Main-Covenant.png
Era-human.png
Halopedia Era UNSC.png
HaloArray.png

High Council

From Halopedia, the Halo wiki

Revision as of 06:24, December 6, 2014 by Morhek (talk | contribs)
The High Council during the trial of Supreme Commander Thel 'Vadamee, who would later become the Arbiter.

The High Council was the central theocratic/aristocratic and decision-making body of the Covenant.[1] Based in the High Council Chamber in the heart of the Covenant holy city High Charity, the High Council consisted of more than two hundred Sangheili and San'Shyuum High Councilors[2] and was headed by a triumvirate known as the Hierarchs or "High Prophets".

History

The High Council was formed shortly after the establishment of the Covenant. During the Covenant's early years, only the Hierarchs served on what would be the High Council. The Council was established sometime in 850 BCE and consisted of a select number of San'Shyuum and Sangheili governmental delegates, as outlined in the Writ of Union.[3]

In 2525, during the Ascension of the Prophets of Truth, Mercy, and Regret, the High Council had been initially reluctant to support the new Hierarchs. However, the Council eventually complied.[4] During the Human-Covenant War, the High Council would order the complete glassing of human colonies during times of "particular religious significance". During the Battle of Kholo, the Prophet of Conviction represented the High Council and gave the order to the Shipmaster of the Fleet of Righteous Vigilance to glass the planet.[5] In 2535, the San'Shyuum High Councilors reorganized the Covenant fleets, against the desires of the Sangheili Councilors, forming the Fleet of Particular Justice.[6] On October 20, 2552, the High Council convened to debate the fate of the Supreme Commander of the Fleet of Particular Justice, Thel 'Vadamee. Ultimately, the High Council branded 'Vadamee a heretic and sentenced him to execution.[7] However, the High Prophets intervened and 'Vadamee was given the rank of Arbiter.[8]

After the High Prophet of Regret's death on Installation 05, the High Prophets of Truth and Mercy publicly replaced the Sangheili Honor Guardsmen with the Jiralhanae. This decision was not approved of by the High Council,[9] and the Sangheili viewed this as a violation of the principle that the Covenant had been founded upon and threatened to resign from the High Council.[10] During the Battle of Installation 05, the San'Shyuum and Sangheili High Councilors were to meet in the Control Room of Installation 05 to make preparations for the activation of the installation. However, only some of the Sangheili Councilors and former Honor Guards—particularly the ones that opposed the Changing of the Guard, but were unwilling to resign from their positions—had arrived at the Control Room. A large contingent of Jiralhanae, led by Captain Melchus, entered the Control Room and proceeded to massacre the Councilors, as part of the High Prophet of Truth's plan to replace Sangheili with Jiralhanae in Covenant society.[11][12] With the expulsion of the Sangheili, the Flood invasion of High Charity and the eventual dissolution of the Covenant itself, it is likely that the High Council no longer exists at all.

Organization

The theocratic Covenant followed the orders of the High Council to the letter as they were the whole of the Covenant governance. The High Council was composed of over two hundred San'Shyuum ministers and Sangheili commanders—referred to as High Councilors.[2][13] The triumvirate of Hierarchs that led the Council had the final word on all Council matters.[7][8] In the event of a Hierarch's death, the High Council was responsible for deciding which San'Shyuum would replace the absent Hierarch.[14] A Hierarch assigning an important mission to individuals without informing the rest of the Hierarchs was considered a violation of Council protocol.[15] When a San'Shyuum minster was absent for a High Council session, the minister's vice minister would be allowed to act as a substitute in their place.[1] Additionally, a High Councilor could have another San'Shyuum accompany them to a meeting of the High Council as an assistant.[16]

The High Council seemed to have been divided into several smaller councils, with different tasks and goals which keep the Covenant up and running within all its aspects. Below the other councils, there were numerous ministries functioning within the Covenant. The lower caste members of the Covenant, such as the Kig-Yar, Yanme'e, and Unggoy, were not represented on the High Council but were instead vetted by the Ministry of Concert.[17][18] The High Council was essentially the only true council the Sangheili were a part of during their service in the Covenant.[19] The High Councilors of the Council were protected by the Covenant Honor Guard. Following the Changing of the Guard, the Sangheili Councilors were unwilling to trust the new Jiralhanae Honor Guardsmen and employed Sangheili serving in the Covenant military instead.[9]

Known Council members

High Prophets

San'Shyuum Councilors

Sangheili Councilors

Production note

The in-game council is far smaller than its canonical incarnation, being depicted by only 38 Prophets and 40 Elites. 'Vadamee, Tartarus and his two attendants, and fourteen Honor Guardsmen are also present. The council however appears to be much closer to its canonical size in Halo 2 Anniversary.

Gallery

List of appearances

Sources

  1. ^ a b Halo: Contact Harvest, page 154
  2. ^ a b Halo: Contact Harvest, page 271
  3. ^ Halo: Broken Circle, page 159
  4. ^ Halo: Contact Harvest, page 380
  5. ^ Halo: Evolutions, "The Return", page 313
  6. ^ Halo: The Cole Protocol, page 349
  7. ^ a b Halo 2, campaign level The Heretic
  8. ^ a b Halo 2, campaign level The Arbiter
  9. ^ a b Halo: Broken Circle, pages 217-218
  10. ^ Halo 2, campaign level Sacred Icon
  11. ^ Halo 2, campaign level Uprising
  12. ^ Halo: Broken Circle, pages 218-221
  13. ^ Halo: Broken Circle, page 190
  14. ^ Halo: Broken Circle, page 196
  15. ^ Halo: Broken Circle, page 73
  16. ^ Halo: Broken Circle, page 208
  17. ^ Halo: Contact Harvest, page 150
  18. ^ Halo Encyclopedia, page 155
  19. ^ Halo: Glasslands, page 58

Template:Covenant Government

Retrieved from "https://www.halopedia.org/index.php?title=High_Council&oldid=1107070"