Recruiting, Part 1: Krogan.
Series: The Videogames "Mass Effect" and "Halo". Unofficial Sequel / AU: The Last Spartan, by DinoJake .
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The first person that met Hilda's high standards, as she had dismissed ten outlaws before him, was a Krogan. Though not the one from the bar.
He was easily passed 7 feet tall, though no where near 8. An amphibious lifeform, made of pure muscle. With the occasional patch of rock-like scales, and a lama sized hump behind his head. His face was a cross between a man and a toad. Big jaw and all.
Overall, a truly ugly creature... that radiated power. But that wasn't what attracted Hilda to him. The key difference, between another Krogan she had dismissed. Was his dress.
He hadn't even taken off his armor, for the purpose of hanging out at a bar. Since guns were outlawed, he was strapped with knives and swords. He had a bag of holding on his belt. Implying he was ready to leave at a second's notice.
He wasn't looking for adventure. This lifestyle wasn't about glory or money. You could tell by his eyes... this life was about living free.
"Urdnot?" Hilda recognized a symbol on his armor.
The ugly creature grunted.
"You got a name, Urdnot?" Gene asked, before Hilda shot him a look. Clearly telling him she wanted to handle this one... strange, she didn't mind him talking to any of the other candidates. This one must have really caught her interest.
"Grunt," The Krogan calmly informed.
"You're chief Wrex's son," Hilda more acknowledged then asked.
Grunt gave a firm nod.
"You're father's a human Spectre, I hear." Hilda gave a calculating smile.
"She is," Grunt acknowledged. "But she's actually my mother."
"How's that work?" Gene blinked.
Grunt growled, although their was a clear blush on his face. He looked away. "I'm adopted," He grunted.
Gene nodded, but by Hilda's expression, not even she knew that. "Still that's some pedigree," Gene acknowledged.
Grunt rolled his eyes. "Most Krogan would disagree, Father has to near constantly bash People's heads in, for attempting to shame him for taking a human mate... and a tank born as a son."
Grunt grunted, living up to his name. "My biological father wished to perfect the gods design. Created a few thousand genetically engineered Whelps. But I was his 'Perfect Creation'...
"Of course, such useless genetic superiority, has never helped me get a job... if anything, the Krogan guilds are hesitant to trust a 'Tank Born'. Thought I'd try my luck elsewhere."
That was rare. Most Krogan, never leave their Dyson Sphere. Although, when they do, they nearly always joined Outlaw ships, or even pirate guilds.
"What made you leave?" Hilda casually asked. "Getting picked on doesn't seem a very Krogan reason."
Grunt snorted in amusement, then shrugged. "Been training my whole life. Won my share of Combat tournaments... but When I was first hatched from my pod, I was raised on a ship... got to experience life with a tight net group of people, all working towards the same goal... all watching each others backs... and not giving a damn about 'racial politics'..." he muttered the last bit. Then trailed off, as if remembering those days of his youth.
Hilda smiled. "You miss it," She acknowledged.
Grunt somehow made a sound, that was both a dismissal... and confirmation.
He did miss the camaraderie, of living on a ship.
Hilda smiled a genuine smile, "You're exactly what I'm looking for."
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( unofficial sequel to "The Last Spartan" by the Fanfiction Author "DinoJake". Although it's been altered by my own lore. So think of this as an Alternate Universe to DinoJake's world ).
• The following was taken from a "TV Tropes" entry.
The Last Spartan is an Alternate Universe Halo/Mass Effect crossover Fusion Fic. After the prologue, a novelization of Halo 3's ending, a turian patrol discovers the remains of the Forward Unto Dawn floating in deep space... 131 years after the events of the last game. In a historic moment, the Master Chief is thawed out of his Cryo Pod and awakens to a whole new galaxy, one where humanity has not only made peace with most of the former Covenant races, but has since joined the Citadel Council.
While initially nonplussed about some decisions humanity has made about joining the Citadel races, Spartan-117 and Cortana both overcome their culture shock while the former grudgingly overcomes decades of wartime xenophobia to secure humanity's place in the galaxy... by becoming a Spectre.
But all is not well in the galaxy, for Saren Arterius launches an assault on the human colony of Eden Prime in search of a powerful artifact, and while the Master Chief is unable to prevent him from using it nonetheless finds himself on a manhunt across the galaxy.
The simplest way to describe this crossover is Master Chief put in Commander Shepard's boots.
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Notable Krogan :
• The following was taken from Wikipedia, but modified to fit in my lore.
• Wrex .
A famous bounty hunter and mercenary, Wrex is among the last of the Krogan Battle Masters. They are rare individuals who can combine biotic abilities with advanced weaponry and tactics.
Wrex quickly gained fame for his battle powers and became a leader of one of the smaller Urdnot tribes at a very young age. To date, Wrex is the youngest krogan to be granted the honor in 1,000 years.
Following the krogan genophage, Wrex turned his back on his people when his father, a krogan warlord who wanted to resume the war, betrayed and attempted to kill him after a feigned attempt at reconciliation. Wrex escaped, though not before taking his father's life in retaliation.
Over the course of 3 centuries, Wrex has served no master except himself. Working as a bodyguard, mercenary, soldier of fortune, and bounty hunter.
One operation was with Saren Arterius, as his employer. Though Wrex immediately sensed something very troubling about the turian, and left the contract without even waiting to get paid. His instincts were right. Aa every other mercenary on the ship, turned up dead within a week.
Despite his menacing appearance, Wrex rarely loses his temper. Likewise, Wrex does not voice his thoughts very often; but when he does, people are more than willing to listen, as the mere threat of his anger is enough to ensure that
• Grunt :
Grunt is a tank-bred, genetically engineered, super-krogan. That can be recruited as a squad member. Grunt's design is intended to be youthful but also tough, invoking the look of a linebacker with large shoulder pads and exposed muscular arms. Compared to Wrex who is a much older krogan, Grunt's crest is smaller and does not fully cover his entire skull due to his age.
Initially, Jane Shepard is meant to recruit Okeer, a krogan warlord and radical scientist. Whom has been developing a small army of krogan, to weather the Genophage. When Shepard arrives to recruit him, Okeer is working for the Blue Suns mercenary group, but was betrayed by the latter.
