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Halo Lore Thread

Thanks HaloFollower, youre the best.

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First Strike and Ghosts of Onyx are essential; Glasslands and Escalation optional, IMO.

The correct order being:

First Strike (happens between Halo 1 and 2)
Ghosts of Onyx (during/post Halo 2)
Glasslands (post Halo 3?)
Escalation issues 8-10 (post Halo 4)

Would you suggest this be the only necessary reading? I haven't read any of them and want to learn more about halo lore. :)
 
What, any of the books?

If you're just starting out, go for The Fall of Reach first.

Yeah, yeah nothing =/ I'm really late and behind. I feel now is a good time to get caught up. Would you suggest then.. in this order

Fall of reach
First Strike (happens between Halo 1 and 2)
Ghosts of Onyx (during/post Halo 2)
Glasslands (post Halo 3?)
Escalation issues 8-10 (post Halo 4)
 
Yeah, yeah nothing =/ I'm really late and behind. I feel now is a good time to get caught up. Would you suggest then.. in this order

Fall of reach
First Strike (happens between Halo 1 and 2)
Ghosts of Onyx (during/post Halo 2)
Glasslands (post Halo 3?)
Escalation issues 8-10 (post Halo 4)

Start with the first 3 things you listed, as they're pretty much the crème de la crème. If you've played all the games, you can branch out from there to whatever catches your eye.
 
Start with the first 3 things you listed, as they're pretty much the crème de la crème. If you've played all the games, you can branch out from there to whatever catches your eye.

Okay thank you! I'll get them asap and then read escalation. Since blue team is mentioned in it and feels it may be a big part of halo 5. :D
 

kosmologi

Member
If there's one piece of Halo media outside the games that every fan should familiarize themselves with, it's Fall of Reach. It's actually the first piece of Halo media ever, it came out before Halo CE.
 

Fuchsdh

Member
Silly, I know, but I just realized that Hunt The Truth is being published in podcast form. It's the second-most-popular game podcast in iTunes. Pretty impressive for a lore ARG.
 
Hey, just wondering if anyone knows of, or can recommend a quick and coherent synopsis for Halo 1-2? (preferably in video form).

I'm thinking of doing a play through of Halo 3-4 to catch up for 5.
 
Hey, just wondering if anyone knows of, or can recommend a quick and coherent synopsis for Halo 1-2? (preferably in video form).

I'm thinking of doing a play through of Halo 3-4 to catch up for 5.
There is a video series on Waypoint which retells the story from H1 up to the start of Halo 4.
 

Fuchsdh

Member
It's too bad the Halo game chronology ignores Halo Wars, Spartan Assault and Spartan Strike.

That's intentional, in that it's intended only to be a more essentials kind of thing. Halo Wars at this point is still pretty tangental to the main story, and Spartan Assault and Spartan Strike are likewise pretty light on meaningful plot. If things change in the future they might merit an addition. Same reason that Broken Circle, while I enjoyed it, is not recommended reading for the books (and Cole Protocol, which I personally didn't enjoy.)
 
That's intentional, in that it's intended only to be a more essentials kind of thing. Halo Wars at this point is still pretty tangental to the main story, and Spartan Assault and Spartan Strike are likewise pretty light on meaningful plot. If things change in the future they might merit an addition. Same reason that Broken Circle, while I enjoyed it, is not recommended reading for the books (and Cole Protocol, which I personally didn't enjoy.)

Based on that one slide in that one issue of Escalation, Halo Wars may end up being the explanation for why the Flood come back though. I wouldn't put it past 343i to pull some of that fiction into the limelight in the future, even though it's pretty tangential right now. They love their "reverse-retcons".

"A single Flood spore can destroy an entire species. Were it not for the Arbiter's counsel, I would have glassed your entire planet!" -Halfjaw
 

Fuchsdh

Member
Based on that one slide in that one issue of Escalation, Halo Wars may end up being the explanation for why the Flood come back though. I wouldn't put it past 343i to pull some of that fiction into the limelight in the future, even though it's pretty tangential right now. They love their "reverse-retcons".

"A single Flood spore can destroy an entire species. Were it not for the Arbiter's counsel, I would have glassed your entire planet!" -Halfjaw

We will see. 343 has a lot of balls spinning in the air, so I expect we're not going to hear much about the SoF anytime soon considering the bait-and-switch we got with them in Escalation :)
 
[Long] Ponderings.. Known lore spoilers ahead
obviously
.

First,

Halo: Hunters in the Dark is scheduled to be released on June 16th, 2015. Microsoft has not yet announced the date of their E3 conference, but if they go off prior years it should be on June 15th, 2015.

