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Subject: The reason behind the great War...
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First off, I assume you are all familiar with the theory that the Human race is descended from the Forerunners. This theory is enforced by many events in the books and games, such as how 343 Guilty Spark and the other monitor only ever call humans by the name ‘reclaimer’ and how 343 called the information he gained from the POA’s databanks ‘our lost history’.

Also, it seems the Covenant know this. How is this shown? It is shown at the end of Halo 2 with the Brutes attempting to get Ms. Keys to activate Halo 2.0.

So, why would the Covenant (namely the Prophets) declare a war on the decedents of the race that they worship? Well, in the Covenant religion, the activation of the ‘Holy Rings’ will activate a sort of ‘tidal wave’ which will carry all those that are worthy into heaven. They assume that the Forerunners are ascended beings that achieved their ‘ascension’ through the activation of the Halos...

This leaves us to ponder ‘those left behind’. What does that mean? That means that you are not ‘worthy’ of the ‘Great Journey’ and will be left on this plane of existence.

My theory is that the Covenant stumbled upon the human race while seeking Forerunner technology, and somehow figured out that we are descended from the ‘holy race’. For a while, I assume they where confused as to how we could exist if all of the Forerunner where swept away by the ‘Great Journey’. They must have come to the conclusion that we where ‘unworthy’ or ‘unholy’ traitors to the Forerunners, and the Covenant declared a holy war to purge the ‘enemy of the holy race’ from the face of the galaxy.

This would also explain why the human race was not offered asylum among the races of the Covenant, like all others before them.

This may also explain why they constantly refer to the Master Chief as ‘Devil’ or ‘Demon’.

  • 05.20.2006 9:49 PM PDT

Interesting point.

  • 05.20.2006 9:52 PM PDT
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Logic...

And too much free time...

Ya, that sums it up nicely.

  • 05.20.2006 10:09 PM PDT
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how do we know the elites cant be reclaimers as well? the first index was taken by the humans before the elites had a chance. In quarentine zone, you play as the arbiter and are attempting to beat the humans to the sacred icon(index). but again, the humans beat you to it(but then you catch them and the brutes catch you and...yeah)

  • 05.20.2006 10:12 PM PDT
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well why didnt the prophets talk about that in halo 2 and how the hell could master chief not be worthy

  • 05.20.2006 10:18 PM PDT
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I have delved deeply into the lore of halo for a very long time. The books, the games, even the blasted ‘I love Bees’ bull-blam!-... All the Cortana letters and other .net crap to pass its way through the internet have been through my head.

My theory is simply based around taking what I know of the Covenant, and trying to draw up a logical conclusion.

And simply put, the Halo 3 trailer should END any debate as to the origins of the human race. The Forerunners nuked themselves and the rest of the galaxy, leaving Earth outside the blast range (or not). I assume something went wrong for us to have survived the detonation of the Halo’s but to have lost the memory of our former technological grandeur.

And I’m still trying to figure out how the Gravemind is going to effect the plot of Halo 3. My assumptions on that note is that while the MC runs around trying to save Earth, the Arbiter is forced to try and rescue Cortana and get off of Halo 2.0 to try and stop the activation of the Halos. It is possible that Cortana will attempt to communicate with Earth (be that the MC or the forerunner installation there) through the ‘beacon’ at the end of Halo 2.

Bleh, there may even be a boss fight between the Arbiter and the Gravemind... or maby Cortana goes through with the self destruction of ‘In Amber Clad’. Either way, Cortana is going to once again get a whole -blam!-load of Forerunner information jammed into her head, and is gona have Rampancy problems.

Halo 3 might possibly end with Cortana and John being reunited and the Arbiter being set incharge of the Covenant, having revealed the truth of the ‘great journey’ matter to them, and explaining the ‘descended from the forerunner’ thing to the human race...

Halo 3 could also end with Cortana going completely rampant and Bungie pulling an ‘Aries’ and killing her off at the end of the game. We may even see the Master Chief sacrifice himself to halt the destruction of Earth, though its already good and -blam!- by the looks of it.

*shudder* I just hope we don’t have to deal with a Flood outbreak on Earth... though I know we will.

If you don’t believe me, take a GOOD look at revelations at the end of the Bible. Bungie is going to try and tie in the ‘End of Earth’ in Halo 3 to the ‘End of Earth’ in the Bible.

