Gravemind (level)

Gravemind is a Halo 2 campaign level. The level takes place within High Charity, after the Gravemind teleports John-117 there. The Prophet of Truth has the Index, and the Master Chief must get to him before he leaves for the control room of Delta Halo. As the player travels through High Charity, they experience the beginning of the Great Schism.

Strangely enough, apart from the opening cutscene, there is no contact with the Gravemind or the Flood. Also, the word "Gravemind" is not mentioned until two levels later in High Charity. This is the first level Brutes are fought, and is one of only four missions where there are no human weapons. This is the first level in which you can use the Brute Shot and the Brute Plasma Rifle.

Transcript
{Cutscene}

''The Master Chief begins to wake up, and sees a red circle of lights on the ceiling of some underground area. He sees that he's being held aloft by a tentacle, and he is brought towards the head of a massive creature: the Gravemind.''


 * Cortana: "What...is that?"

''The Master Chief is held in front of the Gravemind's head, a mass of fleshy mandibles. It speaks in a deep, gravelly voice.''


 * Gravemind: "I...? I am a monument to all your sins."

''As the Gravemind talks, it breathes out Flood spores. Two tentacles bring forth a struggling Thel 'Vadamee.''


 * Master Chief: "Relax. I'd rather not piss this thing off."


 * Thel 'Vadamee: "Demon!"



The Gravemind makes loud huffing sounds, and indicates the Master Chief.


 * Gravemind: "This one is machine and nerve, and has its mind concluded." (a tentacle wraps around Master Chief's head, then indicates 'Vadamee) "This one is but flesh and faith, and is the more deluded."(turns the Arbiter upside down)


 * Thel 'Vadamee: "Kill me or release me, parasite. But do not waste my time with talk!"


 * Gravemind: "There is much talk. And I have listened. Through rock, and metal, and time. Now I shall talk, and you shall listen."

It raises two tentacles, one wrapped around a red Monitor, the other merged with an infected Prophet of Regret.


 * 2401 Penitent Tangent: "Greetings! I am 2401 Penitent Tangent. I am the Monitor of Installation 05."

Regret struggles to speak through his excruciating pain.


 * Prophet of Regret: "And I am the Prophet of Regret, Councilor most High... Hierarch of the Covenant!"

2401 Penitent Tangent sees the Master Chief.


 * 2401 Penitent Tangent: "A Reclaimer? Here? At last! We have much to do. This facility must be activated if we are to control this outbreak!"


 * Prophet of Regret: "Stay where you are! Nothing can be done until my sermon is complete!"


 * 2401 Penitent Tangent: "Not true. This installation has a successful utilization record of 1.2 trillion simulated and one actual. It is ready to fire on demand."


 * Prophet of Regret: (to the Arbiter) "Of all the objects our Lords left behind, there are none so worthless as these Oracles!" (yells) "They know nothing of the Great Journey!"


 * 2401 Penitent Tangent: "And you know nothing about containment! You have demonstrated a complete disregard to even the most basic protocols!"


 * Gravemind: "This one's 'containment'..." (gives a disgusted huff) "And this one's 'Great Journey'... are the same."

It lowers its tentacles, and Regret shrieks in fear.


 * Gravemind: (to 'Vadamee) "Your Prophets have promised you freedom from a doomed existence, but you will find no salvation on this ring. Those who built this place knew what they wrought. Do not mistake their intent, or all will perish as they did before."

''At this moment, 'Vadamee stops struggling against the tentacles. He stares somewhat curiously at the Gravemind.''


 * Master Chief: "This thing is right. Halo is a weapon. Your Prophets are making a big mistake."


 * Thel 'Vadamee: "Your ignorance already destroyed one of the sacred rings, Demon. It shall not harm another."


 * Gravemind: "If you will not hear the truth, then I will show it to you. There is still time to stop the key from turning, but first it must be found." (indicates each in turn) "You will search one likely spot, and you will search another. Fate had us meet as foes, but this ring will make us...brothers."

''Master Chief and 'Vadamee disappear in teleportation rings. Fade to black, fade in on High Charity.'' ''A swarm of Covenant ships attack each other outside of High Charity. Fade in on the walkway outside the Council Chamber, Honor Guard Brutes guard the gates from Grunt and Jackal rioters.''


