Setting:Halo/Covenant
"On the blood of our fathers, on the blood of our sons! We swore to uphold the Covenant!" ~Rtas 'Vadumee, saying the Holy Murals of the Covenant.
First sighted at the furthest reaches of Ultima Segmentum, this Xenos civilization is theorized to come from outside the universe by method of wormhole in rapid numbers, having emerged somewhere in the Ultima segmentum and taken some time to hide and build enough strength, ascertaining their surroundings before emerging in their earnest, where they have become yet another problem for an already dying galaxy. While the Imperium represents Ignorance, the Tau represents Naivety, and the Eldar represent Arrogance; the Covenant represents Religious Zealotry, Paranoia and Blind Superstition, making the Covenant the analogue of the Spanish Empire cirque Renaissance period in space.
The Covenant, like the Tau, are a empire made up of a coalition of different Xenos, however unlike those of the Tau most of the Xenos were forced into joining their empire, either by force or threat of extermination. The main religion the Covenant enforced on other Xenos, is their aspect of the "Great Journey" in which they must venerate an old and extinct race of near God-like beings called the Forerunners, those who oppose worshiping are faced with the crimes of Heresy, similar to that of the Imperium. Furthermore just like the Imperium the Covenant consider tinkering and improving the tech of their so called "Gods" is a crime of treason, thus the technology of the Covenant, in contrast their advance look, are actually stagnating in progress and have in return, invented or improved very little over the centuries. Xenologists such as Aaron Harplouch suggested that the Covenant usually go to a war of religion, rather then the war on ideology such as the Tau or a war on resources and space such as the Imperium. Furthermore unlike certain races like the Tau for example, the Covenant has been space-faring for multiple millenia long before Humanity has even tinkered with fire, and are thus identified as an "Old-Race" by Imperium Xenologists. Life in the Covenant is noted to be strifed with brutality, inequality coupled with extremely harsh punishments, as well as extreme racism and jealousy among Xeno races, and with the added caste system placed in the empire; this often leave Xenologists scratching their heads in absolute surprise that their empire has not fragmented yet. What is most interesting in the Covenant is how overly-zealous and ignorant they really are, so much so that they make even the most fanatical of the Imperial Ecclesiarch look tame in comparison, examples include throwing an entire swarm of Jiralhanae at a Imperial Baneblade without hesitation or fear. Furthermore with the Covenant's hostile and violent reactions to all things considered as "Blasphemy" to their religion, it is not uncommon to see the Covenant enacting "Holy Conquest" and exterminating entire swathes of Xenos even if they are innocent or peaceful. Such aggressive tendencies and overzealousy has lead to border clashes or even total war with Imperium and Covenant forces, either due to land, resources, living space or religion, such wars usually accumulate into the hundreds of billions at best, on both sides.
However, relationships with the Imperium and Covenant are not always hostile, sometimes Imperium Rogue Traders and Diplomats would come and ask for either peace talks or trade. If the Covenant are in a good mood, such trade or peace talks would be accepted; of course the Imperium being the Imperium, such trade between Xeno tech are highly restricted by the Inquisition, and only a certain few deemed as "Safe" could be passed on in Imperial space. However they will truly unite if an even greater threat comes looming over the corner, such as the case of The Storm of Highkhoest where both Imperium and Covenant forces united against a massive Dark Eldar raiding party, crushing their opposition that included over a trillion dead. In a sense, the Covenants relationship with the Imperium are more rivalry then actual enemies, and the Covenant only attack Imperium space only if they are in the way of the Covenants "Holy Conquest".
Covenant Faction and Army List
When the Covenant first came to this Galaxy, the already struggling Imperium was shocked and dis-heartened at the arrival of a new, but at the same time, very old Xeno Empire. Larger then any known Xeno race, and big enough that it could cover 1/8th of the entire Imperium. This so called Covenant are bristiling with numbers and intimidation, and only time will tell if the other races from this Galaxy would react so kindly to this utterly Alien Horde. If you want to go back to the Crunch, here is the link:--> Codex - The Covenant
Because of their size, there a numerous amounts of different Covenant Command Armies, Regiments, Clans-tribe and Marks-section. The lists includes...
