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Halo universe: Difference between revisions
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The '''Halo universe''' is the sprawling fictional universe in which all [[Halo|''Halo'' media]] takes place. Encompassing hundreds of millennia, most of ''Halo''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s central events are set in the 26th century of the [[Wikipedia:Gregorian calendar|Gregorian calendar]], with [[human]]kind colonizing [[milky Way|the galaxy]] only to stumble upon a hostile alliance of aliens known as the [[Covenant Empire|Covenant]], who, motivated by the power of the [[Hierarchs|Prophets]] and the promises of [[Covenant religion|paradise after death]], are bent on humanity's destruction. | The '''Halo universe''' is the sprawling fictional universe in which all [[Halo|''Halo'' media]] takes place. Encompassing hundreds of millennia, most of ''Halo''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s central events are set in the 26th century of the [[Wikipedia:Gregorian calendar|Gregorian calendar]], with [[human]]kind colonizing [[milky Way|the galaxy]] only to stumble upon a hostile alliance of aliens known as the [[Covenant Empire|Covenant]], who, motivated by the power of the [[Hierarchs|Prophets]] and the promises of [[Covenant religion|paradise after death]], are bent on humanity's destruction. | ||
It is this universe where the Halo video game series: ''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]'', ''[[Halo 2]]'', ''[[Halo 3]]'', ''[[Halo 3: ODST]]'', ''[[Halo Wars]]'', ''[[Halo: Reach]]'', ''[[Halo 4]]'', and ''[[Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary]]'' take place. In addition to the games, a number of [[Halo novels]] and other media including [[:Category:Comics|comic books]], [[:Category:Cinematics|short films]] and an [[Halo Legends|anime collection]] have been released. The media beyond the game series expands into the Halo universe timeline before and after the events of the games, as well as running concurrently with the | It is this universe where the Halo video game series: ''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]'', ''[[Halo 2]]'', ''[[Halo 3]]'', ''[[Halo 3: ODST]]'', ''[[Halo Wars]]'', ''[[Halo: Reach]]'', ''[[Halo 4]]'', and ''[[Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary]]'' take place. In addition to the games, a number of [[Halo novels]] and other media including [[:Category:Comics|comic books]], [[:Category:Cinematics|short films]] and an [[Halo Legends|anime collection]] have been released. The media beyond the game series expands into the Halo universe timeline before and after the events of the games, as well as running concurrently with the games' timeline. | ||
==Primary factions== | ==Primary factions== | ||
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[[File:High Charity wallpaper.jpg|thumb|left|The Covenant fleet over the city, High Charity.]] | [[File:High Charity wallpaper.jpg|thumb|left|The Covenant fleet over the city, High Charity.]] | ||
{{Main|Covenant Empire}} | {{Main|Covenant Empire}} | ||
Originally formed by as an alliance between | Originally formed by as an alliance between two species; the Prophets ([[San 'Shyuum]]) and the Elites ([[Sangheili]]), the Covenant is a theocratic hegemony of multiple alien species. The name "Covenant" is based on the "binding Covenant" formed between the two races, when the Sangheili promised to defend the San 'Shyuum as they searched for the "Sacred Rings" ([[Halo Array]]) which are said to start the "[[Covenant religion|Great Journey]]", a term that the Prophets use to explain the disappearance of their Gods, the Forerunner race. The quest of the entire Covenant, the Great Journey is the basis of '''all''' of their worship. As the Covenant Empire grew over a millennium, more species were enslaved to their cause, although, up until the [[Great Schism]], none of them were quite as important to the Prophets as the Elites. | ||
At first, the Covenant were mostly held together by a need to survive, but as their society advanced, so did their technology, culture and religion. Now the polytheistic Covenant control a large part of the Orion arm of the Milky Way galaxy and their society is a complicated caste system, with the Prophets still on top, governing the Covenant along with the Elites. The Covenant is a theocracy, based on a prophecy about the Sacred Rings and the Great Journey. The actual context of this prophecy is based on the notion that the Forerunners were so advanced that they had found a way to propel themselves to godlike status using their technology. To oppose this, a parasitic race known as the Flood attacked the Forerunners and attempted to stop the activation of this technology. Before the Flood could stop them, the Forerunners activated the Halo array, and ascended to godhood. The Covenant design is to find the Halo array, and use it to propel themselves to godliness as well. | At first, the Covenant were mostly held together by a need to survive, but as their society advanced, so did their technology, culture and religion. Now the polytheistic Covenant control a large part of the Orion arm of the Milky Way galaxy and their society is a complicated caste system, with the Prophets still on top, governing the Covenant along with the Elites. The Covenant is a theocracy, based on a prophecy about the Sacred Rings and the Great Journey. The actual context of this prophecy is based on the notion that the Forerunners were so advanced that they had found a way to propel themselves to godlike status using their technology. To oppose this, a parasitic race known as the Flood attacked the Forerunners and attempted to stop the activation of this technology. Before the Flood could stop them, the Forerunners activated the Halo array, and ascended to godhood. The Covenant design is to find the Halo array, and use it to propel themselves to godliness as well. | ||
The three leading Prophets, the Hierarchs of the Covenant, want to destroy humanity due to the threat they pose to their religion: if humankind really are the Forerunners' heirs, then all that the Covenant believe in is false. Not wanting the truth about humans to get out, the rest of the Covenant have been told that humanity is a direct affront to the Forerunner, much like the Flood in goal, so must be exterminated if the Great Journey is to be completed. | The three leading Prophets, the Hierarchs of the Covenant, want to destroy humanity due to the threat they pose to their religion: if humankind really are the Forerunners' heirs, then all that the Covenant believe in is false. Not wanting the truth about the humans to get out, the rest of the Covenant have been told that humanity is a direct affront to the Forerunner, much like the Flood in goal, so must be exterminated if the Great Journey is to be completed. | ||
