Codes of Tribute

Squaring his shoulders, Jake stepped forward. "I'm willing to accept on his behalf, under the Codes of Tribute."
His father shifted backwards, raising an eyebrow. The standing SCI officer jerked to attention, his face projecting alarm at his Admiral's back, as his companion slumped deeper into his seat on the floor of the cell.
"You know archaic Confederation law." The Admiral turned her attention to Jake with a newfound respect. "And you're as ruthless as your father. You hide it well."

— Hands of Destinee, Book 1: A Date with Destinee

The most notable example of the Sparnell Confederation's archaic and now-forbidden Old Ways, the Codes of Tribute dictated strict rules and requirements for all potential situations involving the Soul Oath. By the time of the Confederation Civil War, the Codes had solidified into a permanent and highly invasive arrangement, requiring not only the surrender of the Oathbound's soul but also their mind.

History

The Codes of Tribute date back to the early days of the Sparnell Confederation, when experimentation with once-secret spells was at its peak courtesy of the glut of information released during the War for Enlightenment. New uses of Necromancy proved especially popular, likely due to the direct impact of Arthur Golding's research on modern technology, and the Soul Oath became the fashionable method of securing one's debts.
Through the years, power and prestige became the primary currency of the Sparnelli, accompanied by the demands of success at any cost. The use of Soul Oath morphed with it, requiring detailed contracts to accompany the spell until eventually those very contracts became the spell.
And still this was not sufficient. Political maneuvering between Sparnelli Families exceeded the limits of credit transfers and diplomatic marriages, requiring even more extreme measures to allow the most powerful Families to retain their power. The Codes shifted from their formerly economic focus to center on the trade of people instead, particularly within the Sparnell Armed Forces. The Codes now forged alliances between Admirals and smoothed over political rivalries, simply by facilitating the offering of Tribute in the form of highly skilled subordinates.
Of course, people could choose to retain their former loyalties, rather than accepting their role with their new superior. The exchange of Tribute proved an effective way to plant political spies, and so the Codes adjusted again, this time requiring the inclusion of a high-powered Telepathy spell granting full access to every thought and memory of each and every traded soul. No secrets, no privacy, no doubts as to their loyalties. This new development quickly made its way into every usage of the Oath within the SAF, from re-enlistment of favored officers to knowledge exchange programs such as Hyperjump training. What better way to guarantee the continued usefulness of a valued asset?
The barbaric practice was outlawed shortly after Fleet Admiral Valcore Sil's victory in the Confederation Civil War, as the primary component of her promise to build a kinder, more supportive Confederation. The Soul Oath itself was banned from use outside of military purposes and specific traditional wedding ceremonies, where it had come to represent the entwining of two souls in a mutually beneficial partnership. In the case of the SAF, the souls of those taking the Oath would instead be bound to an Oath stone and stored within the Soul Vault until the terms were fulfilled, rather than tied to their superior officer.
Many protested this new law, pointing out this would grant the Fleet Admiral herself full power over each Oath, removing them from the Admirals where it had formerly resided. When these protests failed they resorted to continuing their practice the Codes, and the Old Ways they represented, in complete secrecy.

Execution

Lira widened her eyes a little at Scout. <Codes of Tribute?>
The alarm emanating from the two men made her feel even more uneasy.
<That's the Oath his father had me take to the Navarch,> Felix explained. <A permanent Telepathic window into every corner of the mind of the Oathbound. Except by the Codes the Navarch would own the Oath, so only he could break it.>

— Hands of Destinee, Book 1: A Date with Destinee

Traditionally, the Codes are enacted through a Runework scroll detailing the full terms of the deal. The majority of this language deals with political agreements, with only a small portion bothering to mention the individual offered as Tribute, most of this dedicated to their responsibilities to the Oath holder and the spells to be added to their Oath to guarantee their loyalty.
This selected as Tribute have little personal say in the matter. Their Families, on the other hand, are included in the initial negotiations, to ensure they are fairly compensated through prestige and other means prior to the deal.

Jake turned to his father. "I'd like a similar arrangement with them as you set up for Lieutenant Yaevin."
His father shook his head, frowning. "No. This is more complicated than that. This is more than the Oath and any magic tied to it. You've agreed to grant them an equivalent role and position within your command structure–"
"Which is why I wanted the Oath," Jake interrupted. "To make certain I can trust them from the beginning. We can set it up like Scout's, so they can decide for themselves if they want to stay, or go find a new life for themselves elsewhere."
"–and by Confederation law they'll be your responsibility for the rest of their lives," his father finished with a stern glare. "This is more than your responsibility to Veris. They're Mordena now, whether they like it or not, and you have to hold to that if you expect our word to continue to mean anything to the Confederation." His hands tightened into fists, and Jake felt his stomach clench with them. "There are some agreements that cannot be broken, and Sparnell's Codes of Tribute are among them."

— Hands of Destinee, Book 1: A Date with Destinee

Related Organizations

• Sparnell Confederation

Related Ethnicities

• Sparnelli

Status

Illegal

Further Reading