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[Solidsoul]

I'm not 100%, but I don't think the Geas for humans work like that. They're more like a set of instructions than

Spoiler

a personality copy,

aren't they? Like how Halsey has the necessary instructions for stuff like the Spartan program and the Mjolnir armor; it influences her thinking and her direction in life, but it's not like she's

Spoiler

carrying some ancient Forerunner around in her head.

Yeah, in a non-offensive way i'm pretty sure you're wrong, but I also feel i don't completely understand it. Here is an excerpt about Chakas having the Geas of the Lord of Admirals. Forthencho is the Lord of Admirals.

Spoiler

Over nine thousand years after his death, Forthencho's archived personality was implanted in the genetic material of a human known as Chakas via the Librarian's special geas. His memories began to surface in Chakas' mind after the young human witnessed the destruction of Charum Hakkor's Precursor artifacts and learned of the the relocation of the Primordial, and his consciousness fully awakened after Chakas had crash-landed on Installation 07. Slowly becoming aware of his predicament and gaining strength within Chakas' mind, Forthencho would occasionally comment on the events around him, using his knowledge to enlighten Chakas on things beyond his understanding and often showing disappointment at how far humanity had fallen from their former glory. At one point, Chakas allowed Forthencho to take control of his body in order to converse with Yprin Yprikushma, whose consciousness was carried by Chakas' friend Riser.

This pretty much says it all. I think it's very possible what i said about

Spoiler

Bornstellar and Master Chief.

Here's a link to where i got my information.

http://www.halopedia.org/Lord_of_Admirals

 

[Fuchsdh]

I think your mistake is assuming that 343 is going to follow Bear's lead on this. There's a lot of stuff in those books that I think is going to stay "in the past" as it were, and having a geas that subsumes a character's personality is (hopefully) one of them. It's one thing to have the Librarian try and steer her eventualities. It's another for our characters to essentially have no free will (and thus be deeply unsatisfying.)

 

[GringoSuave89]

I think your mistake is assuming that 343 is going to follow Bear's lead on this. There's a lot of stuff in those books that I think is going to stay "in the past" as it were, and having a geas that subsumes a character's personality is (hopefully) one of them. It's one thing to have the Librarian try and steer her eventualities. It's another for our characters to essentially have no free will (and thus be deeply unsatisfying.)

It would have shades of Mass Effect 3 all over it.

 

[Poodlestrike]

Yeah, in a non-offensive way i'm pretty sure you're wrong, but I also feel i don't completely understand it. Here is an excerpt about Chakas having the Geas of the Lord of Admirals. Forthencho is the Lord of Admirals.

Spoiler

Over nine thousand years after his death, Forthencho's archived personality was implanted in the genetic material of a human known as Chakas via the Librarian's special geas. His memories began to surface in Chakas' mind after the young human witnessed the destruction of Charum Hakkor's Precursor artifacts and learned of the the relocation of the Primordial, and his consciousness fully awakened after Chakas had crash-landed on Installation 07. Slowly becoming aware of his predicament and gaining strength within Chakas' mind, Forthencho would occasionally comment on the events around him, using his knowledge to enlighten Chakas on things beyond his understanding and often showing disappointment at how far humanity had fallen from their former glory. At one point, Chakas allowed Forthencho to take control of his body in order to converse with Yprin Yprikushma, whose consciousness was carried by Chakas' friend Riser.

This pretty much says it all. I think it's very possible what i said about

Spoiler

Bornstellar and Master Chief.

Here's a link to where i got my information.

http://www.halopedia.org/Lord_of_Admirals

True. Still, that's different in a number of ways; the Lord of Admirals (love his title, btw) was human, not Forerunner. We've got no idea if the cross-species brain cohabitation works. Still, it could be an interesting angle to introducing another voice into the Chief's head after Cortana.

 

[LordOfChaos]

I've seen this theory on more than one occasion, and I myself have thought it from time to time. Are we all speculating that...

Spoiler

Master Chief has the Geas of Bornstellar Makes Eternal Lasting?

Because this seems to make more and more sense every time i read deeper into Halo lore.

Thoughts on that?

I've thought about it. We've never seen Humans imprinted with Forerunners though - though also nothing confirming it can't happen. I think MC having the Lord of Admirals memories would also be neat.


I'm also strongly thinking that Halsey had a Geas from the Librarian as well, perhaps she was even visited by her at birth like many early humans like Chakas were.
Perhaps she even has the imprint of Yprin Yprikushma, there are so many similarities between them. Both directed human technology to best match an upcoming threat, and I always felt there were some greater machinations going on than Halsey creating the spartans just for the insurgency. Maybe she had these memories she never mentioned, and the insurgency just allowed her to create a response in the form of the Spartans.

