Jump to content

Covenant (Halo)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by David Fuchs (talk | contribs) at 13:10, 20 August 2007 (adding ga icon). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

This article is about the Covenant, an antagonistic alien society in the Halo game series. For Covenant, see Covenant (Halo) (disambiguation).

The Covenant is a fictional militaristic and theocratic alliance of alien races who serve as the main antagonist body of the Halo science-fiction video game series. They are composed of a variety of diverse species united under the religious worship of the Forerunners and their belief that the Halos will provide salvation for their doomed existence. Seen as technically superior to Humans, they are fighting a war of attrition against the human United Nations Space Command, because the Hierarchs declared humanity an affront to the Forerunners and ordered their destruction.[1]

The Covenant were first introduced in Halo: Combat Evolved as the protagonist Master Chief and the AI Cortana were escaping from the UNSC ship Pillar of Autumn in orbit over Halo; the Covenant had disabled the ship and were boarding it via landing craft. On Halo, the player encounters the Covenant in force all over the ring, and they are the primary enemies until the Covenant release the Flood from stasis. The player later encounters new Covenant races and plays as a Covenant character, the Arbiter, during the events of Halo 2.

Founding

The Covenant was founded at an undetermined point in the past, though it is implied that it is of ancient origin. Long ago, the Prophets and the Elites were locked in a bitter war, and when the Prophets learned of the Forerunners and their "Great Journey" (see below), hoping to create tranquility between them, told the Elites of their doomed existence and promised that they would find the means of the Forerunners' transcendence and share this knowledge with them. The Elites promised to protect the Prophets as they searched.[2] Over time, they encountered different alien races and promised salvation and freedom if they joined them.[3]

Society

In Halo fiction, the Covenant is governed by the Prophet Hierarchs, who in turn are advised by the "High Council". This council consists of high-ranking Elites and lower-ranking Prophets. In addition to the High Council, several advisory councils and one official ministry have been identified: The Council of Concordance advises on maintaining law and order, while The Council of Doctrine and Deed advises on military tactical and strategic matters. The Council of Masters is the parent council of Doctrine and Deed in times of war, and The Ministry of Tranquility organizes privateer and mercenary organizations as well as archiving and libraries.[4]

The species are seen united in worshipping the Forerunners, an ancient and supposedly extinct race who have left behind several artifacts and technologies used by the Covenant. According to Halo: The Flood, the Prophet species actually evolved on a planet once home to a Forerunner colony. The Covenant have a tendency to conquer, coerce, or hire alien races and force them into the alliance, adding to their ranks. This use of "conditioned ranks" is an idea taken from Marathon. However the Covenant leadership does not go unquestioned; Elites have raised questions among one another (as seen in the "Conversations from the Universe" booklet that accompanied the Limited Edition release of Halo 2) as to why the Prophets do not offer humanity absolution and the opportunity to join the Covenant. The Covenant's capital city is High Charity, a colossal mobile space station which was overrun and largely infected by The Flood at the end of Halo 2.

Great Journey

See also: Halo (megastructure)

Seen as central to the Covenant's beliefs, the "Great Journey" is the spiritual equivalent of a pilgrimage and the ultimate goal of the Covenant. The Covenant believe that their forebears, the Forerunners, used the Sacred Rings to cleanse the universe of all that is unholy, escaping a doomed existence of fighting an endless struggle against the Flood, and allowing them to transcend into gods, giving them ancient and unlimited power.[5] The Covenant wish to wipe out humanity and the Flood, and follow the Forerunners to their mysterious destination, where they will share in their power. The Covenant's execution of the Great Journey in-game consists of the activation of at least one Halo installation which would activate the other installations as well. Their belief is that a completion of the Great Journey would be akin to following in the footsteps of the Forerunners.

