Covenant

"The path is broad, and we shall walk it side by side."

- The Prophet of Truth

The Covenant Empire, also known as The Covenant, was a religious hegemony of multiple alien species that controlled a large portion of the Orion Arm in the Milky Way galaxy.

They were a combined force of alien races, and acted as the main antagonists in the Halo universe. More specifically, the Covenant's government system was a hierarchical theocratic oligarchy, underlain with a caste system, ruled by a High Council. They waged a genocidal campaign against Humanity until they were defeated due to many factors, the most crucial of which was an internal conflict. While the Covenant was dealt a series of catastrophic blows in quick succession, with most of their leadership either lost during the Flood infection of High Charity or during the Battle of Installation 00, it still continues to exist in at least some form. In exactly what capacity it continues to operate in remains unknown.

Background
The name "Covenant" was taken from the binding pact that forged peace between the Sangheili (Elites) and San 'Shyuum (Prophets). The two species allied with each other after a long war with millions of casualties. The Sangheili-San 'Shyuum war, which devastated the two species for generations, was fought over Forerunner artifacts on the Sangheili home world, Sanghelios, with the Sangheili wishing to preserve them, and the San 'Shyuum wishing to use the artifacts. The Sangheili held a distinct tactical upper hand, as their militaristic society was ready for a war, and their warriors were among the best in the galaxy, but the San-'Shyuum had one massive advantage; an immensely powerful Forerunner warship, known as the Dreadnought. After the San 'Shyuum decided to use the Dreadnought against the Sangheili, the San 'Shyuum destroyed the Sangheili forces.

The Sangheili, realizing their peril, had their warrior priests dissect Forerunner technology to strengthen their ships. Eventually they realized there was no need to fight as the main point of the conflict was now moot. When the Prophets found evidence of the Forerunners and their "Great Journey", they told the Elites of their discovery and promised to find the means of the Forerunner's transcendence. The Prophets would share this knowledge with the Elites who in turn would protect the Prophets from harm as they searched for transcendent Forerunner artifacts to activate all the Halo Installations. These ideas would be put into the Covenant's founding document, the Writ of Union. At first, the Covenant was only a loose non-aggression pact of two races held together by a common need to avoid mutually assured destruction. But, as their society advanced, so did their technology, culture, and religion. By the time of the Battle of Reach, the Covenant controlled a large part of the Orion Arm of the Milky Way Galaxy. They discovered and conquered various races. Their society had evolved into a complicated caste system, with the Prophets governing the Covenant, and the Elites put in charge of the military. The Covenant was a theocracy, based on prophecies about the Halos and The Great Journey. The primary belief of the Covenant was that activation of the Halos would allow them passage into the "Divine Beyond", where they might join the Forerunners as gods, while those who did not believe in the Great Journey would be left behind to die by the power of the Halo Rings.

The Government
The Covenant is governed by the High Council, which is led by a trio of Prophets known as the Hierarchs, and consists of lesser Prophets, Legates, and very high ranking Elites, which are known as Councilors. However, near the start of the Covenant Civil War, the Prophets began to replace the Elites with Brutes in various positions within Covenant society, including the protection of the Hierarchs and command of the Covenant Fleets. The Prophets of Truth and Mercy used the Prophet of Regret's assassination at the hands of Master Chief as an excuse to replace the Elite guard with Brutes. The Prophets then secretly ordered the Brutes to commit genocide against the Elites, thus leading to the beginning of the civil war.

In addition to the High Council, there are three other Councils: the Council of Concordance, the Council of Deed and Doctrine and the Council of Masters.

Numerous Ministries exist within the Covenant government as well, each of which possesses a single role.

The Covenant Government suffered a blow in November 2552 after the Battle of Installation 05. The Covenant split into 2 different fractions, the Separatists led by Thel 'Vadam and the Loyalists that continued to follow the Prophets led solely by the Prophet of Truth after the deaths of the Prophets of Mercy and Regret and practically all Prophets on High Charity who were assimiliated by the Flood.

