps [[Elites]] recite this: |
| :That none of us could see
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| Our war would yield countless dead
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| :But never victory
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| So let us cast arms aside
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| :And like discard our wrath
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| Thou, in faith, will keep us safe
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| :Whilst we find the path}} | |
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| ==History==
| | '''[[Rtas 'Vadumee|SpecOps Commander]]:''' "When we joined the [[Covenant]], we took an oath!" |
| ===Post-War of Beginnings===
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| {{Quote|The Writ of Union is written—it cannot be unwritten.|Early Covenant declaration{{Ref/Novel|Id=bcchapt1|BC|Chapter=1}}}}
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| {{Main|Rending}}
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| {{Expand-section}}
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| ==Production notes==
| | '''SpecOps Elites:''' "According to our station! All without exception!" |
| The beginning text of the Writ of Union was originally to appear in ''Halo 2''.{{Ref/YouTube|Id=makingH2|URL=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4l0sJqnIU8&feature=youtu.be&t=4m36s|Channel=Bungie|VideoName=Cutting Room Floor Cinematics|TimeStamp=4:36}} An unused stanza of the Writ of Union was present in an [[Early Halo 2 script|early script]] for ''Halo 2''. It is unclear whether this part of the Writ is canon.
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| {{Article quote|On and on shall old war go,<br />Without respite my blood will flow<br />
| | '''SpecOps Commander:''' "On the blood of our fathers... on the blood of our sons, we swore to uphold the Covenant!" |
| O’er your eyes ‘til they cannot see<br />The impossibility of victory.}}
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| ==List of appearances==
| | '''SpecOps Elites:''' "Even to our dying breath!" |
| *''[[Halo 2]]'' {{1st}}
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| *''[[Halo: Contact Harvest]]''
| | '''SpecOps Commander:''' "Those who would break this oath are heretics... worthy of neither pity, nor mercy!" |
| *''[[Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe]]''
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| **''[[The Return]]'' {{Mo}}
| | '''SpecOps Elites:''' "We shall grind them into dust... Scrape them as excrement from our boots." |
| *''[[Halo: Broken Circle]]''
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| *''[[Halo 2: Anniversary]]''
| | '''SpecOps Commander:''' "And continue our march to glorious salvation!" |
| *''[[Halo 5: Guardians]]'' {{Mo}} | | |
| *''[[Halo: Shadows of Reach]]''
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| **''[[Sacrifice]]'' {{Mo}}
| | ---- |
| *''[[Halo: Age of Retribution]]'' {{Mo}}
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| | ''On and on shall old war go'',<br /> |
| | ''Without respite my blood will flow'' |
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| | ''O’er your eyes ‘til they cannot see''<br /> |
| | ''The impossibility of victory.''<ref>[[Early Halo 2 Script]]</ref> |
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| | == Trivia == |
| | *[[Covenant]] [[Deacon]]s, such as the [[Unggoy]] [[Dadab]], were required to memorize the entire Writ of Union. |
| | *During gameplay an extra line is added to the oath by the Special Operations Elites after "Even to our dying breath" in the subtitles, however remains unspoken "and scrape them as excrement from our boots".{{fact}} |
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| | == References == |
| | <references /> |
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| ==Sources==
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| {{Ref/Sources}}
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| [[Category:The Covenant]] | | [[Category:The Covenant]] |
| [[Category:Ideology]] | | [[Category:Ideology]] |
| | [[Category:Halo 2]] |
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| | [[ja:ユニオンの聖典]] |
