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Servants of the Abiding Truth

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Servants of the Abiding Truth

Neru Pe 'Odosima

Societal overview

Capital:

Ontom, Sangheilios

Official language(s):

Sangheili

Official religion(s):

Pre-Covenant Sangheili beliefs; worship of the Forerunners

Notable event(s):

Started the Sangheili civil war

Historical overview

Formation:

Formed around 852 BCE

Affiliation:

Office of Naval Intelligence

 

"We do not allow blasphemers to live. The gods demand a return to piety. Truth abides."
— A message left by the Servants after the attack on Relon keep[1]

The Servants of the Abiding Truth (Neru Pe 'Odosima in an archaic dialect of Sangheili), sometimes shortened to the Abiding Truth, are an ancient religious order of Sangheili fundamentalists who follow their species' pre-Covenant religious beliefs. Following the Great Schism and the fall of the Covenant, the Abiding Truth became one of the more prominent splinter groups among the Sangheili.[2] Arbiter Thel 'Vadam and his allies take a view towards the Servants that the order considers to be blasphemous. With aid from the United Nations Space Command's Office of Naval Intelligence, the Servants of the Abiding Truth successfully incited an insurrection against 'Vadam's forces in 2553.[3]

The Servants' headquarters is a Forerunner structure known as the Temple of the Abiding Truth, located in the city-state of Ontom. The Servants converted their temple into a weapons cache and base of operations during their rebellion against Thel 'Vadam.

Avu Med 'Telcam, known as "the Bishop" by ONI forces, is the leader and main representative for the Servants of the Abiding Truth.[2]

History

The Servants of the Abiding Truth was formed following the establishment of the Covenant in 852 BCE. The organization originally consisted of Sangheili that hid Forerunner artifacts from the San 'Shyuum. The order was still existent during and after the Human-Covenant War.[4] After the war, the Abiding Truth, now a militant cult under the leadership of former Field Master Avu Med 'Telcam, coordinated their operations and stored large amounts of their arms and equipment in the Temple of the Abiding Truth.[5] Although the members of the Abiding Truth believed that the Covenant's Prophets had been false, they felt that the Forerunners were still gods and demanded reverence and respect. Consequently, they believed that Thel 'Vadam and those loyal to him were committing blasphemy by saying otherwise.[6]

In January 2553, the United Nations Space Command's Office of Naval Intelligence organized a meeting between 'Telcam and Captain Serin Osman, along with Professor Evan Phillips on the glassed New Llanelli. The purpose of the meeting was to negotiate terms of cooperation between ONI and the Servants of the Abiding Truth, as ONI wished to create unrest amongst the Sangheili and thereby remove them as a threat to the UNSC and humanity. 'Telcam agreed to accept ONI's assistance on the condition that the UNSC ceased to "blaspheme" the divinity of the Forerunners, and that humanity would remain uninvolved with Sangheili affairs following the Servants' successful takeover of Sangheili society - terms to which Osman agreed.[7] 'Telcam met with ONI operatives again on New Llanelli, where he received a shipment of human and Sangheili weaponry to support his forces. However, he was questioning what Osman's real plan was.[8] After Relon had decided to demolish a Forerunner monument on his farmland, the Servants saw this as blasphemy, and they soon destroyed his keep with a Spirit. Relon and his brother, Jalam, were killed and hung. The Servants left a message on their mutilated corpses to deter anyone else from such acts.[9]

