Jega 'Rdomnai

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Jega 'Rdomnai
Biographical information
Homeworld:	Sanghelios
Born:	February 19, 2490
Personal details
Species:	Sangheili
Gender:	Male
Height:	231.1 centimeters (7 ft 7.0 in)
Weight:	146.1 kilograms (322 lb)
Eye color:	Orange
Political and military information
Affiliation:	Covenant (Formerly) Silent Shadow Banished Hand of Atriox
Title:	Blademaster Spartan Killer
Notable info:	Robotic prosthetic for left arm and left mandibles

Vedrana Makovich: "Now then, where were we?"

Jega 'Rdomnai: "You were about to die screaming."

— Jega 'Rdomnai and Vedrana Makovich before the duel that led to Makovich's death.

Jega 'Rdomnai is a Sangheili blademaster and Spartan Killer serving the Banished.

Biography

Early life

Jega 'Rdomnai was born on the Sangheili homeworld of Sanghelios on February 19, 2490, eventually enlisting in the Covenant military as is the custom for all male Sangheili.

Jega 'Rdomnai's Silent Shadow squad engulfed in an explosion during their mission.

Covenant and the Silent Shadow

During his service within the Covenant, Jega 'Rdomnai became a blademaster and a member of the Silent Shadow, a unit within the Covenant's Special Operations branch. While leading a mission, he lost his left arm and left mandibles in an explosion caused by a pair of Spartan-III headhunters. 'Rdomnai was rescued from the carnage by Escharum and the Banished where the Sangheili counseled and encouraged the blademaster to die by his own hand rather than live dishonored and disfigured by his injuries. However, 'Rdomnai's anger and need for revenge against all Spartans was stronger than any honor, becoming a relentless force that drove him to eschew everything that 'Rdomnai had once stood for, every tradition and belief that defined him as a Sangheili. Only Escharum stood by him, seeing the raw power and unending ferocity that burned within the blademaster. The War Chief embraced 'Rdomnai's bloodshed rather than shunning it, seeing his pursuit of vengeance as an asset rather than a dishonor. This acceptance eventually forged a friendship that transcended the animosity between their kinds.

'Rdomnai had the arm and mandibles replaced with prostheses, despite robotic replacements being antithetical to Covenant tradition and principles. The Sangheili's favored bloodblade underwent a similar transformation. After it sustained damage during the explosion, 'Rdomnai brought the sword's hilt to the artisan-armorers at Cherras Keep, who reforged the blade as Ghostpierce. His injuries also gave 'Rdomnai a lust for battle and vengeance, both of which completely outweighed his own pride in his own Sangheili culture. The exact circumstances that resulted in his injuries became shrouded in rumors, with very few aware of the true history.

Following his injuries, 'Rdomnai became obsessed within hunting down and exacting revenge on any Spartans he could. Eventually, he became shunned by those within the Covenant.

Banished service

At some point before the Installation 07 conflict in 2560, 'Rdomnai became the first recruit for the Hand of Atriox. 'Rdomnai became the Jiralhanae Escharum's most respected soldier, having worked together for the longest and even becoming his closest friend, which was very rare between their species. Within the Banished, there were many rumors about 'Rdomnai and his injuries. Some said he was an experiment, which became an affront to his fellow Sangheili. Others made mention of a clandestine ambush gone wrong.

Jega 'Rdomnai was among the many Banished soldiers on Installation 07 following the ambush on UNSC Infinity. On December 25, 2559, 'Rdomnai was in command of a large Banished force on the ring's main fragment when they came across Gorian, who had just escaped form being stranded on a smaller ring fragment. 'Rdomnai's Phantom landed, and the Sangheili personally greeted Gorian before they left together. At some point after January 31, 2560, 'Rdomnai hunted down and killed the marines of Boulder Squad, having observed the squad's patterns and patrol routes for some time. Prior to slaughtering the marines, he mused to himself about his recently-acquired bloodblade. Unlike the modified bloodblade which had been affixed to his prosthetic arm and given the name Ghostpierce, this more traditional energy sword was still without a name. However, 'Rdomnai vowed to give it a fitting name once his job was done on the Halo, perhaps in celebration of the death of a demon.

Over the next few months, 'Rdomnai and Gorian captured and tortured ONI operative Kate Stalling for her research on the ring's Conspectus network. When they finally located a Conspectus network hub underneath Outpost Tremonius on April 26, 2560, the duo forced a human prisoner to interface with the network's datastream to extract information on the ring's defensive systems; 'Rdomnai then killed the prisoner. The duo were then ambushed Spartan Bonita Stone, who stole the data node. 'Rdomnai managed to catch the Spartan by surprise during her escape. He retrieved the data node, unaware the Spartan's personal AI Ouco had copied the information into another data chip and corrupted the original. 'Rdomnai and Gorian then joined the Banished forces at Site Novem to breach the Conservatory in search of the ring's monitor 117649 Despondent Pyre.

