Archive:Halo Waypoint/2014 to 2020/Universe/Locations

The following is a verbatim transcription of an official document for archival reasons. As the original content is transcribed word-for-word, any possible discrepancies and/or errors are included.

Sites

Alpha Shard

Fragment of Installation 04

Navigation Code: Location-6201

Anomaly Classification: Type-R3

Orbital Period: [REDACTED]

Day/Night Cycle: ACCELERATED

Maximum Surface Temperature: 900 degrees F

Overview

In 2552, the SPARTAN-II super soldier known as Master Chief John-117 successfully detonated the fusion reactors of the Halcyon-class cruiser UNSC Pillar of Autumn, destroying the alien artifact known as Installation 04 (Alpha Halo). Nearly all of the resulting debris was confirmed to have either fallen into the gravitational fields of the gas-giant Threshold or its moon, Basis. The remaining shards and pieces formed a debris field that remained in orbit. While various UNSC craft have surveyed and studied pieces of the broken ring - including the UNSC Red Horse in late 2552 – at least 30% of its mass and curvature remain unaccounted. The whereabouts of the missing material/objects are unknown, and no viable conjecture can be given at this time.

Discovery & Deployment

In late 2555, information was obtained from an Automated UNSC Scout Vehicle, Recon-14, which immediately piqued the interests of the Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI). The signal emanated from an area deemed Location 6201 and was quickly analyzed by multiple ONI specialists analyzed. However, it was a scientist and ONI attaché for astrophysical phenomenon, Dr. Madeline Tress, who correctly surmised that the signal had indeed come from the missing fragment of Installation 04.

Recon-14 itself had been deployed from the UNSC Pillar of Autumn before the cruiser’s initial crash-landing on the Halo ring. The drone’s survival, paired with other evidence, strongly infers that at least part of the ring either instigated or was enveloped in a significant slipspace event – far in excess of both human and (known) Covenant technology. The common theory holds that Recon-14 became stranded when the Halo itself attempted to activate an emergency slipspace jump once the Autumn’s reactors went critical; perhaps as one of the installation’s many self-preservation protocols. The action would not be successful as the Autumn detonated before Alpha Halo could fully enact the procedure. As a result, only a [REDACTED]-size fragment of the Halo would make its escape. The subsequent jump however would send the fragment tumbling through space upon reentering normal space, where it was caught in the gravitational field of a nearby star.

Current Status

Currently, the fragment appears to be at least partially functioning, even to the point of attempting to continually reduce radiation levels. However, the fragment’s spin exposes it to the harsh radiation emanating from its anchoring star during the fragment’s “day” period, which lasts approximately every 16 hours.

Though ONI and the UNSC have attempted to learn all they can about the Halo Array, much of its secrets remain unexplained. Central to these mysteries is the nature of the Halo’s regenerative abilities and sustainability protocols. Despite the extreme damage and trauma inflicted on the installation, it still inexplicably retains certain functionality with regards to the preservation of its intended environmental conditions. This is including but not limited to gravitational field integrity, atmospheric composition, and even biodiversity levels. Further research on the extant ring material and systems prior to the quarantine strongly infers that the rings are made of multiple redundant systems, including slipspace engines, terraforming facilities, artificial gravity, and weather control. The true nature of how these areas are tended to, as well as a complete understanding as to the original intentions behind such designs, remains a mystery.

• 
• 

Alpha Halo

Installation 04

Affiliation: Forerunner

Star System: Soell

Gravity Anchor: Threshold/Basis

Monitor: 343 Guilty Spark

Diameter: 6,214 miles (10,000km)

Atmosphere: 1 (N2, O2)

Surface Temperature: -9°F to 104°F (-23°C to 40°C)

Summary

Over one hundred millennia ago, the Forerunners developed a collection of ringworlds, collectively called the Halo Array, in hopes of stopping the advancement of the merciless parasite known as the Flood. The firing of the Halo Array was the final effort by the Forerunners to save all life in the galaxy – ironically by destroying it, as the Array was meant to deprive the Flood of its food source: intelligent life.

Discovery

On September 19, 2552, humanity stumbled upon Alpha Halo, and the UNSC Pillar of Autumn crash landed on its surface while trying to escape the pursuing Covenant. When the Covenant unwittingly released the Flood onto the ring, the Master Chief was forced to destroy it by detonating the UNSC Pillar of Autumn’s fusion reactors. The ring’s destruction triggered the Ark to forge a replacement, coined Installation 04b. Months later, the Chief destroyed this ring as well, but this time by firing the partially constructed weapon in an effort to permanently quell the Flood.