Species
The Covenant society is based around a caste system of the species below. Many of the alien species conquered by the Covenant are conscripted into, or gradually become part of the alliance. However, during the first contact with the Humans, The Oracle on board the Forerunner Dreadnought revealed to Truth and Regret that Humans are "My Makers", as shown by its luminary. Since the entire Covenant was based on the belief that the Forerunners had transcended, Truth and Regret knew if any of the other races found out what the Oracle told them, the Covenant would break apart.





San 'Shyuum
The highest caste, the San 'Shyuum, or Prophets, lead the Covenant and exert complete control over all religious and political affairs. Though physically weak, Prophets wield power through absolute command of the Covenant and through scavenged Forerunner technology, leaving the task of conquest to the Elites and the other races. Their higher understanding of the Forerunners gives them great ego and religious influence over the Covenant. The High Prophets are addressed as "Hierarchs", "Noble Hierarchs", "Holy Ones", or "Exalted" by the other races of the Covenant. Prophets enforce a misguided theology based on the belief that firing the Halo Array will herald some kind of sublimation event called the "Great Journey", which they believe will lead them to the Forerunner's final destination, but it was unknown to them that it would in fact lead them to their death. The most recent and final Hierarchs were Regret, Mercy and, Truth.



Sangheili
Hailing from Sanghelios, Sangheili, or Elites, served as the military leaders of the Covenant before the Great Schism in 2552. While Prophets often had the final say, it was the Elites who organized military campaigns and naval engagements. Ship Masters commanded ships, while Fleet Masters commanded fleets, and Field Masters commanded the vast armies and the higher commanders such as a supreme commander commanded the larger fleets and armadas. Elites maintained the military structure of the Covenant and ensured the Prophets' orders were followed, as well as their own. They also had a diverse rank structure which was based off how many foes an Elite had killed. Elites also wore different colored armor to signify their rank within the Covenant. They were a major component of the Covenant and were the only caste able to maintain the military hierarchy as well as having a voice within the High Council. Later on the Elites would be tested and shoved aside from their zealous role as Covenant military leaders by the Brutes. As the Prophets and Brutes attempted genocide of the Elites, the angered Elites left the Covenant, causing a civil war within the Covenant which would end with the Covenant Loyalists adding them to their list of enemies, and the Elites forming the Covenant Separatists along with many of the Grunts and Hunters. The Separatists then became allies with the UNSC in their fight against the Covenant. They are called "Sangheili" in the Covenant language. An "ee" at the end of an Elite name, such as "'Zamamee or 'Vadumee", would signify that that Elite is a part or was part of the Covenant military, although, after the Great Schism most, if not all, Elites removed the "ee" from their names to show that they had left the Covenant.



Mgalekgolo
Mgalekgolo, or Hunters, are thought to be giant monsters, but they are actually an assemblage of worm-like entities called "Lekgolo" that create a communal, armor plated form. In this form, they are known as "Mgalekgolo". They always fight and travel in pairs known as "Bond Brothers" (which technically means that not all of the colonies of worms were able to fit within one set of armor), and are the strongest of the Covenant fighting units. They wield powerful assault cannons and a massive shield resistant to any small arms fire which may also be used as a melee weapon due to its sharp sides and the Hunters' great strength. This is why if you are close enough to a Hunter, they will run at you, and swing their shield at you, which can cause major damage, but this can easily be dodged, since Hunters are relatively slow. They are usually used as shock infantry, and are only deployed on the battle field when in need of a heavy force. Their political and religious motivations are completely unknown. Their weaknesses are their exposed orange flesh, which is located on their backs, stomach, and neck. In Halo 3 the leadership offered more protection by covering their stomachs with more armor. Their main weakness is when their back is turned, because of the lack of armor they have there. They are one of the most powerful Covenant foes, challenged only by the Elites in Halo 2 and the Brutes in Halo 3.



Yanme'e
These flying, insect-like creatures referred to as Drones served almost exclusively as engineers, but were replaced by the Huragok. They became the second Covenant species with the ability of flight. In combat it seems that their weapons of choice are the needler, which can cause a good amount of damage if allowed, and the Plasma Pistol, which is weak, unless it is a charged shot, which can bring down your shields drastically. Their ability to fight on the wing makes them an excellent strategic weapon against ground-based opponents. They are called Yanme'e in the Covenant language. Some people believe that Drones had joined the Covenant some time in between Halo: Combat Evolved and Halo 2. This can be proved false, as they appear in the novel Halo: Contact Harvest, which was the first Human-Covenant contact. They are similar to the drones in the first Marathon game.



