Unggoy: Difference between revisions

The '''Unggoy'''<ref>'''[[Halo: Ghosts of Onyx]]''', page 191 - ''"Unggoy: the Elite name for the Grunt race."''</ref> (Latin, ''Monachus frigus'', meaning "cold monk") are a species of small, squat bipedal arthropods in the unified races of the [[Covenant Empire|Covenant]]. They are the lowest rank in the hierarchy, and are frequently mistreated by higher-ranking races like the Sangheili and Jiralhanae,so much so that killing Unggoy is not even considered a crime in the Covenant homeworlds. They are sometimes killed for cowardice.{{verify}} Unggoy are primarily used as laborers or, in combat situations, cannon fodder. They are one of the later races to be introduced into the Covenant. They were the third Covenant species to be encountered by [[human]]s. They are referred to as '''Grunts''' by humans, both because they are weaker than their superiors and because they perform the majority of the labor required by the Covenant.

The Unggoy obey other Covenant races out of fear more than religious faith. They have next to no political power in the Covenant; the highest political rank available to an Unggoy is [[Deacon]]. However, within the Grunt community there is a strong resentment of other species, ''especially'' Jackals. At one point in the Covenant's history, in the [[39th Age of Conflict]], there was a Grunt Rebellion, where the conflict between the Grunts and Jackals escalated. Eventually, the conflict quelled, thanks in part to an unknown [[Arbiter (Title)|Arbiter]], who was called upon during that period for that purpose. Even though losses were great for the Unggoy, this dissent meant that the Grunts remained at the lowest echelon of the Covenant. The low rank of the Unggoy, as well as the aforementioned war, also led to a lack of political loyalty during the [[Great Schism]], as the Grunts did not ally with a particular side, and stayed with whoever commanded them, most likely out of subservient fear to their current masters. However, many of those serving under the Jiralhanae still held support for the Sangheili and revered [[Thel 'Vadam|the Arbiter]], pointing out to their comrades that they once served under him.

They are unusual in the sense that they breathe [[methane]] rather than [[oxygen]]. Their combat armor/harness has an integrated methane re-breather system, as Grunts appear to be unable to survive long without methane due to asphyxiation much like humans without oxygen, yet in ''Halo 3'', knocking the methane tank off of them by forcefully assassinating will still cause them to linger around for a long period of time.

While not overly intelligent or creative on the battlefield, they are one of the most gregarious and sociable of the Covenant races as they possess a very strong pack mentality, often associating with each other in groups.<ref group="notes">The intelligence of Grunts has often been hotly debated, as much of the source material contradicts one another. In the [[Eric Nylund]] novels, they have been described as dog-like and animalistic; however, at rare moments, they are described as intelligent, such as Kwassass, who inadvertently activated a pre-recorded message and was able to understand Admiral [[Danforth Whitcomb|Whitcomb]]'s threat and realise that it was formerly connected to a bomb.. In ''[[Halo: The Flood]]'', Grunts are shown to be much more intelligent, pulling off military maneuvers and other actions, such as their attempt to put a grenade into [[John-117]]'s suit; furthermore, [[Yayap]], who has a higher-than normal-intelligence for a Grunt, though he may have been one of many not mentioned in the novels or games. In game, their battlefield tactics are rather simplistic, but they are more than capable of using a variety of weapons. In ''[[Halo 2]]'' and ''[[Halo 3]]'' pilot vehicles such as the [[Ghost]] and [[Shade]]. It is also worth considering that as a slave race, they are most likely left untrained and uneducated to make them easy to control. Grunts seem to outnumber the other races to a large degree and might offer impressive resistance if properly organized. Grunts have been called "cannon fodder" because their [[Sangheili]] or [[Jiralhanae]] leaders will often send them out to serve as a distraction, rather than actually having them effectively engage an enemy in combat. Therefore, it can be said that Grunts are intelligent, but their low status does not allow them to fully utilize this intelligence.</ref> This allows for their sense of cultural identity to remain, despite their extreme subservience to the other races of the Covenant. Grunts have been shown to gamble with each other and often play games; [[Hunting Rock|one in particular]] has two Grunts compete to kill the most [[Scrub Grub]]s.

Grunts generally follow a few short, simple guidelines given to them by the Elites; namely ''"when in doubt, shoot"'' or ''"stay out of the way, live another day."'' Despite being held in low stature in the Covenant, Grunts appear to be strong followers of their religion. Their Deacons will often hold sermons onboard ships to boost the morale and teach the Unggoy onboard about the Covenant. For example, a Deacon named Dadab gave sermons and taught the Unggoy onboard a Jiralhanae Cruiser about the Covenant and its religions. The Jiralhanae let Dadab do this because they believed that it would help the Grunts be more competent and helpful.

Grunts are about 5 1/2 feet tall on average and are relatively weak compared to other Covenant species. Although they can easily walk upright on two legs, they are often seen using their arms to move in a quadrupedal fashion. While carrying armaments, they are forced to walk upright so that they may support their weapons with their hands, but while trying to flee, or while patrolling without a weapon drawn, they use their oversized arms as forelegs to add speed or stability to their gait. Grunts have average eyesight and hearing, and seem to have a very well developed sense of smell, sometimes sniffing the air to detect traces of foes or hidden enemies.<ref>'''Halo 2''', level ''[[The Arbiter (Level)|The Arbiter]]''</ref> This is facilitated through the olfactory membranes installed in their masks.

Grunts' forearms are incredibly over-sized, as are their calves, while their upper arms and thighs are incredibly minute. This has allowed them to be quite excellent climbers, as discovered in ''[[Halo: Contact Harvest]]''. Spiny protrusions on their elbows help Unggoy scale rocky surfaces and may also be used to add force to their melee attacks. They also have very good finger reflexes, as they can fire a [[Plasma Pistol]] at the same rate an Elite can with a [[Plasma Rifle]].