Ascension (ceremony)

This article is about the ceremony. For the multiplayer map, see Ascension (level).

An Ascension is a Covenant grand ceremony in which three San 'Shyuum are promoted to the rank of Hierarch and announce their names as the Prophets to the Covenant spectators.

Background

A monumental ceremony, it draws out tens of thousands of spectators, due to its rare occurrence. It takes place in High Charity, specifically on the Forerunner Dreadnought. Once the High Council has formally declared the beginning of a new Age, the three new Hierarchs leave the Council Chamber to travel to the Dreadnought. Once they arrive, each San 'Shyuum ascends one of the three legs of the ship until they reach the place where Mendicant Bias has been chained in order to receive the blessing from their "Oracle". They then address the crowd waiting below and declare their new names, after which holographic representations of the Halo Array appear around the Dreadnought, with the Forerunner glyph representing the new age appearing in the rings.