- Yagaron Dark-Diciples
- Regret's Chosen
- Councils of the Hierarchs
- Doisac Flesh-Eaters
- Sangheilios Blood-Born
- Guardians of Sanctity
- Guardians of High Charity
- Purifiers of the Flesh
- Darchron's Eternal Crusaders
- Eayn Pirate Infantry
- Do'our Plasma Soldiers
- Truth's High-Zealots
- Fanatics of the Gods
- Warriors of the Doomed
- Gonju'Dom Death Company
Covenant Planets and Colonies
When the Covenant first entered the mysterious portal, they also accidentally carried almost half of their total planets and colonies along the portal rift, most of these planets inadvertently contain the Covenant's most vulnerable and therefore most highly defended homeworlds and planets. Here is just a list showing the several important worlds and events taking place that make up the Covenants gargantuan-sized empire.
High Charity: The most well known Covenant base, city and mobile moon. High Charity is one of the most heavily defended worlds in the Covenant as it carries the last known Forerunner ship called a Dreadnought-Class, that uses its mighty engines to power the moon itself. Bristling with over hundreds of Covenant Assault and Super Carriers, and armed with weapons so ferocious that it can eat through an entire Imperium Crusade fleet. The city itself resembles a flying giant purple mushroom, and is in-fact, constructed on the last rocks of the former homeworld of the San'Shyuum, called Janjur Qom.
Janjur Qom: The former homeworold of the San'Shyuum, Janjur Qom before its inevitable doom, used to be a sight of the greatest San'Shyuum civil war ever recorded in Covenant history. The most common perception was that it was destroyed some several dozen millennial before when its own Star went supernova; the other perception of its destruction however, was rumored to be discovered on a Forerunner planet by a group of San'Shyuum explorers, nothing was known during its discovery other then the explorers destroyed the evidence as it was deemed so heretical, so sinister, that not even Chaos could could muster it.
Sanghelios: Homeworld and base planet for the Sangheilies, a dry, arid and hot wasteland. Sanghelios is reported as a Death-World that only the toughest can survive. Reports on the planet shows that temperatures could go from 42 degrees, right up to 90 degrees Celsius. This is the most visited place for Imperial Diplomats when they try to have peace talks or deals with the Covenant empire.
Doisac: The Jiralhanae's homeworld and a classified Death-World, the planet suffers from extreme gravity, unpredictable magnetism, mass volcanism and massive tidal waves that engulfs half the planet every month or so. Infamous to the Tau, since it was the sight of the Kroot Blood-Massacre, where five entire Kroot War-Spheres crash landed on the planet. Within moments, all the Kroots saved for seven Kroot Shapers, were butchered, slaughtered and eaten by the planets violent and carnivorous natives.
Te: This is where the Lekgolo and M'galekgolo originated from, although it looks like a gas-giant at first, it is in fact a planet with solid ground. This was also the site of the Taming of the Hunters where the Covenant subdued the Lekgolo after they found out that they were eating the artifacts of the Holy Forerunners. Nowadays crossing the surface of Te is considered so dangerous, that not even the Catachan Jungle Fighters can survive in.
Eayn: The homeworld or more accurately the homemoon of the Kig-Yars and Skirmishers, as expected it is a planet sized moon orbiting the gas-giant Chu'ot. Ruled by one huge massive Super-continent that covers almost the entire surface of the moon, and surrounded by asteroids the size of mountains. Any Imperial or Tau ships entering its area are often terrorized and raided with pirates and scum, this is after all, the home turf of the most notorious pirate Aliens in the Galaxy.
Balaho: Homeworld of the humble Unggoy that is ironically the most dangerous and hostile Death-World in the Covenant. While Balaho may lack the giant beasts and poisonous insects found in typical Death-Worlds, it is the weather that is what makes it a killer. Possessing two global winters that drops down to below zero and its natural "pillars of fire" (Which are literally fire tornadoes that randomly erupt from the planets crust), so harsh that even the native Unggoy barely escaped extinction. It is also infamous for several sights of The Grunt Rebellion where it almost got Glassed.
Palamok: The Yanme'e Hive-World (Quite literally), over twice the size and gravity of Holy Terra, Palamok may resemble the old Terran records of the Ancient Carboniferous-era. This planet teems with hostile insects and amphibians, some large enough to crush a Tyranid Hierophant with but a single step.
