Maccabeus' clan

Maccabeus' clan was a prominent and well-known Jiralhanae pack that was a part of the Rh'tol skein. The clan was one of the first to serve in the Covenant military, and later fought during the First Battle of Harvest, being attached to the cruiser Rapid Conversion at that time. The clan was led by Chieftain Maccabeus, who was killed by Tartarus in 2525. Tartarus then gained control of the pack, and he later became the Chieftain of the Jiralhanae.

The Fist of Rukt was an ancient and ceremonial weapon passed down to the current Chieftain of the clan, a tradition that has been celebrated for generations in the clan's history.

History
The clan was one of the most prominent clans on Doisac. Rukt, a powerful Chieftain within the clan, eventually got control of the a war hammer that would later be named the Fist of Rukt. The hammer would serve as a ceremonial weapon for the clan in the decades to come. Rukt would later initiate the First Immolation, a decade-long civil war that nearly destroyed Jiralhanae society. At some point, Maccabeus ascended to the leadership of the clan the way all Jiralhanae did: by challenging and defeating the Chieftain in combat, at the time his own father. When the Covenant discovered Doisac in 2492, Maccabeus and his clan eagerly embraced the San'Shyuum's promise of the Great Journey. The clan were given command of the Covenant vessel, Rapid Conversion, a ship that the Sangheili had "given" them, though the Sangheili did downgrade it severely, showing their distrust in the Jiralhanae. They were not allowed a Huragok, instead Yanme'e served as maintenance.

In 2525, the Rapid Conversion arrived over the human colony of Harvest, after retrieving the survivors of the Minor Transgression. Maccabeus' assessment of the planet with the ship's Luminary showed thousands of relics, but the devout Chieftain was soon shocked to learn that Unggoy Deacon Dadab believed that there was an Oracle located on the planet. The Jiralhanae attempted to have a peace meeting on Harvest, outside Utgard at the Harvest Botanical Gardens, however the meeting ended badly when Yull became overeager and attacked a human militia member, Osmo. After confirming that there was an Oracle on the planet, Maccabeus sent a message to High Charity. However, the response the Chieftain received said that there were no relics or Oracle, and that the aliens were to be destroyed. Thus, the clan began attacking human settlements and cities on Harvest.

Instead of glassing the planet, Maccabeus insisted on searching for the Oracle, which the rest of the clan disagreed with. Soon, the clan and several of their ship's Yanme'e arrived at the small town of Gladsheim to begin the search and to destroy the human inhabitants. During the attack, Maccabeus was wounded. Eventually, the clan was tricked by the humans into believing that they were surrendering the Oracle. As the Covenant went to retrieve the Oracle, the Rapid Conversion was damaged by the planet's mass driver as the humans fled aboard the Tiara. Angered that his uncle allowed the ship to become disabled at the hands of the humans, Tartarus challenged Maccabeus for dominance of the clan. Tartarus killed Maccabeus with the Fist of Rukt and took control of the clan. The clan and surviving Yanme'e began to repair the Rapid Conversion and started to glass the surface of Harvest.

After the First Battle of Harvest, Tartarus remained in control of the clan for the remainder of the Human-Covenant War. Tartarus eventually came to serve directly under the Hierarchs, serving as the right hand of the High Prophet of Truth, and even initiated the Great Schism on his order. After Tartarus' death on Installation 05 in the final year of the war, it is unknown what happened to the clan.

Prominent members

 * Rukt – Former leader
 * Maccabeus – Former leader
 * Tartarus – Last known leader
 * Vorenus
 * Grattius
 * Licinus
 * Strab
 * Ritul
 * Druss

List of appearances

 * Halo: First Strike
 * Halo 2
 * Halo: Contact Harvest
 * Halo: Broken Circle
 * Halo 2: Anniversary