Exactly, she puts on a good poker face during Reach, but she's basically blindsided when the Spartan IIIs show up. Glasslands is her chance to finally confront someone about it. There are certainly some retcons in the Halo fiction by now, but that isn't one of them.
I kind of wish they'd avoided the retconned ending of Reach, as it really just felt like a way to force Reach's protagonists more directly into the chain of events that leads to halo 1-3. It's kind of bizarre; they bring the PoA down to Reach's surface to in order to facilitate Noble Team's mission, but that mission is actually
just to transport a small 'shard' of Cortana with the research data to the ship, it isn't even actually Cortana, a fact which anyone who just plays the game would be oblivious to
. It felt like a forced effort to tie a neat bow on everything, when really Noble team's story could have been wrapped up just fine without messing around with what was already written in Fall of Reach.
What's worse is that Bungie didn't have to mess with the fiction in order to make the game tie into book. They could've simply pushed back the Saber mission to help defend the Pillar of Autumn as it escaped (while John was getting the navigation data from the Circumference).
With regards to Halsey and Noble Team, in Halseys journal she sates
"They are Spartans - and with one exception, they're clearly not mine." In the same entry she later says "Are they all SPARTAN-IIs? Or, as i suspect from their inelegant personas, are they substandard versions of the SPARTAN-II? Perhaps from a parallel program (JAVELIN?), or some next gen venture piggybacking on the last three decades of my work... I'm again reminded that Mendez is missing."
The so-called "small shard of Cortana" had the latch key discovery: The coordinates of Installation 04. Even if Reach has a lot of story conflicts with FoR, the game explains where Cortana got the coordinates. Of course the story didn't mention it in the whole game, but I think it is obvious for the most of us.
What's worse is that Bungie didn't have to mess with the fiction in order to make the game tie into book. They could've simply pushed back the Saber mission to help defend the Pillar of Autumn as it escaped (while John was getting the navigation data from the Circumference).
Or something along those lines. I wouldn't have minded a second Saber segment, for example. It was brief and fun enough that a higher stakes second go at it could have been cool, and would have been a fairly straightforward way of reconciling the events you have spoilered with Fall of Reach in way that didn't clash with it.
The game could have accomplished it's narrative goals without all that clash with the existing story. And to my mind at least, it would have been better if it had, only because I feel that in principle, if you can avoid a retcon, you should. Can't go back now though.
I definitely understand all of that, what I'm trying to get at is basically that
Or something along those lines. I wouldn't have minded a second Saber segment, for example. It was brief and fun enough that a higher stakes second go at it could have been cool, and would have been a fairly straightforward way of reconciling the events you have spoilered with Fall of Reach in way that didn't clash with it.
The game could have accomplished it's narrative goals without all that clash with the existing story. And to my mind at least, it would have been better if it had, only because I feel that in principle, if you can avoid a retcon, you should. Can't go back now though.
Fiction issues are always going to be present. Maybe Reach's issues are a bit more than they could have been but that's not what I took issue with.
I did take, and still do, issue with the assertions that Reach fitted into canon snugly - stated at the time of release. It's even mentioned in the Legendary commentary. I felt that was a tad bit disingenuous particularly when only the hardcore fans pay attention to these kind of statements and it's the same hardcore that care enough when it's false being intentionally misled.
The recent Data Drops were well received because they acknowledged some of the canon conflicts and attempted to offer some in-universe explanations for them. The Data Drops didn't have to be published and it's great that they were.
Halo's creators should never be bound by canon but they shouldn't ignore it or mislead the fans over it either. It should be respected as much as possible. Mistreat the canon and it's the most loyal fans that feel disrespected.
Do you have time to play any video games yourself, and if so what are your favorites?
