Unggoy

The **Unggoy** (*Monachus frigus*) are a sapient xeno-arthropodal vertebroid species, the lowest in the caste system of the Covenant.

## Biology

Unggoy, unlike most sapients, breathe methane

high birth rate

## History

After the reseeding of the galaxy after the activation of the Halo array, but prior to discovery by the Covenant, the Unggoy had only managed to reach the level of an agrarian society. Their buildings were mainly built underground as a means of protection against larger creatures as seen in their architecture.

**Discovery by the Covenant**

In 2042, the Unggoy nearly immediately submitted to the Covenant. The Unggoy were placed into the same societal caste as the Kig-Yar, but due to their relatively strong bodies, were put to work as laborers. In cases of combt, they were used as unarmed cannon fodder, a fact which to the Citadel Council viewed as an utterly barbaric and a cruel way to use another species. Back on Balaho, after the Unggoy joined the Covenant they constructed new and more buildings under the order of the prophets.

**Unggoy Rebellion**

Due to their extremely high birth rate, the constant, rapid increase of Unggoy numbers came to have a severely negative effect on the Kig-Yar, often forcing to move and relocate homes many times to accommodate Unggoy, being one of the primary reasons for animosity between the two races. In the case of the Unggoy, the problem they faced was the lack of attention and respect in their role in the Covenant. The Salarian Special Tasks Group saw this fracture as an opportunity, and decided to manipulate the Unggoy, planting the seed of rebellion in their minds. Many Unggoy were confused, and doubting the Salarians, until some of the more radical Kig-Yar poisoned the Unggoy infusion resources, recreational narcotics used in the Unggoy's portable methane supplies as revenge for their homes lost. The poison had the effect of rendering Unggoy males sterile. When brought before the High Council, they did little to remedy the situation.

The incident was the final straw. Twenty years after their induction into the Covenant, the Unggoy rebelled. At the Salarians' urging, the Unggoy began to attack not only the Kig-Yar, but all other races in the Covenant. Conflict spread throughout the lower districts of High Charity, as Sangheili and Kig-Yar forces attempted to quell resistance, however the species' immense numbers and tenacious behavior made the Unggoy very difficult to defeat. The growing intensity of the rebellion forced the Hierarchs to instate an Arbiter. This Arbiter made the decision to glass Balaho with a Covenant fleet. The Unggoy within the lower districts of High Charity were forced to watch as multiple *CAS*-class assault carriers began to glass Unggoy tribes on the planet. Horrified at the turn of events, the Unggoy surrendered. The Covenant fleet ended the glassing, leaving Balaho largely intact.

The Arbiter returned to High Charity and the surviving Unggoy in the holy city were absolved from their acts during the rebellion. Following their warrior tradition, the Sangheili commanders who had defeated the uprising quickly forgave the surviving Unggoy fighters and awarded them for their courage and "warrior spirit". The Sangheili would then integrate the Unggoy into formerly Sangheili-only units, elevating them from unarmed cannon fodder as which they had previously served as to full-fledged infantry forces. Despite this, the war kept the Unggoy in a lowly position within the Covenant. Additionally, despite gaining many new rights, the Unggoy's representation on the High Council by the Ministry of Concert remained largely powerless.

**Human-Covenant War**

As of the Human-Covenant War, the Unggoy became the most numerous race in the military, and as such, the most often seen by other species. Their breeding rate proved pivotal in the war, using wave tactics to overwhelm the opposition. Unggoy tactics also included many suicide squads or the need to preform labor in the excavation of Forerunner artifacts. The Unggoy, or grunts as the humans call them, faced massive casualties especially since they were killed by both the enemy and ally for various reasons such as aggravation or friendly fire. Unlike the rest of the Covenant either driven by faith or benefits the Unggoy were purely on by fear of what their superiors would do to them if they either failed or were not doing the tasks they were given.

