Lower districts

A view of the interior of High Charity. The lower districts are located on the city floor.

The lower districts were the sections of the Covenant holy city of High Charity located below the towers that made up the Tower Districts.^[1]^[2] Along with housing a number of massive factories used to manufacture Covenant equipment, such as the Assembly Forges and the Sacred Promissory,^[3] the lower districts were home to most of High Charity's massive Unggoy population.^[1] The Unggoy portion of the lower districts was methane-rich to allow Unggoy to breath without a methane tank.^[4]

History

The lower districts of High Charity were built following the signing of the Writ of Union on a chunk of rock that was ripped off of Janjur Qom by the San'Shyuum's Forerunner Dreadnought. The Dreadnought was left in the center of the city and was used to power the entirety of the lower districts.^[5]

In 2462, some Kig-Yar living on High Charity were forced to relocate due to the growing Unggoy population. This relocation led to an increase in Kig-Yar infant mortality. In an effort to exact revenge, Kig-Yar shipmasters poisoned the Unggoy infusion supplies on Kig-Yar-operated vessels and in the lower districts of High Charity, which led to the sterilization of contaminated males. When the High Council and Ministry of Concert—not wanting to upset the Kig-Yar—did not act on the matter, the Unggoy rebelled.^[6] Unggoy uprisings occurred throughout the lower districts, with the Unggoy not only attacking the Kig-Yar, but all other species. Their sheer amount and tenacity revealed the Unggoy to be very dangerous, even to Sangheili. Ultimately, the Covenant fleet partially glassed Balaho, while the Unggoy in the lower districts were forced to watch. Horrified and unwilling to lose their homeworld, the Unggoy surrendered.^[7]

During the Great Schism, Jiralhanae forces led by Chieftain Tartarus attacked the Sangheili living in the Tower Districts, then moved to eliminating the Sangheili in the lower districts.^[8] On November 3, 2552, the Forerunner Dreadnought lifted off from High Charity with the High Prophet of Truth aboard. With the Dreadnought gone, all of the lower districts turned dark without its source of power.^[9] The lower districts were destroyed with the rest of High Charity on December 11, 2552 when John-117 overloaded the city's backup reactor core.^[10]