I am one of those who like Halo campaign more than Halo multiplayer. For first person shooters, there are many games, Halo included, that provides a deeply satisfying fragging experience. Yet among almost most shooters still being shipped, Halo is the only one whose universe provides as much hard science fiction possibility. I also love games with RPG twists like Borderlands, as I enjoy games that give me a gameplay narrative unique to me and not any other players. This also goes without saying that I love deeply RPG games like Mass Effect. For international games, I enjoy Metal Gear Solid boss fights. It is obvious the developers put in a great deal of effort into the bosses and the experience of killing the bosses at every encounter. I also love obscure fighter games and played the heck out of the original Battle Arena Toshinden, The King of Fighters, and even more obscure fighter games that too few people had heard of. I love the tough and beautiful challenge of side scroller Einhander. I enjoyed the strategizing in Civilization. I am more attracted to quality, than I am a genre loyalist. I see quality in any genre of game. I don’t have too much of a blind spot against games that are not first person shooters.
Fiction issues are always going to be present. Maybe Reach's issues are a bit more than they could have been but that's not what I took issue with.
I did take, and still do, issue with the assertions that Reach fitted into canon snugly - stated at the time of release. It's even mentioned in the Legendary commentary. I felt that was a tad bit disingenuous particularly when only the hardcore fans pay attention to these kind of statements and it's the same hardcore that care enough when it's false being intentionally misled.
The recent Data Drops were well received because they acknowledged some of the canon conflicts and attempted to offer some in-universe explanations for them. The Data Drops didn't have to be published and it's great that they were.
Halo's creators should never be bound by canon but they shouldn't ignore it or mislead the fans over it either. It should be respected as much as possible. Mistreat the canon and it's the most loyal fans that feel disrespected.
Also Corrinne Yu is awesome, have talked to her a few times and am happy she is on the Halo team, though she did make me jealous when she told me 343 usually plays Halo 4 MP like every day
When the PDF for Data Drop Two is opened in a web browser, the loading screen shows that the file contains 1117 kilobytes, a reference to John-117's service tag, and to the number seven.
Just finished my re-read of Cryptum. The book is better the second time around, but it did leave me with a few questions.
There is an apparent contradiction with the book and the terminals from Halo 3. Mendicant Bias was corrupted not by the Gravemind, but by the Prisoner. Another way the book contradicts with the information given from the terminals is that Mendicant Bias was sent on a mission to take out the Gravemind and was corrupted along the way. The book implies otherwise, but the "mission" he was ordered to continue with after testing the Halo at Charum Hakkor could've been this.
Also, I think the book contradicts itself within a couple of pages. In the Falco, Bornstellar (Didact?) sees six Halo installations, but later he says only one survived the portal escaping the battle of the Capital intact. I don't get it.
Furthermore, I'm confused on mutations. Why does Bornstellar essentially become Didact when other Forerunners who undergo mutations don't become mirror images of their imprints (the person they take after?)?
Just finished my re-read of Cryptum. The book is better the second time around, but it did leave me with a few questions.
There is an apparent contradiction with the book and the terminals from Halo 3. Mendicant Bias was corrupted not by the Gravemind, but by the Prisoner. Another way the book contradicts with the information given from the terminals is that Mendicant Bias was sent on a mission to take out the Gravemind and was corrupted along the way. The book implies otherwise, but the "mission" he was ordered to continue with after testing the Halo at Charum Hakkor could've been this.
Also, I think the book contradicts itself within a couple of pages. In the Falco, Bornstellar (Didact?) sees six Halo installations, but later he says only one survived the portal escaping the battle of the Capital intact. I don't get it.
Furthermore, I'm confused on mutations. Why does Bornstellar essentially become Didact when other Forerunners who undergo mutations don't become mirror images of their imprints (the person they take after?)?
I don't think so. If humans are brethren of Forerunner, we're just as old as the Forerunners (far older than the Librarian). Yet they left us alone.
Some of your questions will be answered early in the new year. Some a year after that. Actually one somewhere between the two. But there are no actual contradictions. In some ways, one of the perspectives in Primordium will create more context-related questions i.e., the protagonist doesn't have a full view of events. Just those local to him.
One thing I'd like to highlight in case Frankie is watching with those hawk eyes of his, as far as multiplayer goes, is to make each game matter again.
