Editing Covenant religion

{{Era|Covenant|Human|UNSC|HCW|Post}}

[[File:12795168-Full.jpg|thumb|370px|The [[Prophet of Truth]] activates the Halo Rings from [[Installation 00|the Ark]].]]

{{Quote|Every member of the Covenant shall walk the Path. None will be left behind when our Great Journey begins! That is the [[San'Shyuum|Prophets']] age-old promise, and it shall be fulfilled!|The [[Prophet of Regret]]<ref name="h2reg">'''Halo 2''', campaign level ''[[Regret (level)|Regret]]''</ref>}}

The [[Covenant]] is founded on and united by a single '''religion''', based upon the worship of the ancient race of beings known as the [[Forerunner]]s. The Covenant commonly refer to the religion and its teachings as '''the Path'''.<ref name="h2reg"/><ref>'''Halo: Broken Circle''', ''page 304''</ref>

According to 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.

The Covenant religion was first practiced on [[Janjur Qom]], the [[San'Shyuum]] homeworld, between two factions, the [[Stoics]] and the [[Reformists]]. Although both factions believed in the prophecy of ascendancy and the holiness of artifacts left behind by their gods, they held different views on how the religion should be practiced; the Reformists believed that the religion could spread throughout the galaxy by using their gods' [[Forerunner Dreadnought|ship]], but the Stoics viewed their actions as desecrating the memory of the Forerunner. This initiated the [[San'Shyuum Schism]], a conflict which resulted in the defeat of the Stoics. This left the Reformists firmly in charge of expanding the Covenant religion.

While the exact date remains unrecorded, the Ages of Conflict spanned over thousand of years and was a significant period in the spreading of the Covenant religion and empire. In the First Age of Conflict, the San'Shyuum Reformists eventually encountered a saurian species known as the [[Sangheili]]. This alien race had developed its faith in the Forerunner deities independently of the San'Shyuum. However, while they shared similar religious beliefs, the Sangheili believed that tampering with the artifacts of the gods was an unforgivable offense. This first contact soon lead to the [[San'Shyuum-Sangheili War]]. The war ended with the submission of the Sangheili into the newly unified Covenant faith, and the formation of a new empire. The Sangheili would take the role as the warriors, with the San'Shyuum acting as their superiors in matters of technology and faith, advising their allies on how best to achieve the Great Journey.

The development of the Covenant religion spanned over seven ages; the [[Age of Abandonment]], [[Ages of Conflict]], [[Ages of Reconciliation|Age of Reconciliation]], [[Ages of Discovery|Age of Discovery]], [[Ages of Conversion|Age of Conversion]], [[Ages of Doubt]] and the [[Ages of Reclamation]]. These ages saw the expansion of the Empire's power and the belief in the Great Journey throughout its new vassals races. The [[Kig-yar]] became the next species to submit into the Covenant religion (though most were influenced by monetary rewards granted by the San'Shyuum), followed by the [[Unggoy]]. The [[Jiralhanae]] were the last extraterrestrial species to join the Covenant religion.

The Covenant religion was not entirely without internal and heretical conflicts; throughout developmental history of the religion, several events arose such as the [[Heretics|Heretic uprising]] on [[Installation 04|Alpha Halo]] in the Ninth Age of Reclamation. Such events would require a disgraced Sangheili sent on suicide missions that would restore peace and prevent the spread of heresy. These disgraced warriors would be called "Arbiters".

The Covenant religion reached its zenith when [[Fleet of Particular Justice|a Covenant fleet]] discovered their first "[[Installation 04|Sacred Ring]]". This discovery called for the presence of the holy city ''[[High Charity]]'' to witness this great revelation. However, efforts to ignite the ring was prevented by [[SPARTAN-II|a demon]] of the UNSC, who destroyed relic without hesitation. This sacrilege filled the hearts of many faithful believers with grief, having come so close to the fulfillment of the Great Journey. However, only a month later [[Installation 05|another Sacred Ring]] was discovered when the [[Prophet of Regret|High Prophet of Regret]] made a slipspace travel to the [[Coelest system]]. However, the Covenant was once again denied in their efforts. Then, the unthinkable occurred: a demon killed the High Prophet of Regret, a member of the political and religious triumvirate that ruled the Covenant. This unfortunate event gave rise of the Jiralhanae in [[Changing of the Guard|taking over]] the role of the Sangheili in the Covenant Empire. The Sangheili was also subsequently expunged from the Covenant following the events of the [[Great Schism]]. Though not destroyed, this second Sacred Ring along with the other Halos were put on a standby mode as a result of the battle. They could only be activated by a central hub known simply as [[installation 00|the Ark]].  