Kig-Yar
Due to their superior senses, the Kig-Yar, or Jackals/Skirmishers are the scouts and marksmen of the Covenant military. They are about 5'6" tall and due to their lack of physical durability, they carry a portable energy shield generator during combat. Jackals are employed mainly as sharpshooters with their excellent vision and dexterity, and are also deployed to defend strategic areas. When a Jackal is under fire, it will cover its head with its hands and trot away to another position from which to fire. The first Human contact was between Staff Sergeants Johnson and Byrne on a Human freighter as Jackal pirates tried to board the ship. Jackals have never been seen using grenades except in the book Halo: Ghosts of Onyx. This is probably because they wield both their weapon and their shield, and so cannot throw grenades while dual-wielding.



Unggoy
Hailing from Balaho, Unggoy, known as Grunts among Humans, are both the most common and lowest-placed caste of the Covenant, as the name implies. Despite their notable cowardice and ineptitude, they are quite dangerous in large numbers, which may have been why an Arbiter was needed to quell the Grunt Rebellion. They breathe a methane mixture and thus must wear a large tank on their back full of the methane to survive on other planets.



Jiralhanae
Jiralhanae, known as Brutes to Humans, are one of the newer species to the Covenant and are the only race that has obtained equal status to that of one of the founding "clients" of the Covenant pact, the Elites. They have an incredible natural resilience to damage due to their tough hides, which easily make up for their lack of energy shields (be it noted that later in Halo 3 they get power armor), and use a number of weapons and vehicles based upon their pre-Covenant technology. This technology, though primitive compared to other Covenant weapons, is nonetheless extremely lethal, with most Brute-developed weapons having blades attached to them. Some chieftains in Halo 3 and Tartarus from Halo 2 are also equipped with invincibility. As opposed to standard Brute combat, Brutes sometimes will go "berserk", and will try, and usually kill anyone or anything in it's path. This shows the aggressive nature of the Brute, and the little tolerance they have when they are cornered. The said Brute will charge mindlessly in the event of its armor being destroyed, it's companions being killed, being stuck with a plasma grenade (like Elites), or several other circumstances. Brutes have their own ranks going up to War Chieftains who usually wield plasma cannons, fuel rod guns, or Chieftains who usually wield gravity hammers. The Brutes always work in packs of 3-8 when possible. Brutes are unlike Elites in that they do not have a problem using Human weapons, as shown in the books and Halo 2. After the Elites were replaced for failing to protect the High Prophet of Regret from the "Demon", they took over their role as personal bodyguards of the Prophets and also now make up most of the Covenant military. They have a hairy, ape-like appearance with rough, rhino-like skin and a highly resilient body.



Huragok
Huragok, or Engineers are actually an artificial species created by the Forerunners. They will only converse with the Prophets or individuals who learn their language. This indicates Engineers are very high in the caste system, however ONI believe them to be prisoners or slaves. It is believed that the Engineers helped the Covenant to understand how to use the Forerunner technology effectively, which aided their advancement. In military terms, they are generally a non-militant race. However, at times in the Human-Covenant War they have been placed on the battlefield either as repair workers or suicide bombers. They have also displayed neutrality and even some allegiance to humans such as Lighter Than Some helping the Harvest citizens escape (and being instrumental to that) and another Engineer repairing Ascendant Justice's engines for the Master Chief and even a Needler for him to use in battle.

Deleted Races

 * "Drinols" are creatures in the form of bosses that did not make it into the Halo games. They are thought to have been remade into the Flood's Tank Pure Form as there are many similarities between the two.


 * "Stalkers" are a Covenant race that did not make it into Halo 2, seen in the Halo 2 Collector's Edition Disc. They were taken from original idea sketches of the Elites in the first Halo game and were supposed to be very wiry and skeletal, with massive amounts of teeth, similar to sharks.


 * "Keelbugs" are only seen in the Halo 2 Collector's Edition Disc. Insectoid in nature, they were supposed to fly into the battlefield, cut dead bodies into sections, and fly off with them, a creative way of removing NPC corpses to free memory from the game. They seemed to be more like animals than a sentient race.


