Pavium

"Voridus, listen. You fail him one more time trying to prove yourself and I will not be able to save you. And it will be both our skulls beneath his mace."

- Pavium to Voridus.

Pavium, nicknamed the Unbreakable, is a Jiralhanae Warlord within the Banished who fought against the Flood during the Second Ark Conflict.

Joining the Banished
Both Pavium and Voridus joined the Banished in the post-Covenant War era. Both brothers were present during a conflict with Jovus' pack. Warlord Pavium is an architect and siegemaster, making and unmaking fortifications at Atriox's command. Given the epithet “The Unbreakable” for his implacable discipline and prowess in combat engineering, Pavium’s skill is unimpeachable, but conflicting ties of loyalty to his clan and brother Voridus had slowed advancement in the Banished. Eager to prove his worth, Pavium redoubled the efforts of his pack since their setback on Installation 09.

Outbreak on Installation 00
Months after Installation 09 left the Ark, Atriox tasked Pavium and his brother with a mission to salvage starships near the remains of High Charity to judge their worthiness as members of his inner circle. While Voridus scouted ahead near High Charity, Pavium established an outpost near a Forerunner defense station which contained the Archive. As Pavium and his forces began establishing a salvage path towards High Charity, they were attacked by the Flood, which had been inadvertently released by Voridus when he breached the containment shield around High Charity in an attempt to salvage its interior. Unable to contact Voridus but unwilling to abandon his brother, Pavium led his troops in a staggered retreat. He reunited the scattered salvage crew, and together they fought off waves of Flood before Voridus re-established contact.

The two regrouped outside the Archive, but Voridus' base soon became under siege by the Flood, which blocked off the entrance to the station using massive tentacles and bursters. While Voridus monitored the nearby Flood activity, Pavium operated a trio of salvage drills to destabilize the chemicals in the ground underneath and destroyed the Flood growth at the entrance. Having been rescued by Pavium, Voridus led a small party into the Archive to reactivate the Forerunner defense network, while Pavium defended the surrounding area. As the Flood's assault forced Pavium to retreat to the entrance, Pavium managed to reactivate teleporters into the Archive, and sent reinforcements to support Voridus.

Although Voridus had reactivated the Sentinel defense network, a massive Proto-Gravemind had taken form outside High Charity, and began commanding the Flood. Pavium and Voridus regrouped at a Banished outpost nearby, and, fighting through the Flood defenses while assisted by Forerunner Sentinels, the two built up a network of Eklon'Dal Workshop Antlions in the area to destroy the Proto-Gravemind. The two succeeded in destroying the Proto-Gravemind, just before Atriox arrived personally. Pavium, along with Voridus, was tasked by Atriox to secure the breach on the containment shield.

Stopping the Great Journey
Pavium and Voridus obtained a memo from the covert Ferrets in the Keepers of the One Freedom, warning that they and Dhas Bhasvod's Covenant loyalists sought to activate all the rings on the Ark. Leading their Banished Clan of the Long Shields, Pavium pursued the religious factions to stop them. During the pursuit, Pavium was faced with internal rivalry by Thalazan who sought to succeed Pavium as warlord. Pavium's forces and the Keepers along with Bhasvod's Covenant ultimately clashed at Epsilon Clarion, resulting in the most of the Long Shield's forces lost. Pavium and Voridus were knocked off a bridge in the conflict, but survived.

Personality and traits
"A dead Jiralhanae wins no battles."

- Pavium during the Second Ark Conflict.

A gigantic Jiralhanae, Pavium is an intelligent individual with a strong tactical mind. Pavium has shown great care for those under his command, as seen when Pavium refused to abandon Voridus and seeing to the wounded during the Flood outbreak on the Ark. The suffix "-um", on the end of Pavium's name, suggests he is likely of the Rh'tol skein.

Equipment
"They will not break us, they will break upon us."

- Pavium during the Second Ark Conflict.

Pavium's panoply of war always includes his custom warplate and a relic tower shield gifted to him by Decimus. For offensive purposes Pavium uses a heavy mortar system for direct bombardment and a target designator for calling out high-value targets for combined fire from Eklon'Dal Workshop Antlions.

Production notes

 * Pavium is voiced by.
 * His name may be derived from the pavise, a large shield used by archers and crossbowmen, similar to the one Pavium uses.
 * Pavium's target designator is similar to the British Captain's Victor Target ability from Company of Heroes, which is used to designate targets for combined artillery fire.

List of appearances

 * Halo Wars 2
 * Halo Wars 2: Awakening the Nightmare
 * Halo: Rise of Atriox
 * Halo: Divine Wind