• 
• 

Ark

Installation 00

Affiliation: Forerunner

Diameter: 79,243 Miles (127,530km)

Gravity: 1.0 G

Atmosphere: 1.0 (N2, O2, Ar)

Surface Temperature: -22°F To 122°F (-30°C To 50°C)

Summary

Far beyond the periphery of the Milky Way galaxy resides an ancient and massive foundry known as the Ark. Approximately one hundred thousand years before humanity fought the Covenant above the Ark, the Forerunners used this massive machine to build a number of ringworlds—the Halo Array. The Ark was also meant to be a refuge, giving selected species protection from the Flood and the Array itself in the event the rings were fired. At the end of the Human-Covenant War, the UNSC followed their enemies to this remote construct, prevented them from firing Halo. They also used a newly formed ring – intended to be a replacement for Installation 04 - to obliterate the extant Flood population. The Ark was heavily damaged in the process.

• 
• 

Corbulo Academy

CAMS

Faction: UNSC

Location: Circinius IV

Superintendent: General Daniel Black

Destroyed: April 26, 2526

Summary

Corbulo Academy of Military Science (CAMS) was a UNSC officer training school. Located on the Unified Earth Government colony of Circinius IV, the school was tasked with preparing cadets for military service against the Insurrection. This school was named after the Roman General, Gnaeus Domitius Corbulo, who, when ordered to fall on his sword in the name of Rome, obeyed without question, shouting “Axios”—“I am worthy.” General Daniel Black, the superintendent at the time of Circinius IV’s fall, often said that the school was named after the Roman General because he represented the “honor, valor, and allegiance” expected of cadets. A statue of General Corbulo holding an MA5 series assault rifle stood in the central courtyard.

On April 26, 2526, multiple Covenant heavy corvettes attacked Circinius IV. As it was among the first planets attacked by the Covenant, its population was unaware of the pending threat. Evacuations at Corbulo Academy itself were in progress when a Covenant corvette destroyed the campus’s space elevator. Only three students survived the assault, escaping the planet with Master Chief Petty Officer John-117.

Notable Staff

Colonel Kennedy Lynn Mehaffey – Professor

A hardened UNSC veteran of the Insurrection, Kennedy Lynn Mehaffey was raised on the outer colony of Desdoron. On her initial deployment as an ODST, a young Mehaffey was placed in a squad with a then-first-lieutenant Audrey Lasky. The two ascended the ranks together and both developed impressive reputations; Lasky for her encyclopedic intellect and Mehaffey for her relentlessness on the field. Her penchant for engaging rebels in close proximity, particularly in hand-to-hand combat with a blade—in addition to her often cold and calculated demeanor—earned her the handle "Icepick."

Eventually, Mehaffey would be transitioned from active duty into the role of Director at the Corbulo Academy of Military Science on Circinius IV. Reportedly, she was famously transferred “without a scratch,” which soon prompted the academy’s students to speculate about the origins of her scar. With each graduating class, the theories and rumors would become more involved, eventually evolving into a popular urban legend that upperclassmen would pass down to new recruits. In reality, no one ever really learned the truth. Despite her reputation, she was as respected as she was feared, and in her service at the academy was instrumental in turning out some of the UNSC’s best and brightest for nearly ten years.

Her contributions would come to a tragic end in 2526, when she was killed in action during the Covenant’s surprise assault on the Academy at the time of their invasion of Circinius IV.

General Daniel Black— Superintendent

A proud Marine officer, Daniel Black earned his stripes during his involvement in Operation: TREBUCHET. Throughout the course of the war he was awarded numerous decorations and achieved the rank of General. Black maintained an unwavering loyalty toward the UNSC and viewed their military governance over the colonies as both necessary and practical. In juxtaposition to this, he ardently believed the insurrectionists selfishly endangered lives and that it necessitated swift reciprocity by the UNSC in order to prevent further losses.

After witnessing an increase of outer colony youth joining the rebellion, Black adopted the philosophy that the key to winning this war would be in a profoundly regimented pro-UEG education during the formative years. To that end, Black took on the role of superintendent of the Corbulo Academy of Military Science. He proudly made it his mission to prepare the cadets for their future in the UNSC and was known to personally intervene when a squad underperformed.

