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This topic has moved here: Subject: Of the Covenant, who knew the truth about Halo?
  • Subject: Of the Covenant, who knew the truth about Halo?
Subject: Of the Covenant, who knew the truth about Halo?

LW45 TS40 TO40 TSW35 TSN35 TT30 SB30 MLG25

This question is mightily overdue, I admit. But I recently realised I had never understood who among the Covenant was aware of the truth about Halo - that the Great Journey was a lie. Did the Prophet of Truth know when he tried to activate the array? If so, when did he find out? Did the Elites know? Why did so many of the Covenant remain loyal to the Prophets when their deception was finally exposed? Or was it kept secret? When did the characters of the universe come to realise the truth, of those who did? How did they find out? How did they react?

If anybody could enlighten me, it would be much appreciated. Alternatively, if you would care to link me to web-pages or cut-scenes that can answer these questions, I would love to see those also.

Cheers.

[Edited on 08.03.2011 12:00 PM PDT]

  • 08.03.2011 11:58 AM PDT
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Deva Path


Posted by: DecepticonCobra

We are all going to get banned aren't we?

well it is the fact they had been following that religion for thousands of years so some might not stop day of. But i see that as a sign of lower intelligence personally.

and it was only Truth that "knew the truth".

  • 08.03.2011 12:00 PM PDT

Old school Bungie, born and raised,
In the Septagon is where I spend most of my days.
Relaxin', maxin', posting all cool,
Talking about Halo, life and some school.
Got in one little argument, and the mods got scared,
they said "You're gonna get banned and your member title'll be bare!"

The Arbiter learned when he encountered Gravemind. Though there was a hint of it when he killed the Heretic leader, who himself knew the truth.

Truth knew some secrets about The Great Journey. In Contact Harvest, it was believed that the Humans were a lower form of Forerunner, and were left when the Array was activated. The Prophets feared a revolt of the lower caste members, which had happened unsuccessfully before, if they discovered they'd be left behind. They kept this a secret, and thus the war with Humanity began.

  • 08.03.2011 12:01 PM PDT

General of The Irish Punks


Posted by: grey101
well it is the fact they had been following that religion for thousands of years so some might not stop day of. But i see that as a sign of lower intelligence personally.

and it was only Truth that "knew the truth".


I believe that the Minister of Fortitude and the Vice Minister of Tranquility might have also known.

Which the Minister of Fortitude is the prophet of Truth (duh).

Also Regret was the Vice Minister of Tranquility.


[Edited on 08.03.2011 12:06 PM PDT]

  • 08.03.2011 12:04 PM PDT
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Deva Path


Posted by: DecepticonCobra

We are all going to get banned aren't we?


Posted by: Sarg GoldIeaf

Posted by: grey101
well it is the fact they had been following that religion for thousands of years so some might not stop day of. But i see that as a sign of lower intelligence personally.

and it was only Truth that "knew the truth".


I believe that the Minister of Fortitude and the Vice Minister of Tranquility might have also known.

Which the Minister of Fortitude is the prophet of Truth (duh).

Also Regret was the Vice Minister of Tranquility.


whooaa.

In contact harvest they just knew the religion was false, truth is the only one we currently know of that knew halo would kill everything.

  • 08.03.2011 12:08 PM PDT

General of The Irish Punks


Posted by: grey101

Posted by: Sarg GoldIeaf

Posted by: grey101
well it is the fact they had been following that religion for thousands of years so some might not stop day of. But i see that as a sign of lower intelligence personally.

and it was only Truth that "knew the truth".


I believe that the Minister of Fortitude and the Vice Minister of Tranquility might have also known.

Which the Minister of Fortitude is the prophet of Truth (duh).

Also Regret was the Vice Minister of Tranquility.


whooaa.

In contact harvest they just knew the religion was false, truth is the only one we currently know of that knew halo would kill everything.


Oh, I thought he said who knew that the religion was false, not that the halo destroyed everything.

  • 08.03.2011 12:19 PM PDT
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"but you already knew that, I mean, how couldn't you?

Only when no Human brick is left atop another, shall we be satisfied with your destruction.

Truth still believed that activating the Array would make him a god. He didn't get the full memo as it were.

