CODEXes :


The following are codexes by the Author "DinoJake", for their story "The Last Spartan".

I have permission to use them (though I got that like a decade ago).

They agreed I could use them as part of the Lore for my own Story.


Codex Entry (Aliens - Non-Council Races): SANGHEILI.

Physically superior to most other races in the galaxy, the Sangheili are a hardy race with a proud history of martial prowess and military expertise. After serving as the principal military arm of the Covenant for millennia, the Sangheili broke away from the Covenant in retaliation to an attempted genocide by the San'Shyuum, and formed the Covenant Separatists. This triggered a conflict known as the Great Schism, which coincided with the end of the Human-Covenant War, as the separatists allied themselves with the UNSC.

After the end of the Human-Covenant war, and after the end of the Great Schism seven years later, the Sangheili officially reopened ties with the UNSC in 2560, having deemed Humans to be warriors worthy of respect. A great deal of cultural, political and economic exchange between the two species took place as the Sangheili rebuilt their shattered society.

Today, the Sangheili are one of the strongest military powers in Council space, having a fleet to rival the Human Alliance and Turian Hierarchy, and have begun to carve out their own pieces of the untamed Attican Traverse for colonization. Though they have been through dark times, the future looks bright for the Sangheili people.


Codex Entry (Aliens - Non-Council Races): SANGHEILI: BIOLOGY.

Sangheili are easily one of the most physically fit species currently residing in Council Space. They can reach heights of eight and a half feet tall, weigh up to four hundred pounds, and have life spans of three hundred galactic standard years. Features such as digitigrade legs, a double set of pectoral muscles, and a binary vascular system all play a vital role in giving them strength and agility superior to most other species'. Most of these traits were adaptations developed in order to out-compete rival predators in the harsh desert-prairie environments located in the northwestern hemisphere of their homeworld Sangheilios, where the Sangheili originally evolved before spreading across the rest of the planet.

Their quadruple-hinged jaws originally evolved to grip smaller prey and swallow it whole. However, once their brains got bigger and they began learning how to craft and use tools, the Sangheili began hunting bigger game, using their jaws to rip off large chunks of flesh. In absence of a tongue, their throats are lined with taste buds. Additionally, they sport a highly water-efficient digestive system as a consequence of having evolved in an environment where fresh water is scarce. The intestines absorb almost all the water from any food item. They do not urinate at all.

Sangheili females are typically shorter, thinner, and slightly curvier than their male counterparts. Being reptile analogues, Sangheili typically reproduce by laying hard-shell eggs. A female usually only lays one egg at a time, with more eggs than that being rare but not unheard of. Due to their longer-than-average life spans, it is possible for a female to have dozens of children before menopause sets in.


Codex Entry (Aliens - Non-Council Races): SANGHEILI: CULTURE.

Similar to Turians, the Sangheili are a warrior race with a long and proud history of combat. So much so that the formation of the Covenant, their longest-lasting government, was formed in the wake of their first inter-species war. However, the Sangheili take their warrior culture much further than the Turians do, particularly their sense of honor, which dictates the everyday lives of all Sangheili, especially those serving in the military.

This code of honor is similar to Japanese Bushido, sharing concepts such as skill in combat, loyalty to master and clan, and views on death. Both belief systems romanticize death in battle as the most honorable way to die. If a warrior is captured alive, he has only two options: escape from his captors of his own volition, or commit ritualistic suicide. Furthermore, this warrior attitude once made the Sangheili extremely arrogant and even outright cruel towards species they viewed as 'inferior,' though they did display open respect and even admiration for fellow warrior races, even the Humans at the height of the Human-Covenant War.

One superstitious quirk the Sangheili have is the literal interpretation that blood is equatable to honor. To bleed outside of battle is viewed as shameful. For this reason, the Sangheili are the only species in the known galaxy to openly look down on doctors, due to their practices making patients bleed outside of battle.