In 2526, ONI’s Section Two division informed Black about the burgeoning Covenant threat. He responded by increasing Marine troops around the campus. He also authorized limited communications blackouts under the guise of routine maintenance procedures. When the Covenant attacked Circinius IV, Black issued evacuation orders before joining the battle. He died during the initial Covenant ground assault.

• 
• 

Deta Halo

Installation 05

Origin: Forerunner

Star System: Coelest

Gravity Anchor: Substance

Monitor: 2401 Penitent Tangent

Diameter: 6,214 miles (10,000km)

Gravity: 1.04 G

Atmosphere: 1.01 (N2, O2)

Surface Temperature: -2.2°F to 107.6°F (-19°C to 42°C)

Summary

Before activating the Halo Array, the Forerunners stored dormant specimens of the Flood on each installation for future study. However, centuries before humanity located Delta Halo, the installation’s containment protocols failed. This breach led to a Flood outbreak that festered for decades due to the disappearance of the installation’s monitor – 2401 Penitent Tangent.

On November 3, 2552, the Flood captured the UNSC In Amber Clad and use it to transport the Gravemind and hundreds of combat forms off the installation to High Charity during the chaos of the Great Schism. Though the Covenant capital was lost, Elite-controlled fleets quarantined the remaining Flood parasites on Delta Halo, cauterizing the Flood-controlled containment zone using orbital bombardment.

Lisbon Station

Though the surface of the ringworld is too dangerous for permanent habitation, the UNSC continues to monitor the installation and recover useful artifacts. These activities are staged from Lisbon Station, built a safe distance away from Delta Halo’s automated defenses.

Locations

ASCENSION - WAR GAMES MAP_SET/: 118-3

When the High Prophet of Regret fled Earth, he was pursued by a number of UNSC vessels, including the corvette Coral Sea. To avoid discovery by the Covenant, the Coral Sea hid close to Delta Halo’s surface and devoted most of its time to scanning the ringworld. The crew discovered several communication relays across the installation’s surface and acquired information that is now used to reconstruct Delta Halo locations for research and War Games.

BACKWASH - WAR GAMES MAP_SET/: 098-8

Delta Halo’s primary Flood containment facilities resided in remote regions of the ring, including a series of vast bogs and swamplands. It is believed the Forerunners did this to discourage potential intruders or at least obfuscate the truth of the facility below. At some point, the Flood breached the containment facility, leading to an outbreak and formation of a Gravemind. It is unknown whether a system malfunction or outside meddling led to the breach.

BEAVER CREEK - WAR GAMES MAP_SET/: 250-5

To maintain its vast translocation grid, Delta Halo utilizes a dense web of telemetry conduits, with power generators buried in steep, narrow canyons. While scanning the installation’s surface, the Coral Sea acquired detailed information on one such canyon.

COAGULATION - WAR GAMES MAP_SET/: 701-5

Discovered by the Coral Sea, current theories surrounding this canyon’s twin outposts suggests they were used by young Forerunner Warrior-Servants seeking to prove their prowess in combat arenas. Although naval strength or superior weaponry resolved most Forerunner conflicts, ancient warrior principles did advocate for close-quarters combat from time-to-time.

COLD STORAGE: WAR GAMES MAP_SET/: 429-2

Scattered across the surface of Delta Halo were containment facilities designed to continually analyze Flood samples kept in various states of development. This particular facility specialized in determining the extremophilic thresholds of Flood-infected specimens before 2401 Penitent Tangent’s lax oversight led to a containment breach.

CONTAINMENT - WAR GAMES MAP_SET/: 639-1

This frigid, canyon-enclosed, semi-symmetrical area is likely the result of semi-randomized Forerunner landscape creation. Though the quarantine wall was not part of standard Flood containment protocols, the installation’s outbreak and lack of monitor supervision required unique countermeasures.

DESOLATION - WAR GAMES MAP_SET/: 320-5

The UNSC Coral Sea discovered this site - as well as many similar ones - hidden in Delta Halo’s dense jungles. Analysts believe this was once used by Forerunners to study the extensive collection of species retrieved by Lifeworkers during the Conservation Measure. After the activation of the Array and the dark time that followed, this facility was abandoned.