The High Prophet of Truth was aware of this fact and left early before the UNSC intervened the activation of the second Sacred Ring. During the Covenant invasion of Earth, Truth had his fleet excavate [[The Portal|an ancient installation]] that would enable him and his fleet to journey towards the Ark. The UNSC along with its newfound allies, the [[Swords of Sanghelios|Sangheili]], traveled to the Ark to do battle with the Prophet-allied forces. The humans were successful, destroying the path to the Ark and removing the threat of the Halo Array for all time.

Following the Great Schism and the death of the Prophet of Truth, the Covenant effectively dissolved. For more than six years, the member species of the Covenant fought a brutal civil war. Immediately following Truth's death, the San'Shyuum sought to save themselves from the rage of the Sangheili, and so provided the Jiralhanae with new weapons, ships and other tools to aid in their protection. During this period the Prophets, who already had been few in number, largely disappeared, leading to rumors that they had actually finally achieved the Great Journey.<ref name="return500s">'''[[Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe]]''', "[[The Return]]", ''pages 506-507''</ref>

Even amongst the Covenant separatists their belief in the Forerunners as gods was not completely abandoned, but rather the Schism marked a return to more ancient systems of belief. As one [[Unidentified Sangheili Shipmaster (The Return)|Sangheili Shipmaster]] believed, "he knew his gods were out there, but he had no idea what they wanted."<ref name="return500s"/> Members of the Covenant had relied on the Prophets to lead them in spiritual matters. The devout Sangheili in particular had not had any need for their own religious leaders for centuries, and now found that few among them had the knowledge or the ability to comprehend the will of the gods. For a people whose sole purpose had been enforcing their gods' will, this was a terrifying prospect.

While the Covenant religion itself was more or less defunct, worship of the Forerunners among the Sangheili persisted into the post-war era. The [[Servants of the Abiding Truth]], a group of Sangheili fundamentalists, continued to uphold their species' pre-Covenant religious beliefs and took aggressive action against the secular regime spearheaded by Thel 'Vadam. [[Jul 'Mdama's Covenant faction|Another group]], led by former Covenant shipmaster [[Jul 'Mdama]], also continues to revere the Forerunners as gods, and sought out the [[Ur-Didact|Didact]] on the Shield World [[Requiem]] in order to ask for his aid in destroying humanity.

[[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.]]

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The '''Great Journey''' is the central goal of the Covenant religion. According to the Covenant, the Forerunners initiated the first Great Journey through the use of the seven Halos, or sacred rings, which unleashed a "divine wind" that swept through the galaxy and elevated the Forerunners to godhood. The Covenant seeks to do the same by finding and activating the sacred rings, which would transcend those worthy to the divine beyond, a heavenly paradise they will share with the Forerunners. The non-believers and those unworthy of the journey would be left behind, as punishment for their heresy.

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.

From the inception of the Covenant religion, the Covenant Empire has scoured all known star systems within their reach, relentless in finding at least one of these Sacred Rings. The search for the rings spanned over [[History of the Covenant|seven Ages]]; the Age of Reclamation was the age in which the Covenant has finally came into contact of two Sacred Rings. The first contact was short-lived, as the first Halo was destroyed by a [[SPARTAN-II|demon]], while the firing of the second was stopped due to UNSC intervention.

The Flood, or "The Parasite" as referred to by members of the Covenant, are an unholy, virulent species regarded as one of many tests and obstacles that the believers of the Covenant must conquer in order to achieve the Great Journey. According to the Covenant, the Flood were vanquished by the Forerunners long ago, and were purged from existence when the Great Journey commenced. The latter was later revealed to be false, however, when the Flood reappeared on one of the Sacred Rings.

{{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>}}

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>

It is a common superstition among the Sangheili that SPARTANs are reanimated soldiers killed in battle, brought back to life through artificial means to fight again. <ref>'''[[Halo: Glasslands]]'''</ref>

*On [[Installation 00]], a [[Terminal/Halo 3|Terminal]] left behind by the Forerunners uses "Great Journey" as a translation for the exile undertaken by the surviving Forerunners after the firing of the Halo Array.<ref>'''Halo 3''', ''[[Terminal/Halo 3|Terminal 7]]</ref> Through similar records on other Forerunner installations, the Covenant may have learned of the name and used it to apply to their religion in yet another case of misinterpretation.

*The superstition that "Demons" are actually dead soldiers reanimated by artificial means is reminiscent of the [[w:c:marathongame:Battleroid|battleroids]], including the [[w:c:marathongame:Mjolnir Recon number 54|player character]] from the ''[[Marathon]]'' trilogy. Battleroids are brought back from the dead to serve as physically and technologically augmented supersoldiers.

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