Another half baked idea: what if the genetic tests for perfect spartan IIs were actually tests for the Librarians Geas in spartans?

Some of this may fly in the face of the earlier books, but some could be explained away by Halsey obviously taking care in her journals in case they were read by others, which they were.

 

[Poodlestrike]

I've thought about it. We've never seen Humans imprinted with Forerunners though - though also nothing confirming it can't happen. I think MC having the Lord of Admirals memories would also be neat.


I'm also strongly thinking that Halsey had a Geas from the Librarian as well, perhaps she was even visited by her at birth like many early humans like Chakas were.
Perhaps she even has the imprint of Yprin Yprikushma, there are so many similarities between them. Both directed human technology to best match an upcoming threat, and I always felt there were some greater machinations going on than Halsey creating the spartans just for the insurgency. Maybe she had these memories she never mentioned, and the insurgency just allowed her to create a response in the form of the Spartans.

Another half baked idea: what if the genetic tests for perfect spartan IIs were actually tests for the Librarians Geas in spartans?

Some of this may fly in the face of the earlier books, but some could be explained away by Halsey obviously taking care in her journals in case they were read by others, which they were.

The more I think about it, the more sense this makes. You wouldn't even need to explain away the old journal entries; Halsey herself might be unaware that some of the tests had a secondary purpose. Maybe what she mistook as "intuition" was really the Librarian's genesong doing its thing, influencing her decision making.

 

[Fuchsdh]

I don't see why it has to be so shadowy. The Librarian, for all her high-mindedness, essentially wants humans to inherit the role of the Forerunners, and that perception of the role is Forerunner in nature--the Forerunners are the ones running around with an ancilla in every armor, et al, greatly enhancing their biological capabilities.

The actual question of Forerunner eugenics and selective breeding is not ever really touched on but I think we can safely assume there's some element to it, if only in their mutations if not their default biological state.

Viewed that way, Halsey isn't being subtly influenced by a geas, she's just selecting for what she needs to put a supersoldier in an AI-infused armor system--and that coincides with the "evolution" the Librarian saw as necessary for humanity.

I'm a bit opposed to geas-ex-machina for storytelling reasons, but I also don't think 343 has particularly hinted that the Librarian has that power. Specifically I remember 343GS's comments in one of the CEA Terminals:

It seems strange how the Librarian did not account for this. Her strength was always in planning, in positioning the pieces and then being bold enough to let it happen. To let her plans come true.

To me that sounds like the Librarian putting the pieces to where she wanted, confident that the evolution of humanity would naturally trend to where the Forerunners ascended, and equipped for that eventuality (the Reclaimers). After all she did see how far humanity came once before.

 

[Korten]

MrGreenCastle, D: Still waiting on that amazing post about the new comic.

 

[Poodlestrike]

Catalog's doing its Catalog thing.

Some highlights: Elites don't suffer form the same sort of subspecies fragmentation as the Jackals, the UNSC is trying to terraform Reach, Jun has assumed a command position inside the SPARTAN branch (as opposed to the advisory role he had in Initiation), and the Keyship was supposed to have left after the re-seeding project.

 

[Heretic]

Catalog's doing its Catalog thing.

Some highlights: Elites don't suffer form the same sort of subspecies fragmentation as the Jackals, the UNSC is trying to terraform Reach, Jun has assumed a command position inside the SPARTAN branch (as opposed to the advisory role he had in Initiation), and the Keyship was supposed to have left after the re-seeding project.

thanks!

 

[Korten]

Catalog's doing its Catalog thing.

Some highlights: Elites don't suffer form the same sort of subspecies fragmentation as the Jackals, the UNSC is trying to terraform Reach, Jun has assumed a command position inside the SPARTAN branch (as opposed to the advisory role he had in Initiation), and the Keyship was supposed to have left after the re-seeding project.

Thanks for the post, it seems I'll have to keep track of that topic hopefully he answers this question:

"Query: What classification of MJOLNIR Armor is Fred-104, Kelly-087 and Linda-058 wearing as of July 2557?"

 

[Mistel]

Thanks for the post, it seems I'll have to keep track of that topic hopefully he answers this question:

"Query: What classification of MJOLNIR Armor is Fred-104, Kelly-087 and Linda-058 wearing as of July 2557?"

Looks like Gen 2 armor to me. But that contradicts the visual guide for 4 that said they were still using mark VI as late as 2558.

 

[Poodlestrike]

Looks like Gen 2 armor to me. But that contradicts the visual guide for 4 that said they were still using mark VI as late as 2558.

