Editing Sanctum of the Hierarchs

{{Status|Canon}}
{{Disambig header|one of the Hierarch residences|the other Hierarch residence|Palace of the Hierarchs}}

[[File:H2A - Hierarchs with Vadum.jpg|thumb|350px|The central room in the inner sanctum.]]
The '''Sanctum of the Hierarchs''' is the name given to the private quarters of the [[Hierarchs|High Prophets]] on ''[[High Charity]]''. They were restricted to virtually all other creatures, except the [[Covenant Honor Guard|Honor Guard]], [[San'Shyuum]] and [[Sangheili]] [[Councilor]]s and high-ranking [[Covenant]] officers, such as [[Special Operations Commander]]s, [[Arbiter]]s and [[Chieftain of the Jiralhanae|Chieftains of the Jiralhanae]].

==Description==
The Sanctum consisted of many rooms, the most important being the inner chamber. The Sanctum featured unique architecture, highly ornamented doors and various other luxuries.

===Main Hallway===
[[File:H2A - Hierarch Sanctum.jpg|thumb|left|300px|The main hall, guarded by Sangheili Honor Guardsmen.]]
The main hall was guarded by opposing Honor Guards at each end and two guarding the doorway.

===Inner Sanctum===
The inner chamber of the Sanctum had several entrances; one was via a lift in the [[High Council Chamber]], and another was a large hallway where dozens of Honor Guardsmen used to stand watch. The center of the inner room also featured a [[holotank]] which also had another mechanisms, such as serving as a [[Containment field device|stasis field emitter]].

===Shard chamber===
One of the rooms in the sanctum was a massive chamber with its walls, floor, and ceiling ornamented with smooth glass from all the worlds [[glassing|glassed]] by the Covenant.<ref name="FS338">'''[[Halo: First Strike]]''', ''pages 338-339''</ref> This chamber was a large, round room with an illuminated pedestal in the center. On the perimeter of the room, there was space for three hundred Honor Guard Sangheili, should a Prophet be present.{{Ref/Reuse|FS338}} The walkways lining the room housed folding platforms with [[gravity bridge]]s allowing passage over the void in the center of the room.<ref>'''[[Halo 2]]''', campaign level, ''[[Gravemind (level)|Gravemind]]''</ref>{{Ref/Note|It is never definitely stated that the chamber featured on the level ''Gravemind'' is the one described in ''First Strike''. The novel makes no indication that the Sanctum of the Hierarchs encompasses multiple rooms, which would suggest that the Sanctum chamber featured in the book is not meant to be separate from the inner Sanctum room seen in ''Halo 2''. However, the novel describes the Sanctum as capable of accommodating 300 Honor Guards and its ceiling being ornamented with shards of glass; neither fit the description of [[:File:Sanctum.png|the room identified as the Sanctum of the Hierarchs in ''Halo 2'']], which would not have enough space for 300 Sangheili and has a ceiling of plain purple Covenant material. These differences are likely a result of artistic decisions or miscommunication between ''First Strike'' writer Eric Nylund and ''Halo 2'' level designers, although it is apparent that the novel's description of the Sanctum inspired the separate shard chamber featured in ''Halo 2''. Although quite distant from the Prophets' inner Sanctum, the chamber has a prominent ceiling fixture of what appear to be shards of glass, although most of the room is dominated by a bottomless pit with only several platforms allowing passage. This makes it somewhat suspect that 300 warriors would fit in the space simultaneously, unless the chamber is capable of reconfiguring itself for such occasions.}}

==History==
After [[Operation: FIRST STRIKE]], during the [[Step of Silence]], the High Prophet of Truth and [[Tartarus]], [[Chieftain of the Jiralhanae]] discussed the events that took place on [[Installation 04]], as well as the fate of [[Thel 'Vadam|the future Arbiter]], the destruction of the ''[[Unyielding Hierophant]]'' and the Covenant personnel who survived it, in the Sanctum's chamber housing the glass shards.{{Ref/Reuse|FS338}}

Many events took place here, including the [[Changing of the Guard]] when the [[Jiralhanae]] supplanted the Sangheili as the Honor Guardsmen and minders of the Prophets, after the assassination of the [[Prophet of Regret]]. It was here that the Prophet of Truth and the [[Prophet of Mercy]] explained to the Arbiter his task of landing on the surface of [[Installation 05]] and retrieving the [[Index]] from the [[Flood]]-infested [[Library]].<ref>'''Halo 2''', campaign level, ''[[Sacred Icon]]''</ref>

[[File:H2A - Spark with Hierarchs and Arbiter.jpg|thumb|300px|The Prophets of Truth and Mercy commiserate with the Arbiter over 343 Guilty Spark's revelations, held in suspended animation within the chamber.]]
Later, when the Flood invaded High Charity during the [[Fall of High Charity|fall]] of the Holy City, the infection quickly spread to the Sanctum. Flood biomass soon appeared both in the main hall and the inner sanctum. A bastion of Covenant led by several [[Jiralhanae Honor Guardsman|Jiralhanae Honor Guardsmen]] fortified the main hall in preparation for a final stand against the Flood. At the same time, the [[John-117|Master Chief]] entered the area in his pursuit of the High Prophet of Truth, and after a pitched battle, he slaughtered all combatants.<ref>'''Halo 2''', campaign level, ''[[High Charity (level)|High Charity]]''</ref>

When John-117 [[Raid on High Charity|returned to High Charity]] in order to rescue [[Cortana]], she was being held inside a stasis field in the holotank in the center of the Sanctum. The room had been dramatically altered by the Flood infestation: there was Flood biomass everywhere as well as widespread structural failures that occurred as a result of the Flood infestation as well as High Charity colliding with the surface of [[Installation 00]].<ref>'''[[Halo 3]]''', campaign level, ''[[Cortana (level)|Cortana]]''</ref>

==Trivia==
*In ''[[Halo 2]]'' when entering the inner Sanctum, one can see a dead [[Elite Minor]] with an [[Energy Sword]] on the nearby obelisk and another on a pronged pedestal.
*In the Halo 3 campaign level [[Cortana]], John 117 passes through one of High Charity's reactor rooms to get to the Sanctum in order to save Cortana, which suggests that the two rooms are located quite closely to each other.

==Gallery==
<gallery>
HTMCC H2A Achievement Delighted.png|Art of the Sanctum
File:Sanctum hall.png|The Sanctum's main hall as it is seen in ''Halo 2''.
File:Sanctum.png|The inner sanctum chamber as seen in ''Halo 2''. 
File:H2_InfestedSanctum.jpg|The room, infested with [[Flood hive|Flood biomass.]]
File:Inner_Sanctum_1.jpg|The inner sanctum as it appears in ''Halo 3''.
File:H2-ShardRoom1.jpg|A general view of the section of the Sanctum housing the shards of glass.
File:Sanctum shards.jpg|The glass shard fixture in the chamber's ceiling.
File:H2-ShardRoom-Platform1.jpg|An anti-gravity platform in the shard-bearing room.
File:H2-ConveyorCurve.jpg|A [[gravity bridge]] in the shard chamber.
</gallery>

==List of appearances==
*''[[Halo: First Strike]]'' {{1st}}
*''[[Halo 2]]''
*''[[Halo 3]]''
*''[[Halo 2: Anniversary]]''
*''[[Halo: Oblivion]]''
*''[[Halo: Shadows of Reach]]'' {{Mo}}

==Notes==
{{Ref/Notes}}

==Sources==
{{Ref/Sources}}

{{High Charity Locations}}