 * "Alien Troopers" are seen in the Halo 2 Collector's Edition Disc. They are understood to be a deleted form of soldier that would complement the Elites in battle. The only known data on these Covenant are that they were supposed to carry its weapon under their bellies.


 * "Special Purpose Snipers" are seen in the Halo 2 Collector's Edition Disc. Their arms were used like a tripod, so they could flip from side to side, without having to switch weapons. They would also be able to hang from trees. This concept appears to have been re-imagined in Halo 3, with Jackal Snipers often being found in trees.


 * "Sharquoi" were mentioned in the Halo 2 Collectors' Edition Conversations from the Universe booklet, detailing conversations among Human and Covenant individuals. Nothing seen in any Halo product outside of that mentioning can be called a Sharquoi with any certainty.

Creatures Inhabiting Covenant Worlds

 * "Scrub Grubs" are small creatures the equivalent of the rats found on Earth. They were first mentioned in Halo: Contact Harvest, while inhabiting a Jackal ship.


 * "Zap-Jellies" are sea creatures that live on the Grunt home world, Balaho. They are possibly the equivalent to large jellyfish on Earth.


 * "Thorn Beasts" are a food source for the Covenant, though only observed being eaten by Brutes. The only reference to the Thorn Beasts is in Halo: Contact Harvest, when the Brutes are first mentioned, and in Halo Wars, in at least one of the timeline periods. They were also included in the original Halo game being developed for Mac.


 * "Mud Wasps" are insects found on the Grunt home world of Balaho.


 * "Shade Crabs" are crustaceans found on the Grunt home world of Balaho.


 * "Helioskrills" are predators found on Sangheilios that imitate rocks to catch their prey.


 * "Doarmirs" are furry animals found on Sangheilios, their pelts were used by early seafaring Sangheili as cloaks, the tradition is continued by modern Sangheili Shipmasters.

Religion and Culture


The Covenant society and culture is based solely on worshiping the Forerunners and recovering their sacred artifacts. Because of this, they often have to turn to war to achieve their ends, and so the Elites, and later the Brutes, have a very high place in their culture as they protect the Prophets from external and internal threats. In Covenant society, personal vendettas are not tolerated.

Because of the Prophet's links to the Forerunners, they possess superior technology, and this, combined with the unique abilities of the client races, helped to push the ever-growing war machine of the Covenant. The client races are nearly enslaved by the Covenant, forced to live a completely different way of life. Their past cultures are all but erased, and the only practical way for them to relive their former cultures is through dreams. Most races are only kept for their varying skills to be exploited, rather than to be a part of a flourishing empire. Hunters, for example, are indomitable ground forces, and so they were conquered by way of orbital bombardment to help the Covenant in close-range combat, rather than from star ships.

The Forerunners, a long-since vanished and utterly mysterious civilization, are revered as gods by the Covenant, although their original nature was certainly not divine. The Covenant belief system is underpinned by the existence of numerous abandoned Forerunner artifacts, objects and installations. Of these, the most notable are the seven Halo rings, said to be the locations at which the Covenant belief of the Great Journey will begin. The evident technological perfection of Forerunner objects, and the awesome and unknown purpose for which these artifacts exist, has powered the Covenant theology for millennium.

It appears that the Covenant's faith is solely qualified by finding the Forerunners' abandoned technology scattered throughout the galaxy. However, much of this Forerunner technology is as obtuse as it is arcane. It can only be guessed at what its true purpose and origin might be. That said, they have been able to incorporate some Forerunner advancements into their weapon and transport technology. The Covenant, then, are mainly driven by their fanatical devotion to religion. The client races are held together by a common belief; the slave races are driven by the religion which they have been forced to accept.

The History Of The Covenant
The Covenant divided their history into eons called Ages. There are at least seven ages, although their exact order is uncertain. The Ages are named according to things that have happened or are happening in them. This also means that the lengths of the Ages vary, with some longer than others. Halo Wars, Halo: Combat Evolved, and Halo 2 take place during the 9th Age of Reclamation, which began during the events in Halo: Contact Harvest.

