Unggoy

Members of the Unggoy species, wearing various armors associated with their ranks. From left to right; Major, Ultra, Minor, Heavy, Spec-Ops.

Basic Intel

The Grunts, also known as Unggoy, are a race of anthropod-like aliens well known for their frequent role in the Covenant as cannon fodder infantry. They in most cases lie at the absolute bottom of the Covenant hierarchy and thus are often mistreated by virtually every other higher-ranking race in the hegemony. They hail from the hostile and frigid methane world of Balaho, and as such they are incapable of breathing oxygen like the other Covenant races.

While weak compared to members of the Covenant such as the Sangheili or Jiralhanae, the Unggoy do have a few unique advantages over almost playable species in HaloStation; not only are Unggoy resistant to the sheer cold and deadly vacuum of space, but they always spawn with a methane tank due to them needing to breathe methane instead of oxygen. This means that every single Unggoy player spawns with EVA capabilities from the get-go, making them excellent for boarding operations or otherwise operating in hostile atmospheres.

Unggoy are frequently looked down upon as being unintelligent or outright stupid compared to the higher-ranking species of the Covenant - and for many Unggoy, this stigma tends to hold true, though this is only really the case due to their poor education and training when compared to the other races. In the right circumstances, an Unggoy can actually be surprisingly intelligent, resourceful, and knowledgeable. They absorb knowledge more readily than other races, which often leads to intelligent individuals being tasked with monitoring communications. They are also an extremely sociable race, having a very strong pack mentality; as such, they will often form bonds between members of their group, even those of other races.

Lore

The Unggoy were one of the first races to be integrated into the Covenant hegemony, specifically being the fourth species to be converted (coming after the Mgalekgolo and Kig-Yar respectively). They were essentially enslaved to be used as both laborers and cannon fodder in combat - and quickly found themselves in a bitter rivalry with the Kig-Yar, which held a similar but slightly higher ranking than them. The higher-ranking races of the Covenant ignored this rivalry, which was only worsened by a growing Unggoy population on the Covenant holy city of High Charity; the sheer numbers of Unggoy forced many Kig-Yar to relocate their homes to accommodate them, much to their chagrin. To make matters worse, the move often put stress on Kig-Yar mothers which lead to higher infant mortality rates, and Unggoy that shared habitats with the Kig-Yar sometimes trampled their nests by accident.

This would eventually reach a breaking point when some radical Kig-Yar shipmasters poisoned recreational methane-infusion narcotics that the Unggoy frequently enjoyed, leading to several thousand Unggoy becoming sterile. Even though this was discovered by a junior staffer in the Ministry of Concert, the matter was not looked into by the Minister of Concert and the High Council due to wanting to maintain the loyalty of the Kig-Yar. This, in combination with the ever-growing unrest between the two races and their position of enslavement, led to the legendary Unggoy Rebellion of 2462.

The wide-scale Unggoy riots were so massive in number and tenacity that even the Sangheili and Kig-Yar struggled to put an end to the Rebellion. So severe was the Rebellion in fact that the Hierarchs appointed an Arbiter by the name of Heki 'Gibadee. 'Gibadee however failed to quell the Rebellion with tactics alone, and resorted to far more drastic and brutal measures - glassing Balaho. With the glassing being broadcasted to the rioting crowds on High Charity, the Unggoy were presented with a simple choice; cease their Rebellion or watch their homeworld burn. Unwilling to see their home be destroyed, the Unggoy surrendered, ending the Unggoy Rebellion.

However, the Sangheili commanders were actually impressed by the sheer tenacity of the Unggoy, despite their lack of individual skill in combat; had they not resorted to partially glassing Balaho, there was a real chance that the Unggoy would have actually succeeded in their revolt from sheer numbers alone. Following their warrior tradition, the Sangheili not only quickly forgave the Unggoy, but awarded them for their fighting spirit with better training, equipment, and permission to use actual weapons in the field of battle. However, they would still remain as they were in terms of their rank and status within the Covenant.

Biology

The Unggoy are a sapient species of squat bipedal xeno-arthropodal vertebroid lifeforms in the unified races of the Covenant Empire. They were the fourth species to be assimilated into the Covenant.They are the lowest-ranking species in the hierarchy, and are frequently mistreated by almost every higher-ranking race. Unggoy are primarily used as laborers, slaves, or in combat situations, as cannon fodder. They are one of the later races to be introduced into the Covenant, and were either the second or third Covenant species to be encountered by humans. They are referred to as Grunts by humans, as they are considered weak in comparison to their superiors, because they perform the majority of the physical labor required by the Covenant and they lack the knowledge of combat compared to other Covenant species.

History

The Unggoy are native to the planet of Balaho. They were used as slaves, laborers, or cannon fodder. Generally poor combatants due to cowardice, lack of tactical aptitude, and being poor shots; they are often deployed in large numbers to compensate. They can wield two-handed weapons with just one hand, due to their strong physical structure despite being small framed. They have a bitter rivalry with the Kig-Yar race, due to them encroaching on Kig-Yar territory and displacing their nests.