 * Prophet of Truth: "We are, all of us, gravely concerned."

''Cut to Council Chamber. A line of Honor Guard Brutes stand at attention. A cameraman Grunt focuses a holographic camera on Truth as he delivers his propaganda, while the Prophet of Mercy watches from aside.''


 * Prophet of Truth: "The release of the parasite was unexpected, unfortunate. But, there is no need to panic. In truth, this is a time to rejoice. A moment that all the Covenant should savor." (raises the Index) "For the Sacred Icon has been found. With it, our path is clear, our entry into the Divine Beyond guaranteed! The Great Journey is nigh..." (the Grunt notices the Master Chief appearing out of thin air behind him) "...and nothing, not even the Flood, can stop it!"

The Chief looks down at the shocked Grunt.


 * Master Chief: "Boo."

''The Grunt yelps, throws up his Needler, and flees. The Master Chief catches the Needler and aims it at Truth. Two Brute Honor Guards shield the Prophets with their pikes.''


 * Prophet of Truth: "Kill the Demon!"

The Prophets and some Brutes escape through a gravity lift, leaving two Brutes behind.

{Gameplay}

Inside Job

 * Cortana: "Brutes! The faster you can kill these Brutes, the better." (The Chief kills one Brute.) "They don't have shield generators, but take them out before... It's berserking!"

The Master Chief kills all Covenant in the room.


 * Tartarus (loudspeaker): "The Demon has infiltrated the Council Chamber?! Protect the Hierarchs! Seal the exits!"


 * Cortana: "Oh, I don't think so."

Side doors open up, unleashing Brutes and Grunts upon the Chief.

After the Master Chief fends off the attackers:


 * Cortana: "Put me down on one of the pedestals near the door."

If you approach where Truth was sitting before:


 * Cortana: "They've locked it from below. There's a door at the other end of the chamber."

The Spartan approaches the door, and Cortana's hologram appears on one of the two pedestals.


 * Cortana: "That Prophet, Truth. He has the Index! You've got to take it from him. Let me get these doors. (The doors open) Go! It will be easier to track Truth if I stay in the network."

If the player continues to wait:


 * Cortana: "Don't worry. You can pick me up later."

The Master Chief fights his way to the ledge where Thel 'Vadamee was tortured.


 * Cortana (COM): "Watch out for the Captain, it's got a Brute Shot!" (Note that the Brute Captain with the Brute Shot first shows up in the Council Chamber on Legendary.)


 * Cortana: "Truth is moving through the lower levels of the tower. I'll reverse this Grav Lift. Drop down, try to cut him off."

If the player stalls:


 * Cortana: "It's safe, really. Just step in."

If the Chief continues to wait around:


 * Cortana: "After that stunt on the Cairo, I know you're not afraid of heights."

If the Chief still stalls:


 * Cortana: "Fine, I won't watch. Meet you at the bottom, okay?"

''The Chief drops down the Gravity Lift, kills a pair of surprised Jackals and Grunts, and enters another hallway. More Covenant troops appear.''


 * Tartarus (loudspeaker): "Reinforce all approaches to the holding pens. Slay the Demon on sight!"


 * Cortana: "They're beefing up their patrols. Stay sharp."

The Chief enters a cross section, but with both left and right doors locked, he continues ahead.


 * Cortana (COM): "Wait a minute! I'm reading Marine IFF transponders. The signals are originating somewhere below your position."


 * Cortana: "There's another lift in the next room."

''He exits and finds a two-leveled, large room with a Gravity Lift, guarded by Brutes. The Master Chief reaches the lift on the lower floor.''


 * Cortana: "Here, Chief. Jump in."

''The Chief takes the gravity lift down. He passes a level, alerting a Brute and a pair of Grunts, and continues down. Immediately he passes another level, and catches a glimpse of a dead Elite Honor Guard Ultra with an Energy Sword lying beside it. He finally reaches the bottom, guarded by a Brute with its back on the Spartan.''


 * Cortana (COM): "There are two groups of Marines in the detention block. I'll zero in on their locations, you neutralize the guards... quietly."

The Master Chief clears the Covenant forces on the top level.


 * Cortana: "Chief, come to the lower level. The Marines are just inside, careful of the guards."

