Gravemind (Form)

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A Gravemind (Inferi sententia, meaning "Sentient Dead") (voiced by Dee Bradley Baker) is a major stage in the life cycle of The Flood. A Gravemind is born when a Proto-Gravemind reaches a certain critical mass. It is the Flood personality, and carries with it the genetic memory garnered from millennia of feasting and slumber, making it virtually omniscient, all-knowing. Since the intent of a Gravemind is to consume and absorb every sentient creature in the Galaxy, it is a collection of fallen Flood and other lifeforms. The Gravemind has complete control over other forms of Flood and can even speak through some and sometimes Combat Forms, using this ability to taunt his enemies.

Only one Gravemind has infested (in our galaxy) before the Gravemind that appeared in Halo 2. The first was stopped by the first activation of the Halo rings, by the Forerunners. There are possibly more Gravemind's on the other Intallation's, though this has still to be confirmed.

Appearances

Halo: Combat Evolved

In 'Halo: Combat Evolved' a Proto-Gravemind was shown on the level Keyes and could have very well become a Gravemind had it not been injured by the Master Chief and then later destroyed by the ODSTs garrisoned on the ring.

Halo 2

Due to the brevity of its appearances in Halo 2, only a small amount of data about it and the nature of the Flood parasite can be inferred, in short he appears something like an oversized venus flytrap, as his 'mouth' looks like the head of the plant while its tentacules look like the roots. The Gravemind is made of countless bodies that were unsuitable for the work of Combat forms or Carrier forms. The Art of Halo states that Gravemind is “literally built from the bodies of its enemies and its own fallen warriors reassembled into a massive, tentacled, and intelligent entity." This can also be assumed, because when he speaks he refers to the place he inhabits as an empty grave. A grave being a burial ground, where the dead are "stored", but since he is 'alive' he simply implies that where there should be many graves; there is just the Gravemind. Even his name, "Gravemind" suggests this, as he is the "mind" of the "grave".

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Beneath the Library, Gravemind pulls the Arbiter and the Master Chief together.

Gravemind is the controlling intelligence behind the parasitic Flood hive. In this way, he appears similar to a puppet master. Gravemind is located far beneath the Library of Installation 05 and has tentacles that reach for miles. Gravemind also seems to harbor an intelligence approaching omniscience, since he appears to be capable of absorbing the knowledge of all Flood hosts.

The Gravemind we see in the game appears to be capable of utilizing Halo's teleportation grid to transport anything, and indeed himself (or at least a part of himself), anywhere on the ring and beyond to a limited distance. Being a Flood organism, how he uses the grid has been speculated on. The most common theory is that since he holds 2401 Penitent Tangent, Monitor of Delta Halo captive, that he can use it to access the teleportation field on Delta Halo. But, 2401 Penitient Tangent is not a organic lifeform and so Gravemind must have assimilated someone who had a knowledge of the grid and used it to manipulate the grid. Gravemind boards High Charity, the Covenant Holy City, by means of boarding In Amber Clad. Once Gravemind crashes In Amber Clad into a wall of High Charity he uses UNSC Pelicans that were aboard the Ship to spread the Infection throught the city, as seen on the level "High Charity" during the opening cut scene. Still, there is much more about this enigmatic character that we do not know. It can be seen that he somewhat has two mouths. An outer mouth like an elite and an inner mouth like a human.

The Arbiter struggles in his grip.

Gravemind more than once speaks in rhyme, specifically in Iambic Pentameter. In the post-credits end cinematic of Halo 2, Gravemind recites this verse to Cortana:

Silence fills the empty grave now that I have gone,

But my mind is not at rest, for questions linger on.

I will ask and you will answer.

Strangely enough, in Gravemind, the level named after him, there is no contact at all with him, apart from the cutscene he is introduced in, or his Flood minions.

Halo 3

The Gravemind is one of the two primary antagonists in Halo 3, the other deferentially being the Prophet of Truth. His presence can be felt earlier in the game, as he speaks through Cortana in periodic visions to John-117 (damaged visions of Cortana). The Gravemind himself turns up later on in the game when first, a Covenant battle cruiser taken over by the Flood crash-lands on earth and promptly begins to infect the city of Voi. After the Master Chief and the Arbiter clean up the mess, High Charity (along with the Gravemind) arrives at the Ark via Slipspace jump. Master Chief and Arbiter take a detour through High Charity to retrieve Cortana, destroying the city in the process, and the Gravemind is seemingly killed. However, it is discovered that he is attempting to rebuild himself on the replacement Halo built by the Ark. He is presumably destroyed once and for all when the Chief activates the replacement Halo, destroying the Halo, the Gravemind and the Flood.

