Canon

Heian: Difference between revisions

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{{Era|HCW}}
{{Status|Canon}}{{Status|Featured}}
{{Planet infobox
{{Planet infobox
|name=Heian
|name=Heian
|image=[[File:Babysitter_sketchbook_planet.png|270px]]
|image=[[File:TheBabysitter Asteroids Concept.png|300px]]<br>Concept art of Heian and the asteroids in its orbit.
|system=
|system=
|body=
|body=
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|daylength=
|daylength=
|yearlength=
|yearlength=
|atmosphere=Breathable
|atmosphere=Breathable{{Ref/Reuse|Babysitter}}
|composition=
|temperature=
|temperature=
|demonym=
|demonym=
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|population=
|population=
|colonized=
|colonized=
|government=[[Covenant]]
|government=[[Covenant]] {{C|formerly}}{{Ref/Reuse|Babysitter}}{{Ref/Reuse|CFShocks}}
|hidea=yes
}}
}}


'''Heian'''<ref name="evo">'''Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe''', ''From the Office of Dr. William Arthur Iqbal''</ref><ref>'''Halo Legends''', ''The Babysitter'': ''"Satellite recon shows radar and magnetic signatures on Heian..."''</ref> is a world in an unknown system in the [[Milky Way|Milky Way Galaxy]]. The planet is terrestrial, with a breathable atmosphere and an [[Earth]]-like surface. Meteor showers are common on this world, as thousands of asteroids orbit the planet.<ref name="legends">'</ref>
'''Heian''' is a [[Planet|world]] located within the [[Milky Way]]'s [[Arc star cluster]].{{Ref/Anthology|Id=evo|Evo|From the Office of Dr. William Arthur Iqbal}}{{Ref/Film|Id=legends|HLeg|Episode=The Babysitter|Quote=Satellite recon shows radar and magnetic signatures on Heian...}} The planet is terrestrial, with a breathable atmosphere and an [[Earth]]-like surface. Meteor showers are common on this world, as thousands of asteroids orbit the planet.{{Ref/Film|Id=Babysitter|HLeg|Episode=The Babysitter}}{{Ref/Site|Id=CFShocks|URL=https://www.halowaypoint.com/news/canon-fodder-system-shocks|Site=Halo Waypoint|Page=Canon Fodder - System Shocks|D=30|M=06|Y=2023}}


==History==
==Overview==
===Topography and ecology===
Heian is a terrestrial world, appearing to be [[Earth]]-like and containing a breathable atmosphere for most sapient species without the need of external apparatus. The surface is capable of supporting liquid [[water]] and dense jungles of native flora similar to that found on Earth,{{Ref/Reuse|Babysitter}} with much of the observed regions of the planet covered in such a manner. Some regions of Heian feature tiered mesas dotted with immense trees.{{Ref/Map|Id=Forest|HINF|Forest}} The planet is subject to regular meteor showers with an asteroid belt encircling the planet—the frequency of which allowing a deployment of [[drop pod]]s onto the planet to go unnoticed during the [[Human-Covenant War]].{{Ref/Reuse|Babysitter}}


During the [[Human-Covenant War]], the world was the site of an important Covenant logistics base, from which supplies were delivered to the rest of the planets in the system, as well as the entire sector. The UNSC deployed a team of [[Orbital Drop Shock Trooper]]s and a [[Cal-141|SPARTAN]] on the planet, with the mission to [[Raid on Heian|assassinate]] the [[Unidentified Prophet (Heian)|Prophet]] in charge of the operations within the system, in order to stop the Covenant supply chain. They were also tasked with gathering intelligence on the unknown ruins. The team succeeded in their mission, but the Spartan was lost in combat against a Hammer-wielding Brute and an ODST, Checkman, was killed after striking an asteroid in orbit and burned up in the atmosphere after losing control of his SOEIV.<ref name="legends"/> The photographs taken by the team were later studied by the Department of Xenoarchaeological Studies at the [[University of Edinburgh]] along with the [[University of Calcutta]] as a part of an extensive investigation of Forerunner relics.<ref name="evo"/>
<gallery>
File:Planet_scenery.png|A jungle valley on Heian.
File:Planet_Ruins_7.png|A waterfall amid some ruins.
File:HINF ForestHollowTree.png|A forest on Heian.
File:HINF ForestDistantTemple.png|Some ruins among the planet's tiered mesas.
</gallery>


