| abstract | - The Suppliants of Atonement are a Sangheili militant religious sect. They originated as a fringe movement of the Covenant religion which committed heresy by attempting to convert humans instead of exterminating them, a practice which they abandoned during the Great Schism after the Great Journey was revealed to be false. They fought on the Arbiter's side during the series of conflicts known as the Sangheili Civil War and supported his efforts to coexist peacefully with the UNSC, though they remain wary of humanity's ulterior motives. Soon after this period, their religious obligations shifted to hoarding Forerunner artifacts in the name of preserving knowledge. They are known rivals of other sects such as the Servants of Abiding Truth and the Governors of Contrition, and are infamous for scouring these sects' holy sites and making off with Forerunner technology. The Office of Naval Intelligence considers the Suppliants a threat due to their stockpile of artifacts and has taken measures to curtail their activity, though the Suppliants are unaware of this. The sect is headed by its founder, General Injil 'Jiharda, whose martial prowess and political cunning have enabled the Suppliants to thrive when most factions would have failed. The Suppliants have many Kig-Yar allies, as the Kig-Yar are well-suited for the sect's thieving tendencies and assist in the acquisition of materials. Lambasted as thieves and scavengers by most other Sangheili, the Suppliants nonetheless adhere to their own peculiar code of honor and generally will stick to their beliefs under pressure. Unlike most sects, they are perfectly willing to perform research on the Forerunner technology they possess and have managed to advance themselves with the aid of a Huragok. It is not uncommon for them to squirrel away items besides holy artifacts and they are unwelcome on several Sangheili colonies as a result. Their religious beliefs center around a monotheistic doctrine with a goddess as the benevolent deity, and they view their collecting as a form of worship. In a less religious light, they are extremely opportunistic and innovative and are often stereotyped as being kleptomaniacs by their enemies. They are notorious for pulling off incredibly complex heists, the most spectacular of which resulted in the removal of an enormous crystal artifact from a temple of the Governors of Contrition; in addition to stealing the entire crystal, they stole the bolts which had anchored it to the floor in order to add insult to injury. Though they are believed to possess bases throughout Sangheili space and beyond, it is the true location of the Suppliants' headquarters that would, if revealed, incite unrest in humans and aliens alike. The Suppliants of Atonement discovered the Forerunner Shield World designated 070 years after the end of the Human-Covenant War and consider it their most precious secret. As such, only the core of their leadership have access to the facility and have exercised extreme caution when exploring the massive structure. They also have access to a network of Slipspace translocation portals linking several Forerunner sites throughout the galaxy, enabling them to easily trespass in rival sects' territory and retreat speedily. Unknown even to many of the Suppliants themselves, 'Jiharda's ultimate goal is to turn Shield World 070, otherwise known as Haven, into a safe zone for the Sangheili species where they will be safe from outside conflicts. In the meantime, the Suppliants continue to sow aggravation and outrage by freeing the relics of the Forerunners from unworthy hands.
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