Mausoleum of the Arbiter: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 21:42, June 24, 2015

This article is about the room in High Charity. For other articles including "Arbiter", see Arbiter (disambiguation).

The interior of the Mausoleum of the Arbiter.

"Here rests the vanguard of the Great Journey. Every Arbiter, from first to last. Each one created and consumed in times of extraordinary crisis."

— Prophet of Truth^[1]

The Mausoleum of the Arbiter was a massive chamber within the Covenant holy city of High Charity which housed the remains of the previous Arbiters.

Description

The Mausoleum of the Arbiter contained the recoverable remains of every Sangheili that has ever been designated as the Arbiter. A total of one hundred eighty-two caskets are present, spreading far up into the ceiling. In the center of the chamber is a large suspended sarcophagus that held the armor of the Arbiter.^[1]

History

Human-Covenant War

After Thel 'Vadam was branded with the Mark of Shame, he was taken to the mausoleum by Tartarus and his two Brute ushers. The Prophet of Truth and the Prophet of Mercy ordered Tartarus to release 'Vadamee and leave. After this, they started to converse with him about a heretic leader and the past Arbiters, ultimately appointing him the new Arbiter and giving him the ornate armor of the Arbiter there.^[1]

With the outbreak of the Great Schism, and open conflict within High Charity, the mausoleum was used as a final defensive position by the Sangheili, who were under attack by the Jiralhanae-led Covenant. Bolstering their forces with several Hunters, the Sangheili furiously fought against their attackers. Ultimately all Covenant forces were wiped out when SPARTAN John-117 attacked during his rampage through the city with the goal of retrieving Installation 05's activation index from the Prophet of Truth.^[2] Too late to stop Truth, Tartarus and their prisoners Miranda Keyes and Sergeant Johnson from leaving the city, the Chief was forced to once again pass through the Mausoleum tower ahead of the newly-arrived Flood to reach a conduit leading to the city's Forerunner Dreadnought.^[3]

After High Charity was infested by the Flood and crashed into Installation 00 during the Battle of Installation 00, the mausoleum was severely damaged. By the time of John-117's raid on High Charity, the tower was in a tilted angle, with energy cascades across the surface leaning dangerously over to the side and cables hanging from the shattered bridges around the tower. It can be assumed that the Mausoleum and the Vanguards of the Great Journey entombed within were destroyed when High Charity's reactor went critical, as spurred by Spartan-117 in the previous raid, and destroyed the Flood-infected city.^[4]

Trivia

In an early version of the level Cortana, John-117 would have passed through the Mausoleum, encountering a large number of Flood-infected Arbiters.^[5]

Gallery

Early Halo 3 concept art of the Mausoleum and John-117.
H2A Concept - Mausoleum.jpg

Concept art of the Mausoleum for Halo 2 Anniversary.
Exterior view of the Mausoleum.
An interior shot as seen in Halo 2.
An exterior view of the Mausoleum as it is seen in Halo 2 Anniversary.
1211654306 Picture2.jpg

The Mausoleum of the Arbiter in ruins as seen in Halo 3.
Sangheili adding a dead Arbiter to the crypt.

List of appearances

Halo 2 (First appearance)
Halo 3
Halo 2 Anniversary
- Terminals

Sources

^ ^a ^b ^c Halo 2, campaign level, The Arbiter
^ Halo 2, campaign level, Gravemind
^ Halo 2, campaign level, High Charity
^ Halo 3, campaign level, Cortana
^ Bungie.net: Looking at the Creation of Flood Environments

