Editing Gravemind (level)

|prev=''[[Quarantine Zone]]''

|image=[[File:H2A Gravemind Loadscreen.png|300px]]

|player=[[Master_Chief_(gameplay)#Halo_2|Master Chief]]

|date=[[2552|November 3, 2552]]

|objective=Rescue [[UNSC Marine Corps|Marine]] allies and pursue the [[Prophet of Truth]]

Strangely enough, apart from the opening cutscene, there is no contact with the [[Gravemind]] or the [[Flood]]. Also, the word "Gravemind" is not mentioned until two levels later in [[High Charity (level)|High Charity]]. This is the first level where Jiralhanae are fought, and is one of only four missions where there are no [[human]] weapons. This is the first level in which you can use the [[Type-25 Grenade Launcher|Brute Shot]] and the [[Kewu R'shi'k-pattern plasma rifle|Brute Plasma Rifle]].

''[[John-117|The Master Chief]] begins to wake up, and sees a red circle of lights on the ceiling of some underground area, and helf aloft by a tentacle. (In the ''Anniversary'' version, he wakes up to himself being wrapped by a huge tentacle dragged along a corridor into a huge chamber.) Eventually, he is brought towards the head of a massive creature: the [[Gravemind]].''

''As the Gravemind talks, it breathes out [[Flood spore]]s. (In the Anniversary version, the Chief looks up and notices he is not alone.) Two tentacles bring forth a struggling [[Thel 'Vadam]]ee, as they are held next to each other.''

*'''Thel 'Vadamee''': ''(surprised)'' "Demon!"

 

 

*'''Gravemind''': "This one is machine and nerve, and has its mind concluded." ''(a tentacle wraps around Master Chief's head in the original, but disturbingly pets the Chief's helmet in ''Anniversary'', then indicates 'Vadamee)''

''The Gravemind makes another brief huff, before indicating 'Vadamee (and dragging him closer in ''Anniversary'').''

*'''Gravemind''': "This one is but flesh and faith, and is the more deluded."''(shakes the Arbiter around and turns him upside down)''

*'''Prophet of Regret''': "And... I am the Prophet of Regret, Councilor most High... Hierarch of the [[Covenant Empire|Covenant]]!"

*'''2401 Penitent Tangent''': "Not true. This installation has a successful utilization record of 1.2 trillion simulated and [[Great Purification|one actual]]. It is ready to fire on demand."

*'''2401 Penitent Tangent''': "And ''you'' know nothing about containment! You have demonstrated ''complete'' disregard for even the most basic protocols!

*'''Gravemind''': ''(to 'Vadamee)'' "Your Prophets have promised you freedom from a doomed existence, but you will find no salvation on this [[Halo|ring]]. Those who built this place knew what they wrought. Do ''not'' mistake their intent, or all will perish [[Forerunner-Flood War|as they did before]]."

*'''Gravemind''': "If you will not hear the truth, then I will show it to you. There is still time to stop the [[activation Index|key]] from turning, but first it must be found." ''(indicates each in turn)'' "You will search [[High Charity|one likely spot]], and you will search [[Control Room (Installation 05)|another]]. Fate had us meet as foes, but this ring will make us brothers."

''A swarm of Covenant ships attack each other outside of High Charity. Fade in on the walkway outside the Council Chamber, [[Jiralhanae Honor Guardsman|Jiralhanae Honor Guardsmen]] guard the gates from [[Unggoy]] and [[Kig-yar]] rioters.''

''Cut to Council Chamber. A line of Jiralhanae Honor Guardsmen stand at attention. An Unggoy cameraman focuses a holographic camera on Truth as he delivers his [[propaganda|speech]], while the [[Prophet of Mercy]] watches from aside.''

