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Below is my attempt to create a series detailing the events of San 'Shyuum, aka Prophet, society years before their civil war, their war against the Sangheili, or the formation of the Covenant. A lot of this can not be confirmed as canon and should not be used as such.
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The Minister of Conservation was a politician in the cog of San 'Shyuum societal machine. He was not a typical politician though, he had a thirst for power. Through revolution and old fashioned deceit, he accomplished that with far reaching results.
Introduction to San 'Shyuum society
The society of the San 'Shyuum is one that should sound familiar to any human historian. Their people are divided into two classes, the Important and the Stagnant, but both classes are divided into several sub-classes. The Important are dominated by the politicians, called Ministers, followed by the financial overseers and artisans. Stagnant society has no real class difference other than it being full of poor laborers, slaves, and farmers. Ruling them all is one single Hierarch who guides the politics and army of the San 'Shyuum.
On their world, only one city can be found on the planet's surface, New Transcendence. It is a most peculiar city to someone viewing it for the first time. The Importants live along the sides of a multi-leveled pyramid that has terraces built on it for holding buildings and streets. Each building could be called an aliens throwback to the ancient Roman's architecture. Grand metallic pillars, domes, and buildings could easily be mistake as Greco-Roman styles if it weren't on another planet. The top of the pyramid holds the Chamber of Law and Order, the source of all San 'Shyuum political decisions. Also on the top are the other political buildings, but none are more important than the Chamber. In the middle of the pyramid houses for all the Importants can be found. Just below that on the final level are the financial institutions and art studios, both highly regarded parts of San 'Shyuum culture as money helps reason flow and art stimulates the mind.
Not found on the grand pyramid are the homes and businesses of the Stagnant society. They live clustered around the pyramid in make-shift ghettos and farms. It is here that they are used as cheap labor, agriculturalists, and slaves. They always have a view of the great pyramid everywhere they go, but they can never get to it. Oddly enough, they continue to be the majority of San 'Shyuum society as their portion of the city expands for hundreds of miles.
Both societies have different up brings and physical traits. The Importants do not step foot on the ground as they levitate with anti-gravity belts while the Hierarch uses a gravity throne. They float everywhere along the pyramid and only take them off when they are on an elevated surface such as a chair or bed. Stagnants do not have such technology and must traverse on foot as they live their lives. Given the Importants lack of physical exercise, they grow frail quickly as they never exert any effort to move. The Stagnants are much more physically fit and have more muscle mass than the Importants, but the lack of food degrades this advantage.
Even with such class differences, they are all unified under one religion, the worship of a long extinct race of extraversions called the Forerunners. Many years ago, the Forerunners controlled the galaxy with their advanced technology. Nothing could stand in their way for as long as their empire stood. One day, that changed when the Flood, a race of parasitic creatures, came onto the galactic stage. The Flood devoured sentient life for reasons unknown, but they had to be stopped. Unfortunately, the Forerunners could not stop the Flood, even with their advanced technology. In a last ditch effort, they created the Halo Array, seven rings that would destroy all sentient life thus starving the Flood of their food. Overall, the plan succeeded with devastating results done to the Flood. While not outright affected by the Halo Array, the Flood slowly died off as they could not infect anymore life. Once the Flood were sterilized enough, reseeding projects by the Forerunner's robotic machines began and, in essence, recreated life. The Forerunners died as a result of the ring's activation, but in all actuality, they elevated themselves into gods. All San 'Shyuum believe in the Forerunners as evidence of their existence exists all around their world. A giant ship crashed on the planet eons ago and remains a sacred spot too all. The religion, labeled the Great Journey, involves finding the Halo rings and activating them. Once activated, the San 'Shyuum would also transcend into godhood and live on forever. As of now, that has yet to happen even with the San 'Shyuum's own advances in space faring technology.
The naming of individual San 'Shyuum is done by using a two step system. First, the names of young San 'Shyuum are determined by selecting a virtue or action like truth, mercy, or repentance. That will be their name until they reach maturity and get a proper title. These titles are the jobs that the now mature San 'Shyuum get. With all this in mind, a complete name for an individual may be the Minister of Repentance or the Artist of Humility. For the rest of their lives, they will either by referred to by their titles or by their premature name.
For thousands of years, San 'Shyuum society has been revolving around all of these concepts with no foreseeable problems. However, one individual would change everything about society because of his vast influence and resolve. This San 'Shyuum was the Minister of Conservation and in an ironic twist, did not conserve San 'Shyuum society, but shifted it towards something far different. This is his story.
[Edited on 01.08.2010 8:47 PM PST]