Shal'annu

Shal'annu is a formalized system of rules and conduct that governs warfare between most Sangheili clans and fiefdoms. Derived from an archaic Sangheili dialect term roughly translated as "strife with concealed blades", Shal'annu is typically conducted via assassins and other covert means, though may at times escalate over into open warfare between houses. Originally conceived to limit outside casualties, Shal'annu is now a highly ritualized affair rife with tradition, and is heavily regulated by various strictures and pacts. Should a participant break the rules of Shal'annu, such as by using weapons or tactics deemed too destructive or barbaric, the contracts in effect decree that the offending house will be stipped of its status and eliminated by all the others. Since all major houses are aware of the rules, such cases are extremely rare. Though the rules of Shal'annu extend to the non-Sangheili subjects of a fiefdom, they do not apply outside inter-house warfare (such as actions against alien species, or under the Covenant, groups deemed to be apostates or heretics).