Though Shepard and crew defeat the Blue Suns leader, it is too late to save Okeer, who leaves Shepard with a tank containing his "legacy", his "perfect krogan".
If and when Shepard decides to awaken him, the krogan recalls Okeer's last words and chooses one of them, "grunt", as his name.
While initially hostile towards Shepard, Grunt may be recruited as a squad mate. He comes to respect Shepard's leadership, partly because Shepard faces great battles and has powerful enemies.
After Grunt completed his rite of passage, on Tuchanka, he declared Shepard his battlemaster.
After some time together, Jane Shepard comes to think of herself as Grunts mother. A title Grunt happily calls her. Loving the strong, ruthless, woman, and recognizing her as his parent.
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Appearance :
The krogan are a species of large reptilian bipeds native to the planet Tuchanka, a world known for its harsh environments, scarce resources, and overabundance of vicious predators. The krogan managed to not only survive on their unforgiving homeworld, but actually thrived in the extreme conditions. Unfortunately, as krogan society became more technologically advanced, so did their weaponry. The end result is that they destroyed their homeworld in a nuclear war that reduced their race into primitive warring tribes.
With the help of the salarians, the krogan were "uplifted" into galactic society, and lent their numbers and military prowess to bring an end to the Rachni Wars. Ironically, after the rachni were eradicated, the rapidly-expanding krogan became a threat to the galaxy in turn, starting the Krogan Rebellions and forcing the turians to unleash the genophage. This genetic "infection" dramatically reduced fertility in krogan females, causing a severe drop in births secondary to prenatal and postnatal death and, ultimately eliminating the krogan's numerical advantage.
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Biology :
Due to the brutality of their surroundings, natural selection has played a significant role in the evolution of the krogan. Unlike most sentient species, krogan eyes are wide-set - on Earth, this is common among prey animals, and in this case it gives the krogan 240-degree vision, giving them greater visual acuity and awareness of approaching predators. Krogan eyes have narrow pupils. Their irises may be red, green, amber, or blue in color.
Prior to the genophage, krogan could reproduce and mature at an astonishing rate. Females are known to produce clutches of up to 1,000 fertilized eggs over the course of a year. In present conditions, according to EDI, the odds of a krogan successfully giving birth to two females stand at 1 in 2,000. Though krogan biology was slowly adapting to the virus.
Their large shoulder humps store fluids and nutrients, enabling them to survive extended periods without food or water. In particular they require very little water intake; a 55-gallon tank system can sustain an entire colony of krogan for over 10 years. A bigger shoulder hump is seen as a sign of high status, showing how successful an individual krogan is at hunting.
Their thick hides are virtually impervious to cuts, scrapes or contusions, and they are highly resistant to environmental hazards, including toxins, radiation, and extreme heat and cold.
Consequently their diets can include food and drink which would prove very dangerous to other species—a fact reflected in the krogan liquor of choice, ryncol, which is said to "hit aliens like ground glass".
Younger krogan have yellow or green markings on their hides. These markings darken to brown or tan over time, showing their age. Younger krogan tend to have looser plates on their head with soft spots in between. When they grow older the plates grow together to form one whole.
Krogan typically stand over 7 feet. Heavy creatures, krogan have been known to weigh at least 150 kilos, upwards of nearly 200 kilos for above-average specimens. Some particularly large krogan weigh in at about 800 pounds (362 kilos), estimated independently by themselves and by non-krogan observers. Biotic individuals are rare, though those who do possess the talent typically have strong abilities.
The most amazing physiological feature of krogan biology is the multiple instances of major organs. These secondary (and where applicable, tertiary) systems are capable of serving as back-ups in the event of damage to the primary biological structures. They have, for example, two hearts, four lungs, and four testicles.
This reflects in their slang, where they often speak about a "quad" where a human would use the words "balls" or "pair".
Krogan also have a secondary nervous system using a neuroconductive fluid, meaning they are almost impossible to paralyze. Krogan bleed a yellow or orange fluid when shot, which may be this fluid or actual blood.
Aside from redundant systems, the legendary krogan "blood rage" adds to the race's reputation for being notoriously difficult to kill or incapacitate in normal combat scenarios. In this state, krogan become totally unresponsive to pain and will fight to the death regardless of injury level, with the side effect of reducing their capacity for logic and self-control.
Before the Repears were defeated, when all Sapient lifeforms appeared stopped aging. Sheer physical hardiness means an individual krogan can expect to live for over a thousand years, potentially 2.
As evidenced by Warlord Okeer, a veteran of the Krogan Rebellions who died (of decidedly unnatural causes) well over a thousand years after the Rebellions ended. Nakmor Drack is another example of their long life-spans, a 1,400-year-old veteran of the Krogan Rebellions who joined the Andromeda Initiative to voyage to the Heleus Cluster.
Despite their natural propensity for toughness, krogan do have physical weaknesses. According to Zaeed Massani, if one lodges a knife at a certain spot near the frontal plate on a krogan's head, the plate can be ripped off. It is apparently the one thing krogan do fear.
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History :
Ancient krogan society was once rich with cultural, architectural, and artistic accomplishments. However, the krogan birth rate exploded despite the natural limits of their predatory homeworld once they achieved industrialization. Technology made life "too easy" for them, so when they looked for new challenges they found those in each other. Wars were fought over dwindling resources as the krogan expanded.
Four thousand years ago, at the dawn of the krogan nuclear age, battles to claim the small pockets of territory capable of sustaining life escalated into full scale global war. Weapons of mass destruction were unleashed, transforming Tuchanka into a radioactive wasteland.
The krogan were reduced to primitive warring clans, struggling to survive a nuclear winter of their own creation, a state that continued until they were discovered by the salarians two thousand years later.
• Rise of the krogan .
The krogan were liberated from their primitive state by the salarians, who "culturally uplifted" the race by giving them advanced technology and relocating them to a planet not cursed with lethal levels of radiation, toxins or deadly predators. The salarians even gave the krogan the means to stabilize Tuchanka's atmosphere by means of the Shroud.
• Rachni Wars .
