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This topic has moved here: Subject: The Betrayal of the Elites
  • Subject: The Betrayal of the Elites
Subject: The Betrayal of the Elites

NB: I am not a Halo expert, please pardon my uninformed nature demonstrated below. Thanks in advance.

Why did the Prophets really give the order to the Brutes (and the rest of the Covenant) to decimate the Elites? So the Prophets believed the Elites were no longer fit to be their protectors. The changing of the Honour Guardsmen was a sign of what was to come, yes? But what was the big reason the Prophets decided to wipe the Elites from the Covenant alliance?

The idea that the Prophets would kill off the Elites solely because they didn't trust them any longer is beyond absurd. There are so many reasons, clear to the Prophets, why the decision would have been terrible:

1) Arguably the greatest fighting force of the Covenant slaughtered
2) Enormous numbers of other Covenant species killed subsequently
3) War effort against the humans drastically affected
4) Their very own protection at serious risk

Probably other reasons too. But why did the Prophets think the decision would be beneficial?

1) They didn't think the Elites truly believed in The Great Journey?
2) They believed the Brute leadership would make the Covenant stronger?
3) They no longer trusted the Elites?
4) Fear of some kind of uprising?

Again, other reasons why they may have done so. I was thinking maybe they were "used" simply to act solely as the military to advance the Covenant influence. Their kind to be extinguished when the goal of the true Covenant believers was within reach?

Is there a true, clear answer and explanation for the decision? Am I missing something MASSIVELY obvious? (I think I am, haha) Replies welcome, thanks for reading.

  • 02.18.2012 5:29 PM PDT

<3

mabey they just got bored

  • 02.18.2012 5:35 PM PDT

"I will show you how a true Prussian officer fights!"

"And i will show you where the iron crosses grow..."

- "Cross of Iron"

The elites failed to protect Regret. Its as simple as that.

  • 02.18.2012 5:43 PM PDT

"I may not be perfect, but always been true."

The Prophets were okay with the Elites, Truth however was the boss and he didn't want the Elites anywhere near him as he saw that they could realize the lie about humans (a friend of Thel Vadam almost killed Truth but was killed by Thel himself). He concocted a plan that would cause the death of Regret and then blame it on the Elites (whom were called back before they could help Regret), that way they would look unfit to protect the hierarchs and Truth would be able to replace them with the Brutes whom were more devote to their religion and whom would not question their orders as they had been waiting for an opportunity to be superior to the Elites ever since joining the Covenant.

  • 02.18.2012 5:46 PM PDT

@accordingto343

Your one stop shop for all of 343's fabulous errors and ridiculous notions in the Halo lore.

I guess the idea of making your chief bodyguards the race your own language calls "Brutes" was too good an opportunity to pass up.

  • 02.18.2012 5:50 PM PDT

Brutes got the job done better in a nutshell.

  • 02.18.2012 5:50 PM PDT

@accordingto343

Your one stop shop for all of 343's fabulous errors and ridiculous notions in the Halo lore.

Posted by: XxChadTheGamerxX
Brutes got the job done better in a nutshell.


If you ignore that it cost the fragmentation of the Covenant, sure.

  • 02.18.2012 5:57 PM PDT

If i recall correctly, Truth wanted the Elites replaced because he thought the Brutes would be more willing pawns and not question orders or anything.

  • 02.18.2012 6:06 PM PDT

I love you

Truth wanted to be the complete leader of the covenant which is why he called the Elites back to let Regret be killed, and then let the infection form gobble up Mercy. He knew the Elites were going to find out what he did, so he ordered the genocide of their species. And it also helped that the Brutes were dumber than dirt so they wouldn't question what Regret asked of them.

  • 02.18.2012 8:19 PM PDT

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

Bungie needed a way to make it feasible for Humanity to defeat the Covenant.

  • 02.18.2012 8:34 PM PDT

I love you


Posted by: anton1792
Bungie needed a way to make it feasible for Humanity to defeat the Covenant.
No...just no.

  • 02.18.2012 8:36 PM PDT

"I may not be perfect, but always been true."


Posted by: cRiPpL3fIgHt45

Posted by: anton1792
Bungie needed a way to make it feasible for Humanity to defeat the Covenant.
No...just no.


There was no other way to have humanity defeat the Covenant.

  • 02.18.2012 8:40 PM PDT

I love you


Posted by: RKOSNAKE

Posted by: cRiPpL3fIgHt45

Posted by: anton1792
Bungie needed a way to make it feasible for Humanity to defeat the Covenant.
No...just no.


There was no other way to have humanity defeat the Covenant.
No, I know that, I meant that Bungie didn't just pull it out of their ass. The had writers make the story. I know humanity was -blam!- without the Elites.

