San 'Shyuum

**Name**: San'Shyuum
**Dice**: 12D
**Dexterity**: 1D / 3D+1
**Knowledge**: 1D / 4D+2
**Mechanical**: 1D / 4D
**Perception**: 1D / 4D+1
**Strength**: 1D / 2D+2
**Technical**: 1D / 4D+1

**Move**: 8 / 10
**Size**: 2.0 - 2.4 meters
**Weight**: 80 - 100 kg

**Special Abilities**:

* None

**Description**: *“Who would doubt the Prophets? What have we foretold that has not come to pass?”*
— Prophet of Truth

San 'Shyuum (Latin Perfidia vermis, meaning "Worms of Treachery"), also known as Prophets by the Humans, are a species who were the leadership caste within the Covenant, and one of the more mysterious member races of the hierarchy. Prophets appear to exert complete control over religious and political affairs, thus fulfilling their role as leaders. The Prophets enforce a misguided theology based on the false belief that firing the Halo Array will start the Great Journey, transcending them into a god-like status. Although physically frail compared to other Covenant species, they wield near absolute power over the Covenant. They have a strong religious importance throughout the Covenant Hierarchy.

**Summary**

Originating from Janjur Qom, the San 'Shyuum are the religious leaders and commanding caste of the Covenant hierarchy. They hold a vital position in the Covenant, because they are responsible for studying the holy Forerunner artifacts and putting them to use to develop new technology. They are an integral part of the Covenant High Council, formerly sharing this responsibility with the Sangheili and later the Jiralhanae. At any given time, the Covenant is headed by a triumvirate of Prophets. The Prophet triumvirates known in recent years were Obligation, Tolerance and Restraint, and most recently Truth, Mercy and Regret, all of whom are now deceased. Regret was killed by John-117 on Delta Halo, Mercy by the Flood on High Charity, and Truth by Thel 'Vadam in the long range beacon on the Ark.

Prophets are extremely frail, possibly due to being adapted for a low-gravity environment. The supplemental book incorporated in the Halo 3 Collector's and Legendary Edition suggests that inbreeding and a lack of concern for physical health, perhaps superseded by the single-minded desire to achieve "trans-sentience" (Also known as the "Great Journey"), is probably responsible for this outcome.

It is known that they claim to have evolved on a former colony of an ancient race called the Forerunners which the Covenant revere as their gods. According to the Prophets their world was destroyed some 3200 years ago (approx. 648 BCE). This was the result of a natural stellar collapse. Because of this, they have made their new home world the mobile-planetoid, High Charity. It is also known that they waged a fierce and bloody war against the Sangheili at some point. This was only halted by their realization that war would never come to an end. The two races united to learn their secrets, forming a mutually beneficial arrangement that would eventually become the Covenant. They usually see themselves above the Sangheili however. The Sangheili would become the protectors of the Prophets while the Prophets would dedicate themselves to studying their "gods" and learning the secrets behind the "ascension" they left on.

As the representatives of the gods, the Prophets hold a great amount of power over the other races of the Covenant. They earned reverential titles such as "Holy One" and "Eminence". They are protected at all times by the mighty Legions of Sangheili Honor Guardsmen, and rarely involve themselves in combat. They prefer to dedicate themselves to studying Forerunner artifacts. However, important events to the Covenant usually require a high-ranking Prophet, such as a Hierarch, to be present.

The majority of the Prophets use anti-gravity belts to support themselves. Higher ranking Prophets, such as the Hierarchs (a group of three Prophets with total control of the Covenant), use anti-gravity thrones to support themselves. These however, are not so much for support as they are for personal defense - they are fitted with holographic emitters, an energy shield generator, a teleportation device, and a built-in Gravity cannon. In the event of assassins getting past their guards, they are able to defend themselves quite well with the Gravity cannon.

Since the activation of the Halo Array, the Prophet's numbers have been dwindling, with the destruction of their original homeworld 3200 years before the events of 2552 likely contributing. At the time of 2552, there were only 23,831,463 Prophets existing. After the Flood invasion of High Charity, their new "Home World," the majority of their species was consumed, leaving less than a thousand alive. Most were doomed by the Sangheili's quarantine of Delta Halo and the rest of the Covenant Fleet.

**Anatomy and Physiology**

While little is known of the San 'Shyuum homeworld, what is known is that its gravity was lower than Earth's. Because of this, and their status of political figureheads who perform little physical work, most Prophets are physically frail creatures. They prefer to move around using anti-gravity technology. A life of physical inactivity leaves most if not all Prophets withered and weak. They are capable of moving unaided, however: In the Halo 3 level The Covenant, the Prophet of Truth is seen walking for a short amount of time, as well as firing a Jiralhanae Spiker. During the time of the Human-San 'Shyuum alliance, younger San 'Shyuum were considered to be physically attractive beings by Forerunner standards, as well as capable warriors.

Each Prophet has distinct, often fur-covered lobes of skin hanging underneath their chin similar to a beard, known as "wattles". Prophets of greater age, for example the High Prophet of Mercy, have skin lobes on either side of their heads reminiscent of ears; despite this resemblance, the San 'Shyuum actually receive sound at the back of the head. Older Prophets, such as the Prophet of Mercy, appear to lose the pigment in their skin as they age and turn a shade of grey, then white. Prophets have three digits on each hand, and are usually found wearing ornamental pieces that may also double as life support systems. These head-pieces bear a holographic representation of a Halo (indicating that the Covenant have known about the Halo rings for much longer than originally thought), but each is uniquely shaped and highly ornamental. However San 'Shyuum Councilors have been seen wearing more functional robes that lack any ornamentation whatsoever. These Prophets have a lower status and, as a result, wear simple robes and can be found on the seating above the Council Chamber accompanying Sangheili Sangheili Councilors.

The lifespan of a Prophet appears to be extensive, largely through the development of technologies to increase it. Such a process began in about 1552. The San 'Shyuum have put considerable effort into the increase of lifespan of their own species, as more than a quarter of their population are now super-bicentenarians.

**Culture**

Little is known about the culture of the San 'Shyuum. In an unknown time, before the Covenant was formed, a thousand or so pro-technology Prophets called Reformists left their homeworld in the Forerunner Dreadnaught, leaving the anti-tech Stoics, stranded. The resulting calamity meant that the Covenant San 'Shyuum population was reduced to a few thousand, forcing the species to carefully manage their gene pool to prevent the loss of beneficial genes and the introduction of undesirable traits, with individuals possessing negative recessive traits placed in the Roll of Celibates to prevent their breeding. The Prophet of Truth is on such a list. However, if they should have such sexual urges, the Prophets will use concubines. If such a pregnancy should occur, however, they must be aborted, or the children will be killed at birth and the father sterilized.

It is known that the fertility cycles of female San 'Shyuum are short and few and far between, which would make it difficult for San 'Shyuum to have children. As a result, they would hold a celebration called a Birthing Period when a child was conceived, which was very uncommon.

With regards to naming practices, each San 'Shyuum has a given name and a family name. However, once they rise to a certain level in the bureaucracy, they prefer to be addressed by their title. Upon their ascension, Hierarchs may select a regal name from a list of former High Prophets. For example, the Prophet Hod Rumnt is always addressed by his titles, such as Philologist or his regal name, the Prophet of Mercy.

**Source**:

* Halo Wiki: San'Shyuum
* thedemonapostle