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This topic has moved here: Subject: Halo: Cryptum Discussion [May Contain Spoilers]
  • Subject: Halo: Cryptum Discussion [May Contain Spoilers]
Subject: Halo: Cryptum Discussion [May Contain Spoilers]

One Love,
One Tru7h,
One Destiny.


Writer for TheGameFanatics.com

So, I finally have gotten the chance to start reading Cryptum. I've just reached the beginning of Chapter 4 and already have a few questions in regards to the book.

I'm sure more questions will come to my mind as I remember them, but these are the few I already have:

From the impression I've gotten so far, I understand that Chakas and Riser are both Humans to an extent. But, given their description of height and so forth is Chakas to be considered that of an average human? Or "Cave-man" for that matter? And is Riser considered almost a "Dwarf" ? I was thrown off at the beginning of the book when Born was on the boat as they were heading to Djamonkin Augh. I believe they were avoiding merse? What exactly are the merse?

I'm sure my questions will be answered as I continue reading, but these have just been bugging me all night since I started reading.

Also, exactly how big are the Prometheans?

  • 08.17.2011 10:23 AM 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!"

I'm warning you now that these answers may contain spoilers, so don't get upset.

When the Librarian created the haven for Humans on Earth (Erde Tyrene), she, in a sense, set up different "types." I would compare them most accurately to breeds of dogs. Not trying to be insulting here, but it's the best way to describe the varying physical traits, but genetically similar characteristics.

  • 08.17.2011 10:31 AM 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!"

Also, the Merse aren't important. They are just genetically engineered organisms. Quite aggressive.

It indirectly explains their purpose later. The whole island is a bit of a test. The humans should over come each hurdle, but only after some time.

  • 08.17.2011 10:33 AM PDT

One Love,
One Tru7h,
One Destiny.


Writer for TheGameFanatics.com

Makes sense when you put it that way. It's almost exactly what I had thought, prometheus.

Now, the same applies to the dazzle I believe it was called? The dazzle was, as it was said in the book, a barrier of sorts that were meant to hide things, correct? But can be overcome if knowing how to bypass them like how Chakas pulls Bornstellar to the left when exclaiming him to move, correct?

And the ancilla highly reminds me of how Cortana is towards the Master Chief - not a normal AI. (I'm under the impression that each Forerunner get's their own ancilla, or AI?)

  • 08.17.2011 10:40 AM PDT

"On the seventh day, god did not rest, but rather he created 64 player multiplayer!"

I believe an average Forerunner is anywhere from 8-12 feet tall, but this of course can be dependent on where they are in their mutations... A Promethean is bigger than that, for sure, though I don't remember ever getting specific details to height...only that they are much bigger than BornStellar himself.

And yes, ancillas are basically A.I. like Cortana and the Chief...only every Forerunner gets one, kinda cool.

[Edited on 08.17.2011 10:43 AM PDT]

  • 08.17.2011 10:42 AM PDT

One Love,
One Tru7h,
One Destiny.


Writer for TheGameFanatics.com


Posted by: Hydrilus
I believe an average Forerunner is anywhere from 8-12 feet tall, but this of course can be dependent on where they are in their mutations... A Promethean is bigger than that, for sure, though I don't remember ever getting specific details to height...only that they are much bigger than Born Stellar himself.


This is also how I interpreted it. But, the Prometheans that Bornstellar, Chakas and Riser approached together for the first tim, weren't those just armour? I clearly remember Bornstellar examining the statues and pointing out that at the end of their tails were their thrusters. Or am I wrong?

  • 08.17.2011 10:45 AM PDT

"On the seventh day, god did not rest, but rather he created 64 player multiplayer!"


Posted by: King Nis085

Posted by: Hydrilus
I believe an average Forerunner is anywhere from 8-12 feet tall, but this of course can be dependent on where they are in their mutations... A Promethean is bigger than that, for sure, though I don't remember ever getting specific details to height...only that they are much bigger than Born Stellar himself.


This is also how I interpreted it. But, the Prometheans that Bornstellar, Chakas and Riser approached together for the first tim, weren't those just armour? I clearly remember Bornstellar examining the statues and pointing out that at the end of their tails were their thrusters. Or am I wrong?


No those aren't Prometheans. You'll find out more about those a bit later... The Didact (if you've met him yet...) is a Promethean... Bornstellar refers to him as a Promethean, Warrior-Servant, and Didact... Promethean is just sort of a class/mutation name for "Warrior-Servant."

[Edited on 08.17.2011 12:32 PM PDT]

  • 08.17.2011 12:30 PM PDT


Posted by: Hydrilus

Posted by: King Nis085

Posted by: Hydrilus
I believe an average Forerunner is anywhere from 8-12 feet tall, but this of course can be dependent on where they are in their mutations... A Promethean is bigger than that, for sure, though I don't remember ever getting specific details to height...only that they are much bigger than Born Stellar himself.


