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| {{Status|Canon}} | | {{Era|Forerunner|Post}} |
| [[File:Halo-2-Anniversary-Gravemind-2.png|thumb|300px|As the compound minds created by the Flood expand and grow, a Gravemind can consciously exert control over a wider area or divide its attention among many more intricate plots.]]
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| {{Quote|Entire planetary ecosystems have apparently undergone conversion to what are being referred to as Key Minds.|String 18, one of thirty-nine such abstracted pieces of sourced from a [[Catalog]] unit and damaged [[monitor]] associated with a single fossilized [[Juridical]].{{Ref/Novel|Id=S18|HSil|Chapter=String 18}}{{Ref/Site|Id=HWDD|URL=https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/news/deluge-delights|Site=Halo Waypoint|Page=Deluge Delights|D=09|M=09|Y=2017}}}}
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| '''Key minds''' are a type of [[Flood]] form, used for the coordination of larger Flood forces. The term does not refer to any one specific kind of Flood form, but instead encompasses a variety of specialised coordination forms, all formed when a given [[Flood outbreak]] reaches a critical mass and begins to transition into the [[Coordinated Stage]]. The most powerful and well-known forms of key mind are [[Gravemind]]s, the apex hiveminds of the Flood hierarchy, though other forms range in scale and scope from relatively simple to planet-spanning neural networks.{{Ref/Reuse|HWDD}}{{Ref/Book|Id=Enc22|Enc22|Page=412}}
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| ==Overview==
| | {{Quote|Entire planetary ecosystems have apparently undergone conversion to what are being referred to as Key Minds.|String 18, one of thirty-nine such abstracted pieces of sourced from a [[Catalog]] unit and damaged [[monitor]] associated with a single fossilized [[Juridical]].}}<ref name="ONIsilentium">'''Halo: Silentium''', ''ONIRF Trevelyan Top Secret''</ref> |
| Key minds are formed when a Flood outbreak grows in scope, and multiple absorbed victims's neural systems are merged with [[Flood Super Cell]] connecting them into one conglomerate.{{Ref/Reuse|HWDD}} Key minds that emerge early in an outbreak are relatively crude and consist of multiple bodies grafted together, but over time they can grow in size and scope.{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22}} | |
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| Key minds act as coordinators for nearby Flood forms, leveraging wisdom harvested from the parasites' hosts to expand, outwit, overwhelm, and consume other life.{{Ref/Game|Id=Keyminds|HW2|Phoenix Logs|Detail=Keyminds}} The creation of key minds causes an infestation to transition from [[Feral Stage|feral aggression]] to [[Coordinated Stage|coordinated conversion]]. As the Flood grow in number, key minds combine and expand into larger, exponentially more intelligent networks. The appearance of these vile collectives typically indicates most local sentient hosts have been infected or consumed. Once a critical mass of key minds have been combined, the Flood's centralized intelligence can begin to emerge in their seething mass of corrupted flesh: a [[Proto-Gravemind]] that sifts through and feeds on the memories of every Flood-infected victim.{{Ref/Reuse|Keyminds}} | | '''Key minds''' are specialized [[Flood]] organisms that network their individual intelligences.<ref name="Keyminds">'''Halo Wars 2''', ''[[Phoenix Logs]] — Keyminds''</ref> |
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| ==Types of key mind== | | ==Overview== |
| There are three primary forms of key mind that the Flood take on, all mobile compound minds designed to direct Flood forces operating alone or in the early stages of an outbreak. These are the Abomination, Blightstalker, and Juggernaut.{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22}} As the infection spreads and the outbreak grows in scale, the Flood begin to create Proto-Graveminds and Graveminds - the apex of the Flood. Truly large-scale infestations in the [[Interstellar Stage]] may even see the emergence of much more specialised key mind forms, such as planetary-scale key minds that encompass the entire absorbed biosphere of a given world, with billions or organisms' neural systems linked together to command Flood on a galactic scale.{{Ref/Reuse|HWDD}}
| | Key minds act as coordinators for nearby Flood forms, leveraging wisdom harvested from the parasites' hosts to expand, outwit, overwhelm, and consume other life.<ref name="Keyminds"/> The [[abomination]], an evolved form of the [[Flood Juggernaut|juggernaut]] command form, is a known type of key mind war-form.<ref name="Abomination">'''Halo Wars 2''', ''[[Phoenix Logs]] — Abomination''</ref> The creation of key minds causes an infestation to transition from feral aggression to coordinated conversion. As the Flood grow in number key minds combine and expand into larger, exponentially more intelligent networks. The appearance of these vile collectives typically indicates most local sentient hosts have been infected or consumed. Once a critical mass of key minds have combined the Flood's centralized intelligence can begin to emerge in their seething mass of corrupted flesh: a [[Proto-Gravemind]] that sifts through and feeds on the memories of every Flood-infected victim.<ref name="Keyminds"/> |