Over the last century, the Sangheili have been experiencing a new cultural renaissance, mostly due to cultural influence from their former enemies the Humans. The Sangheili learned from the Humans values such as pragmatism and compassion. They treat their Unggoy comrades with more respect than they used to, and even doctors are not as looked down upon as they once were thanks to advances in medical technology (advances that are specifically designed to minimize blood loss during patient treatment) provided by the Humans. Nowhere is this cross-species cultural impact more apparent than in the self-titled Squidhead Movement, which embraces and celebrates many aspects of Human culture, particularly Human entertainment. Despite all these changes however, the Sangheili are still every bit the honorable warriors they have always been.


Codex Entry (Aliens - Non-Council Races): SANGHEILI: MILITARY DOCTRINE.

Sangheili consider themselves to be the finest warriors in all the galaxy, and with good reason. Their unique ranking structure ensures that only the deadliest and most effective fighters ascend to positions of prominent leadership within the Empire military. It is the only military in Citadel Space that awards promotions based almost exclusively on kill counts. While other factors, such as leadership capability and tactical intellect, are also taken into account, the accumulation of confirmed kills remains the primary determining factor behind promotions.

Much like in the Turian Hierarchy, military service is mandatory for all citizens of the Sangheili Emprie, including Unggoy and Mgalekgolo. Sangheili are drafted into the military at the age of twenty at the rank of minor. As minors, they are issued a small squad of Unggoy so that superiors may accurately gauge the minor's leadership potential. Next rank after that is the major, who commands several minors and their Unggoy as well.

It takes roughly one hundred confirmed kills for a Sangheili to be promoted past major. Once this occurs, the Sangheili warrior will have multiple branches of service to choose from. Some stay in the infantry, the most skilled of these warriors going on to become ultras and generals. Others choose to join the navy, becoming rangers, servicemen, and banshee fighter pilots. Others still may choose to join the Special Operations branch of the military. Many states on Sangheilios offer counsel to warriors on the eve of such promotions to help them decide which field of battle they would be best suited for.

A recent major development within the Sangheili military is the induction of women into the armed forces. Sangheili have formerly had a very patriarchal society, believing that it was a man's duty to fight and serve the Empire, while it was the woman's duty to stay home and raise the children. However, after cultural exchange with Humans, this belief was challenged and, after almost a century of struggle, women were granted a place in warriors' circles. It has since been proved time and again that female Sangheili can be just as deadly as their male counterparts, the most famous example being the female General V'rika Sumon, who has become the face of Sangheili Feminism.


Codex Entry (Aliens - Non-Council Races): SANGHEILI: RELGION.

For centuries, the principal Sangheili religion has been the same as that of every other Covenant species during the Covenant's reign; a belief that the Forerunners were Gods who ascended to a more divine plane of reality. However, this belief was proven false during the Great Schism, once it was learned that the Forerunners did not enter a heavenly realm, but were simply wiped out by the Flood. Since this revelation Sangheili religion, the most important aspect of their culture, has been in a state of flux.

Some Sangheili have chosen to revert back to their archaic Pre-Covenant faith; a polytheistic model not unlike ancient Drell beliefs. According to this belief system, the Sangheili are guided by a pantheon of warrior gods, each one having a specific dominion over a particular branch of the military. For example, 'Kavros, God of Stars, watches over the space navy. 'Dinosis, God of Shadows, blesses the Spec. Ops corps and other stealth specialists.

Other Sangheili have tried turning to other races for guidance, an option that became particularly appealing once they acquired an embassy on the Citadel. Some Sangheili have shown a fascination with Turian Spirits and the Asari Goddess of Life. Others have taken to Eastern Human religions such as Buddhism and Hinduism. Some have even gone so far as to create their own form of Astrology, worshipping the stars themselves.