This is also how I interpreted it. But, the Prometheans that Bornstellar, Chakas and Riser approached together for the first tim, weren't those just armour? I clearly remember Bornstellar examining the statues and pointing out that at the end of their tails were their thrusters. Or am I wrong?


No those aren't Prometheans. You'll find out more about those a bit later... The Didact (if you've met him yet...) is a Promethean... Bornstellar refers to him as a Promethean, Warrior-Servant, and Didact... Promethean is just sort of a class/mutation name for "Warrior-Servant."


Prometheans are the highest ranking Warrior-Servants in the Forerunner military, like Generals I suppose.

And in Chapter 4, isn't Born about the same height as Chakas? (who is 14 years old)

Mind, he hasn't gone through a mutation yet, and is only twelve, so he's not average Forerunner size.

  • 08.17.2011 12:46 PM PDT

Has these books explained why the Humans can use Forerunner technology yet?(Perhaps in the next book(s))

Like in Halo Wars where Anders activates the console for those ships?(Human touch)

Or etc.

  • 08.17.2011 12:57 PM PDT

One Love,
One Tru7h,
One Destiny.


Writer for TheGameFanatics.com

Yeah, I understood that the Prometheans and Warrior-Servants were/are the same. I guess I need to keep reading!

  • 08.17.2011 1:22 PM PDT

One Love,
One Tru7h,
One Destiny.


Writer for TheGameFanatics.com

Since I finished Cryptum just a few hours ago there are many things that have been curiously been laying on my mind.

(May Contain more Spoilers)

When Bornstellar is brought back to the Capital, he first witnesses the Array Installations positioned neatly above it - as I read on it was confirmed that Mendicant Bias had brought the Rings there himself. So it's confirmed, that at this point, Mendicant Bias has defected to the Flood. Meaning that just prior to the story in Cryptum, Mendicant Bias had spent the past 43 years talking to the Timeless One, or Gravemind.

My question is, why exactly did he have only control over 5 of the Installations? The Monitors of the stations couldn't do anything against his control?

And exactly which Installations were being controlled by Mendicant? Perhaps Guilty Sparks?

I have so many pages bookmarked for referencing back to. And so many questions yet unanswered - still.

How was Mendicant Bias able to use Bornstellar's ancilla at the Capital even?

I hoping someone can shed some light on these for me - because I am still so curious. I might just have to reread the last few chapters once again.

  • 08.27.2011 2:32 AM PDT

To answer your first and last question, Mendicant Bias was a contender-class AI, the most powerful kind the Forerunners ever invented and his mission was to destroy the Gravemind and at that time, the Forerunners still thought it was on their side so he probably had very high level clearance to override the ancilla and maybe the 5 Halo Rings. No, the seven halo rings that survived/rebuilt is the one's we know today. According to the new terminal video, Spark and his fellow Moniters were called from different stations and placed on the seven Halo Rings after those events.

Not sure if this is true but its my theory.

  • 08.27.2011 6:44 AM PDT


Posted by: NTCloud09
Has these books explained why the Humans can use Forerunner technology yet?(Perhaps in the next book(s))

Like in Halo Wars where Anders activates the console for those ships?(Human touch)

Or etc.



Almost. I can almost guarantee the next book will connect a lot of dots in that regard, as it is narrated by chakas...talking to master chief (we think).

But in cryptum we are introduced to this thing called a "geas", in which a forerunner can impart memories of other(s) into a living creature, only to be revealed to that person under the proper circumstances. It can even be embedded into that persons genetic line, so all offspring of that person would be able to see those memories if the right conditions were met.

With that in mind, consider that Greg Bear hinted that the spartan-IIs all share a common ancestor - one of the two main human characters in cryptum. It would seem that the genetic profiling Dr Halsey conducted when choosing candidates for S-II included one gene that they all had in common. Now, knowing that the next forerunner books takes place mostly on a rogue halo ring, starring the two human characters...a lot should be explained soon.

  • 08.27.2011 7:15 AM PDT

One Love,
One Tru7h,
One Destiny.


Writer for TheGameFanatics.com

I assumed as much because Mendicant Bias was a Contender-Class AI. Thanks for confirming that.

I'm hoping that in the second book, we get to see a little bit more of Mendicant Bias, the Timeless One and even the last Precursor.

Edit after seeing above post*

The second book is going to be narrated from Chakas' point of view? Talking to the Master Chief? (You also said, "we think" - noted) Was this hinted or said by Greg Bear?

[Edited on 08.27.2011 7:54 AM PDT]

  • 08.27.2011 7:52 AM PDT

Well thats my theory on why Mendicant Bias had the ability to do that stuff.