Joyous Exultation: Once a major Sangheili base, it was later destroyed when the Imperium dropped a prototype Nova Bomb which shattered its moon, vaporized all 750 Covenant ships and ignited and caused super massive tidal blasts, wiping all life on the planet.
Pegasi Delta: A Covenant refueling planet, an Ocean-World containing rich in Deuterium and Tritium. Can also construct Covenant ships, but is not the most efficient in the empire. Was once attacked and invaded by over 300 Spacemarines from the Red Scorpions Chapter, the Astartes were trying to destroy a Covenant refinery to cripple the Covenant, the mission was a success, however only Brother Avius and Brother-Captain Diodictus survived.
K7-49: An asteroid that was the Covenant Shipyard complex, which enabled it to construct up to a hundred Covenant ships at a time. Considered as a massive threat by the Imperium, they enact a task force of over 200 Knights Inductors of both 5th and 8th Company lead by Brother-Captain Raegious Inactos; their plan was to not destroy the asteroid but to shut down the facility to slow down the Covenants rigorous growth in their navy. The plan was a success as the Spacemarines managed to shut down the generators, cooling the asteroids, thus forcing the Covenant to shut the facility down. Unfortunately it came with a terrible price, all Knights Inductors including Brother-Captain Raegious Inactos, died in the campaign.
Decided Heart: A Sangheili Base-World and colony, homeworld and birthplace of the infamous Ripa 'Moramee. The Sangheilies here are notorious for their violent and disrespectful attitude to anyone not native on the planet, including fellow Sangheilies as well.
Weeping Shadows of Sorrow: A Covenant Prison-World that have high gravity with very little water, infamous for the imprisonment of the Covenants greatest assholes right behind Tartarus, he is Ripa 'Moramee.
Heian:
A Covenant colony and an important Covenant Logistic-Base. This was the sight of the assassination of the High Prophet of Change, who was secretly a Tzeentch worshiper and champion and had corrupted his Honor Guards. The assassination teams include a squad of Imperial Stormtroopers, a Vindicare Assassin and a couple of Sangheili Loyalist who had saw through the corruption.
Obsidius: A Forerunner Shield-World that has been colonized and "reclaimed" by the Covenant. Being of Forerunner design, Obsidius boast one of the most highly protected security systems and defense fleet of the Covenant. It is infamous throughout the Exidom sector where an entire Imperial Fists and Inquisition fleet opened fire at the Artificial planet, believing it as a grave threat if the Covenant got their hands on it. Unfortunately for the Imperium, the highly advance shielding and materials used to built Obsidius was powerful enough to absorb multiple hits from a fleet of Nova Cannons, even tanking over a dozen Cyclonic Torpedoes without a scratch. In response to the attack, the Forerunner planet unleashed a torrent of Forerunner Obsidius-Class Super-Sentinels to deter the attackers. Although classified as a light defense force by their creators, to the Imperium and the Imperial Fists, they were considered a devastating nightmare beyond the realms of even the worst of Necrons. Each of the beam-like weapons from the Sentinels, cut and slice through entire swathes of Imperial Fleets, like a Power-Sword through Flak-Armor. In just seconds all but a single Imperial Fist Escort, were obliterated, reduced to stardust and proto-matter. Ever since that tragic incident, the Inquisition and Ordo Xenos put down a sign to warn ALL Imperial Ships to stay clear of any Forerunner related technology, and for the Imperial Fists, they are slowly recovering their loss of over 400 Battle-Brothers.
Rtam Oldo'ra: A Sangheili Fortress-World and Recruiting-World, well known as the place where the first contact and war between Tyranids and Covenant were established. The aftermath of the battle was costly as not only did the Covenant lost a vast amount of hardened warriors, but they also lost their central city Zargo 'Delios. Ever since that unfortunate attack, the Covenant have buffed their defense filled with Cleansing Beams, such beams of pure heat is enough to incinerate and vaporize any unfortunate Tyranids that cross their path. However the newly defended Rtam Oldo'ra was again hit by another Tyranid wave, but this time the Covenant are ready, with their new defenses their Cleansing Beams incinerated an entire Hive Fleet in one swoop, such devastation is so destructive, that not even the rapid evolution of the Tyranids could adapt to it.