==Ruins==
===Ruins===
[[File:Planet_ruins.png|thumb|A ruin complex on the planet.]]
The most striking topographical feature on the planet is the presence of ancient ruin complexes predating any form of modern [[human]] or [[Covenant]] civilization on the planet. The ruins themselves bear resemblance to the stone Forerunner ruins found on [[Arcadia]] and [[Installation 05]], mixing a variety of older human architectural trends influences analyzed by Doctor [[William Iqbal]] to include Greco-Roman, Middle Eastern and East Asian, with subtle Forerunner themes.{{Ref/Reuse|evo}} East Asian themes are among the most prevalent in the structures examined by UNSC forces deployed in [[Operation: GREY VEIL]] in [[2544]], including decorations containing dragon-like creatures and statuaries distinctively similar to statues of Buddha. Most of the buildings at this site have pagoda-like roof structures. Overall, the designs are very ornate and full of carvings. Curiously, the overall scale of most structures is massive; one step in a staircase may be the height of an average human. Some structures seem like a mix of ancient and relatively modern industrial architecture, including a water processing facility with aqueducts and valve systems nigh-identical to those used by humans. However, some other buildings encountered by UNSC forces during Operation: GREY VEIL feature subtle blue accent lights, a characteristic generally associated with Forerunner architecture.{{Ref/Reuse|legends}}{{Ref/Reuse|Babysitter}}
It is likely that these ruins were left by the [[prehistoric human civilization]] that was known to exist during the time of the [[Forerunner]]s. Their architecture appears to be a mix of a variety of ancient human styles, including Greco-Roman, Middle Eastern and East Asian, with subtle Forerunner themes.<ref name="evo"/> East Asian themes are clearly among the most prevalent in the structures, including decorations containing dragon-like creatures and statuaries distinctively similar to statues of Buddha.


Most of the buildings have pagoda-like roof structures. Overall, the designs are very ornate and full of carvings. Curiously, the overall scale of most structures is massive; one step in a staircase may be the height of an average human. Some structures seem like a mix of ancient and relatively modern industrial architecture, including a water processing facility with aqueducts and valve systems nigh-identical to those used by humans.<ref name="legends"/>
Another complex later superficially examined by the [[Office of Naval Intelligence]] as part of [[Project BOOKWORM]] has showcased ruins with more similarities to Forerunner ruins—showcasing the range of architectural styles on the planet's surface.{{Ref/Reuse|CFShocks}}{{Ref/Reuse|Forest}} However, ONI teams have only been able to conduct cursory expeditions onto Heian in the [[Post-Covenant War conflicts|post-war]] environment, with those teams who stayed on-world following the [[Created uprising]] uncovering evidence to hint that the ruins may have connections with the human [[Ancestors|Ancestor]] civilization that once rivalled the Forerunner [[Ecumene]] in the galaxy tens of thousands of years ago.{{Ref/Reuse|CFShocks}} Doctor William Iqbal also considered this idea, noting that the similarities to old-Earth architecture may indicate that the civilization which once occupied Heian almost certainly did not develop those styles independently—and wondering whether they took the architecture from modern humanity, or whether modern humanity took its architecture from the Heian civilization.{{Ref/Reuse|evo}}{{Ref/Reuse|CFShocks}}


