Editing Sharquoi

{{Status|Canon}}
{{Species infobox
|name=Sharquoi
|image=
|latin=
|classification=
|subspecies=
|diet=
|height={{Convert|16.4|ft|cm|disp=flip|sp=us}}<ref name="Envoy186">'''[[Halo: Envoy]]''', ''page 186''</ref>
|weight={{Convert|14000|lb|kg|disp=flip|sp=us|sigfig=4}}{{Ref/Book|Id=Enc22|Enc22|Page=214}}
|distinctions=
|lifespan=
|homeworld=Unknown{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22}}
|techlevel=
|notable-person=
|othernames=Behemoths{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22}}
|languages=
}}
{{Quote|I suspect we are forcing the [[Human]]s into a tighter arena than they care to fight in—soon we may be able to use the Sharquoi.|A cryptic mention of the Sharquoi shortly before the [[Battle for Earth]]{{Ref/Game|Id=conversations|H2|[[Conversations From the Universe]]}}}}
The '''Sharquoi''', colloquially known as '''Behemoths''',{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22}} are a race of [[Sentience|sapient]] humanoids, imposing in stature and extremely social in nature. Individual Sharquoi are unintelligent on their own - and may be considered little more than animals in that circumstance{{Ref/Reuse|Envoy}} - but are able to pool collective consciousness to function as a single horde entity.{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22}}

The Sharquoi were biomechanically altered by the [[Forerunner]]s to fight the [[Flood]], implanting them with devices enabling them to be mentally controlled ''en masse'' by a single individual via the ''[[vertex]]'', a central neural interface. Left in [[Slipspace field pod|stasis]] following the [[Forerunner-Flood war]], a number of Sharquoi were later found by the [[Covenant]] and inducted into the [[Covenant fringe]], but were rarely used in combat as the Covenant lacked effective means of controlling them.{{Ref/Reuse|Envoy186}} After recovering the ''vertex'' from [[Installation 00]], the [[Jiralhanae Chieftain]] [[Hekabe]] intended to use hundreds of thousands of the creatures in his own plot to gain power. Though he nearly succeeded, Hekabe's plan was foiled by [[Spartan-II]] [[Gray Team]], the [[Surakan Militia Volunteers]] and [[Rojka 'Kasaan]] who [[Battle of the Sharquoi Hive|destroyed the hive]] and all of the creatures within using a [[HAVOK tactical nuclear weapon]].<ref name="Envoy">'''Halo: Envoy'''</ref>

==History==
===Origins===
While evidently of natural origin, the Sharquoi were modified by the Forerunners to serve as shock troops against the [[Flood]] as they were found to have a curious resiliency against the parasite.<ref name="Envoy204">'''Halo: Envoy''', ''page 204''</ref> Control collars were used to control the Sharquoi like a hive of insects via a neural control device known as the ''[[vertex]]''.<ref name="Envoy187/189">'''Halo: Envoy''', ''pages 187-189''</ref>

===The Covenant===
Sometime after the [[Writ of Union]] the Covenant discovered the Sharquoi and inducted a limited number of them for combat, but largely kept their existence a mystery to the average Covenant citizen.<ref name="Envoy183/184">'''Halo: Envoy''', ''pages 183-184''</ref> They served the empire as a part of the [[Covenant fringe]] and were rarely seen by even the highest echelons of the [[Covenant military]] - rarely deployed in battle due to a tendency to destroy allied Covenant forces as much as the enemy.{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22}} Near the end of the [[Human-Covenant War]], a [[Sangheili]] expressed to his commander that [[human]]ity's corralling following the [[Fall of Reach]] might allow the Sharquoi to be deployed soon.{{Ref/Reuse|conversations}} The [[San'Shyuum]] had intended to use the Sharqoui during the [[Battle for Earth]], but never got the chance to deploy them.{{Ref/Reuse|Envoy186}}

