Editing Core of Requiem

{{Status|Canon}}
[[File:Halo4-Cortana-RequiemCore.jpg|thumb|right|300px|The core of Requiem, analyzed by Cortana.]]
'''The core''' was the most central location within the [[Forerunner]] [[shield world]] [[Requiem]].{{Ref/Level|Id=Forerunner|H4|[[Forerunner (level)|Forerunner]]}}<ref>''[[Halo 4: Official Game Guide]] (Collector's Edition)'', ''pages 116, 132''</ref> It hosted a curved inner surface with two emitter towers in the form of giant pylons.<ref>''Halo 4: Official Game Guide (Collector's Edition)'', ''page 115''</ref><ref>''[[Awakening: The Art of Halo 4]]'', ''page 36''</ref> It was the location of the [[Ur-Didact]]'s [[Cryptum]].{{Ref/Reuse|Forerunner}}

==Overview==
The core was the deepest location inside Requiem, as the shield world's center was hollow.{{Ref/Level|H4|[[Requiem (level)|Requiem]]}} Thus it was only accessible through [[slipspace]], via the local [[teleportation grid#Requiem|teleportation grid]] or more unorthodoxly the use of vessels performing slipspace jumps with pinpoint accuracy. The place was mostly recluse and dark. It was possible to see the horizon curve as if inside a sphere, similarly to the interior of [[Trove|conservation spheres]] though Requiem's core was much smaller in scope.{{Ref/Reuse|Forerunner}}

The surface was mostly made of purple rocks, canyons, and Forerunner structures, many of them containing Forerunner weapons caches.<ref>''Halo 4: Official Game Guide (Collector's Edition)'', ''pages 119, 122, 132''</ref> [[Promethean]] constructs used to patrol the area, especially to defend two gigantic pylons. Each of these emitter towers were powered by three substations.<ref>''Halo 4: Official Game Guide (Collector's Edition)'', ''page 124''</ref> On top of these pylons were shield emitters whose purpose was to neutralize access to the Cryptum's central station.<ref>''Halo 4: Official Game Guide (Collector's Edition)'', ''page 131''</ref>

==History==
{{Main|Battle of Requiem}}
In [[2557#July|July 2557]], the [[John-117|Master Chief]] and [[Cortana]] crash landed on Requiem. They soon discovered a local [[Cartographer]] at [[the Gate]], and learned about Requiem's core. Later, when trying to escape menacing [[Promethean Knights]], they took a slipspace portal that led them to the core. Cortana was convinced that they had to deactivate the beams emitted by both pylons in order to free the communications channel from any interference, so that they could access what she thought was a satellite relay before being able to contact the {{UNSCShip|Infinity}}.

The Master Chief discovered the existence of the Prometheans, and fought against many of these constructs. He destroyed the three substations of the first pylon before deactivating it. On his way to the following one, {{Pattern|Zanar|light cruiser}}s arrived in Requiem's core by performing pinpoint slipspace jumps. The [[Jul 'Mdama's Covenant|Covenant]] dropped numerous soldiers and vehicles, thus the battle degenerated into a three-way conflict. The Chief eventually shut down the rest of the substations and the second pylon. Unfortunately, it was too late to alert ''Infinity'' of the danger of being caught by Requiem's gravity well.

John-117 and Cortana finally gained access to the facility containing the satellite. After eliminating much of the resistance there, the Chief tried to access the satellite relay, which was revealed to be the Didact's Cryptum. [[Jul 'Mdama]], Supreme Leader of the new Covenant, was notably present during the event. The ancient Forerunner was released from his prison, and set to depart from Requiem's core. After a slipspace rupture, John regained consciousness on the ground below. Cortana informed him that the Cryptum's sudden entry into slipspace had destabilized the core, which would lead to its imminent collapse.

Fleeing on a [[Karo'etba-pattern Ghost|Ghost]], the Master Chief raced to a slipspace portal that sent him back to the surface. All Covenant forces were presumably killed by the core's collapse, though Jul 'Mdama somehow survived.{{Ref/Reuse|Forerunner}} Requiem's integrity was not particularly damaged by the catastrophe, as the shield world continued to function perfectly until its self-destruction in [[2558]].<ref>''[[Spartan Ops]]''</ref>

==Trivia==
{{Linkbox|gallery=yes|gallerypage=Images of Requiem's core}}
The ''[[Spartan Ops]]'' location codenamed "[[Fortress (location)|Fortress]]" is essentially a remix of a pylon area, though canonically it is set in the northern regions of Requiem's outermost habitable layer.<ref>''Spartan Ops'', Episode 1 Chapter 3 ''[[Departure/The Challenge|The Challenge]]''</ref>

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:Halo4conceptart10.jpg|Very early concept art of the location.
File:H4 Beam Pylon concept art.jpg|Exploration concepts for the pylons.
File:H4-Concept-RequiemPylon.jpg|Concept art of a pylon.
File:H4-Concept-Pylon-Emitter.jpg|Concept art of a pylon's beam emitter.
File:H4-Concept-Forerunner-Cryptum.jpg|Concept art of the Cryptum.
File:H4-Cryptum.jpg|Cover featuring Master Chief and the Cryptum.
File:H4-Forerunner-Pylon-1.jpg|A canyon, with the first pylon in the background.
File:H4-Forerunner-Pylon-2.jpg|The structures surrounding the second pylon.
File:H4-ForerunnerPylon-Detail.jpg|Closeup of a pylon.
File:H4-KnightsWatchers-HardlightShield.jpg|Promethean constructs defending the core from intruders.
File:H4-PrometheanKnight-EliteKill.jpg|A Promethean Knight slaughters a Sangheili.
File:HTMCC-H4 RequiemCoreCryptum.png|The Didact's Cryptum.
</gallery>

==List of appearances==
*''[[Halo 4]]'' {{1st}}
*''[[Halo: Escalation]]''

==Sources==
{{Ref/Sources}}

[[Category:Requiem locations]]