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- "Arbiter: a person who settles a dispute or has ultimate authority in a matter."
- ―Human definition of the word "arbiter"
Within the Sanghelli race, the name Arbiter has come to be a synonym for hero and connotes one who is exceptionally skilled at all things involving military might. This is not surprising, given that most Sanghelli that are honored as the greatest leaders in the history of their people have been Arbiters at some point in their lives. The title and rank of Arbiter has existed since almost the very beginning of recorded Sanghelli history and has continued to exist throughout their turbulent existence, although its purpose has been subject to drastic change as history progressed.
Early History[]
On ancient Sanghellios, the Sanghelli race was divided into countless clans that all controlled small portions of the planet. These clans were constantly shifting their allegiances, forming and breaking alliances with other clans at the slightest sign that such an action could advance their causes in any way. Naturally this system led to a species-wide mistrust of anyone who was not a fellow clan-member, making trade and diplomacy extremely difficult. It was under these circumstances that the title of Arbiter was first created. Granted to Sanghelli who, for varying reasons, had no clan and therefore no personal allegiance, it was meant to allow clans with long-standing hatreds of each other to communicate without risking a full scale battle during what was supposed to be a peaceful meeting. Despite being instrumental in maintaining a somewhat shaky peace between the largest of the clans, the Arbiters were looked down upon by most other Sanghelli due to their lack of a clan and the general poverty that plagued almost every one (at one point it was said that to be an Arbiter was to be no better than a prostitute).
As time went on, clans began to absorb other clans to form the first Sanghelli nations and the role of the Arbiters became all the more important as wars became larger and bloodier than they had been in ages past. At this point the social respect that Arbiters garnered began to grow until they became some of the most honored individuals within Sanghelli society. With this popularity boom, Sanghelli families began to want their own children to become Arbiters, which led to the formation of the first Arbiter monasteries. Parents would anonymously surrender their children to the monastery at birth, where they would be trained in politics and, when the Arbiters also became the collective priests of the Sanghelli race, religion. Although this produced a large amount of precious Arbiters, it also made the order too large and forced restrictions to be placed upon it. Now only male children from families of nobility could be given over to monasteries and all Arbiters were forbidden from taking up arms against any nation. This continued until the fragile peace was shattered by a sudden war between the most powerful of the Sanghelli nations. As the conflict grew to encompass almost the entire planet, the order of Arbiters debated amongst itself for several years before finally taking matters into its own hands. Training its members to be the best warriors in the world, the order ended the war by using the warriors to assassinate key leaders and stage coup de'etats from within the nations. Once the states were pacified, the order became the ultimate authority on Sanghellios as its members policed the globe for any signs of a war as destructive as the one that had just ended. The Arbiters eventually surrendered this power and disbanded permanently, but the name Arbiter had been etched into Sanghelli society for good.
With the complete unification of the Sanghelli race and their initial discovery of Forerunner technology, the rank of Arbiter once again rose into prominence. Aside from settling minor disputes in places that they traveled to, Arbiters (who were now appointed and funded by the Sanghelli government) were also responsible for policing the use of the sacred technology and ensuring that the relics were not being used or treated improperly. The war with the San 'Shyuum caused the Arbiters to almost be completely wiped out, however, when the Arbiters' righteous anger over San 'Shyuum treatment of relics led to near suicidal tactics on their part. By the war's end, only a single Arbiter was still alive. The San 'Shyuum, taking an interest in this ancient title, suggested that the rank be treated as one that could only be held by a single individual who would serve as a vanguard for the newly-formed Covenant in times of need. After much debate the Sanghelli agreed, and the "traditional" role for the Arbiter was conceived.
"Vanguards of the Great Journey"[]
As the Covenant continued to grow and encounter more species and embroil itself in more conflicts the role or Arbiter took on almost mythical proportions for the Sanghelli. It came to be seen as more than just a military rank but also as a religious one, as the Arbiters were generally seen as the Sanghelli race's closest link to its San 'Shyuum allies. Another attribute grafted onto the rank was a concept of redemption: all Arbiters appointed to their rank were guilty of religious or political crimes of some sort that could only be absolved by fighting and dying for the Covenant cause. All Arbiters appointed before and during the Human-Covenant War besides Thel 'Vadam were killed while fighting as Arbiters. With the Great Schism and 'Vadam's assassination of the Prophet of Truth, the rank of Arbiter underwent yet another change. The Arbiter was neither the leader of the Sanghelli race nor a convicted criminal but a great warrior appointed to lead a specific force of Sanghelli warriors that had a single objective in mind. While this new incarnation of the Arbiter still had to answer to the High Council on Sanghelios, they were given much leeway when in the field as their superiors felt that Arbiters should be allowed to be in charge of their own forces and strategies.
Known Arbiters[]
- Ripa 'Moramee (Deceased)
- Thel 'Vadam (Retired)
- Renda 'Semamee (Current Arbiter)