Thalazan
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Thalazan is a Jiralhanae Chieftain in the Clan of the Long Shields, one of the Jiralhanae clans serving in the Banished. During the Second Ark Conflict he commanded the Long Shields' lone talon of Seraph fighters.[1]
Biography[edit]
Second Ark Conflict[edit]
Thalazan served as a member of the Long Shields during the Second Ark Conflict in 2559, serving under Warlord Pavium. After the clan's disastrous battle against the Flood in June 2559, their loss of prestige and favour with Atriox and the other Banished senior leadership resulted in the junior leadership within the Long Shields chafing against Pavium's increasingly-unstable rule. Thalazan was the main source of instability for Pavium, and towards the end of the year began to increasingly question Pavium, positioning himself to take over as leader of the clan. While some chieftains such as Amphium took care to avoid offending Pavium and drawing the warlord's ire, Thalazan directly challenged him. In response, Pavium publicly agreed with Thalazan's suggestions as to prevent the upstart chieftain from gaining political legitimacy for a claim to leadership and forcing the chieftain into ever-more radical positions, eventually leading his supporters to abandon him.[1]
This became prevalent during the battle of Translocation portal Epsilon in late October 2559, when Thalazan cautioned Pavium into remaining in position where the Long Shields had been positioned by Let 'Volir, rather than following the warlord's brother Voridus' suggestion to depart their posting to investigate the crash site of Atriox's Lich Pegoras. Thalazan took the opportunity to remind Pavium of the clan's lost prestige, and that abandoning post could result in reduced opportunities to regain it. As the discussion continued, Thalazan attempted to goad the more hotheaded Voridus into verbally attacking him, though the discussion was shut down by Pavium. Ultimately, the clan were ordered to investigate the crash site anyway.[1] During the deployment Thalazan's Seraphs provided air support for Pavium and Voridus, driving away a swarm of kralidonk predators in conjunction with Amphium's Banshees. As Pavium prepared to deploy, Thalazan landed his Seraph and departed it as to give the impression of standing close to Pavium while the warlord issued his orders, again playing for legitimacy.[2]
As the Long Shields began to engage the resurgent Covenant on the Ark to prevent them from activating the Halo Array, Pavium had to carefully managed Thalazan - unable to outright kill him but also growing increasingly tired of the subordinate chieftain's challenging of his authority. An ideal opportunity to punish the chieftain came for Pavium when the Covenant attempted to bait the Long Shields into a trap. The Covenant had been able to uncover the location of the Ark's control room, and their Prelate leader Dhas Bhasvod intentionally allowed the Banished to eavesdrop on their communications. Pavium and Voridus quickly realised that the Covenant planned to bait the Banished into deploying, while also baiting the United Nations Space Command into attacking their position. While the Banished and UNSC attacked one another, the Covenant would be able to escape. Knowing the UNSC attack was coming, Pavium ordered Thalazan to deploy there,[3] leading his Seraphs to be destroyed by an air strike from several AC-220 Vulture gunships.[4]
Against Pavium's expectations, Thalazan survived the ambush even as most of his warriors died. He later reappeared during the battle of the Maze Rift to assist Pavium's forces, begging Pavium's forgiveness. Pavium initially worried as the chieftain could simply let the warlord be killed in the battle and usurp him that way, but soon realised that if the chieftain were to return from battle as the sole survivor, he would be cast out from the clan as a pariah. As such, he returned vowing to assist the warlord. He also passed on intelligence that the UNSC had been openly broadcasting the location of the Ark's control room on an open channel before proceeding to engage Covenant air forces in his Seraph.[4]
During the Long Shields' ensuing battle at Epsilon Clarion, the clan lost a large percentage of its forces, but Pavium wagered that Thalazan had likely survived the engagement.[5]
Personality and traits[edit]
Thalazan has a long beard.[1] He is considered by Pavium to be a supremely skilled pilot.[4]
List of appearances[edit]
- Halo: Divine Wind (First appearance)