In Halo 3 games were tense and meaningful because of the numbered ranking system. You needed to succeed as a team to be ranked well in team games, and each match could have a tangible effect on your level. This made matches exhilarating, and at the same time unique. It gave play sessions an extended narrative that could be influenced but not predicted.
In Reach they scrapped the ranking system altogether in favour of the Arena, which was an abomination in general. 90% of my matches in Reach didn't mean squat, and as a result the emotions I felt whilst playing weren't half as vivid as when I played Halo 2 and 3.
Return the gunplay back to pre-Reach levels and reintroduce playlist ranks for maximum profit.
Oh and this Cryptum discussion is flying way over my head, and I read the book. I'd love a re-read but I just don't have time. I thought GoO was the best book too so I should probably get around to reading Glasslands.
Some of your questions will be answered early in the new year. Some a year after that. Actually one somewhere between the two. But there are no actual contradictions. In some ways, one of the perspectives in Primordium will create more context-related questions i.e., the protagonist doesn't have a full view of events. Just those local to him.
That's good to know. Now the hard part is figuring out which will be answered in Primordium, which will be answered in Halo 4, and which will be answered in the last book of the Forerunner trilogy. I'm gonna bookmark this post. I'll be able to check off each point by process of elimination.
Primoridum comes out over my Christmas break. So much free time to read it.
Just finished my re-read of Cryptum. The book is better the second time around, but it did leave me with a few questions.
There is an apparent contradiction with the book and the terminals from Halo 3. Mendicant Bias was corrupted not by the Gravemind, but by the Prisoner. Another way the book contradicts with the information given from the terminals is that Mendicant Bias was sent on a mission to take out the Gravemind and was corrupted along the way. The book implies otherwise, but the "mission" he was ordered to continue with after testing the Halo at Charum Hakkor could've been this.
You know it's widely believed that the Prisoner and the Gravemind are one in the same? MB kept in full contact and communicated all his conversations whilst he went to face the Flood. The Forerunners were monitoring him carefully and even he didn't know that he would eventually join the Flood and become rampant.
There's still much we don't know for sure though so definitive statements aren't easy to make. There are still gaps left to be filled in.
Also, I think the book contradicts itself within a couple of pages. In the Falco, Bornstellar (Didact?) sees six Halo installations, but later he says only one survived the portal escaping the battle of the Capital intact. I don't get it.
There are twelve Haloes. Six in orbit around the Forerunner capital and six at the Ark. MB attacks the capital and takes control of the six Haloes there. He attempts to fire them but fails and attempts to steal them. He makes a getaway in one of the Haloes through the portal before it collapses.
We do not know for sure, but it is assumed that the five remaining Haloes at the capital are destroyed. If this is true, that means there are seven Haloes left. Six at the Ark and one more controlled by MB running around. Primordium is set on this rogue Halo controlled by MB.
Furthermore, I'm confused on mutations. Why does Bornstellar essentially become Didact when other Forerunners who undergo mutations don't become mirror images of their imprints (the person they take after?)?
Bornsteller doesn't literally become Didact. He absorbs Didacts knowledge and wisdom, emotions and memories but still retains his own. He assumes the identity of Didact probably because Didact had such a magnitude of character.
It could also be argued that Didact's strong personality is manifesting itself within Bornstellar now after the transfer.
You know it's widely believed that the Prisoner and the Gravemind are one in the same? MB kept in full contact and communicated all his conversations whilst he went to face the Flood. The Forerunners were monitoring him carefully and even he didn't know that he would eventually join the Flood and become rampant.
Ok, so going off what I remember from Cryptum (read it a year ago),
is the Prisoner (Gravemind) the thing that was left on the decimated planet? The same thing that made people kill themselves when they viewed it? Wasn't that a Precursor? Sorry if this makes no sense, to say I've got a vague recollection would probably be an understatement.
There are twelve Haloes. Six in orbit around the Forerunner capital and six at the Ark. MB attacks the capital and takes control of the six Haloes there. He attempts to fire them but fails and attempts to steal them. He makes a getaway in one of the Haloes through the portal before it collapses.