Sheal 'Onis: Covenant Forge-World that is responsible for the creation of the monstrous walkers well known in the Imperium such as the Scarabs and Super-Scarabs. It is also a birthing place for the hundreds of trillions of Lekgolo worms residing in the chambers. This world was once invaded by Dark Eldar, however because of their arrogance, the Dark Eldar raiding parties were suddenly swamped and crushed by a tsunami of Lekgolo worms, which metamorphose into a 5km long behemoth of grotesque orange-colored, metal-eating worms.
The Covenant and other factions
Chaos: Chaos frightens the Covenant, Chaos is the antithesis of everything the Covenant stands for, and ever since their first encounter with the ruinous powers, the Covenant has been doing everything it can to counteract Chaos. Noting that Chaos seems to be kept at bay by displays of faith, the Covenant has been taking to increasing the amount of deacons among it's soldier's ranks to keep the morale of the Covenant's soldiers strong in the face of such unrelenting horror. Still, it often does not prove to be enough, as there are reports of Chaos heretics splitting off from the Covenant, twisted and warped by the taint of Daemons. The Covenant is turning to it's faith to find answers to the question of Chaos, hoping to find a way to stop the Daemons from corrupting the great journey.
- Chaos Space Marines: At first just mistaken for another branch of the Imperium, the Chaos Space Marines fought the Covenant as eagerly as they did anything else. Putting down the black legion warband they encountered proved to be a monstrous challenge due to the horrors the Chaos Space Marines utilized, as was difficulties with madness and defection among the ranks of those who spent too much time near such power. The Covenant also found to their annoyance that the Chaos Space Marines preferred to hold up on unassailable Daemon worlds or Warp Rifts, where no amount of conventional force did more than provide the inhabitants with amusement. So the Covenant has largely resigned itself to defensive action as far as the Chaos Space Marines go.
- Chaos Heretics/Lost and the Damned: Now joined by the increasing problem of Chaos Heretics among the covenant, the footsoldiers of Chaos are ever present where their masters demand them. In a way, the Lost and the Damned are a dark mirror of the Covenant, groups of wildly different beings bound together by faith. But the faith of Chaos is an evil, mutative, powerful thing. It makes monsters out of men, it can turn even the most honorable elite into a raving madman and mutated monstrosity through little more than extended contact with the relics and icons of Chaos.
- Chaos Daemons: The Covenant much rather preferred it when Demons were purely metaphysical entities rather than trying to tear out their throats, seduce them, spread rot, or bring about unwanted change to them. Even the Covenant is not immune to the wiles of Daemons, and due to the fact that Daemons lair in warp rifts, storms, daemon worlds, or the warp itself, there is no way to counterattack. Attempts at sending a fleet into the Maelstrom where many Chaos Raiders and incursions originated from to say the least, ended in tragedy. To keep them at bay, the Covenant has used Slipspace Dimensional Barriers to shield themselves from the corruption, since the Chaos Daemons have a hard time penetrating this utterly alien Universe in which even Chaos must obey their rules and physics. When those does not work, the Covenant in a ironic twist, use captured Human Psykers as a "bait" to "fish" the Demons, and then trap them in a Slipspace Prisons; like a demented Fishermen fishing for prey, unfortunately sometimes the Psykers may not be enough to deter, and would have disastrous results.
The Tau:
Given the separation between the Covenant's entry point and the Tau Empire, contact between the two is minimal if not nonexistent. The only reported contact from this two eerily similar Aliens, even though they are at the core very different was near the infamous Damocles Gulf on the Tau Agri-World called Sha'to, in which a small Covenant pirate fleet filled with Kig-Yars and Jiralhanae landed on the World, as expected from all things Tau, first contact with the Covenant met for the worst. Within a few months the Covenant pirate crew rape, pillage and ate the population of Sha'to, ripping apart and eating the sinew and flesh of pregnant Tau while they were still alive, using their babies as blood-games for their entertainment and scattering their intestines across the fields. When the Tau Navy returned to the planet, they were horrified at what had happened, towards this day the Tau Empire named this event "The Butcher of Sha'to". Guaranteeing that the Covenant made -another- enemy, and one whose ships are based around firepower, compared to the Covenants rapid assault strikes, range and numbers. To most Imperium Xenologist, the Covenant are a striking contrast compared to the Tau, both of their ideologies and doctrine are almost the direct mirror opposite of each other. And in some cases, the Covenant can be seen as the more malevolent and brutal of the two.
