Chaefka
The chaefka, known to ancient humans as neldoruut,[1][2] and colloquially known in modern day as the tusk beast,[2][3] is a large mammalian creature that can be found on Installation 00 and several planets reseeded by the Forerunners following the firing of the Halo Array.[3][4]
OverviewEdit
Anatomy and physiologyEdit
Chaefka are large mammalian creatures with similar white fur and stature to the polar bears of Earth. Each of their four digitigrade legs end in paws with sharp talons. Chaefka have two large, horn-like protrusions at their shoulders, and another set of two smaller swept-back horns atop their heads. They have a pair of tusks framing their mouths, which are topped with a mammal-like snout and filled with rows of sharp teeth sealed by a set of six mandibles. Chaefka also have short fur-covered tails.[2][3][4]
BehaviorEdit
Chaefka are omnivorous, having been known to eat leaves from trees with their mandibled mouths and hunt live prey using their sharp talons.[3][4][5] It appears that chaefka regularly make use of their natural camouflage, utilizing their white fur to hide during blizzards or appears as snow-covered boulders while resting.[4][6] When hunting, chaefka have a unique ability to produce pheromones with an agent that causes intense psychotropic effects on humans and other prey.[2][3][4] For intimidation purposes, chaefka are known to growl and snarl, and even roar when about to attack. Chaefka regularly travel and hunt in packs, often charging at prey with surprising speed and agility. The creatures attempt kill their prey by tearing into them with their talons and teeth, sometimes using one of their paws to pin their prey to the ground. The tusks on either side of their heads are seemingly used defensively to knock back other predators that get too close.[4]
HabitatEdit
Chaefka could be found on thousands of planets within the Milky Way even before the Forerunners had mastered space travel. Following the activation of the Halo Array, chaefka were reintroduced on several worlds.[3][4] A population of chaefka still existed on Installation 00 as of 2555.[4][6]
Given their habitat on Installation 00, it appears that the chaefka's natural habitat includes snow-covered plains and taigas where they can utilize their white fur to stay warm and mask their presence from prey.[4][5]
HistoryEdit
Discovery and researchEdit
Discovered by the Forerunners on thousands of worlds fairly early in their expansion into the stars, the inexplicable fact that the chaefka could be found on so many planets led Lifeworkers to collect them for study. However, eons of study failed to reveal any profound secrets regarding their origins. The only notable discovery resulting from this researched involved the creature's unique ability to release psychotropic pheromones on its prey, which led to a number of unintentional biological advancements.[3] The Ancestors presumably encountered the chaefka at some point as they had their own name for the creature.[1] Prior to the firing of the Halo Array at the end of the Forerunner-Flood war, many examples of the chaefka were archived by Lifeworkers as part of the Conservation Measure and later reseeded on several worlds.[3]
Sightings on the ArkEdit
In 2554,[7] the UNSC Rubicon arrived at Installation 00 to investigate the state of the installation and begin research of its secrets.[8] The monitor 000 Tragic Solitude unleashed the installation's fauna and constructs on the remote contact teams deployed by the Rubicon and destroyed nearly all of the teams, with RCT Broadside in particular being set upon by chaefka.[6]
When a joint UNSC–Swords of Sanghelios task force embarked on expedition to Installation 00 in 2555, they were attacked by several chaefka seemingly also under the control of 000 Tragic Solitude.[1][4] A considerable number of chaefka had hunkered down on a snowy plain giving the appearance of several large snow-covered boulders grouped together. As the joint force approached, they could hear a low growling, snarling sound, but the noise was believed to have originated from a pack of morolaath heading their direction. When the morolaath passed and the force neared the snow-covered "boulders," the group of chaefka revealed themselves. They roared and charged at the UNSC and Swords personnel, and the morolaath soon returned after hearing the sounds of battle, lashing out at the chaefka as well as the humans and Sangheili.[4] In the heat of battle, 000 Tragic Solitude utilized the psychotropic properties of the chaefka's pheromones to lure Olympia Vale away from her group. Eventually, the chaefka leading her away even prompted her to ride it as it took her to the monitor.[1]
As the joint task force prepared to leave Installation 00, they came across another group of chaefka that were eating leaves from some nearby trees. Seeing the group, the chaefka simply stared blankly at them before returning to what they had been doing, seemingly showing that they were no longer under the control of the monitor, who had been destroyed at this point.[5]
Production notesEdit
The chaefka, then known as the "arctic beast," was initially designed for inclusion in Halo Wars. The creature was concepted and 3D modelled, though ultimately became one of many creatures cut from the game. The arctic beast was likely intended to have appeared in the levels set on Harvest. The arctic beast would later re-appear in 2015's Halo: Hunters in the Dark as the chaefka, before being given an official illustration using the original Halo Wars design in the following year's Halo Mythos: A Guide to the Story of Halo.
GalleryEdit
Concept art of the "arctic beast," created for Halo Wars.
High-poly sculpt of the "arctic beast" for Halo Wars.
A model of the "arctic beast" for Halo Wars.
A chaefka in Halo Mythos.
List of appearancesEdit
- Halo: Hunters in the Dark (First appearance)
- Halo Mythos
SourcesEdit
- ^ a b c d Halo: Hunters in the Dark, chapter 12
- ^ a b c d Halo Waypoint, Canon Fodder - Jurassic Ark (Retrieved on Dec 23, 2019) [archive]
- ^ a b c d e f g h Halo Encyclopedia (2022 edition), page 362
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Halo: Hunters in the Dark, chapter 9
- ^ a b c Halo: Hunters in the Dark, chapter 18
- ^ a b c Halo: Hunters in the Dark: Prologue
- ^ Eleventh Hour reports: Report #4
- ^ Halo: Hunters in the Dark, chapter 2