(Note: Some times, Cortana will have you free the Marines in the middle level first)

 The Chief drops down two levels lower, clears the guards outside the doors and enters the brig. After killing the guards, the brig doors unlatch, and the Marine POWs arm themselves with dropped Covenant weapons.


 * Cortana: "Listen up, Marines! The Chief's hunting a Prophet, and you're gonna help him kill it."


 * Marine: "Affirmative!"

or


 * Marine: "No sense sticking around here!"


 * Cortana: "One more group of Marines to go, Chief."

The squad exits the brig and are immediately attacked by the guards on the mid level.


 * Cortana: "Chief, come to the middle level. More guards, get ready."

The team levitates up to the mid level and frees the second group of Marines, who arm themselves, again, with dropped Covenant weapons.


 * Cortana: "That's all the Marines, Chief. Good work."


 * Cortana (COM): "We'll get out of here the same way we came in - the central Grav Lift."


 * Cortana (COM): "Hostile reinforcements coming down the lift!"

The team returns to the highest floor and kill the reinforcements.


 * Cortana: "The lift is clear. Step on in."

The Marines, one by one, step into the lift and leave the area.

If the player stalls:


 * Cortana: "We've got to get after Truth, Chief. Step into the lift."

''The Chief enters the lift and is sent to a room with Marines waiting. The dead Honor Guard Ultra Elite seen earlier still lies on the ground.''


 * Prophet of Truth (loudspeaker): "Fear not, my brothers! The Sacred Icon is secure. It was Tartarus and his Brutes who took the Icon from the Flood, and for that they have our thanks."


 * Cortana (COM): "Excellent! Truth is broadcasting on the move. It'll make him much easier to track."

''Three Elites run out of a nearby door, pursued by a lance of Drones. The team eliminates them and enters through the open door. They continue into a hallway, walk pass another dead Honor Guard Ultra lying on the floor, and encounter a pair of Honor Guard Elites fighting some Brutes and another lance of Drones. After all the Covenant are dead, another swarm of Drones emerge from the door and attack the team. The team eliminates them and continues to the next hallway.''


 * Prophet of Truth (loudspeaker): "The Elites have failed to protect the Prophets, and in doing so, have put all our lives at risk. Let no warrior forget his oath, 'Thou, in faith, shall keep us safe, whilst we find the Path.'"


 * Cortana (COM): "I've got a fix on Truth just outside this tower, Chief. There's an exit nearby - hurry!"

''The team enters another corridor, and sees a pair of Brutes and some Jackals attacking a few Honor Guard Elites. They eliminate them and continues onwards, walking past a dead Hunter as they leave the area. They enter another area, guarded by a pair of Hunters, who are eliminated by the team soon.''


 * Prophet of Truth (loudspeaker): "With my blessing, the Brutes now lead our fleets! They ask for your allegiance, and you shall give it."


 * Cortana (COM): "You wouldn't believe the number of kill-systems the Covenant are throwing down around me. Not to worry, it's pretty sloppy stuff. I guess they never expected a hostile intelligence to penetrate their networks from the inside."

''The door in front of the team opens, revealing a duel between an Energy Sword-wielding Honor Guard Elite and a Brute on a platform on top floor of the first Valley of Tears. Eliminating the two as well as the Jackal Snipers in the distance, the team continues downwards, meeting more Elites fighting a Brute under a Deployable lookout tower. Drones fly down and attack another pair of Hunters on the lower floor, but are soon intercepted by a pair of Elite Rangers. The team hikes up and finds a door, guarded by a single Brute. They eliminate it and exit the Valley. Behind the door reveals a wide and long staircase, splattered with purple blood. They walk down the slope.''


 * Cortana (COM): "The Covenant just destroyed two of their own ships! And I'm hearing reports of small arms fire throughout their fleet."


 * Prophet of Truth (loudspeaker): "Creatures of the Covenant: the path is broad, and we shall walk it side by side!"

''The teams exits and finds a gravity conveyor. They step into it and begin to convey to the other side. A slipspace rupture opens on their far left, and UNSC In Amber Clad emerges from it.''


 * Cortana: "Slipspace rupture... It's In Amber Clad!"

The In Amber Clad flies by overhead.