Eldar: The Eldar are so far content to simply move out of the way of the Covenant or subtly drive the newcomers into directions they wish to go. As of yet, the Covenant has yet to actually engage any of the Craftworld Eldar, but some do report beings of ethereal grace and beauty darting at the very corners of their vision, seeming to only watch rather than fight, as they are more curious on what this beings from another universe would bring.
Dark Eldar: The Covenant has been around long enough to be well acquainted with the Terror of the Dark Eldar and the suffering they can inflict. Many of the covenant's soldiers take to always keeping enough plasma grenades to kill themselves if there are reports of the Dark Eldar in the area rather than allow themselves to be captured and be made into the Dark Eldar's newest play things. The Dark Eldar so far prove to be frustratingly quick and darting opponents, as well as extremely frightening, to the point that the Covenant's forces have released primers on how to steel oneself against the Dark Eldar's terror tactics. Others of the covenant though, find the Dark Eldar to be thrilling opponents and often gladly seek combat with them.
Necrons: What little the Covenant knows of Necrons is enough to make the Covenant want to disturb their rest as little as possible after losing four entire fleets to a Dynasty they inadvertently disturbed the slumber of. This same Dynasty also coincidentally, destroyed three entire Imperium fleets who were chasing the Covenant scouting fleets earlier on. Some relics of ancient times are best left to slumber undisturbed. If the Forerunners are their gods, then the Necrons are another pantheon, uncaring, indifferent, and best left alone. Some odd gestures of grudging respect are given, but generally "out of sight, out of mind" is the order of the day.
Tyranids: The Great Devourer cometh and it hungers, as the new primers on the Tyranids state. Not an infection like the Parasites, but rather a great swarm like locusts or army ants that devour all in their path, the Covenant has picked up the term Great Devourer for the menace from beyond the galaxy. So far the covenant prefers to avoid fights with the Tyranids, but in the great defense of one of their new fortress worlds, Rtam Oldo'ra the Covenant managed to drive back a tendril of Hive Fleet after much spectacular bravery and losing billions. Bravery that culminated in the Super-carrier "Hand of Retribution" making a final, desperate suicide run into the largest hive ship, a behemoth nearly as long as the super carrier from horrific front to terrifying back and much thicker and heavier with tentacles that extended for three times it's body length that was already helping itself to the tasty contents of several ships. The colossal creature was said to have partaken in the consumption of over a thousand worlds, and the outmatched and damaged Super-carrier everything it could to destroy it even after it's engines were damaged beyond the ability to self destruct and boarding organisms overran multiple decks to disrupt the synaptic web of the Tyranids long enough for reinforcements to arrive and obliterated the Tyranids in a vise. This victory has been heavily propagandized by the Covenant, but the Devourer is still a threat on a truly Gargantuan scale to the WH40K Galaxy, and losing a tendril or two does little but slow it down slightly. Tyranid genestealers are classified as grave moral threats to the Covenant, not only for the fact that they lure the Devourer in, but also infiltrate, subsume, and corrupt the societies they touch from within. Any who are bitten by genestealers are to be shot upon discovery and their corpses burned.
Orks: Initial attempts to recruit the Orks into the Covenant proved hard and difficult beyond offerings of large quantities of sharp teeth and interesting new guns to serve as temporary mercenaries. The Orks as always are a nuisance who are incredibly eager for a fight, making them favored opponents of the Sangheili and Jiralhanae. It has been learned that the average Ork is stronger than most anything short of the average Jiralhanae and in case of a Warboss, might even challenge a M'galekgolo, and that in close quarters, the Greenskins will nearly always hold the advantage. As such the Covenant prefers long range, leaving melee only to specialist Elites, Brutes, and Hunters while everyone else holds back. As for the Orks, new tech or loot is always welcome so long if the Covenant decides to give them in trade of something the Orks consider a "GOOD FITE", even if it reminds them of the Panzees a bit. However due to their cultural similarities, it is not uncommon to see both Jiralhanae and Orks incorporating and trading their lifestyle and weaponry in their respective societies, much to the Covenants dismay.