Despite the emergence of so many altenative belief systems, the original belief, that the Forerunners were gods of some description, remains the mainstream religion of Sangheili society. However, much like Christianity in Human culture, this faith has evolved, becoming less about literal interpretations of Forerunner text, and more about contemplating the philosophical and theological meaning behind it. This new form of the old faith, dubbed "The New Mantle," subscribes to the Forerunners' own belief system, the Mantle, the belief that all life is holy and should be nurtured and respected. This new faith still reveres the Forerunners as gods, but acknowledges that they weren't necessarily supernatural.


Codex Entry (Weapons, Armor and Equipment): SANGHEILI EMPIRE WEAPONS.

During the Human-Covenant War, the Sangheili detested human-made weaponry. Records show that when their own weapons ran out of ammunition, many Sangheili soldiers would take UNSC soldiers in head-on hand-to-hand combat, rather than scavenge and use for their own ends the weapons of a heretic race. However, when the prophets' deception was exposed and the Covenant splintered, many Sangheili recognized Humans as worthy allies. Thus, human-made weapons were no longer seen as "dirty" and so Sangheili weapon designers began to incorporate Human weapon design philosophies into their own.

This resulted in many new Sangheili weapons. One of the most popular is the Type-35 Close Combat Weapon, or 'Needler Shotgun.' This needler model draws inspiration from the M90 Close Assault Weapon System, one of the most widely-used shotguns during the Human-Covenant War. The Type-35 fires six needles at once that detonate 1.7 seconds after impact.

Another popular new weapon is the Type-26 Directed Energy Submachine Gun, a hybrid between the plasma pistol and the M7/Caseless Submachine Gun. It has both semi-automatic and full automatic firing modes.

And of course, you have the Type-52 Directed Energy Rifle, a plasma rifle that takes its ques from the assault rifle designs of other races. However, despite the Sangheili's newfound open-mindeness in the field of weapon design, many are still reliant on plasma as ammunition rather than mass accelerator rounds. In addition to cultural and religious reasons, the Sangheili believe that plasma is actually superior to mass accelerator rounds, a topic that is still hotly debated amongst kinetic physicists to this day.


Codex Entry (Aliens - Non-Council Race): SANGHEILI: THE ARBITER.

During a visit to Sangheilios to observe and study the culture of the Sangheili, Asari sociologist Reina D'orna described the role of Arbiter as arguably the single most difficult job in all the galaxy, as it requires the wearer of the title to be a general, a diplomat, AND a high priest all at once.

The Arbiter was once a title given to supreme Sangheili warlords who displayed nothing short of exceptional skill in battle. However, after Arbiter Fal 'Chavamee was labeled a heretic for criticizing the theology behind the "Great Journey," the title ended up becoming tainted in the eyes of the prophets. For the next few millennia, it was a title given to heretical Sangheili as a last chance at redemption; to die a glorious death during a suicide mission. However, after the significant role played by Arbiter Thel 'Vadam in the Great Schism of 2552, the new Sangheili Empire changed the role of Arbiter back to its original purpose; a supreme warlord.

Similar to council spectres and Asari justicars, the Sangheili Arbiter is an independent agent representing the Sangheili Empire. Though he has no official jurisdiction over any particular branch of the Sangheili military, few generals or fleetmasters would dare question the Arbiter's counsel and instruction. The only authority that the Arbiter officially recognizes is the Sangheili High Council, the principle governing body of the Sangheili Empire.

Currently, the title of Arbiter is still being upheld by Thel 'Vadam. In addition to investigating and eliminating various brute bases on the outskirts of Sangheili space, the Arbiter makes occasional visits to the Citadel to help promote Empire agendas and protect Empire interests. The Arbiter's word carries great weight both in war and in politics. At 198 years old, it is rumored that 'Vadam may soon retire from the role and is scouting for a possible replacement. However, 'Vadam himself has publicly denied these rumors, pointing out that the Arbiter is a life-long position. He says that the day he retires will be the day he is finally slain in battle.