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Subject: Reading Cryptum (Now with all the spoilers)

This is profile number 4

actually been a member of Bungie.net since March-April 2004

... I have a tendency to lose my passwords...

Since you all asked so nicely.

Here is my summary (Obviously it's a summary so don't read if you don't want the entire novel spoiled)

The main character is a Forerunner named Bornstellar Makes Eternal Lasting, he is a manipulator in the Builder caste which is kind of like the Forerunner version of adolescence. (The Forerunner society is a stratified caste system with the Builders at the top, and the Lifeworkers at the bottom; one of the characters later talked about the irony of this considering the nature of the Mantle). Bornstellar is the rebellious sort and his family not willing to deal with him sends him to live with some Miners (The Miner caste) to see if that knocks some sense into him on a planet called Edom a red world that is the 4th planet in the system.... do you see where this is going? When he was taken in by his temporary family they gave him a new Ancilla which is kind of like the Forerunner version of a personal secretary that lives in your suit and everyone has one, oh and Forerunner live virtually all the time in their suits. But any way his new ancilla tells him about this planet right next door called Erde-Tyrene and she tells him that there might be Precursor artifacts there (Bornstellar is the classical romantic wishing to go on adventures and discover treasures especially those of the Precursors) So he sneaks aboard a transport and goes to Erde-Tyrene (Which turns out to be Earth).

History Lesson :
10,000 years before the start of the novel Human kind was an extremely advanced civilization on the level of the Forerunners, but they fought against the Forerunner's and lost. All of our technology was stripped away and we were devolved (There is no such thing as devolution but that's essentially what happened here) and sent the remaining survivors to live on their former home planet Erde-Tyrene (Earth) under the watchful eye of the Librarian
Bornstellar makes his way over to a human city called Marontik and meets two humans named Chakas and Riser. (Riser is a Florian a subspecies of humanity so he is like a dwarf) (Note: When humanity was 'devolved' we were split up into several different subspecies) who agree to take him to a island where it is said there might be Precursor remnants in evidence. So they cross a lake in a steamboat and Bornstellar is forced to take off his armor because apparently the creatures in the lake hate EM waves of any kind. So they get to the island and then they walk across the island then they get to the center of the island where they find an open field full of 'sand' this is where Riser and Chakas wanted to take BornStellar. It turns out that this is no ordinary empty sand field no its actually something very important protected by a Baffler old Forerunner technology designed to protect things by hiding things within geometric distortions of space (Bornstellar talks about it like we would talk about a radio with vacuum tubes). But apparently Risers family over generations had figured out a way through the Baffler like a maze (exactly like a maze a maze that if you mess up fills your lungs with sand).

When they finally reach the center of the Dazzler they find Rows of Ancient war machines and a giant cylinder called a Cryptum. (Note: Cryptums are Warrior Crypts where powerful members of the Warrior Caste called Prometheans go to meditate and achieve peace for an eternity notice the fact that these crypts are for the living) The humans sing a song and activate the crypt which opens to reveal that it contains one of the most powerful Prometheans ever Didact (The very Forerunner that lead the Forerunner war effort against humanity) Didact is very unhappy about the humiliating way he was woken up as he had hoped for some a bit grander. (Note: The Librarian is Didact's wife and it was her that organized all this to wake Didact up) However soon they are off in a huge space ship created on the spot by utilizing the materials in the mountain in the center of the island. They have to run a huge fleet that has gathered above the island they were on. Somehow they have became aware of Didact's awakening.
They go off to a planet called Charum Hakkor which once was the hub of the Human - San 'Shyuum alliance (Note: Yes Ancient humanity was once allied with the prophets who at that time were said to be beautiful and sensuous smooth talkers) It was once a planet covered by Precursor technology the Humans having built over it and on to it. It had also been the site of a fifty year siege by the Forerunners and was the last Human planet to fall (The San 'Shyuum having surrendered much earlier). There they find the planet a desolate waste land with everything pretty much destroyed even the precursor stuff. (This is a shock to Bornstellar because he keeps saying that the Precursors make their stuff for an eternity) Didact reveals something about what he thinks has happened he believes the council has field tested a weapon he utterly opposed and was the reason for his self imposed exile. But this is not the reason that they are there and the four of them head down to the planet to see what Didact wants to see which turns out to be an ancient 'cage' in the middle of a precursor 'coliseum' that once held something that humanity thought might be a precursor but then decided was evil and then put another safety device around it to make themselves feel better. The 'cage' is empty and the captive is missing and looks like he has been missing for decades since the superweapon was fired and the planet made barren.
They pop over to another one of the planets in the system (Faun Hakkor) that humanity had inhabited and find its ecosystem utterly destroyed nothing more complex that mold lichens and algae remaining.

