ShockHelix
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Deity of Death
No mercy for the weak. No pity for the dying. No tears for the slain.
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Post by ShockHelix on Mar 27, 2013 18:54:48 GMT -5
United Nations Space Command The United Nations Space Command (UNSC) is the military, exploratory, and scientific agency of the Unified Earth Government (UEG). The UNSC was formed in the 22nd century, a time when remnants of old cultural ideologies clashed for supremacy in the Sol System. The UNSC served mainly as overseer of United Nations military operations in space. After initiating massive militarization propaganda throughout its off-world colonies, through the UNSC, the U.N. defeated Communist and Fascist forces in a conflict generally known as the "Interplanetary War", which consisted of several side-battles that took place on Mars, the Jovian Moons and the South American rainforests. Although the Interplanetary War brought a great deal of suffering to both the colonial population and the residents of Earth, it also united humanity's military forces into a common armed force by the end of the 22nd century. Prior to the Covenant attack on Harvest in 2525, humanity was in chaos. Battles on multiple fronts and planets evolved from a group known as the Insurrectionists who wanted independence from the Unified Earth Government. The UNSC, more specifically, the UNSCDF, constantly battled against the Insurrectionists. In an attempt to help end the long running war against the Insurrectionists and rebels, the UEG commissioned the SPARTAN-II Program, which created elite super-soldiers to combat the separatists and the insurrections they spawned. When the Human-Covenant War began and the alien invaders began decimating the Outer Colonies, these Spartans became humanity's best hope against the technological superiority of the aliens. When the war began, the UNSC became humanity's greatest protector. This fact allowed the UNSC to override civilian rule and establish itself as humanity's primary government. Although the Unified Earth Government was more open to step down, the Colonial Administration, the arm of the UEG ruling over the colonies, resisted the UNSC's rise to power, and was thus stripped of its power. By 2552 A.D., Earth was the last remaining major human bastion; and fell under attack by the Covenant forces. The Human-Covenant War finally came to an end after a UNSC and Covenant Separatists force eliminated the Covenant leadership and destroyed the Flood threat. By the time the war began, humanity, and thus the UNSC, had reached Tier 3 of the Forerunner civilization achievement rank system. Humanity's rank continued to rise due to the capture of Covenant technology and equipment, which was studied and adapted for human needs. The very best and cutting edge of UNSC equipment was supplied to the SPARTAN-II project, and later less expensive but still cutting edge tech to the Spartan III's One such example of imitative human technology is the energy shielding adapted for use on the MJOLNIR armor. During the Battle of Earth, the UNSC fought the Covenant on Earth to prevent humanity's extinction, and eventually won their right to survive thanks to an alliance with the Covenant Separatists. After the war and reconstruction efforts came to a close, the UNSC began colonizing once again and rebuilding the human population. Soon after however, the UNSC found itself facing yet another threat. The Promethean forces, led by the Didact, began their own assault on the human race with the assistance of the Storm Covenant, a group of Elite based rebels who worshiped the Didact as a God. With the new Spartan-IV program leading the charge, the humans once again defeated their enemies, and were finally granted a period of peace. The UNSC re-established the UEG, focusing their efforts on protecting their new colonies, keeping the peace, and developing the best military technology they could manage for the looming threat of war. |
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ShockHelix
Administrator
Deity of Death
No mercy for the weak. No pity for the dying. No tears for the slain.
