| Beowulf | |
|---|---|
| |
| Biographical information | |
|
Began service: |
November 2525 or earlier |
|
Gender: |
Male programming |
|
Description: |
A man wearing a hooded cloak |
|
Color(s): |
Blue |
| Political and military information | |
|
Affiliation: |
|
|
Functionality: |
Attaché to ONI |
Beowulf was a "dumb" artificial intelligence of the Office of Naval Intelligence.[1] He was thorough, methodical and paranoid. His avatar depicted a man in a hooded cloak. He served as the attaché to Vice Admiral Michael Stanforth, the head of the Office of Naval Intelligence's Section Three[2] and safeguarded the United Nations Space Command's personnel and planning database.[3]
Biography
Beowulf was present during the SPARTAN-IIs' original briefing about the Covenant in the Reach FLEETCOM Military Complex's secure briefing room on November 2, 2525. Upon the instruction of Vice Admiral Michael Stanforth, Beowulf reluctantly presented the classified destruction of Harvest to the Spartans. He also broadcasted a message across the amphitheatre from the High Prophet of Regret, whom insisted that the destruction of humanity was the "will of the Gods". Afterwards, Beowulf left with Stanforth and Doctor Catherine Halsey.[2]
He was later assigned to guard the UNSC's personnel and planning database. He knew Cortana well and knew that she was potentially dangerous. During her attempts to hack into the system, Beowulf foiled her attempts. However, Cortana quickly overcame his defenses and accessed SPARTAN John-117's Career Service Vitae.[3]
As Beowulf served as Vice Admiral Stanforth's personal attaché, it is possible that the AI was destroyed when Stanforth was killed during the Fall of Reach on August 30, 2552.
Production Notes
At one point during production of Halo: Combat Evolved, Beowulf was going to have a notable presence in the game's story, serving as a secondary antagonist.[4]
Notably, in the Cortana Letters and related "Transmissions" logs, the UNSC Pillar of Autumn is related to house a second AI only known as "BW," designated as a "Class III" AI. Within the transmissions texts BW is only seen running processes on the Pillar of Autumn that receives Covenant transmissions, with little insight.[5] In the Cortana letters, it was said that a processes BW initiated was "unexpectedly terminated", then a new process immediately starting, with the owner unable to be determined.[6] It is likely that BW was BeoWulf.
Trivia
Beowulf is named after the titular character of the famous heroic poem Beowulf, the only surviving piece of ancient Anglo-Saxon heroic poetry.
Gallery
Beowulf alongside Vice Admiral Stanforth.
Conceptual art depicting Beowulf.
- HTFoR AS - Beowulf.png
List of appearances
- Halo: The Fall of Reach (First appearance)
- Halo: Fall of Reach
- Halo: Fleet Battles
- Halo: The Fall of Reach - The Animated Series (Mentioned only)
Sources
- ^ Halo Waypoint: Canon Fodder - Armory Amore
- ^ a b Halo: The Fall of Reach, pages 117-122 (2010 edition)
- ^ a b Halo: The Fall of Reach, page 267
- ^ Halo Waypoint, Digsite Deep-Dive: "What we do have are story documents and some script information for the early Halo story, including a very early Story Bible. [...] Beowulf had a big role as a secondary antagonist at one point." - Kenneth Peters (Retrieved on Jun 20, 2024) [archive]
- ^ Transmissions
- ^ Cortana Letters