Note:
Yes what was test fired was a Halo the plans had been in works for the system of twelve rings for at least a thousand years. Yes you heard right Twelve

History Lesson:
At the time of the Human-Forerunner war, Humanity was also fighting on another front with the flood. Centuries before the war large automated primitive looking ships coming from the direction of the Large Magellanic Cloud (a satellite galaxy of the Milky Way) appeared in human controlled space bearing a cargo made up of glass bottle full of a powder like substance. Humans examined the power substance very closely and under extremely tight security and protection and found it to only made up of complex organic molecules. Eventually somehow someone used it on a Pheru an ancient human pet and found it made them better somehow. And the pets that it was used on were bred with other pets and sometime later some of the Pheru were born with an extra tuft of hair that caused them to look even cuter and so they continued to be bred with other Pheru however soon Pheru were born with weird deformities and some even started to eat each other, they sprouted tentacles and became violent. It was found that the same thing that was affecting the Pheru was affecting Humans too they became violent and tried to eat their fellow humans. They deformed and grew parts for killing. This was the beginning of the flood as we know it. The humans and their San 'Shyuum allies (who were also affected as they also kept Pheru as pets) fought back against the 'Flood' as they called it. Billions of refugees poured across human space and into Forerunner space to find a new place to live (This being a big part of the cause of the Human-Forerunner war). However humanity found a cure to the flood and infected people willingly infected themselves with the counter flood organism and infected the flood in term with their malicious code. It was this which allowed Humanity to push the flood out of the Orion arm and into deep Galactic space.

Their next destination is the San 'Shyuum quarantine system (Basically a non contiguous dyson sphere designed as a prison for the San 'Shyuum ) They enter the sphere with permission from one of Didacts old friends. But before that Didact wants Bornstellar to be on more equal terms with him but he can't as a Manipulator he needs to undergo at least his first mutation. But normally that would require his father and a highly equipped space designed for that purpose. However Didact does offer another way which involves something called a Brevet Mutation which is kind of like a quick and dirty battle field mutation and BornStellar agrees. (A Mutation requires a Sponsor to be on hand to give the necessary imprint required for the Mutation to work normally this would be someone like your father or close relative at least for your first mutation) Once the mutation is mostly done this allows Didact to give BornStellar everything he knows, which he wasn't able to earlier.
What they find when they come upon the San 'Shyuum worlds however is a disaster Forerunner fleets are mopping up what is left of the San 'Shyuum and their worlds burn. Apparently there was an uprising when the Librarian came to take San 'Shyuum to be catalogued on the ark and told them of what had happened to their former ally's humanity. Soon the fleet falls on the ship and tears it apart and captures Didact, BornStellar, Chaka, and Riser. The Master Builder has captured them and questions them to learn why the Librarian had come to the system and what secret Didact had hoped to learn from the San 'Shyuum.

[Edited on 01.05.2011 8:42 PM PST]

  • 01.05.2011 12:14 PM PDT

This is profile number 4

actually been a member of Bungie.net since March-April 2004

... I have a tendency to lose my passwords...

Part of the Second Part (I'll finish later writing this is so tiring)

BornStellar is removed from the control of the Master Building and is brought back to his family's estate on his family's homeworld. It is there that he has much awkward and anger filled contact with his father and mother although he and his sister get along pretty well. At some point about 200 days after he went to live with his parents he over hears his father arguing with a young Forerunner council member and hears that the Master Builder is being tried for the horrible crimes he had committed. Later he confronts his Father about what he has heard, and then his father finally reveals his part in designing the halo system. He also reveals that the council and Didact has asked Bornstellar to be used as a witness against The former Master Builder, and so he does travel to the Forerunner capital. He also reveals that one of the twelve Halos is missing along with a Metarch level intelligence named Medicant Bias.


Note:
From the descriptions in the book the Forerunner capital a creation of unparalleled complexity and majesty on the order of the ark or a Halo, it could hardly be called a planet more a megastructure.

