The Codex: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 10:01, April 10, 2007

The Codex is a 20-episode online machinima series made by Edgeworks Entertainment and set in the Halo video game universe. Along with its prequel, The Heretic, The Codex is part of the greater Codex Series. Written and directed by Alexander Winn and produced by Alexander Winn and Ryan Luther, the series relates the story of a Covenant invasion of a Human world in order to recover a Forerunner artifact, and the ensuing Human resistance of that invasion.

Since its initial release on February 9 2005, The Codex has earned a large international fan base. In his September 29 2005 Long Tail blog entry, Chris Anderson, Editor-in-Chief of Wired magazine, described The Codex as the best machinima production that he had ever seen and an excellent example of his Long Tail theory.^[1] The series won in six categories in the 2005 Rockets on Prisoner Awards,^[2] which are intended to recognize exemplary Halo machinima productions.

On August 13 2005, the 20th episode of The Codex was released, bringing the series to a conclusion. The production team set the episode limit at 20 because they wanted to end the series before leaving for college. However, the team was also careful to leave a cliffhanger ending, so if they wanted to continue the series, they *[would have that option. On February 9 2006, it was announced that a prequel to The Codex, entitled The Heretic, was in the planning stages and was to debut in the upcoming summer. Just lately they released "The Heretic Trailer" "The Drama Trailer" and "The Action Trailer". The Action Trailer also set the date for the first episode of The Heretic which will be on Febuary,9 2007.

Characters

Covenant

The Praetor

Voice Actor: Patrick Malone

One of the highest ranking generals in the Covenant Army, the Praetor was in charge of the group that first detected the Codex's signal. However, his main mistake came when he rushed in to investigate, rather than alerting the proper religious authorities, a fact which has made him suspect in the eyes of the Prophets. Although he recieved a reprimand, his skill as a commander made him the most obvious choice to lead the invasion and occupation, and it seemed that his simple transgression would soon be forgotten. However, though the Prophets may forgive, they never forget ...

The Cleric

Voice Actor: Alexander Winn

An ambitious and ruthless Covenant religious leader, the Cleric is the Prophets' spy among the invasion force. He is very dubious of the Praetor's true aims, and is constantly working to undermine the Praetor's authority and seize control for himself. The Cleric commands the Seraphim, the most hardened warriors in the Covenant military. The Cleric also despises the SpecOps Commander, both because she is a female and because her SpecOps Elites constitute the greatest counter-balance to the Cleric’s Seraphim.

Commander Anda Sofadee

Voice Actor: Meghan Foster

A tough-as-nails commander and incredible soldier, the SpecOps Commander's only crime was being born female. Although this would have been enough to keep most Elites out of a command position, or even out of the armed forces at all, the SpecOps Commander's skill is such that she had to be given some command, lest she cause unrest within the ranks of the Elites. However, she has been put in command of what is essentially a suicide squad, and each time she completes a mission successfully is one more bafflement for those who believe her to be inherently incompetent. Her only true ally, aside from her fanatically loyal subordinates, is the Praetor, who sees no difference between great warriors based on anything but merit, and certainly not on gender.

Erda Renadee

Voice Actor: Ryan Luther

While the SpecOps Commander is usually only sent on high profile missions, the Battlefield Commander is dispatched on the more standard military expeditions. His skill at commanding troops in the field makes him an invaluable resource to the Praetor, but his uncompromising and often headstrong manner makes him unsuited to the political maneuvers that the higher-echelon Elites have come to take for granted. But on the battlefield politics does not matter, only victory does. Victory is the Battlefield Commander's specialty.

Project Foreman Orma Zemalee

Voice Actor: Ryan Luther

The leader of the civilian population and the engineering crew, the Foreman is in charge of the actual excavation and handling of the Codex itself. Although he is by his nature a-political, he is often drawn into the middle of the Praetor and Cleric's power plays. However, at his core he is a simple scientist who values little more than peace and discovery.

The Captain of the Seraphim

Voice Actor: Alexander Winn

The Captain of the Seraphim is considered by many to be the greatest warrior in the Covenant. He leads the Seraphim, the most feared order of religious warriors the Covenant has ever known. They are the ones who lead the crusade to recover the Forerunner ruins and their sole reason for existing is to wage the Great Crusade.

The Seraphim

Voice Actors: Patrick Malone, Alexander Winn

The Seraphim are the toughest and most brutal soldiers in the Covenant arsenal, and their Captain is an unmistakable presence in any situation. The runes on their armor denote the Seraphim as a religious order of warriors, and they answer only to the Prophets and their religious aids. Unceasingly loyal and relentlessly persistant, the Seraphim are the most powerful military force on the planet, one which the Praetor must find a way to counter-balance if he is to keep his position.

