A Sangheili I'm making

[BetaWülf]

I'm going to make a Sangheili Major and I want it to be a decent character and was hoping for some thoughts from you guys on it. This is what I have so far.

His name is Gjanee Bakee and is a Kaidon of the Bak clan(original clan) on Sangheilios, he is not all tight-assed like the majority of his species and his clan resembles this as well being more "Loose" than most clans, they are still proud and accomplished warriors though. The clan is comparatively smaller than others so its not uncommon to meet a Sangheili who has never heard of them before. He is possibly married and would have children in this scenario(I have yet to decide). I want him to be a decent character and not just another "For the prophets!" Sangheili who has no brain until the great schism, any help you guys can give would be much appreciated.

[Dufflepud]

Kaidons don't actively serve in the military, and if he were Kaidon he would have retired at a much higher rank if he was ever military, or simply not joined. If you want a Sangheili Major, he could be a young noble, but not a Kaidon. However, in that case he wouldn't be married, as nobles don't marry. If you have any questions, or want a real discussion I'm sure I could find some time and chat with you.

[David]

Err Duff? what about Thel Vadamee? He was Kaidon.... and in the military...

[BetaWülf]

This says otherwise about military service as a Kaidon
halo.wikia.com/wiki/Kaidon

my thought was that since it is a small clan that him being Kaidon at his age wouldn't be a problem since he has
proven himself somewhat in the Covenant army and the Elders are limited in choices due to population size.

I would love to have a discussion with you about this when you have the time

[Spartan 999]

Actually, it's only the Swordsmen or Aristocrats, not necessarily nobles, who aren't technically allowed to marry. Thel did have more than one 'wife' after all. In addition, he didn't have the -ai suffix.

Beta, I really don't think a Major would be a Kaidon, even if it was a small clan; you said there were Elders after all, some of whom are probably more skilled than Gjanee. Plus, it's been a good rule that in previous years, Kaidon weren't allowed period because of their sheer rarity and political power.

[BetaWülf]

I wasn't going to lord it over people or anything, but that's understandable.

[Deleted]

I disagree with Duffle on Kaidons, but agree with 999 about a major being a Kaidon. There is nothing wrong with not being quite so "honorable" although he will be scoffed at, nor is there anything wrong with them not fully agreeing with the Hierarchs or believing in the Covenant religion, as long as one realizes any mention of said opinions would be seen as Heresy and would be grounds for execution.

[Dufflepud]

I was under the impression that he would only take over as Kaidon upon returning home, but maybe I'm wrong.

However, the swordsman/noble/marrying stuff in cannon is very confused. Given that Thel WAS an aristocrat and a swordsman, he should have had the "ai" suffix. Also, there are no non-swordsman male nobles.

[David]

I was only saying what I said because of what goes on during the events of Halo: The Cole Protocol.

It basically described Thel's first night as Kaidon and then he epically chopped the assassins in half...

And then slaughtered an old guy.

And stuff.

[Spartan 999]

The Elders lead the Clan while the Kaidon embarked upon military operations.


Also: Then I think we should make a distinction between Nobles and Aristocrats/Swordsmen. Thel was a noble, but not an aristocrat, hence the lack of an -ai suffix. Aristocrats/Swordsmen are rare and different from nobles, and the lineage can only be passed down through bloodlines, not gained as a rank like noble or Kaidon might be able to be earned. Also, most nobles are not aristocrats, but almost all aristocrats could be considered nobles.

Sound good?

[Dufflepud]

But according to cannon, ALL Sangheili who wield swords, including spec ops, are swordsmen and thus aristocrats. Also, noble is synonymous with aristocrat, so distinguishing between the two would be silly and confusing.

[Spartan 999]

No, Duffle. In canon, Swordsmen are the only Sangheili outside of the military allowed to wield energy swords. Those in the military who use swords are NOT all Swordsmen, otherwise every single Ultra and above would be one. Seriously, where are you getting your info?

Also, how about this then: We distinguish Aristocrats from Swordsmen, like in my previous post where Aristocrats take the place of the nobles, but Swordsmen remain titles passed down through bloodlines. That way (for example) Thel could be an Aristocrat, but not a Swordsman.