The Timeless One is the last Precursor. In the description that we have, it has Chakas talking to John somehow. Also the current info we have is that Mendicant Bias and the Timeless One will have more show time as well as the Precursor's plan. Frank O'Connor hinted that Chakas and John have a connection.

  • 08.27.2011 9:31 AM PDT

One Love,
One Tru7h,
One Destiny.


Writer for TheGameFanatics.com


Posted by: ThatOneJedi
Well thats my theory on why Mendicant Bias had the ability to do that stuff.

The Timeless One is the last Precursor. In the description that we have, it has Chakas talking to John somehow. Also the current info we have is that Mendicant Bias and the Timeless One will have more show time as well as the Precursor's plan. Frank O'Connor hinted that Chakas and John have a connection.


I was upset to see that the Didact was executed on the San 'Shyuum home world. I assumed Chakas and Riser met some simliar fate - but assumed exile or some kind of imprisonment.

I'm curious though as to the relationship Chakas and John will have.

  • 08.27.2011 10:16 AM PDT


Posted by: King Nis085
I assumed as much because Mendicant Bias was a Contender-Class AI. Thanks for confirming that.

I'm hoping that in the second book, we get to see a little bit more of Mendicant Bias, the Timeless One and even the last Precursor.

Edit after seeing above post*

The second book is going to be narrated from Chakas' point of view? Talking to the Master Chief? (You also said, "we think" - noted) Was this hinted or said by Greg Bear?


http://www.amazon.com/Halo-Primordium-Greg-Bear/dp/0765323974 /ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1311822205&sr=1-3

read the product description

as to the link between chakas/riser and the spartan-IIs, greg bear said that during comicon. I imagine it would be pretty hard to make a connection like that unless chakas really is talking to John. Otherwise how else would the book have a connection to current time, as it takes place 100,000 years ago?



[Edited on 08.27.2011 10:23 AM PDT]

  • 08.27.2011 10:20 AM PDT

Yea very true. Though Bornstellar is, for all intent and purposes, the Diadect now.

  • 08.27.2011 10:38 AM PDT
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He is more than just the Didact. While he has all the memories/experience from the brevet mutation he recieved, he still has the Builder in him as well.

  • 08.27.2011 10:43 AM PDT

One Love,
One Tru7h,
One Destiny.


Writer for TheGameFanatics.com

Ah thank you Wazooty! I can't wait for Primordium to come out.

Is is possible for the essence, the mind of Chakas to be implanted into a Monitor of some sorts. Perhaps past the point of even rampancy?

I'm assuming, since the Master Builder was brought to the Capital that somewhere in that battle above it Chakas and Riser were tossed aside onto one of the Rings that was involved. That's the only thing I can think of.

  • 08.27.2011 10:43 AM PDT
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Unless catastrophic events occured, Forerunner ancilla were not subject to rampancy in a short period of time, it would most likely take several thousand years for it to occur. There was an AI in Born Stellar's home that had survived for a long time without sucuumbing to rampancy.

[Edited on 08.27.2011 10:47 AM PDT]

  • 08.27.2011 10:47 AM PDT


Posted by: King Nis085
Ah thank you Wazooty! I can't wait for Primordium to come out.

Is is possible for the essence, the mind of Chakas to be implanted into a Monitor of some sorts. Perhaps past the point of even rampancy?

I'm assuming, since the Master Builder was brought to the Capital that somewhere in that battle above it Chakas and Riser were tossed aside onto one of the Rings that was involved. That's the only thing I can think of.



One persons rumor is that chakas is turned into offensive bias.

The humans are on the halo ring as experiments to figure out how to fight the flood (or so it seems), so it would make sense that the forerunner would use one of them to turn into the AI that would fight the flood. It would explain why chakas is still "alive" 100,000 years later. Also, by using a living creature as the basis for the AI, it wont have the same weakness that caused medicant bias to defect to the flood in the first place (cold hard logic dictates that the flood is a superior species, which is why medicant bias betrayed the forerunner, but a human based AI would have the understanding for life necessary to not be swayed).

Read the data pads. At the beginning of each data pad there's a "human" talking. My theory is that that is offensive bias aka chakas, commenting on the activities of the forerunner AI's as they try to guide humanity.

[Edited on 08.27.2011 10:54 AM PDT]

  • 08.27.2011 10:51 AM PDT

One Love,
One Tru7h,
One Destiny.


Writer for TheGameFanatics.com

Intriguing theory, Wazooty. I'll have to read through the Data Pads now. ~_~

Edit after reading new info*

It is possible that Chakas, prior to his initial death was turned into an AI. Through the Cognitive Impression Modeling (CIM) that the Humans used to create their Smart AI's could have been a similar technique that was used by Forerunners.

This does, to an extent, support the theory of Chakas becoming Offensive Bias.

[Edited on 08.27.2011 11:06 AM PDT]

  • 08.27.2011 10:57 AM PDT