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Likes: 27
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Post by ShockHelix on Jun 6, 2013 15:16:18 GMT -5
Sanghelios Concordat The Sanghelios Concordat was formed from the Covenant separatists, the Sangheili-led forces that seceded from the Prophet-led Covenant during the Great Schism. In November 2552, the Prophet of Truth had the Sangheili removed from their former position and replaced by the Jiralhanae as the Covenant's main military caste, resulting in an open war breaking out between the Jiralhanae-led forces loyal to the Prophets and the Sangheili. After the Sangheili learned the truth about the Halo Installations near the end of the Battle of Installation 05, they allied with humanity on their mission to stop the Prophet-led Covenant. As they no longer looked to the Prophets for leadership, the separatists had no defined leadership, although Arbiter Thel 'Vadam and Shipmaster Rtas 'Vadum led their forces in the deciding battles of the war. With the Covenant dissolved, the Sangheili returned to their homeworld with the Arbiter and his policy of cooperating with humanity retaining a solid following, although many Sangheili disagreed with his ideals, forming splinter factions that planned to overthrow the Arbiter and rise against humanity. The Sanghelios Concordat came to be with the aid of the Arbiter Thel 'Vadam and Shipmaster Rtas 'Vadum. The group is one of the three major factions vying for control of the Milky Way. Their formation came when Thel 'Vadam arrived back at Sanghelios and received word that the Covenant had survived the destruction of High Charity, albeit in a fractured state. Thel 'Vadam petitioned to the new leaders of the ex-Covenant races that had sided with the Sangheili during the schism to form a new faction, a new entity for a new era. The Sangheili Lords agreed. They had nowhere to turn, the Galaxy had wanted their extinction and they had been saved by the Arbiter. They would follow him through the great darkness and back if he wished it. A quiet war was waged by his supporters, silencing or expelling all Sangheili opposition to the Arbiter's rule. The Unggoy agreed, with the condition that the Sangheili find them a new home world as the Covenant-backed Unggoy had forced them off their own. That they would be treated with respect was also offered to them, but such an alien concept to the Unggoy wasn't even considered in their conditions. The Lekgolo agreed, so long as they too could find sanctuary from the larger population of Lekgolo that sided with the Covenant. A sanctuary that they could call their own, be considered a true part of society instead of mere beasts of burden. The Kig-Yar that followed them agreed, if they would be paid, fed and treated with equal respect by the Sangheili. Something that they had strived for but failed to achieve under the rule of the Prophets. The Yanme'e Queens that had aided the Sangheili agreed, on the condition that they would be granted worlds to colonise and a rank of power in this new society. With the agreements of these factions of their parent races, representatives of the Sangheili, Unggoy, Yanme'e, Kig'yar and Lekgolo signed an agreement. A concordat. The Sanghelios Concordat, that would give birth the the faction of the same name. The faction was founded on equal treatment of all races, although centuries of Covenant rule had cemented what they believed their best roll was in their new society, their old one. However the option now existed for change, for cultural shift and the dissolution of caste boundaries. Unggoy politicians, Kig-Yar scientists, anything was possible for these new people's should they choose it and all were welcomed, should they prove useful for the Concordat. Years of expansion passed, of minor unrest and proxy wars with the Covenant. Their relation with the UNSC had turned into an Alliance of sorts. Trade blossomed along their routes and colonies sprung up far across the galaxy. However the threat of grand war loomed, the Arbiter had died of age as had the people that had originally followed them. New generations of Sangheili had taken his mantle, but never his rank. A council of Sangheili Lords, Yanme'e Queens, Unggoy Ministers, Kig-Yar Barons and Lekgolo Representatives rule the Concordat. Decisions are now made slowly, although often the council agrees on a decision in the end. A single figurehead is in place, the highest ranking military official that governs the combined forces and advises the council on war matters. A Warmaster. |
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ShockHelix
Administrator
Deity of Death
No mercy for the weak. No pity for the dying. No tears for the slain.
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Post by ShockHelix on Jun 6, 2013 15:17:58 GMT -5
The Covenant The Covenant, also referred to as the Covenant Empire or Covenant Hegemony, was a religious hegemony of multiple alien species that controlled a large portion of the Orion Arm in the Milky Way Galaxy. Originally a mutual alliance between the San 'Shyuum and the Sangheili, the Covenant expanded to include at least six other races united in the worship of the Forerunners and the Halo Array. They waged a genocidal campaign against humanity until they were defeated in December of 2552. Despite being ostensibly the most powerful military force in the known Milky Way galaxy at the time, internal conflict combined with stubborn human resistance were formidable enough to shatter the bonds that held the empire together. While the Covenant's original leadership was lost either during the Flood infection of High Charity or during the Battle of Installation 00, the faction remains and maintains many of the ideals of the Covenant's religion as well as many of its former subject species, continues to exist after the conclusion of the war. The Covenant had nowhere to hide when the might of the combined UNSC and Sangheili forces cut their head off at the Battle of Installation 0. Those who didn't surrender were hunted, persecuted, across the Galaxy for a number of years. The