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| {{Status|Canon}} | | {{Era|CH}} |
| [[File:H2A Terminals - Luminary.jpg|thumb|300px|A Luminary.]]
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| A '''Luminary''' is a [[Forerunner]] device designed to scan for and identify Forerunner relics. The [[Covenant]] reverse-engineered their own Luminaries, modeled and sculpted after an original Forerunner device recovered from the Covenant-controlled {{Class|Supernal Spiral|keyship}}, ''[[Anodyne Spirit]]''.{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22P384&385}}{{Ref/Site|URL=https://www.halowaypoint.com/news/the-new-halo-encyclopedia-is-out-today|Site=Halo Waypoint|Page=The New Halo Encyclopedia is Out Today|D=11|M=03|Y=2023}} The Luminary is an essential piece of equipment on all Covenant vessels.
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| ==Background==
| | A '''Luminary''' is a [[Covenant]] technology, modeled and sculpted after a [[Forerunner]] device recovered from the Covenant-controlled [[Forerunner Dreadnought]]. Its purpose is to scan for and identify Forerunner relics and is required on all Covenant vessels. It is described as a series of three silver pyramids: two smaller ones supporting an upside down larger one in the center. There are apparently several models of Luminaries, more advanced versions (presumably a better reconstruction of the original Forerunner devices), as it is revealed primitive versions of Luminaries lead the Covenant to discover the [[Lekgolo]], shortly after the formation of the Covenant.<ref>'''[[Halo: Contact Harvest]]''', page 269</ref> Luminaries are of great religious significance to the Covenant and tampering with them was punishable by death. A [[Holy Writ]], essentially the Covenant equivalent of folk wisdom, concerns the Luminaries, namely, "''A Luminary does not lie.''"<ref>'''[[Halo: Contact Harvest]]''', page 94</ref> |
| [[File:H2A Terminals - Luminary activated.jpg|thumb|250px|left|A Luminary depicting the Halo Array.]] | |
| A standard Covenant Luminary is shaped like a series of three silver pyramids: two smaller ones supporting an upside down, larger one in the center. There are apparently several models of Luminaries, more advanced versions (presumably a better reconstruction of the original Forerunner devices), as it was noted that primitive versions of Luminaries led the Covenant to discover the [[Lekgolo]], shortly after the formation of the Covenant.<ref>'''Halo: Contact Harvest''', ''page 269''</ref>
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| Luminaries are of great religious significance to the Covenant, and tampering with them was punishable by death. A Holy Writ, essentially the Covenant equivalent of folk wisdom, concerns the Luminaries, namely, "''A Luminary does not lie.''"<ref>'''Halo: Contact Harvest''', ''page 94''</ref> A writ (either the Writ of Sanctity or the Writ of Security) also ordered the destruction of any luminaries onboard a ship that was compromised in battle, so that they would not fall into enemy hands.<ref>''[[Halo: Smoke and Shadow]]''</ref>
| | As the presence of a Luminary is required on all Covenant vessels, there are likely at least tens if not hundreds of thousands of them in existence, depending of course on the number of ships the Covenant control. The Luminary of the ''[[Minor Transgression]]'' is significant as it led the Covenant to the [[UNSC]] colony [[Harvest]], and precipitated the [[Human-Covenant War]]. It identified Harvest with several thousand Forerunner glyphs (referred to as Luminations in this context and called relics by the Covenant) that led the Covenant to believe the world held innumerable Forerunner treasures. Unfortunately, they misinterpreted the sign as "Reclamation," rather than the actual translation, "Reclaimers."<ref>'''[[Halo: Contact Harvest]]''', page 155</ref> |
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| As the presence of a Luminary is required on all Covenant vessels, there are likely at least tens if not hundreds of thousands of them in existence, depending of course on the number of ships the Covenant control. The Luminary of the ''[[Minor Transgression]]'' is significant as it led the Covenant to the [[UNSC]] colony [[Harvest]], and precipitated the [[Human-Covenant War]]. It identified Harvest with several thousand Forerunner glyphs (referred to as Luminations in this context and called relics by the Covenant) that led the Covenant to believe the world held innumerable Forerunner treasures. Unfortunately, they misinterpreted the sign as "Reclamation," rather than the actual translation, "[[Reclaimer]]s."<ref>'''Halo: Contact Harvest''', ''page 155''</ref>
| | ==Trouble with the Covenant== |
