Ruutian

The Ruutians, better known as Jackals by the majority of UNSC personnel, are the most commonly encountered sub-species of Kig-Yar. They originated from the Eayn supercontinent of Ruuht. Many were seen serving within the Covenant Army throughout the Human-Covenant war.

Description
Ruutian Kig-Yar have a very avian appearance, particularly when compared to Ibie’shans. They diverged from the other Kig-Yar sub-species thanks to different selection pressures present on the supercontinent of Ruuht. These pressures forced them to evolve from their more reptilian ancestors, to their more avian appearance that is most commonly seen in 2552.

Several unique traits emerged thanks to this evolution, specifically their large, opaque eyes, quills and their long fringe-tootherd beak. This makes them distinct from their ancestors, although they retain a similar level intellect to the other present subspecies, and have the ability to inter-breed. As such, they have not diverged enough to be classified as a completely separate species.

When deployed in combat, they usually serve as light infantry. Often, they can be seen wielding Plasma Pistols and Needlers with a Point Defense Gauntlet attached to the other wrist. However, outside of a military setting, they have been known to utilise other weapons, even human ones.

Furthermore, they have also been used as snipers by the Covenant. This is down to a shared trait in most Kig-Yar: excellent marksmanship. In the hands of Ruutian snipers, Beam Rifles, Focus Rifles or even Needle Rifles or Covenant Carbines can be devastating for the enemy. Thus, Kig-Yar are often deployed as snipers or scouts.

Trivia

 * Due to their visual similarities, it is likely that the Kig-Yar who colonised T'vao and subsequently evolved into T'vaoans were Ruutians.