Editing High Prophets

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The three '''High Prophets''' serve as the highest leaders of the [[Covenant]] [[High Council]], being theocratic and known as "'''Hierarchs'''". The Hierarchs are thin, hunched creatures with large craniums that float on levitating [[Gravity Throne]]s decorated with golden backs, equipped with energy shielding and armed with [[Gravity Cannon]]s. Also, they seem to be armed with their own sidearm, [[Regret]] having his [[Plasma Pistol]] while [[Truth]] having his [[Spiker]]; it is unknown if [[Mercy]] had one of his own. They wear crowns adorned with small holographic projections of [[The Halos|Halo]]; they have the ability to access teleportation grids. 

==[[Prophet of Truth]]==
[[Image:Prophet.png|thumb|200px|High Prophet of Truth]]
Little is known about Truth, except that  he is the remaining Hierarch at the end of ''[[Halo 2]]'' who offered the former Commander of [[Installation 04|Alpha Halo]] to become the [[Arbiter (Character)|Arbiter]] and ordered him to defeat the [[Heretics]], rebels that regarded Covenant teachings as false, and to retrieve the [[Index|Sacred Icon]] on [[Installation 05|Delta Halo]].

He spearheaded the purge of the [[Elites (Sangheili)|Sangheili]] [[Councilors]] for their opposition to the [[Brutes (Jiralhanae)|Brutes]], becoming the new [[Honor Guard]]s of the [[Prophets]], sparking the [[Covenant Civil War]].

When [[Gravemind]] teleported [[Master Chief]] to [[High Charity]], Truth betrayed Mercy, who was under attack by a [[Flood]] [[Infection Form]]. He prevented [[Tartarus]] from aiding Mercy and escaped to his [[Forerunner]] flagship, but not before Master Chief realizes his aim and pursues.

Aboard the [[Forerunner Dreadnought]], Truth then led the [[Covenant Fleet|Covenant Armada]] to [[Earth]] in order to activate the portal to [[Ark|the Ark]]. Once there, he set the Forerunner Ship at the base of Mount Kilimanjaro, and began excavating the Ark with Loyalist plasma bursts. Once activated, the excavation triggered a large, stable [[Slipspace]] portal to [[Installation 00]]. Truth took up residence in the Installation's [[Control Room]] in preparation for the Array activation. 

Soon after, the [[Humans]] and [[Elites]] followed through the portal to the Ark. They took down the fortified defenses surrounding the Control Room and deactivated the shield protecting the Citadel just as [[High Charity]] exited the portal, spewing [[Flood]] forces in every direction. Flood projectiles crippled the [[Covenant Separatist|Separatist]] flagship, the ''[[Shadow of Intent]]'' and prevented the Elite forces from being able to enact that planned mass assault against Truth's final forces. As a result, the Master Chief and Arbiter proceeded into the Control Room, unexpectedly aided by the Flood. The Arbiter then impaled Truth with his [[Energy Sword]], finally putting an end to the deceitful Prophet and the triumvirate of Hierarchs.{{clear}}

==[[Prophet of Mercy]]==
[[Image:Mercy.jpg|right|thumb|200px|High Prophet of Mercy]]
The Prophet of Mercy is much older than the other two Hierarchs. Mercy was first seen during the trial of the [[Supreme Commander]] of the [[Fleet of Particular Justice]] and agrees with Truth to promote the disgraced Elite to the rank of Arbiter in a bid for redemption and the eradication of the [[Heretic]]s. 

Mercy, with Truth, crafted the plans to invade [[Earth]] a second time after Regrets initial botched invasion, this time perhaps to secure the [[Ark]], begin the [[Great Journey]], and wipe out the Human Race entirely. Before he can act, however, he is attacked by a Flood [[Infection Form]] on [[High Charity]]. Seeing this, Truth tells [[Tartarus]] to "let him be" and then tells Mercy, "The Great Journey waits for no one, brother, not even you." The [[John-117|Master Chief]] finds Mercy being consumed by a [[Flood]] spore, and kills it, preventing Mercy from being infected. In return, Mercy tells the [[Chief]] of Truth's plans, then collapses dead from the trauma of being attacked.{{clear}}

==[[Prophet of Regret]]==
[[Image:ProphetofRegret.jpg|200px|thumb|High Prophet of Regret]]
Regret is the youngest of the High Prophets and contrary to his name he appears to be reckless and headstrong.

Regret led the initial, failed attack on Earth with two [[Assault Carriers]] and a small contingent of battle cruisers. After one of the Assault Carriers was destroyed by the [[Master Chief]], he ran through the gauntlet of [[MAC]] stations and landed troops in [[New Mombasa]], part of the [[East African Protectorate]], the only place the Covenant landed on Earth. After being repelled by marine forces, he initiates a slipspace jump to [[Installation 05|Delta Halo]], destroying New Mombasa in the process. It is speculated that he was not at all aware of the centrality of Earth to Humanity and simply assumed it was another world that had, at one point, been inhabited or manipulated by the [[Forerunner]]. This accounts for his [[Fleet]] being far smaller and much less prepared than the Fleet that destroyed [[Reach]] and other high-profile colonies. 

His actions did not win him a reprieve as Master Chief pursued him through Covenant forces on Delta Halo. Truth, in an apparent attempt to increase his power, called off reinforcement [[Phantom]]s, which gave the Master Chief a sufficient window to assassinate him.

However the Prophet of Regret makes a final appearance later in the game, revived to a degree by the apparent Flood leader [[Gravemind]] as a [[Prophet Form]] and argues with [[2401 Penitent Tangent]], condemning the ineptitude of the [[Monitor|Holy Oracles]]. It is unknown how the Gravemind managed to retrieve his corpse, as the entire area was seared and destroyed by Covenant [[Energy Projector|Energy Projectors]] immediately after his death.{{clear}}

==Past High Prophets==
The High Prophets are usually replaced all at the same time through political machinations. Previous High Prophets include the [[High Prophet of Restraint]], the [[High Prophet of Tolerance]] and the [[High Prophetess of Obligation]]. These three hierarchs were disposed of when Truth, Mercy and Regret came to power.

== Trivia ==
* The song '[[wikipedia:What I've Done|What I've Done]]' by [[wikipedia:Linkin Park|Linkin Park]] has a line <ref>"Cause I've drawn ''regret'', from the ''truth'', of a thousand lies. So let ''mercy'' come, and wash away, what I've done." </ref>which mentions the names of the Hierarchs (Regret, Truth, Mercy). The lyrics go as so; "Cause I've drawn ''Regret'' from the ''Truth''... So let ''Mercy'' come...". Though this is most likely not coincidence, the members of Linkin Park have stated they are fans of the game.
* A recurring theme is that the High Prophets personalities are opposites of their titles (i.e. [[Prophet of Truth|Truth]] lies to the [[Covenant]] about the [[Great Journey]]).
*Each of the three prophets were killed by a different faction. Regret was killed by Humans, Mercy was killed by the Flood, and Truth was killed by the Covenant Separatists (Slain in the hands of the Arbiter).
*The High Prophetess of Obligation is currently the only known female hierarch.

== See also ==
*[[San 'Shyuum]]
*[[Covenant|The Covenant]]

== References ==
<references />

[[Category:The Covenant]]
[[Category:Organizations]]
[[Category:Prophets]]