On May 14, having been made aware of the UNSC presence at a beacon tower near the Conservatory, 'Rdomnai led Banished reinforcements to counter UNSC survivors broadcasting the ring's location to UNSC occupied space. 'Rdomnai did not take part in the battle itself, only watching from afar, which likely led to his survival when the submonitor 091 Adjutant Veridity came to the humans' aid, firing her focus beam at the Banished forces before teleporting the survivors to safety. Then, on the next day, when Spartans Theodore Sorel and Vedrana Makovich infiltrated the Banished excavation site at the Conservatory, 'Rdomnai ambushed the two and wounded Sorel. Makovich urged Sorel to run ahead to locate the monitor of the ring, while she fended off 'Rdomnai. Makovich died in the subsequent duel against'Rdomnai, while Sorel made a last stand deeper inside the facility before ultimately being killed by the Jiralhanae brothers Tovarus and Hyperius.

Jega 'Rdomnai threatening Tremonius in front of Escharum.

Two weeks later, 'Rdomnai attended a meeting between Escharum and Tremonius, where they learned that Master Chief Petty Officer John-117 was still alive and had just destroyed the Ghost of Gbraakon. When Tremonius questioned Escharum's leadership, and disrespected Atriox, 'Rdomnai forcibly restrained and threatened the Jiralhanae. After Tremonius left, Escharum ordered 'Rdomnai to follow the Master Chief from a distance, as Escharum wanted to know everything about the Spartan. Later, after the Master Chief killed Hyperius and Tovarus, Escharum ordered 'Rdomnai to bring John-117 to him alive while 'Rdomnai noted with concern his friend's worsening terminal illness.

Shortly after the Master Chief and the Weapon shut down the Reformation Spires, 'Rdomnai hijacked Echo 216 and kidnapped Fernando Esparza in order to bait the Master Chief into storming the House of Reckoning. Upon returning to the House of Reckoning, 'Rdomnai reported that he had captured Fernando Esparza, much to the delight of Escharum, who anticipated the Master Chief would be in pursuit. Escharum ordered 'Rdomnai to keep Esparza alive, but to have his fun as 'Rdomnai deserved it.

When the Master Chief finally arrived at the House of Reckoning, 'Rdomnai confronted him in a transport docked in the arena on the third level, using Esparza's holorecorder to lure the Master Chief in and trap him. Despite using his active camouflage extensively, 'Rdomnai was ultimately defeated by the Master Chief, although the Spartan was unable to confirm the kill as the Sangheili's body disappeared without a trace. After his friend's supposed death, Escharum informed the Master Chief that 'Rdomnai had wanted to kill Esparza, but Escharum had promised him a sweeter prize or a warrior's death instead.

Although the wounds that he suffered should've been fatal, 'Rdomnai survived, due to internal cybernetics capable of healing his injuries. Having survived the duel with the Master Chief, 'Rdomnai would pursue the Spartan to exact his revenge.

On June 4, 'Rdomnai was amongst the upper echelon of the Banished who gathered on the rooftop of the House of Reckoning for Escharum's funeral which he led despite his still healing wounds. Rather than feeling sorrow over Escharum's death, 'Rdomnai was consumed by his rage and need for vengeance and only felt a mild regret for his friend which quickly gave way to a long and practiced history of indifference. 'Rdomnai brought with him Lucas Browning and killed Jiralhanae Chieftain Gallian when Gallian challenged him. As the situation devolved, Sangheili Warlord Val 'Hasumai realized that Browning was the Harbinger's pet and accused 'Rdomnai of wanting the secrets that the Harbinger had imparted to the combat medic for himself. 'Rdomnai fled in a Phantom, and once he was at a safe distance, the Master Chief and Joyeuse destroyed the House of Reckoning with an Eris tactical nuclear weapon, killing most of the gathered Banished.

Joy was able to track 'Rdomnai back to his base at Rdomnai Keep and free the medic from his holding cell. 'Rdomnai was furious to see the legendary Spartan in his base, musing how although he thought that the alliance between the Banished and the Harbinger was an unnecessary risk, the Harbinger had her uses due to the Harbinger's possession of the encephalon. However, Escharum was dead and the Harbinger had gone strangely absent which 'Rdomnai believed was an act of betrayal. Having gleaned that Browning had a shared connection with the Harbinger and a compulsion to serve her, the Blademaster decided to let them go, hoping that a change of tactics and the illusion of safety would allow the Spartan to succeed where he had failed and find the Harbinger. 'Rdomnai would use the devices that the Harbinger had used to monitor her human pet to follow Browning. Lost in his hatred, 'Rdomnai killed a Kig-Yar that interrupted him with the acrid smell triggering a traumatic flashback of how he had been so badly wounded on Rangiren. With a renewed focus, a sudden calm came over 'Rdomnai as he decided to settle into the shadows and bide his time until everything fell into place as he envisioned it -- namely the Master Chief leading himself straight into oblivion while the blademaster savored every moment of his downfall.

Banished forces later started to close in on the UNSC encampment hidden at Lifeworker Central. Instantly realizing that 'Rdomnai had sent them, the Master Chief, Esparza and Browning left to keep a Banished ground assault from breaching the dazzlers hiding the humans and finding the camp.