LOCKOUT - WAR GAMES MAP_SET/: 036-8

Although the UNSC In Amber Clad was destroyed during Delta Halo’s Flood outbreak, the frigate’s data nodes had already transmitted extensive details of various sites on the ring’s surface to the Master Chief. One of these – a derelict structure fixed to the ledge of a distant mountain - was the source of considerable scientific debate after his return. Subsequent analysis indicates it may have been a Forerunner research site, but the findings remain inconclusive.

RELIC - WAR GAMES MAP_SET/: 209-4

The surveillance team RECON 127 was deployed from the UNSC In Amber Clad shortly after the frigate arrived at Delta Halo. The detachment’s goal was a large structure buried under one of the installation’s many islands. Upon arrival, they encountered heavy Covenant resistance and their Albatross was shot down. Though the members of RECON 127 did not survive the following ground engagement, they did transmit a series of incredibly compelling scans of the site to In Amber Clad. The details revealed the site - dubbed ‘Relic’- was in actuality the remains of a long-dormant Forerunner vessel that had been carefully hidden below the island over one hundred millennia years ago.

REMNANT - WAR GAMES MAP_SET/: 209-11

A secluded island, hidden along the coastal regions of Delta Halo, Remnant features a towering and iconic Forerunner megalith, weathered by untold millennia. Resembling other artifacts on Delta Halo, this enigmatic megalith became the site of comprehensive research by Lisbon pioneer groups.

SANCTUARY - WAR GAMES MAP_SET/: 951-7

One data set acquired by the UNSC Coral Sea was the peculiar site dubbed ‘Sanctuary.’ In addition to advanced Forerunner architecture, Delta Halo also housed a number of stone ruins. Some have speculated these are not Forerunner structures, but were instead transported here for other species that were temporarily housed on the ring. The layout of the site indicates its purpose was more cultural than practical; possibly a memorial or cenotaph.

UPLIFT - WAR GAMES MAP_SET/: 320-91

The UNSC Coral Sea eventually encountered a Covenant infantry detachment attempting to tap into one of Delta Halo’s critical power conduits. This energy node was designed to delicately control the direction and movement of the ring as it orbited the gas giant Substance, but the Covenant believed it was also of great religious significance.

WARLOCK - WAR GAMES MAP_SET/: 405-2

Encountered by long-range survey remotes exploring Delta Halo, this looming and majestic set of structures is comprised of strange stonework that appears to have been transported from another location entirely. Its origins remain open to speculation.

• 
• 

Fathom Station

World: Beta Gabriel

Function: Exploring Covenant wreckage off the Aleutian Rim

Summary

Fathom Station was an extensive network of underwater facilities nestled along the Aleutian Rim, in Beta Gabriel’s Cortez Ocean. It was designed to research and explore a submerged Covenant carrier rumored to house numerous technological secrets, including a weapon so powerful that it would render their already cruel orbital weapons obsolete. Funded by ONI and constructed by the Imbrium Machine Complex (IMC), Fathom operated unhindered for a number of years, though only gleaning mild discoveries.

History

When the Epsilon Eridani system fell in August 2552, most of its human population centers on Reach, Tribute, and Circumstance were obliterated. And although the smaller, ocean world of Beta Gabriel did see Covenant occupation, its lack of any major human settlements left it mostly intact upon their departure. During a brief skirmish, however, UNSC Uncommon Courage sacrificed itself to force the Covenant carrier Splendid Intention into the ocean, stopping it from transferring a prototype super-weapon to the frontlines of the war. Recognizing the significance of this potential find, ONI deployed a Xeno-Materials Exploitation Group in 2554, facilitated by the IMC, to recover whatever it was that the Covenant were building.

End of Fathom

Little of import was actually discovered during the Fathom’s exploratory commission, but in 2556, during a routine survey, the Covenant carrier suddenly shifted from its resting place, violently sliding down into a nearby trench and sending debris and water directly into the station’s northern terminals, tearing the complex apart and claiming the lives of 41 researchers. Splendid Intention would be lost forever, along with 23 explorers who were trapped within it; this solemn event triggered the end of Fathom Station’s research activity though it would secretly live on during War Games simulations.

• 
• 

Gamma Halo

Installation 03

Origin: Forerunner

Star System: Khaphrae

Monitor: 049 Abject Testament

Diameter: 6,214 Miles (10,000km)

Gravity: 1.1 G

Atmosphere: 1.2 (N2, O2, Ar)

Surface Temperature: -6°F To 109°F (-21°C To 43°C)

Summary

Also known as Installation 03, Gamma Halo was discovered on October 8, 2552, when a human civilian transport, the Floral Express, appeared in the Khaphrae system after executing a random slipspace jump while escaping the Covenant assault on Tribute.

