Anodyne Spirit: Difference between revisions

|affiliation=*[[Ecumene]] {{C|formerly}}

*[[Covenant]]

}}

{{Quote|My Dreadnought, the vessel that has so long been the focus of our worship, now rests on its [[The Portal|true pedestal]]. Even now, its engines spark greater ones below, relics long without power, yet ready to fulfill their divine purpose. Stand fast! Keep our enemies at bay! Soon, my brothers, we will all have our reward!|[[Prophet of Truth]] to his troops during the [[Battle for Earth]].<ref>'''Halo 3''', campaign level ''[[Tsavo Highway]]''</ref>}}

The '''''Anodyne Spirit''''',{{Ref/Reuse|Warfleet}} known to the [[Covenant]] as the '''Forerunner Dreadnought''' or simply the '''Dreadnought''',{{Ref/Reuse|Warfleet}}<ref name="Warfleet2">''Halo: Warfleet'', p. 90</ref> is a [[Forerunner]] [[Supernal Spiral-class keyship|''Supernal Spiral''-class]] [[keyship]] discovered by the [[San'Shyuum]] on their homeworld, [[Janjur Qom]].<ref name="Halo3Six">'''Halo 3''', ''[[Terminal (Halo 3)|Terminal Six]]''</ref><ref>'''[[Halo 3]]''', ''[[Terminal (Halo 3)|Terminal Four]]''</ref>{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22P384&385}}

==History==

As with the other [[Supernal Spiral-class keyship|''Supernal Spiral''-class]] [[keyship]]s, the ''Anodyne Spirit'' was designed by naval architects [[Grasping-Steady-Firmament]] and [[Lightning-Weaving-Helix]] and manufactured at the [[Ingens Assembler Vats]]. Unlike most [[Forerunner]] [[Forerunner starship|ship]]s, the form of the keyship was fixed, allowing it greater structural integrity at the cost of flexibility. During the final days of the [[Forerunner-Flood war]], the ''Anodyne Spirit''{{'}}s crew would range deep into Flood-controlled territory to locate untouched worlds and [[Conservation Measure|index]] a cross-section of their biodiversity before it could be consumed.{{Ref/Reuse|Warfleet}}{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22P384&385}}

===Rediscovery===

{{Main|War of Wills}}

Over several millennia, the ''Anodyne Spirit'' became partially buried in rock and submerged below the [[Great Apothtea]] off the coast of Janjur Qom's main continent.{{Ref/Reuse|universe}} Early in the history of the San'Shyuum, before [[2200 BCE]], the species discovered and partially uncovered the keyship on their homeworld and began to worship it.<ref name="waypoint qom">[https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/universe/locations/janjur-qom '''Halo Waypoint''': ''Janjur Qom'']</ref><ref>'''[[Halo: Broken Circle]]''', ''page 86'' (Google Play edition)</ref> These early worshipers were split over the usage of the ship, as the [[Stoics]] refused to enter the vessel, while the radical [[Reformists]] wished to explore it. The division in San'Shyuum society led to the violent [[San'Shyuum Schism]]. During the climax of the civil war, around one thousand Reformists stormed the ''Anodyne Spirit'' and barricaded themselves inside. The Reformists occasionally raided Stoic territory to collect and stock the ship with plants, wood, seeds, and other goods from the planet, and made preparations to depart Janjur Qom.<ref>'''Halo: Broken Circle''', ''page 57'' (Google Play edition)</ref> Eventually, the Reformists commandeered the keyship and left Janjur Qom, taking a gigantic piece of the planet with them.<ref name="ch262">'''[[Halo: Contact Harvest]]''', ''page 262''</ref>

===War of Beginnings===

{{Main|War of Beginnings}}

In [[938 BCE]], the San'Shyuum landed on the [[Sangheili]] [[Sangheili colonies|colony]] of [[Ulgethon]], finding members of the then-unknown species among a repository of Forerunner relics. Their first encounter was tense but amenable, but the Sangheili—who also worshipped the Forerunners, but thought it blasphemy to manipulate their technology—soon discovered the San'Shyuum's intent to excavate the holy relics.{{Ref/Book|Id=Enc22P191|Enc22|Page=191}} Led by [[Arbiter]] [[Vema 'Togad]],{{Ref/Book|Id=Enc22P244|Enc22|Page=244}} the Sangheili slaughtered and beheaded a group of San'Shyuum diplomats, sending their corpses back to the Dreadnought.{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22P191}}<ref>'''[[Halo 2: Anniversary]]''', ''[[Terminal (Halo 2: Anniversary)|Terminal 6]]''</ref> Horrified by this violence, the San'Shyuum immediately took the ''Anodyne Spirit'' into the skies above Ulgethon, where they were met by a blockade of Sangheili warships. Despite being outnumbered, the keyship's resilience was unmatched, ultimately resulting in the defeat of the Sangheili fleet. Then, the San'Shyuum  [[Desecration of Ulgethon|laid waste]] to Ulgethon, razing the planet and eradicating its population. This initial conflict led to the decades-long war known as the [[War of Beginnings]].{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22P191}}  