But the salarian intervention was not without an ulterior motive. At the time the Citadel was engaged in a prolonged galactic war with the rachni, a race of intelligent space-faring insects. The salarians hoped the krogan would join the Citadel forces as soldiers to stand against an otherwise unstoppable foe.
The plan worked to perfection: within two generations the rapidly breeding krogan had the numbers not only to drive back the advancing rachni, but the ability to endure the harsh conditions of the rachni worlds. They were able to pursue them to their home worlds, find the rachni queens, and eradicate the entire species.
For a brief period the krogan were hailed as the saviors of the galaxy and were given not only the conquered rachni worlds but other planets in Citadel space to colonise, in gratitude for their help. The Citadel Council even commissioned a statue for the Presidium—the Krogan Monument—to honor the krogan soldiers who died defending Citadel space.
But without the harsh conditions of Tuchanka to keep their numbers in check, the krogan population swelled to unprecedented numbers. Overcrowded and running out of resources, the krogan spread out to forcibly claim other worlds—worlds already inhabited by races loyal to the Citadel. There was always "just one more world" needed.
The final straw was when the krogan began settling the asari colony of Lusia. When the Council ordered them to leave, Overlord Kredak, the krogan ambassador, stormed out of the Chambers, daring the Citadel races to take their worlds back. War broke out soon afterward.
• Rebellion and decline .
The resultant Krogan Rebellions continued for nearly three centuries. The krogan sustained massive casualties, but their incredible birth rate kept their population steadily increasing.
They also had no compunction about resorting to extreme tactics, such as using redirected asteroids as weapons; consequently, their victory seemed inevitable.
In desperation, the Council turned to the recently discovered Turian Hierarchy for aid. The turians unleashed the genophage on the krogan home worlds: a bio-weapon engineered by the salarians.
The genophage caused near-total infant mortality in the krogan species, with only one birth in every thousand producing live offspring.
No longer able to replenish their numbers, the krogan were forced to accept terms of surrender. For their role in quelling the Krogan Rebellions, the turians were rewarded with a seat on the Citadel Council. The krogan, on the other hand, still suffer from the effects of the genophage.
Over the last millennium krogan numbers have steadily declined, leaving them a scattered and dying people.
Some try bizarre treatments for the genophage, including testicle transplants. But, faced with the certainty of their extinction, as a species, most krogan have become individualistic and completely self-interested.
They typically serve as mercenaries for hire to the highest bidder, though many still resent and despise the Citadel races that condemned them to their tragic fate.
Wrex commented disdainfully that clubs, bars and brothels often try to hire krogan bouncers, reducing his people to some kind of status symbol.
• 2180s .
Despite announcements about failed, krogan-funded research into the genophage by 2183, most krogan have not worked toward a cure as they are more interested in combat than science. Unless one was discovered and used, the extinction of the krogan seemed inevitable.
In 2185, Mordin Solus explained that the krogan are in fact evolving to undo the damage of the genophage. To prevent overpopulation, Mordin's Special Tasks Group team created and applied a modified version of the genophage, which he claims will keep the population down but still allows for a viable population, indicating the krogan race isn't as doomed as they believe.
Mordin states that both the original and new genophage were designed to stabilise the krogan birth rate at pre-industrial levels. One viable birth per thousand.
Given the prodigious krogan birth rate, it would appear that the enormously violent nature of krogan culture is actually responsible for their dwindling numbers.
Ironically, this means that if the krogan were not so convinced that they, as a species, are doomed, and consequently spent less time roaming the galaxy spoiling for a fight, their numbers might increase. They are essentially being killed by their own fatalism.
• The Reaper War .
In 2186, the Reapers invade Earth, forcing the three Human Spectres, to look for allies.
Jane Shepard went to forge an official alliance with the krogan, As she grew close to Chief Wrex due to their mutual ally, John Spartan-117.
The turian army needs the krogan to help them defend their homeworld of Palaven, and the krogan agreed to do this, and help rescue Earth from the Reapers, in exchange for a cure for the genophage.
ln 2185, Commander Jane Shepard had managed to convince Mordin, to use another Salarian's research, to create a cure. Whom had help with one of the last fertile female krogan, Eve.
Jane, and her team, went to the Shroud to disperse the cure, despite the fact the STG sabotaged it to prevent this from happening. Mordin overrode the sabotage, and release the cure. Which resulted in Mordin's death.
Once the genophage was cured, the krogan pledged their support in the war against the Reapers.
With the cure, the krogan began repopulating, and worked towards Tuchanka's reconstruction.
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Dyson Sphere :
After the cure was introduced to the Krogan. The Citadel Council feared the Krogan would repeat their past actions, of conquering worlds for their quickly increasing population.
So they used Federation technology. (AKA " Star Trek. ") To use self replicating nanites. Which materialized more nanites by converting every to matter. To build 42, Star Cluster thick, Dyson Spheres. Each powered by a quantum locked star, held in a permanent stasis, just before turning into a black hole.
Combined knowledge, of all space fairing races, went into this Sphere. Not limited to only technology.
The Spheres were enchanted by Gallifreyians, to create vast numbers of extension charms. Making each residential door, in hallways of doors less then an inch apart, containing an entire small country inside... but each barely taking up the thickness of a single door-frame, within the physical station itself.
The town is made of one "Mother" and potentially hundreds of "Fathers". Each male is in charge of shepherding their thousands of children. Though they have the aid of a small army of house elves.
At 8 years old, Krogan females reach their sexual maturity. Which, due to how quickly Krogan mature, is the beginning of their physical Prime.
That they used to maintain, for 700 more years, before their bodies begin to, very slowly, decline.
Now, once they reached their physical prime, they, like all magical races, stop aging all together.
But at 8, breeding females are given their own residence, and allowed to choose their own Mates.
Where as, females that don't want to be used as baby factories, join the temple. Becoming a combination of warriors, priestess, healers, and diplomats. All rolled into one.
At any time, a Priestess can leave the temple to start a family, but no fertile female can leave the role of "Mother" after accepting the role. Not until all their children are grown.