Hrud: Unlike the Orks, the Covenant has made some headway into Prolyesterizing the Hrud, and has found to their surprise, just how potent the warp is as a power source. The first encounter of the Covenant involved an encounter with a great Hrud migration where the Hrud in their large numbers caused massive breaks in the fabric of space and time, vehicles, soldiers, and equipment aging and crumbling into dusts before their commander's own rapidly aging eyes while their fantastic fusil tech and mastery of stealth and cloaking proved to be an unpleasant surprise. After such an encounter, the Prophets, wishing to exploit this awesome power of Hrud in large groups, has sent missionaries to the Hrud, for their untapped intrigues the covenant greatly, and efforts are being made to draw Hrud clans into their empire.
Rak'gol: Brutal pirates, murderers and mercenaries, the Rak'Gol seem like they would make the ideal new additions to the covenant, and so an effort to pacify and subsume at least some of them into the structure is being made, and it is already quite well under way. Already several Rak'Gol clans have become valued members of the Covenant, and the Prophet of Truth has taken a liking to their brutal nature, loyalty, already existing technological and industrial base to minimize strain on logistics, and ability to make do with whatever is at hand. One Rak'Gol clan even resides in High Charity, where their quarters are infamous for committing every possible sin of aesthetics imaginable to make a dwelling so hideous that the Engineers wept bitter, bitter tears upon seeing it.
Slaugth: Like the Mgalekgolo in many ways, except infinitely more sinister. The Slaugth are a race from beyond the galaxy, masses of worms that come to walk like men and dress like bringers of death with sciences far in excess of what mankind knows. They are in many ways, like twisted parodies of the Necrons. Whereas the Necrons represent slumbering death, the Slaugth are waking undeath, twisting and altering other life with their mastery of Biology to create soldiers and monsters to fight for them. Utilizing unknown methods of faster than light travel, the Slaugth arrived from the Calixis sector sometime in M41 to join the ever growing parade of Xenos and the uprising of Chaos that seems to circle ever tighter around the Imperium of Man like sharks that have smelled blood. The few encounters with the Slaugth that the Covenant have had is enough to file the Slaugth under the same categories as such ancient and powerful races as the Forerunners and Necrons, powerful, best avoided, and perhaps to be appeased.
Enslavers: The Enslavers remind the Covenant far too much of the Flood from back home for their liking, and now that the Psyker gene is beginning to express itself amongst the Covenant, they too must worry about a potential return of the Enslavers.
C'tan: As bad as the Necrons are, the C'tan are worse. Nobody wants the C'tan to return, and the newcomers are no exceptions, and the Covenant, after poking around with the Outsider's Dyson sphere, have stamped the C'tan "Heretical" as many times as possible in their records. Fortunately for the Covenant, most of the C'tan are all but shattered during the Great Betrayal of the Necrons. However their influence is still at large, and they need to thread carefully still. And the Outsider is rumoured to be very much intact, though imprisoned in a Russian Doll like array of Dyson spheres, each as formidable as any comparable construct by the Forerunners in an attempt to ensure that the mad god never unleashes a terrible vengeance for the sins of an era sixty million years past. Any ships found to be near the Dyson sphere at any point without direct orders from the Hierarchs themselves are to be assumed to have fallen to the C'tan's control and are to be destroyed and blasted into pieces no larger than a grunt's fist.
La'vesh: Also called the Reapers, these xenos of robotic like intelligence and origin, came into the WH40K universe similar to that of the Covenant. Because of their dangerous telekinesis and mind-control called Indoctrination, the Covenant enact a Holy-Conquest in the extermination of the La'vesh. Fortunately for the Covenant, the weaponry and defense of the La'vesh was both weak and primitive, after several decades, the Covenant had finally subdued and exterminated all La'vesh trying to enter the portal, with some help of the Imperial Navy who also have the same cause. A second fleet also attempted entry, but had the misfortune of meeting the Imalsep Dynasty, and was taught what it really meant to be an "Old Machine". Rumors of Yapyap taking the time to urinate on the gaussed and electrically burned remnants of the reapers are unconfirmed.
Covenant Ki-psyniotics
"We are nothing more then the instruments of the Gods! Spare us your pitiful plea for mercy, cowardly scum, for we will smite the unbelievers whether innocent or guilty. Mark my words Tou'Aun'Vol of Tau, your kind dare try to meddle with our thinking, our words of truth and we the Covenant will bring your entire race into doom and suffering." -Jiazah 'Thogamee addressing the final speech to the Tau Ethereal Tou'Aun'Vol, rightly before executing him.
