History of Unggoy - Grunts Halo

“When in doubt, flee.”
— Unggoy philosophy

The Unggoy (Latin, Monachus frigus, meaning "cold monk") are a sapient species of squat bipedal xeno-arthropodal vertebroid lifeforms in the unified races of the Covenant. 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

Prior to the activation of the Halo Array, the Unggoy had managed to achieve a Tier 6 society on their homeworld, Balaho. However, the planet and the Unggoy civilization was devastated by the collapse of its biosphere due to massive global overindustrialization.

The Unggoy were one of many species indexed by The Librarian for preservation on Installation 00 from the firing of the Halo Array. They were subsequently returned to their homeworld Balaho, where they began re-building their culture.

Introduction into the Covenant

Not including San'Shyuum and Sangheili, Unggoy were the sixth client race to be integrated into the Covenant, coming to their indoctrination at around 2142 on the Military Calendar. By the time of their discovery by the Covenant, the Unggoy homeworld was still recovering from its ecological collapse over a hundred millennia earlier, and the Unggoy civilization had yet to return to its former state.

While they are essentially a slave race, the Unggoy have managed to largely retain their cultural identities, and have rebelled in the past several times. Being the lowest-ranked species of the Covenant, they are bitter rivals with the Kig-Yar, who are also low-ranked. The higher-ranking races of the Covenant have often ignored this rivalry. The breaking point came when a junior staffer in the Ministry of Concert discovered evidence of the Kig-Yar planning to poison recreational narcotics the Unggoy enjoyed, which would have left them sterile, but the High Council refused to investigate the matter. The rising tensions with the Kig-Yar and the general disinterest from the other Covenant races led to the Unggoy Rebellion in 2462. While the rebellion was ultimately put down thanks to an Arbiter and the near-glassing of the Unggoy homeworld, the Unggoy proved that they were not the cowards they had been long deemed, and could indeed be vicious fighters when provoked. After the uprising's conclusion, as was their tradition, the Sangheili forgave the surviving Unggoy and allowed them to enter the Covenant military as armed infantry units, rather than the unarmed cannon fodder as which they had previously served.

Despite the low place they have in the Covenant Hierarchy, the true irony is that the Unggoy's entry into the Covenant has ensured their species' survival. Membership in the Covenant granted the Unggoy freedom from risk of extinction during Balaho's two winters, as they now have access to sufficient supplies of food. Infant mortality has decreased to below fifty percent since joining the Covenant, and geronticide is no longer a necessity for survival. The average life expectancy for non-combatant Unggoy has doubled. Their incorporation into the Covenant likely also alleviated the threat of the Blue Death, which Unggoy typically fear.

The Great Schism

The Unggoy obey other Covenant races out of fear more than religious faith. They have next to no political power in the Covenant; the highest political rank available to an Unggoy is Deacon. Within the Unggoy community there is a strong resentment of other species, especially the Kig-Yar. The low rank of the Unggoy, as well as the aforementioned war, also led to a lack of political loyalty during the Great Schism, as the Unggoy did not ally with a particular side, and stayed with whoever commanded them, most likely out of subservient fear to their current masters. However, many of those serving under the Jiralhanae still held support for the Sangheili and revered the Arbiter, pointing out to their comrades that they once served under him.