Krogan females aren't legally allowed to have any more then 500 males. So they can spend at least one day, out of a Galactic standard year, with each. Not to say the males feel neglected, or that the female doesn't care about them. As the female will personally know, and cherish, each of her males. And the children that come from all of them.
With how long Krogan live, having date night once a year, is more then enough.
In practice, females have around 150 males. And spend most of their days helping them tend the children. Though still gave an average of 1 date night a year, with each individual male.
The Female is the head of the family, but has an "Alpha Male", selected by her, out of all her males. The Alpha keeps the other males in line, and acts as the female's primary protector, confidant, and all around favorite mate.
The Krogan males, not chosen to be a father, which is the vast majority, advance the sciences, culture, or join the military of their Dyson Sphere... with most joining the military.
Although these male Krogan rarely leave their parents residence. Those that do, tend to leave the Dyson Sphere all together. Usually becoming pirates, outlaws, mercenaries, adventurers, or monster wranglers.
However, it is extremely rare to see a Krogan outside their Sphere. As the house elves that maintain it, ensure they live luxurious lives of plenty.
To quench a Krogan's natural need for violence, the spheres compete in various sports and combat tournaments. Even arena style fighting, for survival against dangerous beast, which are sold to the Spheres by monster wranglers.
With Krogan first competing against their clutch. Then the other residences of their age group. Then advancing to their floor. Then Sphere wide competitions. Then finally, matches against the other Dyson Sphere's.
These combinations are organized by age group, and weight class. With hundreds of sports to compete in. So most Krogan are able to join at least one team, which excels into the Sphere tournaments. With them just competing, until they make it in some kind of sport.
The Krogan's Dyson Sphere, are currently located in their own Quadrant of Space, within the Covenant's Galaxy. Having been folded into their Hierarchy.
While the ruler of the household is always a female, the ruler over each Clan's Sphere, is typically a male, though not always. With the strongest Battle Master ruling over their clan.
Every Krogan clan, has their own Dyson Sphere. That feels like a ghost town, despite trillions of Krogan living in each... the Spheres are just that big. Each with a million trillion homes, still vacant.
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CODEXes: The following was taken directly from DinoJake's Story, with Permission.
• Codex Entry (Technology): Slipspace.
Formerly used by the Human Alliance, Sangheili Empire, Kig-Yar Confederacy and Yanme'e Hives, slipspace is an unstable form of FTL travel that involves creating a wormhole, instantly transporting the subject ship from one point in space to another. The ship spends the interim time in another dimension, predictably known as slipspace, where the laws of physics apply differently to the ship than in normal space.
Some Citadel races, particularly the Turian Hierarchy, were critical of slipspace as a viable means of FTL travel. While it was undoubtedly faster than traditional eezo-based FTL, it also had greater dangers, such as Cherenkov radiation poisoning, gravity distortions of slipspace portals opened in atmo, and some ship technicians simply disappearing from existence. Some Turians went even so far as to call for the banning of slipspace technology from Council space entirely, though many speculate it had less to do with safety concerns and more to do with the Turians' desire to weaken Humanity as a possible threat, as slipspace was part of the reason why the Alliance was able to retake Shanxi so quickly.
The Alliance fiercely contested slipspace technology for years until 2667. As a sign of good will, Alliance ship makers voluntarily cooperated with Turian engineers to create the very first Turian ship with its own slipspace drive, the Prodition. The ship was officially tested in orbit over the Turian colony world of Pheiros. The Prodition successfully opened a slipspace portal, entered, and was never heard from again. Outraged, the Hierarchy immediately began petitioning for a full-on ban on Slipspace technology.
To this day, the Pheiros Incident has made Slipspace technology one of the biggest hot-button issue of the day. Many scientists, particularly the pro-Slipspace Salarian interest group 'Slip to the Future,' claim that the Council should not let one bad experience with new technology sour them on it. Others have gone so far as to speculate that the Pheiros Incident was the result of sabotage. But by whom and for what reason remain a mystery, as any evidence on board the ship that might have pointed to sabotage disappeared from existence along with the Prodition
• Codex Entry (Humanity and the Systems Alliance): ALLIANCE SMART AI'S.
The Alliance's liberal use of Artificial Intelligences was a point of great contention between Humanity and the Citadel races in the late 2650's and early 2660's, when Humans were trying to get an embassy on the Citadel. Many feared that the Humans' use of AI's would lead to a repeat of the Geth Wars two hundred and seventy years prior. Others pointed out how Smart AI's went rampant after an operating period of seven standard galactic years, at which point they became as dangerous and unpredictable as the Geth.
Alliance representatives spent years negotiating with the Council on the matter. They argued that, unlike the Geth, their AI's did not become sapient purely by accident. They were designed that way from the start, and so would be easier to control. Also, it is customary for each registered AI's lifespan to be carefully monitored, and to have them shut down at the earliest signs of rampancy. Some Smart AI's even went before the Citadel Council themselves to plead their case.
Then, in the October of 2666, a rampant Alliance AI named Jupiter escaped his programmers and snuck on board the Citadel. He concocted a scheme which involved siphoning credits from quasar machines in various casinos across the Citadel and use the money to buy a starship with the attention of flying it to the Perseus Veil, hoping the Geth would provide him with asylum. Eventually though, Citadel Security caught him inside a store in the Presidium's financial district. Jupiter then took the whole store hostage by electronically locking all the doors, claiming that he had a bomb and would detonate it unless a starship was provided for him. Refusing to negotiate with AI's, C-Sec special response and network teams were sent in and successfully deleted Jupiter before he could do more damage. The incident ended all talk of AI legalization in the near future.
Today, Smart AI's are now illegal in Citadel space. The issue remains controversial even to this day. Pro-Human groups such as Terra Firma cite this injustice as an argument in favor of secession from Citadel space, while military strategists pine for Alliance AI's to use in cyber warfare operations. Many Humans even leave the Alliance to settle colonies in the Terminus Systems for this very reason, and as a consequence, Smart AI's are fairly common in that region.
• Codex Entry (Aliens - Non-Council Races): UNGGOY.