The Elite Ambassador

Voice Actor: Alexander Winn

The Elite Ambassador is a largely vestigial post from the days before the Covenant was united. In the Old Times his job was not too dissimilar from Ambassadors on our own planet. However, when the Covenant was formed the position became more of a proselytizer, negotiating the entry of new races into the Covenant. It should be noted, however, that the Ambassadors are often used to negotiate false surrenders, after which the now-unarmed enemies are slaughtered.

The Prophet of Truth

Voice Actor: Alexander Winn

The Prophet of Truth is the head of the Triumvirate, and therefore of the Council and the Covenant at large. He is a subtle, amoral Prophet whose belief in the Great Journey is completely unshakable. He views his job as being to insure the Great Journey, and any method that can aid that objective should be used without hesitation, not matter the cost. Although he allowed the Praetor to command the Expeditionary Force dispatched to activate the Codex, he does not trust the Praetor for a moment. Therefore, he sent his personal aid, the Cleric, to keep an eye on the Praetor during this critical time.

The Prophet of Mercy

Voice Actor: Ryan Luther

The Prophet of Mercy is the oldest member of the Triumvirate, and one of the senior Prophets on the Council. His name has come to be a dark joke among many on the Council: he is often the most vengeful and damning of the Prophets in the Triumvirate, a voice from the harsh past come to haunt the present. Luckily, however, he has been something of a mentor to the Praetor, and pushes for the Praetor to be placed in command of the Expeditionary Force sent to activate the Codex.

The Prophet of Regret

Voice Actors: Ryan Luther

The Prophet of Regret is the newest member of the Triumvirate, appointed after his predecessor died from extreme old-age. As such, he is often the most zealous and brash of the three Prophets that make up the Triumvirate, lacking Mercy's age and Truth's subtlety. Unlike Mercy, Regret is has no predisposition to like the Praetor, and he takes the Praetor's failure to alert the Council of the Codex's existence promptly as a personal affront. It will be up to Truth to decide whether to punish the Praetor or place him in charge of the Expeditionary Force...

Covenant Aides

Ryan Luther, Alexander Winn, Ryan Terry

These Elites work as the right-hands of the various commanders in the Covenant military. Skilled in organization and command, they are the ones who make sure the orders get done. As such, they are a vital part of the Covenant military machine.

The Guardian

Not much is known about this enigmatic and powerful being, other than it was left behind to run the Codex in the absence of its masters, the Forerunners. The full extent of its powers are not yet known, nor are its true objectives and purpose...

The Guardian Whispers

These strange voices seem to be connected with the Guardian in some way, but their true nature is unknown...

Human

The Chief

Voice Actor: Patrick Malone

The leader of the Spartans, the Chief is a tough and capable commander. Balancing well the differing strengths of the teams under his command, the Chief is also a force to be reckoned with when the situation calls for him to personally fight on the battlefield. And though his Spartans are usually in high morale under even the worst of circumstances, the Chief is not lacking in the ability to motive his troops in their darkest hours...

Lykurgus

Voice Actor: Alexander Winn

An eccentric little piece of code, Lykurgus is the digital brain of the Spartan force. He provides them with detailed intel on all of their operations, along with spearheading the counter-intelligence effort against the Covenant. His ever-calm and conversational nature can sometimes seem somewhat out of place, especially when his human companions are fighting for their lives.

RED 1 - Jack Foster

Voice Actor: John Gilchrist

Though cocky, Jack knows exactly what his limitations are, and how far he can push himself. A man whose tongue is as quick as his trigger finger, Jack is never one to be last in line. His constant advances toward Candice McKenzie, whom he lovingly refers to as "Candy", are never reciprocated, but he never seems to be discouraged. Underneath his comical, man's-man exterior, though, lies a capable commander and a formidable fighter.

RED 2 - Ben Jefferson

Voice Actor: Not Cast

Ben loves anything that goes boom. A god with grenades and a rocket launcher, Ben is always excited about the possibility of destroying the entire enemy army in a single strike. He dreams one day of single-handedly destroying a Covenant Battle Carrier in orbit. It would be his biggest work to date.

RED 3 - Chris Hobart

Voice Actor: Ross Vick

As Red Team's sniper, Chris is used to being alone for long periods of time. This has led him to be somewhat of a quiet person, but his quiet nature belies his true ferocity. Though a man of few words, Chris can always be called upon to get the job done when a single shot can make more difference than an army in battle.

RED 4 - Rick Daniels

Voice Actor: Not Cast

A true berserker at heart, Rick has been known to fling himself into battle with nothing more than his trusty shotgun with little or no regard for his own life. Indeed, Rick's lack of respect for his own life seems to be matched only by his own ability to save it...

RED 5 - Ashley Jenkins

Voice Actor: Art Levy

Ashley is the runt of Red Team. He is a nit-picky little nerd who is often more interested in taking accurate measurements than fighting wars. Although the rest of Red Team gives him a hard time, they actually view him as a little brother and will fight fiercely to defend him in a bind.

