Jiralhanae

The Jiralhanae, commonly known as Brutes by humans, are a robust bipedal sapient species native to the planet Doisac and the last species to be incorporated to the Covenant collective. They are known for their incredible strength and durability, and are regarded by many as a savage species due to their territoriality, aggressive tendencies and tribal social structures. The Jiralhanae have an ancient mutual animosity with the Sangheili, originating from nearly a millennium of irregular conflict between the two species in the spinward side of the Orion Arm before the Jiralhanae's assimilation to the Covenant.

Etymology
"Jiralhanae" allegedly means "Thrice-risen ones". The name's origin is unclear, and it does not directly mean anything in any known modern Jiralhanae language or dialect. Some Covenant scholars, by drawing similarities to the modern grammar of semi-isolated Jiralhanae groups living in the Nuemian Boundary and the Inner Corelight Reefs, have concluded that the popular meaning may have some basis in reality. San'Shyuum linguists have postulated that the original name may perhaps have been Yrrolhanag (yrro= to rise, to lift up + ol-hann= three times + -nag = suffix used for peoples or ethnic groups).

However, alternate theories have been presented. Some Covenant sources suggest it originated as the name of one of the ethnic groups or tribal associations that first raided Covenant colonies in the coreside spinward regions of the Holy Ecumene. Likewise, it is uncertain if the name began as the Jiralhanae's own endonym or an exonym by the Sangheili based on what they thought the Jiralhanae called themselves, though today most Jiralhanae claim the name solely as their own. Likewise, most Jiralhanae embrace the "Thrice-risen ones" meaning as being prophetic of their history.

There are many variations of the name in different populations, e.g. Jirahhanae, Diraanae, Yrohane, and Tira Hannaeg. In some diaspora populations in longtime contact with Sangheili, such as those of the Oarthen Threshold, the name has even "Sangheilized" into the form Jiralanee, without conscious effort on either party's part, and Doisac-born Brutes often mock the "farborn" for this. Whatever the original name may have been, the Covenant formally uses "Jiralhanae", which has led to some degree of standardization also taking root among the clans most involved with the Covenant.

Age of Legends, Wars of Dominance and the First Immolation
The first industrial age came to the Mbreultu continent during a time of flux, circa 900 AD. Old alliances were breaking down, and charismatic new leaders were forging nations from disparate tribes. New sciences ended the old cycles of famine and want. Most importantly, philosophical teachings broke out of ancient monastic schools and were embraced even by the peasants. The ways of the old gods were found to be hollow. In their place came an imperative for the men to cultivate virtue and knowledge.

The industrial revolution and the philosophical teachings spread across Mbreultu and the Roghan sea to the rest of Doisac. In these times of tumult, Jiralhanae individuals forever left their mark on history by overthrowing or renewing ancient institutions. This Age of Legends reached a climax with Doisac's first world war, a conflict between the coast nations of Mbreultu and an emergent steppe kingdom that had already spread across three continents.

The heroes and warriors of this age would come to be revered much in the same way that the Hellenistic Greeks revered the heroes of the Illiad. They, their weapons, and their armor became legendary after the First Immolation even after their philosophies were ignored. Modern day implements such as spike rifles, Brute shots, and even the power armor favored by many tribes is patterned off the weapons used in the Dan Rh'tol Invasion.

Gryunjalla contact and conflicts with the Covenant periphery
In the later centuries of this period, the Jiralhanae were deployed as auxiliaries by the martial ministries of the Covenant proper with increasing regularity. Jiralhanae auxiliary legions became quite well-liked by several of the ministries as they had no bonds to Sangheili clans nor their elaborate honor rules. This meant that Jiralhanae auxiliaries could be deployed as "neutral" security forces in conflicts involving feuding Sangheili houses, for example.

The Great Schism
Since the Great Schism and the defeat of the Torchbearers as a united front actively fighting the Schismatics, the Jiralhanae have splintered into numerous independent chiefdoms. Many of these sought peace with Schismatic factions by the 2650s to retain their autonomy as the Concord of Reconciliation grew more powerful and pushed deeper into Jiralhanae territory. Some war-chiefs fled beyond Jiralhanae space known to the Covenant.

Culturally, the Jiralhanae worlds splintered between those who retained their faith in the Covenant religion, though even this took various forms on different worlds as Covenant beliefs syncretized with the native Jiralhanae faiths. Some discarded the Covenant religion altogether, often as a rejection of Tartarus' ideals, though it did retain a strong foothold across the Jiralhanae meta-society. Many Jiralhanae communities romanticized and sought to emulate the Covenant and its social institutions, which would give rise to various pretender Covenant factions, many of them short-lived. The largest and most notable was the Eternal Covenant, a relatively decentralized collection of Jiralhanae loyalist groups with a small number of San'Shyuum acting as figureheads. However, the Eternal Covenant no longer had the capacity to carry out large-scale campaigns, and its member polities would feud with one another as frequently as they did with outsiders.

