Name: Arbiter Thel 'Vadam
Universe:
HaloAppearance:
"Were it so easy..." Thel stands at an imposing height of 7'10" (2.39m) and appears to be hunched over. Thel's jaw is quadruple-hinged, with an upper jaw, a greatly reduced lower jaw which are four mandible-like 'lips'. With few exceptions, these mandibles are generally shown with six teeth each; many sources also depict an additional large fang on the tips of each mandible. His hands are tetradactyl, having four digits; two middle fingers, and two opposing thumbs on the outside for grasping, and his legs are also digitigrade, with short upper and lower legs, and elongated tarsals, using the distal and intermediate phalanges to support their weight when walking. This arrangement possibly allows them to run very quickly and jump large distances. Thel has least two hearts, which circulate purple/indigo-colored blood through his veins; the coloration is most likely caused by bimetallic hemoglobin, possibly cobalt-iron, whereas the crimson-blooded Humans possess monometallic iron-based hemoglobin. His skin is ash grey in colour, and he has slitted amber eyes. Other than this, he is always wearing his Arbiter armour. It is composed of a bronze/silvery metal, with ornate engravings and metal work, indicating the Arbiter's ceremonial nature.
Personality: Thel, like all Sangheili, is keen to do things in an honorable manner, though he is more flexible when it comes to equipment, weapons, and vehicles. His hatred of the Jiralhanae doesn't seem to be as strong or destructive as that of other Sangheili; one example of this is when the Arbiter tried to reason with Tartarus in Installation 05's Control Room. He is shown to be true to his title "Arbiter" as he often tries to negotiate with some of his other enemies (Yanme'e, for example) and will only kill when forced to do so. He has deep respect for his fellow Sangheili and a grudging respect for the humans, specifically John-117 and Sergeant Johnson.
Despite being a former enemy of humanity, Thel has shown a willingness to fight alongside them toward a common goal. Even before peace was established, Thel was willing to work with Avery Johnson to stop Tartarus. Johnson's aid in the fight with Tartarus and the fight he put against him earlier may have earned Vadam's respect as he seemed to respect Johnson in their later encounters. He also showed sorrow at Johnson's death, and said that even beyond death, the Sergeant still guided them. He was also willing to fight side by side and back to back with the Master Chief, someone he once considered a great enemy. Thel also respected humanity enough to be present at a memorial to everyone who fell in the war. While he respected the humans he was wary of their intent and likely had his own reason for having Evan Phillips visiting Sanghelios.
Powers/Skills:
- Combat Mastery: The Arbiter is very experienced at combat and has extensive knowledge of every weapon and vehicles. The Arbiter expressed a desire to understand human weapons even before his alliance with the UNSC.
- Close Combat: Thel is a master with his Energy Sword, having practised since he was young. He is skilled the point where he can single-handedly defeat multiple skilled assassins at once.
- Master Strategist: One of the few advantages that Humanity had over the Covenant was how the latter stubbornly refused to use innovative tactics against the former. Thel 'Vadam completely subverted this handicap by being so unpredictable that the even the most experienced and educated strategists of the UNSC couldn't counter his strategies. What makes this all the more remarkable is that Thel 'Vadam came from a culture that ostracised traits such as innovation and creativity, yet he somehow managed to develop these qualities independently.
- Elite Traits: As a Sangheili, Thel is physically superior to humans. He is comparable to SPARTAN-II supersoldiers like Master Chief in that he can flip warthogs and run faster than even the fastest human. He is also able to pick up humans with one arm. He also has superior eyesight and smell.
Brief Bio: At some point between 2535 and 2552, Thel's exceptional leadership and combat prowess earned him the rank of the Fleet of Particular Justice's Supreme Commander. During his time as a Supreme Commander, Thel was responsible for over 1 billion human casualties, the loss of at least 7 human worlds, the destruction of over 123 human vessels during fleet action and the deaths of over 23,000 UNSC personnel.
Near the end of his time serving as Supreme Commander, he led the victorious Covenant forces at the Fall of Reach. As the battle ended, Thel ordered all ships within his command to follow the fleeing UNSC Pillar of Autumn. Following the Autumn's course led them to Installation 04. Commanding the Seeker of Truth, he had his ships begin evacuation of the ring upon the release of the Flood, but the parasite managed to capture a ship and infect a Minor Prophet, the Minister of Etiology. The sudden widespread evacuation led to confusion as ships became infested, and he was unable to prevent the destruction of the ring and was forced to abandon it. The abandonment saved his life, but also resulted in the capture of the newly arrived flagship, the Ascendant Justice, by John-117, and he was called before the High Council to answer for these failures.
The loss of the Forerunner relic that the Covenant held "holy" rendered the Council unmoved by his defense, and 'Vadamee was stripped of his rank, title, name, honor, and branded a heretic for his failure in safeguarding Hal TheMark of Shame was branded upon his chest in front of many of the Covenant, and he was sentenced to death. He was sentenced to "be hung by his entrails" and his corpse "paraded through the city" as an example to others.The Prophet of Objection went so far as to say "it was heresy."
Upon being brought to the Prophet Hierarchs of Truth and Mercy, they intervened and offered to commute the sentence if he would become the new Arbiter. Understanding that becoming the Arbiter of the Covenant amounted to an indirect death sentence, but also seeking an opportunity to redeem his name to retain honor for his continuing bloodline, the Sangheili accepted the offer.
The rest of Thel's long-ass backstory can be found
here.
Shortly after the events of
Halo 3, Thel found himself in a new place he had no memory of coming to.
Equipment:
- Type-51 Carbine: A reliable recoil-operated and charger-fed, semi-automatic weapon that fires 8mm caseless radioactive projectiles. The weapon's cylindrical magazine holds eighteen rounds, and also provides indication of number of rounds left in the magazine, using a holographic display.Good for mid to long ranges.
- Type-1 Energy Weapon/Sword: A melee weapon used exclusively by the Sangheili. The Type-1 Energy Weapon/Sword consists of a curved hilt, housing an energy storage module and a device for projecting the plasma which forms the blade. The actual blade is composed of two partially ionized 'blades' of free moving electron based gas held in a blade-like form by two small magnetic-field generators built into the handle of the weapon. This forms and contains the oval shaped, ionized blades for which the weapon is recognised.
- Type-1 Antipersonnel grenade: A spherical explosive composed of an unknown material and contains a small plasma generator. When primed, the Type-1 Plasma grenade starts venting its coolant ensuring that the grenade does not stick to the individual who primed it. When thrown, the gaseous plasma begins to ionize to a degree such that if it comes into contact with a vehicle or individual, the plasma will start to burn into the surface and adhere to it, the venting coolant will cause the small plasma generator inside to destabilize and will in turn cause the grenade to detonate.
- Arbiter Armour: Thel wears his Arbiter armour, which is a fully functional, if outdated, combat suit. It is silver-bronze with ornate markings. It includes a heads-up display, energy shield system, and active camouflage.
Others: Voiced by Keith David.