We do not know for sure, but it is assumed that the five remaining Haloes at the capital are destroyed. If this is true, that means there are seven Haloes left. Six at the Ark and one more controlled by MB running around
That's not what the book says, unless I'm grossly misreading it.
"Slowly looming in an orbit slightly downstar from the capital, staggered in perspective like the entrance to a tunnel, eleven great rings had been arranged in neat, precise parking orbits. Halos."
Pages 281-282. Unless they send off six of them before MB attacks the capital, something's amiss. I don't remember reading that.
One ring makes it through the portal to the Ark. "In the battle of the capital, only one installation had survived passage through the portal without breaking up. It had returned to the Ark..." (335).
Primordium is set on this rogue Halo controlled by MB.
Bornsteller doesn't literally become Didact. He absorbs Didacts knowledge and wisdom, emotions and memories but still retains his own. He assumes the identity of Didact probably because Didact had such a magnitude of character.
I didn't say he became Didact. I said "essentially." It's never discussed in context, one personality being able to overtake another, or a fusion as to the extent we see with Bornstellar and the Didact. The relationship seems special. Has it ever happened before? Does this always occur with brevet mutations? Etc.
Ok, so going off what I remember from Cryptum (read it a year ago),
is the Prisoner (Gravemind) the thing that was left on the decimated planet? The same thing that made people kill themselves when they viewed it? Wasn't that a Precursor? Sorry if this makes no sense, to say I've got a vague recollection would probably be an understatement.
Yes, the Prisoner of Charum Hakkor. Believed to be the last known Precursor. Suspected to also be the Gravemind we all know and love from Halo 2 and 3.
Some of your questions will be answered early in the new year. Some a year after that. Actually one somewhere between the two. But there are no actual contradictions. In some ways, one of the perspectives in Primordium will create more context-related questions i.e., the protagonist doesn't have a full view of events. Just those local to him.
It makes me very happy that the Halo universe is being integrated in different forms (games, books, etc) and in good hands. I really have high hopes for story and direction the universe will go. I really cant wait for the first real trailer for Halo 4. So many unknown factors that I cant even imagine what it may show.
Yes, the Prisoner of Charum Hakkor. Believed to be the last known Precursor. Suspected to also be the Gravemind we all know and love from Halo 2 and 3.
Cheers. Should people's suspicions come true then that has seriously interesting repercussions as far as Halo 4 is concerned. Assuming we will indeed be facing Precursors, as some have guessed.
I have a hard time mustering interest in all these ancient Forerunner stories. It's awesome and I see the appeal, but it's just not for me. I want Spartans, ODSTs, Halsey, and epic alien landscapes. The Forerunner only matter to me in that they provide an awesome set piece for the current events in the Halo timeline. So, yeah, Halo 4 should be awesome in that regard. :-D
There are indeed eleven Haloes at the capital during the attack. Six of the Haloes align to form a pentagram shape and five others align to form a pentagram.
MB returns and all twelve are now present there but MB only has direct control of five of them.
Seven of thee uncontrolled Haloes attempt to fall back to the Ark. One is destroyed outright. One makes it through the portal just fine and arrives at the Ark and it is unknown what happened to the other five Haloes that were attempting to escape.
The controlled Haloes are prepped and ready to open fire.
I didn't say he became Didact. I said "essentially." It's never discussed in context, one personality being able to overtake another, or a fusion as to the extent we see with Bornstellar and the Didact. The relationship seems special. Has it ever happened before? Does this always occur with brevet mutations? Etc.
A long time ago, I was a living, breathing human being. I went mad. I served my enemies. They became my only friends.
Since then, I’ve traveled back and forth across this galaxy, and out to the spaces between galaxies--a greater reach than any human before me.
You have asked me to tell you about that time. Since you are the last true Reclaimer, I must obey. Are you recording? Good. Because my memory is failing rapidly. I doubt I’ll be able to finish the story.
Once, on my birth-world, a world I knew as Erde-Tyrene, and which now is called Earth, my name was Chakas...