Biology
While now recognized independently-evolved aliens, the Jiralhanae have convergently evolved various characteristics commonly described by human xenobiologists as pseudo-ursine, simian and pachydermian. Early on into humanity's encounters with the Covenant, it was speculated that Jiralhanae may be related to terrestrial fauna - the most notable candidates brought forth were higher primates and bears. Alongside the dinosauroid Kig-Yar, this would make them the first potential examples of sapient out-of-place biota known to humanity. However, autopsies, DNA analysis and intel on Jiralhanae reproduction quickly dispelled this notion, showing that the species has no link to Earth life.

Anatomy and physiology
Jiralhanae exhibit a sexual dimorphism schema relatively expected of their xeno-mammaloid biology, with males of the species being generally larger and more muscular than the females. Jiralhanae give birth to litters of live offspring of up to a dozen individuals. Jiralhanae newborns are not much larger than human ones, and are completely helpless until around two years of age. While gestating, Jiralhanae females accumulate additional fat reserves meant to support their offspring. As it directly correlates with a female's ability to produce healthy offspring, a "healthy" amount of fat is considered an attractive trait in many Jiralhanae cultures.

The original Jiralhanae ancestors evolved in the vast megafloral jungles of Doisac, leading to an anatomy not unlike tree-dwelling creatures of Earth such as primates. The generally higher average temperatures of Doisac's climate led the Jiralhanae to a preference for tropical climates and warmer weather - something accommodated for thanks to Doisac's fairly evenly-spread temperature gradient. As such, the natural fur the Jiral grow exists primarily for the purposes of being a natural form of protection against the environment. Due to the high presence of contaminants, parasites and other particulates in Doisac's sky, the Jiralhanae grow thick fur to protect against these atmospheric dangers. This fur is also useful against more physical threats such as venomous plants and even fending off attacks by fauna or other Jiralhanae; when grown particularly matted, the fur serves as a form of armour protection against weapons.

Due to their preference for warmer climates, the Jiralhanae fur is often useful for those living in the higher or more polar regions of Doisac, and those travelling often on the sea. Jiralhanae sea-raiders were renowned for growing their fur to be unkempt and matted, useful as both protection and a tool of intimidation. Due to this warmer temperature preference, the Jiralhanae expected to spend significant amounts of time on other worlds may grow out their fur to help acclimate to the cold. This was especially prevalent during the Human-Covenant War, during which Jiralhanae troops were often deployed onto glassed worlds undergoing a nuclear winter. This has given other species a particular view of the Jiralhanae based on this sterotype (in-part perpetuated by Brutes wishing to use this to their advantage for fear factor), when in reality most Jiralhanae put extensive effort into maintaining their fur. Tribal markings and shaving is common, with various patterns (combined with tattoos and other features) used to denote position and social status. A Jiralhanae's fur is a key part of Jiralhanae culture, with the ability to grow a thick mat of hair - even when on long sea voyages - seen as a sign of health and virility.

Due to Doisac's near-constant state of darkened skies, the Jiralhanae have evolved their senses as not to rely on vision as much as other species', instead possessing highly effective auditory and olfactory senses. The latter especially is used in communication, with the Jiralhanae emitting pheromones to correspond with various kinds of mood or emotional state. This method of communication is pivotal in Jiralhanae society and, when combined with regular body language, allows Jiralhanae to have full conversations with - what would appear to a Human - only a series of grunts and barks. Conversely, the lack of pheromones used by other species puts the Jiralhanae at a disadvantage in communication, with more care and effort required to converse with other species - leading to many Brutes tasked with dealing with other species' being particularly irritable in their encounters. Pheromones are particularly commonly emitted in younger Jiralhanae, with more mature individuals learning to control their pheromonal outbreaks as they age. Pheromones are unique to each individual Jiralhanae, giving each Brute a distinctive smell based on his surroundings and emitted pheromones - an effect amplified with unkempt or unwashed fur. As a result, Jiralhanae hunting parties may choose to shave their fur to help mask their scent better.

Gravity adaptation
The Jiralhanae's robust physiques owe much to their homeworld's high gravity of 2.1g. They take great pride in this, and there is a common belief that gravity builds not only strength, but also character. Along with certain quirks and limitations in their natural spatial awareness and sense of orientation, this is one reason many Jiralhanae dislike space and spending time in low or microgravity. Their threshold for debilitating muscle and bone atrophy is at around 0.8-1g of prolonged exposure, where most other species can withstand half that or less. This also led to even the early Jiralhanae colonies on Doisac's moons quickly developing artificial gravity devices. Unfortunately, it also often causes Jiralhanae who spend time on low-gravity worlds to develop various physiological conditions, and many Jiralhanae consider it taboo to procreate on such worlds as it is believed "lightborn" offspring will grow up to be weak.

Another adaptation found in Jiralhanae is a network of sponge-like blood vessels found between their shoulders and in their upper body; these vessels act as flow restrictors for the Brutes' blood to prevent blood from reaching or draining from the head too quickly when standing and causing death via exsanguination. This adaptation is similar to those found in some taller fauna on Earth and also exhibited in other life hailing from high-gravity worlds such as the Sharquoi. This network has the added benefit of being able to restrict the flow of blood to damaged parts of the body as a natural response, allowing Jiralhanae to enter a rage state even when severely injured and keep fighting long past the point at which any other species would have bled out entirely.

