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{{era|Forerunner}}
{{Era|Forerunner|Post}}
{{Flood Species Infobox
|name= Key Mind
|image=
|height=Planetary scale
|height-title=Size
|distinctions=Large-scale hub of Flood collective consciousness
|species=
|attacks=
}}


A '''Key Mind''' is a planetary-scale biological hub of the [[Flood]]'s [[Gravemind|compound consciousness]].<ref name="silentium">'''Halo: Silentium''', ''String 18''</ref> It is the epitome of the Flood.
{{Quote|Entire planetary ecosystems have apparently undergone conversion to what are being referred to as Key Minds.|String 18, one of thirty-nine such abstracted pieces of sourced from a [[Catalog]] unit and damaged [[monitor]] associated with a single fossilized [[Juridical]].}}<ref name="ONIsilentium">'''Halo: Silentium''', ''ONIRF Trevelyan Top Secret''</ref>


==Description==
'''Key minds''' are specialized [[Flood]] organisms that network their individual intelligences.<ref name="Keyminds">'''Halo Wars 2''', ''[[Phoenix Logs]] — Keyminds''</ref>
The Key Minds and lesser compound forms, acting in concert as the Flood's mind, coordinated the Flood's efforts throughout the last years of their [[Forerunner-Flood war|war with the Forerunners]]. Significantly larger than regular Gravemind forms, Key Minds are formed by the complete assimilation of planetary ecosystems by the Flood. They possess enormous processing power and are capable of extraordinary strategic planning, such as controlling entire battle fleets, and are more than a match for [[metarch]]-class [[ancilla]]s. The widespread emergence of Key Minds during the Forerunner-Flood war marked a transition in the level of Gravemind intelligence, allowing them to tap into the [[neural physics]] of [[Precursor]] constructs such as [[star road]]s and use them as weapons against the Forerunners. Speculation on the part of the [[Librarian]] and [[Ur-Didact]] implies that the Gravemind used this capacity to infect space-time itself, mutating it sufficiently to be hostile to Forerunner Slipsace technology, and to give even starlight an oppressive, wholly hateful quality.<ref name="silentium"/>
 
==Overview==
Key minds act as coordinators for nearby Flood forms, leveraging wisdom harvested from the parasites' hosts to expand, outwit, overwhelm, and consume other life.<ref name="Keyminds"/> The [[abomination]], an evolved form of the [[juggernaught]] command form, is a known type of key mind war-form.<ref name="Abomination">'''Halo Wars 2''', ''[[Phoenix Logs]] — Abomination''</ref> The creation of key minds causes an infestation to transition from feral aggression to coordinated conversion. As the Flood grow in number key minds combine and expand into larger, exponentially more intelligent networks. The appearance of these vile collectives typically indicates most local sentient hosts have been infected or consumed. Once a critical mass of key minds have combined the Flood's centralized intelligence can begin to emerge in their seething mass of corrupted flesh: a [[Proto-Gravemind]] that sifts through and feeds on the memories of every Flood-infected victim.<ref name="Keyminds"/>
 
==History==
Near the end of the [[Forerunner]]s' [[Forerunner-Flood War|struggle]] against the [[Flood]], entire planetary ecosystems underwent conversion to the Flood.<ref name="silentium18">'''Halo: Silentium''', ''String 18''</ref> The monicker "Key Mind" was first used by Forerunners to refer to the Flood controlling these ecosystems. These Key Minds displayed extraordinary strategic planning abilities and appeared to be more than a match for even any [[metarch]]-class [[ancilla]]. They were capable of seizing complete control of besieged sectors and sending converted battle fleets through unprecedented numbers of slipspace portals through the use of [[Precursor]] [[neural physics]].<ref name="silentium18"/>
 
Many thousands of years later, key minds were encountered on [[Installation 00]] in the form of abominations when the [[Banished]] forces occupying the installation came into conflict with the Flood ater releasing it from the crash site of ''[[High Charity]]'', where it had previously been confined.<ref name="FR">'''[[Halo Wars 2]]''', campaign level ''[[Fighting Retreat]]''</ref>


==List of appearances==
==List of appearances==
*''[[Halo: Silentium]]'' {{First mentioned}}
*''[[Halo: Silentium]]'' {{First mentioned}}
*''[[Halo Wars 2]]'' {{1st}}


==Sources==
==Sources==

Revision as of 12:13, September 27, 2017

"Entire planetary ecosystems have apparently undergone conversion to what are being referred to as Key Minds."
— String 18, one of thirty-nine such abstracted pieces of sourced from a Catalog unit and damaged monitor associated with a single fossilized Juridical.[1]

Key minds are specialized Flood organisms that network their individual intelligences.[2]

Overview

Key minds act as coordinators for nearby Flood forms, leveraging wisdom harvested from the parasites' hosts to expand, outwit, overwhelm, and consume other life.[2] The abomination, an evolved form of the juggernaught command form, is a known type of key mind war-form.[3] The creation of key minds causes an infestation to transition from feral aggression to coordinated conversion. As the Flood grow in number key minds combine and expand into larger, exponentially more intelligent networks. The appearance of these vile collectives typically indicates most local sentient hosts have been infected or consumed. Once a critical mass of key minds have combined the Flood's centralized intelligence can begin to emerge in their seething mass of corrupted flesh: a Proto-Gravemind that sifts through and feeds on the memories of every Flood-infected victim.[2]

History

Near the end of the Forerunners' struggle against the Flood, entire planetary ecosystems underwent conversion to the Flood.[4] The monicker "Key Mind" was first used by Forerunners to refer to the Flood controlling these ecosystems. These Key Minds displayed extraordinary strategic planning abilities and appeared to be more than a match for even any metarch-class ancilla. They were capable of seizing complete control of besieged sectors and sending converted battle fleets through unprecedented numbers of slipspace portals through the use of Precursor neural physics.[4]

Many thousands of years later, key minds were encountered on Installation 00 in the form of abominations when the Banished forces occupying the installation came into conflict with the Flood ater releasing it from the crash site of High Charity, where it had previously been confined.[5]

List of appearances

Sources

  1. ^ Halo: Silentium, ONIRF Trevelyan Top Secret
  2. ^ a b c Halo Wars 2, Phoenix Logs — Keyminds
  3. ^ Halo Wars 2, Phoenix Logs — Abomination
  4. ^ a b Halo: Silentium, String 18
  5. ^ Halo Wars 2, campaign level Fighting Retreat