When BornStellar arrives on the Forerunner capital world he sees that the eleven Halos are arrayed in a line only a couple million kilometers from the Forerunner homeworld linked with a simple loop of hard light. He is soon brought to a huge amphitheater like space where the trail is to be, it is a huge space but only filled with a couple hundred Forerunner which makes up the entire ruling council of the Forerunner. Each of the councilors is surrounded by a couple monitors. Sometime into the trial it is disrupted by the power going out the monitors shutting down and everyone's armor locking. Out of Bornstellar's control he walked blind through several corridors till finally he is stopped and asked some questions by a green point of light, however the Didact within BornStellar recognizes the green point of light for what it truly is Medicant Bias, he says a series of words which cause his armor to unlock and then BornStellar runs out of the chamber. BornStellar runs into a Warrior servant and the first mutation councilor Splendid Dust he had met earlier and they are able to escape on a Falco class transport.
As they escape they see that the eleven halos that had been there before are now twelve, the missing halo has returned and with it Medicant Bias who seems to have returned under a new master the 'Captive'. Medicant Bias having the ability to only control five of the twelve rings means to fire those five in the system. The Forerunner ships and fleet are able to destroy most of the rings under Medicants control and not under one of them is able to make through the portal that opens to the ark with the Falco transport; it is presumed that the remaining halos fired killing everyone within the Forerunner system.
Bornstellar arrives on the Ark and it is there that he finally meets the Librarian who reveals that Didact was and has been dead since the Master Builder executed him in the San 'Shyuum quarantine bubble that all that remains of Didact is the pieces that reside within Bornstellar.
The book ends with Bornstellar finally remembering what Didact heard from the Captive when Didact communicated with it once after the conclusion of the Forerunner-Human War.
"We meet again, young one. I am the last of those who gave you breath and shape and form, millions of years ago.
I am the last of those your kind rose up against and ruthlessly destroyed.
I am the last Precursor
And our answer is at hand."

[Edited on 01.05.2011 4:44 PM PST]

  • 01.05.2011 1:11 PM PDT

This is profile number 4

actually been a member of Bungie.net since March-April 2004

... I have a tendency to lose my passwords...

But of course my quick summary is nothing compared to the book and I would suggest to those that can read the book rather than my summary do so. Its not the same thing.

[Edited on 01.05.2011 5:53 PM PST]

  • 01.05.2011 4:46 PM PDT
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  • Exalted Legendary Member

UWG

My jokes, so I don't lose them (ignore this):
ZedFish's Opinion on Sgt. Foley.
ZedFish's Forerunner Rickroll.

Soooo buying it. Thanks for the summary.

Changes 'our' view on Forerunner history quite a bit, huh?

[Edited on 01.05.2011 5:05 PM PST]

  • 01.05.2011 5:05 PM PDT

i want to know were that dust came from and waht made that dust and such?

  • 01.05.2011 5:29 PM PDT

Gonna be pickin' chunks of brain a skull off my walls for quite some time.

  • 01.05.2011 5:37 PM PDT

Gamertag: Zealoustitan
Flood Military
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Posted by: HansGruber
There once was a boy named Cass
His balls were made out of brass
In stormy weather
His balls clinked together
And sparks flew out of his ass

I completely forgot about this book >:O
I'm picking this up TOMORROW!!

Must resist myself from reading the summary >_<

[Edited on 01.05.2011 5:53 PM PST]

  • 01.05.2011 5:49 PM PDT


Posted by: Terminus
But of course my quick summary is nothing compared to the book and I would suggest to those that can read the book rather than my summary do so. Its not the same thing.



Amazing
Thanks a lot

  • 01.05.2011 6:19 PM PDT
  • gamertag: Bobvob
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Has canon been ruined FOREVER yet? Do the forums need to adopt DOOMcon 1 the likes of which has not been seen since September 25th?

  • 01.05.2011 6:25 PM PDT

I just finished it and omg it was awsome i really love this book.

[Edited on 01.05.2011 6:40 PM PST]

  • 01.05.2011 6:31 PM PDT
  • gamertag: Bobvob
  • user homepage:

I didn't think it came out until the 16thish. I'm going to have to go find it tommorow.

  • 01.05.2011 6:32 PM PDT

""We meet again, young one. I am the last of those who gave you breath and shape and form, millions of years ago. I am the last of those your kind rose up and ruthlessly destroyed. And our answer is at hand."

Now new questions.

Were Pre-Humans (the name I gave us before de- evolution) much different from today humans (physically). Were we more advanced then The Forerunners but strained by a two front war? I could see a whole book written about the Human- Forerunner War.

Flood, the dust is precursor based? Where did it come from? How did we develop and or what was the cure? Why couldn't The Forerunners get it from us?

Precursor, I could see it coming but even when it did it was simply mind blowing. Also I had a feeling Bornstellar would become Didact.

Finally, why couldn't The Forerunners travel intergalatically.

Also I'm noticing heavy greek and biblical references.

Percursors= Titans
Forerunners= Greek Gods (Zeus)
Humans= Demi gods banished into humanity


The Flood was the Precursors final weapon?

  • 01.05.2011 7:47 PM PDT

This is profile number 4

actually been a member of Bungie.net since March-April 2004

... I have a tendency to lose my passwords...

I don't know what the difference between a Ancient Human and a Modern human although I'm guessing the comparison isn't too bad what ever the Librarian did to us 100,000 years may have reversed.

I have no idea if the dust is precursor based. The ships they arrived on were described as 'crude'.