===The Flood=== | ===The Flood=== | ||
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'''The Flood''' (called '''The Parasite''' by the Covenant) is a species of virulent, parasitic organisms that thrive by consuming other sentient life of sufficient biomass, no matter where in the universe, thus leading Forerunners to the creation of the Halo Array. The Flood appears to be a hive or communal mind, existing in several stages that eventually lead into the creation of a central intelligence known as the [[Gravemind]]. | '''The Flood''' (called '''The Parasite''' by the Covenant) is a species of virulent, parasitic organisms that thrive by consuming other sentient life of sufficient biomass, no matter where in the universe, thus leading Forerunners to the creation of the Halo Array. The Flood appears to be a hive or communal mind, existing in several stages that eventually lead into the creation of a central intelligence known as the [[Gravemind]]. | ||
The Flood grow and reproduce via the assimilation of other beings, | The Flood grow and reproduce via the assimilation of other beings, utilising corpses and acquiring any biomass (including both animal and plant) in order to spread. They are incapable of sexual reproduction, instead they fester inside a host until a certain time period, after which they explode and many new Flood are given off. Once a Gravemind is formed however, the Flood advance to a stage where they no longer require hosts for this, only biomass and calcium, which they require to feed on, and to build bodies with. Once they have advanced, they create hives which can produce thousands of Flood inside large pustules on walls and other surfaces, which act as incubators. During this stage, the Flood are able to build their own life forms using captured biomass and calcium deposits. The Flood continue in this fashion recurrently until either everything is devoured, or until they are stopped, the former usually occurring. | ||
Next to nothing is known about their origin, except that they arrived from another galaxy through unknown means, and fought both prehistoric humans and Forerunners, eventually defeating the latter. The Forerunners discovered and then fought them until they were overwhelmed after centuries of war. Faced with the Flood spreading throughout the galaxy and consuming every sentient being, the Forerunners created seven artificial rings called the Halos, large "fortress worlds" in the shape of rings, to contain and hopefully stop the Flood from ever spreading. The point of the rings was to wipe out all sentient life, thus starving the Flood of | Next to nothing is known about their origin, except that they arrived from another galaxy through unknown means, and fought both prehistoric humans and Forerunners, eventually defeating the latter. The Forerunners discovered and then fought them until they were overwhelmed after centuries of war. Faced with the Flood spreading throughout the galaxy and consuming every sentient being, the Forerunners created seven artificial rings called the Halos, large "fortress worlds" in the shape of rings, to contain and hopefully stop the Flood from ever spreading. The point of the rings was to wipe out all sentient life, thus starving the Flood of the sufficient biomass required for them to continue spreading. Through their own interpretation of Forerunner artifacts, the Covenant believed these rings were actually devices that allowed the Forerunner to transcend this plane of existence into godlike state, and thus they seek to do the same by activating them once more, not realising they would inadvertently wipe out all sentient life in the galaxy if they were to be successful in doing so. | ||
Although it seemed the plan had been successful at eliminating the Flood threat, samples of the organism kept on the rings for study were released on at least two of the installations through accidental means, putting the Galaxy once again at risk of complete destruction by the | Although it seemed the plan had been successful at eliminating the Flood threat, samples of the organism kept on the rings for study were released on at least two of the installations through accidental means, putting the Galaxy once again at risk of complete destruction by the parasite. | ||
===The Forerunners=== | ===The Forerunners=== | ||
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===Rise of the Covenant=== | ===Rise of the Covenant=== | ||
{{Main|History of the Covenant}} | {{Main|History of the Covenant}} | ||
Dozens of millennia after the disappearance of the Forerunners, two original species of the Covenant, the San 'Shyuum and the Sangheili, spent years locked in a bitter war over the control of the remains of the Forerunners. The Prophets wished to use the technology to search and explore the galaxy, but the Elites believed such usage to be a desecration of their holy artifacts. As the devastating war ravaged both species, the Elites saw that the only way for them to win was to do the exact thing they opposed; use their own Forerunner technology to adapt and befit their vessels. Eventually, the two species formed an alliance which was formalized with the [[Writ of Union]]. Over the following centuries, many species would be absorbed under the power of the Covenant hegemony. | Dozens of millennia after the disappearance of the Forerunners, two original species of the Covenant, the San 'Shyuum and the Sangheili, spent years locked in a bitter war over the control of the remains of the Forerunners. The Prophets wished to use the technology to search and explore the galaxy, but the Elites believed such usage to be a desecration of their holy artifacts. As the devastating war ravaged both species, the Elites saw that the only way for them to win was to do the exact thing they opposed; use their own Forerunner technology to adapt and befit their vessels. Eventually, the two species formed an alliance which was formalized with the [[Writ of Union]]. Over the following centuries, many species would be absorbed under the power of the Covenant hegemony, and thus conscripted into the search for Forerunner relics, and later the attempt to eradicate the human race. | ||
===Origin of the UNSC=== | ===Origin of the UNSC=== | ||