Curiously, ever since the Covenant entered the Wormhole on their Pilgramage, they found that there was a mutation going through their ranks. A mutation that grants incredible power, but also invites new horrors from the Warp. This was the Ki-psyniotics gene. After some deliberation, the Prophets declared it to be a holy gift from the gods that must be trained and cultivated, and had it's members rifle through stolen imperial documents, or documents handed by strange and oddly dressed and very entrancing performers on how to care for the Ki-psyniotics users developing in their ranks. However they are not regarded as "True" Psykers by the Imperium, the Covenant unlike the Imperium uses slight but subtle Warp manipulation which either slightly enhance strength and durability or just plain telepathy. This is called "Ki-psyniotics" or "Ki-psynioticus" and compared to the Imperium who uses the brute force of the Warp as a weapon, the Covenant uses the "Flow" of the Warp to enhance their bodies. The Grandmaster of the Ki-psyniotics and Supreme Lieutenant of Darchron's Eternal Crusaders, Jiazah 'Thogamee is infamous throughout both Heltorous and Albameous sectors for his brutal skill in his ornamental energy sword called Blight's Edge, and his mastery over Ki-psyniotics, so much so that he makes it an art-form.
When using Ki-psyniotics; Sangheilies and Jiralhanaes prefer biomancy, for it strengthens the flesh and primarily serves to aid in glorious close quarters combat. The Prophets prefer telepathy, for it allows them to better profer their sermons and maintain a greater grip on their empire though Divinitation is also a favorite as they believe it helps them commune with the gods through visions. The Unggoy, most specifically the Deacon class also employ Telepathy, albeit on a lower grade then a Prophets, this allows them to "Inspire" other Covenant troops in the battlefield. The Mgalekgolo again prefer Telepathy, to strengthen the bonds between their collective, with their psykers forming a rudimentary hive mind to ward themselves against Chaos through group thinking. The Kig-Yar have no preference for any particular school, being the opportunists that they are. The Yamne have a noted preference for telekinesis and telepathy, and Ki-psyniotic users are now highly desired mates.
Of course, this has not gone off without a hitch. Even using a relatively small amount of Warp energy the risks of possession and perils of the Warp are still the same if not even greater than that of human Psykers due to the newness of the gene. Prophets have gone senile trying to push their powers too hard or led their armies to ruin whilst foreseeing fortune. Jiralhanae fall into a blood-rage and slaughter their fellow pack mates until they are put down. Yan'Me and Mgalekgolo turn against each other as telepathic powers tainted with whispers of the Warp twist the natural connections the species have. Those who do survive using their powers often succumb to madness with repeated use. The majority of Ki-psyniotic power users lack the ability to control their powers in the long run and devolve into rambling messes of their former selves. Fortunately the Covenant quickly learned of this, and these disastrous affects of the Warp is largely negated. New members of the Ki-psyniotics are forced to go into the "Trial by Faith", which are multi-Slipspace prisms in which the new members practice their powers. Those that succumb to the Warp would have their bodies and soul instantly vaporize by the Slipspace continuum, reducing Warp and Demon danger, those that pass however are granted un-imaginable powers of vast Stella scale.
The Covenant, now with respectfully new but unfortunately (or fortunately) limited knowledge of Chaos, has formed a new sect of priests whose job is to closely monitor Ki-psyniotics and make sure that the disastrous first effects on the Warp by over dosage of Ki-psyniotics among the covenant is never repeated, for they still cannot reclaim the dozens of new daemon worlds formed out of their initial over-enthusiasm and ignorance. But for all their caution, the temptations of power and glory tantalize those with the gene, and more often than not they abuse their powers even when they have proved to not be worthy by the priests. Only time will tell whether the Covenant either tears itself apart due to the use of Ki-psyniotics or whether they'll overcome themselves and grow even more powerful and potent as a result.
