Clan of the Ravaged Tusks
| Ravaged Tusks | |
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| Government overview | |
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Type: |
Mercenary legion |
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Leader: |
Chieftain Ballas (Legionmaster while serving the Banished) |
| Societal overview | |
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Official language(s): |
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| Historical overview | |
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Affiliation: |
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The Ravaged Tusks are a Jiralhanae-led clan under the leadership of Chieftain Ballas.[1][Note 1] While the clan serves as a legion within the Banished, Ballas holds the rank of legionmaster. The clan is known to be smugglers and slavers.[2]
HistoryEdit
Chieftain Ballas led the Ravaged Tusks for over two decades prior to the Battle for Zeta Halo.[1] By July 2559, the Ravaged Tusks had been absorbed into the Banished.[3] When War Chief Escharum received a transmission from Atriox that ordered him to find a Forerunner portal rumored to be hidden on Reach so that he could leave the Ark and return to the galaxy, the Ravaged Tusks were sent to the human colony, alongside the Keepers of the One Freedom and the Legion of the Corpse-Moon, to search for this "Portal under the Mountain."[3]
After landing on Reach, the clans were each assigned a third of the world to search, the supercontinent of Eposz being split into thirds as well. Ballas and the Ravaged Tusks had been assigned the southwest third. However, the three clans had little luck in finding this near-mythical portal. Ballas and Chieftain Deukalion, who led the Legion of the Corpse-Moon, started to squabble with over the resources found within the human rehabilitation settlements spread across their search areas.[3] Dokab Castor, who led the Keepers, was able to reason with Ballas and Deukalion convincing them to continue their search for the portal. Recently, a Spartan team had arrived on Reach as part of a mission to recover key assets from the ruins of CASTLE Base. Castor did not know of their true objective, but he felt sure that they were searching for the portal.[2]
As part of Castor's plan to follow the Spartan team, forces from the Ravaged Tusks and Legion of the Corpse-Moon would continue to harass them. Ballas' forces also participated in the failed defense and recapture of New Mohács, a settlement ran by the Viery Militia.[4] Luckily for the Banished, the Spartans did lead the three clans to the portal, as CASTLE Base happened to sit atop the Forerunner complex.[5]
Upon Atriox's return to the Milky Way, the warmaster gave the Ravage Tusks new orders. They would accompany the Banished fleet to Installation 07 aboard their warship Voidfaith. Upon arriving, Atriox set Ballas loose against the humans, scouring the ring's surface for any enemies who might have survived.[1]
Military assetsEdit
The Ravaged Tusks make use of various Banished vehicles and weaponry, such as Eklon'Dal Workshop Marauders, Wraiths, Banshees, Phantoms, Seraphs, gravity hammers, Erudo'ma'keth-pattern pulse carbines, and Grenflekt Workshop Spikers.[2] Though Banished humans were never permitted to fight in their forces,[6] species such as Unggoy and Kig-Yar serve within their ranks under Jiralhanae leaders,[7] as well as Banished Sangheili from other Sangheili mercenary clans.[8]
List of appearancesEdit
- Halo: Shadows of Reach (First appearance)
- Halo: Divine Wind (Mentioned only)
- Halo Infinite
NotesEdit
- ^ In Halo Infinite, the TACMAP describes En'Geddon as the leader of the Ravaged Tusks (erroneously spelled as Ravaged Tusk), while his Target profile describes him as the leader of the Bulwark of Bone. The 2022 Halo Encyclopedia states that En'Geddon led the Bulwark of Bone clan, and also specifically describes Ballas as having been Chieftain of the Ravaged Tusks for over two decades prior to the Installation 07 conflict, making it highly likely that the TACMAP description is in error.
SourcesEdit
- ^ a b c Halo Encyclopedia (2022 edition), page 459
- ^ a b c Halo: Shadows of Reach, chapter 7
- ^ a b c Halo: Shadows of Reach, chapter 3
- ^ Halo: Shadows of Reach, chapter 14
- ^ Halo: Shadows of Reach, chapter 19
- ^ Halo: Divine Wind, chapter 6
- ^ Halo: Shadows of Reach, chapter 12
- ^ Halo Infinite