  • 08.03.2011 12:23 PM PDT

"Find where the liar hides, so that I may place my boot between his gums!" - Rtas 'Vadum

Truth found out the purpose of the Array shortly after Regret was killed. He viewed its activation as the only way to save himself and his power by killing the Flood (Which he apparently also discovered the true nature of at the same time), Humanity and the Sangheili all in one fell swoop.

Encyclopaedia, Page 201 before I get shot to pieces over that statement.

He was probably mad by the time MC and Thel got to him. It said that he became increasingly paranoid after Regret got killed.

  • 08.03.2011 1:56 PM PDT

LW45 TS40 TO40 TSW35 TSN35 TT30 SB30 MLG25

So those who defected from the Covenant defected not because they knew what Halo could do, but because they knew it couldn't ascend them to godhood, right? They knew the Great Journey was a lie, but they didn't know what it actually was?

In that case, why didn't the humans inform the separatists of the truth?

  • 08.04.2011 2:49 AM PDT
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(Hasn't read Contact Harvest)

The soon-to-be Hierarchs were in the loop a little - neither Mercy nor Regret were fools - but Truth knowing that the rings are more than just giant hula hoops...if Tartarus had succeeded in activating Delta Halo, Truth would have been killed. So if he did know, that was a massive risk to take, so I tend to go for the simpler explanation.

  • 08.04.2011 4:06 AM PDT

"Find where the liar hides, so that I may place my boot between his gums!" - Rtas 'Vadum

Posted by: aaz b
Paranoid? He wanted Regret killed. Why else would he stop the phantoms going towards Regrets position?

He did it to gain more power. The very reason that he raged war with Humanity. Power. If the truth got revealed, the covenant would disband, and truth would have no power.

He was paranoid to begin with, which is probably why he wanted Regret gone. But it was only after Regret got killed that it became extreme, and he started preparing to tear the Covenant to shreds. I am not implying that Regret's death caused his paranoia, only that it was after that time period that it got worse.

  • 08.04.2011 7:43 AM PDT

Truth also blamed Regrets death on the elites, giving him more of a reason to replace them with the brutes.

The elites were too smart to believe the lies all the way through...with all the evidence cropping up.

[Edited on 08.04.2011 9:03 AM PDT]

  • 08.04.2011 9:02 AM PDT

"Find where the liar hides, so that I may place my boot between his gums!" - Rtas 'Vadum

People vastly overestimate the intelligence of the Elites in this regard. Had Truth not acted irrationally and kicked the Elites out, not a thing in the Covenant would have changed. In all Halo media, we have 5 Elites who demonstrate this doubt about whether the Prophets are correct on anything, and all the rest are zealots acting as if they have no volition in anything.

The Elites rebelled not because of the truth about the Array (Which came out after the Great Schism had already begun) or the truth about Humanity, (Who they could not care less about now) it was solely because Truth had them replaced as the Honour Guard and had then attempted to exterminate them. Had Truth not done a thing, the Elites would be blissfully glassing Earth and standing in awe as Halo prepared to wipe them out.

Truth may have thought that the Elites were doubting, but like was established, he was utterly paranoid and not seeing the reality of things.

[Edited on 08.04.2011 9:13 AM PDT]

  • 08.04.2011 9:11 AM PDT

You know, sometimes I wonder if the engineers ever stopped and tried to let the prophets know what it was all really about. Or if, in some passive aggressive way, they just figured it would get rid of the meddling covenant.

Also wheren't lekgolo, and honor guards there when Truth learned that humanity where reclaimers?

  • 08.04.2011 9:16 AM PDT


Posted by: Colichemarde
You know, sometimes I wonder if the engineers ever stopped and tried to let the prophets know what it was all really about. Or if, in some passive aggressive way, they just figured it would get rid of the meddling covenant.

Also wheren't lekgolo, and honor guards there when Truth learned that humanity where reclaimers?


Well Lighter Than Some tried to stop the conflict when it first started. And I doubt he didn't even had a clue about the Humanity-Forerunner connection.
But I guess Truth and the other Prophets made short work of those Engineers who found out the truth.

As for the second thing: the Lekgolo were all burned to death by "The Oracle" (AKA: Medicant Bias) when he told the truth to Truth.
The Mgalekgolo (Hunters) were not there, but on their way there because of all the commotion when the above happened. But they weren't there to hear the truth being spoken, and if they had, I'm sure Truth would have them destroyed right after leaving the room which held MB.

  • 08.04.2011 10:10 AM PDT