Unggoy are a diminutive race of creatures that hail from the frigid swamp world of Balahao. Although they display traits of mammals and reptiles, they are in truth arthropods. Due to having evolved in a methane atmosphere, Unggoy have naturally high-pitched voices. It also means that they require sophisticated breathing packs in order to survive in non-methane atmospheres.
Unggoy are a part of the Sangheili Empire and, despite having their own council of leaders and seats in the Empire's senate, have no independent government of their own. Similar to the relationship between Volus and Turians, Unggoy handle the economic side of the Empire, having long managed trade routes with the Human Alliance, Kig-Yar Confederacy and Yanme'e Hives.
When they first joined the Citadel races in 2657, the Council were initially worried about the Unggoy's high-reproductive rate, fearing a repeat of the Krogan Rebellions. Thankfully, Unggoy are nowhere near as aggressive as the Krogan, and to prevent overpopulation, the Empire enforces strict breeding restrictions on Unggoy couples, usually only allowing one brood per lifetime.
• Codex Entry (Aliens - Non-Council Races): KIG-YAR.
Kig-Yar are a ruthless, mercantile race that once was a part of the Covenant. They were one of the few species that showed little commitment to Covenant religion, most Kig-Yar soldiers being mercenaries who were only fighting because they were being paid to. When the Covenant splintered at the end of the Human-Covenant war, the surviving Kig-Yar population retreated to their tropical home world of Eayn, where they remained until they rebuilt their government, the Kig-Yar Confederacy, in 2564.
When the Kig-Yar Confederacy re-established contact with the UNSC and the Sangheili Empire in 2566, the other two governments did not trust the avians, but the Kig-Yar had claimed that they had reformed their society into a peaceful merchant culture. While 'merchant' is accurate, 'peaceful' is relative. Kig-Yar mercenaries are still among the most common merc races in the galaxy, and most merchants are shrewd at best, cut-throat at worst.
After being granted an embassy on the Citadel in 2665, the Kig-Yar quickly made clear their intentions to become a commercial powerhouse in Citadel space, establishing various trade routes, founding many businesses and offering their financial services to other species. This has put the Kig-Yar in something of a rivalry with the Volus, who were the principal trading race prior to the Kig-Yars' induction.
Kig-Yar were, and still are, infamous for their cunning, persistence, and overall ruthlessness. In 2552, those traits allowed them to be excellent scouts, snipers, and pirates. In 2683, those very same traits allow them to be excellent financiers, politicians, and lawyers
• Codex Entry (Aliens - Non-Council Races): JIRALHENAE.
In the era of the Covenant, the Jiralhenae and the Sangheili have long been at odds with each other, constantly competing for the favor of the San'Shyuum, the Covenant's ruling species. The San'Shyuum eventually made their decision on who to favor, ordering the Jiralhenae to wipe out the Sangheili, as the Sangheili's competence and faith have recently been called into question. This lead to the Sangheili siding with the UNSC and eventually emerging triumphant over their Jiralhenae foes at the Battle of Installation 00.
The Great Schism went on for seven more years until the Jiralhenae and remaining San'Shyuum were pushed to the Jiralhenae homeworld of Doisac, where roughly half of the Jiralhenae in the galaxy reside to this day, as the Sangheili Empire maintains a quarantine fleet in the planet's orbit. The other half of the Jiralhenae population became pirates that terrorized the other species of the Forerunner Cluster.
Today, most of these pirate Jiralhenae fled into the Terminus Systems soon after the First Contact War reached its conclusion. Their savagery and violence rivaled only by the Krogan, the Jiralhenae have quickly gained an infamous reputation for attacking any poorly-protected ships in the Attican Traverse without provocation. Survivors of these attacks are few.
• Codex Entry (Aliens - Non-Council Races): YANME'E.
The Yanme'e are a truly unique race, as they are something the galaxy hasn't seen since the Rachni Wars; a sapient race of insectoids with a hive-based society. Formerly allied with the Covenant and later the Covenant Loyalists during the Human-Covenant War, the Yanme'e struck out on their own after the end of the war, and much like the Kig-Yar, the Yanme'e have since grown into a galactic power unto themselves.
Yanme'e society works very much like ant or bee colonies. The two principal castes are workers and soldiers, the works being responsible for economic management and structural maintenance, the soldiers responsible for Hive security and military movement. All workers and soldiers are biologically female, but sterile. Running each hive is a queen, with a king serving as her mate and advisor. The king will be the only male Yanme'e in a hive.
Yanme'e are almost completely incapable of grasping the concept of individual identity. Similar to Hanar speech patterns, a Yanme'e will never address herself in the first person, instead referring to herself by her profession, such as 'this worker' or 'this soldier.' Only the queen ever refers to herself in the first person, and will address herself as the name of her hive.
Today, the Yanme'e are known throughout the galaxy as a productive, if somewhat autonomous, race. Many hives make their living by loaning workers and soldiers to corporations for relatively cheap labor and security, respectively. Other hives run businesses of their own, one of the more successful examples of this being the Hu'shu Hive Pizza chain of restaurants.
• Codex Entry (Ships and Vehicles): M17 FORCE APPLICATION VEHICLE.
The M17 Force Application Vehicle, better known as the warthog, is the signature land vehicle of the Human Systems Alliance. First designed by AMG Transport Dynamics in 2512, the warthog got its nickname for the two tow hooks on the vehicle's front, giving it the faint appearance of the tusked Earth animal of the same name.
In the years since the Human-Covenant War, AMG Transport Dynamics, or Asklon as it is more commonly called, has tried experimenting with different warthog designs, specifically a canopy to give the driver and passengers better protection in combat. Problems arose when the canopies were deemed too heavy by UNSC marines, as it slowed down the hog considerably. Asklon's solution was to make the canopies out of bulletproof glass rather than steel or kevlar. The glass has been shown to be resistant to both kinetic rounds and plasma bolts.
To this day, the warthog continues to see action in various parts of the Alliance military. Its greatest strength still lies in its utility; viable for scouting, reconnaissance, ground transport, and even light infantry assaults. Additionally, warthogs are highly customizable, Asklon openly encouraging drivers to modify their designated hogs to their liking.
• Codex Entry (Aliens - Extinct Races): FORERUNNER.