Such radical devotion is a large portion of tragic or dramatic irony in the story's plot. As the plot develops, the player and in-game characters are informed by the AI Cortana that the rings are not the spiritual, transcendent vessels the Covenant seek.[6] The ring network acts as a drastic form of pest control on a galactic scale should the Flood be released from containment. Additionally, the Covenant's belief that the Forerunners transcended is also revealed as false. The Forerunners were forced to activate the ring network to eradicate the Flood. he blows his head off and dies then comes back to life and laughs fish food However, the remainder of the Covenant is not privy to this discovery. Upon presentation of the evidence by several protagonists, the Covenant chose to deny the truth offered by those who have discovered the network's secrets.[7] Whether or not the Prophets are aware that the network eliminates all traces of sentient life is not revealed as of Halo 2 and the most recent novelization. Regardless, the core of the Covenant's religious doctrine is branched from finding and activating the rings.

The dissemination of this knowledge forms a large part of the discontent present in the Covenant's most recent civil war. The Arbiter, specifically, aids the human forces in preventing Tartarus from activating Installation 05 and initiating a systematic initiation of the ring network.

History

The current events in Halo 2 occur during the "Ninth Age of Reclamation." The Covenant's organization of time and dates is not elaborated in detail in the game or during any of the novelizations. Joe Staten, in an interview on halo.bungie.org, stated explicitly that the Covenant's date system is split into seven epochs, detailed as follows:[8]

  • Age(s) of Abandonment
  • Age(s) of Conflict
  • Age(s) of Discovery
  • Age(s) of Reconciliation
  • Age(s) of Conversion
  • Age(s) of Doubt
  • Age(s) of Reclamation

The Ninth Age of Reclamation is taking place during the events of the war between the humans and the Covenant, and began when the Covenant first stumbled upon the human colony of Harvest. They went on to efficiently devastate the remaining human colonies, starting the Covenant-Human War.[9]

Human-Covenant War

File:Covenant over reach.png
A Covenant Fleet glassing Reach.
See also: Halo: Fall of Reach

The outbreak of outright war between the humans and Covenant developed in 2525, twenty seven years before the events of Halo: Combat Evolved. The UNSC was totally surprised by the first contact with the alien alliance. The Covenant declared a religious crusade against the humans, and began to eradicate human colonies.

Because of the Covenant's heretical perspective of humanity, the Covenant engages in a practice known as "glassing" using their plasma weaponry. This tactic, as the name implies, burns the surface of the planet at very high temperatures, leaving the surface as nothing more than an expanse of cracked and charred glass and eradicating anything and everything. Between the Covenant's extreme orbital bombardment campaigns and the sheer technological and numeric superiority, it was difficult for the UNSC to find a victory.[9]

Though the UNSC forces fought bravely, their inferior technology and numbers meant that any victory, small or large, was hardly guaranteed. In space, battles were often so one-sided that dozens of UNSC ships would be wiped out for every handful of Covenant ships. And, given the latter's propensity for deciding upon vitrifying a planet (as opposed to landing ground forces to retake the planet), any advantage humanity possesses in ground-combat is severely compromised. Once a planet's orbital defense weapons are destroyed or taken off-line, the planet's surface is completely vulnerable to total and complete destruction.

Using their superior weaponry, the Covenant was able to defeat the human colony worlds one by one until they finally reached the last major colony, Reach, twenty-seven years later. Though the colony was defended by MAC guns, the Covenant were able to destroy the station's planetside generators, rendering the defense grid useless; they then proceeded to glass the planet.[10] It is after this showdown that the player is introduced into the story as MCPO Spartan 117 on the UNSC Pillar of Autumn, which is fleeing Reach; this is the beginning of Halo: Combat Evolved.

Discovery of Installation 04

See also: Halo Combat Evolved and Halo: The Flood

The Covenant armada around Reach pursued the Pillar of Autumn, tracking the ship through slipspace.[11] Upon exiting slipspace, both the humans and Covenant encountered the Forerunner structure Halo around the gas giant Threshold. Due to a Prophet aboard the lead Covenant cruiser not wanting to damage the "sacred ring", human survivors from the Pillar of Autumn were able to land on the surface and coordinate a guerilla resistance.[12]

The Covenant similarly deployed ground troops to engage the Humans, while trying to find Halo's Control Room to activate the station.[13] However the human forces learned of the Covenant's intentions, with the Master Chief reaching the Control Room before the Covenant. At the same time, by accident or by design[14] the Covenant released The Flood, which rapidly infected human and Covenant hosts. The Covenant were forced to divert their attention to stemming the spread of the Flood, leading a special operations team to a damaged cruiser in order to prevent it from falling into the Flood's control. In the ensuing chaos, the Master Chief detonated The Pillar of Autumn's fusion reactors and destroyed Halo, a major setback for the Covenant; in addition to the sacred relic being destroyed, the Covenant suffered grievous casualties. A few Covenant escaped, and the fleet command "responsible" for the act of heresy was stripped of his rank, later becoming the Arbiter.