"The First Age: Ignorance and Fear.''
 * The Second Age: Rivalry and Bloodshed.
 * The Third Age: Humility and Brotherhood.
 * The Fourth Age: Wonder and Understanding.
 * The Fifth Age: Obedience and Freedom.
 * The Sixth Age: Faith and Patience.
 * The Seventh Age: Journey and Salvation."

- Maccabeus and the Jiralhanae of the Rapid Conversion.

Technology
Covenant technology is repeatedly referred to as more imitative rather than innovative, unlike their human enemies. Some may say that their technology is far more advanced than that of humanity. Their technology is based largely on mimicry and reverse engineering of the leftover Forerunner artifacts they have discovered; their weaponry is mostly plasma based and most of their vehicles are capable of hovering. Most of the Covenant's hand-held weapons (except the Fuel Rod Gun, Needler, Carbine, Brute Shot and later the Mauler, and Spiker) use magnetic coils to direct the usually unstable plasma.

While Covenant technology is far more advanced than humanity's, the Covenant seem to be ignorant of how precise or powerful their technology can be. Covenant slipspace engines, for example, are more precise and faster than a human engine, but the Covenant use their engines slower and less precisely than they can be used. This is because the Covenant don't bother to learn the principles behind the technology they use. Cortana used this to her advantage on the captured Covenant Flagship Ascendant Justice by reconfiguring the electromagnetic shaping coils to shape the plasma into a thin, sustained beam that, while very effective, consumes plasma at an astonishing rate. These plasma torpedoes are said to be a much more powerful torpedo, breaching a larger Covenant ship's shields and hull in one shot. These were seen in the book Halo: First Strike. Covenant starships use Repulsor Engines for propulsion in space, rather than traditional reaction drives presumably used by the UNSC. It seems that the Covenant also have a reasonable understanding of herbal medicines.

Only two Covenant A.I. have ever been found. One was a rampant AI that was stationed aboard the Ascendant Justice and destroyed by Cortana, while the other was The Seeker, sent to infiltrate UNSC systems and alert the Covenant to the location of Earth. Given their continued scarcity, and the Prophet's traditional ban on artificial intelligences, it is unlikely that they are anywhere near as common as UNSC A.I.'s. However, Cortana's copy references several A.I.'s being present in the Unyielding Hierophant system when the Spartans infiltrate the base.

Covenant architecture is known for its curved, organic and sophisticated looking style, likely for the aesthetic tastes of the higher-ranked castes. Constructed of distinctive purple or white metal, these colors are the main focus of Covenant design and distributed throughout their starships, vehicles, and weapons. The metal they use is unknown to the UNSC but is very strong and resilient.

Military
Like other civilizations, the Covenant maintains a permanent armed forces branch, used to enforce order, conduct atmospheric and space combat operations, and generally project the Covenant's power onto others. Formerly led by the Elites prior to the Covenant Civil War, the Loyalist branches are now led by the Brutes. The military comprises of the Covenant Navy, the Covenant Army and the Special Warfare Group containing the Special Operations Division (SpecOps).

Weaponry
The Covenant boast a large arsenal of directed-energy weapons, largely plasma-based (though they also utilize lasers and particle beam weapons). Most of the Covenant's weaponry uses a form of magnetic channeling that humans can only match with the MAC gun aboard starships and several smaller applications such as the M68 Gauss Cannon. The plasma that is used in Covenant weapons is mined from deep inside the Unggoy planet Balaho. When it was depleted, their technology had already become so advanced they were capable of synthesizing millions of tons of plasma in a single day. Plasma-based weaponry is extremely effective against the Covenant's own energy shields. The amount of shots that can be fired tends to be very high, but power cannot be recharged without a recharge station nearby, and firing many shots in a short duration can cause the weapon to overheat, which reduces energy efficiency as well as forcing a temporary cooling period in which the weapon cannot be fired. Once the plasma reserves are used up, the weapon is useless. As is evidenced in some of the game files, recharging is possible, although this technology cannot be used by the Master Chief or the Arbiter in Halo: Combat Evolved, Halo 2, or Halo 3.