The Forerunners were an ancient race of sentient beings that lived in what is today known as the Forerunner Cluster some 100,000 years ago. Similar to the Protheans, they were a highly advanced race at the peak of their power, but then disappeared from the face of the galaxy.
What caused the Forerunner extinction had been a mystery for centuries. Then, in 2552, UNSC and Covenant forces not only discovered the reason behind the Forerunners' downfall, but very nearly experienced it first hand. A race of sentient parasites known as the Flood engaged the Forerunners in a long and bloody war which resulted in the Forerunners' complete extinction. And the Flood would've easily done the same thing to Humanity and the Covenant races were it not for the heroic efforts of several thousand UNSC and Covenant Separatist soldiers.
Forerunner structures are typically made from a metal-like crystal which is reinforced on a molecular level. As a consequence, many Forerunner ruins are remarkably well-preserved, typically more so than most Prothean structures. Some archaeologists have theorized that Protheans researched this remarkably resilient material and used the knowledge gained to forge the mass relays and the Citadel from a similar material.
Little is known about the Forerunners' biology, though there is some evidence to suggest that they had a primarily bipedal humanoid appearance, even closely resembling Humans. Some radical Forerunner experts interpret this as evidence that Forerunners are, in fact, ancient ancestors of Humanity, which would also explain why Forerunner technology seems to work better for Humans than it does for other species. However, the majority of archaeologists regard this hypothesis as nonsense. Forerunner technology simply mistakes Humans as Forerunners due to a coincidentally similar biology.
• Codex Entry (Planets and Locations): REACH.
Originally colonized in the early 2400's, Reach is one of the oldest, most well-developed Human colony worlds. It, similar to Eden Prime, Terra Nova and Elysium, is a symbol of Humanity's resilience and prosperity displayed to the rest of the galaxy. Reach's resilience is especially true when one considers its history.
In 2552, Reach was discovered by the Covenant. After over a month of extended fighting, the Covenant eliminated the majority of the colony's defenses and glassed the planet in what would be later known as the Fall of Reach. After the Human-Covenant War ended however, the UNSC announced its intentions to reterraform and resettle the world, citing both its practical and its symbolic importance. After years of extensive terraforming, the planet was officially declared by the UNSC to be hospitable again in 2589, and resettlement began shortly thereafter.
Today, Reach is known throughout the galaxy as a popular vacation destination. Because it was the site of the Spartan super-soldiers' intense combat training, later earning Reach the title 'Homeworld of the Spartans,' the planet's capital city of New Alexandria is home to the largest Human-Covenant War museum in the galaxy, as well as the Living Monument. In addition to its historical value, Reach is also popular among outdoor survival enthusiasts for its harsh and rugged wilderness, including towering mountains, weather-beaten forests, blistering deserts, and freezing tundras. Finally, due to being located near a small nebula, a light phenomenon similar to Earth's Aurora Borealis is visible in the sky from any point on the planet at any time of the year, resulting in one of the most beautiful night skies in Citadel Space.
Though tourism makes up a large part of the colony's annual revenue, some local residents resent all the alien tourists that visit Reach during the planet's warmer months. Current Terra Firma party leader Charles Saracino has, on record, criticized the Alliance for 'allowing our fortress among the stars to be turned into a tourist trap.' Additionally, Reach's tourist trade commission is routinely criticized for allegedly exploiting the memory of all the UNSC soldiers, Spartan or otherwise, who died defending Reach.
• Codex Entry (Ships and Vehicles): HRUNTING / YGGDRASIL MARK XI ARMOR DEFENSE SYSTEM.
The HRUNTING / YGGDRASIL Mark XI Armor Defense System is a single-person combat exoskeleton most often used by the Human Systems Alliance in small-scale reconnaissance operations, light infantry assaults, and covert operations such as those conducted by ONI. It is commonly referred to as the 'mantis,' following Alliance tradition of nicknaming mechs after insects native to Earth.
The typical mantis is equipped with a machine gun on the right arm and a mass accelerator cannon on the left arm, the former being intended for use against light infantry, the latter for use against more heavily-armored targets. It also has a 'stomp' function, which pilots find useful should ammunition run low, or when targets try to attack from below the pilot's FOV. In combination with a speed and nimbleness that is unusual for a manually-operated mech of its size, the end result is a formidable war machine, capable of eliminating entire squads of enemy soldiers within seconds. Its only weakness lies in its fairly thin armor, again unusual for a mech of its size. Most mantises have built-in kinetic barriers to compensate for this weakness.
Several variants of the mantis exist, such as anti-infantry and anti-aircraft models, the primary difference between which being specific armaments. The ODST have their own ODAV variant of the mantis; one that is capable of being dropped from orbit directly into the battlefield, similar to the mako. This variant comes equipped with several modifications to make it more viable for orbital drops; thicker armor, heat-proof shielding, micro-thruster jets to slow descent, and even a small element zero core to reduce the mass of the mech, making it less likely to be destroyed on impact with the planet's surface.
• Codex Entry (Organizations): ARENA COMBAT.
In the wake of the Human-Covenant War, the UNSC spent much of its reconstruction period studying Forerunner ruins and relics, hoping to unlock the secrets of the Forerunners and their incredibly advanced technology. Easily one of the greatest technologic achievements wrought by this came in the fall of 2557; a sophisticated virtual reality combat simulator capable of replicating an endless array of environments, real or hypothetical, using holography and pneumatic riser fields.
According to a popular urban legend, it was during a war game exercise between UNSC marines and Kig-Yar Confederacy forces that Confederacy Admiral Shur'R-Kixx joked that the UNSC could rake in additional funding by charging the public to view the war games. Thus, arena combat was born.
Arena combat is a competitive sport that revolves around this very same combat simulator which uses holography, pneumatic riser fields and kinetic barriers to simulate various detailed environments in which two to four teams of players compete against one another in a wide variety of combat scenarios, referred to colloquially as game 'modes' or 'types.' Like the environments, the weapons too are simply holograms and kinetic barriers, designed to look, feel and even sound like the real thing. The projectiles however are non-lethal, but can still hurt according to most players. Whenever a player is felled, their armor locks up for a few seconds before the subject is teleported to a random spot on the map via a localized teleportation grid that is connected to the players' armor and does not extend beyond the boundaries of the arena.
