Editing Utgard

{{Era|UNSC|HCW}}
{{City
|city=Utgard
|image=[[File:HM-Utgard.jpg|300px]]
|location=[[Edda]], [[Harvest]]
|built=
|destroyed=[[2525]]
|population=200,000<ref name="ch318">''Halo: Contact Harvest'', page 318</ref>
|notable=[[First Battle of Harvest]]
|notable-title=Notable events
|governance=[[Parliament of Harvest]]
}}

'''Utgard''' was the capital and the largest city on the [[human]] [[Outer Colony]] world [[Harvest]], located on the planet's equator.<ref>''[[Halo: Contact Harvest]]'', page 73</ref> It had approximately 200,000 full-time residents prior to the [[First Battle of Harvest|Covenant attack]].<ref name="ch318"/> The city's primary [[law enforcement]] agency was the [[Utgard Constabulary]].<ref>''Halo: Contact Harvest'', page 168</ref> The city was [[Glassing|glassed]] by the [[Covenant]] ship ''[[Rapid Conversion]]'' in [[2525]].<ref name="ch391">''Halo: Contact Harvest'', pages 391-396</ref>

==History==
In [[2468]], the {{UNSCShip|Skidbladnir}}, a {{Class|Phoenix|colony ship}}, was used to [[Human colonies|colonize]] [[Harvest]]. After Harvest's colonization, the ''Skidbladnir'' remaining in orbit for another year to assist in the construction of the basic infrastructure for the [[Tiara]] and its [[Harvest space elevators|seven space elevators]]. Once the task was completed, the ship landed on the planet's surface and was scrapped for materials. The ship's power plant was then used to power the newly created capital city of Utgard.<ref>''[[Halo Wars]]'' [http://www.halowars.com/ Official Site]</ref>

In [[2525|February 2525]], the attempted peace negotiations between the humans and the [[Covenant]] were held at the [[Harvest Botanical Gardens]], just outside of Utgard.<ref>''Halo: Contact Harvest'', page 238</ref> After the peace negotiations failed, and the [[First Battle of Harvest]] began, [[Governor]] [[Nils Thune]] made an order stating that any civilian of Harvest must relocate to Utgard for safety.<ref>''Halo: Contact Harvest'', page 289</ref> In an attempt to evacuate all of the colony's citizens via the space elevators, Harvest's [[Colonial Militia]] began packing civilians into 236 [[DCS light freighter|freight containers]] which were then loaded into Utgard's seven elevator depots.

A mortally wounded [[Captain]] [[Ponder]] used a fabricated "[[Covenant religion#Oracles|Oracle]]" to lure the Covenant [[cruiser]] ''[[Rapid Conversion]]'' into the sights of the city's [[mass driver]].<ref>''Halo: Contact Harvest'', page 335</ref> The ship was disabled after two rounds and crashed. In the ensuing confusion and lifting of Covenant air superiority, a militia strike team secured the Tiara.<ref>''Halo: Contact Harvest'', page 352</ref> The cargo freighters carrying Harvest's evacuees ascended the space elevators to the station and fled into slipspace, but only 215 freighters managed to escape.<ref>''Halo: Contact Harvest'', page 371</ref>

During the following months, the ''Rapid Conversion'''s crew repaired the ship and steadily continued the glassing of Harvest, gradually destroying the [[JOTUN]] automatons in which the remnants of the AI [[Mack]] were housed.<ref name="ch391"/> Utgard was later a location of several engagements during the [[Harvest campaign]] in [[2531]]. A [[UNSC Marine Corps]] unit, including [[Edward Buck]], was posted to the ruins of the city for six months.<ref>[https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/universe/characters/buck ''Halo Waypoint'': Buck]</ref>

==Description==
Utgard was located on the continent of [[Edda]], at [[Harvest]]'s equator. The [[Bifrost]] escarpment was west of Utgard and visible from the city.<ref>''Halo: Contact Harvest'', page 75</ref> The [[Mimir River]] went through Utgard and exited south of the city.<ref>''Halo: Contact Harvest'', page 239</ref> The [[Vigrond Highlands]] and the [[Plains of Ida]] were located nearby. Several small settlements were scattered around the city.<ref name="ch318"/>

The city was surrounded by Harvest's seven [[Harvest space elevators|space elevators]]. The buildings in Utgard were relatively small, with only several dozen skyscrapers that were no taller than twenty stories. Regardless, the buildings were still of modern designs, with most of them being glass-shrouded.<ref name="ch76">''Halo: Contact Harvest'', page 76</ref> A floodlit, well-landscaped trail was found alongside the Mimir River, along with numerous scattered bars. The [[Harvest Parliament Building]] was found near the river as well, with a large wall separating the Parliament Building from the river.<ref>''[[Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe|Halo: Evolutions]]'', [[Dirt]]</ref> At the time of [[Operation: KALEIDOSCOPE]] in [[2502]], Utgard had a small population of at least fifty thousand and the entire city was made of [[polycrete]] pre-fabs.<ref name="ch76"/>

===Locations===
*[[Harvest Botanical Gardens]] (outskirts)
*[[Harvest Parliament Building]]
*[[Mimir River]]
*[[Utgard Highway]]
*[[Utgard Mall]]
*[[Utgard Memorial Hospital]]
*[[Utgard Spaceport]]

==Trivia==
Utgard, like many of Harvest's cities, rivers, seas, and other locations, comes from [[List of references to Norse mythology in Halo|Norse mythology]]. It literally means "Outyard" and was the abode of the giants, enemy of the Gods.

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:H4_Harvest_Farmland.png|The farmland of Utgard.
</gallery>

==List of appearances==
*''[[Halo: Contact Harvest]]'' {{1st}}
*''[[Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe]]''
**''[[Dirt]]''
*''[[Halo 4]]''
*''[[Halo Mythos]]''

==Sources==
{{Ref/Sources}}
[[Category:Harvest locations]]
[[Category:Human cities]]