In the wake of apparent self-destruction of the Forerunner empire, two humans--Chakas and Riser--are like flotsam washed up on very strange shores indeed.
Captured by the Master Builder, misplaced during a furious battle in space, they now find themselves on an inverted world where horizons rise into the sky, and where humans of all kinds are trapped in a perilous cycle of horror and neglect. For they have become both research animals and strategic pawns in a cosmic game whose madness knows no end--a game of ancient vengeance between the powers who seeded the galaxy with life, and the Forerunners who expect to inherit their sacred Mantle of duty to all living things.
In the company of a young girl and an old man, Chakas begins an epic journey across a lost and damaged Halo in search of a way home, an explanation for the warrior spirits rising up within, and for the Librarian’s tampering with human destiny.
This journey will take them into the Palace of Pain, the domain of a powerful and monstrous intelligence who claims to be the Last Precursor, and who now has control of both this Halo and the fate of Forerunners and Humans alike.
I have a hard time mustering interest in all these ancient Forerunner stories. It's awesome and I see the appeal, but it's just not for me. I want Spartans, ODSTs, Halsey, and epic alien landscapes. The Forerunner only matter to me in that they provide an awesome set piece for the current events in the Halo timeline. So, yeah, Halo 4 should be awesome in that regard. :-D
There are indeed eleven Haloes at the capital during the attack. Six of the Haloes align to form a pentagram shape and five others align to form a pentagram.
MB returns and all twelve are now present there but MB only has direct control of five of them.
Seven of thee uncontrolled Haloes attempt to fall back to the Ark. One is destroyed outright. One makes it through the portal just fine and arrives at the Ark and it is unknown what happened to the other five Haloes that were attempting to escape.
The controlled Haloes are prepped and ready to open fire.
Okay. I'm sorry if I'm being annoying. Just trying to wrap my hand around this. See, that section was still confusing even after reading it through a second time. So it's unclear
how the five other Halos arrived at the Ark (six including the damaged one that made it through the portal)?
There are indeed eleven Haloes at the capital during the attack. Six of the Haloes align to form a pentagram shape and five others align to form a pentagram.
MB returns and all twelve are now present there but MB only has direct control of five of them.
Seven of thee uncontrolled Haloes attempt to fall back to the Ark. One is destroyed outright. One makes it through the portal just fine and arrives at the Ark and it is unknown what happened to the other five Haloes that were attempting to escape.
The controlled Haloes are prepped and ready to open fire.
Ah. Good. You had royally confused me there for a moment, thinking "Did I completely mis-read that book multiple times or have I completely missed something big?"
Okay. I'm sorry if I'm being annoying. Just trying to wrap my hand around this. See, that section was still confusing even after reading it through a second time. So it's unclear
how the five other Halos arrived at the Ark (six including the damaged one that made it through the portal)?
No worries. I had to go back and check because my memory wasn't holding up to well. It's such a small section of the overall book and the events take place really quickly.
MB had previous taken a Halo and buggered off with it. The Forerunners hold the Master Builder at trial to decide to whether or not to scrap all of the Haloes because of how destructive they can be - and with one taken, how easily they can be abused.
During the trial, all the Haloes are gathered together around the capital. MB crashes the party with his Halo, so all twelve are together. MB tries to take control of all the Haloes but fails. He only has control of five of them.
The other seven attempt to return to the Ark but only one manages to arrive at the rk because the portal collapsed.
That means that eleven Haloes are still at the capital. Well, one is destroyed so that leaves ten. Five are controlled by MB, five are not.
We know that MB survives the battle and flees, most likely with the Halo he arrived with. What happens to the other nine are unknown but five of them MB managed to prime to fire.
Speculation:
I think that these nine Haloes get destroyed in the battle, leaving just two - the one at the Ark and the one with MB. The Ark could then replace the lost Haloes.
We haven't encountered Guilty Spark in Cryptum and I don't think we'll see him in the next two (never know!) books. From the CEA Terminals and his history, I don't think he was ever involved in the events in Cryptum as I'm pretty sure we would have seen that mentioned in the CEA Terminals at some point.
