literature

The Sangheili

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THE SANGHEILI
"Macto cognatus"
Home System: HD 188753 (Urs, Fied, Joori)
Features:
Reptilian
Strong
Honor-bound
Ruthless
Rank-Based Society

DESCRIPTION

The Sangheili (Pronounded SANG-EEL-EE), also coloquially known as Elites to Humans are a reptilian race that hail from the world Sanghelios, which is the fourth planet in the triple star system of Urs, Fied and Joori, which is known to Humans as the HD 188753 system located approximately 149 lightyears from Sol. They are an artistocratic and patriarchial based society that places personal and familial honor above all other forms of politics. The Sangheili are most identifiable by their four mandibles which each have teeth on them. Up until late 2552, the Sangheili have been enemies of the UNSC, but after the Covenant Schism in November of that year, they swapped sides and foungt alongside unlikely allies.

The Latin name of the Sangheili "Macto cognatus" translates to 'I honor my father's blood' which is fitting considering the Sangheili's honor-based society.

PHYSIOLOGY

The Sangheili were bred to be warriors. On Sanghelios, warriors are trained at a young age. When they were part of the Covenant, physical perfection was a symbol of dedication to the Prophet Hierarchs. Young Sangheili were pushed to the limit, forced to endure days of hard work, combat sparring, and the sight of spilling their own blood. If this was accomplsihed, and the warrior survived, he was considered an honor and was recruited into the Covenant's holy army.

The average Sangheili stands at approximately 8 feet in height, which makes them larger than Spartans which stand at a maximum of 7.5 feet inside their armor. Their large height makes them imposing figures to fight against and works as a shock tactic against enemy forces. During the Human/Covenant War, the mere sight of an Elite warrior could send Marines running. These aliens have four fingered hands. They posessed two thumbs, one on each side of the hand, and thumbs which resemble index fingers. Because of their larger stature, Sangheili look odd weilding Human weapons, their hands not quite fitting into the trigger guards.

Because of Sanghelios' greater gravity, the Sangheili grew strong, with much more muscle than your average Human. Outside of their home atomsphere and gravity, they move very quickly, jumping higher and running faster than some of the fastest Human athletes. Their strength allows them to operate much heavier weapons and carry loads longer, though tradition dictates that they do not haul too much other than their traditional combat harnesses.

INTELLIGENCE

Without doubt the Sangheili are very intelligent. Evolving on a world where Forerunner relics were rich, The Elites gained much knowledge through whatever data terminals there were. While they did have the information crucial to constructing plasma weaponry and whatnot, they did not have any information that would give them the power of interstellar flight, as desecration of the Forerunner relics was considered sacreligious. This was the reasoning behind their differences with the Prophets and initiated a war with them. According to the Covenant Writ of Union, it was known as the Age of Conflict.

And so the came from among the stars to challenge the warriors brave/

Alligiances formed from battle long/Their Holy Light to pave the Way/According

to their station, all without exception/On the blood of their fathers, on the blood of their sons, they swore to uph'ld the Covenant even to their dying breath/

-Extract from the Covenant Writ of Union

Sangheili were valued fleet and ground commanders to the Covenant, often controlling entire battle groups and whole armies. Until the Schism in 2552, this was the case, they were known as the Prophet's Protectors. One would have always seen a Sangheili in a valued position. However, after the Jiralhanae Uprising (see article COVENANT - JIRALHANAE), the Brutes took this valued position and the Elites were cut off from the Covenant where a short civil war erupted. The Brutes may have had strength, but the Sangheili had brains and brawn. Although not physically a match for Brutes, the Sangheili were tactically brilliant, able to ambush and surprise Brutes by the dozens. It was through this knowledge that they helped in bringing the end of the Human/Covenant war in 2552

Sangheili are knowledgable in all forms of weaponry, alien or otherwise. Their military training requires them to have some form of knowledge about these things. Unlike in their past where they refused to even touch anything other than a Covenant-made weapon, they will gladly take up any arms they find and familiarize themselves with it quickly.

SANGHEILI POLITICS

The main society of the Sangheili is patriarchial, with emphasis on a particular clan in control of a region. The controlling family usually has a region named after them. Like in a midieval kingdom, society is split up into cates with serfs being near the bottom, and warriors and swordsmen being near the top. The one in control of it all is called the Kaidan. The term comes from ancient times before the Covenant even drafted the aliens. The Kaidan and his trusted uncles serve as royalty as a form. A Sangheili father rarely stays with the mother of a Kaidan as the father is usually a great swordsman. According to Sangheili tradition, a swordsman can mate with any female he chooses, married or not, as it is a great honor to bear the child as it passes on good swordsman genes.

