Jiralhanae

The **Jiralhanae** (*Servus ferox*) are a sapient mammalian species, the most recent to join the Covenant, after suffering a war that nearly destroyed their way of life.

## History

While commonly regarded as a savage species, Jiralhanae proved intelligent enough to achieve space travel. However, their warlike nature inevitably led them into conflict, and eventually the various Jiralhanae master-packs — belonging into either of the Jiralhanae's two main social divisions, the Rh'tol and Vheiloth skeins, fell into a massive war known as the First Immolation due to multiple failures to keep the peace. This mechanized war of attrition lasted a decade and eventually led to the use of nuclear weapons that devastated Doisac. The aftermaths of both the war and nuclear holocaust that followed nearly led the Jiralhanae to become extinct and caused the collapse of their society along with much of their history being lost. The survivors of this catastrophe regressed into a more primitive state with many tribes forming to take advantage and adapt to their new lifestyle with only old industrial level tech available for use. The Jiralhanae do recall facing offworld alien hunters with advanced technology who hunted them out as prey and stories of these fights mainly ended with one or both combatants dying with glory. By the time the Covenant discovered the Jiralhanae they had just rediscovered radio and rocketry. Although some Jiralhanae were quick to join the Covenant such as those led by chieftain named Maccabeus, others put up resistance against the invading alien hegemony not wanting to accept their way of life and technology in favor of their own freedom or pride. In their primitive state those resisting the Covenant were quickly defeated by the Covenant military and later absorbed into the Covenant as the newest members. The Jiralhanae's search for theological meaning led to the species' swift incorporation into the Covenant as they adopted the empire's religion and began worshiping the Forerunners too.

Immediately after the Jiralhanae were absorbed into the Covenant, a group of Sangheili commanders went before the High Council and claimed that the Jiralhanae's pack mentality and dangerous ambitions would inevitably bring conflict between the two species and spark chaos throughout the Covenant. Citing the Jiralhanae's natural instincts to fight to the top of any hierarchy, the Sangheili commanders proposed that any peaceful "urges" that the Jiralhanae exhibited should be "aggressively encouraged". The High Council believed that the argument was fair, and began to impose restrictions on the technology the Jiralhanae could access and settled Jiralhanae on worlds rich in resources to guard them from anyone seeking to claim them for themselves, yet the Jiralhanae were given no capability to mine the resources for themselves ensuring that the Covenant had secure control over the resources. The Jiralhanae were made part of the Covenant military as heavy infantry and shock troops. Most of the Jiralhanae roles within the Covenant were only mere extensions of their own clan-based organizational structure, albeit more formalized under the Covenant's rule. Although this ruling was meant to curb the enmity between the Sangheili and Jiralhanae, a feud between the two species continued

The Citadel Council hearing of this and the Salarions make very shocking comparisons to their own experience with the Krogan made some very frightening calculations. They would attempt to try and sow discontent within the Jiralhanae like they had done with the Unggoy, but the Jiralhanae were too deeply loyal to the San’Shyuum and the Covenant so these efforts ended in failure with some brutally made examples of. The Jiralhanae’s savagery and brutality was made known throughout the galaxy in both Citadel space, Covenant space, Federation space, and even in the Terminus Systems.

**Human-Covenant War**

Jiralhanae troops fought in many battles throughout the Human-Covenant War, including the first conflict on Harvest and the invasion of Reach. While effective combatants, they remained subordinate to the Sangheili, who continued to regard the Jiralhanae with near-universal disdain. The humans would call the Jiralhanae Brutes for how they brutally and barbarically treated humans as prisoners and on the battlefield. The Jiralhanae throughout the duration of the war were grasping more and more favor from the San’Shyuum with even the Chieftain of the Jiralhanae Tartarus acting as the Prophet of Truth’s right hand.

Though as the Jiralhanae climbed higher in the Covenant one would bring about a black mark on their people with his daring bold act of defiance against the Covenant and his name was Atriox, the founding leader of the Banished. Atriox and his Jiralhanae followers would rebel and make attacks on the Covenant while managing to evade the full wrath of the Covenant despite their best efforts to do so and thus Jiralhanae and others in the Covenant would view them as traitors and support the Sangheili’s concerns concerning Jiralhanae loyalty. Yet despite this the Jiralhanae continued to serve the San’Shyuum as faithful devoted followers ever seeking to become their new escorts on the Great Journey instead of their hated rivals. When Jiralhanae fought on the battlefield with their packs they often threw themselves at enemy lines resulting in their first and main tactics of literally solving a problem by beating it down with your fists and hammers. When they acquired prisoners the Jiralhanae not only would interrogate them but either devour them and/or hunt them down for sport. These acts definitely has lead to a harsh perspective on those in the galactic community such as the Citadel Council seeing the Jiralhanae as literally the personified embodiment of the Covenant’s true face and what they have turned their members into.....blind obedient puppets of the Prophets. In recent years the Jiralhanae are slowly being placed in higher positions and giving them greater allowances than Sangheili troops would receive which is leading to wild theories such as the San’Shyuum favoring them over the Sangheili which would violate the Writ of Union. For now the Jiralhanae are pitted against the toughest of engagements and their foes likewise strong such as Krogan mercenaries where their strength is needed to overpower the enemy. Certain Jiralhanae clans were chosen to send 40 of their warriors to charge into the frontline where they would constantly be throwing themselves to enemy fire till either they won or till the last of them fell in battle.

## Culture and society

**Society**

* **Skeins** are the largest social division of Jiralhanae, "meta-clans" formed out of multiple packs sharing a similar philosophy and interests. A given skein is dominated by the most powerful clan within. During the First Immolation, most Jiralhanae fell into one of two dominant skeins known as the Rh'tol and the Vheiloth. The two skeins display stark cultural and political differences: the Rh'tol are considered more primitive and aggressive, while the Vheiloth are generally more sophisticated and open to new ideas.
* **Alpha Tribes** and **master-packs** are seemingly dominant clans or groupings consisting of multiple packs. Prior to contact with the Covenant, rival master-packs reduced Jiralhanae society to a pre-industrial level through warfare.
* **Packs** range in size and importance, with less important packs made up largely of Unggoy or Kig-Yar forces and led by a low-ranked Jiralhanae, and more important packs led by War Chieftains and comprised of more experienced veteran Jiralhanae bodyguards

**Covenant Role**