Having the Ark make new Haloes and GS being among the monitors assigned to the new batch, I think, could work.
I've been re-reading Cryptum in anticipation for Primordium but only about halfway through. Doesn't feel like almost a year since the first read.
Some of your questions will be answered early in the new year. Some a year after that. Actually one somewhere between the two. But there are no actual contradictions. In some ways, one of the perspectives in Primordium will create more context-related questions i.e., the protagonist doesn't have a full view of events. Just those local to him.
Does Primordium stick to Cryptum's pacing of it being slow, methodical, and solely on
Bornstellar
or will we have parts similar to Glasslands (mutliple viewpoints, big shit going down, etc.)?
edit: True story - a couple weeks ago while I was at Target, I was overhearing an old man and his wife (late 50s) talking about which video game to get their friend for Christmas. The man had mentioned that their friend was fond of Halo, but they didn't know which one to buy so that's when I couldn't help myself and stepped in to help them out.
One conversation led to another and we were just casually talking about Halo's lore when he told me that he doesn't play the Halo games (or any games at all for that matter), but he's such a huge sci-fi fan that he's read all the Halo novels up to Evolutions to which I recommended Cryptum and Glasslands to him.
I was pretty blown away to not only see an old man like him into Halo, but a fan of the novels ONLY. I had always imagined there'd always be SOME crossover between the books, comics, toys, and games for all Halo fans. It was really cool to gain a new perspective on the vast differences within the Halo fanbase.
Yes, the Prisoner of Charum Hakkor. Believed to be the last known Precursor. Suspected to also be the Gravemind we all know and love from Halo 2 and 3.
That's a fascinating theory, and certainly plausible, but I am curious as to exactly what the body of evidence for it is? Is it just speculation, or is there more to the idea?
That's a fascinating theory, and certainly plausible, but I am curious as to exactly what the body of evidence for it is? Is it just speculation, or is there more to the idea?
I have a feeling I am going to blow through that book in one day, need to re-read Cryptum to get ready...
Maybe they will release some Halo4 teaser stuff around Primordium, and isn't a magazine supposed to have a cover feature on it or something?
Heading off to read Dani's link, also I agree with him on his 'speculation'.
The Gravemind is just a proxy for the Prisoner/Last Precursor; the psychically sensitive overmind of the flood could probably be easily subverted/controlled by the psychic might of the Precursor.
edit: geez Dani, this article is huge!
edit2: And wow, it was great. 3 FUDs open in my bars, heh.
Went to AJ.com to check out Voc and Cop's old written pieces and I came across one of Voc's that relevant to this discussion - Shield World.
I am AMAZED at how much Voc got right (presumably). Keep in mind that everything written in that piece is exactly one year PRIOR to him working for 343i as Franchise Writer. The man's mind knows no bounds.
Hot DAMN:
Written June 2008 said:
So what does all of this mean?
Could the next Halo game take place on a shield world? Will it involve the Master Chief and Cortana? Was the Legendary ending simply a lead-in to another character’s story or will the Master Chief, the Reclaimer, once again be sent to a Forerunner construct – this time to free its captives from a new menace rather than to destroy a galaxy-consuming parasite?
Will not be an issue. Everything will be self contained and make sense. For Primordium and Glasslands people, extra stuff will have resonance. Principle: every piece of fiction will make sense self-contained. Everything else is resonant bonus.
I wouldn't imagine 343 assumes the millions and millions of Halo fans have read all the novels, so I always assumed it was a safe bet we'd be ok. Glad to see some official confirmation, though. Stupidly excited to see some actual gameplay for this. Just 6 more months!
You gotta wonder why the Forerunners were content with letting Humanity have their own part of the galaxy when the Forerunners essentially "conquered" the rest of the galaxy.
"
The Librarian protected them before obliteration.
The Ancient Humans described her as a protecting angel as you can see at Chakka's description about her. ("She comes to us when we're born. She watches over us as we grow, knows good and bad. She joys at our triumphs and sorrows at our passing. We all feel her presence.") In addition the Ancient Humans didn't really have a whole own part of the galaxy. They just have one planet: Erde-Tyrene. Btw. we don't even know how old a Forerunner can get.
