| Lekgolo | |
|---|---|
| H2A Terminals - Pile o' Worms.jpg | |
| (Ophis congregatio) | |
Vital statistics
| |
| Universe | Earth-5875 |
| Base of Operations | |
| Body Type | Annelidian |
| Eyes | None |
| Hair | None |
| Skin | Orange Brown |
| Number of Limbs | None |
| Special Adaptations | Small worm-like sapients that merge into single entities known as "subsistence gestalts" |
| Notable Individuals | "Colony" Igido Nosa Hurru Magsanggalang Magtanggol Makipagtunggali Nakagagalit Ogada Nosa Fasu Paruto Xida Konna Waruna Xida Yotno |
| Home Planet | Te |
Origins
| |
| Origin | Unknown |
| Created by | Draft227 |
Lekgolo (Latin Ophis congregatio, meaning "serpent union"), known to humans as Hunters when bonded as mgalekgolo, are a sapient species of small worm-like colonial beings from Te that that are able to merge with one another in their respective colonies to create newer and stronger forms that fulfill specific assemblages and requirements, called subsistence gestalts. These forms widely range in size, strength, and intelligence, and can also be used to arrange themselves within machinery and vehicles.
The lekgolo were one of the first sapient species in the Orion Arm of the Milky Way galaxy to develop their own means of space travel, and became the first species to be enslaved and inducted into the Covenant in 784 BCE following the Taming of the Lekgolo.
History[]
Prehistory[]
The lekgolo first evolved on the gas giant Te, in the Svir system. There, they developed during their thriving and prosperous consumption of the abundant metal deposits found on the planet's crust. The forerunners visited Te in the past, and they would futilely attempt to use one of their gestalts, the thanolekgolo, to combat the xenomorphs during their war against the endoparasite. Many of these thanolekgolo were cryogenically buried under Installation 04. The lekgolo were eventually cataloged by the Lifeworkers and sent to the Ark as part of the Conservation Measure. After the firing of the Halo Array, they were returned to their homeworld, where they began rebuilding their culture.
Because of their natural ability to assimilate into larger forms and become even more intelligent, the lekgolo were capable of reaching Tier 3 technology. However, they were essentially stuck on their homeplanet duo to their incapacity of developing space travel technology on their high gravity homeworld. Not long after, many lekgolo started to settle in forerunner installations that orbited Te, where many started to consume the structures, while others did not.
The Covenant[]
Our first encounter with the lekgolo was an effort in futility. The blasphemous creatures had devoured a forerunner orbital, shattering its remains into a trillion pieces. 
- - The Prophet of Clarity on his Record of Punished Deeds
An Arbiter facing three mgalekgolo during the Taming of the Lekgolo.
The lekgolo made their first contact with an intelligent alien civilization in 789 BCE, when the Covenant arrived in the Svir system. Soon upon their encounter, the Covenant discovered the lekgolo had been eating surrounding forerunner orbital facilities, prompting the Hierarchs to brand it an act of heresy and declare war against the lekgolo, which became nown as the Taming of the Lekgolo. While the Covenant easily outmatched the species in orbital engagements by simply bombing Te's surface, the Covenant's Fleetmasters discovered that attacking could result into the destruction of the forerunner relics.
Upon fighting on the ground, the sangheili found themselves outmatched against the lekgolo, which could combine into major gestalts to fight the alien invaders, must commonly the mgalekgolo, which were easily able to kill the sangheili warriors. The ferocity and numbers of the lekgolo was enough to send fear to the Covenant, and so the Hierarchs named an Arbiter in order to "tame" the lekgolo and enslave them as one of the Covenant's species. After the Arbiter spent one whole year studying his foes, an agreement was eventually made between the san'shyuum and the lekgolo, who then joined the Covenant as its first non-founding species.
Covenant servitude[]
Two mgalekgolo searching for two UNSC Marines.
Even though communication proved to be difficult between the Covenant and the lekgolo's different methods of speech, the lekgolo were soon incorporated among the Covenant Armada in 784 BCE, bringing their unique gestalt capabilities to the battlefield. The mgalekgolo were weaponized, being used as heavy troops, as well as in their incorporation on Type-47 Scarabs, while Sbaolekgolo were used to operate Type-58 Harvesters. Lekgolo that did not commit heresy against the forerunners worked together alongside ascetic priests in order to study and unlock the secrets of High Charity's Dreadnought.
They participated in multiple conflicts through Covenant history, such as the conquering of the the kig-yar, the unggoy, the yanme'e, and the jiralhanae, as well as in the First Contact War against humanity. During the Great Schism, most lekgolo sided with the sangheili and subsequently the Swords of Sanghelios, although many still remained at the side of the Prophets of Truth and Mercy.
Post-First Contact War[]
Jameson Locke holding an attacking lekgolo.
After the end of the war and the outbreak of the Great Schism, many lekgolo colonies continued to stay at the side of the Swords of Sanghelios, and thus also ally with the UNSC. However, many chose to to either stay under or make alliances with sangheili and jiralhanae commanders that formed their own Covenant splinter factions, such as the Enclave, the Blue Suns, the Banished, and the Blood Pact.