Jiralhanae warred amongst themselves, the loss of their leaders and the prophets reducing them to Civil War. From the ashes of Doisac rose something new. A Chieftain from a lowly clan had used political persuasion, sabotage and bribery to gain control of an entire sub-continent. He used his gains to war against the other Chieftains until he controlled the world. He begun to rebuild, something that hadn't been attempted in a long time. Infrastructure, societal buildings, healthcare, education, industry. The Jiralhanae were surprised that he did not build war factories, to conquer more worlds. But they enjoyed this period of peace. Not long after this had all been achieved, their Chieftain stepped aside to reveal the true architects of Dosiac's salvation. A colony of San 'Shyuum had returned to Doisac to assume control once more. They had found a willing Chieftain and aided him in bringing about a new golden age within just a single generation. The San 'Shyuum had the control of a Keyship, one they had discovered in one of the neighbouring star systems of the Jiralhanae's home star. The San 'Shyuum and the Chieftain claimed this meant the Jiralhanae were the true inheritors of the Forerunner's Mantel and the San 'Shyuum would lead them to reclaim their race's birthright. Several factions refused this, claiming evidence of the Forerunner's lie. But they were oppressed, completely annihilated. With that the Covenant was reborn. The San 'Shyuum oversaw the construction of a new world for themselves, taking a suitable planetoid from Doisac's system and tearing it in two with the power of their key ship. A new vessel to match the size and grandeur of their list High Charity was born. The Sanctity of Grace. The Jiralhanae of Doisac approached the various Covenant Remnant factions, showing them images of the Prophets and their Keyship, of the birth of the Sanctity of Grace. Most joined, bringing many new members and the vast majority of the previous Covenant races back into the Prophet's fold. Colonies pulled down the banners of their temporary independence, raising those of the new Covenant. Those factions that refused to follow the Covenant were either annihilated in bloody wars of total destruction or fled into hiding, to become Covenant Insurrectionists or to seek refugee status with the new-found Sanghelios Concordat or their UNSC allies. The Covenant Empire was reborn with the strong backbone of a united Jiralhanae. The San 'Shyuum at their head and the Unggoy, Lekgolo, Kig'yar and Yanme'e as their arms. As with the old, the new Covenant seek to transcend this existence through technological prowess and the reverence of the Forerunners. However they refuse the Promethean armies that have arisen, claiming them to be nothing more than a rogue group of sentinels that are the anti-body response to Humanity usurping the Forerunner's Mantel. They now spread, colonising new worlds in their search of living space for their burgeoning population and the never-ending search for Forerunner technology. A strong military guards this Empire, with a might that matches the UNSC and the Sanghelios Concordat combined. The Juralhanae have even trained a group of highly mobile, incredibly dangerous special forces units led by and sometimes solely including specifically trained SPARTAN-killers known as Demon Hunters that are equipped with incredibly high-standard power armour that makes the MJOLNIR and Sangheili combat harnesses look pathetic in comparison. It's origin lies with the Forerunners, like all things Covenant. |
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ShockHelix
Administrator
Deity of Death
No mercy for the weak. No pity for the dying. No tears for the slain.
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Post by ShockHelix on Jun 6, 2013 15:19:49 GMT -5
Storm Covenant This Sangheili-majority faction is a continuation of the Covenant system of worship of Forerunners. They maintain this level of worship even after the revelations brought by the Human-Covenant War and the betrayal of the San 'Shyuum. They were founded not long after the Great Schism's end by the Sangheili Insurrectionist Jul 'Mdama when the Last Arbiter, Thel 'Vadam stated his intentions of an alliance between the Sangheili people and the UNSC. Jul 'Mdama sided with the Sangheili religious cult, The Servants of Abiding Truth and their persuasive leader Avu Med 'Telcam. Avu Med 'Telcam's insurrection failed and Jul 'Mdama found himself prisoner of ONI, who had been supplying The Servants of Abiding Truth with weapons and munitions (which the UNSC knew nothing about) whilst simultaneously working on a bio weapon capable of wiping out the Sangheili. 'Mdama managed to escape to a secluded religious Sangheili colony, where he was granted ships and soldiers of Sangheili, Kig-Yar, Unggoy and Lekgolo origin. They then proceeded to serve under the Didact and his Promethean forces during the Promethean Wars against Humanity until his eventual defeat and the Promethean Collapse. Since the end of those troubles the Storm Covenant have assimilated several other Sangheili Insurrectionists groups, allowing them to form the face and main body of the Sangheili Insurrection. Sangheili, Unggoy, Kig-Yar, Lekgolo and Yanme'e that refuse to support the blasphemy of the Sanghelios Concordat, yet remember the treachery of the Jiralhanae and the San 'Shyuum. Their equipment was, and still is, outdated by modern standards. Older classes of Sangheili and Covenant vessels that have been refitted and repurposed, older weaponry is wielded alongside more recently acquired arms. A force still to be reckoned with, despite its apparant age and lack of numbers. A constant guerrilla warfare against the Sanghelios Concordat, the UNSC and the Covenant that has led them to form an alliance-of-opportunity with several Human and Covenant Insurrectionist groups, although they still hold a large hatred for those races involved. |
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ShockHelix
Administrator
Deity of Death
No mercy for the weak. No pity for the dying. No tears for the slain.
