Mausoleum of the Arbiter
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- "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
- 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
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