You know it's widely believed that the Prisoner and the Gravemind are one in the same? MB kept in full contact and communicated all his conversations whilst he went to face the Flood. The Forerunners were monitoring him carefully and even he didn't know that he would eventually join the Flood and become rampant.
Went to AJ.com to check out Voc and Cop's old written pieces and I came across one of Voc's that relevant to this discussion - Shield World.
I am AMAZED at how much Voc got right (presumably). Keep in mind that everything written in that piece is exactly one year PRIOR to him working for 343i as Franchise Writer. The man's mind knows no bounds.
You gotta wonder why the Forerunners were content with letting Humanity have their own part of the galaxy when the Forerunners essentially "conquered" the rest of the galaxy.
"
The Librarian protected them before obliteration.
The Ancient Humans described her as a protecting angel as you can see at Chakka's description about her. ("She comes to us when we're born. She watches over us as we grow, knows good and bad. She joys at our triumphs and sorrows at our passing. We all feel her presence.") In addition the Ancient Humans didn't really have a whole own part of the galaxy. They just have one planet: Erde-Tyrene. Btw. we don't even know how old a Forerunner can get.
Dax meant the time before the war, when they allowed another space empire to exist and expand enough to rival theirs.
Maybe they haven't discovered us until we were already at that stage? It looks like they weren't interested in being our space bros, since there's only mention of us hanging out with those ssssssexy San'Shyuum. "For fifty years, scattered throughout the galactic arm, humans probed our settlements and positions. Then they allied with the San'Shyuum[...]" That's an oddly short period of time used to describe the thing that humans do.
No worries. I had to go back and check because my memory wasn't holding up to well. It's such a small section of the overall book and the events take place really quickly.
MB had previous taken a Halo and buggered off with it. The Forerunners hold the Master Builder at trial to decide to whether or not to scrap all of the Haloes because of how destructive they can be - and with one taken, how easily they can be abused.
During the trial, all the Haloes are gathered together around the capital. MB crashes the party with his Halo, so all twelve are together. MB tries to take control of all the Haloes but fails. He only has control of five of them.
The other seven attempt to return to the Ark but only one manages to arrive at the rk because the portal collapsed.
That means that eleven Haloes are still at the capital. Well, one is destroyed so that leaves ten. Five are controlled by MB, five are not.
We know that MB survives the battle and flees, most likely with the Halo he arrived with. What happens to the other nine are unknown but five of them MB managed to prime to fire.
Speculation:
I think that these nine Haloes get destroyed in the battle, leaving just two - the one at the Ark and the one with MB. The Ark could then replace the lost Haloes.
We haven't encountered Guilty Spark in Cryptum and I don't think we'll see him in the next two (never know!) books. From the CEA Terminals and his history, I don't think he was ever involved in the events in Cryptum as I'm pretty sure we would have seen that mentioned in the CEA Terminals at some point.
Having the Ark make new Haloes and GS being among the monitors assigned to the new batch, I think, could work.
I've been re-reading Cryptum in anticipation for Primordium but only about halfway through. Doesn't feel like almost a year since the first read.
Dax meant the time before the war, when they allowed another space empire to exist and expand enough to rival theirs.
Maybe they haven't discovered us until we were already at that stage? It looks like they weren't interested in being our space bros, since there's only mention of us hanging out with those ssssssexy San'Shyuum. "For fifty years, scattered throughout the galactic arm, humans probed our settlements and positions. Then they allied with the San'Shyuum[...]" That's an oddly short period of time used to describe the thing that humans do.
Will not be an issue. Everything will be self contained and make sense. For Primordium and Glasslands people, extra stuff will have resonance. Principle: every piece of fiction will make sense self-contained. Everything else is resonant bonus.
When do you think we will get the next information on Halo 4, you guys reckon? It'll be released under a year so there's got to be a lot of content already done in the game already.