''The Master Chief fights his way through many Jiralhanae and Unggoy, including an [[Unggoy Heavy]] operating a [[Shepsu-pattern plasma cannon|plasma turret]] and eventually makes it to the ledge where Thel 'Vadamee was tortured and branded with the [[Mark of Shame]]. Here, more Covenant troops, including Kig-Yar try to stop the Spartan's progress. Reinforcements soon arrive from a gravity lift at the far end of the ledge. Eventually a group of three Jiralhanae arrive, one with a red flag attached to its harness.''

*'''Cortana (COM)''': "Watch out for the [[Jiralhanae Captain|Captain]], it's got a [[Type-25 Brute Shot|Brute Shot]]!" ''(Note that the Brute Captain with the Brute Shot first shows up in the Council Chamber on Legendary.)''

*'''Cortana''': "After that stunt on the ''[[Cairo Station (station)|Cairo]]'', I ''know'' you're not afraid of heights."

''The team enters another corridor, and sees a pair of Jiralhanae and a group of Kig-Yar attacking three Sangheili Honor Guardsmen. They manage to eliminate the warring Covenant and continue onward, passing another dead Mgalekgolo as they leave the area. They enter another area, patrolled by a pair of live Mgalekgolo, who are eventually eliminated by the Chief after a struggle.''

''The door in front of the team opens, revealing a duel between an energy sword-wielding Sangheili Honor Guardsman and a Jiralhanae on a platform on the top floor of the first [[Valley of Tears A|Valley of Tears]]. Eliminating the victor of the duel as well as the [[Kig-Yar Sniper]]s in the distance, the team continues downwards, finding more Sangheili fighting a Jiralhanae under a [[Covenant watchtower]]. A group of Yanme'e fly down and attack another Mgalekgolo on the lower floor, but are soon intercepted by a pair of [[Sangheili Ranger]]s. The team hikes up and finds a door, guarded by a single Jiralhanae. They eliminate it and exit the Valley. Behind the door reveals a wide and long staircase, splattered with purple [[blood]]. They walk down the slope.''

 

''The teams exits and finds a [[gravity conveyor]]. They step into it and begin to convey to the other side. A [[slipspace]] rupture opens on their far left, and the {{UNSCShip|In Amber Clad}} emerges from it.''

[[File:H2A-In Amber Clad In High Charity.png|thumb|300px|The {{UNSCShip|In Amber Clad}}, now overrun by the Flood jumps inside ''High Charity'' as the Flood prepare to crash it into the city.]]

''A Kig-Yar Sniper notices the team, and they quickly eliminate it. A pair of Unggoy and a pair of Sangheili turns by the corner and attacks the team. Soon two Jiralhanae appear and fire at the Sangheili. The team eliminates the Covenant troops and reaches the [[Hanging Gardens A|first Hanging Gardens]]. Intense fighting between [[Jiralhanae Honor Guardsman|Jiralhanae Honor Guardsmen]] and [[Special Operations Sangheili]] rages over it. The team eliminates the troops and a pair of Sangheili Rangers emerges from the tower. After clearing the area, the team continues and encounters another Gravity conveyor. Several Unggoy and Sangheili appear, one of them wielding an energy sword emerge, and begin to fire at the Kig-Yar led by two Jiralhanae on the other side, who moves to the side the Sangheili-led forces are on. The team eliminates all the Covenant and enters another door, which leads into the [[Mid Tower]]. A group of Yanme'e fly by the narrow corridor, unaware of the human presence.''

