Balaho

Balaho is the Unggoy homeworld. It is the fifth planet orbiting the star Tala, a blue supergiant. An icy planet, Balaho is orbited by two natural satellites; Buwan and Padpad.

History
Prior to the activation of the Halo Array in 97,445 BCE, an environmental collapse occurred on Balaho caused by massive global over-industrialization. Before it was discovered by the Covenant, Balaho was mainly dominated by disparate Unggoy tribes.

When the Covenant found Balaho and the Unggoy in 2142, most were more than willing to leave their hostile homeworld and join the hegemony. However, centuries later, in 2462, the planet was partially glassed during the Unggoy Rebellion. The glassing of Balaho led to the species' surrender and the end of the rebellion. Although the Unggoy on High Charity leading the rebellion cared little for their home planet itself, they surrendered as they were unwilling to lose the large amount of potential breeding partners that lived there. The planet was later also the site of the Sixteenth Unggoy Disobedience and several other uprisings. During the Unggoy's service with the Covenant, Balaho was regarded as a backwater planet and it was avoided by most shipping routes. Although most Unggoy eventually settled on the planets of other species, Balaho was still highly regarded among the Unggoy. Immediately following the Human-Covenant War, the Office of Naval Intelligence recorded no off-world transport from Balaho, also noting that Buwan appeared to have been abandoned.

On October 28, 2558, Cortana claimed the Mantle and broadcast an offer of peace and prosperity to many species of the galaxy. The Unggoy on Balaho responded favorably to this proposition, and in response, they were granted nearly limitless resources by the Created. Ships empty of life but loaded with advanced technology arrived. New agricultural support stations appeared in orbit, awaiting eager workers to feed the desperate masses below. The planet's factories, previously abandoned, came to life once more. Where chaos had once reigned, stability and a semblance of order returned. With their pressing requirements – food, shelter, medicine – met, Balaho’s finest designers and crafters began to work day and night, tirelessly building their future. From their factories come clever mechanisms and curious cudgels, manufactured with knowledge the Unggoy secretly learned over centuries of oppression and cruelty.

Topography
Balaho is a mostly frozen planet with temperatures ranging from -33°C (-27.4 F) to 5°C (41°F). It has two natural satellites, Buwan and Padpad, respectively the primary and secondary satellites. The terrestrial planet has significant amounts of methane in the atmosphere, necessitating that Unggoy wear methane tanks while off-world. This gas forms a largely opaque layer of clouds that prevents much of the world from being seen from orbit.

The parts of the surface that are not covered by polar ice caps or fresh water are equatorial brackish tidal flats where naturally occurring pillars of fire exist when the planet's methane condenses. Most of the Unggoy live in this area where the cold season is not as harmful to them. The planet is also home to several swamps. The world is still recovering from an environmental collapse caused by massive global over-industrialization prior to the activation of the Halo Array. Until the Covenant's arrival, the planet's population was threatened by two consecutive winter seasons, plagues, and a general lack of food. Blue Death is a risk to all Unggoy that were exposed to Balaho's harsh climate.

Ecology

 * Unggoy
 * Shade crab
 * Zap-jelly
 * Mud wasp
 * Scrub grub

Trivia
Balaho means "swamp" in Tagalog, a major language in the Philippines. Unggoy means "monkey" in the same language.

List of appearances

 * Halo: The Fall of Reach
 * Halo: The Flood
 * Halo 3
 * Bestiarum
 * Halo: Ghosts of Onyx
 * Halo: Contact Harvest
 * Halo Legends
 * Origins
 * Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary
 * Halo 2: Anniversary
 * Terminals
 * Halo 5: Guardians