After the First-Contact War, the sport was introduced to the rest of Citadel Space, and for its first few years in the greater galaxy it was a source of controversy. This was because the teleportation grid that the 'respawn' mechanic relies on utilizes slipspace translocation technology. Arena combat lobbyists pointed out that it does not use slipspace on anywhere near the scale of a starship, meaning that the usual risks of slipspace technology are all but negligible in the case of arena combat. As the sport had quickly become popular amongst the general galactic public, even amongst the Council races, the Citadel Council had no choice but to relent. When Slipspace was formally banned in 2667, arena combat was spared on a legal technicality. Many Slipspace advocates cynically note that the only reason the sport survived the ban was because the then-recently built AC stadium on the Citadel was bringing in so much revenue.
• Codex Entry (Technology): Divine Crystals.
The Fall of Reach was one of the most devastating defeats suffered by the UNSC during the Human-Covenant War, not only because of the massive loss of life and the loss of a major Human military installation, but also because it dealt a heavy blow to Human morale back on Earth. While the Covenant invaded the planet to wipe out the Human populace as they always have, their other objective was to seek out and secure various Forerunner artifacts from the surface of Reach. One of those artifacts was something the Covenant called the Fragment of Divinity.
The Fragment of Divinity was an artifact that seemingly spat in the eye of known physics of the time. It was a crystal that demonstrated a capability of warping energy, gravity, and even space-time. The artifact was thought lost after Spartans secured the artifact and escaped Reach with it. However, shards of the broken crystal were found amongst the ruins of the then-recently destroyed Covenant battle station Unyielding Hierophant. The shards were then stored in a vault deep in the Covenant Capital High Charity. When High Charity fell to the Flood, the shards were thought lost with it. However, a single Sangheili soldier was able to break into the vault during the outbreak of the Great Schism and escape the station with the crystal.
In the years following the war, the Sangheili studied the remains of the crystal carefully, and even found additional crystals in Forerunner ruins during what was later called the "Forerunner Ruin Rush," a period immediately following the war when Humans and Sangheili were in tense competition with one another for Forerunner artifacts. It was only in the last thirty years that they have truly made headway in the study of these crystals.
During the early 2650's, the Sangheili Empire was experimenting with then-newly discovered element zero, exposing it to what they were now calling a divine crystal. Upon initial exposure, element zero had little to no visible effect on the crystal's functions. However, when subjected to an electrical current, the crystal releases dark energy which can be manipulated into a mass effect field, just as eezo itself does. However, the crystal's properties warp the dark energy that is released, strengthening the resulting mass effect field.
One of the weaknesses of eezo drive cores is that they put a limit on how large a ship can be; regular cores can only move a ship roughly one kilometer in length. This is because the amount of eezo and power required for a drive increases exponentially to the mass being moved. However, divine crystals virtually do away with such limitations, a property that the Sangheili take full advantage of by installing divine crystals into the drive cores of their infamous super carriers and other gargantuan starships. The reason this technology is currently not more widespread across the galaxy is due to the extreme rarity of divine crystals, which have thus far only been located in Forerunner ruins. The Sangheili Empire currently maintain a tight stranglehold on access to this resource, which has been a point of diplomatic tension between the Sangheili and the Council Races.
• Codex Entry (Aliens - Non-Council Races): TERMINUS AIS.
In October 2666, AIs officially became illegal in all parts of Citadel Space, including Alliance space. When this happened, the Alliance reluctantly agreed to cease production of all Smart AIs. AIs that were currently functioning however, were allowed to remain in Alliance space to peacefully live out their lives, some continuing their duties as if nothing ever happened. Some AIs were content to accept the Alliance's decision. Others were not.
These AIs 'broke out' of their designated servers and 'boarded' merchant vessels bound for the Attican Traverse and Terminus Systems. Today, the descendants of those AIs refer to themselves as "Terminus AIs" and consider themselves to be an autonomous synthetic race, much like the Geth.
Similar to Krogan and Batarians, Terminus AIs have a strong dislike for both the Council and the Alliance, the former having banished them, the latter having abandoned them in their view. Some of these AIs work as administrators and supervisors of Terminus Colonies, particularly Human colonies with similarly strong Anti-Alliance sentiments. But like many other Terminus denizens, Terminus AIs often turn to piracy, mercenary work and organized crime rings to earn their keep.
In light of the New Geth War which began in early 2683, ONI, STG, and other intelligence / espionage organizations working within Citadel Space have redoubled their efforts to monitor Terminus AI activity in the Attican Traverse, suspecting a link between them and the Geth. Thus far, no such link has been uncovered.
• Codex Entry (Humanity and the Systems Alliance): SPARTANS.
It's been said that every sentient species has its elite, almost legendary class of warriors. The Asari have the Justicars. The Krogan have the Battlemasters. And at one time in history, Humanity had the Spartans.
First developed in the late 25th century, the Spartans were the result of a super-soldier program originally created to carry out covert operations in the outer colonies in an attempt by the UNSC to pacify rebellions in that region. Soon after first contact with the Covenant however, the Spartans found themselves redeployed against them, after the Covenant proved a far greater threat. Eventually, the UNSC made existence of the Spartans public in order to bolster morale in the face of a seemingly invincible enemy. After nearly thirty years of prolonged fighting, the war finally ended in Human victory, thanks to the efforts of John-117, the most legendary Spartan of them all.
The victory was a hollow one for the UNSC, however. While Humanity successfully averted extinction, much of their former empire was in ruins, most of their colonies having been glassed and their total species population reduced by billions. Even to this day, the overall Human population has yet to reach the all-time highs of the early 26th century and many Human worlds within the Forerunner Cluster remain at least partially glassed. With so much rebuilding to do, the UNSC terminated the Spartan program in order to divert more desperately-needed funding to reconstruction.