It doesn't say the Forerunner can't travel intergalacticly In fact I suspect they can, but it says at this time they have little interest in it.

  • 01.05.2011 8:04 PM PDT

"Guns don't kill people, videogames do."

I found http://halo3.com/comic/ June 14, 2007 :)

#2 in the world for "Yuriev Time Trial" in Crackdown.

Great summary, I just finished the book 5 minutes ago.

This book blew my mind so many times, definitely one of the best halo books.

How do you know that that one planet is earth though? I thought if it was in fact earth, it would have been explained more.

I can't wait for the second book to come out!

  • 01.05.2011 8:37 PM PDT

This is profile number 4

actually been a member of Bungie.net since March-April 2004

... I have a tendency to lose my passwords...

Posted by: crazyBoy3
Great summary, I just finished the book 5 minutes ago.

This book blew my mind so many times, definitely one of the best halo books.

How do you know that that one planet is earth though? I thought if it was in fact earth, it would have been explained more.

I can't wait for the second book to come out!


I think it was explicitly stated at one point that it was our home planet and the similarities it talks about are too close to be a coincidence.

  • 01.05.2011 8:40 PM PDT

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Bought a signed copy, should arrive in the middle of this month. With all the hype it's receiving in this thread, it should be pretty good.

  • 01.05.2011 8:44 PM PDT

"Guns don't kill people, videogames do."

I found http://halo3.com/comic/ June 14, 2007 :)

#2 in the world for "Yuriev Time Trial" in Crackdown.

Yeah, I remember it said that it was our homeworld, but I assumed that since this all took place so long ago, it wasn't Earth.

  • 01.05.2011 8:56 PM PDT

This is profile number 4

actually been a member of Bungie.net since March-April 2004

... I have a tendency to lose my passwords...

Posted by: keeno 111
How long did the human forunner war go for and were we molested by them or was it a decent fight?


It makes it sound like it was a war between two near equals, and we only lost because we were slightly less advanced than them and we were fighting a two front war.

It mentioned one battle took 53 years so take that as you will.

  • 01.05.2011 9:54 PM PDT

I remember it said that after the humans were able to talk with the captive they were so scared that they nearly killed themselves. I don't think it was aboult the flood because humanity found a cure for that.

  • 01.05.2011 10:03 PM PDT


Posted by: crazyBoy3
Great summary, I just finished the book 5 minutes ago.

This book blew my mind so many times, definitely one of the best halo books.

How do you know that that one planet is earth though? I thought if it was in fact earth, it would have been explained more.

I can't wait for the second book to come out!


The first chapter starts by stating the current setting, like the previous books: SOL, EDOM TO ERDE-TYRENE

Sol is the name of our solar system. Edom was described as being the fourth planet from the sun (Mars). Erde-Tyrene wasn't located too far from Edom. Thus, Erde-Tyrene is Earth.

[Edited on 01.05.2011 10:08 PM PST]

  • 01.05.2011 10:08 PM PDT

Wait...so the book takes place during (or perhaps right before?) the forerunner-flood war, with flashbacks to the earlier times (origins of the flood, human forerunner war and stuff)?

So much to take in....

Gotta read this series, then replay the games, re-interpretting everyones words, then maybe...maybe we can eventually find out what happens after halo 3.

Would be mighty interesting if the flood were the precursors. Or rather, the gravemind was the last precursor. Did the book mention how the precursors were wiped out? Did the forerunner fight them or....

Perhaps a later book.

[Edited on 01.05.2011 11:19 PM PST]

  • 01.05.2011 11:16 PM PDT

Im going to have to get this book, sounds interesting.

  • 01.05.2011 11:30 PM PDT

Its hard to say if precursors were flood specifically, I think maybe precursors were graveminds, which eventually created the flood.

Explains why the precursors were so smart.

  • 01.05.2011 11:35 PM PDT

"Guns don't kill people, videogames do."

I found http://halo3.com/comic/ June 14, 2007 :)

#2 in the world for "Yuriev Time Trial" in Crackdown.


Posted by: SalmonPaste

Posted by: crazyBoy3
Great summary, I just finished the book 5 minutes ago.

This book blew my mind so many times, definitely one of the best halo books.

How do you know that that one planet is earth though? I thought if it was in fact earth, it would have been explained more.

I can't wait for the second book to come out!


The first chapter starts by stating the current setting, like the previous books: SOL, EDOM TO ERDE-TYRENE

Sol is the name of our solar system. Edom was described as being the fourth planet from the sun (Mars). Erde-Tyrene wasn't located too far from Edom. Thus, Erde-Tyrene is Earth.


That would make sense. I guess I forgot about the Sol part. Well, one more reason to reread this book.

  • 01.06.2011 7:47 AM PDT

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