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Covenant religion: Difference between revisions
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==Background== | ==Background== | ||
[[File:H5Concept -The Path.jpg|thumb|right| | [[File:H5Concept -The Path.jpg|thumb|right|200px|A symbol associated with the Path to the Great Journey]] | ||
According to the Covenant religion, the Forerunners, a race of enlightened beings regarded as nearly omniscient and all-powerful, discovered a way to transcend the physical world and became divine gods by activating the [[Halo Array|Halos]], or "Sacred Rings" as referred to by members of the Covenant. The Halos uplifted the Forerunners into [[Technological Achievement Tiers|transsentience]], but left all lesser, unworthy races behind. The Covenant believe themselves to be the chosen inheritors of the Forerunners, and seek to reclaim the "gifts" they left behind, in most cases lost technology. Their ultimate goal is to locate and activate the Halo installations. In doing so, it is believed that all faithful adherents to the Covenant religion will be uplifted as the Forerunners were, following them on a Great Journey resulting in godhood. This belief is shared, with varying degrees of sincerity, amongst all the Covenant's client races. | According to the Covenant religion, the Forerunners, a race of enlightened beings regarded as nearly omniscient and all-powerful, discovered a way to transcend the physical world and became divine gods by activating the [[Halo Array|Halos]], or "Sacred Rings" as referred to by members of the Covenant. The Halos uplifted the Forerunners into [[Technological Achievement Tiers|transsentience]], but left all lesser, unworthy races behind. The Covenant believe themselves to be the chosen inheritors of the Forerunners, and seek to reclaim the "gifts" they left behind, in most cases lost technology. Their ultimate goal is to locate and activate the Halo installations. In doing so, it is believed that all faithful adherents to the Covenant religion will be uplifted as the Forerunners were, following them on a Great Journey resulting in godhood. This belief is shared, with varying degrees of sincerity, amongst all the Covenant's client races. | ||
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==Articles of faith== | ==Articles of faith== | ||
[[File: | [[File:H2A Cutscene SanctumHaloView.png|thumb|300px|Alongside the [[Prophet of Truth]] and [[Thel 'Vadam]]ee, the [[Prophet of Mercy]] gazes upon [[Installation 05]] while preaching about the Great Journey.]] | ||
===The Great Journey=== | ===The Great Journey=== | ||
{{Article Quote|<i> | {{Article Quote|<i> | ||
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===The Halo Array=== | ===The Halo Array=== | ||
[[File:RegretTruthH2A.jpg|thumb|250px|Prophets of Truth and Regret, with Mercy on the other side, rebuking the future Arbiter over his failure to save the first sacred ring.]] | |||
{{Main|Halo Array}} | {{Main|Halo Array}} | ||
The [[Halo Array|Halos]], otherwise referred to as "Sacred Rings" or "Holy Rings" by members of the Covenant, were seven holy artifacts that, when activated, would propel all "worthy" individuals in the galaxy into a heavenly paradise, where they would exist as divine beings. This could only be achieved by the retrieval of the "[[Activation Index|Sacred Icon]]", a holy artifact that would activate the rings. | The [[Halo Array|Halos]], otherwise referred to as "Sacred Rings" or "Holy Rings" by members of the Covenant, were seven holy artifacts that, when activated, would propel all "worthy" individuals in the galaxy into a heavenly paradise, where they would exist as divine beings. This could only be achieved by the retrieval of the "[[Activation Index|Sacred Icon]]", a holy artifact that would activate the rings. | ||
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===Oracles=== | ===Oracles=== | ||
{{Main|Monitor}} | |||
The Covenant refer to all Forerunner AIs as "Oracles". They believe these constructs to hold holy knowledge regarding the Great Journey, and hold their words as sacred truths. [[Mendicant Bias]] and the [[Monitor]]s are all regarded as oracles by the Covenant. | The Covenant refer to all Forerunner AIs as "Oracles". They believe these constructs to hold holy knowledge regarding the Great Journey, and hold their words as sacred truths. [[Mendicant Bias]] and the [[Monitor]]s are all regarded as oracles by the Covenant. | ||
===The Arbiter=== | ===The Arbiter=== | ||
[[File:H2A terminal TH Arbiter 1.jpg|thumb|250px|An Arbiter being blessed by a [[Hierarchs|Prophet]].]] | |||
{{Main|Arbiter|l1=Arbiter}} | {{Main|Arbiter|l1=Arbiter}} | ||