The ruins also sparked interest within the scientific community. The [[Department of Xenoarchaeological Studies]] at the [[University of Edinburgh]], when analyzing the photographs taken by the ODST team from the ruins on Heian, found the obvious elements of human architecture in the structures puzzling, wondering if their builders borrowed from human architecture or the other way around.<ref name="evo"/>
<gallery>
File:Planet_statues.png|Statues seen within the ruins.
File:Planet_statue.png|A statue with an apparently human face.
File:Planet_Ruins_6.png|Industrial machinery found within some of the ruins.
File:Planet_Ruins_8.png|ODSTs investigating the ruins.
File:Planet_Ruins_9.png|Gigantic stairs on Heian.
File:Planet_Ruins_10.png|Wall depictions within ruins.
File:Planet_Ruins_11.png|A large ruins complex on Heian.
File:Planet_Ruins_12.png|Another view of the same ruins complex.
File:HLeg ForerunnerLikeStructure.png|An example of ruins on Heian featuring blue accent lights, like those common in Forerunner architecture.
File:HINF Forest Temple.jpg|A different ruins site on Heian, bearing more similarity to the Arcadia and Installation 05 Forerunner ruins.
File:HINF Forest.jpg|More of these ruins within a forest.
</gallery>
 
==History==
===Ancient residents===
[[File:Planet_ruins.png|thumb|right|300px|A ruin complex on the planet.]]
At an unknown period of time several millennia before the advent of human spaceflight in the 20th century, Heian was occupied by an [[List of unidentified species|unidentified ancient civilization]]—resulting in the construction of the aforementioned large temple complexes on the planet's surface. While the identity of this species is unknown, some speculation from modern human researchers has indicated that the planet was inhabited by [[Ancestors|ancient humanity]] thousands of years prior to the [[Forerunner-Flood war]].{{Ref/Reuse|evo}}{{Ref/Reuse|CFShocks}}{{Ref/Novel|Id=Out3|Out|Chapter=3}}
 
===Discovery===
Heian was one of many worlds discovered and occupied by the [[Covenant]] empire some time during or prior to the [[Human-Covenant War]], becoming the site of a logistics base used in the empire's genocide of [[human]]ity from which supplies were delivered to the rest of the planets in the system, as well as the entire sector. In [[2544]],{{Ref/Reuse|CFShocks}} the world became the site of [[Operation: GREY VEIL]]—a mission assigned by the [[Office of Naval Intelligence]] to a small team of [[Orbital Drop Shock Troopers]] and a [[SPARTAN-II program|SPARTAN-II]] supersoldier to investigate the ruins on the planet and assassinate a [[San'Shyuum]] [[Unidentified Prophet (Heian)|prophet]].{{Ref/Reuse|CFShocks}} During the mission, the team were also tasked with gathering intelligence on the unknown ruins. The team succeeded in their mission, at the cost of Spartan [[Cal-141]] and ODST [[Checkman]]'s lives.{{Ref/Reuse|legends}}{{Ref/Site|Id=S4Intel|URL=https://www.halowaypoint.com/news/infection-intel|Site=Halo Waypoint|Page=Halo Infinite - Infection Intel|LocalArchive=Halo Infinite Story & Intel|D=12|M=09|Y=2023}}
 
===Further research===
The photographs taken by the team were later studied by the [[Department of Xenoarchaeological Studies]] at the [[University of Edinburgh]] along with the [[University of Calcutta]] as a part of an extensive investigation of Forerunner relics.{{Ref/Reuse|evo}} Following the war's end, further research on Heian was conducted under [[Project BOOKWORM]],{{Ref/Reuse|CFShocks}} with [[Xenoarchaeology|xenoarchaeologist]] [[Keely Iyuska]] leading one of the largest excavations on the planet during or after [[2555]]. The excavation led Iyuska to the believe that many of the structures on Heian may have been constructed by humans in a time period contemporary to the Forerunners.{{Ref/Reuse|Out3}} Aside from these excavations, little detailed study of the ruins on the planet was conducted before the [[Created]] [[Created uprising|uprising]] in late [[2558]]. Despite the crisis, a number of researchers continued to stay on Heian and feed their findings to the Office of Naval Intelligence—presenting the organization with a number of questions about the relationship between modern humans and the ancient human civilization.{{Ref/Reuse|CFShocks}}