Following the destruction of Installation 04, the thanolekgolo which had been cryogenically sealed within it woke up frozen and confused, reduced to insanity and violence after spending centuries sleeping. After breaking free from Alpha Shard, the only remaining piece of the ring, they hunted and ate a joint Office of Naval Intelligence-Sedran Colonial Guard mission on Alpha Shard, leading to the the death of most of the personnel, with the exception of Jameson Locke and Talitha Mercer.
Biology[]
Anatomy and physiology[]
Thanolekgolo attacking a D81-LRT Condor.
The Lekgolo's most notable characteristic is their natural ability to merge together and form physical and neurological bounds with one another, which in turn start to share a single personality and behavior. While lekgolo themselves are sapient, the gestalts are the closest thing that can be considered an individual and named lekgolo. They can become exponentially more intelligent as they create new forms, where they start to communicate via chemicals and electrical means. The intelligence of the colony depends on the neural mass quantity present, and can be scaled and manipulated by the gestalts at will in order to fulfill certain goals. The neural gain enables the lekgolo colonies to become stronger, more resilient, and overall, more sensitive to their surroundings, as well as to allow the lekgolo to manifest themselves in numerous forms of their choosing. The Covenant's species known of six different lekgolo gestalts: dipholekgolo, mgalekgolo, rhulolekgolo, sbaolekgolo, khantolekgolo, and thanolekgolo. These gestalts are wildly varied, both in size, mass, intelligence, and roles. Duo to the physiology and nature of their consciousness and intelligence, lekgolo cannot be harvested and impregnated by the xenomorphs, for reasons that include their size and nervous systems, that, while exist in the larger gestalts, do not exist in the singular worms.
The lekgolo are classified xenobiologically by the Office of Naval Intelligence and the UNSC as "subsistence gestalt", which they define as gestalt communities with the ability to live and survive under extreme conditions and environments, including the vaccuum of space, which allowed them to survive on the orbital rings of their homeworld, Te. Lekgolo blood is luminescent orange, and has been described to smell like burnt plastic.
Sex and life cycle[]
Gestalts are formed after many lekgolo assemble themselves to form one individual. Two or more mgalekgolo are formed after a colony becomes too big and is split in two, as their dorsal spikes contains the remaining connections between the two bond-brothers.
Culture[]
A mgalekgolo in combat stance at Sword Base, on Reach.
Little is known about lekgolo society, politics, and intellectual structures, even by the former species of the Covenant, leading to a series of theories and lines of thought. The little that is known about the lekgolo only comes from the mgalekgolo, which are merely one out of the various gestalts lekgolo can potentially become, giving a very limited scope of the entire species. Lekgolo are known xenophobes, and they rarely communicate or associate with the other species of the Covenant, with the exception of the sangheili, whom they see as honorable and strategic. Differently to the other species, lekgolo are generally dismissive and arrogant, something is only strengthened by their hatred over their enemies. Mgalekgolo do not care about killing allies in battle, which they view as "lesser races", such as the kig-yar and the unggoy.
The species of the Covenant are deeply confused and mystified about the lekgolo, seeing their way of life and intelligence as alien to them as that of the xenomorphs. A Fleetmaster has once noted how mgalekgolo would tear their opponents in half with their strength in an act of violence, only to pause and recite war poetry soon after. Mgalekgolo are known to meditate before battle.
Role within the Covenant[]
The mgalekgolo have come to our aid, Arbiter. They will fight by our side.
- - Anonymous sangheili Minor to Arbiter Thel 'Vadamee
The mgalekgolo were the most common lekgolo gestalt seen in the Covenant. Hulking and humanoid, they served as "walking tanks" and were easily able to dispatch enemy forces, even though they were rarely deployed in battle. The mgalekgolo and other gestalts were also utilized frequently for piloting Covenant vehicles, such as the Type-47 Scarabs and the Type-58 Harvesters. The lekgolo were the most plentiful of the Covenant's species, having a population that numbered the quadrillions.
Religion and spirituality[]
Lekgolo assembling into a mgalekgolo at the space station Argent Moon.
Much like their culture, the religious beliefs and spirituality of the lekgolo is generally poorly understood, although it is known there is little need for religion in their society. The lekgolo initially joined the Covenant with the benefaction of acquiring space trade routs and methods of space travel, rather than any real faith on the Path and the Great Journey. Despite this, many mgalekgolo were ardent believers on the Path, and some held concepts of the afterlife. Lekgolo meditate during their spare time, as well as reciting war poetry and chants before and after engagements, which represents a far cry from what are believed to be merely hulking and savage warriors. Much like the sangheili, mgalekgolo adhere to a concept of honor, although one that is much different. This similar trait led most mgalekgolo to align with the sangheili during the Great Schism.
Languages[]
Mgalekgolo do not have vocal cords, and so they communicate by vibrating their bodies to produce low rumbles that resemble speech, which makes them somewhat capable of speaking Digom in a process that is described as being "felt", and not heard. Office of Naval Intelligence scientists suggested that the mgalekgolo's quiet nature towards the other species of the Covenant is a direct result of their inability to speak Digom, much like the huragok and the yanme'e. As evidenced by their names, mgalekgolo speech only use simple vowels and few consonants.
Homeworld and colonies[]
Lekgolo hail from the gas giant Te, in the Svir system. The planet and its rings are home to approximately 1.98 quadrillion lekgolo. The planet is orbited by 25 moons, two of which are Rantu and Uhtua.