{{quote|Here rest the vanguard of the Great Journey, every Arbiter from first to last. Each one created and consumed in times of extraordinary crisis.|The [[Prophet of Truth]] to [[Thel 'Vadam|the Arbiter]].}} | {{quote|Here rest the vanguard of the Great Journey, every Arbiter from first to last. Each one created and consumed in times of extraordinary crisis.|The [[Prophet of Truth]] to [[Thel 'Vadam|the Arbiter]].}} | ||
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===Demons=== | ===Demons=== | ||
{{Main|SPARTAN programs}} | |||
{{Quote|An insult, to be sure, but one with a modicum of respect.|[[Thel 'Vadam]] on [[John-117]]'s title as ''the'' Demon<ref>'''Halo 2: Anniversary''', ''Prologue''</ref>}} | {{Quote|An insult, to be sure, but one with a modicum of respect.|[[Thel 'Vadam]] on [[John-117]]'s title as ''the'' Demon<ref>'''Halo 2: Anniversary''', ''Prologue''</ref>}} | ||
[[File:H2A Terminals - Jai vs Thel.jpg|thumb|250px|Thel 'Vadamee in combat with [[Jai-006|a demon]].]] | |||
The Covenant refer to the UNSC's Spartans as "demons," and regard them with a mixture of contempt and superstitious fear.<ref>'''[[Halo: Ghosts of Onyx]]''', ''page 243'' ("Voro strained to isolate the human word for demons from their objectionable speech... ''Spartans''".)</ref><ref>'''Halo: Ghosts of Onyx''', ''page 349'' ("They would take no chances with these human demons, these 'Spartans' ".)</ref><ref>'''Halo: Ghosts of Onyx''', ''page 372'' ("The Fleet Master Elite snarled at Kurt, and the translation filtered through his helmet's speaker: 'One last fight, demon' ".)</ref> Low ranking client races such as the Unggoy and Kig-Yar would frequently panic upon engaging Spartans, their numbers and advanced technology providing little benefit in a protracted fight. The same would prove true of the San'Shyuum Hierarchs, despising demons for their blasphemous defiance of the Great Journey, yet fearful of their lives in the presence of one. Mgalekgolo{{Citation needed}} and Yanme'e were unaffected by the presence of a SPARTAN, as their drastically different nervous systems left them incapable of feeling fear. Sangheili held a more spiteful, begrudging opinion of demons, incredulous that unworthy "vermin" could be the cause of so much havoc. Often, Sangheili or Jiralhanae would disregard tactics and hurl themselves at demons, fighting for the honor of the kill. However such impromptu duels usually resulted in the deaths of the challengers, not the demons. However, after the Great Schism a few Sangheili came to admire the prowess and courage of these warriors, though such views remained rare. [[Orbital Drop Shock Trooper]]s have been referred to as "imps" in much the same way. The term has also been applied to the renegade Arbiter [[Fal 'Chavamee]]. <ref>'''[[Halo Legends]]''', ''[[The Duel]]'', ('''Unnamed Unggoy''': ''"He's the Demon!"'')</ref> | The Covenant refer to the UNSC's Spartans as "demons," and regard them with a mixture of contempt and superstitious fear.<ref>'''[[Halo: Ghosts of Onyx]]''', ''page 243'' ("Voro strained to isolate the human word for demons from their objectionable speech... ''Spartans''".)</ref><ref>'''Halo: Ghosts of Onyx''', ''page 349'' ("They would take no chances with these human demons, these 'Spartans' ".)</ref><ref>'''Halo: Ghosts of Onyx''', ''page 372'' ("The Fleet Master Elite snarled at Kurt, and the translation filtered through his helmet's speaker: 'One last fight, demon' ".)</ref> Low ranking client races such as the Unggoy and Kig-Yar would frequently panic upon engaging Spartans, their numbers and advanced technology providing little benefit in a protracted fight. The same would prove true of the San'Shyuum Hierarchs, despising demons for their blasphemous defiance of the Great Journey, yet fearful of their lives in the presence of one. Mgalekgolo{{Citation needed}} and Yanme'e were unaffected by the presence of a SPARTAN, as their drastically different nervous systems left them incapable of feeling fear. Sangheili held a more spiteful, begrudging opinion of demons, incredulous that unworthy "vermin" could be the cause of so much havoc. Often, Sangheili or Jiralhanae would disregard tactics and hurl themselves at demons, fighting for the honor of the kill. However such impromptu duels usually resulted in the deaths of the challengers, not the demons. However, after the Great Schism a few Sangheili came to admire the prowess and courage of these warriors, though such views remained rare. [[Orbital Drop Shock Trooper]]s have been referred to as "imps" in much the same way. The term has also been applied to the renegade Arbiter [[Fal 'Chavamee]]. <ref>'''[[Halo Legends]]''', ''[[The Duel]]'', ('''Unnamed Unggoy''': ''"He's the Demon!"'')</ref> | ||