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The Sangheili - AKA: The Elites |
Latin Name: Macto Cognatus |
Homeworld: Sanghelios |
General Weight: 300 lbs to 380 lbs |
General Size: 7'2" to 7'6" |
Eye Color: Gold, Green, Brown |
Skin Color: Brown |
Hair Color: N/A |
Physical Properties: Muscular, large build |
The Sangheili - AKA: The Elites
The Sangheili are a saurian species of fierce, proud, strong, agile and intelligent warriors and skilled combat tacticians. Known to Humans as Sangheili, due to their adeptness and skill in combat, the Sangheili formed the military backbone of the Covenant for almost the entirety of its existence. They had a very strong rivalry with the Brutes, which finally became open hatred during the Great Schism at the conclusion of the Human-Covenant War.
- Early History
- Human-Covenant War
- Post-Covenant Status
- Biology / Genealogy
- Physical Appearance
- Personality / Behavior
- Honor
- Superstitions
- Family / Close Relationships
- Director Vernette's Personal Notes
Early History
The Sangheili are a very old race, dating back thousands of years. From what is known of their history, at some point, they did engage in a war with the Prophets concerning the use of what we know as Forerunner artifacts. It is unknown who the aggressor was, but it is known that the end result of this conflict was the formation of The Covenant. The Sangheili quickly assimilated certain doctrines into their way of life, and thus, their feudal and imperialistic way of life was augmented with a zealous worship of Forerunners. For many years, they proved to be a very effective and efficient military backbone of the Covenant. As more races were adopted, the Covenant grew, and so did their authority.
Human-Covenant War
The Sangheili, for a vast majority of the war, proved to be the primary antagonists, the face of the Covenant. While other races were seen, the Sangheili were most prominently the field and naval commanders. Very rarely was a non-Elite commander seen. It was generally accepted that even the more inexperienced Elite outranked all other non-Elite infantry on the field. The Sangheili broke away from the Covenant in 2552 as a result of the Great Schism, a conflict which pitted the Sangheili against the Brutes, and ultimately led to the shunning of the Sangheili by the rest of the Covenant. This ultimately would be the dissolution of the Covenant as it was known.
Post Covenant Status
The Sangheili proved to be resourceful allies in the continuing conflict with the Brutes well into 2553, but, their nature precluded the possibility of a sustained alliance. in mid-2553, the Sangheili, having believed they now had the Brutes cornered and defeated, betrayed Humanity, claiming we were no longer useful to the war, but rather, a systematic drain on their resources. This led to the Sangheili attacking Earth, ironically, at the same time the Brutes did, turning Earth into the sparring arena for all three races. As it currently stands, Sangheili are now one of three major powers in the Galaxy, controlling thousands of lightyears of territory, hundreds of planets, and a powerful and equally vast military. They stand as the single most powerful Government in the galaxy, only being matched by the combined military forces of both ONI and The Brutes. ONI Report indicate that the territory controlled by the Sangheili spans the space surrounding the homeworlds of Eayn and Balaho, with their territory reaching very close to Palamok and Te.
Biology / Genealogy
Little is known about the exact biology behind the Sangheili. It is surmised they are cold-blooded but due to lack of supporting evidance, we are unable to confirm this.
Physical Appearance
Their jaws are quadruple-hinged, with an upper jaw and four mandible-like lips. With few exceptions, these mandibles are generally shown with six teeth each; many sources also depict an additional large fang on the tips of each mandible. The mandibles open up to allow for more heavier breathing when fatigued. Their legs are digitigrade, with short upper and lower legs, and elongated tarsals, using the distal and intermediate phalanges to support their weight when walking. This arrangement possibly allows them to run very quickly and jump large distances, compared to ordinary humans and other Covenant races.
Personality / Behavior
Sangheili are a very militaristic and a very aggressive species, so much so that they are known for their militaristic prowess. However, their aggressive nature is unlike a that of a Brutes, in the sense that Sangheili are more tactful with their aggression, while Brutes favor a more wild and viscous approach.As such, Sangheili tend to be more cunning and sneaky in battle, and utterly without mercy or remorse. Sangheili tend to be very cold and calculating, never thinking twice about killing a enemy in battle. As such, it is advised that any military personnel approach and engage an Elite with the utmost caution. Sangheili place great value on their naming and the naming of others, and as such. they tend to see humans as nameless foes and consider us unworthy of any sort of recognition or individuality. In fact, the term Elite is considered a derogatory term, as it was one created and assigned by Humans.