''They move on to the other side, reaching the second [[Hanging Gardens B|Hanging Gardens]]. Panicking Unggoy run around it, soon coming under attack by a pair of berserking Jiralhanae. The team kills all Covenant present and continues to the next Gravity Conveyor, and enters a door. Now on the bottom of another wide and long staircase, the UNSC forces are attacked by a trio of Jiralhanae, who fill the air with grenades from their [[Type-25 Grenade Launcher|Brute Shots]]. Moving up as they eliminates the Jiralhanae, they reach the door at the top and arrives at the second [[Valley of Tears B|Valley of Tears]]. A single Sangheili defends itself from a Jiralhanae and a Kig-Yar Sniper, while another Jiralhanae attacks a pair of Unggoy near the pond below. Several more Unggoy are present nearby, trying to fend off the Jiralhanae. The opposite door opens, and three Sangheili, one of them an Honor Guardsman, along with a [[Type-33 fuel rod gun|fuel rod gun]]-wielding [[Unggoy Heavy]], who proceeds to fire at both the UNSC forces and the Jiralhanae. Scaling the Valley, the team hikes up a slope, meeting two energy sword-wielding [[Stealth Sangheili|camouflaged figures]], followed by several [[Special Operations Unggoy]]. After eliminating the troops, the team enters another door into an area held by the Sangheili-led Covenant. A Sangheili as well as several Unggoy patrol the area.''  

''The team kill the Covenant present, silently or not and continue into the next room, meeting more patrolling Sangheili and Unggoy, who are all Special Operations units. Shortly after, a Jiralhanae and two Kig-Yar launch an attack on the area from the opposite door. Caught in a crossfire, the Sangheili-led forces are wiped out before the humans and Jiralhanae-led Covenant turn their attention to each other. The team eventually emerges victorious and opens the next door. They find a long bridge leading to the Mausoleum of the Arbiter. On the team's side, a pack of Jiralhanae supported by a Kig-Yar Sniper launch an attack on a Sangheili position in the center of the bridge.''

''After a long battle, which sees John-117 as the only survivor (unless the Marines are saved, especially on lower difficulties):''

[[File:H2ainambercladcrash.png|300px|thumb|Taken prisoner by Tartarus, Commander Keyes gazes upon the wreckage of the ''UNSC In Amber Clad'' as she is led to a Phantom.]]

[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0BkohXSbBs'''{''Anniversary Cutscene''}''']

''Tartarus and his Jiralhanae take Keyes, Johnson and [[343 Guilty Spark]] toward a platform where the Prophets of Truth and Mercy wait for them, with three [[Kez'katu-pattern Phantom|Phantoms]].''

[[File:H2A - Tartarus smashing Flood.jpg|300px|thumb|Tartarus and the Honor Guards defend the Prophets from a swarm of Pod infectors.]]

''[[Pod infector]]s spring up and rush them. The Jiralhanae spot them and they get ready. Tartarus and the [[Jiralhanae Honor Guardsman|Jiralhanae Honor Guardsmen]] manage to stab or crush most of them, but one gets through and latches itself onto Mercy's throat, knocking him off his throne.''

''Tartarus reaches to remove the infector.''

''Tartarus looks at Truth in surprise.''

[[File:H2A - Reluctant Tartarus.jpg|thumb|300px|The Prophet of Truth betrays Mercy and orders Tartarus to abandon him to the Flood before they flee ''High Charity''.]]  

''Prophet of Truth boards the Phantom and the Jiralhanae Honor Guardsmen follow immediately, but Tartarus hesitates, staring at the dying Prophet of Mercy. He looks at the Index, makes his decision, and walks away.''

*When playing this level on Heroic or Legendary, the [[Covenant|Brute-led Covenant]] tend to be more of a pain than the Elite-led Covenant and are more likely to wipe the latter out as a result.

*One of the easiest ways to die is at the hands of a berserking Brute. The best way to prevent this is to have the Master Chief jump on to a scenery object or ledge higher than the berserking Brute. If the Brute is smart, he'll run around the room searching for a new target. If he's dumb, he'll try to melee you, not realizing you're higher than he is, which makes for an easy kill with a dual Plasma Rifle and/or [[Type-33 Guided Munitions Launcher|Needler]] barrage or headshots with the Beam Rifle or Covenant Carbine. Also, they charge in a straight line and have to stop to redirect themselves.

*Sometimes, if the player kills a [[Jiralhanae|Brute]] in an [[Sangheili|Elite]]'s presence, the Elite will congratulate the player as if they were the [[Thel 'Vadam|Arbiter]].