It should be noted that the Gravemind never appears in-game in his physical form, as he did in Halo 2. The most that is ever seen of Gravemind are a number of tentacles in the control room of the Ark. Despite it having a good amount of dialogue spoken directly to the Master Chief (and by extension, the gamer (through moments)), Gravemind's head is never seen. It is possible that Gravemind had changed a great deal since the first time he met the Arbiter and the Chief, since the tentacles seen are different from those he used in Halo 2, being a lot more thick in appearence. In the level Cortana, it was shown that he tried to stop the Arbiter and the Chief from escaping with Cortana in their possession, but failed when one of his tentacles were scorched by the escaping Pelican's engines.

Personality

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Gravemind

The Gravemind has an obscure and complex personality, at first when it is seen by the Master Chief and the Arbiter, it is calm and collected, if not seemingly sad or mournful, and speaks with a sullen tone in his voice. He is also seen to be logical here, as he analyzes the Chief and the Arbiter, and tries to convince the Arbiter of what the Halo Ring worlds actually are, to which the Arbiter retorts with stubborn pride. The Gravemind shows no irritation to this, or to the bickering of 2401 Penitent Tangent and the former Prophet of Regret. Later in Halo 2, however, the Gravemind shows a more emotional side as he basks in his victory in High Charity, and displays a sinister air of anger when surrounding Cortana with his tentacles, demanding answers from her.

In Halo 3 his personality is expressed greatly, although ironically he is never seen, only a number of his tentacles, which gives him a sinister edge. He is shown to have a calm and collected personality, especially towards the beginning, however, as soon as the Prophet of Truth and his forces are destroyed, the Gravemind immediately bursts into a victorious, maniacal laugh, giving a short monologue in iambic heptamater, an analogy of his coming.

In the level "Cortana", a broader spectrum of his personality is asserted. He begins with his calm and collected voice, as well as a slightly confident tone. As the Chief finds his way deeper into High Charity, however, the Gravemind becomes more irritated by his progress, and begins to shout at him. Once Cortana is rescued, the Gravemind begins to emit a series of mangled, animal-like roars and speaks in an infuriated tone.

In the final level of Halo 3, Flood dispersal pods crash onto the newly built second Installation 04, and the Gravemind begins to speak again, this time in an angry, yet confident tone. By the end of the game, the Gravemind gives a short monologue in a disheartened tone, cryptically admitting that he knows he can do nothing to stop the fate he believes was unjustly forced upon him.

His mostly collected and impassive tone that is frequently heard from him can be justified by his implied near omniscience, knowing frequently what is happening and has a clear picture of what will occur later gives him little reason to worry about matters, and he only becomes truly irritated or angry when something occurs that he has not foreseen or is close to defeating him. Such examples are what Cortana keeps hidden from him, the knowledge of the Ark and of the Activation Index, and the Chief and Arbiter's mission to activate the Halo array.