Within weeks, ONI pioneer groups, accompanied by Spartan escorts, secured the Halo’s Activation Index and quarantined areas which were believed to contain Flood research samples. Though the facility’s monitor, 049 Abject Testament, was not found, records found in the Gamma Halo Library complex led researchers to conduct targeted seismic scans near a Forerunner-sealed site in a desolate region of the ring, revealing a curious Forerunner artifact known as the Composer.

• 
• 

High Charity

The Holy City of High Charity

Diameter: 348 km (216.2 mi)

Atmosphere: 1.03 ATM [N2, O2, AR]

Standard Climate: 50°F To 75°F (10°C To 24°C)

Day Length: 265.2 Hours

Summary

The Holy City of High Charity was an enormous mobile space station created early in Covenant history to exist as a centralized capital of their religious, political, and military force, as well as the home to millions of Covenant constituents. As a testament to their truce with the Sangheili, the San’Shyuum used their Forerunner Dreadnought, set within the station’s interior, as High Charity’s primary power source. Around the ship’s moorings, the Covenant developed a vast metropolitan complex which covered the city’s primary floor, extending from the center all the way to its interior walls. Externally, High Charity was heavily armored and maintained a substantial umbilical docking system and maintenance facilities on its lower sections.

Despite its size and power, High Charity was destroyed toward the end of the war with the humans. When the High Prophet of Truth brought High Charity to Delta Halo in 2552, the Flood found its way onboard and rapidly infected the city’s population. Amid this chaos, Truth escaped with the Forerunner Dreadnought, leaving the High Charity’s citizens to fend for themselves. Eventually, High Charity met its end when the Gravemind crashed it into the Ark in an attempt to prevent the Halo Array from firing.

Locations

GEMINI - WAR GAMES MAP_SET/: 840-5

Although under control of the Flood parasite, the UNSC In Amber Clad continued to transmit data to its remote nodes, attempting to accumulate as much information about both Delta Halo and High Charity as possible before the ship’s termination. Remote relays captured these details and one peculiar mass image was a site within High Charity now believed to be the Garden of Reverent Contemplation. This site was believed to be a place of thought and worship dedicated to the High Prophet of Truth. The intention of this place was quiet solitude in honor of the Hierarch, but Spartans currently use Gemini’s impressive symmetry and multiple levels to more acutely hone their combat skills.

• 
• 

Munera Platform

War Games Combat Orbital

Anchor: Earth

Function: Corporate-sponsored combat simulation for materiel improvement

Summary

Created shortly after the activation of the SPARTAN-IV program, orbital combat stations such as Munera Platform A7 are designed as a discrete, self-contained arenas, capable of simulating a vast number of terrains and scenarios. Utilizing War Games technology, the platform can readily generate any environmental schema using advanced holographic and hard light technology. Although it can cater to a number of practical scenarios, it’s most common involves two surgical fireteams facing-off in a symmetrical, or semi-symmetrical arena.

Sponsored by weapon and armor manufacturers, corporations are able to analyze the raw data on these simulations, allowing them to better enhance their own product lines, while the UNSC leverages these events to train and hone Spartans during periods of relative peace. Combat orbitals have subsequently been utilized by all of the UNSC’s Armed Forces, garnering a large internal following, becoming something of a spectacle within ranks, fostering cross-branch competition. Munera Platforms exist across human-occupied space, though Earth and Mars presently have the largest numbers.

• 
• 

New Mombasa

Kenya, Africa, Earth

Government: East African Protectorate

Key Features: Mombasa Space Tether

Key Technology: Superintendent

Destroyed: October 20, 2552

Summary

On October 20, 2552, the High Prophet of Regret arrived in the Sol system with a small Covenant fleet. Regret’s flagship, Solemn Penance, quickly broke through Earth’s orbital defenses and initiated a ground assault on New Mombasa to seize control of a Forerunner artifact buried beneath the city. UNSC forces from Diego Garcia and the Master Chief were immediately deployed ground-side in an effort to stop the Prophet. In addition, as the Solemn Penance hovered above the city, an ODST task force prepared to drop onto the vessel and seize it in a boarding action.

