The Corpora of War (commonly called the "Mercenaries' Code") is complex, as given by the god Upuaut to the Legions Assembled at the end of the Founders' War, and subsequently interpreted and amended. Honorable actions are not mandatory; dishonorable actions are to be always avoided. Actions that are not dishonorable are legal, but not the path of greatest honor. Obviously, some tenets are more honored in the breach than in the observance.

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- It is dishonorable to betray he to whom you have given your oath, explicitly or implicitly. It is dishonorable to disobey direct orders. Obeying the laws of the nation under which you serve is honorable; obedience of an order in clear conflict with the law is a matter of conscience, but following the order is the path of greater honor, unless the order itself be dishonorable.

- It is dishonorable to slay or enslave soldiers who have surrendered, or to directly assist those doing so. It is honorable to disobey orders to do so. It is not dishonorable to loot the defeated or conquered territory.

- It is not dishonorable, under threat of certain death, to surrender one's command to a superior foe. To do so is a matter of personal conscience. It is dishonorable to knowingly lead one's troops into certain death, and honorable to disobey orders to do so. It is not dishonorable to lead volunteers into such situations in order to protect a line of retreat.

- The god Upuaut is the patron of mercenaries, and his servants and priests are duly honored by every true warrior. It is highly dishonorable to knowingly harm any priest of Upuaut. By extension, it is dishonorable to harm any healer or physician. It is not dishonorable to defend yourself against an attack by a priest or physician, but reasonable attempts at subdual are expected. Priests fighting in battle forfeit such protection.

- It is dishonorable to harm any civilian without just cause. Being attacked by a civilian constitutes just cause; however, it is dishonorable to goad a civilian into attacking a trained warrior.

- It is honorable to care for your comrades, your weapon and your mounts before yourself, for they are your succor in battle. It is dishonorable to neglect your comrades in the field, the food and care of the troops you lead or of prisoners in battle.

- Mutual truces are sacred. To violate the terms of a truce is blackest dishonor, and he who does so shall find that Upuaut has turned His face away from him. If ending a truce is necessary, it is dishonorable not to inform the enemy commander beforehand. Heralds or emissaries must be given time to return to their lines, and if this is not possible they must be treated as honored guests, not as prisoners.

- The use of sorcery in battle, as with any other skill, is not dishonorable. The use of necromancy is highly dishonorable, and its use in the field is just cause for the voiding of the oath.

- When captured in battle, it is not dishonorable to attempt to escape or to damage the foe in any way possible. It is dishonorable to slay a recaptured escapee. However, any escapee who breaks the law or slays his captors may be honorably dealt with as the laws require. If parole is given, it is dishonorable for the parolee to try to escape.

- To disobey orders to perform dishonorable tasks is honorable. It is dishonorable to do so without informing your commander why you are disobeying orders and without standing fast - if possible- to allow him to countermand. If the commander knowingly persists in the ways of dishonor, the oath must be voided, for only a coward or a bandit remains under the charge of a dishonorable leader. If there is dissension, the paktunsa must vote on the matter, a majority carrying.

- However, a mercenary's conscience is his own, and to Lord Upuaut be the judgment. It is honorable to convince a comrade to turn from the path of dishonor, but dishonorable to force him to do so.

- Honor and respect the paktunsa, for such warriors are blessed of the Lord Upuaut. In return, a paktun's actions and bearing must be worthy of respect, for he serves as an example to the host. The paktun who acts in dishonor blackens the name of his host and his god; if he not repent of his evil, let him suffer just and sudden death.

- The blessing of the Lord Upuaut are upon the honorable mercenary, but His curse rests on he who acts with dishonor.

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The title of "paktun" is an honor accorded to especially heroic or notable fighters by a mercenary company. A paktun must nominate the fighter for the honor, and two-thirds of the paktunsa present must vote him the rank. Paktuns are eligible to wear the pakmort, a silver medallion hung around the neck by a rainbow ribbon.

The hyr-paktun is an honor rarely given, to long-service warriors showing extreme valor. Hyrpaktuns ideally embody all that is best about mercenaries, and are expected to set an example for other Guild members. Hyrpaktuns wear the pakzhan, a golden tiger's-head pendant.

The ribbons are secured at the back with a silver or gold ring, depending on whether the wearer is a paktun or a hyrpaktun.  It is the custom when slaying a paktun in battle to return the medallion to his or her home Guild grange, but to retain the ring and thread it onto your own ribbon.  Therefore, a warrior with numerous retaining rings on his ribbon is a formidable, elite fighter and to be treated with the utmost of respect.

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