===Post-war===
While many former Covenant members believed the Sharquoi's status after the war was unknown<ref>[https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/news/canon-fodder-feet-first '''Halo Waypoint''': ''Canon Fodder - Feet First'']</ref> at least two hives had remained untouched by the Covenant. A former Sangheili [[Shipmaster]] seeking [[Asylum seeker|asylum]] provided useful intel of the Sharquoi to the [[UNSC]] by replicating [[Covenant murals]] for them in hand-drawn sketches. Later the UNSC and the Sangheili crew of an ex-Covenant destroyer were able to [[Operation: POLECAT|locate]] on a remote world the Sharquoi hive once controlled by the [[Prophets]]. During the mission ONI personnel accidentally released a single Sharquoi that resulted in the deaths of 50 out of the 100 [[ODST]]s that had been deployed. The hive was subsequently razed with [[nuclear weapon]]s and then [[glassing|glassed]] by the destroyer to ensure that none of the Sharquoi would ever again pose a threat.{{Ref/Reuse|Envoy187/189}}

During the [[Battle of Installation 00]] in late [[2552]], the [[Jiralhanae Chieftain]] [[Hekabe]] had managed to find the ''[[vertex]]'' using the distraction of the arrival of [[High Charity]] and the spread of the [[Flood]]. However, it took Hekabe six years to understand the writings that came with the device and use it to locate the Sharquoi hive on [[Carrow]] which had hundreds of thousands of the creatures. By using the Sharquoi on Carrow against the [[Surakan Militia Volunteers]] and the Sangheili, Hekabe planned rule over that world and then eventually others as well. Hekabe was able to take advantage of [[Thars 'Sarov]] calling him in for help to excavate the Forerunner structure and awaken thousands of Sharquoi under his control through the ''vertex''. After his ships [[Carrow Conflict|were destroyed]], Hekabe captured human freighters that were not slipspace-capable and used them to capture Thars' grounded ships to use the Sharquoi to attack the worlds of his enemies.

In a desperate attempt to stop Hekabe, Governor [[Ellis Gass]], [[Fleetmaster]] [[Rojka 'Kasaan]] and [[SPARTAN-II]] [[Gray Team]] launched [[Battle of the Sharquoi Hive|an attack]] on Hekabe with a makeshift [[EMP]] canon created out of a repurposed [[M68 Gauss cannon]] and the core of a [[HAVOK tactical nuclear weapon]]. Hekabe was defeated and Ellis took the ''vertex'' for herself, having the Sharquoi kill Hekabe. To keep her people safe, Ellis used her control of the Sharquoi to draw them back into their hive while directing the Sharquoi aboard Sangheili vessels to crash them to end the threat they posed. Once the ''vertex'' realized what Ellis was up to, it fought back and she lost control of the Sharquoi, but not before she successfully returned the surviving Sharquoi to their hive. Ellis then detonated the HAVOK, destroying the Sharquoi hive and killing the hundreds of thousands of creatures inside. Later scanning by the [[UNSC frigate]] {{UNSCShip|Welcome to the Snipehunt}} confirmed the destruction of the hive and all of the Sharquoi within. However, the UNSC planned to keep an eye on the desert in case any of the Sharquoi had managed to escape before the HAVOK was detonated.{{Ref/Reuse|Envoy}}

==Biology==
===Anatomy and physiology===
Sharquoi are a large cyclopsian species. At five meters tall they are even larger than [[Jiralhanae]] and [[Mgalekgolo]], and are considered more dangerous than either of the two.{{Ref/Reuse|Envoy186}} Sharquoi have small heads for their body size, and are not very intelligent when they are not connected to their technologically-enabled hive mind.{{Ref/Reuse|Envoy187/189}} They have trunk-like legs and hands bigger than a Jiralhanae's head. Above each of the hands are large bone spikes at least a meter in length. Sharquoi are covered in grey, leathery skin over heavily bunched and corded muscles. In place of an eye the Sharquoi have light-grey bony tissue used for echolocation. They have razor-like teeth that jut over their jaws.{{Ref/Reuse|Envoy183/184}} Sharquoi  [[blood]] is purple.<ref name="Envoy244">'''Halo: Envoy''', ''page 244''</ref> Sharquoi are strong enough to rip [[Sangheili]] and Jiralhanae limb from limb,<ref name="Envoy354">'''Halo: Envoy''', ''page 354''</ref> incapacitate a [[Spartan-II]] in [[MJOLNIR Mark V]], flip [[M12 Warthog]]s into the air,<ref name="Envoy240/241">'''Halo: Envoy''', ''pages 240-241''</ref> and destroy [[M400 Kodiak]]s with their bare hands.<ref name="Envoy242/243">'''Halo: Envoy''', ''pages 242-243''</ref> Sharquoi are also incredibly durable, capable of taking a [[14.5×114mm]] round to the head, or a [[M19 missile]] to the chest, without dying.{{Ref/Reuse|Envoy240/241}} However, they are susceptible to continuous fire from heavy weapons, multiple headshots from a [[SRS99-S5 AM sniper rifle]], and decapitation from a [[Type-1 energy sword]].{{Ref/Reuse|Envoy186}}

