Arbiter
From Halopedia, the Halo wiki
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- "The Taming of the Hunters, the Grunt Rebellion. Were it not for the Arbiters, the Covenant would have broken long ago!"
- — The High Prophet of Mercy[1]
Arbiter is a title of the highest possible honor bestowed upon a Sangheili. Formerly appointed only by the Hierarchs of the Covenant during a time of need, the title is currently held by Thel 'Vadam who leads the Swords of Sanghelios after the Covenant's dissolution.[2]
The title was originally the greatest religious, military, and political rank of the Sangheili. After they joined the Covenant, however, the role was downplayed in importance somewhat, with the Sangheili High Councilors ranking higher in political matters. This would eventually change again: approximately 400 years before the Human-Covenant war, an Arbiter declared he did not believe in the Great Journey and was stripped of his rank and killed. Thus the title became a brand of shame. Arbiters were sent on highly perilous and suicidal missions by the Hierarchs. On these missions, the Arbiter was expected to die and to become another great martyr of the Covenant on their path to the Great Journey.[1] This was seen as a way to regain, in part, their honor. Depending on the nature of his assignment an Arbiter would have either acted alone as a singular combatant, with support by Covenant military forces, or they were tasked to lead large numbers of Covenant troops.[3]
Notable Arbiters have been appointed by the Prophets during incidents such as the Taming of the Lekgolo, the Unggoy Rebellion, the Human-Covenant War, and most recently, the threat of the heretics led by Sesa 'Refumee.[1][4]
History[edit]
Origins and early history[edit]
- "They ruled their world with pride, and vigilance, surviving the perils of both land and sea. These were the Arbiters of old; part king, part judge. Warrior-rulers unlike any of which would follow."
- — A San'Shyuum scribe[5]
The title of Arbiter dates back long before the Covenant, and long before the Sangheili became a space-faring race, originating on Sanghelios. The Arbiters of old were immensely powerful and skilled warriors who ruled over all Sangheili clans, described as "part king, part judge". Centuries before the Sangheili became space-faring, a tyrannical Arbiter took control of the entire continent of Qivro. However, the Arbiter and his oppresive regime were eventually overthrown by a coalition of kaidons known as the Swords of Sanghelios.[6] The Arbiters continued to lead their species even after the Sangheili had colonized dozens of other worlds.[5]
When the San'Shyuum arrived in their Forerunner Dreadnought in 938 BCE on the Sangheili frontier colony of Ulgethon, Arbiter Vema 'Togad initiated the War of Beginnings by decapitating a delegation of San'Shyuum and returning their heads to the Dreadnought for the other San'Shyuum Reformists to find. As the war began, this Arbiter led the Sangheili against the San'Shyuum during the war that lasted many decades. After the Writ of Union was ratified and the war had ended, the Hierarchs of the newly formed Covenant realized the importance of the title of Arbiter.[5]
The Covenant[edit]
- Sesa 'Refumee: "An Arbiter was once the pinnacle of our people. Leader of the clans, and master of the battlefield. But then, an Arbiter committed heresy. And an example was made of him."
- 343 Guilty Spark: "Heresy?"
- Sesa 'Refumee: "He challenged the word of the Prophets. Challenged… and lost. So the title of Arbiter became a badge of shame for our most spectacularly failed warriors."
- — Sesa 'Refumee and 343 Guilty Spark converse about the history of the Arbiter[7]
The establishment of the Covenant led to the Sangheili losing most of their traditions and history. However, the title of Arbiter was maintained as a position of power for the Sangheili.[7] The appellation of Arbiter was bestowed upon the commander-in-chief of the Covenant military, and was regarded as a great privilege among the Sangheili race. Arbiter was a noble title only given to a Sangheili that was considered worthy of bringing justice and peace to the Covenant—some considered it a "badge of greatness". The Arbiter's authority would not be questioned by any other individual in the Covenant.[8] Most notably, the Arbiter of the Covenant would serve as the "Will of the Hierarchs".[5] At some point the year before or in 784 BCE, during an Age of Conversion, the Covenant's war with the Lekgolo species had proved itself to be significantly more difficult than anticipated. Arbiter Jeht 'Lcmutee was tasked with traveling to the moon of Rantu to learn about the Lekgolo's strengths and weaknesses,[9] and upon learning that the Lekgolo could combine into the powerful Mgalekgolo forms, he proposed the species' incorporation into the Covenant to the Hierarchs. The Hierarchs reluctantly agreed with the Arbiter, and the Lekgolo joined the empire.[10]
However, approximately four hundred years prior to the destruction of Installation 04, the contemporary Arbiter, Fal 'Chavamee, refused to accept the Covenant religion and was branded a heretic by the Hierarchs. The resulting chain of events, which led to the deaths of both 'Chavamee and a high-ranking kinsman named Haka 'Suukaree, led to the Prophets changing the role of the Arbiter significantly. The title was thereafter given to disgraced Sangheili in order for them to regain their honor by way of suicidal missions of great importance to the Covenant as a whole.[11] As part of this, the Line of Immaculate Succession was established.[12] In part, the change was additionally made by the Hierarchs to secure their own power over the Sangheili;[8] in many cases, brilliant Sangheili who asked too many questions or were otherwise seen as a threat to the Prophets were branded heretics and then appointed Arbiter to silence them and to keep the Sangheili without a strong leader of their own.