Halo: Tulpamancy
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Halo: Tulpamancy is an entry in the Halo Waypoint Chronicle series of short stories published by Halo Studios, released on April 10, 2025. The story ties in with the Forerunner multiplayer event in Halo Infinite and some of the armour sets introduced in the update, Prefect and Hellcat. The story's premise is based on a derelict starship first depicted in 2017's Halo Warfleet.[1]
Official synopsis[edit]
| “ | April 2560. As the Office of Naval Intelligence investigates a derelict cruiser belonging to the ancient human Ancestors, strange effects begin to take hold of the crew. | ” |
Plot summary[edit]
Codename: PANGAEA sends a Priority One Alpha-classified transmission to Codename: YUGA regarding Project ARC DREAM, where the Office of Naval Intelligence delves into the past to uncover humanity's forgotten history as an ancient spacefaring civilization. Attached to the message are:
- Archeohomina: An Introduction
- Guide to Protogenic Civilization
- San'Shyuum: Past, Present, Future?
- Terminal dialogues recovered by John-117 from Requiem
- Bornstellar Relation Transcript Excerpts
- ONI XENO-MATERIALS EXPLOITATION REPORT 15Y1198
- A number of incident reports
Strapped on resources and research maturity, they discovered that humanity was once a contemporary and rival of the Forerunners over 100,000 years ago. This ancient civilization, referred to as the Ancestors, had established an empire that extended to now-unexplored galactic margins, leaving behind only scant traces of their existence due to the cultural and genetic reduction imposed by the Forerunners after their victory in the Human-Forerunner wars.
The focal point of this research is Site Yankee-002-G3, a fully-intact Ancestor ship. While modern humans were still cavepeople, this vessel drifted through space, untouched and waiting to be discovered. A few dozen researchers were assigned to study the ship, with teams allowed only eight hours aboard the ship, followed by a swap and 36-hour cooldown period to mitigate the strange effects the ship seems to have on them.
The researchers report unusual experiences and phenomena, indicating a correlation between the exposure duration and influence, though the exact nature of this relationship remains unclear. PANGAEA concludes that while the ship holds the potential for great discoveries about humanity's past, it also poses risks that must be carefully managed.
- Incident Report 003: 01736-19013-SN expressed concern for Jackson, who appeared to be sleepwalking and muttering the names of his colleagues repeatedly, as well as bumping into SN. His erratic behavior raises alarms among the crew, who are already under pressure from their long hours of work.
- Incident Report 008: 02961-30002-DS reprimanded Horne for neglecting his duties. He claimed to be searching for a mysterious hum that seems to move away from him whenever he approaches. His insistence on hearing this sound, which others cannot perceive, bred speculation about his mental state, suggesting he may need a psych eval.
- Incident Report 012: 05126-89937-PH asked Jerry about his daily to-do list, and was dumbstruck at his claim of seeing shadows moving within the hull. When questioned, he insisted that the shadows are too numerous to be just the rest of the team setting up the room.
- Incident Report 013: 01948-20112-NM stated that after the discovery of a suit apparatus adapted to Project ENOCH, Hudson stopped speaking, communicating only through whistle-like lip-pressing. The null state stasis containers became cause for concern, as unaccounted objects, including alien bones, appear and disappear mysteriously. Holloway witnessed Hudson laying out these bones as if performing a ritual, but they vanished when another come to investigate. NM ended by demanding shore leave.
- Incident Report 015: Nicholas had with 09136-77903-JF a bizarre conversation recounting a wedding day that turned out to be JF's back in 2555, despite having only known him for two years and Nicholas having lost his family, wife included, on Kholo.
- Incident Report 016: 03417-31813-TC reports odd dreams described by Earl, where he wakes up alone on the ship with Spartan Niles, who asked him in a voice that is not his own. Earl's reaction to the question left him pale and unwilling to share, indicating something strange.
The perspective shifts to an unnamed researcher, called the "dreamer" by "she." This entity claims that they only dream of what is already within them, leading to a blurred line between their identities. As the klaxon signals the end of their shift, the dreamer decides to hide aboard the ship, hoping to explore its vast sealed sections uninterrupted. The ship, over 6,000 meters long, has remained undisturbed for innumerable millennia, and the dreamer feels a growing bond with the entity, elusive as ever yet promising to reveal forgotten truths like a "distant shore."
Once alone, the dreamer approaches a large bulkhead door that has remained inaccessible. They make way for the entity's presence stirring within them, guiding their actions. Using a device from discovered ancient armor courtesy of Project ENOCH, the entity communicates with the dreamer, who speaks through them in a click-and-whistle language that feels both familiar and musical. The dreamer speaks through the mask, allowing them to unlock the door, which creaks open to reveal a dark, chilling room.
As they step inside, a blueish light materializes, forming an upwards-flowing cylindrical shape that reveals an armored humanoid encased in a confinement field. Other shadows emerge, clad in seamless armor with a single eye glowing from their heads. One of them, a Forerunner, accuses humanity of recklessly expanding, devastating ecosystems, displacing populations, and razing whole worlds in violation of the Mantle.