According to the novel Halo: First Strike, shortly after the defeat at Halo, the Covenant had amassed a large fleet allegedly to assault Earth. It is explained in the I Love Bees alternate reality game that the Covenant discovery of Earth was accidental; A deviation of the Cole Protocol by the Apocalypso allowed a Covenant AI, the Pious Flea, to enter Earth's space and transmit its location.

When the ship tumbled into real space and crashed on the moon, the Pious Flea sent a message to the Covenant military command. This message included detailed information about Earth, in which system the planet was located, and the presence of Forerunner artifacts on the planet's surface.

Covenant Attack on Earth

See also: Halo 2

Shortly after the destruction of a large Covenant armada by Admiral Danforth Whitcomb, the High Prophet of Regret leads a small fleet of fifteen ships[15] to Earth to locate a Forerunner artifact known as "The Ark". Though outgunned by the UNSC's new orbital defense grid of MAC guns, the Prophet of Regret's flagship manages to break through the human defenses to New Mombasa. The Covenant ground troops quickly spread through the city, destroying both military and civilian resistance, but a counterattack drove them back. Regret's cruiser jumps into Slipspace from within the city, destroying most of Mombasa.

A single Human ship, the In Amber Clad, followed Regret through his own Slipspace rupture to Delta Halo. With the orders "Find out why Regret came to Earth; why he came here," the Master Chief was sent with a complement of Orbital Drop Shock Troopers to Delta Halo's surface. Led by the Chief, the Humans forced their way through Regret's forces until they had reached the Prophet himself. At that moment, High Charity, having learned of Delta Halo, arrived and launched multiple waves of Phantom dropships to aid Regret, but were recalled by Truth. The Chief assaulted and killed Regret, and the Covenant fleet bombarded the temple attepting to kill the Master Chief. The Master Chief narrowly escaped, aided by a Flood entity called Gravemind.

Originally, the Covenant had been unaware of the Index's importance until the Arbiter recovered the Monitor of the first Halo while destroying a heretical sect. The Monitor, known to the Covenant as an Oracle, told the Prophets of the Index and the Arbiter was sent to retrieve it. The mission was complicated though by the unexpected release of the Flood from Installation 05. Despite this, the Arbiter successfully reached the Library and prevented the humans from claiming the Index. Just as Miranda Keyes claimed the index, and the Arbiter stole it from her, kidnapping her and Sgt. Johnson. However, the Index was stolen from the Arbiter by the Brute Chieftain Tartarus, who under the Prophets' orders then attempted to kill the Arbiter. With the Index secure, the Prophets then ordered the Brutes to begin eradicating the Elites, thus starting the Covenant Civil War (see below).

Following the Flood infestation of High Charity at the end of Halo 2, the High Prophet of Truth led the remaining loyalist fleet to Earth to complete what the previous mission to Earth had not. Little did he know that Spartan 117, Master Chief, had stowed away with him. By the time Truth arrived at Earth, a full-scale war in space and on the ground was underway between UNSC and Covenant fleets, and in Halo 3 it is indicated that the Covenant are in the process of conquering the planet and occupying the world.

Covenant Civil War

File:Covenant-war.png
Brutes and Jackals fight aboard High Charity.