Hunters in the Dark summary..

It is 2555, more than two years after the Master Chief went missing-in-action following a decisive conflict on Installation 00 — the massive, extragalactic Forerunner construct known as the Ark — as part of the final chapter in humanity’s bloody thirty-year struggle against the overwhelming forces of the Covenant. Now, as a tenuous peace exists between the humans and the Elites, a startling scientific discovery is made…and the riddle behind its Forerunner origins could very well seal the fate of the entire galaxy within a matter of weeks. In order to unravel these dangerous secrets, a heroic, hastily formed coalition of humans and Elites must attempt to overcome their differences as they embark on a covert mission back to the Ark — an astonishing, enigmatic place beyond comprehension from which few have returned and where mortal danger awaits them all…

Since the book comes out a day after the E3/Halo 5 conference, I would guess it's going to be tied in to the narrative somehow. Something they don't want us to explicitly know BEFORE the conference. Except.. the book takes place in 2555, 3 years before the events in Halo 5.

Now.. after the cover/Blue Team reveal I got to thinking.. what if Hunters in the Dark has Blue Team (minus Chief obviously) working with the Elites?

Linda-058's bio on Waypoint says:

After the end of the Human-Covenant War and the recovery of those trapped within the shield world of Onyx, Blue Team was redeployed on the outer fringes of human-occupied territory to eliminate lingering pockets of Human-Covenant conflict. These highly classified operations continued for a number of years, under the direct supervision of ONI.

It would make a perfect segue to seeing them again in Halo 5. A bit of "what the heck were they doing this entire time?". I could also see them using it as a chance to explain why we never saw Blue team in Halo 3 (through flashbacks/exposition). This would also give newcomers to the fiction time to read the book and learn more about "Blue Team" before Halo 5 drops later in the year.

Flaws in this theory? The Spartan depicted on the cover is NOT Kelly, Fred or Linda. At least judging from the armor. Though it's entirely possible someone else was assigned to Blue Team in John-117's absence. Putting that Spartan on the cover would keep the secret better.

Other thoughts? Locke's team? Unlikely, as the Sedra mission (Halo: Nightfall) takes place in early 2556, so it's extremely unlikely that Locke is a Spartan/Has Spartan armor. Could be Buck & Romeo, as they finished their mission on Talitsa in August 2555 and requested to be on a new team. This mission seems like an ONI op, so their presence would make sense, and would also be another good primer for their inclusion in Halo 5 (#TeamLocke).

Second,

The Hunters in the Dark cover obviously shows very alive Blind Wolves on Installation 00 "The Ark". If Blind Wolves managed to survive, would it not stand to reason that The Flood would have/could have survived as well?

In the "Eleventh Hour Reports", when the UNSC Rubicon was dispatched to The Ark in 2557 it was noted that some creatures could have survived:

Some indigenous [if it can be called that] fauna may have survived the event, but RCTs were strictly advised to avoid all potentially hostile life forms.

Curious to see how this will line up with Hunters in the Dark, as it takes place 2 years later. Why wasn't 343GS found then?

Third,

The last issue of Escalation (at least the current arc) releases on July 29th, 2015. Summary:

“The Absolute Record” part 2 — Operation: ATHENA is underway and there is no turning back. Will Commander Palmer's team survive the treacherous journey into an ancient vault of Forerunner secrets? The thrilling sequel to Halo® 4's Spartan Ops continues from Duffy Boudreau (BlackAcre) and Ian Richardson (Noble Causes).

The digital single, Halo: Saint’s Testimony, by one Mr. Stinkles is scheduled to be released on July 27th, 2015. With that date proximity I can't imagine they are not intertwined in some way.

We've got so much Halo goodness coming our way.. I am excite!
 
[Long] Ponderings.. Known lore spoilers ahead
obviously
.

First,

Halo: Hunters in the Dark is scheduled to be released on June 16th, 2015. Microsoft has not yet announced the date of their E3 conference, but if they go off prior years it should be on June 15th, 2015.

Hunters in the Dark summary..



Since the book comes out a day after the E3/Halo 5 conference, I would guess it's going to be tied in to the narrative somehow. Something they don't want us to explicitly know BEFORE the conference. Except.. the book takes place in 2555, 3 years before the events in Halo 5.

Now.. after the cover/Blue Team reveal I got to thinking.. what if Hunters in the Dark has Blue Team (minus Chief obviously) working with the Elites?

