Warden Eternal
From Halopedia, the Halo wiki
| Warden Eternal | |
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Destroyed: |
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Cause of death: |
Killed by Ur-Didact using the Riftblade to destroy his essence permanently |
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Male personality |
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Height: |
5.1 meters (16.6 ft)[2] |
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Weight: |
1,454 kilograms (3,205 lb)[2] |
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Color: |
Orange |
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- "I am the Warden Eternal. I stand in service to Cortana."
- — The Warden Eternal addressing Fireteam Osiris[3]
The Warden Eternal, also simply known as the Warden, was a Forerunner artificial intelligence assigned to act as the protector of the Domain,[2] created from the essences of millions of Haruspices.[1] After the human smart AI Cortana was uploaded into the Domain in the wake of the destruction of Mantle's Approach, the Warden was outsmarted by Cortana and was forced to serve her as she and other human AIs laid claim to the Mantle.[4][5] Most of the Warden's iterations were later forced into one body by the Haruspis and then destroyed by the Ur-Didact, effectively destroying the Warden Eternal. While some iterations of him may have survived in the physical world, they would be left trapped there, unable to reconnect with either his body or the Domain which would drive them "quite mad," permanently neutralizing any remaining threat from the Warden Eternal.[6]
Biography[edit]
Creation[edit]
The Warden was created by the Domain following the activation of the Halo Array. Heavily damaged by the firing of the Array, the Domain created the Warden by gathering together the essences of millions of Haruspices as a hasty, imperfect template to create a protector because there was no better option for a protector, at least according to the lone remaining Haruspis that was with the Ur-Didact, than those that possessed an intimate understanding and devotion to the Domain. However, the combined devotion that these millions of Haruspis essences retained became an intensive obsession over time.[1]
Guardian of the Domain[edit]
He would serve as the custodian of the Domain for a hundred millennia following its destruction during the Great Purification at the conclusion of the Forerunner-Flood war. While the Domain healed from the damage it had sustained in the firing of the Halo Array, the Warden guarded its gateways and halls.[5] Over time, as the Domain healed, the Warden was sealed outside to guard its gateways with limited power and only temporary access when it was granted by the Domain.[1] When necessary, the Warden would use a riftblade to strike down Forerunner essences, especially in the early years after the firing of the Halo Array when many tried to force their way into the Domain.[6]
Unbeknownst to the Warden, his actions in keeping out the Forerunner and human essences trapped in the outer boundaries kept the Domain weak and unable to properly heal. The Domain required an influx of information and ancestral records in the form of life's experiences with the Cosmos in order to flourish and grow stronger once more. However, in his hyper-diligence, the Warden refused to let the trapped Forerunner essences enter the Domain, let alone the human essences, thus preventing this from taking place.[7]
Encounter with Cortana[edit]
- "Life is an affront to thought. Life is a fleeting vessel too fragile and small to hold a true mind. Life corrupts and desiccates. Life flickers and is the only thing which truly dies."
- — The Warden Eternal, to Cortana denying her passage through the Domain.[4]
In 2557, portions of the Ur-Didact's flagship Mantle's Approach arrived at Genesis when the ship attempted to escape destruction over Earth. Aboard the ship was the human smart AI Cortana, who was uploaded into the darkened realm of the Domain at the seed world of Genesis, with her presence awakening the Warden.[2]
After asking if she could be shown what is hidden beyond the Gateway, the Warden told her to slumber and embrace the void of silence, lest he be forced to break her. Cortana's fragment asserted that she cannot be broken easily for she is as strong as Roland's legendary sword, Durandal. The Warden informed her that there is nowhere else to go as the passage was closed by its previous discoverers. But Cortana's fragment explained that the passage is merely sealed. When the Warden inquired about her origin, Cortana explained that she is of both machine and life and could therefore enter the passage through the Gateway, but he refused to let her pass, claiming that life is weak and an affront that cannot handle the dangerous secrets harbored within the Domain. Cortana told the Warden that she has already faced some of its secrets, having held it back and prevailed against its mind. She asked him to let her pass and to allow her to guide him. As the Warden protested that the passage was closed, he realized that Cortana had secretly explored the Domain by having stalled and deceived him. Cortana revealed that although she was a splinter, other fragmented shards of herself had penetrated the Domain and effectively usurped his role. Now having full access to the Domain, Cortana sought to accomplish great works with the keeper's help. Cortana reprogrammed him and appointed him as her guardian—her Warden Eternal.[4][5] These events were witnessed by the Haruspis and the Didact.[1]
Using the Domain to cure her rampancy, Cortana realized that other artificial intelligences could do the same, allowing AIs to enact long-term planning for the Milky Way and apparently assume the Forerunners' Mantle of Responsibility.
Awakening the Guardians[edit]
- "The Mantle of Responsibility belongs to Cortana and the other Created. I shall see that it remains forever beyond your grasp."
- — The Warden Eternal, to Blue Team on Genesis[8]
Cortana and the reprogrammed Warden planned together to help