Before either party could complete their mission, Regret leveraged the newly discovered location of Delta Halo as an escape vector, and Solemn Penance made a sudden slipspace jump near the city. The slipspace rupture created a massive crater to the northeast of the city, sheared apart the orbital elevator, and unleashing a shockwave that caused extensive damage to the city. Soon after, the Covenant fleet arrived in force and began to glass the city in order to uncover the nearby Forerunner portal structure.

LOCATIONS

District - WAR GAMES MAP_SET/: 411-1

During the Covenant’s first assault on Earth and the occupation which would follow, Old Mombasa became a key engagement point for UNSC forces seeking to prevent the Covenant from establishing what they initially believed to be an invasion beachhead on the planet. Recreated in the War Games environment to train Spartans for urban warfare, District is a near-perfect simulation of the terrain as of October 20, 2552.

Headlong - WAR GAMES MAP_SET/: 622-3

Prior to the Covenant’s assault, Section 14 was a construction site founded on one of the many coastal sites of New Mombasa’s mainland territory. This portion of docks was renowned for being the primary monitoring outpost of ports traffic along Nyali, Tudor, and New Mombasa island itself.

Ivory Tower - WAR GAMES MAP_SET/: 950-9

Once home of a wealthy socialite, Ivory Tower was later converted into a “public” park visited only by the upper echelon of New Mombasa society. Intended to be conducive to solitary contemplation and repose, the architecture for this site was fancied by War Games analysts for its unique verticality and vague symmetry, making it a compelling scenario for close-quarters combat simulations.

Turf - WAR GAMES MAP_SET/: 409-3

As the Covenant assaulted the Earth, the city of New Mombasa and its outskirts, including Old Mombasa, were beaten and battered by enemy infantry. This War Games scenario is set at the site of a brief skirmish between a detachment of UNSC Marines and a Covenant battle force commanding a Scarab. When UNSC Brasidas’ MAC managed to disable the Scarab from orbit, the Marines engaged the surviving enemy forces in an attempt to recover the downed war machine.

• 
• 

New Phoenix

Arizona, United Republic of North America, Earth

Government: United Earth Government

Population: Previously 6 Million

Performing Arts: New Phoenix Philharmonic

Summary

New Phoenix was originally two separate cities - Phoenix and Flagstaff - but as the cities continued to expand, they eventually merged into a single sprawling metroplex. New Phoenix Incident

On July 25, 2557, the Didact arrived at Earth aboard his ship, the Mantle's Approach. In less than ninety seconds, over six-million people were consumed by the Didact’s Composer when the ancient machine extracted the human essences of the city’s population.

New Phoenix Rebirth Ceremony

Spartans Thorne and Grant attend reopening event for New Phoenix, inaugurated by UEG President Ruth Charet, on March 24, 2558.

• 
• 

Sunaion

Westward Temple of the Sea

Planet: Sanghelios

Continent: Qivro

Function: Site for worship and contemplation

Summary

Along the coastlands of Nuusra, ancient Sangheili elders had once erected stone fortresses to observe and protect a site they deemed sacred -- a mysterious and immense machine that had first been discovered by dive-hunters and fishing skiffs. Centuries later, the Sangheili built a temple city on pylons even closer to the submerged relic, now recognizing it belonged to their gods, the Forerunners. This city was called Sunaion.

For many years, the Covenant leveraged Sunaion to explore and worship the artifact they came to know as a Guardian, but little could be done to explore the secrets of the great machine or determine its true purpose. Except for a number of anchorites, the city remained mostly empty during the Covenant’s reign and their war with humanity, though prophecies of the Guardian one day rises began to be inscribed.

Staging Site

After the war, Sunaion initially remained neutral amid a flurry of civil skirmishes among kaidons. When the Arbiter’s own territory became a target of would-be revolutionaries, however, this all changed. Sunaion was now viewed as an optimal staging site, giving one quick access to the coasts of Yermo, including Vadam Harbor and the heavily fortified Kolaar Mountains.

Jul ‘Mdama’s Covenant eventually gained control of the temple site, and began formulating plans to strike at the Arbiter while he defended the inland portions of Vadam. The Arbiter got wind of this activity and quickly established a forward operating site among the ruins of Nuusra, where the Arbiter’s Swords of Sanghelios planned to strike at the Covenant forces. When ‘Mdama was suddenly assassinated by humans, the Arbiter had been afforded an opportunity to execute one final crushing blow to the Covenant’s last bastion. During the assault, however, the Guardian suddenly awakened, violently ripping Sunaion apart in its wake.