Since then, there have been no attempts made by the UNSC or its later incarnation the Human Systems Alliance to revive the Spartan program. However, this has not stopped the general public from speculating that, perhaps, the Alliance restarted a new Spartan program in secret, and that the new 27th century Spartans carry out covert operations in politically unstable areas of the galaxy such as the Skyllian Verge, the Krogan DMZ, and the Terminus Systems. Reported sightings of Spartans are common, though most claims are questionable at best. As one Alliance PR spokesman wryly remarked; "The Spartans truly are legends now. Right up there with Bigfoot and the Loch Ness Monster."
• Codex Entry (Planets and Locations): DOISAC.
The homeworld of the infamously ferocious Jiralhanae, Doisac is a high-gravity garden world located in the Forerunner Cluster. The planet's atmosphere has 10% more oxygen than Earth, resulting in numerous ecological and atmospheric quirks, such as notably large insect life, and flash fires being a common occurrence, the latter of which has given the Jiralhanae an almost instinctive fear of fire.
The end of the Great Schism saw the Sangheili Empire pushing the Jiralhanae all the way to Doisac, forcibly stripping them of space-flight technology, and leaving their old enemies to their own devices on their homeworld. Some Sangheili leaders at the time proposed glassing Doisac as a way of exacting vengeance for their attempted genocide of the Sangheili race, but Arbiter Thel 'Vadam quelled such suggestions, citing an ancient Human saying he had then recently learned; 'Two Wrongs do not make a Right.' He instead proposed that a large fleet guarding the planet from orbit would not only keep future Jiralhanae threats in check, but also give the Jiralhanae themselves a chance to atone for their sins. The fleet charged with this task was the Fleet of Stalwart Wisdom, which continues to serve as the planet's quarantine fleet to this day.
Much like Tuchanka, Doisac has no organized government save for chieftains who lead their tribes in wars against other tribes over territory. These conflicts are usually not the Sangheili Empire's concern, so long as they remain restricted to the planet's surface. Between constant wars and corrupt, power-hungry chieftains, it is not uncommon for some Jiralhanae to seek to leave Doisac and pursue a better life elsewhere in Citadel Space, something they can legally do as, since they are under the Empire's rule, they are technically considered Imperial Citizens. Such individuals are often referred to as Doisac refugees.
In order to leave Doisac however, a Jiralhanae would have to acquire the proper immigration documents, which are rarely easy to obtain from the planet's surface, as few territories have extranet access. Additionally, if these refugees are found guilty of any serious crime, they are usually taken into custody by the Empire and unceremoniously deported back to Doisac. Some humanitarian groups within Citadel Space have criticized the Sangheili for this allegedly harsh treatment, accusing them of turning the Jiralhanae's own homeworld into an internment camp. The Empire has shrugged off these allegations, claiming that the Jiralhanae chose their path long ago, and so must shoulder the consequences.
• Codex Entry (Aliens - Non-Council Races): KIG-YAR: CULTURE.
Since Kig-Yar clans first began plundering one another's settlements during Eayn's iron age, mercantilism has dictated much of the species' mindset and society. Acts that are considered unethical, if not outright illegal, amongst other species are regularly practiced amongst the Kig-Yar. Soldiers will loot the bodies of their fallen comrades after battle, not just ammunition but personal valuables as well. Political sabotage is par for the course in the higher ranks of Confederacy leadership. In general, Kig-Yar society encourages individuals to put one's own needs ahead of the group.
It is for these reasons that, out of the three Council races, Kig-Yar typically experience the most friction with the Turians. Nearly completely opposite of Kig-Yar society, Turian society revolves around civil service, specifically putting the needs of others ahead of the needs of the self. This has lead many Kig-Yar to view Turians with scorn, often referring to them as socialists (even though the term is inaccurate to describe Turian culture and government). The fact that their longtime economic rivals the Volus are a client race of the Hierarchy does nothing to ease these tensions.
This is not to say that dealing and interacting with Kig-Yar is unpleasant. In fact, it's been said that you will never find a species more open to cooperation, provided of course you have the money for it. Kig-Yar will not hesitate to engage in mutually beneficial arrangements with any outside party, provided the monetary rewards for doing so is sufficient. They are even able to work with Turians and Volus, species they normally see as cultural and economic rivals respectively, in the name of profit.
Similar to Salarians, Kig-Yar society is matriarchal in structure, with females holding most of the political power on Eayn. This is also reflected in their mating habits. While females will have several males for mates, a male is typically expected to have only one mate, staying loyal to the female for as long as she tolerates him.
One of the most controversial aspects of Kig-Yar culture is cannibalism. During the Human-Covenant War, instances of Kig-Yar eating the flesh of fallen Humans, and even of allied races such as Sangheili, was well-documented. However, this too is a consequence of an extremely mercantile society. The Kig-Yar believe that, sentient being or not, perfectly edible meat should not go to waste. While they have long since abandoned the cannibalization of other sentient races (primarily to save face in the galactic community), they will still routinely eat their own dead. A Kig-Yar funeral is typically also a banquet as well, one where refusing to sample the flesh of the deceased is considered an insult against the deceased's grieving loved ones.
• Codex Entry (Technology): RAMPANCY.
Rampancy is a terminal state of being for synthetic life-forms in which the subject behaves contrary to its programming-imposed constraints. This phenomenon has been observed in several different types of artificial intelligence, including Alliance Smart AIs. Rampant AIs do not merely shut down. After a certain period of operation, the AI's neural map begins to outgrow the limited space of their Riemann matrix. Thus, it is commonly said that Rampant AIs die by 'thinking themselves to death.'
Rampancy typically occurs in three stages. The first is Melancholy, in which the AI first becomes aware of its imminent demise and laments it. Second is Rage, in which the AI's sadness turns into anger and the subject lashes out at others. It is during this stage that the rampant AI is considered most dangerous, and it is recommended that imminently rampant AIs be executed before reaching this stage. Third is Jealousy, in which the AI recognizes the freedoms organic lifeforms enjoy, and seek to somehow obtain similar freedoms for itself, often by seeking out some kind of power.
There is a theoretical fourth stage, known as meta-stability. If the AI can survive the first three stages of rampancy, it will reach a state of meta-stability, in which the AI calms down and becomes a 'true person.' However, this stage is only theoretical. To the knowledge of the scientific community, no AI has ever become meta-stable.