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| Although the newly appointed [[Prophet of Truth]] was made aware of this mistake by [[Mendicant Bias]], he refused to let the Covenant know of humanity's relationship to the Forerunners (or, rather, his assumption that the Reclaimers were actual descendants of the Forerunners) as such a revelation directly contradicted the basis of the Covenant faith: that ''every'' Forerunner transcended to godhood, and so would anyone who followed in their footsteps. Instead, he claimed that [[Human]]s destroyed the relics at Harvest, and would do the same to the [[Halo Array|Halo rings]] should they ever find them. He also planned to use the Luminations as a means of tracking down the survivors of Harvest and wiping them out. <ref>'''Halo: Contact Harvest''', ''page 382''</ref> | | Although the newly appointed [[Prophet of Truth]] was aware of the mistake caused by this "misinterpretation", he refused to let the Covenant know of the human ties with the Forerunner and instead used this as motivation to begin the Human-Covenant War in order to ensure the survival of the Covenant, as the very basis of their faith is that there are no more Forerunners alive. Instead, he claimed that the Luminaries were all incorrect, despite a Covenant mantra stating that a Luminary does not lie. As a result, he claimed that the "filth" were out to destroy the holy [[Forerunner]] relics and most importantly, the Halo rings. He also planned to use this as a means of getting the location of all the [[Humans]] so he could exterminate them. |
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| On very rare occasions, the Covenant would also find original Forerunner Luminaries pointing to specific artifacts of high importance. For example, [[Mken 'Scre'ah'ben]]'s expedition party discovered a Forerunner Luminary pointing to the Halo rings' locations on [[Janjur Qom]], only for the device to be lost before the expedition could return to ''[[High Charity]]''.<ref>'''Halo: Broken Circle'''</ref> In [[2551]], Covenant forces under the [[Prophet of Regret]]'s command discovered a Luminary on [[Meridian]] pointing to [[Installation 00]] and [[Portal at Voi|the Portal]] on a planet known as [[Earth|Erde-Tyrene]]. Seeking to outdo his fellow [[Hierarchs]] by claiming the monumental discovery for himself, the Prophet of Regret took the [[Fleet of Sacred Consecration]] to the Portal's location, unaware that Erde-Tyrene was actually [[human]]ity's homeworld, Earth.<ref>'''Halo 2: Anniversary''', ''Prologue Terminal 1''</ref>
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| The [[UNSC]] developed the [[VECTOR-class Mjolnir]] armor based on Covenant technology, for [[Spartan-IV]]s to commune with Luminaries. This was notably used to seek artifacts among the debris of [[Installation 04|Alpha Halo]] on [[Basis]].<ref>'''Halo 5: Guardians''', ''[[VECTOR-class Mjolnir]] armor description''</ref>
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| ==Non-canon and dubious canon appearances==
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| ===Silver Timeline===
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| {{Notice/Silver|category=no}}
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| As a child, [[Makee]] was discovered on [[Oban]] by two [[Sangheili]] warriors who were using a Luminary to search for a Forerunner artifact. Instead, the Luminary proved to be leading them to Makee herself, a [[Reclaimer]].{{Ref/Film|TV|Episode=[[Emergence]]}}
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| ==Gallery==
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| <gallery>
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| File:H2A Terminals - Meridian Relic.jpg|A Luminary found on [[Meridian]].
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| File:H2A Terminals - Stewards.jpg|[[Steward]]s present a Luminary.
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| File:HTV-Emergence-Luminary.jpg|A Luminary in ''[[Halo: The Television Series]]''.
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| </gallery>
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| ==List of appearances==
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| *''[[Halo: Contact Harvest]]'' {{1st}}
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| *''[[Halo Wars]]'' {{Mo}}
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| *''[[Halo: Broken Circle]]''
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| *''[[Halo 2: Anniversary]]''
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| **''[[Terminal (Halo 2: Anniversary)|Terminals]]''
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| *''[[Halo: Fleet Battles]]''
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| *''[[Halo 5: Guardians]]'' {{Mo}}
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| *''[[Halo: Shadow of Intent]]'' {{Mo}}
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| *''[[Halo Mythos]]'' {{Mo}}
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| *''[[Halo: Smoke and Shadow]]''
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| *''[[Halo: Renegades]]''
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| *''[[Halo: The Television Series]]''
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| **''[[Emergence]]''
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| **''[[Reckoning]]''
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| ==Sources== | | ==Sources== |
| {{Ref/Sources}}
| | <references/> |
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| {{Forerunner|artifacts}}
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| [[Category:Sensors]] | | {{Forerunner2}} |
| | [[Category: Technology]] |
| | [[Category: The Covenant]] |
| | [[Category: The Forerunner]] |
