|
 Characters |
The Pillar of Autumn and Its Crew
The Pillar of Autumn is a Halcyon-class warship that has seen decades of
service. An aging but sturdy vessel, and one of the smallest cruisers in
the human fleet, the military high command chose it specifically as an
inconspicuous launch pad for a covert offensive against the Covenant. Genetically-engineered
cyborg soldiers in state-of-the-art battle suits were supposed to board
a Covenant vessel and locate the Covenant home world. A surprise Covenant
attack on the human miliraty base on the planet Reach annihilated all but
one of the SPARTAN-II soldiers. The remaining SPARTAN-II, known only by
his rank of Master Chief, was stored in a cryosleep chamber upon the Pillar
of Autumn shortly before the ship made a blind jump across the galaxy in
a desperate effort to lead the Covenant away from Earth. The Master Chief
is easily the best soldier aboard the Pillar of Autumn, but many of the
human military's finest also call the ship home.
Captain Jacob Keyes
Twenty-six years into his military career, Captain Keyes commands respect
as a keen strategist and inspirational leader of his men. He became a minor
hero early in his career, when he led a small group of security troops
against a Covenant ambush of the colony ship Meriweather Lewis and held
them off long enough for the ship to escape. His many decorations and years
of combat experience against the Covenant made him a natural choice to
command the Pillar of Autumn and its secret cargo.
The Marines
A rugged and diverse assortment of soldiers, the Marines on the Pillar
of Autumn are fighting a losing battle against the Covenant's superior
weaponry and numbers. Under the leadership of Captain Keyes they continue
to wage a furious struggle against the Covenant, even as their numbers
dwindle. They're the best of the best - but they're only human.
Cortana
Cortana is the highly advanced AI at the heart of the Pillar of Autumn.
Her design allows her to be uploaded into an appropriately configured battle
suit for safekeeping. She is capable of hacking into alien computer systems,
and has used this skill to intercept Covenant communications during combat.
She interprets this data to provide her caretakers with directional waypoints
and the best available information about troop movement and strategy.
The Covenant
The Covenant forces have spent more than thirty years trying to wipe out
humankind. Beacuse their efforts have been so successful, and because few
Covenant troops have ever been captured alive, little is definitively known
about their origins, society, or motivations. Intercepted communications
and battlefield reports indicate a religious underpinning to their genocidal
campaign. The Covenant is not just one race, but a myriad of many races,
united under one cause.
The Grunts
Approximately 5' tall and relitatively weak, Grunts tend to travel
in packs and stick close to powerful allies. Individually, they are easy
to defeat, but in groups they can overwhelm careless Marines. Their armor
seems to house some sort of life-support mechanism. They are known to use
a variety of weapons including the plasma pistol, plasma rifle and plasma
grenades.
The Jackals
With superior senses of sight, hearing and smell, Jackals serve as
scouts and assassins for the Covenant forces. They use plasma pistols and
carry a strong energy shield to compensate for their physical weakness:
a well-positioned Jackal can hold his own against several Marines, though
grenades are effective against them. They stand approximately 5'8" tall.
The Elites
There are a few varieties of the Elite, but all are roughly 8'6" tall
and incredibly strong. Their strength allows them to rely on brute force
when necessary, but they're quite capable of brilliant bettlefield tactics
as well. Their natural resilience is augmented with full-body energy shielding
which recharges when depleted. They wield plasma pistols, plasma rifles,
grenades and needlers.
The Hunters
Hunters stand 12' tall, though in their combat state they contract
to approximately eight feet. Hunters fight with a fuel rod gun integrated
directly into their armor. They carry an enormous and nearly-imprevious
metal shield made of an unknown alloy, which they sometimes use as a melee
weapon. |
|