Meeting with Forze 'Mdama and Jul 'Mdama in the state of Ontom, 'Telcam took them on a tour of the Temple of the Abiding Truth, pointing out the symbols that may lead to the Halo Array.[10] In March 2553, Jiralhanae servants in the state of Ontom launched insurgent attacks, which resulted in the death of dozens of Sangheili. Their revolt was quickly quelled by the city militia. This led 'Telcam to the decision for an immediate assault on Vadam. Along with nine ships and forces from Nuan keep and Rtova keep, 'Telcam commanded the assault from the frigate Unflinching Resolve.[11] Eventually, the Unflinching Resolve suffered a direct hit and crash landed. Despite being caught off-guard it appeared as though the Arbiter would be victorious, however, news spread that he allowed humans to land on Sanghelios; this caused many keeps to ally with the Servants of Abiding Truth and the tide turned in their favor. The Arbiter was caught off guard and when his own reinforcements couldn't arrive on time, he reluctantly accepted Admiral Terrence Hood's offer for help in fending off the attackers. The tide turned when UNSC Infinity arrived over Sanghelios and destroyed the rebel destroyer Defender of Faith before finishing off the rebel ground forces with a MAC round.[12] The UNSC Port Stanley, posed as a Kig-Yar pirate ship, destroyed a few of 'Vadam's ships in order to maintain the stalemate between the two factions, leaving the Arbiter with a Pyrrhic victory.

After the battle, 'Telcam fled to New Llanelli. Due to a lack of ships, 'Telcam put out a reward to the Kig-Yar to find the ship Pious Inquisitor.[13] A shipmistress known as Chol Von soon took his offer, although she secretly planned to take the ship for herself and use it as a means to defend the Kig-Yar from external threats.

Some time later, 'Telcam once again met members of Kilo-Five on New Llanelli, this time receiving Dr. Evan Phillips' notes on the Forerunner temple at Ontom for the religious significance they held. In return, 'Telcam provided information on the status of his civil war, the disappearance of Jul 'Mdama, and Pious Inquisitor.[14]

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Notable individuals

List of appearances

Sources

  1. ^ Halo: Glasslands, page 95
  2. ^ a b Official Xbox Magazine: Halo - The 10th Anniversary — Glasslands excerpt
  3. ^ Halo: The Thursday War
  4. ^ Halo: Glasslands, page 19
  5. ^ Halo: Glasslands, pages 138-139
  6. ^ Halo: Glasslands, page 20
  7. ^ Halo: Glasslands, page 23
  8. ^ Halo: Glasslands, page 133
  9. ^ Halo: Glasslands, pages 91-95
  10. ^ Halo: Glasslands, page 177
  11. ^ Halo: The Thursday War, page 114
  12. ^ Halo: The Thursday War, page 302
  13. ^ Halo: Mortal Dictata, Chapter 3
  14. ^ Halo: Mortal Dictata, pages 118-124

Polities, organizations, and civilizations
Contemporary
Interstellar/Interplanetary organizations Banished • Covenant • Swords of Sanghelios • Created • Children of Oth Sonin • Concert of Worlds • Frieden • Insurrectionists (Arcadia/Harvest • New Colonial Alliance • People's Occupation • People's Occupation Government • Secessionist Union (Eridanus secessionists) • United Rebel Front) Koslovics • San'Shyuum flotilla (Dhas Bhasvod's Covenant • Tem'Bhetek's faction) • Unified Earth Government (Colonial Authority • United Nations Space Command)
Planetary/Local organizations Castoffs • Defenders of the Sanctum • Eridanus Government • Gao Republic • Insurrectionists (Bandusa • Freedom and Liberation Party • Galodew Emancipation • Gao Liberation Force • Sundered Legion) • Joyous Exultation Covenant • Khabnathwa • Neo-Frieden • Prospector Party • Sedran government • Stewards • United Nations (Nations) • Unggoy government • Ussans • Venezian Militia
Private organizations 'Gajat mercenaries • Shields of Requiem
Religious organizations Covenant remnants ('Mdama's Covenant • 'Nyon's Covenant • Keepers of the One Freedom • Vol's Covenant) • 'Refumee's heretics • Servants of the Abiding Truth
Ancient
Interstellar organizations Ecumene • Human-San'Shyuum alliance • Ancestors
Planetary/Local organizations Council of City States • Erde-Tyrene civilization • Sedaaro • Reformists (Keepers of the Dawn) • Stoics • Tudejsa
Protogenic
Italics denote entities that are confirmed or assumed to be defunct given currently available information.

Navigation

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