BLUE 1 - Candice McKenzie

Voice Actor: Lauren Davis

McKenzie is one of the most brilliant tactical commanders in the UNSC. Because of this, she has been placed in charge of Blue Team, which is often used in special operations and stealth missions, and has turned it into a very formidable fighting force. Her professionalism and no-nonsense attitude, however, is often not enough to ward off the mock-advances of the men around her.

BLUE 2 - Will Garretson

Voice Actor: Ryan Luther

Will can handle any vehicle with ease, and this makes him perfect for recon work and fast, in-and-out jobs. He gets a real thrill out of speed, and loves tinkering with Covenant vehicles, just to see what makes them tick. Although he is a vital part of the team, his terrible sense of humor and badly-timed jokes often bring about awkward moments.

BLUE 3 - Matt Caine

Voice Actor: Not Cast

Matt is the best sniper in the UNSC. His ability to find and hit moving targets at great distances have become legend, a legend which is only fueled by his impersonal, quiet nature.

BLUE 4 - Frank Davis

Voice Actor:Alexander Winn

Frank is Blue Team's own personal Red Team. Never one to retreat from combat, Frank is often at the vanguard of the assault, and while he appreciates thinking things out, Frank has fully embraced the life-lesson, "Shit happens." His penchant for destruction makes him a perfect addition to the otherwise more intellectual Blue Team.

BLUE 5 - Daniel Davidson

Voice Actor: Cal Smellage

A person whose modesty has run amuck, Daniel is never sure enough with his own opinions and intelligence. His opinions of himself, however, are not at all justified, as he is one of the best communications and intelligence officers in the UNSC.

GREEN 1 - Harvey Guttman

Voice Actor: Alexander Winn

A grizzled old leatherneck, Harvey was next in line to be put in command of the Spartans on Arioas II when the planet was attacked. He is the oldest person to survive the SPARTAN program since its beginnings, and is lovingly known among Green Team as "the old man."

GREEN 2 - James Thomas

Voice Actor: Will Robinson

James is incredibly loyal to his teammates and to Green Team itself. He has had occasional doubts about his bravery, which are brought back into sharp focus after he survives the massacre of Green Team.

GREEN 3 - Jeff Hunt

Voice Actor: Not Cast

Jeff doesn't like it when people talk about him.

GREEN 4 - Sam Malone

Voice Actor: Patrick Malone

Sam is a demolitions expert, and a good one. However, he has gained a reputation for being bad luck, and everything that he gets involved in seems to go bad...

GREEN 5 - Eric Dedman

Voice Actor: Ryan Luther

Though a pessimistic complainer, Jake has always been known to get the job done when the situation calls for action. However, when the going gets tough, Jake gets loud. Members of the other teams often say that Green Team is so-named because of the color you turn when you listen to Eric's bellyaching.

Admiral Jerry B. Jacobs

Admiral Jerry B. Jacobs is one of the finer admirals in the UNSC. He majored in Latin in college, but joined the navy when the Covenant attacked. He rose quickly through the ranks, and is a master at adapting famous strategies from the ancient world into 26th century equivalents. When he was placed in command of the UNSC Battlecruiser Aeneas it made headlines in almost every UNSC military magazine.

The crew of the UNSC Aeneas

The crew of the UNSC Battlecruiser Aeneas is a skillful and capable crew. They are quite loyal to their commander, Admiral Jacobs, except perhaps when he quotes ancient Greek and Roman texts before battles.

ODST Sergeant Henderson

The leader of the ODSTs is as hard a man as you will ever meet. Toughened up by countless orbital insertions and Cuban cigars, this man is a force to be reckoned with.

The ODSTs

The Orbital Drop Shock Troopers were the toughest the UNSC had to offer before the SPARTAN II project. Because of their unique method of deployment, a one-man drop pod designed to make tactical drops from space onto any point on a planet's surface, they are more commonly known as the Helljumpers. After crashing to a planet's surface in a disposable vehicle barely able to endure the extreme conditions of uncontrolled spaceflight and atmospheric reentry, facing an army of hundreds of thousands of alien zealots bent on destroying mankind is a vacation. Although they lack the genetic and cybernetic augmentation of the Spartans, the ODSTs can hold their own — and hold their ground — in just about any situation.

Internal Links

The Heretic

Sources

^ Chris Anderson (The Long Tail) - 29 September 2005 The Codex Series -- accessed on 2006-04-01
^ "3rd Annual "Rockets on Prisoner" -- accessed on 2006-04-01

Episodes

[Anderson-1] Chris Anderson (The Long Tail) - 29 September 2005 The Codex Series -- accessed on 2006-04-01

[Rockets2005-2] "3rd Annual "Rockets on Prisoner" -- accessed on 2006-04-01

[1]

[2]

@@ Line 76: / Line 76: @@
 ====Covenant Aides====
+Ryan Luther, Alexander Winn, Ryan Terry
 These Elites work as the right-hands of the various commanders in the Covenant military. Skilled in organization and command, they are the ones who make sure the orders get done. As such, they are a vital part of the Covenant military machine.