Ki-psyniotics are organized into their own hierarchy much as how priests are. Here, rank is determined by a combination of power, success, and control. Control is deemed the most important due to how flagrantly wrong things can go with such power at work, and it is better to have a soldier who is perhaps less potent but reliable than one who is more powerful but ends up giving into lunacy midway through a battle. Success of course, is perhaps the most objective way to measure skill, and the feats and deeds of one seeking promotion are analyzed by both more experienced Ki-psyniotics and those who have taken to studying them. Power of course, matters, but not as much as one would think. An Alpha level Ki-psyniotic isn't much use if he's stark raving mad and as liable to rip apart his allies as he is his friends after all.
Those who pass a trial of faith are apprenticed out to a more experienced Psyniotic who helps further guide their new gifts. Usually, one of these "Tutors" has multiple apprentices, who in battle acts as sort of a sergeant for the ad hoc squad, and if need be, a secondary executioner should the guardians of sanctity be unavailable to immediately terminate a rogue Ki-psyniotic. If the Tutor himself has been gripped by madness, the apprentices are expected to do what is necessary with their former master and aid the guardians of sanctity in saving his soul. Once an apprentice has attained a higher status, they pass on to higher ranks, and are placed into rotating schedules where they may be called upon for teaching duties.
Guardians of Sanctity
"I.AM.DEATH!" -motto of the Guardians of Sanctity.
The Guardians of Sanctity are those special priests whose sacred duty is to ensure that the perils of the mind do not overcome the Psyniotic. Some are themselves, psyniotic, but all have what psychic wards and defenses that the covenant can spare them, with higher ranking ones having greater defense. They take more extreme methods of saving the soul than other priests and are deployed en masse wherever Chaos or Psyker heavy foes are involved. To be chosen for this sacred sect is to mean that the Covenant has recognized the individual as having peerless prowess, unshakeable faith, and all surpassing loyalty.
They are then trained and further indoctrinated, with the Ki-psyniotics apprenticed to their greaters within the ranks of the Guardians and all are trained to have their minds, souls, and bodies be that of steel. No weakness is to be tolerated, no doubt to be harbored. For the nature of their task is as such that weakness will only lead to ruin. It is they who are expected to form the vanguard against the Daemon, to be the knife that cuts into the new breed of warped heretic.
Though they are priests, their primary duty is not to give sermons or litanies, though some of them do indeed give out such to strengthen resolve among their brethren, but to be the ultimate tool of war against the new breed of horror that strikes at the mind and soul as much as it does the body. They do not know fear, their bodies are honed to perfection, their souls are warded against the supernatural. Their equipment includes one of the most advance and powerful in the Covenant armory, this includes Gravity Cannons, Gravity Rifles, Slipspace grenades, Anti-Matter Swords and Forerunner Neural Guns which are weapons that can destroy thought and emotion; something Demons from the Warp are mostly comprise of. Their education on their foe is as thorough as can be managed, and each are expected to be able to recite the abilities and weaknesses of the most common forms of daemon off by heart.
Perhaps the closest comparison would be the Ordo Malleus and Grey Knights of the Imperium, ARCs (Advanced reconnaisance Cadre) 9-12 of the Tau Empire, or the Harlequins and White Seers of the Eldar. Specialists and the cream of the crop. Due to the variety of enemies in this new galaxy, similar formations are formed to focus on other specific foes, such as the Purifiers of the Flesh who deal with the Tyranid and Genestealer menace, but such are tales for another time.
Presence of the Blank gene
While the mutation of Psykers inevitably came from the initial of the Wormhole immigration and the subsequent exposure to the stuff of the Warp, there are no instances of a single Pariah within the Covenant faction. The most likely explanation is that the Necrons were the first to implant the incredibly rare gene in humanity long ago, for their own nefarious reasons. No other race besides the humans and the Necrons themselves possess the Blank gene.
As Covenant Ki-psyniotics are incredibly varied to begin, the presence of a single Blank can sometimes be enough to unhinge the target's mind or just makes them feel irritated, making them a high priority target in the Covenant forces.
See Also
You can look at fan-made shot stories for the Covenant, right now there is only one, and is still under-construction.
Gallery
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Covenant Super-Carrier is destroyed when Tau Cruiser The Giver of life, sacrificed itself by using its Warp-Drives to overload.
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Djangorian Hell-Jumpers, dying by the hundreds.
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Kig-Yar pirate patrols, raiding a Tyranid infested planet.
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Members of the Imperial Xenologists, attacked by something worse then the Covenant.
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A sketch of the Great Parasite.