Linda-058's bio on Waypoint says:



It would make a perfect segue to seeing them again in Halo 5. A bit of "what the heck were they doing this entire time?". I could also see them using it as a chance to explain why we never saw Blue team in Halo 3 (through flashbacks/exposition). This would also give newcomers to the fiction time to read the book and learn more about "Blue Team" before Halo 5 drops later in the year.

Flaws in this theory? The Spartan depicted on the cover is NOT Kelly, Fred or Linda. At least judging from the armor. Though it's entirely possible someone else was assigned to Blue Team in John-117's absence. Putting that Spartan on the cover would keep the secret better.

Other thoughts? Locke's team? Unlikely, as the Sedra mission (Halo: Nightfall) takes place in early 2556, so it's extremely unlikely that Locke is a Spartan/Has Spartan armor. Could be Buck & Romeo, as they finished their mission on Talitsa in August 2555 and requested to be on a new team. This mission seems like an ONI op, so their presence would make sense, and would also be another good primer for their inclusion in Halo 5 (#TeamLocke).

Second,

The Hunters in the Dark cover obviously shows very alive Blind Wolves on Installation 00 "The Ark". If Blind Wolves managed to survive, would it not stand to reason that The Flood would have/could have survived as well?

In the "Eleventh Hour Reports", when the UNSC Rubicon was dispatched to The Ark in 2557 it was noted that some creatures could have survived:



Curious to see how this will line up with Hunters in the Dark, as it takes place 2 years later. Why wasn't 343GS found then?

Third,

The last issue of Escalation (at least the current arc) releases on July 29th, 2015. Summary:



The digital single, Halo: Saint’s Testimony, by one Mr. Stinkles is scheduled to be released on July 27th, 2015. With that date proximity I can't imagine they are not intertwined in some way.

We've got so much Halo goodness coming our way.. I am excite!

I had to read this all twice it was so good. You may be onto something here!
 
I had to read this all twice it was so good. You may be onto something here!

We shall see.. scant weeks left!

On another note, I decided to revisit the Forerunner trilogy again, since I haven't read them since they were released. So it's been, 4 or 5 years since I read Cryptum.

WOW! So much better the 2nd time. I remember reading it the first time and being, like, "WTF is this!" since it was all.. well, alien to me. Reading through it again, and with the context of the rest of the books & Halo 4, is amazing.
 

CRIMSONxSERAPH

Neo Member
We shall see.. scant weeks left!

On another note, I decided to revisit the Forerunner trilogy again, since I haven't read them since they were released. So it's been, 4 or 5 years since I read Cryptum.

WOW! So much better the 2nd time. I remember reading it the first time and being, like, "WTF is this!" since it was all.. well, alien to me. Reading through it again, and with the context of the rest of the books & Halo 4, is amazing.

I just acquired all of the books except Evolutions - Vol I and Broken Circle in paperback (don't have the $ for hard cover, though I'd love that). I have them all digitally, but I wanted to physically own and collect them. My goal is to re-read all of the books before H5G's release.
 
I just acquired all of the books except Evolutions - Vol I and Broken Circle in paperback (don't have the $ for hard cover, though I'd love that). I have them all digitally, but I wanted to physically own and collect them. My goal is to re-read all of the books before H5G's release.

I don't think either one came out as hardcover. I know Broken Circle didn't.
 
I just acquired all of the books except Evolutions - Vol I and Broken Circle in paperback (don't have the $ for hard cover, though I'd love that). I have them all digitally, but I wanted to physically own and collect them. My goal is to re-read all of the books before H5G's release.

That sounds like a good idea..

So, Cryptum is from the iso-Didacts POV and Primordium is 343/Chakas? For some reason I thought they were all 343/Chakas.
 

FyreWulff

Member
I always liked how technically, Reach is both the first and last game in the Halo series. Due to the post credits cutscene
taking place in 2589, and revealing that Halsey will survive any events in the Halo timeline until then
 
I always liked how technically, Reach is both the first and last game in the Halo series. Due to the post credits cutscene
taking place in 2589, and revealing that Halsey will survive any events in the Halo timeline until then

I've said it before, but I really, really wouldn't look too much into that eulogy. The date is just supposed to show that Reach has recovered, at least partially, from the glassing by that date, and the planet has begun proper rebuilding. It's a pretty safe bet that Halsey is not actually standing there eulogizing Noble-6 on Reach in 2589, or even likely at any time or place at all, ever. Like many such monologues from numerous works, it shouldn't be taken as a literal, canonical speech being given. It's just a narrative technique.
 