It's tough to tell when the art is so awful and has so little care for accuracy. Hell, they've even got the Spartan's roles mixed up on that page, with Kelly as a sniper and Linda as a scout.

(Catalog confirmed that really was just an error, btw).

 

[FyreWulff]

Linda has a butt that looks like Liefeld-chest

 

[Munki]

It's tough to tell when the art is so awful

It is really bad, they should hire Jim Lee (I would gizz in my pants if that were to happen).

 

[Poodlestrike]

It is really bad, they should hire Jim Lee (I would gizz in my pants if that were to happen).

Oh, man. That would be... incredible. Almost anyone would be a step up (not Liefeld), but Lee would be godlike.

They really do need to find better artists.

 

[Mistel]

It's tough to tell when the art is so awful and has so little care for accuracy.

All that I know they've done is erotica and siege thunderbolts, and soldier zero. I can't actually find anything of their's previously to compare it this.

 

[Fuchsdh]

Looks like Gen 2 armor to me. But that contradicts the visual guide for 4 that said they were still using mark VI as late as 2558.

To be fair, the Visual Guide states Spartan-IIs wearing GEN1 as rumor, not fact. With Team Black fried, the only remaining Spartan IIs I believe we don't know about is Red Team from Halo Wars, and Grey Team.

 

[wwm0nkey]

Looks like Gen 2 armor to me. But that contradicts the visual guide for 4 that said they were still using mark VI as late as 2558.

How did they fuck up Kelly and Linda's roles?

Also again they REALLY need to work on their lines. Things that are closer should have thicker lines than things further away so it adds depth to the scene.

Ugh they really should just re-do this comic as a CGI movie or something.

 

[Poodlestrike]

All that I know they've done is erotica and siege thunderbolts, and soldier zero. I can't actually find anything of their's previously to compare it this.

*throws up in mouth*

How did they fuck up Kelly and Linda's roles?

Also again they REALLY need to work on their lines. Things that are closer should have thicker lines than things further away so it adds depth to the scene.

Ugh they really should just re-do this comic as a CGI movie or something.

Like I said a few posts up, Catalog confirmed that it's an error.

 

[Mistel]

*throws up in mouth*.

At the mention of the word erotica?

To be fair, the Visual Guide states Spartan-IIs wearing GEN1 as rumor, not fact. With Team Black fried, the only remaining Spartan IIs I believe we don't know about is Red Team from Halo Wars, and Grey Team.

What does it say about it then? I've not read it only going by Halopedia.

 

[Poodlestrike]

At the mention of the word erotica?

What does it say about it then? I've not read it only going by Halopedia.

At the idea of erotica drawn in that... style. Yeah, style. Let's go with that.

 

[GringoSuave89]

What does it say about it then? I've not read it only going by Halopedia.

The Visual Guide only seems to mention Blue Team as wearing Mark VI armor following the completion of Operation: FIRST STRIKE. I haven't come across anything referencing which Gen in the book.

Halopedia mentions that all Mark VI armor uses Gen2, however. http://www.halopedia.org/MJOLNIR_Powered_Assault_Armor#MJOLNIR_Mark_VI_Powered_Assault_Armor

 

[Mistel]

At the idea of erotica drawn in that... style. Yeah, style. Let's go with that.

I understand why. I did manage to find something he's done:

The Visual Guide only seems to mention Blue Team as wearing Mark VI armor following the completion of Operation: FIRST STRIKE. I haven't come across anything referencing which Gen in the book.

Well that's a shame it's not more explicit. It would probably go to what they are depicted as having in escalation which is gen 2 stuff as their current armor.

 

[GringoSuave89]

Well that's a shame it's not more explicit. It would probably go to what they are depicted as having in escalation which is gen 2 stuff as their current armor.

Check my edit. It seems to be Gen2 suits.

 

[Mistel]

Check my edit. It seems to be Gen2 suits.

I know that already from the escalation #8 panel with the three of them in I posted earlier.

 

[Fuchsdh]

Here's the exact quote, from the Mark VI section (pg. 157):

"Revered due to its renowned legacy, Mjolnir's standard Mark VI armor set is still considered GEN1 despite having adopted numerous GEN2 improvements and even being used by contemporary Spartan-IVs in combat. This armor gained notice when it was used by the Master Chief to defend Earth and bring the war to an end [...] Reports indicate that a number of remaining Spartan-IIs still use standard Mark VI and its variants in the field, although the highly classified nature of those operatives have relegated such conversations o the realm of speculation."