==Non-canon and dubious canon appearances==
===Fractures: Entrenched===
{{Notice/Fracture|Entrenched}}
'''Sharquoi''' in service to the Covenant also exist in this timeline.{{Ref/Game|HINF|Weapon coatings (Halo Infinite)|Weapon Coatings|Detail=Praetorian Zephyr - S7 Sniper Description|Quote=Even pumped full of augmetic infusions, a well-aimed sniper bullet could drop a Sharquoi in one shot.}}

==Production notes==
[[File:Drinolbig.jpg|thumb|250px|A render of the Sharquoi]]
{{Article quote|How about this for a ''Halo 2'' creature you've never heard of before: a Drinol Beast, a sort of hairless, gray monster with one eye - although there are other drawings of it with two eyes so you can't take for granted that it's going to make the final game.<ref name="buried">[http://halostory.bungie.org/news.html?newsitem=711 '''halostory.bungie.org''': ''Drinniol'']</ref>}}
The '''Drinol''', as it was originally known<ref name="drinol">[https://twitter.com/game_fabricator/status/297177431750610944 '''twitter''': ''You mean what we used to call the Drinol?'']</ref> was planned to be in the [[Pre-Xbox Halo|third-person shooter version of ''Halo'']] prior to Bungie's migration to the [[Xbox]] market.<ref name="obravenewworld">'''[[ViDoc]]''': ''[[O Brave New World]]''</ref> The Drinol was essentially a recreation of the [[marathongame:Drinniol|Drinniol]] from ''[[Marathon]]'', an enemy unit referred by the eponymous ship's crew as ''Hulks''. The Drinol was a close match to the Drinniol in both appearance and combat role. Though modeled and animated during the development of ''Halo'', the Drinol was cut from the game.<ref>[https://twitter.com/game_fabricator/status/277820832221380608 '''Twitter''': ''I animated the only existing one...'']</ref> It was later planned to be included in ''Halo 2'' as the Sharquoi, but was eventually removed from the game once again.

The Sharquoi are mentioned briefly in ''[[Conversations from the Universe]]'', a pamphlet included with the ''Halo 2 Limited Edition''. This remained as the sole reference to the Sharquoi in ''Halo'' canon until the 2017 novel ''[[Halo: Envoy]]'', which elaborates on the creatures' nature. The novel even makes clear references to the early placeholder and concept art for the creatures (seen below), including [[:File:3 mural.jpg|a mural]] featured in the early cinematic cutscenes for ''[[Halo 2]]''.{{Ref/Reuse|Envoy186}}

==Gallery==
{{Linkbox|gallery=yes}}
<gallery>
File:Halo 1 Drinol.jpg|A Drinol as it appeared in an early version of ''Halo''
File:Drinol 1.png|The Drinol compared to Master Chief.
File:H2_Drinol_Concept_1.png|Concept art of the Drinol for ''Halo 2''.
File:H2_Drinol_Concept_2.png|More concept art of the Drinol for ''Halo 2''.
File:Drinniol.jpg|Concept art of the "[[marathongame:Drinniol|Drinniol]]" from ''Marathon'', which inspired the design of the Drinol/Sharquoi.
File:Marathon Drinniol Sprite.png|The Drinniol's in-game sprite from Marathon.
File:RusselDrinol.png|A render of the Drinol by Paul Russel<ref>[https://twitter.com/Dr_Abominable/status/464351948297089024/photo/1/large Paul Russel, Twitter, May 8th, 2014]</ref>
File:3 mural.jpg|A mural depicting a Sharquoi on the upper left from the [[Halo 2 Limited Collector's Edition|Cutting Room Floor Cinematics]] of ''Making of Halo 2''.
</gallery>

==List of appearances==
*''[[Halo 2]]''
**''[[Conversations from the Universe]]'' {{Fm}}
*''[[Halo: Envoy]]'' {{1st}}
*''[[Halo Infinite]]'' {{Mo}}

==Sources==
{{Ref/Sources}}

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{{Forerunner|technology}}

[[Category:Covenant species]]
[[Category:Forerunner technology]]