[h2arbiter-1] Halo 2, campaign level, The Arbiter

[2] Halo 2, campaign level, Gravemind

[3] Halo 2, campaign level, High Charity

[4] Halo 3, campaign level, Cortana

[5] Bungie.net: Looking at the Creation of Flood Environments

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

@@ Line 11: / Line 11: @@
 ==History==
 ===Human-Covenant War===
-After Thel 'Vadam was branded with the [[Mark of Shame]], he was taken to the mausoleum by Tartarus and his two [[Jiralhanae]] ushers. The [[Prophet of Truth]] and the [[Prophet of Mercy]] ordered Tartarus to release 'Vadamee and leave. After this, they started to converse with him about [[Sesa 'Refumee|a heretic leader]] and the past Arbiters, ultimately appointing him the new Arbiter and giving him the ornate armor of the Arbiter there.<ref name="h2arbiter"/>
+After Thel 'Vadam was branded with the [[Mark of Shame]], he was taken to the mausoleum by Tartarus and his two [[Jiralhanae|Brute]] ushers. The [[Prophet of Truth]] and the [[Prophet of Mercy]] ordered Tartarus to release 'Vadamee and leave. After this, they started to converse with him about [[Sesa 'Refumee|a heretic leader]] and the past Arbiters, ultimately appointing him the new Arbiter and giving him the ornate armor of the Arbiter there.<ref name="h2arbiter"/>
-With the outbreak of the [[Great Schism]], and open conflict within ''High Charity'', the mausoleum was used as a final defensive position by the Sangheili, who were under attack by the Jiralhanae-led Covenant. Bolstering their forces with several [[Mgalekgolo]], the Sangheili furiously fought against their attackers. Ultimately all Covenant forces were wiped out when [[SPARTAN-II program|SPARTAN]] [[John-117]] attacked during his rampage through the city with the goal of retrieving [[Installation 05|Installation 05's]] [[activation index]] from the Prophet of Truth.<ref>'''Halo 2''', campaign level, ''[[Gravemind (level)|Gravemind]]''</ref> Too late to stop Truth, [[Tartarus]] and their prisoners [[Miranda Keyes]] and [[Avery Junior Johnson|Sergeant Johnson]] from leaving the city, the Chief was forced to once again pass through the Mausoleum tower ahead of the newly-arrived [[Flood]] to reach a [[High Charity conduit|conduit]] leading to the city's [[Forerunner Dreadnought]].<ref>'''Halo 2''', campaign level, ''[[High Charity(level)|High Charity]]''</ref>
+With the outbreak of the [[Great Schism]], and open conflict within ''High Charity'', the mausoleum was used as a final defensive position by the Sangheili, who were under attack by the Jiralhanae-led Covenant. Bolstering their forces with several [[Mgalekgolo|Hunters]], the Sangheili furiously fought against their attackers. Ultimately all Covenant forces were wiped out when [[SPARTAN-II program|SPARTAN]] [[John-117]] attacked during his rampage through the city with the goal of retrieving [[Installation 05|Installation 05's]] [[activation index]] from the Prophet of Truth.<ref>'''Halo 2''', campaign level, ''[[Gravemind (level)|Gravemind]]''</ref> Too late to stop Truth, [[Tartarus]] and their prisoners [[Miranda Keyes]] and [[Avery Junior Johnson|Sergeant Johnson]] from leaving the city, the Chief was forced to once again pass through the Mausoleum tower ahead of the newly-arrived [[Flood]] to reach a [[High Charity conduit|conduit]] leading to the city's [[Forerunner Dreadnought]].<ref>'''Halo 2''', campaign level, ''[[High Charity(level)|High Charity]]''</ref>
 After ''High Charity'' was infested by the Flood and crashed into [[Installation 00]] during the [[Battle of Installation 00]], the mausoleum was severely damaged. By the time of John-117's [[Raid on High Charity|raid on ''High Charity'']], the tower was in a tilted angle, with energy cascades across the surface leaning dangerously over to the side and cables hanging from the shattered [[bridge (structure)|bridges]] around the tower. It can be assumed that the Mausoleum and the Vanguards of the Great Journey entombed within were destroyed when ''High Charity's'' reactor went critical, as spurred by Spartan-117 in the previous raid, and destroyed the Flood-infected city.<ref>'''[[Halo 3]]''', campaign level, ''[[Cortana (level)|Cortana]]''</ref>