There will be Zombies.
There will be monsters.
And there will be Salvation.

Which of the three will you bring?

  • 05.20.2006 10:24 PM PDT
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but if the humans are the forerunner, why didnt the monitor just call them thus?

  • 05.20.2006 10:28 PM PDT
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Posted by: AWC
well why didnt the prophets talk about that in halo 2 and how the hell could master chief not be worthy


Its not that the 'Master Chief' is not worthy, its simply that the whole damned human race isnt. I mean, take a good look at the cutsceens in the beginning of Halo 2. The ones involving the Arbiter and the Prophets. They label him a heratic and say that the weight of his heracy will stain his feet, and that he will be left behind when the Halo's are activated (just like with the Humans, or so the Prophets believe).

If you pay attention to subtle details, the Prophets did talk about it in Halo 2... but you also have to look into alternative sources of information to draw an absolute conclusion.

  • 05.20.2006 10:30 PM PDT
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Posted by: cavero
but if the humans are the forerunner, why didnt the monitor just call them thus?


He did. You just have to assume that the Forerunner equivalent of a Marine is called a 'reclaimer'.

  • 05.20.2006 10:31 PM PDT
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Posted by: Hybrid
Posted by: cavero
but if the humans are the forerunner, why didnt the monitor just call them thus?


He did. You just have to assume that the Forerunner equivalent of a Marine is called a 'reclaimer'.


maybe not. reclaim means to bring back. maybe the humans were the creatures charged with bringing the fore runners back at the right time. Maybe inside the ark you find the forerunners and their descendents. It would be pretty cool to see at the end of halo 3 the forerunners emerging from the ark, beatin the daylights out of the profets and setting the covenant straight.

  • 05.21.2006 1:31 AM PDT
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Hybrid your thoughts are truly logical

And to clear up the deception among posters, it's not that MC or the human race necessarily are unworthy it's simply the covenants' perception of the matter..

Although I can't help but ponder this: What if the Prophets know about the devastating force unleashed when activating the Halos, that in fact kill all sentient life in the universe? This makes me wonder about the prophet of Truth, if there is any symbolism with his name then must he not know?

Your thoughts?

  • 05.21.2006 2:30 AM PDT
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i think you are right on what u said about cortana going evil obviously be the fact that in the trailer she said "i have defied demons and gods" demon obviously meaning MC as the covenant call him and gods maybe are the forerunners as she has stopped the rings activating?

[Edited on 5/21/2006]

  • 05.21.2006 5:49 AM PDT
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Posted by: chappers316
i think you are right on what u said about cortana going evil obviously be the fact that in the trailer she said "i have defied demons and gods" demon obviously meaning MC as the covenant call him and gods maybe are the forerunners as she has stopped the rings activating?

I assume that by Gods, she means the Covenant.
and by Demons, she means the Flood.

her speech could very well have many meanings if it is put forth into the game itself. She could be talking to the Master Chief, trying to boost his moral... Or she could be talking to the Human race as a whole, referring to herself or her and the Master Chief.

I have defied Gods and Demons
I am your shield, I am your sword
I know you, your past, your future
This is the way the world ends.

I have stood against the Covenant and the Flood.
I have defended your race, I have assaulted your enemy.
I know the secret of your past (the Forerunner/human thing) and I know the prophecy of your future.

This is the way the world is supposed to end...
But I'll be damned if I'll let that happen!

If you sit down and analyze it... it really sounds like a speech made by Cortana on behalf of herself and the Master Chief to whomever is left on Earth, in an attempt to give them hope.

  • 05.21.2006 6:13 AM PDT
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Posted by: Helmer Ve
Hybrid your thoughts are truly logical

And to clear up the deception among posters, it's not that MC or the human race necessarily are unworthy it's simply the covenants' perception of the matter..

Although I can't help but ponder this: What if the Prophets know about the devastating force unleashed when activating the Halos, that in fact kill all sentient life in the universe? This makes me wonder about the prophet of Truth, if there is any symbolism with his name then must he not know?

Your thoughts?



