Reformation Spire

A Reformation Spire on Installation 07.

A Reformation Spire is a Forerunner construct used to enact the Reformation, the process by which a damaged Halo Ring self-repairs. Multiple Reformation Spires are utilized during the Reformation and are controlled by a Command Spire, which operates in conjunction with the Nexus.

Overview

Reformation Spires carry out the Reformation by manufacturing the raw materials needed to repair the Halo Ring. This greatly accelerates the repair process which might otherwise take millions of years to complete depending on the severity of the damage. The Forerunner routines needed to summon the Reformation Spires are contained within the Encephalon of the Halo Ring's Monitor. The Monitor's Encephalon also contains the codes needed to deactivate the Spires. The Reformation Spires are activated upon receiving an initialization sequence from a Command Spire.

Although the most basic function of the Reformation Spires is to accelerate repairs, the Spires are capable of making foundational evolutionary changes to a Ring's core functionality.

Design

Even in their inactive state, Reformation Spires are some of the largest structures on Halo installations. They rise to their true height when repairs are initiated.

A Reformation Spire has a narrow base and a wide top, giving it the appearance of an inverted pyramid-like tower. Once a Spire has fully risen from beneath the surface of the Ring, a trio of large "fins" emerge from its sides, slide to the top, and clamp themselves around the Spire's upper half. At the same time, the lower half of the Spire contracts, further narrowing the base. The Spire is accessible via a gravity lift at its base.

The manufacturing chamber is located at the center of the Spire. Within this chamber, building materials are forged by rings of focused energy beams. Once produced, the materials are transported through the Spire via a series of transportation chambers before being sent outside to use in the Ring's repair. The Reformation can be watched from an Observation Platform at the top of the Spire. This platform is accessible via an elevator and is protected by an energy shield.

History

On at least one occasion prior to the Battle for Zeta Halo, Zeta Halo suffered damage serious enough to warrant the Reformation. Despondent Pyre, the Ring's Monitor, subsequently summoned the Reformation Spires needed to repair the installation and ensure the Xalanyn remained imprisoned. The Monitor later noted that the installation's ability to deploy its Reformation Spires at her request was one of the many things that made this Ring different from the others.

During the Battle for Zeta Halo, the Banished and the Harbinger sought to utilize the Reformation to restore the Silent Auditorium, which had been destroyed when Cortana sacrificed herself to stop Atriox from gaining control of Zeta Halo. On May 28, 2560, the Harbinger kidnapped Despondent Pyre and extracted her encephalon. Using the Forerunner routines contained within Despondent Pyre's encephalon, the Harbinger constructed a protocol which she used to summon dozens of Reformation Spires. The Spires still required an initialization sequence to become fully activated, so the Harbinger traveled to the Command Spire to personally initiate the Reformation.

At the same time, Master Chief John-117 and his AI companion, The Weapon, headed to the Reformation Spire nearest to the Conservatory, where they had first encountered the Harbinger. After defeating the Banished forces surrounding the Spire, the Chief entered the structure through its gravity lift. Once inside, he and the Weapon were greeted by Zeta Halo's Sub-Monitor, Adjutant Resolution, who led them to the Spire's Observation Platform. When the Chief learned about the Spire's purpose, the Spartan-II ordered the Weapon to shut it down. In response, Adjutant Resolution deemed the pair a threat to the Reformation and attacked them. After the Chief defeated Adjutant Resolution, the Weapon discovered that multiple Spires were being deployed. She also discovered that the Harbinger was attempting to activate the Spire network from a remote location, but that the Spires were resisting the latter's efforts because the protocol used to summon them was only partially correct. The Weapon managed to remove the Spire she and the Chief were standing on from the network, as well as trace the activation attempts back to the Command Spire. This action, however, caused their Spire's Observation Platform to start disassembling itself. The Master Chief called Echo 216 for emergency extraction, then jumped off the Spire. Fernando Esparza managed to safely catch the Chief in the Pelican's troop bay.

The Master Chief and the Weapon later infiltrated the Nexus in order to use its gravity lift to enter the Command Spire. When the Weapon attempted to activate the gravity lift, the Harbinger sprung a trap and hacked the Weapon, intent on using her AI routines along with those of Despondent Pyre to break through the Spire network's resistance and start the Reformation. The Weapon, in turn, used her link to the Harbinger to try to steal Despondent Pyre's encephalon. Despite the Master Chief's attempt to delete the Weapon - an effort which the Weapon herself stopped - both the Harbinger and the Weapon succeeded in their respective goals.

With the Reformation underway, the Spires began forging building blocks which were sent out to repair the Silent Auditorium. The Chief fought his way to the Command Spire's observation platform, where the Weapon used Despondent Pyre's encephalon to shut down all the Spires and end the Reformation though not before the Silent Auditorium had been partially rebuilt.

Despite the loss of the Spire network, the Harbinger and the Banished continued rebuilding the Auditorium. They managed to restore enough of the facility such that the Harbinger could now use it to locate and free her people.

Gallery

Concept art

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  Early concept art exploration of a reformation spire.

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  Early concept art of a landscape on Installation 07 featuring this style of reformation spire.

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  Finalized concept art of a reformation spire.

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  Concept art of a reformation spire on Installation 07.

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  Concept art of a canyon leading to a reformation spire.

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  Concept art of John-117 overlooking a lake in the shadow of a reformation spire.

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  Concept art of the structures found at the base of a reformation spire.

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  More concept art of the structures at a spire's base.

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  Concept art of a Banished encampment beneath a reformation spire.

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  Concept art of a Banished base set up near a reformation spire.

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  Concept art exploration of another Banished base near a spire.

Screenshots

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  John-117 watches a Reformation Spire rise from the surface of Zeta Halo.

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  A Reformation Spire on Zeta Halo.

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  A Spire's gravity lift.

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  Spire machinery waiting to be activated.

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  Active Spire machinery forging building blocks for the Reformation.

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  Building blocks being transported through the Spire.

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  The elevator leading to the Spire's observation platform.

List of appearances

• Become
  • Carry On (First appearance)
  • Forever We Fight
• Halo Infinite