During the war, the Sangheili had an early advantage, with each warrior comparable in skill to ten San'Shyuum in battle. However, the San'Shyuum's technological superiority, and possession of the Forerunner Dreadnought, meant that they had the advantage in space.<ref name="ch145">'''Halo: Contact Harvest''', ''pages 145-148''</ref> The San'Shyuum installed a number of weapons on the keyship, powered by the ship's immense power generation capability.<ref name="hbc weapons">'''Halo: Broken Circle''', ''page 12''</ref> The San'Shyuum used the weaponized keyship to great effect in devastating hit-and-run strikes against the Sangheili fleets.<ref>'''Halo Encyclopedia: The Definitive Guide to the Halo Universe''', ''page 30''</ref> Additionally, the San'Shyuum were able to weaponize the Dreadnought's own contingent of [[Aggressor Sentinel]]s to serve them in combat. By the time the war ended, these Sentinels had been wiped out almost entirely, only a select few having been preserved aboard the keyship.<ref>'''Halo: Broken Circle''', ''page 189''</ref>

By [[876 BCE]], the Sangheili had begun to employ their own Forerunner weapons against the San'Shyuum, deciding that the only way to ensure the survival of their species would be to reconsider their beliefs that such actions were sacrilege.{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22P191}}<ref>'''Halo: Contact Harvest''', ''page 151''</ref> Upon discovering this, most San'Shyuum softened toward the possibility of a cease-fire, but [[Pervading Stone]]—their leader—only grew more incensed.{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22P191}} During a [[Skirmish of the Planet of Blue and Red|skirmish]] at [[Anvarl]] in [[860 BCE]], the Dreadnought was used to eliminate Sangheili ground forces from orbit.<ref>'''Halo: Broken Circle''', ''pages 9-13'' (Google Play edition)</ref> Shortly after this battle, Pervading Stone finally took the Dreadnought to Sanghelios in the [[Urs system]], seaking to eradicate the Sangheili once and for all. In the ensuing battle, the Dreadnought was used to ravage the Sangheili homeworld and its two [[Natural satellite|moon]]s.{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22P191}} However, the Sangheili would unleash their powerful Forerunner weapons on Dreadnought, managing to bring it down on [[Suban]] and trap it in place with [[gravity anchor]]s. With the San'Shyuum held captive within their keyship for a time, the Sangheili debated whether to simply destroy the vessel and those within, or to breach it and take the Dreadnought for themselves.{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22P191}}

===Centerpiece of High Charity===

The remaining [[United Nations Space Command|UNSC]] forces in Africa planned to launch a surprise strike on the Keyship to eliminate Truth and stop him from activating the structure they thought to be the Ark. The Master Chief led a [[Battle of Voi|Marine assault]] on a Covenant [[Type-27 Anti-Aircraft Cannon|anti-air battery]] sector in the town of Voi and successfully disabled the battery, giving the UNSC a clear shot at the Keyship. Lord Hood then attacked the ship with multiple squadrons of [[GA-TL1 Longsword|Longsword]] fighters and three [[Charon-class light frigate|UNSC frigates]]. The Dreadnought's advanced Forerunner shielding allowed it to survive multiple MAC rounds and hundreds of Longsword-launched missiles and emerge completely unharmed, and the UNSC attack was halted when the Portal was activated by the Keyship.

===Reemergence===

{{Main|Raid on Anodyne Spirit}}

In the midst of the [[Second Ark Conflict]] in [[2559]], [[Atriox]] decided that he would need to return to the galaxy. Hearing that the ''Anodyne Spirit'' held [[Menachite Forerunner crystal|a certain]] [[slipspace]] [[Slipspace flake|flake]], the leader of the [[Banished]] sent a team led by [[Chieftain]] [[Minas]] to recover the crystal and bring it to him so that he could open a [[Slipspace portal|portal]] to [[Reach]]. Nearly seven years after its arrival, the Dreadnought still stood where the Prophet of Truth had abandoned it, among the towers of a seaside city in Mahsko. The region was still uncontested by the [[UNSC Spirit of Fire|UNSC forces]] fighting for control of the Ark.{{Ref/Reuse|Sacrifice}}

The Banished raid on the keyship drew out the Covenant forces sheltering there led by [[Prelate]] [[Dhas Bhasvod]]. They subsequently allied with the [[Keepers of the One Freedom]] and [[Intrepid Eye]] to fire the [[Halo Array]], but were defeated. Due to his armor being damaged, the Prelate was unable to call for a ship from ''Anodyne Spirit'' to collect him following the [[Battle of Epsilon Clarion]] until his armor could repair itself.{{Ref/Novel|Id=DW|DW}}