 

[GringoSuave89]

Here's the exact quote, from the Mark VI section (pg. 157):

Oh, the Halo 4 visual guide. I was looking in the OG visual guide.

 

[MrGreencastle]

MrGreenCastle, D: Still waiting on that amazing post about the new comic.

Amazing... Maybe. Still on vacation

 

[Ape]

Hey guys, so I'm about to dive into the Halo fiction pretty hard. I was planning on doing it after SDCC but I've been busy and now I finally have time.

I've read a couple of the novels already. The Fall of Reach and the one based on Combat Evolved. I think that I might have read the Cole Protocol like forever ago.

Can you guys give me a good reading order for the books plus what graphic novels I should read? I have my Kindle right here and I'm ready. I want to get this done before the MCC hits so that I'm nice and well learned on everything Halo before Nightfall.


Thanks for your help

 

[Fuchsdh]

Hey guys, so I'm about to dive into the Halo fiction pretty hard. I was planning on doing it after SDCC but I've been busy and now I finally have time.

I've read a couple of the novels already. The Fall of Reach and the one based on Combat Evolved. I think that I might have read the Cole Protocol like forever ago.

Can you guys give me a good reading order for the books plus what graphic novels I should read? I have my Kindle right here and I'm ready. I want to get this done before the MCC hits so that I'm nice and well learned on everything Halo before Nightfall.


Thanks for your help

There is no real order

I mean, if you try and do things chronologically you'll go mad because some books slot in between the middle of sections of books, and certain reveals don't make sense when presented in the chronological fiction.

I'd say you're pretty safe skipping the graphic novels entirely; you'll miss some side stories and in the case of the Halo Graphic Novel some interesting art, but not that much meat.

Try starting with the Greg Bear books if they're your style though, they'll work well with what you've read thus far.

 

[daedalius]

Silly thing I am working on.

It totally exists within canon, promise.

http://michael-galefire.tumblr.com/post/94138505074/slayde-v-master-chief-in-progress-2-just-about

Didn't even realize there was a bunch of comic talk on this page! I take my armor accuracy very seriously.


I had this really great idea to put gold leaf on the visor of a MC painting I was doing. Turns out it ruined my piece, yay...

 

[Vinterbird]

Hey guys, so I'm about to dive into the Halo fiction pretty hard. I was planning on doing it after SDCC but I've been busy and now I finally have time.

I've read a couple of the novels already. The Fall of Reach and the one based on Combat Evolved. I think that I might have read the Cole Protocol like forever ago.

Can you guys give me a good reading order for the books plus what graphic novels I should read? I have my Kindle right here and I'm ready. I want to get this done before the MCC hits so that I'm nice and well learned on everything Halo before Nightfall.


Thanks for your help

If possible, read them in the order they were published. The first set of Halo books tie in to the games, and some are bridges between them.

The first four Halo books, the Ghost of Onyx one and the Requiem Trilogy is also mandatory at this point.

 

[GringoSuave89]

Hey guys, so I'm about to dive into the Halo fiction pretty hard. I was planning on doing it after SDCC but I've been busy and now I finally have time.

I've read a couple of the novels already. The Fall of Reach and the one based on Combat Evolved. I think that I might have read the Cole Protocol like forever ago.

Can you guys give me a good reading order for the books plus what graphic novels I should read? I have my Kindle right here and I'm ready. I want to get this done before the MCC hits so that I'm nice and well learned on everything Halo before Nightfall.


Thanks for your help

Ghosts of Onyx, First Contact, and (to an extent) Fall of Reach are mandatory. The Forerunner Trilogy are pretty important to H4 and the future, but I honestly got most of the important bits from Halopedia. If you like ONI black ops shenanigans and more military based stuff the Kilo-Five series is enjoyable (if polarizing in its characterizations). Once the next novel, Broken Circle, comes out I'm sure that'll be important. Comics are not too vital, nor is the film/series Forward Unto Dawn (but it'll give you a good idea of what to expect from Nightfall).

 

[daedalius]

Spartans and Crimsons punching oh my!

http://michael-galefire.tumblr.com/

 

[MrGreencastle]

Hmm so Alpha Halo Installation 04 confirmed 100% for Nightfall:

Encyclopedia snippet (from Halo channel trailer from Gamescom '14):

 

[Fuchsdh]

Ah, nice callback to a colony we've heard about before--Jericho is the colony that gets glasses right at the beginning of The Fall of Reach.

 

[Master Yoshi]

Be still my fucking heart.

 

[DATABASE DATABASE]

I hope that is more than just an Easter egg/cameo. Blue Team's appearance in a Halo game is long overdue.

 

[Munki]

Be still my fucking heart.