"There are things about Halo that even the Hiararchs do not understand." -Arbiter

They full and well know the power that can be Unleashed by the Halos, they simply refuse to see the 'Truth' behind the purpous of the Machines... Allthough, the Prophet of Truth could very well know that the 'Great Journey' is just a crock of -blam!-... he may simply think he's too good to be 'left behind' and doesnt give a rats ass if every other living creature has to die for him to be sent on the great journey.

watch the cutsceen 'Inside Job' with the Gravemind in it... In it, he compairs the Prophets opinion of the Rings with the Monitor's 'facts' about the rings... aswell as the Master Chief and the Arbiters 'destiny'. I want you to watch the cutsceen and pay atention to the Prophet and the Monitor's argument. (also note how happy the Monitor is to see a 'Reclaimer') The Monitor sits there and tells the Prophet flat out that he is wrong and that Halo is simply a weapon... but the Prophet is too Zealotish to listen, he simply assumes that the Monitor is full of -blam!-, ignorant, or nuts...

And judging by how 343 is treated by the Covenant when he is their 'captive' I think most prophets share 'Regrets' opinions of the Machines... though once again, like you sugested... the Prophet of Truth may very well know the truth behind the matter and has some alterier motive, or simply choses to assume something...

Or calling him the prophet of Truth may just be Bungie trying to be witty about his ignorance in the matter... but I doubt it... The little prick Knows whats going on, one way or another, and the rest of us are gona suffer through the flood because of it.

  • 05.21.2006 6:25 AM PDT
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"There are things about Halo that even the Hiararchs do not understand." -Arbiter

Still, If Truth knows the truth about the Halos, then the Arbiter doesn't necessarily know about this knowledge does he?

Watching that cutscene there is another interesting thing to point out...

"GRAVEMIND (to MC): This one is machine and nerve and has its mind concluded."

"GRAVEMIND (to the Arbiter): This one is but flesh and faith, and is the more deluded."

This implies that they booth have the wrong idea wouldn't you say? Both perspectives are distorted according to Gravemind, and that makes me wonder - What does Truth really know?

Another interesting thing in this cutscene is that the monitor and Regret seem oddly hostile towards one and other, disagreeing and argueing - Yet they still want the same thing...

  • 05.21.2006 6:53 AM PDT
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I like it.
But they said the reason why the Covenant were at war with in humans in Halo 2. On the level on delta halo one of the holograms says that humanity was standing in the way of forerunner relics becuase we colonized planets where Forerunner technologies lay hidden (ex Reach). So they declared war on humanity for standing in the way of Forerunner things. That is pretty much the gist of it.

  • 05.21.2006 8:01 AM PDT
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Posted by: Hybrid
I assume that by Gods, she means the Covenant.
and by Demons, she means the Flood.

her speech could very well have many meanings if it is put forth into the game itself. She could be talking to the Master Chief, trying to boost his moral... Or she could be talking to the Human race as a whole, referring to herself or her and the Master Chief.

I have defied Gods and Demons
I am your shield, I am your sword
I know you, your past, your future
This is the way the world ends.

I have stood against the Covenant and the Flood.
I have defended your race, I have assaulted your enemy.
I know the secret of your past (the Forerunner/human thing) and I know the prophecy of your future.

This is the way the world is supposed to end...
But I'll be damned if I'll let that happen!

If you sit down and analyze it... it really sounds like a speech made by Cortana on behalf of herself and the Master Chief to whomever is left on Earth, in an attempt to give them hope.


I like your theories, although this one I disagree with. Cortana had the chance to broadcast one message to Master Chief and this is all she said. In my opinion she could've said alot more morale boosting things than this. In fact i'd go as far as saying her words are actually anti-morale. Granted, she may have been weary of her words being intercepted so she spoke in code, but personally I believe that this is not cortana at all, and that she is being forced to say this by Gravemind. Most of these sound like taunts.
"I am your shield, I am your sword" - Chief, I have your only real weapon, you will fail without cortana.
"I know you, your past, your future" - And with your AI under my control there is nothing about you I cannot learn.
"This is the way the world should end" - So stop trying to fight it(?) Although her change in tone at this point suggests she may have said this of her own free will.

Also note the occasional breakthrough of Gravemind's voice over cortana, and cortana's apparent struggle to speak. I think this is either the Gravemind's crude control of Cortana's speech, or Cortana resisting control.