Trivia

• It is said that the Proto-Gravemind on the Truth and Reconciliation could have possibly ended up becoming a Gravemind if it weren't for Installation 04's destruction.
• In the Halo 3 booklet on the character page there is a picture of a Flood form that partly resembles the Gravemind, so could this picture really be the Gravemind? Although it could just be his tentacles.
• It is speculated that the voice in the Reversed Message is Gravemind's. This is likely, as the voices are very similar, and that it plays during the level Gravemind.
• In several Forerunner data logs, the controlling intelligence of the Flood is referred to as a Compound mind.
• In both Halo 2 and Halo 3, he says "We exist together now. Two corpses in one grave." Both sentences are said in Flood-infested High Charity.
• The Gravemind resembles Audrey 2 from Little Shop of Horrors. He is a plant-like alien with tentacles who is fed (or in Gravemind's case absorbs) humans to grow and is bent on world (galactic with Gravemind) domination. This also draws parallel to Audrey 2 and his buds which are similar to Infection Forms. Also Audrey 2 uses his carer to get him 'food' so he can grow, Gravemind uses Master Chief and the Arbiter on High Charity to distract the Covenant while he spreads his minions essentially getting more 'food' to eat/absorb.
• When you look closely at Gravemind in Halo 2, his "Teeth"(Orange-red spikes in mouth) will look like Master Chief's Visor and "Forehead" is the Chiefs Top part of the Helmet.
• Originally, the Gravemind was meant to have skulls of various races as teeth, this was cut from Halo 2 and Halo 3 for unknown reasons.
• Bungie staff and fans jokingly call it "the plant thing".
• Occasionally in Halo 2 it's mouthpieces will go through each other.
• Whenever the Gravemind starts to speak during gameplay the view will turn greenish brown and zoom in.
• The Gravemind that Master Chief meets in High Charity/The Ark, is actually the second one he meets. The one on Installation 04 was destroyed with the ring; when the Flood reached High Charity, it infected all in sight and formed a new Gravemind which accounts for the newer personality.

Quotes

Halo 2

• "This is not your grave, but you are welcome.. in it" - Closing sentence, said on Regret
• "I? I am a monument to all your sins.." -Introducing itself, said on Gravemind
• "This one is machine and nerve, and has its mind concluded. This one is but flesh and faith, and is the more deluded." -Said about the Master Chief and the Arbiter, respectively, on Gravemind
• "There is much talk, and I have listened, through rock and metal and time. Now I shall talk, and you shall listen.." Gravemind
• "This one's containment... (gestures to 2401 Penitent Tangent and growls)...and this one's Great Journey...(gestures to Regret)...are the same. Your Prophets have promised you freedom from a doomed existence, but you will find no salvation on this ring. Those who built this place knew what they wrought. Do not mistake their intent, or all will perish as they did before..." -said on Gravemind
• "If you will not hear the truth, then I will show it to you. There is still time to stop the key from turning, but first it must be found.(gestures to the Arbiter) You will search one likely spot...(gestures to the Master Chief.) ...and you will search another. Fate had us meet as foes, but this ring will make us brothers." -said on Gravemind
• "Arrogant creature! Your deaths will be instantaneous while we shall suffer the progress of infinitude!" -said on High Charity
• "We exist together now... two corpses, in one grave..." -said on High Charity (possibly referring to him having Prophet of Regret in his possession)
• "Silence fills the empty grave, now that I have gone. But my mind is not at rest, for questions linger on. I will ask, and you will answer." -To Cortana, after Halo 2's credits roll.

Halo 3

• "Do not be afraid. I am peace; I am salvation." -said on Floodgate
• "I am a timeless chorus. Join your voice with mine, and sing victory everlasting." -said on Floodgate
• "Lies for the weak! Beacons for the deluded!" - Said through the infected Prophet of Truth The Covenant
• "You will be food, nothing more..." - said on The Covenant through The Prophet of Truth
• "Now the gate has been unlatched, headstones pushed aside, corpses shift and offer room; a fate you must abide!" -said on The Covenant
• "Child of my enemy, why have you come? I offer no forgiveness; for father's sins pass to his son." -said on Cortana
• "Of course, you came for Her. We exist together now, two corpses in one grave... "-said on Cortana
• "And yet perhaps a part of her, remains." -said on Cortana
• "Time has taught me patience! But basking in new freedom, I will know all that I possess!!!" -said on Cortana
• "Submit! End her torment and my own!!!" -said on Cortana
• "You will show me what she hides! Or I shall feast upon your bones!" -said on Cortana
• "(Flood Roar) Now, At last I see, her secret is revealed!!" -said on Cortana (referring to the Index that Cortana possesses)
• "Did you think me defeated!?" -said on Halo
• "I have beaten fleets of Thousands! Consumed a galaxy of flesh, and mind, and bone!" -said on Halo
• "Do I take life or give it? Who is victim, and who is foe?" -said on Halo
• "Resignation is my virtue, like water I ebb and flow. Defeat is merely the addition of time to a sentence I never deserved...but you imposed." -said on Halo
• "From end to end of this galaxy, most are blinded!" -speaking through a Combat Form on Halo.

Related Links

• The Flood
• Proto-Gravemind

Images

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  A Gravemind Moment