During the progression of the game series, the Hierarchs, using the assasination of Regret by the hands of Master Chief as a pretext to further some hidden agenda (though Truth was to blame for his death) gave the Brutes the Elites' job of protecting the Hierarchs as Honor Guards. The remaining Hierarchs cited that the Elites' tenacity was not a substitute for the Brutes' sheer power. Because of this disparity, the Hierarchs decided the Elites were unable to guarantee their safety.[16] This sudden displacement severly angered the Elites, who have been in such a position since the founding of the Covenant [17], even threatening to resign from the High Council; this affected a large portion of their morale. It also fragmented and damaged the Covenant's holy union. To further deform the Covenant, Truth, gave command of the Covenant fleets (the Elites' job) to the Brutes. Once there were enough Brutes in place, Truth secretly ordered the Brutes to instigate a brutal genocide of the Elites, so that they could replace them in society, disguised as a Brute insurrection against the Covenant to the Elites, the Hunters, and most Grunts, and as an Elite revolt to the other factions (excluding the Brutes and the Prophets). This sparked a massive civil war between the Covenant, originally fought to silence the revolts, but after the Elites learned the truth of the Halos is fought for the views of the "Great Journey".

The loyalist forces are those primarily backing the Prophets' continuation of the search and following of the Great Journey; these include all seen Prophets (the Hierarchs and the lesser Prophets), Brutes, Jackals, Drones, and a handful of Grunts. Elites, as well as Hunters and most Grunts, comprise the rebel contingent or separatists.

As of the ending to Halo 2, the separatists on Installation 05 engaged in a truce (if not outright alliance) of opportunity with the UNSC forces on the ring. Despite the peace on Installation 05, battles between the remainder of the UNSC and the entirety of the Covenant still continue on and around the human homeworld of Earth and the Forerunner world of Onyx.

Although the current civil war is the focus of the Halo series, it has been suggested several entities have wished to split from the Covenant. Highlighted in Halo 2, a group led by Sesa 'Refumee, an Elite, briefly controlled a Forerunner station on the gas giant planet of Threshold (the planet which Installation 04 orbited). Whether this was about the revelation of what the "Great Journey" is or another reason, 'Refumee planned on turning all Elites to his cause.[18]

Technology

Technologically the Covenant are shown to be mostly imitative rather than innovative — most of the time they weaponize technologies discovered rather than technologies researched.[19] The technology the player is exposed to in-game and while reading mostly centers around the military weapons and deployment (such as guns, ships, and vehicles), while little is known of any commercial- or domestic-use commodities.

It has been noted both in game and in the books that the Covenant, not having researched the technologies relied upon, are incapable of utilizing them to their full potential. Repeatedly, UNSC artificial intelligence units (specifically Cortana), have been able to boost the efficiency and output of much of the Covenant's weaponry when given access to it. Because the Covenant only incorporate technologies into their armies, as opposed to actually researching them, their knowledge of the fundamental functions of weapons is minimal.

Infantry weaponry

The Covenant's arsenal in the games is comprised primarily of plasma- and energy-based projectile weapons. In Halo: First Strike it is revealed that the weapons are based on Forerunner technology. Halo's plasma weapons contain a battery that generates plasma and discharges it at a target.[20] Frank O'Connor of the Halo Message Boards claims there may be something more to the Covenant's weaponry. He has been quoted saying: "The actual technology is not plasma as we know it, but something far more dangerous, arcane, and destructive."[21]

Vehicles

Main article: Covenant Vehicles in Halo

The player encounters numerous Covenant ground and air material throughout Halo and Halo 2. Several vehicles encountered in Halo: Combat Evolved became usable in Halo 2.

Vessels

File:Truth reconciliation CCS Cruiser.jpg
Truth and Reconciliation above Installation 04.

The Covenant's space-faring navy consists of several classes of ships loosely related to wet navies of human origin. Specific ships mentioned in the game and novelizations are classed according to human standards. Important vessels which made appearances in various Halo media include:

  • The Unyielding Hierophant was a space station used as a staging area for forward deployed forces throughout Covenant space. The station was destroyed by Master Chief. Admiral Danforth Whitcomb used it as a bomb to destroy the Covenant armada orbiting around it. [22]
  • The Truth and Reconciliation was a fully-equipped cruiser capable of anti-ship and anti-ground attacks. It is boarded by the player twice during the campaign of Halo: Combat Evolved; both times in rescue missions to save Captain Jacob Keyes. At some point during the story, the ship was attacked by the Flood and largely disabled.[23] The Covenant sent in strike teams to prevent the Flood from leaving the ring by repairing the cruiser, and the last UNSC forces eventually liberate the cruiser. It is eventually scuttled to prevent a Flood infestation from departing Halo.[24]
  • The Ascendant Justice was a Covenant flagship that was captured by the Master Chief and plays a major role in the plot of the novel Halo: First Strike.
  • Sacred Promise was one of the cruisers in the attack fleet that followed the Pillar of Autumn to Installation 04. One of the letters in the Conversations from the Universe booklet is the black box transmissions from this ship. It details that the Autumn was able to destroy at least two cruisers before being disabled.
  • High Charity is the Covenant Holy City and also serves as its capital. It was taken over by the Flood at the end of Halo 2.
  • The Infinite Succor was an agricultural support ship at the Battle of Installation 04. It was taken over by Flood, who managed to board it using a Covenant dropship, "Brilliant Gift". A Covenant strike force later neutralized the threat by sending the ship into a nearby sun.[25]
  • The Pious Inquisitor is said to be one of the fastest ships of the fleet. It is the setting for the multiplayer map "Midship".

Species

Covenant society is a caste system composed of many races, some of which were forcibly incorporated. The races are identified by their common UNSC designation.[26]

Prophets

File:Prophet halo.jpg
A Prophet
Main article: Hierarchs (Halo)

Prophets are the highest ranking species forming the Covenant. According to leaked images from the Halo 3 manual, the true name for their species in the Covenant language is "San 'Shyuum." [27] They form the Covenant's political and spiritual leadership and have absolute control over day-to-day operations. The primary executors of the Covenant's will is a theocratic triumvirate of Hierarchs, the Prophets of Truth, Mercy and Regret.[26] Together, they form the core of power for the Covenant government. There are also lower-ranked Prophets who are responsible for individual aspects of Covenant culture, society, and military operations. While only making a very minor appearance, these lower Prophets are discussed in the series' novelizations.

Prophets can be seen in-game as physically frail yet mentally agile. While the Hierarchs are confined to levitating thrones, they are more than capable of defending themselves. Guarding them, depending on the player's progression through the series, are handfuls of Elites and Brutes. Should their guards fail, they also possess a high-powered energy weapon mounted on the underside of their thrones.[26]

As the plot of Halo 2 progresses, two of the three Hierarchs are killed. The Prophet of Regret is incapacitated by the Master Chief and is later captured by Gravemind. Additionally, the Prophet of Mercy is attacked by a Flood parasite. He dies of his wounds when the Master Chief removes the parasite from him. This leaves the Prophet of Truth in sole control of the Covenant.

Elites

File:Sm OXM-SpecOpsEliteRender-0.jpg
Elites
Main article: Covenant Elite

The Elites (Covenant: Sangheili, their name for themselves as a species) are the core of the Covenant military. They were the guardians of the prophets and the frontline troops for most of Covenant history.[28] They stand 8'6" and taller, and are excellent soldiers, brilliant tacticians, and disciplined, aggressive fighters.[29] Faster, stronger, and tougher than any Human (with the exception of the MJOLNIR-equipped Spartan II's) they fight in relatively small numbers but often lead squads of Grunts. They were the first to join the Covenant when the Prophets discovered evidence of the Forerunners' "Great Journey," and called for a truce. Armor color seems to indicate rank, and it is believed Elites are promoted based on the numbers of casualties they inflict.[29]

The Elite's standout feature is a four-part lower jaw. Early in Halo: Combat Evolved's game development, and in the E3 2000 promotional video, the Elites had more simple jaws and carried shields instead of the personal shields they came to use.[30]

Brutes

File:Sm oxm-BruteRender-040204.jpg
A Close-up of a brute

Brutes (Covenant: Jiralhanae)[31] have a hairy gorilla-like appearance and possess immense strength. Brutes often travel in packs which can cause a prolonged engagement. Standing 9' tall they are organized tribally and are led by their chieftain, Tartarus. Brutes are the newest addition to the Covenant and the most willing fighters. Brutes appear in a few different fur colors; white colored Brutes are usually in higher ranks, as evidenced by the Brute captains, the Honor Guard Brutes and their chieftain, Tartarus.