Honor
Sangheili have a very strong sense of honor, to the point where it is the focal point of their entire cultural identity. Sangheili believe it is dishonorable to spill blood, as the blood represents ones own vital essence, that is, their honor. It is actually considered one of the lowest and denigrating duties to serve as a doctor in Elite society because they needlessly draw blood outside of combat. Sangheili who have been captured in combat are generally considered to have had their honor violated to an unrepairable degree, so much so, that the only recourse is ritualistic suicide.
The sense of honor itself has, in the past, proven to be very exploitable by Humans, in the sense that skilled Human commanders can utilize tactics or methods which could place Sangheili in a situation where they would be forced to retreat or fallback, or endure a ritualistic defilement of their own code of honor. Additionally, an Sangheili sense of honor can also cloud their judgment in combat situations. Many Sangheili who seek to prove their own valor and prowess will attempt to employ complex strategies and tactics, if only to impress others in battle. This has often lead to younger Sangheili making vital tactical errors and oversights, which have been capitalized on. However, high ranking Sangheili have been observed violating their own sense of honor, either by employing deceitful tactics, or using technology which allows them to hide from their enemies and strike from behind.
Superstitions
Sangheili, despite their martial nature, have serious reservations about needlessly drawing blood. As mentioned earlier, Sangheili consider it to be very dishonorable to spill blood. will only draw weapons to kill. It is among some of their superstitions that a drawn weapon demands blood.
Family / Close Relationships
Sangheili placed great value on family history and lineage, with every family having their own battle poems which detail the deeds and actions of its members during times of war.
While the Sangheili are a patriarchal society, females tend to wield a great deal of power, when it comes to issues within their own keeps. These issues could include political, civil, and commerce matters. Sangheili believe that copulation without regard for the bloodline is unultured, and as such, tend to be monogamous in their relationships. In terms of record keeping of the family bloodlines, this duty usually falls to the wife of the Elder Sangheili, as only females have access to the records of their own bloodline. This fact gives females a great deal of power when choosing their mates.
Director Vernette's Personal Notes
They have the face of a squid, the legs of a cripple, and the feet of a horse. You can bet where this is going. I trust Sangheili as far as I can throw them, and I cannot move them very far, I assure you. During the Alliance at the end of the Human-Covenant war, they seemed to have shared a kinship with Spartans, as they saw them as equals. But I have no doubt, when an Elite looked at me, they saw nothing but filth. They despise Brutes, and see the other species as filth and garbage. They talk about honor, and their entire society is based on it, but they lie, and they deceive, and they back-stab to get their way. What does this say about a society that holds on in such high regard? Not much...
Barrabus once told me that the major reason they separated from the Covenant was because they bitched, moaned, and complained about having to pay the piper when they dropped the ball and failed to protect one of their Prophets, which resulted in the assassination of said Prophet. This was the time the Brutes took the place of the Sangheili, the Changing of the Guard as it was called, which, in turn, was one of the major contributing factors of the Covenant Schism. Barrabus broke it down for me, and basically said that the Sangheili threw a civilization wide temper tantrum, withdrew from all positions in the Covenant, and simply walked out of the party. If this is the kind of mentality that Humanity was fighting against, and losing to, for 28 years of the Human-Covenant War...shame on us. But...then again...some Sangheili claim that they were always suspicious of these Prophets...not totally believing the lies. Somehow...I doubt it. I think they are making that up to protect their honor and reputation. Then again...you have Elites like Xyrho who have proven to be very forward thinking in their thought processes.
With all of this said, I do not underestimate the Sangheili, nor do I disrespect their ability to fight. They can be very dangerous, and a single Elite has the skill to wipe out a squad or two of Marines. I take their threat level very seriously and I will give nothing short of my best efforts when in a direct confrontation with them. The level of technology they posses, combined with their ability to fight, their natural strength and resiliency, their cunning, their militaristic and imperial nature, and their expansive power makes them a highly dangerous foe. They are motivated by conquest and the will to dominate. All of these qualities forever preclude the possibility of peace, with the only real possibility being an unease cease-fire.
-Director Vernette
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The_Sangheili
12-01-2010
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