[Edited on 5/21/2006]

  • 05.21.2006 8:36 AM PDT
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Posted by: Helmer Ve
"There are things about Halo that even the Hiararchs do not understand." -Arbiter

Still, If Truth knows the truth about the Halos, then the Arbiter doesn't necessarily know about this knowledge does he?

Watching that cutscene there is another interesting thing to point out...

"GRAVEMIND (to MC): This one is machine and nerve and has its mind concluded."

"GRAVEMIND (to the Arbiter): This one is but flesh and faith, and is the more deluded."

This implies that they booth have the wrong idea wouldn't you say? Both perspectives are distorted according to Gravemind, and that makes me wonder - What does Truth really know?

Another interesting thing in this cutscene is that the monitor and Regret seem oddly hostile towards one and other, disagreeing and argueing - Yet they still want the same thing...


"Concluded" look it up the meaning of the word... >_> he's saying that the Master Chief knows his gravy, and that the Arbiter is just another Zealot...

  • 05.21.2006 3:03 PM PDT
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Posted by: MSAT07
I like it.
But they said the reason why the Covenant were at war with in humans in Halo 2. On the level on delta halo one of the holograms says that humanity was standing in the way of forerunner relics becuase we colonized planets where Forerunner technologies lay hidden (ex Reach). So they declared war on humanity for standing in the way of Forerunner things. That is pretty much the gist of it.


I never really payed much attention to the Prophets outside of the cutsceens... I think I'll try to look into the matter, but I doubt I'll be able to duplicate the line you heard...

Most likely, I assume he was saying something along the lines of "They are trying to stand in the way of the Great Journey" and "We will not allow them to stop us!"

To me, this seems like normal wartime propaganda designed to get the Covenant angry towards the humans... It still doesnt exclude my theory about why the Covenant started the war in the first place.

  • 05.21.2006 3:07 PM PDT
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Posted by: Daewoodrow

I like your theories, although this one I disagree with. Cortana had the chance to broadcast one message to Master Chief and this is all she said. In my opinion she could've said alot more morale boosting things than this. In fact i'd go as far as saying her words are actually anti-morale. Granted, she may have been weary of her words being intercepted so she spoke in code, but personally I believe that this is not cortana at all, and that she is being forced to say this by Gravemind. Most of these sound like taunts.
"I am your shield, I am your sword" - Chief, I have your only real weapon, you will fail without cortana.
"I know you, your past, your future" - And with your AI under my control there is nothing about you I cannot learn.
"This is the way the world should end" - So stop trying to fight it(?) Although her change in tone at this point suggests she may have said this of her own free will.

Also note the occasional breakthrough of Gravemind's voice over cortana, and cortana's apparent struggle to speak. I think this is either the Gravemind's crude control of Cortana's speech, or Cortana resisting control.


I think Cortana went Rampant in one form or another. I really dont think the Gravemind has the ability to corrupt a computer program. Particulary not one as smart as Cortana. If he tried to corrupt her programing, she would block his attempts, or blow up the entire Ringworld in order to keep (if nothing else) the 'location of Earth' from the Flood.

The Gravemind may have told her some stuff at the end of Halo 2 that was simply too much for her to process and she went Rampant, or she tried to download information from 343... she may even have uploaded herself into Halo's mainframe again...

As for her hidden meanings behind her word choices, and to whom she intends the message to reach... well... we could argue about it till we turn blue, but come 2007, someones gona be proven wrong. So I'd rather wait untill then to find out.

Oh, and I predict that the last level of Halo 3 will involve the Master Chief and the Arbiter fighting side by side with squads of Covenant and Humans alike trying to fight off the Flood and deactivate whatever was activated in the Trailer...

  • 05.21.2006 3:17 PM PDT
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Posted: 5/20/2006 9:49 PM

Subject: The reason behind the great War...


......>>>> Very intertesting points. Logical reasoning.

  • 05.21.2006 3:22 PM PDT
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Posted by: BLASTem
Posted: 5/20/2006 9:49 PM

Subject: The reason behind the great War...


......>>>> Very intertesting points. Logical reasoning.


Knowledge is my gun

Logic is my bullet

  • 05.22.2006 9:27 AM PDT
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Good points, I'm siding with Hybrid on this one.

  • 05.22.2006 9:41 AM PDT

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