They have a long-standing rivalry with the Elites for unknown reasons,[32] which eventually bubbled up into the main thread of the hatred and killing that began the Covenant Civil War in Halo 2. While Brutes do have superior strength [26], as well as being unquestioningly loyal to the Prophets, Elites hold superior intelligence and discipline and possess superior leadership and management ability.[33]

After the assassination of the High Prophet of Regret, the Brutes replaced the Elites as the personal bodyguards of the Prophets and commanders of the Covenant military, which caused dissension in the Elite Ranks.[16]

In Halo 2, Brutes utilize "Brute Shots" (grenade launchers with bayonet-like attachments). They also use plasma rifles which are colored red instead of blue and are specifically named "Brute Plasma Rifles." In a vidoc released in 2006, the Brutes were seen with new weapons, including automatic weapons known as "Spikers" that shoot metal rods at high velocity, an unmounted plasma cannon, and a grenade similar to a nail bomb, known as a "Spike Grenade".[34] Brutes also charge attacker(s) at a sprint, striking with the head and shoulders. This attack is extremely powerful and difficult to avoid due to its speed.

Hunters

File:Sm still 21.jpg

Hunters (Covenant: Lekgolo) are incredibly dangerous foes, deployed more like equipment than soldiers.[35] They stand 12' tall or 8' while contracted. They are brought in for demolition or heavy defense, and always work in pairs, calling each other "bond brothers." Unlike the other Covenant species, which have endoskeletons and central nervous systems, Hunters are actually made up of a conglomerate colony of sentient orange symbiotic eels, held together by their armor.[36] Hunters usually show nothing but opprobrium towards the lesser Covenant races (even purposefully killing them if they become an obstruction during battles) and rarely communicate with any other race (including the Prophets) apart from the Elites. They are believed to have their own religion; it has also been noted that some Hunters even recite poetry and meditate in their spare time.[37] Their massive size, near-impenetrable armor, large shields, and arm-mounted fuel-rod cannons make them essentially walking tanks in combat.[35] The best way to defeat a Hunter is by shooting its orange weak point in its lower back, though explosives and vehicles can also be effective.

Jackals

File:Halo2 cov jackal.png
A Jackal in Halo 2.

Jackals (Covenant: Kig-Yar) serve as the Covenant's scouts and snipers. They are higher in status, if not necessarily rank, than the Grunts.[38] They have superior senses compared to both humans and other Covenant races and are competent marksmen, equipped with either arm-mounted energy shields and a plasma pistol, or a high-powered particle beam rifle. Their shields are more than capable of deflecting ballistic projectile weapons and Covenant needler rounds, but their strength fades considerably under sustained fire from energy-based weaponry. Their beam rifles are capable of cutting down all but the hardest of targets with very few well-placed rounds. In Halo: Combat Evolved they wore armor and helmets.

Given their small frames, they are typically found in defensive, dug-in positions, firing from cover or sniping from elevations. A Jackal utilising a shield is nearly invulnerable, yet an accurate, consistent shooter can place rounds in the feet or arms, and a well-placed grenade can bypass its shield entirely.[38] These shots might not kill the opponent directly, but the Jackal will recoil visibly and allow a second well-placed shot to finish the kill. The beam rifle allows Jackals to shoot from under cover or in shadows. Typically, they attack while the player is engaged with other targets, using their fellow Covenant as distraction in order to hit their target without taking fire.

Jackals are the only race of the Covenant confirmed to be mercenaries, paying only occasional lip service to the Covenant religion.

Grunts

File:Halo grunt.png
A Grunt wearing a methane-breather

Grunts (Covenant: Unggoy, in Tagalog: Monkey)[39] serve as the primary infantry of the Covenant's military forces, yet are the lowest creatures in the caste system. Roaming individually or in pairs they pose very little threat to the player, but en masse and in large hordes, their charged plasma pistols can overwhelm opponents.[40] Without leadership and facing forces of equal size, it is common for Grunts to panic and retreat in the face of danger. However, if an Elite is incorporated into their unit, they will rally together to stand and fight.[40] They are seen in-game manning and operating various weapons and vehicles and, while playing as the Arbiter, a player can give Grunt teammates access to even more weapons.