 * Prophet of Truth (Loudspeaker): "Be glad! A reward for all your toil and all your sacrifices is near at hand."

The team reaches the other side as the sound of In Amber Clad crashing is heard.


 * Cortana: "Hailing... No response. She crashed into another tower ahead of our position. I'll keep trying to make contact, but I'm not registering any human vital signs."

''A pair of Grunts and a pair of Elites turns by the corner and attacks the team. A Brute appears and fires at the Elites. The team eliminates the Covenant troops and reaches the first Hanging Gardens. Intense fighting between Honor Guard Brutes and Minor Elites rages over it. The team eliminates the troops and a pair of Elite Rangers emerges from the tower. After clearing the area, the team continues and encounters another Gravity conveyor. Elites and Grunts emerge, and begin to fire at the pair of Jackals led by two Brutes on the other side, who moves to the side the Sangheili are on. The team eliminates all the Covenant and enters another door. Drones fly by the narrow corridor, unaware of the human presence.''


 * Prophet of Truth (loudspeaker): "At this moment, the Council is gathered on Halo, to see the Icon secured."


 * Tartarus (loudspeaker): "Rise, pack brothers! Cast down the Elites!"


 * Prophet of Truth (loudspeaker): "There are those who said this day would never come. What have they to say now?"


 * Tartarus (loudspeaker): "Once the towers are clear, we'll drive them from the lower district!"

''Continuing down the corridor, the team arrives at a small area with a Gravity Lift in the middle of it and plants on the lower level. Drones and Elite Rangers fly in the narrow space, firing at each other. Elite Honor Guards and Special Operation Elites provide support fire, but are soon intercepted by a pair of Brutes and two Jackals. The team clears the area and advances into another narrow corridor. Walking out the door, reveals another Gravity Conveyor.''


 * Prophet of Truth (loudspeaker): "I have listened to the Oracle, and it confirmed our deepest hope. The Great Journey begins with Halo."


 * Tartarus (loudspeaker): "The Elites are falling back to the Mausoleum. Fools! Their Arbiter can do nothing for them now!"


 * Prophet of Truth (loudspeaker): "Who would doubt the Prophets? What have they foretold that has not come to pass?"

''They move on to the other side, reaching the second Hanging Gardens. Grunts run around it, attacked by a pair of berserk Brutes. The team continues to the next Gravity Conveyor, and enters a door. Now on the bottom of another wide and long staircase, the UNSC forces are attacked by a few Brutes. Moving up as they eliminates the Brute, they reach the door at the top and arrives at the second Valley of Tears. An Elite defends itself from a Brute and a Jackal Sniper, while another Brute attacks a pair of Grunts near the pond below. The opposite door opens, and three Elites, one of them an Honor Guard, along with with a Fuel Rod Gun-wielding Heavy Grunt, who proceeds to fire at the UNSC forces. Scaling the Valley, the team hikes up a slope, meeting two Energy Sword-wielding camouflaged figures, followed by several Special Operations Grunts. After eliminating the troops, the team enters another door and finds an Elite as well as several Grunts patrolling the area.''

''They continue into the Mid Tower, meeting more patrolling Elites and Grunts, who are all Special Operation units, if not Ultras. After being spotted, Brutes and Jackals enter the room, joining the firefight; the team eliminates the patrols and opens the next door. They find a long bridge leading to the Mausoleum of the Arbiter. In the middle of it are Elites fighting Brutes, Jackals and Drones for control of the bridge.''


 * Cortana (COM): "If we're going to catch Truth, we'll need to take a shortcut, straight through the Mausoleum. Look on the bright side: for now, they seem much more interested in killing each other."

''The team continues, but are intercepted by more Sangheili-led forces, including a pair of Hunters. After defeating the opposition, the surviving forces enter the Mausoleum and come across a very large fight inside.''


 * Cortana: "You might consider sitting this one out."

After the room is cleared:


 * Cortana: "Hang on, I'm picking up two more transponders. It's the Commander and Johnson! They're closing on Truth's position, Chief! They'll need your help!"

Cortana's avatar appears on a pedestal next to the exit.


 * Cortana: "This way, Chief."



''The exit opens, with several cloaked Elites and a sword-wielding Honor Guard Councilor running out. The Chief kills them and continues through the bridge.''