Ranks

Rank	Availability	Description
Unggoy Deacon	Reclamation, Base assault, Capture and Hold, Crusade (Covenant Whitelist)	Lore Description: The Deacon is the only rank within the Ministry of Tranquility allowed for Unggoy use. These are more often than not priests, but can be considered command advisors too. Intelligence wise, they are significantly smarter than your average Grunt, even compared to Ultras. Often these are only deployed on missionary vessels to police the Kig-Yar crew, but are also on other small vessels. Job Description: You're the Unggoy Deacon stationed with the local covenant forces. Your job is to provide morale to all members of the force, mostly through means of religious speeches pertaining to the Forerunners and the Great Journey. Your main audience will be your fellow Unggoy, but that doesn't stop other races from listening to you. Make sure nobody commits heresy, while you aren't fit to enforce rules, you can report to to the Sangheili or take the required response yourself. Roleplay Level: High Skill Level: Low Competence: Medium Unique Feature: Energy Shielding
Unggoy Ultra	Reclamation, Base assault, Capture and Hold, Crusade (Covenant Whitelist)	Lore Description: The Unggoy Ultra is a veteran Grunt who has seen his fair share of bloodshet and battle. While they are still as weak as any other Grunt without armor, the Ultra armor is an improved version of both Major and Minor, allowing for more tanking of shots. Generally this rank is for more competent Unggoy, along with Unggoy who have a decent shot. Job Description: You're an Unggoy Ultra serving with the Covenant Hegemony. Your job is to follow your superior's orders and lead your fellow Unggoy into battle. Technically you have authority over baseline Kig-Yar and T'vaoan Minors, but hardly anyone will care for such authority from an Unggoy and you will likely get lynched. It's a good idea to grab a needler too, due to your higher ranking. Roleplay Level: Low Skill Level: Medium Competence: Medium Unique Feature: Energy Shielding
Unggoy Major	Reclamation, Base Assault, Capture and Hold, Crusade	Lore Description: The Unggoy Major is a Grunt who has been in a few battles and sorta knows his stuff. He isn't the best shot in the world, but he can hit a target. They have very low intelligence, just like Unggoy Minors. Often these are just Unggoy who have survived previous battles. Job Description: As an Unggoy Major it is your duty and job to fall in line. You are essentially a better Minor, and don't have much authority over those under you - but you still can tell them what to do and what not to do. Players should pick this if they are decently experienced at the game. Roleplay Level: Low Skill Level: Low-Medium Competence: Low Unique Feature: N/A
Unggoy Minor	Reclamation, Base Assault, Capture and Hold, Crusade	Lore Description: This rank of Unggoy is completely new to the military, and probably hasn't seen very many battles yet. Often they are extremely inexperienced and lack a lot of mental capacity, but they make up for it in sheer numbers. Job Description: The first role you should play as Covenant. Generally your job is to just "Follow everyone else and relevant orders" but you can do stuff from building to medical duty if you want to. Roleplay Level: Low Skill Level: Low Competence: Low Unique Feature: N/A
Unggoy Heavy	Reclamation, Base Assault, Capture and Hold (Covenant Whitelist)	Lore Description: Unggoy Heavy Troopers are entrusted with the heavy weapons given to the unggoy, such as the Fuel Rod Cannon and other weapons. Job Description: You will act as a support role for the rest of your force, acting as anti vehicle with a fuel rod or using any other heavy weapon you can to support your force in whatever needs the sangheilli need.You are also a skilled vehicle driver, and should be the first one to vulunteer for vehicle duty. Roleplay Level: Medium Skill Level: Medium Competence: Medium Unique Feature: N/A

Special Roles

Rank	Availability	Description
Unggoy Honor Guard	Madmins	Lore Description: No honor is greater than this! Such a rank bestowed upon a mere Unggoy is sure to put awe to your fellow Grunts and surely inspire morale! Some hierarchs up in high charity were smoking some mad weed and thought of giving Unggoy red armor and the authority to protect them. Whether it's actually just paper mache or state of the art power armor, nobody knows. What they do know is your job is to protect the prophet you are assigned to whatever the cost. Job Description: You get the ultimate responsibility to guard a prophet as an Unggoy. Generally your job is to just stick around your assigned prophet and not speak, and when your prophet's life is in danger, you even have authority over Sangheili that aren't honor guards! Roleplay Level: aurora player Skill Level: TRYHARD SUPREME Competence: GALAXY BRAIN ONLY Unique Feature: UNGGOY SHIELDING
Unggoy Specops	Admin Spawn	Lore Description: Specops Unggoy are members of Special Operations in the Covenant Hegemony. Their goal is primarily to assist Special Operations Sangheili in their duties, but are sometimes deployed solo if needed. They are highly trained compared to normal Unggoy, and have intelligence that of an Unggoy Ultra or even higher. Often they are granted more powerful tools too. Job Description: You're a member of Special Operations in the Covenant. Your job is to assist your Sangheili superiors and use your advanced cloaking harness to the best of your abilities to surprise your enemies and attack them. Sometimes you will be deployed on covert operations in which you will sneak behind enemy lines and sabotage, but it's best you do all the big thinking to the Sangheili. Roleplay Level: Medium Skill Level: Medium-High Competence: Medium Unique Feature: Cloaking Device