==Trivia==
==Trivia==
{{Linkbox|gallery=yes}}
*The planet is likely named after either the [[Wikipedia:Heian period|Heian period]] of Japanese history, or [[Wikipedia:Heian-kyō|the city]] from which the period takes its name.
*The planet is likely named after either the [[Wikipedia:Heian period|Heian period]] of Japanese history, or [[Wikipedia:Heian-kyō|the city]] from which the period takes its name.
*The fact that the ruins on the planet were relatively intact suggested that either the planet was missed when the Forerunners purged the galaxy of any trace of the prehistoric human civilization or that the planet was abandoned during one of humanity's technological dark ages long before their war with the Forerunners.
*The fact that the ruins on the planet were relatively intact suggested that either the planet was missed when the Forerunners purged the galaxy of any trace of the prehistoric human civilization or that the planet was abandoned during one of humanity's technological dark ages long before their war with the Forerunners.
*The ''[[Halo Infinite]]'' multiplayer map [[Forest]] is set on Heian.{{Ref/Reuse|CFShocks}}


==Gallery==
==Gallery==
<gallery>
<gallery>
File:TheBabysitter Forest Concept.png|Concept art of a forest on Heian for ''[[The Babysitter]]''.
File:Planet_full.png|Heian in a UNSC briefing screen.
File:Planet_full.png|Heian in a UNSC briefing screen.
File:Planet_system_2.png|Readout of the planet's system.
File:Planet_system_2.png|Readout of the planet's system.
File:Planet_scenery.png|View of scenery on the planet.
File:Raid on Heian Main.png|ODSTs and Spartan Cal-141 observing the Covenant outpost.
File:Planet_statues.png|Statues in the ruins.
File:Raid on Heian Main.png|ODSTs and a SPARTAN observing the Covenant outpost.
File:Planet_Ruins_1.png|Close up of ruins on Heian.
File:Planet_Ruins_1.png|Close up of ruins on Heian.
File:Planet_Ruins_2.png|Close up of ruins on Heian.
File:Planet_Ruins_2.png|Close up of ruins on Heian.
Line 52: Line 80:
File:Planet_Ruins_4.png|Close up of ruins on Heian.
File:Planet_Ruins_4.png|Close up of ruins on Heian.
File:Planet_Ruins_5.png|Close up of ruins on Heian.
File:Planet_Ruins_5.png|Close up of ruins on Heian.
File:Planet_Ruins_6.png|Machinery on Heian.
File:HINF S4ForestHeader.jpg|A ruins complex within a forest on Heian.
File:Planet_Ruins_7.png|Scenery on Heian.
File:HINF ForestRiver.png|The previous ruins complex along a stream.
File:Planet_statue.png|Statue in the ruins.
File:Planet_Ruins_8.png|ODSTs investigating the ruins.
File:Planet_Ruins_9.png|"Stairs" on Heian.
File:Planet_Ruins_10.png|Wall depictions in ruins.
File:Planet_Ruins_11.png|Main ruins complex on Heian.
File:Planet_Ruins_12.png|Heian ruins complex.
 
</gallery>
</gallery>


Line 66: Line 87:
*''[[Halo Legends]]''
*''[[Halo Legends]]''
**''[[The Babysitter]]'' {{1st}}
**''[[The Babysitter]]'' {{1st}}
*''[[Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe]]''
*''[[Halo: Evolutions]]''
**''[[From the Office of Dr. William Arthur Iqbal]]'' {{Mo}}
**''[[From the Office of Dr. William Arthur Iqbal]]'' {{Mo}}
*''[[Halo Infinite]]''
**''[[Season 04: Infection]]''
*''[[Halo: Outcasts]]'' {{Mo}}


==Sources==
==Sources==
<references/>
{{Ref/Sources}}
 
[[Category:Planets]]
[[Category:Planets]]

Latest revision as of 15:45, September 12, 2023

Heian
TheBabysitter Asteroids Concept.png
Concept art of Heian and the asteroids in its orbit.
Physical

Atmosphere:

Breathable[1]

Societal

Government:

Covenant (formerly)[1][2]

 

Heian is a world located within the Milky Way's Arc star cluster.[3][4] The planet is terrestrial, with a breathable atmosphere and an Earth-like surface. Meteor showers are common on this world, as thousands of asteroids orbit the planet.[1][2]