| *'''[[Abomination]]''' - a large, towering command form evolved from the more basic Juggernaut, that emerges in instances where a given [[Flood hive|hive]] and Proto-Gravemind cannot be formed and the horde must stay mobile. Abominations direct massed Flood forces in offensives on enemy targets, and are extraordinarily powerful combatants.{{Ref/Game|Id=PLAbomination|HW2|Phoenix Logs|Detail=Abomination}}{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22}}
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| *'''[[Blightstalker]]''' - a more rarely-seen key mind form that primarily resides in [[blightlands]], directing Flood within the vicinity to hunt down surviving forms of biomass and nonsapient life.{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22}}
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| *'''[[Flood Juggernaut|Juggernaut]]''' - a highly-mobile key mind specialised to serve in a field commander role, directing Flood in front-line combat.{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22}}
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| *'''[[Proto-Gravemind]]''' - the first stages of a Gravemind, formed when an outbreak has reached critical mass and can establish a dedicated hive.
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| *'''[[Gravemind]]''' - the apex compound intelligence of the Flood.
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| <gallery>
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| File:HW2 Abomination Crop.png|[[Abomination]]
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| File:Enc22 FloodBlightstalker.png|[[Blightstalker]]
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| File:HFR Juggernaught Render 1.png|[[Flood Juggernaut|Juggernaut]]
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| File:Protograve.png|[[Proto-Gravemind]]
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| File:Gravemind Enc 22.png|[[Gravemind]]
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| </gallery> | |
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| ==History== | | ==History== |
| Near the end of the [[Forerunner]]s' [[Forerunner-Flood War|struggle]] against the [[Flood]], entire planetary ecosystems underwent conversion to the Flood. The moniker "Key Mind" was first used by Forerunners to refer to the Flood controlling these ecosystems. These Key Minds displayed extraordinary processing power and strategic planning abilities and appeared to be more than a match for even any [[Metarch-class ancilla|metarch-class]] [[ancilla]]. They were capable of seizing complete control of besieged sectors and sending converted battle fleets through unprecedented numbers of slipspace portals through the use of [[Precursor]] [[neural physics]].{{Ref/Reuse|S18}}{{Ref/Reuse|HWDD}} | | Near the end of the [[Forerunner]]s' [[Forerunner-Flood War|struggle]] against the [[Flood]], entire planetary ecosystems underwent conversion to the Flood.<ref name="silentium18">'''Halo: Silentium''', ''String 18''</ref> The monicker "Key Mind" was first used by Forerunners to refer to the Flood controlling these ecosystems. These Key Minds displayed extraordinary strategic planning abilities and appeared to be more than a match for even any [[metarch]]-class [[ancilla]]. They were capable of seizing complete control of besieged sectors and sending converted battle fleets through unprecedented numbers of slipspace portals through the use of [[Precursor]] [[neural physics]].<ref name="silentium18"/> |
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| Many thousands of years after the war, in [[2531]], a Proto-Gravemind was encountered by the {{UNSCShip|Spirit of Fire}} on the Forerunner [[shield world]] [[Trove]] where it attempted to trick the human crew. The crew managed to kill the Proto-Gravemind{{Ref/Level|HW|The Flood (level)|The Flood}} and later destroyed the planet itself.{{Ref/Level|HW|Escape (Halo Wars level)|Escape}} Similarly, in [[2552]], a Proto-Gravemind was encountered by Spartan II [[John-117]] during the [[Battle of Installation 04]] on board the ''[[Truth and Reconciliation]]'' where it was attempting to use the knowledge of the assimilated Captain [[Jacob Keyes]] to fly the ship to Earth.{{Ref/Level|HCE|Keyes}} Another Proto-Gravemind formed aboard the ''[[Infinite Succor]]'' during the same battle, but [[Skirmish on Infinite Succor|was destroyed]] by Covenant forces led by [[Rtas 'Vadum]]ee along with the ship.{{Ref/Comic|HGN|Story=The Last Voyage of the Infinite Succor}} The Installation 04 campaign also saw the formation of several Juggernauts later in the conflict.{{Ref/Level|HFR|Raven Down}}{{Ref/Level|HFR|Last Stand (Halo: Fireteam Raven level)|Last Stand}}