*If a Hunter falls into the area behind the Sarcophagus in the middle of the last room then it won't attack the player, no matter how close they are, although if it is in the more open area of the space behind the Sarcophagus then it will melee the player eventually.

*Any surviving marines at the end of this level will not appear in the level ''[[High Charity (level)|High Charity]]''. They were likely not supposed to have survived in terms of the storyline.

===Easter eggs===

{{Main|Easter eggs}}

*The [[Halo 2 skulls#Anger|Anger Skull]] can be found on this level.

*When played on Legendary difficulty, one can find the [[Half-Naked Guy|Lonely Soul]] Easter Egg during the beginning cutscene of this level. When the interior of High Charity is first seen, a [[Unggoy|Grunt]] can be seen climbing on a wall. The scene to his right is blurred. But, as it focuses, one can see [[Jason Jones]] floating there in his underwear among the crowd of Grunts. In ''Halo 2: Anniversary'', Jason Jones is replaced with [[Frank O'Connor]], in his role of [[Hamish Beamish]].

* The tenth terminal is a Covenant terminal in the first Valley of Tears. At the top of the cliff on the far side of the valley, near the exit door, on the wall behind where a Kig-Yar Sniper spawns, it can be found on the wall.

*The song "[[Blow Me Away]]" by Breaking Benjamin plays during this level at the point where the [[John-117|Master Chief]] reaches the Mausoleum of The Arbiter. The song is not instrumental, it simply has the voice volume lowered and does not feature the guitar solo, only the intro, outro verses and choruses.

*Birds similar to those in the level [[Delta Halo]] can be seen flying around [[High Charity]]. If shot, they will explode into tatters. The only difference is that these birds are white.

*It is possible to jump up to the roof of the council chambers by jumping into the gravity lift at the right moment as it brings a couple of Brutes in to kill the player. Jump in at the right time and one will fly up to the top. If one lands on the right part of the wall,  one won't die, but if one miss, one will fall to their death.

*If the Brutes are killed before Cortana says "Watch out! It's berserking!", she will end the dialogue without saying so.

*This level is the first level in the trilogy in which the player fights Brutes and the last level in the game in which the player fights Elites. After this level the Elites are only encountered as allies.

*This level is the only level in ''Halo 2'' where [[Special Operations Sangheili]] are fought as enemies. In addition, the final battle involving the [[Honor Guard Councilor]] is the only gameplay segment where the Spec-Op Sangheili enemies are cloaked while fighting.

*This level has the largest number of Hunters, a total of 8. This is the number of Hunters in the entirety of ''[[Halo 3]]''.

*This is the only level in the game in which John and Thel interact with each other.

* Due to the country's censorship restrictions, Blur had to hide the Gravemind in the Anniversary version of the mission's opening cutscene in Chinese version of the game.

<gallery>

File:H2 header - Gravemind.png|Preview of the level in ''Halo 2'' menu.

File:H2-2401PT-J117.jpg|2401 Penitent Tangent recognizes John-117 as a Reclaimer.

File:Master Chief Takes on Brute.jpg|John-117 encounters a berserk Jiralhanae.

File:Tartarus.jpg|Johnson being held prisoner by Tartarus and his Jiralhanae.

File:Death of Mercy.jpg|The Prophet of Mercy attacked by a Flood pod infector.

<gallery>

File:H2A CovenantLamp Concept.jpg|Concept art for a Covenant lamp.

File:HTMCC-H2A ThisRingWillMakeUsBrothers.png|The Gravemind speaking to John-117 and the Arbiter.

File:H2AArbyChief.png|A close-up of Thel 'Vadamee and John-117 in the clutches of the Gravemind.

File:H2A - RegretGravemind.jpg|The Prophet of Regret, revived and absorbed into the Gravemind.  

 

{{Succession box | before = ''[[Quarantine Zone]]'' <br />| title = [[halo 2|''Halo 2'' Campaign Missions]] | years = '''''Gravemind''''' |after = ''[[Uprising]]''}}

{{Levels|H2}}