They do not breathe the same atmosphere of both humans or the rest of the Covenant species. In order to survive in oxygen-based environments, they must wear a SCBA (Self-containing breathing apparatus) allowing them to breathe methane gases. Grunts stand at approximately five feet tall.[41] Despite their small stature, they are more than capable of wielding the more powerful Covenant weapons systems, such as plasma turrets and man-portable fuel rod guns.

Drones

Drones (Covenant: Yanme'e) are the only insectoid race within the Covenant. They talk in a chirpy, clicking noise but it is not certain if this is a hive communication or individual conversation. Their exoskeleton is pale green and thick in texture. Because of their mobility, they can sometimes be difficult to kill, often flying in large groups. They were not seen in Halo: Combat Evolved, but appeared to be new additions to the Covenant fighting force as of Halo 2.[42]

They are suited to flight and combat in areas like Earth's atmosphere which suggests their home world is much like our own. They prefer to stay at a distance and use long range tactics. However, they are skilled close-range combatants as well if the need arises, utilizing their climbing claws in close-quarters. Drones have been noted to land on vehicles and use their claws for vicious and surprisingly powerful attacks against the occupants.

Engineers

Engineers (Forerunner: Huragok) are the scientific engineering backbone of the Covenant and its economy. The name Huragok was given to them by the Forerunners themselves[37], inferring the Engineers had direct contact with Forerunners. They float via air sacs and their many tentacles are able to split into many fine cilia, with which they are able to manipulate machinery. Their motivations are unknown, but they appear to draw no distinction between friend and foe, preferring to spend their time inspecting or repairing technology, although they will utter a high pitched keening sound when a Forerunner artifact is under any sort of threat. They are extremely apathetic to any sort of combat, and will just float along with their one desire: to fix things. In one encounter, an Engineer repaired the Master Chief's damaged shield generator and then floated away. This Engineer was later shot due to the risk of it giving the Master Chief's superior shield technology to the Covenant.[12]

Engineers do not appear in either Halo games (though their character models are coded into Halo: Combat Evolved) and are mentioned only in Halo: The Fall of Reach, Halo: First Strike and Halo: Ghosts of Onyx.

Sharquoi

Mentioned only in the Halo 2 Limited Edition "Conversations from the Universe" pamphlet, the exact nature of the Sharquoi is unknown. The only clue given is that it is apparently used on an enemy that is surrounded or hemmed in. It is not defined whether it is a weapon, special tactic, or race, or unit. Bungie has specifically neglected to answer to what a Sharquoi is, answering only that it is "very freaking dangerous".[1]

