| Sangheili Honor Guardsman | |
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Function: |
Guarding important sites and individuals, usually the Prophets |
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Species: |
Sangheili |
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- "We have always been your protectors!"
- — Arbiter Thel 'Vadamee talking to the Prophet of Truth[1]
Honor Guardsman was a Covenant Sangheili position, serving as elite protectors to the Prophets, particularly the Hierarchs, in the Covenant Honor Guard.[1][2][3]
Background
- "The Sangheili honor guard was always vigilant and almost inert when at peace. One never had to worry about what a Sangheili might do any more than one worried if the stars would come out at night."
- — The Minister of Discovery remarking on the stoic nature of the honor guard[4]
Honor guardsmen were among the most skilled of all Sangheili warriors and were hand-picked for the duty of protecting the High Prophets and other high ranking officials in the Covenant High Council. The Lights of Sanghelios were a revered elite unit among the Sangheili honor guards.[5]
Honor guardsmen in service to the Honor Guard of the Covenant wore highly ornate armor, colored in a combination of glowing red and orange. It featured jutting spikes and pauldrons, though they sometimes wore non-ceremonial armor for the sake of practicality.[3][6][7] It is unknown how many Sangheili honor guardsmen were in service, though the Sanctum of the Hierarchs on High Charity could accommodate as many as three hundred.[8]
Honor guardsmen were expected to immediately kill anyone who drew a weapon in the presence of a Hierarch,[9] though they might stand down should an Arbiter do so.[10] In addition, they kept order during important meetings within the High Council. Although the position was a great honor, it was seen by some Sangheili as a merely ceremonial duty and a way to silence those who were aware of the Hierarchs' duplicity.[11][verification needed] Because one was expected to encounter little to no combat in the posting, select Sangheili were known to have even declined a place in the Honor Guard.[3]
The Sangheili honor guardsmen were likely instated soon after the signing of the Writ of Union, which led to the establishment of the Covenant. For thousands of years, the Sangheili protected the Hierarchs and the other Prophets according to the Writ's strictures.[1] After the death of the Prophet of Regret during the Ninth Age of Reclamation in November 2552, the Prophets of Truth and Mercy replaced the Sangheili honor guards with the Jiralhanae. This "Changing of the Guard" was a major step in a carefully planned coup that soon devolved into the Great Schism.[12] Some of the honor guardsmen killed themselves after learning of the Prophets' treachery.[13] Others assisted Arbiter Thel 'Vadamee in stopping Tartarus, the Chieftain of the Jiralhanae, from activating Halo Installation 05 and therefore killing all sentient life in the galaxy.[14]
Halo Wars gameplay
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See our gameplay information related to Sangheili Honor Guardsman on its gameplay page. |
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Browse more images in this article's gallery page. |
In Halo Wars, Sangheili honor guardsmen are the leader-specific unit of the Prophet of Regret. They wield energy swords and deal tremendous damage to infantry. They are trained directly from the Citadel. They initially lack energy shields, though they can be upgraded with them. They can also be outfitted with active camouflage.
Gallery
A Sangheili honor guardsman.
A procession of Sangheili honor guardsmen.
Sangheili honor guardsmen during the judgment of Thel 'Vadamee.
John-117 engaging a Sangheili honor guardsman.
Two Sangheili honor guardsmen.
Honor guardsmen in non-ceremonial armor protecting the High Prophet of Regret.
A render of a Sangheili honor guard in Halo Wars.
Honor guardsmen aboard the Fleet of Righteous Vigilance's flagship.
List of appearances
Sources
- ^ a b c Halo 2, campaign level, Sacred Icon
- ^ Halo: Contact Harvest, page 381
- ^ a b c Halo: The Essential Visual Guide, page 95
- ^ Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe, "Wages of Sin", page 297
- ^ Halo: Contact Harvest, page 153
- ^ Halo Wars, campaign levels Scarab, Shield World, and Beachhead
- ^ Halo Legends, The Babysitter
- ^ Halo: First Strike, page 339
- ^ Halo: The Cole Protocol, page 341
- ^ Halo Wars, campaign level Scarab
- ^ Bungie.net: The Tru7h About Co-Op in Halo 3
- ^ Halo 2, campaign level Sacred Icon
- ^ Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe, The Return
- ^ Halo 2, campaign level The Great Journey
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