Kig-Yar: Difference between revisions

The '''Kig-Yar''' (sometimes rendered as "'''Kig-yar'''"; [[Forerunner]] designation: ''Perosus latrunculus'', [[Wikipedia:Latin|Latin]] for "hateful bandit";<ref>[http://carnage.bungie.org/haloforum/halo.forum.pl?read=865756 '''halo.bungie.org''': ''Bestiarum Latin names translated'']</ref> [[UNSC]] designation: ''Covenant secundarium carnivora prœdonis'', Latin for "Covenant secondary carnivorous combatant"<ref name="journal">'''[[Halo: Reach]]''', ''[[Dr. Halsey's personal journal]]''</ref>), are a dinosaur-like saurian species.<ref name="B.net">[http://halo.bungie.net/projects/odst/guide.aspx '''Bungie.net''': ODST Guide]</ref> Following their assimilation in [[1342|1342 CE]], the Kig-Yar served the [[Covenant]] until its dissolution in [[2552]]. Many went on to aid its [[Covenant remnants|remnants]] as mercenaries and privateers, though the majority stayed independent of any such factions.  

==History==

Kig-Yar are around the same level as the [[Unggoy]] in the Covenant hierarchy, although the Kig-Yar despised the [[Unggoy]] and believed themselves to be superior. This reached a boiling point in [[2462]], when the growing Unggoy population on ''[[High Charity]]'' put pressure on the Kig-Yar as many of the Kig-Yar were forced to relocate their homes and nests to accommodate the Unggoy. The relocation caused stress for female Kig-Yar that were going through their incubation cycles, and Kig-Yar infant mortality rose on ''High Charity'' and the birth rate declined. To exact their revenge, a radical group of Kig-Yar [[shipmaster]]s poisoned [[infusion]]s—recreational narcotics the Unggoy enjoyed—on ''High Charity'' and on the vessels operated by the Kig-Yar which left many male Unggoy sterile.<ref name="Halo page 150">'''Halo: Contact Harvest''', ''page 150''</ref> Although [[Prophet of Truth|a junior staffer]] in the [[Ministry of Concert]] found evidence of this, the [[High Council]] failed to properly investigate the incident, as they were willing to accept several thousand sterile Unggoy rather than risk upsetting the Kig-Yar. As a result, the offending Kig-Yar were not imprisoned and the guilty shipmasters were simply fined for damages. The lack of attention and the case's results eventually culminated to the [[Unggoy Rebellion]].<ref>'''Halo: Contact Harvest''', ''page 152''</ref> The Unggoy began to attack, not only the Kig-Yar but, all other races in the Covenant. The [[Sangheili]] and Kig-Yar faced difficulty quelling the rebellion, which led to [[Unidentified Arbiter (Unggoy Rebellion)|an Arbiter]] partially [[glassing]] [[Balaho]] to convince the Unggoy to surrender.<ref name="h2a terminal10">'''[[Halo 2: Anniversary]]''', ''[[Terminal/Halo 2: Anniversary|Terminal 10]]''</ref>

In [[2535]], a group of Kig-Yar under [[Reth]] discovered [[the Rubble]], a community of [[Insurrectionist]]s and human survivors of the [[glassing]] of Madrigal, while attempting to mine the [[asteroid]]s in the [[23 Librae|23 Librae system]].<ref>'''Halo: The Cole Protocol''', ''pages 73-74''</ref> [[Peter Bonifacio]], a member of the [[Rubble Security Council]], made contact with the Kig-Yar and agreed to trade Covenant weaponry in exchange for human [[Shaw-Fujikawa Translight Engine|slipspace drives]].<ref name="Halo page 222">'''Halo: The Cole Protocol''', ''page 222''</ref> Although the humans believed the Kig-Yar were rebels defying Covenant authority, they were in fact secretly proceeding with the blessing of the [[Prophet of Truth|High Prophet of Truth]] to use the weapons to map [[United Nations Space Command|UNSC]] space and learn the location of [[Earth]] and other [[human colonies]].<ref>'''Halo: The Cole Protocol''', ''page 236''</ref> Reth had created an Unggoy army on [[Metisette|a nearby moon]] with the intents to attack the Rubble with it and use it for Kig-Yar nesting grounds. However, the plan fell apart due to the [[Prophet of Regret|High Prophet of Regret]] sending [[Sangheili]] warriors to investigate the weapons, believing the Kig-Yar to be heretics.<ref name="Halo page 146">'''Halo: The Cole Protocol''', ''page 146''</ref>

The Kig-Yar are unique among [[Covenant races]]: rather than being faithful followers of the [[San'Shyuum]]'s [[Covenant religion|religion]], they served the Covenant due to the monetary rewards the Prophets paid them. Most were loyal only to their families and matriarchs, with service to the [[Great Journey]] only a distant consideration.<ref>'''[[Halo: Ground Command]]''', ''Jackal Marksmen description''</ref> However, due to their long service in the Covenant, a large number of them came to accept the [[Covenant religion]]. Although the Kig-Yar held a rather low standing in the Covenant hierarchy, their position closely resembled a separate and independent entity that operated as mercenaries for the Covenant;<ref name="bestiarum"/> most Kig-Yar saw their service in the Covenant as a business arrangement, rather than a true religious and spiritual journey.<ref name="waypointuniverse"/> The Kig-Yar were not represented on the [[High Council]] but were instead vetted by the [[Ministry of Concert]]. The Kig-Yar did not vocally complain about their position but had instead selected to siphon off resources to their brethren, to which the Covenant powers either turned a blind eye to or were unaware of it.<ref name="HE155"/><ref name="Halo page 150"/> [[Black market]]s were also operated on ''[[High Charity]]'' by the Kig-Yar; the [[Hierarchs]] were aware of it, but seemingly only monitored the markets.<ref name="Halo page 146"/> Unlike some species in the Covenant,<ref name="bestiarum"/> the culture of the Kig-Yar did not suffer as a result of their incorporation to the hegemony. When the Covenant was dissolved at the end of the [[Human-Covenant War]], Kig-Yar society and culture experienced little change.<ref name="waypointuniverse"/>

Due to their unique position in the Covenant, the Kig-Yar often utilized starships of their own making instead of Covenant-made ones. In addition, they were forbidden to build their own [[slipspace drive]]s, and had to rely on heavily regulated, unmodifiable drives engineered by the San'Shyuum instead.<ref name="Halo page 222"/>

===Ranks within the Covenant===

===Other titles and roles===