  • 02.18.2012 8:46 PM PDT

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

Posted by: cRiPpL3fIgHt45
Posted by: anton1792
Bungie needed a way to make it feasible for Humanity to defeat the Covenant.
No...just no.

Yes, oh yes.

It is nothing short of idiotic for Truth to have made the decision that he made and have the Elites not only excommunicated but then exterminated. Exterminating them would require resources, ships and more soldiers, and with the Elites gone this pressure is going to be dumped on a reduced military and economy. The Elites are no pushovers, as well as still having control over a massive amount of resources and equipment. The damage to the Covenant would have been final, and he is too smart to have not known that.

Changing the guard alone was perhaps a sensible move if he suspected that the Elites would rebel soon, but choosing to exterminate them takes an event which is only a possibility and makes it a certainty. This is supposed to be the person who did everything in his power to preserve the Covenant by making sure the Elites never rebelled. He kept the true nature of the war on Humanity censored from billions despite the mountain of evidence around. He is a master at manipulating and planning. Him doing something so stupid when he is just about to defeat Humanity at Earth and activate the Array is frankly out of character. He could have waited 2 months before purging the Elites, which would mean that Humanity would have been crushed utterly leaving him to focus fully on the Elites by using the defeat of Humanity as justification for reducing their military capability (No more war) and then using the full might of the Brute led Covenant to smash the now reduced might of Sanghelios. It is not like the Elites were upset with exterminating Humanity or were doubting their faith and were imminently about to rebel about these issues. They would have done as they were told in the same fashion as they did so for the past 27 years, for the near future. Why did Truth not wait 2 months? Unless the Elites were literally on the streets rioting over something, then I see no reason why he made the choice at that moment.

So yes, Bungie did sort of just pull it out of their ass.

  • 02.18.2012 8:59 PM PDT

"At the end of this day one shall stand, one shall fall"

So, Death or Bungie?

The Elites betrayed? Are you serious... The covenant Betrayed the Elites.

  • 02.19.2012 12:03 AM PDT

Posted by: Septagon7th
The Elites betrayed? Are you serious... The covenant Betrayed the Elites.
Don't know what you're talking about.

  • 02.19.2012 4:14 AM PDT

Posted by: ElementalRunner

Posted by: Commander Stroll
Still using a pump-action shotgun over 500 years in the future I see.

omg not realistic stop game production plz


Posted by: AcedannyK 7
Posted by: Septagon7th
The Elites betrayed? Are you serious... The covenant Betrayed the Elites.
Don't know what you're talking about.

I think he misread the title, thinking you meant "the betrayal of the Elites" (i.e. the Elites betraying someone else).

Anywho, I always assumed that it was down to the issue of loyalty. Sesa Refumee (is that his name?), the heretic that the Arbiter kills in Halo 2, is an example of the kind of Elite that is intellegent enough to learn of the lies and lead a rebellion against the Covenant. The Prophet of Truth couldn't risk more Elites accidentally learning about the lies via monitors such as Guilty Spark, so he essentially decided that the Brutes are much less likely to realise anything, even if a Forerunner monitor told them; they're stubborn and stupid, a great mix.

  • 02.19.2012 4:19 AM PDT

Posted by:ScubaToaster
Posted by: HipiO7
This man, this man right here put it so eloquently that I actually cancelled my own 2000+ word long post.
/slow clap for respect


:)
The person who said participating is important, not winning, obviously never won anything.

Posted by: RKOSNAKE
The Prophets were okay with the Elites, Truth however was the boss and he didn't want the Elites anywhere near him as he saw that they could realize the lie about humans (a friend of Thel Vadam almost killed Truth but was killed by Thel himself). He concocted a plan that would cause the death of Regret and then blame it on the Elites (whom were called back before they could help Regret), that way they would look unfit to protect the hierarchs and Truth would be able to replace them with the Brutes whom were more devote to their religion and whom would not question their orders as they had been waiting for an opportunity to be superior to the Elites ever since joining the Covenant.


Long story short, this.

  • 02.19.2012 6:46 AM PDT

Halo 2 > Halo 3 > Halo 3 ODST > Halo Reach > Halo CE

Based on campaigns.

I heard somewhere that Truth wasn't originally going to wipe out the elites

Truth was simply changing the guard, and the elites threatened to leave the covenant. Because of this, Truth decided to shame them and have the other races of the covenant cast down upon them

  • 02.19.2012 7:42 AM PDT

*reminisces when the Bungie/Halo community wasn't made up of CoD kids*
*sighs*
*activates time-machine and sets the clock back to Nov. 9, 2004*
glory days here I come..
*vanishes*

Truth hated the Elites.

  • 02.19.2012 8:43 AM PDT