See also

References

  1. ^ Bungie, ed. (2001). Halo: Combat Evolved Instruction Manual - The Story So Far. Microsoft Game Studios. p. 4.
  2. ^ Regret: In a gesture of peace and reconciliation, the Prophets promised to find the means of the Forerunners' transcendence, and to share this knowledge with the Elites. The Elites promised to defend the Prophets as they searched. A simple arrangement... that has become our binding Covenant. Bungie. Halo 2 (Xbox). Microsoft.
  3. ^ Regret: Most of those we encountered on our search were compelled to join our union, to take part in a movement that promised freedom for allegiance, salvation for service! Bungie. Halo 2 (Xbox). Microsoft.
  4. ^ "Joe State explains the Ministry of Tranquility". halo.bungie.org. Retrieved Jan 10. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  5. ^ Regret: The Forerunners, our most exalted lords, used the seven sacred rings to flee a doomed existence, to escape their endless struggle against the flood.
  6. ^ Cortana: You have no idea how this ring works, do you? Why the forerunners built it? Halo doesn't kill flood, it kills their food. Humans, covenant, whatever. We're all equally edible. The only way to stop the flood is to starve them to death. And that's exactly what Halo is designed to do; wipe the galaxy clean of all sentient life.
  7. ^ Arbiter: Tartarus. The Prophets have betrayed us. / Tartarus: No, Arbiter! The Great Journey has begun! And the Brutes, not the Elites, shall be the Prophets' escort!
  8. ^ "Interview with Joe Staten". halo.bungie.org. Retrieved February 20. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  9. ^ a b "Halo Story Timeline". halo.bungie.org. Retrieved February 23. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  10. ^ see Halo: Fall of Reach
  11. ^ Cortana: ...As for tracking us all the way from Reach, at light speed my maneuvering options were limited.
  12. ^ a b See Halo: The Flood
  13. ^ Cortana: One moment Sir. Accessing Covenant battlenet. (Pause) According to the data in their networks, the ring has some kind of deep religious significance. If I'm analyzing this correctly. ..they believe that Halo is some kind of weapon. One with vast, unimaginable power. [...] they must be looking for Halo's control room.
  14. ^ Bungie, ed. (2004). Halo 2 Instruction Manual: Secret Transmission. Microsoft Game Studios. p. 2.
  15. ^ Cortana: Fifteen Covenant capital ships, holding position just outside the killzone.
  16. ^ a b Truth: Re-commissioning the guard was a radical step, but recent events have made it abundantly clear that the Elites can no longer guarantee our safety.
  17. ^ Arbiter: (to Prophets) We have always been your protectors.
  18. ^ Heretic Leader: The Elites are blind, Arbiter. But I... will make them see.
  19. ^ See Halo: First Strike
  20. ^ Bungie, ed. (2004). Halo 2 Instruction Manual: Covenant Weapons. Microsoft Game Studios. p. 13.
  21. ^ O'Conner, Frank. "Frankie discusses the possibilities of the Covenants weaponr". bungie.org. Retrieved February 22. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  22. ^ Nylund, Eric (2003). Halo: First Strike. New York: Ballantine Books. p. 336. ISBN 0-345-46781-7.
  23. ^ Cortana: From what I've been able to piece together, their leadership ordered all ships to abandon Halo when they found the Flood, but they were too late. The Flood overwhelmed this cruiser and disabled it. The Covenant are terrified the Flood will repair the ship and use it to escape from Halo.
  24. ^ Dietz, William (2003). Halo: The Flood. New York: Ballantine Books. p. 292. ISBN 0-345-45921-0.
  25. ^ See the Halo Graphic Novel story, "Last Voyages of the Infinite Succor".
  26. ^ a b c d Bungie, ed. (2004). Halo 2 Instruction Manual: Breakdown of Known Covenant Units. Microsoft Game Studios. pp. 4–5.
  27. ^ http://news.filefront.com/halo-3-instruction-manual-leaked
  28. ^ Spec Ops. Leader: We are the arm of the prophets, Arbiter. And you are the blade.
  29. ^ a b Bungie, ed. (2001). Halo: Combat Evolved Instruction Manual. Microsoft Game Studios. p. 11.
  30. ^ Bungie (2006-02-10). "One Million Years B.X." bungie.net. Archived from the original on 2006-02-10.
  31. ^ Halo 2 Collector's Edition: "Conversations from the Universe" booklet.
  32. ^ Grunt: You have eyes, Mehmep, you've seen them bicker and fight. And you have ears, you've heard the disrespect the Jiralhanae show the Sangheili. They hate each other. Conversations from the Universe
  33. ^ Bungie, ed. (2001). Halo: Combat Evolved Instruction Manual: The Elites. Microsoft Game Studios. p. 11.
  34. ^ See Halo 3 "Y Tu, Brute?" Vidoc"
  35. ^ a b Bungie, ed. (2001). Halo: Combat Evolved Instruction Manual: The Hunters. Microsoft Game Studios. p. 11.
  36. ^ Bungie, ed. (2004). Halo 2 Instruction Manual:Hunters. Microsoft Game Studios. p. 4.
  37. ^ a b See Halo: Ghosts of Onyx
  38. ^ a b Bungie, ed. (2001). Halo: Combat Evolved Instruction Manual: The Jackals. Microsoft Game Studios. p. 10.
  39. ^ ""Unggoy" search". tagalog-dictionary.com. Retrieved February 21. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  40. ^ a b Bungie, ed. (2004). Halo 2 Instruction Manual. Microsoft Game Studios. p. 4.
  41. ^ Bungie, ed. (2001). Halo:Combat Evolved Instruction Manual: The Covenant. Microsoft Game Studios. p. 10.
  42. ^ Bungie, ed. (2004). Halo 2 Instruction Manual: Drones. Microsoft Game Studios. p. 5.


Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Covenant_(Halo)&oldid=152457069"