Equipment

During his time in the Covenant he wore the Silent Shadow variant of the Infiltration harness. At some point he switched to a black combat harness, which he customised with red markings, red claw-like ornaments and the Banished's symbol at the center of the chest armor. Jega carries a Bloodblade as a personal energy sword, as well as a custom variant of bloodblade on his mechanical arm called Ghostpierce.

Jega also had internal cybernetics that was able to heal the damage inflicted by the Master Chief. Amongst these was a cybernetic heart and lung and advanced nanotechnology.

Jega's cybernetic enhancements gave off a distinct energy pattern that made him easy to identify.

Jega kept the charred blade of Jonah-B283 as a keepsake.

Personality and traits

"Does it hurt? Take your last breath, Spartan, and behold your tomb."

— Jega 'Rdomnai taunting Bonita Stone as he killed her.

Jega 'Rdomnai is a relentless killer who revels in not only hunting and slaughtering his enemies, but torturing them as well. His bloodlust and viciousness is extreme, even by Sangheili standards, and his need to kill outweighs any sort of warrior's honor. After being severely wounded in battle, he clung to life and rebuilt his body using forbidden cybernetics. The rest of Sangheili society has shunned him for this sacrilege is of little concern to him. Ironically, after leaving the Covenant and joining the Banished, 'Rdomnai became close friends with Escharum, despite the animosity between their two species.

In the Sangheili language, the suffix "-ai" at the end of 'Rdomnai's name indicates his prestige as a blademaster. This alteration upon his name is an indicator of the dedication offered by Jega to the art of swordsmanship.

'Rdomnai suffered from traumatic flashbacks to losing his left mandibles and arm.

Gameplay

Jega 'Rdomnai deploys active camo during the entirety of his fight, only revealing himself when lunging at the player. After reaching a certain threshold of damage taken, 'Rdomnai will initiate a "hard cloak", fleeing and disappearing entirely from the room, although staggering attacks such as fusion coils can prevent this temporarily. During this phase he will not be shown on threat sensors. Jega will eventually reappear in camouflage and attack the player once more. This continues until he is defeated. 'Rdomnai has an extremely mysterious "death". Upon losing all of his health, he turns around and engages active camo, vanishing without a trace. He disappears from threat sensors and Chief is unable to locate his corpse. He drops his Bloodblade, which the Master Chief can pick up and use.

Production notes

• 343 Industries writer Jeff Easterling cited Jega 'Rdomnai's robotic prostheses as an example for what the Covenant would have been like without its "dogmatic restraint." Easterling also contrasted 'Rdomnai to Arbiter Thel 'Vadam, with 'Rdomnai being representative of 'Vadam's "psycho elements."
• Jega 'Rdomnai was portrayed by actor Noshir Dalal in Halo Infinite.
• Before the reveal of Halo: Edge of Dawn's summary, there were several pieces of evidence implying that Jega 'Rdomnai may have survived his encounter with John-117.
  • Jega is one of the only main antagonists with no achievement tied to his defeat.
  • Jega's body cloaks upon his apparent death, a behavior not seen with any other active camouflage user in Halo Infinite.
  • The description of Jega's emblem in the High Value Targets bundle reads "It was only a flesh wound."
  • The title of Jega's Rdomnai's entry in the Halo Encyclopedia (2022 edition) reads "Immortal Machine."
  • Perhaps most tellingly, Jega's Rdomnai's entry in the Halo Encyclopedia (2022 edition) is written in present tense and does not mention him being killed by John-117. The entries for the other antagonists of Halo Infinite defeated by John-117 are written in past tense and almost always explicitly mention their deaths.

Gallery

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Concept art and illustrations

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  Concept art of Jega 'Rdomnai for Halo Infinite.

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  More finalized concept art of Jega 'Rdomnai.

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  Promotional image of Jega 'Rodomnai.

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  Jega 'Rdomnai in Halo: Edge of Dawn.

Screenshots

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  'Rdomnai killing Roland-B210.

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  Profile view of 'Rdonmnai.

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  'Rdomnai listening to Escharum.

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  Escharum speaking to 'Rdomnai.

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  'Rdomnai standing before a captured Fernando Esparza.

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  A full-body portrait of Jega 'Rdomnai.

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  'Rdomnai activates Ghostpierce.

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  'Rdomnai activating his Bloodblade sword and Ghostpierce.

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  Jega 'Rdomnai charges at John-117.

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  'Rdomnai carrying a bloodblade.

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  Front view of Jega 'Rdomnai.

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  'Rdomnai attacking with his weapons.

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  'Rdomnai without his energy shielding.

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  'Rdomnai uses his active camouflage.

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  A cloaked 'Rdomnai revealed by the threat sensor.

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  'Rdomnai vanishes after the Master Chief defeats him.

Merchandise

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  Jega 'Rdomnai 4 inch action figure from Jazwares.

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  Mega Construx figure of Jega 'Rdomnai.

List of appearances

• Halo: Evolutions
  • Headhunters (First appearance)
• Halo Infinite
• Halo: The Rubicon Protocol
• Halo: Edge of Dawn