With the introduction of the Jiralhanae as the major military caste within the Covenant, their weaponry has found widespread use. Utilizing crude projectile-like metal spikes in place of plasma, human-based hand-held shotgun-like "Maulers", explosive grenade-like launchers, and sharp blades, they are more primitive, yet brutal - fitting, considering the nature of their creators.

There are three known types of dedicated melee weaponry used by the Covenant. The first, and certainly most well known, is the energy sword, used solely by the Sangheili. Creating a solid blade of superheated plasma, it has both ceremonial and martial value to the Sangheili warriors, and its possession is closely monitored. Secondly is the Gravity Hammer, used by Jiralhanae, which seems to be the cultural equivalent to the sword. But rather than using a blade of plasma, it can generate a gravitational field, doing devastating damage. The third has not yet been seen in a game, but is used by Unggoy and Kig-Yar – an Energy Cutlass, a crystal similar to those fired by the Needler, used in melee combat, capable of embedding in a target and exploding. The Jiralhanae Brute Shot, Mauler and the Spiker are extremely capable in melee combat.

Vehicles
Covenant vehicles use advanced anti-gravity technology for propulsion, as well as utilizing Plasma Cannons and fuel rods as offensive weaponry and are mainly being constructed out of a high-strength purple metal. Though often faster than their UNSC counterparts, Covenant vehicles are more unstable over uneven terrain where the sudden changes affects its handling. All Covenant vehicles are made from a purple or dark blue type of metal (excluding Brute vehicles), said to be much more advanced than any alloy known to Humans, and all Covenant vehicles are nicknamed after some kind of supernatural entity by the UNSC, except for Scarabs and Locusts. The reason behind this form of naming is not known. Recently, Brute vehicles and technology have been incorporated into the Covenant's arsenal. Though more primitive, they serve the Brutes' need for power. Brute vehicles are not named after spiritual entities, and rather than being a series of Covenant vehicles are regarded as native Jiralhanae technology.

Covenant Worlds
51 Pegasi System
 * Pegasi Delta

K7-49

Salia System
 * Joyous Exultation
 * Malhiem (Satellite)

Urs System (with stars Fied and Joori as secondary stars)
 * Sanghelios (Elite Homeworld)
 * Yermo (Continent)
 * Iruiru
 * Qikost (Satellite)
 * Suban (Satellite)

Tala System
 * Balaho (Grunt Homeworld)
 * Buwan (Satellite)
 * Padpad (Satellite)

Oth Sonin System
 * Doisac (Brute Homeworld)
 * Warial (Satellite)
 * Solrapt (Satellite)
 * Teash (Satellite)

Prophet Homeworld - Currently Unknown

Svir System
 * Te (Hunter Homeworld)
 * Rantu
 * Uhtua
 * 23 smaller satellites

Napret System
 * Palamok (Drone Homeworld)
 * Naxook (Satellite)
 * Oquiu (Satellite)
 * Ka'amoti (Satellite)
 * Kami (Satellite)

Y'Deio System (HD 69830)
 * Chu'ot
 * Eayn (Satellite) (Jackal homeworld)

Decided Heart- Sangheili Base planet

Weeping Shadows of Sorrow- Covenant Penitentiary world

Heian - A world with a significant logistics base.

Trivia

 * In a Biblical reference, the Ark of the Covenant represented the will of God, in connection with the quote: "Your destruction is the will of the Gods...and we are their instrument." This references the Covenant's belief they carry through the will of their gods, the Forerunners.
 * 343 Guilty Spark often refers to Covenant species as "meddlers" due to their constant disregard for containment protocols, and misinterpretation of Forerunner language and technology.
 * The Covenant have several similarities to the Hierarchy from Universe at War. For example, the Hierarchy leader, Kamal Re'x, is eerily similar to the Prophet of Truth, saying things of comparison: (Kamal): "The universe does not abide by weakness, and we are it's ambassadors" (Truth): "Your destruction is the will of the gods...and we are their instrument."

Internal

 * Governors of Contrition
 * Writ of Union
 * Mark of Shame
 * Great Journey
 * True Sayings
 * Ratification Parley
 * Covenant Weapons
 * The Great Journey

External

 * A Covenant Primer: The Best of the Bestiary

Les covenants Covenant コブナント Allianz Imperium