Writ of Union

"The Writ of Union is written—it cannot be unwritten."

- Early Covenant declaration

The Writ of Union is the founding charter of, and an oath of service to, the Covenant. It was drafted as a peace treaty between the Reformist San'Shyuum and the Sangheili at the end of dogmatic conflict between the two species (938 BCE to 852 BCE). The document was ratified by the High Council of Concordance, ushering in the First Age of Reconciliation. The Writ is composed in the form of a rhyming poem.

Overview
Part of the defining union between the San'Shyuum and the Sangheili was the division of labor it created: the San'Shyuum would serve as the Covenant's religious leaders and scientists, studying Forerunner technology and seeking how to use the Halo Array to initiate the Great Journey, which would propel the faithful to join the Forerunners in a state of divine transcendence. In return for sharing this knowledge, the Sangheili would serve as the San'Shyuum's protectors and warriors, using weapons and technology developed by the San'Shyuum, and having total control over all security matters. As the Covenant expanded and incorporated other races, they were made soldiers under the Sangheili.

One of the terms of the union was the dissolution and reconstitution of the Ascetic guard into the newly made Ministry of Abnegation.

The oath
The beginning of the Writ of Union is as follows:

Behind the scenes
An unused stanza of the Writ of Union was present in an early script for Halo 2. It is unclear whether this part of the Writ is canon.

List of appearances

 * Halo 2
 * Halo: Contact Harvest
 * Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe
 * The Return
 * Halo: Broken Circle
 * Halo 2: Anniversary
 * Halo 5: Guardians
 * Halo: Shadows of Reach
 * Sacrifice