## Culture and society

Due to Covenant integration the Unggoy lost most of their culture yet they did manage to keep something to try and remind themselves of who they are such as for their love and appreciation for music. The Unggoy live in small tribes lead by matriarchs. Unggoy families are polyamorous with for example several male and female Unggoy living together under one roof. All Unggoy favor the idea that their species is embodied by three pillars which are ruggedness, agility, and lethality. Though in Unggoy philosophy one of the most famous of quotes is this; “When in doubt, flee.” While the Sangheili have the Arbiter and the Jiralhanae their legendary chieftains the Unggoy have their own revered historical heroes such as the wise Ang'napnap the Enlightened, the charismatic Awlphhum Who Became Tolerable, and the strategist Yayep the Archdeacon of Indolence for these help motivate the Unggoy and serve as important figures in dark times. Such dark times were most common on their homeworld when the winter seasons began they constantly produced food so they could last through those seasons, but on a nearly-daily basis if there was any corpses that succumbed to the plagues of their world the Unggoy would immediately burn the corpses to prevent it from spreading to any more of their people. These problems and others would be solved when they were assimilated into the Covenant though not all of their problems would be solved so easily. The Unggoy do take in interests to other cultures such as the humans. As the Human-Covenant raged in order for the Unggoy to see or experience such things they utilized their own version of a black market where they traded human communication files like as soap operas and sitcoms for each buyer to enjoy without Covenant oversight but the penalty when they were caught was most severe. Unggoy would often gamble with each other and often play games like hunting rock, a game which has two Unggoy compete to kill the most scrub grubs with the winner getting a prize. To pass the time or when extremely bored many Unggoy used infusions, recreational narcotics, either adding them to their portable methane tanks or sucking them on tubes to get high and relax.

**Covenant**

Despite the strength an Unggoy may possess the others such as the San’Shyuum viewed the Unggoy as very stupid. Cause of this they are generally forced to serve in laboring positions or deployed into battle as living cannon fodder. That tactic meant the Unggoy are often deployed as the first wave of attack in ground campaigns or even deployed in high numbers to undertake various types of operations. Most Unggoy that served aboard Covenant warships are tasked with monitoring human communications, leading to most them having a better grasp on the one human language known as English than other species of the Covenant. The lower districts of High Charity housed a massive Unggoy population; the Unggoy-inhabited portion of the districts are methane-rich so the Unggoy did not require methane tanks to breathe.

The reason for their lowly position within the Covenant was based on racial bias instead of their inherent abilities. Unggoy were not represented on the High Council, but were instead vetted by the Ministry of Concert though it was very poorly. They were constantly mistreated by nearly every client species of the Covenant except the Huragok. Unggoy are treated as second-class citizens within Covenant society in addition to them having a particularly tense relationship with the Kig-Yar. Despite both species have similar standings, the Kig-Yar were granted more independence and often favored over the Unggoy by other individuals in the Covenant. Unggoy were expected to revere Sangheili as the near-divine protectors of the San'Shyuum, however many of them despised the Sangheili due to the mistreatment their race. While Unggoy were essentially a slave race they have managed to largely retain their cultural identities, and have rebelled in the past more than once against the Covenant. Before the Unggoy Rebellion, Unggoy were not given the right to use weapons in battle, but that changed for the rebellion proved to the Sangheili that Unggoy could be determined and competent fighters thus they were given better training, weaponry, and integrated into formerly Sangheili-only units. Within the Unggoy community there is a general strong hatred of the other Covenant species due to the fear they face. This causes many Unggoy to believe that someday a dynamic grunt will lead them to freedom on a methane-rich paradise world.

Unggoy generally followed a few short, simple guidelines given to them by the Sangheili; for example, "When in doubt, shoot" or "Stay out of the way, live another day". Despite being held in low regard by the Covenant, many Unggoy are strong followers of the Covenant religion and the Great Journey. Their Deacons would often hold sermons onboard ships to boost the morale and teach the Unggoy onboard about the Covenant. The crew would allow the Deacons to give sermons and teach the Unggoy on board believing that these teachings would help the other Unggoy become more competent and helpful.