Rightful Chaos

Neo Member
I've said it before, but I really, really wouldn't look too much into that eulogy. The date is just supposed to show that Reach has recovered, at least partially, from the glassing by that date, and the planet has begun proper rebuilding. It's a pretty safe bet that Halsey is not actually standing there eulogizing Noble-6 on Reach in 2589, or even likely at any time or place at all, ever. Like many such monologues from numerous works, it shouldn't be taken as a literal, canonical speech being given. It's just a narrative technique.

Now could you help explain that to the people who keep going on about Ur-Didact at the end of 4?
 
I've said it before, but I really, really wouldn't look too much into that eulogy. The date is just supposed to show that Reach has recovered, at least partially, from the glassing by that date, and the planet has begun proper rebuilding. It's a pretty safe bet that Halsey is not actually standing there eulogizing Noble-6 on Reach in 2589, or even likely at any time or place at all, ever. Like many such monologues from numerous works, it shouldn't be taken as a literal, canonical speech being given. It's just a narrative technique.

Yup, this.
 

Fuchsdh

Member
Now could you help explain that to the people who keep going on about Ur-Didact at the end of 4?

This is one of those things that does boggle me as to why it's confusing. I guess I should blame their lack of film literacy or something... it's a pretty common technique. Putting that aside, via context the only way it makes sense is if it's before the fall of the Forerunner anyhow, although I guess the Didact's sense of "victory" is what confuses people on that score.
 

FyreWulff

Member
I've said it before, but I really, really wouldn't look too much into that eulogy. The date is just supposed to show that Reach has recovered, at least partially, from the glassing by that date, and the planet has begun proper rebuilding. It's a pretty safe bet that Halsey is not actually standing there eulogizing Noble-6 on Reach in 2589, or even likely at any time or place at all, ever. Like many such monologues from numerous works, it shouldn't be taken as a literal, canonical speech being given. It's just a narrative technique.

Oh, I'm totally expecting them to retcon that as the reason.

Until there's contradicting lore, though... that's what I'm going to go with. I don't think we have any hard lore yet on how long a planet actually takes to recover from a glassing. That I know of, anyway.
 

CRIMSONxSERAPH

Neo Member
This is one of those things that does boggle me as to why it's confusing. I guess I should blame their lack of film literacy or something... it's a pretty common technique. Putting that aside, via context the only way it makes sense is if it's before the fall of the Forerunner anyhow, although I guess the Didact's sense of "victory" is what confuses people on that score.

I always took it to be the Ur-Didact defending his stand against the humans, and also his dislike of the Halo array. He wanted to keep the Mantle of Responsiblity, and "receding" would remove the Mantle from the Forerunners' grasp.
 
So now I'm reading through Primordium again (so much walking!), and noticed that Chakas had his geas awakened when he helped Bornstellar, then more so when he met the Didact, and then became fully formed when he visited Charum Hakkor.

I wonder if 117's geas may operate the same way? Was the encounter with the Halo or other Forerunner objects setting it into motion? Did fighting the Didact accelerate that process (or via the Librarian?). Perhaps if 117 finds some ancient human world, he'll awaken personalities inside himself? Could work from a game standpoint since in previous games Cortana was always "in your head" and she's apparently gone.

Could be interesting, it would have to be done really well though to not be completely confusing to non-Lore people though.
 
Halo: Last Light details (Thanks Grim)...


It is 2553, and the three-decade long Covenant War that defined a generation has suddenly drawn to a close. Yet, in the remotest parts of human space, tensions remain that threaten to overflow into another full-scale conflict. Beneath the surface of the planet Gao lies a vast cavern system renowned for its therapeutic effects and rumored miraculous cures. But now Gao natives are turning up brutally murdered down there – violent acts that happen to coincide with the recent arrival of a UNSC research battalion protected by Spartan Blue Team, led by the renowned Spartan-II Fred-104.

Maverick detective Veta Lopis of the Gao Ministry of Protection is only trying to do her job as the Special Inspector assigned to catch a serial killer – one who is possibly hiding within the Spartan ranks – but she never anticipates the situation spiraling out of control into an all-out crisis. When Gao is revealed to harbor ancient Forerunner technology that could solidify the UNSC’s military supremacy for centuries to come, Insurrection loyalists within the planetary government will do anything – even align with a vicious faction of what remains of the Covenant – to ensure that never happens….

Can't wait to read it! MOHR BLUE TEAM!
 
I had (some pages back) totally postulated that the upcoming book on the Ark would star Blue Team.. I guess I was a little off!

Still makes sense to 'reintroduce' Blue Team and hopefully let them expand on where they were during Halo 2/3.
 
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