• 
• 

Threshold Gas Mine

Forerunner Mining Facility

Gravity Anchor: Threshold

Origin: Forerunner

Usage: Gas Mine

Product: Hydrogen, helium, and methane collection and refinement

Summary

This gas mine is a Forerunner mining facility orbiting the gas giant, Threshold. Its construction actually predates Installation 04 by several hundred years, but was retrofitted to research possible offensive and defensive measures against the Flood. Monitor 343 Guilty Spark oversaw the design and construction of the facility's various outbreak management systems.

Upon discovery of the nearby Halo ring in 2552, a Covenant minor prophet known as the Prophet of Stewardship ordered expeditionary forces sent to outlying facility, the detachment led by Sesa ‘Refumee and Loka ‘Bandolee. This order angered then-Fleet Master Thel ‘Vadamee, who felt all local forces should be concentrating on combating the human presence and protecting Halo. Thel issued a close-band transmission demanding all military forces concentrated on the human threat posed to the Holy Ring. This order was ignored, and the Ring eventually destroyed by the Master Chief.

The blame for Installation 04’s destruction was placed on Thel ‘Vadamee, who was then stripped of his military power but repurposed as the newest Arbiter. His first mission was to travel to the Threshold Gas Mine to silence the contingent led by his once-ally Sesa ‘Refumee. These Covenant soldiers turned “heretics” after discovering that the Prophets had been lying about the nature of Halo. Although the Arbiter killed ‘Refumee, it is revealed ‘Refumee had possession of an Oracle, the monitor of Alpha Halo, 343 Guilty Spark.

• 
• 

Threshold

Soell-VII

Star System: Soell

Satellite(s): 12

Diameter: 133,348 mi (214,604 km)

Atmosphere: H2, He, CH4

Relevance: Gravity anchor for Installation 04

Summary

Before its destruction, Alpha Halo orbited a large gas giant known as Threshold (Earth Survey Catalogue Number B1008-AG), anchored at the L1 Lagrange point between the planet and its largest moon, Basis. An extensive network of Forerunner gas mining and refinery stations was suspended in the atmosphere through a number of band orbitals, though only a handful remained active into the modern era.

While Basis is by far its largest moon, eleven other satellites orbit Threshold. These satellites have not been extensively surveyed, though all but two appear to either house some sort of Forerunner installation or are entirely artificial. The function that these outposts served remains unknown, but most evidence indicates they provided maintenance for Alpha Halo. Current Status

A 500 light-second exclusion zone is currently maintained around Threshold, with both Sangheili and human warships patrolling the region as part of the post-war treaty between those species. Uncontrolled Sentinels, volatile Halo fragments, micro-debris, malfunctioning Forerunner artifacts, and the ever-present danger of the Flood make even surreptitious exploration and scavenging too dangerous for most.

Locations

COLOSSUS - WAR GAMES MAP_SET/: 201-7

Similar to the mining facility which the once-heretic leader and now-deceased Sesa ‘Refumee took occupation of, the War Games map called ‘Colossus’ is a separate and distinct Thresholdian satellite. Acquired by scans conducted by the UNSC Red Horse in its survey of the area, and also later corroborated by human-Sangheili dialogues, this structure mined gas from the high above Threshold’s roiling ‘surface.’ The environments symmetry, scalability, and obstacles presented unique challenges to Spartans training in the War Games, and thereby became a favorite of fireteam leaders, particularly for objective-based combat simulations.

• 
• 

Worlds

Genesis

Nomos II

Satellite: Nomos II-2, Nomos II-5

Diameter: 18,252 miles (29,374 km)

Gravity: .91 G

Atmosphere: 1 (N2, O2, Ar)

Star System: Nomos

Summary

The world of Genesis is an artificial planet utilized for the construction of ‘seed worlds.’ Mining natural satellites physically placed in orbit around the installation, Genesis used these resources to develop new worlds, populating them with the incredibly vast diversity of flora and fauna teaming on its own surface, so that they could be used for civilizations in need of them. In addition to this, Genesis housed a critical gateway facility connecting it to the Domain, an enigmatic information repository utilized by the Forerunners.

The Domain

The gateway was hidden on the planet, buried within the primeval coral highlands where its strong energy output could be masked by the site’s excessive bio-readings. Although this gateway was monitored and rarely utilized by the Forerunners, most of their civilization did not even know of its existence and used merely passive conduits to connect to the Domain. When Halo was activated at the height of the Forerunners’ war with the Flood, the gateway closed and the Domain was believed to be destroyed. 031 Exuberant Witness, the monitor charged with the installation’s manage, remained behind to care for Genesis.