[BetaWülf]

By "Loose" I meant more about traditions, like his children knowing he is their father and being raised by him, he's still honorable but not honorable to the point of stupidity.

My thought was that since the Elders are in fact Elders they cant outright rule the clan and would have to choose a Kaidon, and they would have a limited pool of choices for Kaidon, that's why I didn't think it was strange for him to be Kaidon at the rank of Major.

[BetaWülf]

An update is coming! It will have pictures and clan information, nothing about this character is set in concrete right now except his name. If him being Kaidon is a pipe dream please tell me, even if he isn't Kaidon he will still be of high standing within his clan anyway, I will update within a week or so hopefully sooner.

[David]

WOO!

[Deleted]

Beta, I just feel like Kaidon, given the nature of the Sangheili, are chosen from a pool of Sangheili who have high martial skill, tactical capability, and are well-respected. All are traits needed to keep a Clan strong amongst man. It's not so much an impossibility as something highly unlikely, given Majors are generally very new and not nearly as skilled as Ultra's and any ranks above that, and one would think a Clan has soldiers of many ranks to choose from therefore making it unlikely a rather unskilled Major would earn the title.

That's just my thoughts.

[BetaWülf]

I have decided to not go higher than the tier I already have due to the top heaviness, so I could go to the rank of Ultra or just drop the Kaidon thing all together and be a Major still, I'm not dead set on being a Kaidon, it was a novelty of sorts.

[BetaWülf]

Ok, I promised an update and here it is, sorry it took so long.

So to start here is the Bak clan fortess, its a small mountain fortress on a Delta that opens into the sea.


The Delta itself is grassy verdant with docks on the side that is the ocean. There are bridges on either side to allow them to cross the river, these are retractable. The fortress itself has a courtyard with a citadel to the middle-front of it, and the mountain hangs over half the courtyard. There is a Barracks that is half under the overhang. There is a wall up under the overhang that features a large golden-bronze gate, the stone walls that encircle the courtyard also go in a complete circle behind the gate in an arch, and the gate opens outwards into the courtyard. There is a small door near the top of each half of the gate that is level with the archway inside the gate with ladders on the outside that can be pulled up allowing the inward escape of Bak soldiers.

Inside the mountain is where everyone lives and there is another citadel which is the kaidons place of residence. the square is completely open so in the event of a clan war assuming the opposing clan has made it inside, will leave the invaders completely open to hostile fire from Bak Warriors.

And this is a mace I designed myself for Gjanee


It has blades like an energy sword, I haven't decide whether or not its energy blades or metal ones. It features a retractable head that can extend into a mace in chain type, or retract into a one handed mace. The shaft can extend it into a pole-arm and for spikes pop up when the shaft is extended. I made it so he could have a melee weapon without being a swordsman, it is also a clan specific weapon.

So yeah, here's the update.

[BetaWülf]

And here is what I have for the clans general physical description. They are tall and wiry usually being at least a six inches taller than the average Sangheili, they have a light silvery-gray skin with more pronounced ridges on either side of their heads, here is a reference for how the ridges look.


They have longer, thicker claws than average due to their subterranean lifestyle, and their eyes are usually light blue and are never small, either being of average size or on the large side.

Update: Been thinking some more and here's the results. They have slightly wider teeth than the average Sangheili, they also very rarely have light pink or purple eyes. The reason they have a tall wiry build is because the cavernous passageways are tall and narrow. They have a special war paint applied to the face, it consists of two lines. The top line runs parallel with the lower one, the top line runs from the far corner of the eye straight back until you reach the "Ear" of the Sangheili then runs diagonally down the neck then goes horizontal again at the base of the neck and meets in the middle of the back of the neck. The color of the War paint varies based on the individual who can choose any color they desire.

The clan is not as strict in regards of certain traditions, being more down to earth they find the restrictions other clans have bothersome and a have developed their own way. They have designed their own weapon to void the swordsman regulations due to them viewing marriage as a sacred thing and that to deny someone the right to marry is barbaric and cruel, and many a swordsman has died in a duel when they attempted to breed with a married Bak woman, often causing tension with nearby clans. They also have decent swimming skills and are the self proclaimed best fishermen on Sangheilios, having supported themselves with trade in aquatic goods.