Anything that the Kaidan says is absolute. Only the Kaidan can change his own decision with advice given from his uncles.

For the United Nations however, it is an entirely different story. Of all the Kaidans on the planet, two or three are selected to be representatives of the Sangheili race. These are the members that are allowed the oppertunity to vote on matters of galactic importance. The Sangheili may also choose aides if he wishes. These aides can be of any species but out of tradition, they are usually Unggoy (see article UNNGOY).

THE ARBITER

The mark of true honor in the Sangheili society. Established before the Sangheili's induction into the Covenant, the Arbiter used to represent the highest factor of honor that any one Elite could attain. The Arbiter wore custom-made armor that was made of Silver (a rare metal on Sangheilios), Titanium, and Carbon, making it resiliant, light, and comfortable for the warrior to wear. Originally, when an Arbiter died either by age or on the battlefield, their armor was recovered and used for the next Arbiter. All that changed when the Covenant arrived.

When the Prophet Hierarchs called the Arbiter to them, claiming that the Elites joining them was the will of the Great Journey (see article COVENANT - GREAT JOURNEY). The Sangheili in question, known as Fal, claimed that the Great Journey was false. This convinced the prophets to destroy the Arbiter and make his title and armor a mark of shame for the rest of their species. When Fal finally did meet his hands, The Arbiter was no longer a mark of honor, but a sign of disaster and defiance.

Over neraly ten centuries onward, there have been 21 Arbiters that have been selected, all of them Sangheili that have been charged with offenses so grave that they would die doing a great service for the Prophets. For example, events such as the Taming of the Hunters and the Grunt Rebellion had been so incidental that the Prophets called on the Arbiter to settle the ordeals. The Covenant military forces have been refered to as 'The Arm of the Prophet', but the Arbiter was the proverbeal 'blade'. An Arbiter was tasked for the rest of his life. The job was effectively a constant suicide attempt as the missions an Arbiter was sent on were extremely dangerous. Unlike pre-Covenant Arbiters, usually a body was not recovered and the armor with it. A new set of armor was forged after a confirmed death of a previous Arbiter, similar but constantly advancing in design.

Whether it was out of ignorance or intention, the shield and camoflage systems on an Arbiter's armor is substandard compared to other combat harnesses worn by regular Elites. This may be because since an Arbiter was not expected to return from his tasks, they wanted to speed the process along.

After the breaking of the Covenant proper in 2553, the Arbiter was restored to its original reverence thanks to a Sangheili named Thel 'Vadam, who assisted a Spartan (see article SPARTAN) named Master Chief Petty Officer John-117. With the Arbiter's rightful reinstatement. This has been the case ever since.

[For a detailed look into the history of the Arbiter, I would reccomend A History of Holy Warriors by Brandon J. Dailus, co-written by Y'mus 'Rolam c.2980]

Technically speaking, an Arbiter is independant from the military. It is more of a religious appointment rather than a military rate. However, they have considerable power with them, which also allows them to command armies of soldiers and fleets of ships while at the same time not being a legal combatant.

The current Arbiter is an Elite named Hugo 'Chuvam (pronounded HOO-GOAH CHUU-VAM), a descendant of the first Arbiter. It is curious to see how his bloodline survived. The possibility is that whatever family was left after Fal's death was kept alive as a symbol to the Prophets to show that those who disobey would be punished.

NAMING

Sangheili have two names, one of them a given name upon birth, and another for their bloodline or region. Typically, Elites are named after regions where they come from. Each area's inhabitants share a name, which is similar to ancient naming on Earth where people were named after their home towns such as Leonardo da Vinci (which means, 'of the town Vinci'). In pre and Covenant times, Sangheili warriors adopted a military service suffix to their names which is '-ee'. Elites such as Ripa 'Moramee, an Arbiter during 2531 had entered military service and adopted the suffix.

After the Covenant Schism, the Separatists dropped the '-ee' Suffix and returned to using original naming.

FEMALES

The sight of female Sangheili is not uncommon in the slightest but they are not permitted to have combat positions within the military for religious and cultural reasons. Physically speaking, the females are not any different from the males, except that they seem to have hair and do not move all four mandibles as often, creating the illusion of a more Human-like face.