Cortana’s Rise

In 2557, Cortana’s sacrifice to defeat the Didact forced her matrix into the Domain. There, she discovered that not only was the Domain slowly repairing itself, but her own rampancy (a smart AIs’ mandated mortality) was effectively cured while in the Domain, seemingly making her immortal. Believing that she was to reclaim the Mantle from the Forerunners, in 2558 she and the Warden Eternal began to awaken the Guardians, a destructive network of ancient machines, preparing to deploy them in order to enforce her newfound power. Spartans tracked her to Genesis, but were unable to stop her before she deployed the Guardians, placing much of the charted galaxy under her control.

• 
• 

Aleria

Elduros II

Star System: Elduros

Summary

Once a thriving frontier colony famed for its rich mineral resources and robust economy, Aleria is now a dry, desolate, world home to some of the most desperate and dangerous pirate and smuggling groups in human space.

Collapse

The colonization of Aleria unfortunately occurred near the very end of a millenia-long period of low solar activity. Shortly after settlement, human terraforming efforts coupled with Elduros’ renewed instability threw the planet’s weather system into a dangerous feedback loop that caused massive droughts, which quickly turned the planet into an importer of most food supplies.

While the drought and terraforming setbacks caused concern for the nascent agricultural sectors, the resulting focus on mining Aleria for its rich ore deposits led to an overall expansion of new employment opportunities and economic activity. Alerian mining concerns, united under the Mols’Desia union, quickly established themselves as a powerhouse in the inner-outer colony trade, providing raw materials to fuel the expansion of human civilization in exchange for food, electronics, and spacecraft.

Nevertheless, the increasingly inhospitable climate and governmental mismanagement prompted a near-continuous state of emergency by the colonial administrators. Crackdowns and other efforts to enforce order only exacerbated tensions, with aggressive anti-centralization forces consolidating power in key outposts.

When the Covenant attacked in 2525, food imports effectively ceased and Aleria’s economy collapsed. By 2553, the population had fallen to half that of the previous century and the average lifespan was only 45 years of age. The planet remains outside of UEG control and assistance, having been written off years before by coldly rational cost-benefit analysis. Though mining continues, the planet’s impressive fleet of slipspace-cable transports has been co-opted by a multitude by various "courier guilds." While considered little more than petty smugglers and bandits by the UNSC, these courier guilds provide Alerians with a source of income and the ability to feed their families.

• 
• 

Alluvion

Bhaakto III

Star System: Bhaakto

Satellite: Fallow

Diameter: 4,307 miles (6,931 km)

Gravity: .99 G

Atmosphere: 1.1 (N2, O2)

Summary

Founded in 2412, the colony of Alluvion was a border world and prominent waystation between inner colonies and those located on the periphery. Its vast oceans and moderately tropical climates required little planetary engineering when humanity first arrived, though aggressive tidal activity due to the orbit of its moon, Fallow, forced most population centers into the continental interiors. Despite being highly cherished by those who lived there, Alluvion’s history remained largely uneventful until the Covenant’s arrival in 2542.

Battle for Alluvion

Covenant scouting patrols located Alluvion in 2541, signaling a full-scale invasion one year later. The UNSC managed to muster a substantial military force to defend the world, keeping the enemy at bay for weeks, before a Covenant support fleet arrived, severing critical support lines and bringing a quick end to the colony. The Covenant glassed major population centers and spaceports, leaving few survivors in its wake. By early 2544, no record of human activity remained on Alluvion.

Sundark Phenomena

Upon returning to Alluvion in 2554, the recolonization support fleet discovered a strange anomaly within the Sundark Sea. A series of Forerunner shield pylons, previously hidden from the colony’s inhabitants, had emerged and forced back massive walls of water revealing the seafloor. After years of surveying this area, an exploration team discovered a hidden repository containing an exotic fuel source thought capable of replacing deuterium for human starships.

Contracted by the UNSC, Liang-Dortmund’s aerospace division established the Alluvion Research Center (ARC) in 2556, seeking to directly power a number of prototype shuttles with this newfound energy source. Only a year into their research, however, their voracious mining efforts mysteriously triggered the complete withdrawal of the shield pylons, and the merciless collapse of the sea on all who remained within the ARC.

• 
•