The entity, speaking through the dreamer who feels old hatred rekindled, passionately defends humanity, asserting that the "Shaping Sickness" threatens all life and demands immediate action against it. The Forerunner dismisses the warnings, citing popular theories that the Shaping Sickness is a human bioweapon and convenient excuse. The dreamer, filled with righteous anger, insists that the threat is real and must be wiped out, and predicts that they will attempt control of the parasite and fail to discern its purpose while wasting all their time for nothing. The dream fades, and the Forerunners' ancilla confirming the truth yet the Forerunners unmoved. The dream ends, the dreamer shaken and collapsing for a while from the immense physical toll of channeling the entity.
The dreamer believes her to be a tulpa—a manifestation of thought and consciousness that has taken form within them. Unlike others aboard the ship who have experienced various psychological effects, the entity is the first to fully materialize, suggesting a deeper connection to the ship's ancient mysteries; she has to be real, not artificial, a remnant of a lost past, a being that once existed in flesh and blood, now intertwined with the dreamer's own consciousness.
The dreamer wants to retreat and recover, but the entity urges them to continue exploring the ship. They press on, guided by the dreamer's desire to reach the bridge, navigating through the ship living in the moment. The hull trembles whole, like a hungry creature awakening from many long years slumbering. Shadows and smoke envelop the corridor, morphing into the Shaping Sickness.
Forerunners are seen numerously trapped within the ship's flesh, being drawn into the walls as if to be digested. The entity draws from the scene that they are nothing more than food, and this fate awaits all.
Two figures sprint down the corridor, one unmistakably a Forerunner in their distinctive armor, and the other likely the entity, now armed and freed from captivity. The Forerunner quickly spins, and transforms their arm into a particle rifle, firing at the encroaching threat.
The dreamer, appearing as a below-seven-feet-tall warrior, fights alongside the Forerunner, showcasing their shared ancestry and strength. The dreamer longs to comfort the entity, recognizing the trauma of her past as she relives these memories but possibly without her old name. As the vision fades, the dreamer climbs a ladder leading to an antechamber before the bridge. Exhausted and without food for a lot of hours, they struggle to ascend, but their determination drives them forward.
They attempt to communicate with the entity, seeking answers about her mission and the Shaping Sickness. The dreamer responds not with words but with vivid images from their shared subconscious, revealing a catastrophic wave that engulfs cities across worlds and the Human-Covenant War peace accord.
The dreamer conjures a war sphinx that transforms into a destructive force against a ruined city, symbolizing a test of the Forerunners' response to the Shaping Sickness. The dreamer realizes this was a staged infiltration to observe the parasite's effects. Satisfied, they continue their climb until they reach the summit, where they find themselves in an antechamber filled with motes of light.
In this final vision, a Forerunner is cornered by monstrous abominations a hundred meters away, firing their weapon in vain. The dreamer feels trapped alongside the Forerunner, witnessing the horror of the Shaping Sickness as it consumes everything in its path. The Forerunner's ammunition runs out, and the dreamer watches helplessly as his now-grotesque commander approaches and lays hands on him, sealing the Forerunner's fate. Unable to recall the subsequent scene, the dreamer realizes that while the parasite has devoured the Forerunner's crew, it has spared them.
The dreamer cannot dream for a while, now imparted with the forgotten knowledge. This knowledge must transcend to reality. The dreamer understands their role as a vessel for the entity's pain, which in turn affirms her existence. Despite this burden, the dreamer holds onto hope, knowing there is one last tangible experience awaiting them.
They are at a lower level filled with terminals, monitors, and interface consoles. A central table, measuring ten meters long and three meters wide, dominates the space, surrounded by a dozen terminals. Guided by the dreamer, the dreamer activates the table with clicks and whistles, breaking the silence of the cold, tomb-like environment.
A low hum precedes the activation of a holograph, which sputters to life, displaying fractal light formations that gradually resolve into coherent images. As it stabilizes, it reveals a detailed display of the local star system, including the orbital paths of three small planets, a dense asteroid field, and the Anlace-class light frigate that transported them to this location. The dreamer directs the entity's movements, expanding the holographic view to encompass other star systems and eventually the Orion Arm, before revealing even more distant regions of space.
The dreamer realizes that despite the Ancestors' defeat by the Forerunners and their subsequent genetic regression, there are many uncharted territories that the Forerunners either could not or would not explore, unleashing hope that Ancestors' legacy endures in the farthest galactic reaches beyond the ecumene and untreaded by fearful Forerunners. The dreamer understands that it will take a lifetime to rediscover these lost places, but the potential for rediscovery is immense. They recognize that every descendant carries a fragment of the Ancestors' spark, a connection to a time long past, waiting to be awakened. The dreamer envisions a future where this legacy is reclaimed, and they conclude with Daowa maadthu.
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Production notes[edit]
Alex Wakeford included several nods to the mystery TV series Twin Peaks, likely in reference to the characters Windom Earle and Jerry Horne.[2]
External links[edit]
- Halo: Tulpamancy - The official Waypoint post in which the short story was released for free.
- Halo: Tulpamancy Official PDF - The PDF of the short story released on Halo Waypoint (Archived copy).
- Halo: Tulpamancy | Audiobook - The audiobook narrated by Alex Wakeford.
Sources[edit]
- ^ Halo Waypoint, Forerunner Operation Launch (Retrieved on Apr 8, 2025) [archive]
- ^ Twitter, Alex Wakeford (@haruspis): "This one goes out to David Lynch, as it was written in the throes of his passing while watching Twin Peaks every night until 4am—I think there are one or two quotes from Lynch himself adapted in here. We go super dreamy in this story and it was a joy to delve into the Ancestors."
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