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| Later that year, a Gravemind that had established itself on [[Installation 05]] boarded the [[Covenant]] capital, ''[[High Charity]]'', and overtook it.{{Ref/Level|H2|Gravemind (level)|Gravemind}}{{Ref/Level|H2|High Charity (level)|High Charity}} It used the mobile station to pursue [[United Nations Space Command]] and Covenant forces to [[Installation 00]],{{Ref/Level|H3|The Ark (level)|The Ark}} where it was dealt a devastating blow by the firing of the incomplete [[Installation 08]] which destroyed the Gravemind and ended the Flood outbreak on the installation.{{Ref/Level|H3|Halo (Halo 3 level)|Halo}} In the years to follow, [[humans]] studying records from the [[Forerunner-Flood War]] realized that the complexity witnessed to give rise to the Key Minds wasn't exclusive to a new stage, but rather was pervasive at every stage of progression, especially leading to the formation of Proto-Graveminds.
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| In [[2559]], key minds were encountered again on [[Installation 00]] in the form of abominations and a Proto-Gravemind when the [[Banished]] forces occupying the installation accidentally released what remained of the Flood from ''High Charity's'' crash site where it had previously been confined. The Proto-Gravemind was destroyed by Banished forces before it could become a Gravemind and the installation's Sentinels were able to once more contain the Flood.{{Ref/Level|HW2|Manifestation}}
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| ==Gallery== | | Many thousands of years later, key minds were encountered on [[Installation 00]] in the form of abominations when the [[Banished]] forces occupying the installation came into conflict with the Flood ater releasing it from the crash site of ''[[High Charity]]'', where it had previously been confined.<ref name="FR">'''[[Halo Wars 2]]''', campaign level ''[[Fighting Retreat]]''</ref> |
| <gallery>
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| File:HW2 Abomination clear.png|An [[abomination]].
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| File:Proto-Gravemind.png|A Proto-Gravemind.
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| File:Keyes Protogravemind.jpg|A Proto-Gravemind.
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| File:HTMCC-H2A NoSalvationOnThisRing.png|A Gravemind.
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| </gallery> | |
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| ==List of appearances== | | ==List of appearances== |
| {{col-begin}}
| | *''[[Halo: Silentium]]'' {{First mentioned}} |
| {{col-2}}
| | *''[[Halo Wars 2]]'' {{1st}} |
| *''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]'' {{1st}} | |
| *''[[Halo: The Flood]]''
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| *''[[Halo 2]]''
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| *''[[Halo 3]]''
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| *''[[Halo Graphic Novel]]''
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| **''[[The Last Voyage of the Infinite Succor]]''
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| *''[[Halo Wars]]'' | |
| *''[[Halo Legends]]''
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| **''[[Origins]]''
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| {{col-2}}
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| *''[[Halo: Evolutions]]''
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| **''[[The Mona Lisa]]''
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| **''[[Human Weakness]]''
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| *''[[Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary]]''
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| **''[[Terminal (Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary)|Terminals]]''
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| *''[[Halo: Cryptum]]''
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| *''[[Halo: Primordium]]''
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| *''[[Halo: Silentium]]''
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| *''[[Halo 2: Anniversary]]''
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| *''[[Halo Wars 2]]''
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| {{col-end}} | |
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| ==Sources== | | ==Sources== |
| {{Ref/Sources}}
| | <references/> |
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| {{Flood}} | | {{Flood}} |
| [[Category:Flood forms]] | | [[Category:Flood]] |
