True Vanguard

The True Vanguard were a militant Sangheili political group that emerged in the directly after the Human-Covenant War. Formed from the ashes of a mercenary group following a devastating defeat, the faction gained prominence as a notable supremacist organisation that encouraged Sangheili dominance in the galaxy and sought to create a new empire to surpass the one that had fallen just a few years before. While they could not match the military strength of the or even some of the larger Covenant remnant factions, the True Vanguards were considered a genuine threat due to their ideology of promoting a resurgence in their kind's warrior culture. Growing from a relatively small organisation into a veritable army over the course of just a few years, they were greatly reviled by most factions for their unswerving militancy and brutal methods.

Origins
Before the formation of the True Vanguards there existed a group known as the Outrider's Legion, a small, if effective group of Sangheili mercenaries lead by a powerful warrior known as The Outrider. Having come into being in the final year of the Human-Covenant War, the group had started out as little more than brigands hounding colonies on the fringes of Sangheili space before they came into contact with 's Covenant faction in 2553. Selling their services as a dependable group willing to undertake any mission, they infamously led merciless assaults on non-compliant colony worlds and struck fear into the hearts of those they fought against. However, the lack of new recruits prompted one of the group's warriors, Doren 'Tenon, to gain support in a similar manner to Mdama's group - through religion.

By making out the Outrider as a holy figure and head of a new sect of Forerunner worship, Tenon was able to preach a modified version of the Covenant's old religion to his followers that appealed to a highly militarized form of life. This new sect saw themselves as inheritors of the Forerunner's legacy, and that only the most worthy race would deserve the ascension to godhood that the Great Journey would bring. The Outrider and many of the higher-ranking members of their Legion did not actually believe in this, but saw it as a useful tool for bringing loyal warriors into the fold.

In June of 2554, their Legion was drawn into a trap set by Felo 'Ranak, a feared member of the Swords of Sanghelios. As their forces moved in to destroy a crippled battlecruiser, the Swords detonated explosives that doomed several of their ships and moved in to annihilate the survivors. While the Outrider was cut off and led a desperate boarding action against the enemy flagship, Doren 'Tenon fled the system in a CRS-class light cruiser with only a few hundred loyal warriors at his side. Realising that the Outrider had almost certainly perished after a week of no contact, Tenon declared their fallen leader a martyr and took command of the organisation, vowing revenge on the Swords of Sanghelios and most of all their leader, Arbiter Thel 'Vadam.

Rise to Power
It was then that their organisation was reborn as the 'True Vanguard', named for their belief that they would lead the Sangheili towards the Great Journey instead of the Arbiter, whom they regarded as a heretical traitor. Instead of leading large-scale attacks, they began to stockpile weaponry and moved their combat doctrine more towards surgical strikes and assassinations while the leadership attempted to establish itself as a slightly more legitimate group by openly communicating with well-known Sangheili leaders across their colony worlds.

Rank Structure
Due to most of the True Vanguard's forces coming from veterans of the Human-Covenant War, the group utilised a ranking system somewhat similar to that of the defunct Covenant military. Due to the group's refusal to use species such as Unggoy or Kig-Yar in combat roles, the Vanguards operated in small cadres in the field.

The rank of 'Blood Brother' would roughly equate to 'Zealot' in other Covenant factions, being comprised of only the most fanatically loyal of warriors. 'High Inquisitor', on the other hand, is a new role brought about after the discovery of Requiem to denote the group's religious leader, charged with ensuring complete faithfulness in their beliefs.

Known Members

 * Supreme Commander Doren 'Tenon
 * High Inquisitor Haku 'Monok