They better not fuck up Blue Team (that includes MC). It's been a long time waiting to finally see them in a video game.

I have a bad feeling about their fate in Halo 5.

 

[Fuchsdh]

Adding the braille was one of the best things 343 did with the Spartans. It made little sense there'd be no outward indicator of which Spartan was which.

On the other hand, Reach and everything that's come since threw out the "every Spartan wears the same armor" continuity. So le sigh.

 

[GringoSuave89]

Adding the braille was one of the best things 343 did with the Spartans. It made little sense there'd be no outward indicator of which Spartan was which.

On the other hand, Reach and everything that's come since threw out the "every Spartan wears the same armor" continuity. So le sigh.

How else would they show off all their fancy armor variations? ;p

Spoiler

Especially my beloved GUNGNIR variant. Mmmmm....

 

[Korten]

Pls be true. D: Also if it is him, then we can put to rest the chances of at least him dying in Escalation like people were assuming.

 

[Munki]

Pls be true. D: Also if it is him, then we can put to rest the chances of at least him dying in Escalation like people were assuming.

I reaaaaally hope Team Blue isn't wiped out. With all the love MC is getting and the introduction to agent Locke, I have a bad feeling that he is going to die in halo 5 .
I hope I'm wrong.

 

[block tower]

thank for making this thread!

ive been trying to catch up with the Halo lore since committing to an Xbox One. ive really learned a lot since reading the Halowiki and browsing through this thread.

so i have a few questions:

-were the flood completely destroyed in the end of Halo 3?

-what was Gravemind, was it an amalgamation of Precursor information wrapped up in the flood? or was it a sentient flood being that learned of the past through records and artifacts? im not entirely clear on what Gravemind was.

-in Halo Nightfall we're shown the original Halo ring is still somewhat intact, broken and destroyed, but still there in some capacity. has it been confirmed that only the Halo Nightfall series takes place on installation 04, or do we know if halo 5 will have us going back on the ring as well?

-what happened to earth after the covenant broke off and the factions went their different way? aside from the Master Chief's encounter with old covenant on Requiem, is the UNSC still fighting any factions or has peace between the species been found post Halo 3?

if anyone can answer these questions that'd be great!

 

[Fuchsdh]

thank for making this thread!

ive been trying to catch up with the Halo lore since committing to an Xbox One. ive really learned a lot since reading the Halowiki and browsing through this thread.

so i have a few questions:


if anyone can answer these questions that'd be great!

*The Flood infestation local to the Ark was wiped out. That was basically all the "free" Flood the Gravemind took with it. That still leaves Flood on other installations, et al.

*What the Gravemind is depends on what account you believe. In the "modern" 26th century, they're just amalgamated corpses and Flood biomass. The Primordial was either a Precursor, or a Gravemind that took the shape of one.

*We have no information on the locations the player visits in Halo 5. I personally doubt we'll go to Installation 04 again.

*The UNSC has peaceful relations with some former Covenant, neutral relations with others, and hostile relationships with the rest (Storm, et al.)

 

[block tower]

*The Flood infestation local to the Ark was wiped out. That was basically all the "free" Flood the Gravemind took with it. That still leaves Flood on other installations, et al.

*What the Gravemind is depends on what account you believe. In the "modern" 26th century, they're just amalgamated corpses and Flood biomass. The Primordial was either a Precursor, or a Gravemind that took the shape of one.

*We have no information on the locations the player visits in Halo 5. I personally doubt we'll go to Installation 04 again.

*The UNSC has peaceful relations with some former Covenant, neutral relations with others, and hostile relationships with the rest (Storm, et al.)

thank you for answering my questions, much appreciated! i recently started reading the Halo books so my previous knowledge of Halo lore only came from the games. now that im reading the books im loving the expanded universe lore.

 

[MrGreencastle]

Is it OK/legal to post crops/snips from the Escalation comics in here? Accompanied by my own ranting/musings of course, but I'm not sure about spoilers and legality for things that have recently released and such. There's some imagery that really helps with some things...

 

[Slightly Live]

Is it OK/legal to post crops/snips from the Escalation comics in here? Accompanied by my own ranting/musings of course, but I'm not sure about spoilers and legality for things that have recently released and such. There's some imagery that really helps with some things...

As long as you arent essentially posting full issues or the majority of a comic, it should be fine.

 

[GringoSuave89]

Is it OK/legal to post crops/snips from the Escalation comics in here? Accompanied by my own ranting/musings of course, but I'm not sure about spoilers and legality for things that have recently released and such. There's some imagery that really helps with some things...

Panels here and there are fine, just don't do full pages. Or at the least concurrent pages.