Posts: 666,666,949
Likes: 27
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Post by ShockHelix on Jun 6, 2013 15:21:09 GMT -5
Prometheans In millenia long passed during the time of the Forerunner's galaxy-wide Empire, the Ecumene, the population of Forerunners was split into 'Rates'. Forerunners enter into these rates after maturation, going through biological engineering processes known as 'mutations' that allow them to perform the jobs of their given Rate (usually the one of their parents). Forerunners could swap to other Rates or to more specialised groups of these Rates through further 'mutation' and promotion. In order of most prominence amongst Forerunner society, the rates are thus: Builder, Miner, Lifeworker, Warrior-Servant, Engineers and Juridicals. Of these Rates, Warrior-Servants were expected to defend the Ecumene against all threats both external and internal. A particularly notable section of this Rate was the Prometheans, the elite division of the Warrior-Servants that served directly under the Didact himself. As the Forerunner-Flood war raged across the Galaxy, consuming countless worlds, countless lifeforms, countless species. . . The Didact initiated a terrible plan. The Builders had chosen to construct the Halo Array, the Warrior-Servants had been denied their right to defend the Mantle to their death. Instead they would be killed, like all the other Forerunners. The Didact converted all of the Prometheans into 'Knights', digital intelligence constructs that were granted Immortality and form as the perfect warriors for combating the Flood, warriors that could not be taken by their enemy. The Builders refused this, their rings had already been constructed. The Didact understood this would happen and used his Composer to convert a large population of a Human colony and yet more Forerunners into 'Prometheans'. The Didact waged a short and bloody war with the Builder-Security and other Paramilitary forces, including many Warrior-Servants. The Didact lost when a Lifeworker known as the Librarion stole away and hid the Composer. The Didact was imprisoned in his Fortress Shield-World of Requiem and his Prometheans were stationed as his defenders, for eternity. The events of the Promethean Wars resulted in the Didact's freedom, the Prometheans were granted their intelligence back by the Didact's actions. Eventually they were defeated, the Didact destroyed once and for all. But the Prometheans didn't die, the Didact had secreted the banks that stored them away before the destruction of Requiem. Several hundred thousand had died when the Didact had, but those that remained sought new purpose. But what purpose had they? Swords without a wielder, they had to find someone to lead them 'locate the next Forerunner or Construct higher than themselves to receive further orders'. A long, stealthy, search resulted in the Prometheans finding a Halo array unknown to the Covenant, Concordat or the UNSC. Installation 02. A Monitor was found at this Installation, a perfect candidate to order the Prometheans. Every Promethean flocked to their new master and the Monitor found himself with an army. Perfect. The Monitor had been driven completely rampant by the loss of "his weapon to defend the Galaxy", his Installation had been disarmed like the rest. Recordings of the Promethean's war with the UNSC, the Didact's defeat and several skirmishes with Covenant and Seperatist forces. The Monitor was outraged by the disregard of Forerunner technology that these seeded races, who owed so much to the Forerunners, had shown. More so for the "Reclaimers" of Humanity, who clearly didn't deserve the Mantle granted them. In a fit of rampant egotism he declared himelf the new Didact and begun constructing a fleet of starships of ancient Forerunner design alongisde weapons that had proved so well in the Foreruner-Human Wars so very long ago. Millions, if not Billions, of Prometheans at his disposal. A true Forerunner navy that outmatched and outgunned even the most advanced of these Tier-2 races' vessels. This, all backed by the extensive Sentinal production facilities of the Installation and the mineral-rich planets surrounding the Installation. Within three decades outter colonies of Humanity, the Covenant and the Sanghelios Concordat all begun falling to the Prometheans. Their message was clear, genocidal warfare, but their location of origin and their master remained unknown to all. Outposts were erected on Forerunner colonies, bringing the ruins of their old civilization back to life as they repair and power the installations of their creators. An army with a purpose. Their ultimate goal? Defend the remains of the Forerunners, destroy all "Sufficiently Evolved" races, rebuild the Ecumene from its ruins and perhaps find their creators once more. . . After all, the Didact survived. Why not others? |
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