Overview[edit]

Topography and ecology[edit]

Heian is a terrestrial world, appearing to be Earth-like and containing a breathable atmosphere for most sapient species without the need of external apparatus. The surface is capable of supporting liquid water and dense jungles of native flora similar to that found on Earth,[1] with much of the observed regions of the planet covered in such a manner. Some regions of Heian feature tiered mesas dotted with immense trees.[5] The planet is subject to regular meteor showers with an asteroid belt encircling the planet—the frequency of which allowing a deployment of drop pods onto the planet to go unnoticed during the Human-Covenant War.[1]

  • A jungle valley on Heian.

    A jungle valley on Heian.

  • A waterfall amid some ruins.

    A waterfall amid some ruins.

  • A forest on Heian.

    A forest on Heian.

  • Some ruins among the planet's tiered mesas.

    Some ruins among the planet's tiered mesas.

Ruins[edit]

The most striking topographical feature on the planet is the presence of ancient ruin complexes predating any form of modern human or Covenant civilization on the planet. The ruins themselves bear resemblance to the stone Forerunner ruins found on Arcadia and Installation 05, mixing a variety of older human architectural trends influences analyzed by Doctor William Iqbal to include Greco-Roman, Middle Eastern and East Asian, with subtle Forerunner themes.[3] East Asian themes are among the most prevalent in the structures examined by UNSC forces deployed in Operation: GREY VEIL in 2544, including decorations containing dragon-like creatures and statuaries distinctively similar to statues of Buddha. Most of the buildings at this site have pagoda-like roof structures. Overall, the designs are very ornate and full of carvings. Curiously, the overall scale of most structures is massive; one step in a staircase may be the height of an average human. Some structures seem like a mix of ancient and relatively modern industrial architecture, including a water processing facility with aqueducts and valve systems nigh-identical to those used by humans. However, some other buildings encountered by UNSC forces during Operation: GREY VEIL feature subtle blue accent lights, a characteristic generally associated with Forerunner architecture.[4][1]

Another complex later superficially examined by the Office of Naval Intelligence as part of Project BOOKWORM has showcased ruins with more similarities to Forerunner ruins—showcasing the range of architectural styles on the planet's surface.[2][5] However, ONI teams have only been able to conduct cursory expeditions onto Heian in the post-war environment, with those teams who stayed on-world following the Created uprising uncovering evidence to hint that the ruins may have connections with the human Ancestor civilization that once rivalled the Forerunner Ecumene in the galaxy tens of thousands of years ago.[2] Doctor William Iqbal also considered this idea, noting that the similarities to old-Earth architecture may indicate that the civilization which once occupied Heian almost certainly did not develop those styles independently—and wondering whether they took the architecture from modern humanity, or whether modern humanity took its architecture from the Heian civilization.[3][2]

  • Statues seen within the ruins.

    Statues seen within the ruins.

  • A statue with an apparently human face.

    A statue with an apparently human face.

  • Industrial machinery found within some of the ruins.

    Industrial machinery found within some of the ruins.

  • ODSTs investigating the ruins.

    ODSTs investigating the ruins.

  • Gigantic stairs on Heian.

    Gigantic stairs on Heian.

  • Wall depictions within ruins.

    Wall depictions within ruins.

  • A large ruins complex on Heian.

    A large ruins complex on Heian.

  • Another view of the same ruins complex.

    Another view of the same ruins complex.

  • An example of ruins on Heian featuring blue accent lights, like those common in Forerunner architecture.

    An example of ruins on Heian featuring blue accent lights, like those common in Forerunner architecture.

  • A different ruins site on Heian, bearing more similarity to the Arcadia and Installation 05 Forerunner ruins.

    A different ruins site on Heian, bearing more similarity to the Arcadia and Installation 05 Forerunner ruins.

  • More of these ruins within a forest.

    More of these ruins within a forest.

History[edit]

Ancient residents[edit]

A ruin complex on the planet.