A popular female activity is dance. It is believed that interpretive and laturgical dance can be preformed to tell a story.

SANGHEILI MILITARY & WEAPONRY

The military structure is somewhat similar to the UNSC Defense Forces, but the higher ranked an Elite warrior is, their armor increases in ornateness and power. The lowest rank is a minor, identified by blue armor, and the highest is a Supreme Commander, indicated by purple armor and a long purple velvet cape, usually constructed by the Elite himself. The only rank higher than a Supreme Commander is an Arbiter but that is more of a holy, religious appointment more than a military title. Discipline is a great value and all soldiers are taught to obey every order without question and die for their cause. Sangheili philosophy would have it that the strong will survive, a twisted parallel to Charles Darwin. Hurt warriors are expected to heal on their own. The prospect of a doctor operating on a warrior is a shameful thought.

The idea of a doctor, be it military or civilian, is an appealing thought to other races. They are people of wisdom, of experience, and they are valued members of any society. The Sangheili culture takes this in the opposite direction. Doctors are regarded as one of the lowest forms of honor. A doctor in the military is also a deep dishonor. Sangheili who are gravely injured are instructed to either fight to the death or kill themselves.

Their weaponry is directly taken from their Covenant affiliation days. Plasma rifles, pistols, grenades and swords have changed very little out of tradition. While the Sangheili still see the Forerunners as revolutionary beings that changed their lives, they do not view them as much as Gods as they did before. Because the Sangheili wanted to remind themselves of the dangers of blind faith, their weapons remained unchanged. Based on second-hand sources that are in bad condition over years of binary decay, the Elites never truly developed propellant-based projectile weapons, which is to say conventional firearms; instead adopting Forerunner technology straight away, which would explain energy swords in their Medieval period.

The concept of retaining designs with their ships and vehicles also exists. Vessels of similar design throughout the entire Covenant Empire exist within the Sangheili fleets, the only major difference being that instead of stark purple, which was the natural color of an alloy created from a dense element called Vuvdeshvos that turns purple after forging, the Sangheili have added gold paint, which is the natural colors of their homeworld. Ships are usually commanded by a Shipmaster, who wears silver-white armor akin to an Ultra.

In Human military interactions since the Alliance, a Minor Domo is treated as an Senior NCO among troops. Since the Sangheili know war for much longer than other races outside the Covenant have, it is wise to heed them. The two races work together, but they rarely mix ranks with each other.

RELIGION

Based on experience, most would say that the Forerunners were gods for the Sangheili. Originally this was the case. When the Forerunner ruins on Sangheilios were discovered, the Elites naturally assumed that these were their gods and worshipped their technology as holy relics. Even when the San 'Shyuum discovered them, the Sangheili protested their faith and did not want to use it as the Prophets had. Incidentally, the Prophets themselves had in-fighting over who got to use the Forerunner technology on their own word (see article COVENANT - SAN 'SHYUUM). Following the defeat of the Covenant, the Forerunners were no less gods than simple, desparate people who used every last weapon they could to save everyone. Titanically noble, but nowhere near god-hood.

Although, the Sangheili do have Gods, three divine images who are named after their suns. Urs, Fied, and Joori were said to look after Sangheilios and ward off the fires that threatened to destroy them. This could assume that the planet was under constant fire from meteors but was saved by the suns' combined masses.

Urs, Fied, and Joori were all brothers, and they all stayed together, but sometimes, Fied and Joori wanted to be more popular than their older brother Urs, so they shoved in front of him every so often so that they could be adored by the Sangheili, which we know to be a totally natural eclipsing cycle usually found in multi-star systems of binary or higher. The Sangheili believed that the suns were the physical forms of the Gods, as they gave Sangheilios life. The strange thing about this multitheistic religion is that they do not believe that the Gods created the Universe, but created the Sangheili on its own. The Sangheili believed that the Universe always was before the universally accepted Big Bang theory was proposed.

Joori and Fied, being smaller than Urs, were thought to be the keepers of Autumn and Winter, responsible for a successful harvest whilst Urs was thought to command the Spring and Summer, where life was to return after its long winter nap. Even though their beliefs are being replaced by science, traditional moments show that they have not completely forgotten this faith. For example, it is very respectful for a Sangheili to say 'May the Brothers shine upon you', as a reference to their Gods.
The super-strong multi-mandible aliens that were once the backbone of the entire Covenant military.
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In my favourites!