In addition to the various ethnic groups already present across Doisac, various diaspora populations of Jiralhanae on other worlds have diverged from the species baseline. While many colonial populations sought to settle high-gravity worlds, and some managed to, most had to make do with what they had. Jiralhanae lightworlders are typically taller but less physically robust than their Doisac-born counterparts, which — coupled with the homeworld's harsh conditions — is often used by Doisac Jiralhanae to justify their sense of superiority. The lightworlders are often called Larthanae, a pun of sorts meaning "Skinny ones" or "Delicate ones". A common stereotype prevails among the so-called "pure" Jiralhanae of the Larthanae as weak and submissive, and they are frequently mocked and humiliated by heavyworlders of a particularly spiteful temperament. In general, the lightworlders can do little but accept their lot while trying to ignore the indignity, though some struggle to prove themselves by routinely spending time and exercising in high gravity. This rarely does much to impress heavyworlder Jiralhanae, who are only convinced by concrete displays of power and dominance. However, it has also contributed to the splintering of the Jiralhanae meta-society, with many groups of Larthanae actively seeking to distance themselves from Doisac's ways both in terms of physical distance and culture.

Jiralhanae shipmasters frequently run their ships' artificial gravity at Doisac's 2.1g or close to it, though if other species (particularly Kig-Yar, San'Shyuum or Yanme'e are present, this may not be seen as feasible. With their hardy body plans and exoskeletons, Unggoy can withstand high gravity surprisingly well, though above a certain point the Jiralhanae have found it hinders their productivity; to Kig-Yar, Yanme'e and San'Shyuum, it can be lethal. Some Jiralhanae crews have also been known to use this as a show of dominance, intentionally turning up their ships' artificial gravity for the discomfort of other species, especially Sangheili and even lightworlder Jiralhanae, during diplomatic meetings and boarding operations alike. Similar issues apply to other species landing on Doisac.

Governance
Despite common assumptions, the Jiralhanae are not predisposed to despotism. They're more aggressive than the other species active in the Orion Arm, but they're also cooperative, and their better-structured cultures teach the young how to channel that aggression into useful outlets. What Brutes have had a problem with, ever since the lead-up to the First Immolation, is scaling society up past the tribal level. There were nations with global reach on Doisac, and supranational organizations and alliances as well. But civilizations have a natural cycle of growth and decay, and the most prominent of those nations were decadent and corrupt at the worst time possible, when there was a resource crunch. After the First Immolation, the Grunjalla spread the Brutes out so far that few worlds had population concentrations big enough to call a nation. Tribes naturally organized themselves, claimed territory, and built.

At about the same time when many worlds finally had nations big enough to come into conflict with each other, the Gryunjalla-built ore freighters fell into the hands of warlords. The warlords subsisted by conquering worlds and extracting tribute from them. This meant that they invested in building launch infrastructure so that the tribute could be delivered, but it also meant that their boots were on the metaphorical throat of the worlds they conquered. Eventually, this matured into a system of tribal confederacies, where many tribes were linked together by lines of travel, trade, and a shared culture inherited from a common origin point. Then the Covenant came in, killed off the warlords, and established themselves as a new overlord. The transition was pretty seamless because the Brute colonies were used to paying tribute to whoever controlled the orbits, but the Covenant brought a short-lived reprieve. Travel was no longer restricted, and industries were freed from manufacturing spaceship parts and luxury goods for the Warlords. This led to rising tensions and would have led to all-out war, reminiscent of the bush wars of Humanity's Inner Colony Wars. The relationships between the tribes on most worlds were allowed to develop out of equilibrium, because violence was held off the table by the threat of the Warlords to drop rocks if conflict threatened their tribute.

Had things gone otherwise, High Charity would have spent decades wandering through Brute territory, resolving conflicts and bargaining territory transfers to restore order among the tribes. This obviously didn't happen. Instead the Brutes got Tartarus, who preyed upon the social malaise within the tribal confederacies by turning the young against the old. He promised his followers power through ambition and victory on the battlefield. This worked, but it would only work in the short run. When you unfetter the ambitious and fuel your rise to power with the burning of old social institutions, there's only one way it can end.

Naming conventions
A characteristic particular to Jiralhanae names are maturity suffixes, a type of suffix added to one's name typically following some form of initiation rite or a given amount of experience in battle. In this capacity, the suffixes "-us" and "-um" predominate on Doisac, along with some colonies. Some clans do not use such suffixes at all, while others use variants of the more common ones such as "-ox" or "-ax", which are essentially the result of phonological drift. A number of variations exist even on Doisac, like "-or" or "-r" (as in "Castor") and "-un" (as in "Orsun"). In Tartarus' coalition and the Covenant, many Brutes adopted the -us or -um standard to fit in with the mainstream.

Many Jiralhanae names are also Latinized to some extent as part of a translation convention; Tartaus' real name might be something like "Tartharrosh" and possibly include sounds foreign to the human ear; as such they're often simplified in a form more understandable to humans.