Thorn beast

Some Thorn Beasts being passed by Marines.

File:ThornBeastHW.png

Thorn Beast in Halo Wars.

Thorn Beasts are used as food by the Covenant, and Jiralhanae in particular. They appear to be docile herd, and may have been domesticated for consumption. Their neck and head contain high concentrations of neurotoxins, likely a defensive adaptation against predators. While they are found on planets other than Doisac, Its popularity among Jiralhanae may show that it inhabits a variety of worlds, perhaps transplanted there by the Forerunners' after the Halo Array activated.

Thorn Beasts were originally meant to appear in Halo: Combat Evolved, but were cut from the final game. They finally make an appearance in-game in Halo Wars. The game developers state that they react to units and battles around them. In the videos seen so far however, they merely run away from units, not battles; if there is a bombing next to it, it will not flinch. However, since the game is still in development, this lack of a reaction may be changed in the near future for a more real gaming experience. Its first canonical appearance was in Halo: Contact Harvest, where it is consumed by a Jiralhanae pack.

Trivia

• In Halo: Contact Harvest, it supposedly gets its name from the five "thorns" that ridge its back.
• Because they are served as food, it is a possibility that they were kept at the agricultural ship Infinite Succor. Perhaps they were the animals seen by Rtas 'Vadumee's unit as infected by the Flood.
• The Brute Chieftain, Maccabeus, enjoyed eating the smallest of the five thorns that ridge its back when it was properly prepared.
• Its entrails would be reduced into dipping sauces.
• It is eaten by the Jiralhanae during feasts, but also during banquets and other important events.