At an unknown period of time several millennia before the advent of human spaceflight in the 20th century, Heian was occupied by an unidentified ancient civilization—resulting in the construction of the aforementioned large temple complexes on the planet's surface. While the identity of this species is unknown, some speculation from modern human researchers has indicated that the planet was inhabited by ancient humanity thousands of years prior to the Forerunner-Flood war.[3][2][6]

Discovery[edit]

Heian was one of many worlds discovered and occupied by the Covenant empire some time during or prior to the Human-Covenant War, becoming the site of a logistics base used in the empire's genocide of humanity from which supplies were delivered to the rest of the planets in the system, as well as the entire sector. In 2544,[2] the world became the site of Operation: GREY VEIL—a mission assigned by the Office of Naval Intelligence to a small team of Orbital Drop Shock Troopers and a SPARTAN-II supersoldier to investigate the ruins on the planet and assassinate a San'Shyuum prophet.[2] During the mission, the team were also tasked with gathering intelligence on the unknown ruins. The team succeeded in their mission, at the cost of Spartan Cal-141 and ODST Checkman's lives.[4][7]

Further research[edit]

The photographs taken by the team were later studied by the Department of Xenoarchaeological Studies at the University of Edinburgh along with the University of Calcutta as a part of an extensive investigation of Forerunner relics.[3] Following the war's end, further research on Heian was conducted under Project BOOKWORM,[2] with xenoarchaeologist Keely Iyuska leading one of the largest excavations on the planet during or after 2555. The excavation led Iyuska to the believe that many of the structures on Heian may have been constructed by humans in a time period contemporary to the Forerunners.[6] Aside from these excavations, little detailed study of the ruins on the planet was conducted before the Created uprising in late 2558. Despite the crisis, a number of researchers continued to stay on Heian and feed their findings to the Office of Naval Intelligence—presenting the organization with a number of questions about the relationship between modern humans and the ancient human civilization.[2]

Trivia[edit]

Main-Superintendent.png Browse more images in this article's gallery page.
  • The planet is likely named after either the Heian period of Japanese history, or the city from which the period takes its name.
  • The fact that the ruins on the planet were relatively intact suggested that either the planet was missed when the Forerunners purged the galaxy of any trace of the prehistoric human civilization or that the planet was abandoned during one of humanity's technological dark ages long before their war with the Forerunners.
  • The Halo Infinite multiplayer map Forest is set on Heian.[2]

Gallery[edit]

  • Concept art of a forest on Heian for The Babysitter.

    Concept art of a forest on Heian for The Babysitter.

  • Heian in a UNSC briefing screen.

    Heian in a UNSC briefing screen.

  • Readout of the planet's system.

    Readout of the planet's system.

  • ODSTs and Spartan Cal-141 observing the Covenant outpost.

    ODSTs and Spartan Cal-141 observing the Covenant outpost.

  • Close up of ruins on Heian.

    Close up of ruins on Heian.

  • Close up of ruins on Heian.

    Close up of ruins on Heian.

  • Close up of ruins on Heian.

    Close up of ruins on Heian.

  • Close up of ruins on Heian.

    Close up of ruins on Heian.

  • Close up of ruins on Heian.

    Close up of ruins on Heian.

  • A ruins complex within a forest on Heian.

    A ruins complex within a forest on Heian.

  • The previous ruins complex along a stream.

    The previous ruins complex along a stream.

List of appearances[edit]

Sources[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e f Halo Legends, episode The Babysitter
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Halo Waypoint, Canon Fodder - System Shocks (Retrieved on Jun 30, 2023) [archive]
  3. ^ a b c d e Halo: Evolutions - From the Office of Dr. William Arthur Iqbal
  4. ^ a b c Halo Legends, episode The Babysitter: "Satellite recon shows radar and magnetic signatures on Heian..."
  5. ^ a b Halo Infinite, multiplayer map Forest
  6. ^ a b Halo: Outcasts, chapter 3
  7. ^ Halo Waypoint, Halo Infinite - Infection Intel (Retrieved on Sep 12, 2023) [local archive] [external archive]
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