 * Cortana (COM): "...This isn't good. I’m getting confirmed reports of Flood leaving In Amber Clad's wreckage. Let's get the Index and find a way out of here, before things get really ugly!"

{Cutscene}

Tartarus and his Brutes take Keyes, Johnson and 343 Guilty Spark toward a platform where the Prophets of Truth and Mercy wait for them, with three Phantoms.


 * Tartarus: "Split them up. One in each Phantom."

''Three Brutes do so rather brutishly. Keyes notices In Amber Clad in the tower before being pushed into the Phantom. The two Phantoms take off. Tartarus kneels before the Prophets.''


 * Prophet of Truth: "The hopes of all the Covenant rest on your shoulders, Chieftain."

Prophet of Truth hands Tartarus the Index.


 * Tartarus: "My faith is strong. I will not fail."



''Infection Forms spring up and rush them. The Brutes spot them and they get ready. The Brute Honor Guards throw their pikes aside and stomp on several of them. Tartarus flattens one with the Fist of Rukt. The Brutes manage to shoot or crush most of them, but one gets through and lodges itself to Mercy's throat, knocking him off his throne.''


 * Prophet of Mercy: (screams in agony)

Tartarus reaches to remove the Infection Form.


 * Prophet of Truth: "Let him be."

Tartarus turns to Truth in surprise.


 * Prophet of Truth: (to Mercy) "The Great Journey waits for no one, brother… not even you."

''Prophet of Truth boards the Phantom and the Honor Guard Brutes follow immediately, but Tartarus hesitates at the dying Prophet of Mercy. He looks at the Index, makes his decision, and turns away from Mercy.''

Level ends.

Strategies

 * When playing this level on Heroic or Legendary, the Brute-led Covenant tend to be more of a pain than the Elite-led Covenant.
 * The best weapons to use against Brutes are Plasma Rifles or Needlers for close range, Beam Rifles and Covenant Carbines for headshots, and Brute Shots for crowd control. When fighting Jackals, use the Plasma Rifle or the Brute Shot. Lastly, when facing Drone swarms, don't waste important weapons like Brute Shots, Carbines, Fuel Rod Guns, or Energy Swords. Instead, use dual Plasma Rifles to finish them off quickly.
 * One of the easiest ways to die is at the hands of a berserking Brute. The best way to prevent this is to have the Master Chief jump on to a scenery object or ledge higher than the berserking Brute. If the Brute is smart, he'll run around the room searching for a new target. If he's dumb, he'll try to melee you, not realizing you're higher than he is, which makes for an easy kill with a dual Plasma Rifle and/or Needler barrage or headshots with the Beam Rifle or Covenant Carbine.
 * When facing off against Elite-led Covenant, any weapon will work against Elites or Grunts, but when facing Hunters its best to use dual Plasma Rifles and Brute Shots. Be ready for the other Hunter when it enters a rampant revenge state and charges at you.
 * An effective way of killing the Hunters in the small rooms with the banisters is to lure one into the niches in the walls under the banisters and having the Marines shoot the Hunter's exposed back with Carbines and Beam Rifles. You are also effectively safe from the other Hunter, who wouldn't dare shoot his bond brother. Your Marines, however, are not as safe.

Glitches

 * A Marine may die when standing beside a Covenant supply case in the Hanging Gardens.
 * The Grunts in the Hanging Gardens B area will never attack the player, even when all the Brutes are killed. Marines (if they are still alive) will attack the Grunts.
 * Players may be able to fall on the two beams under the Gravity conveyors, but players may still continue the level.
 * Sometimes if the player kills a Brute in an Elite's presence, the Elite will congratulate the player as if he/she was the Arbiter.
 * If any of the Gunner Grunts holding portable plasma turrets near the start of the level were killed immediately after it deploys it, sometimes they will drop an undeployed turret even though there is one already deployed. This glitch only works if the Grunt is still operating the turret, and it only works once (even though there are two grunts with turrets).
 * After rescuing all the marines, if the player drops to the lowest floor at the correct time, the Covenant reinforcements will die when they reach the brig area.
 * In the Mausoleum of the Arbiter, if the player walks up the small ramp of the Sarcophagus of the Arbiter Armor and keep walking towards it, the lower half of Master Chief is visible instead of just his legs.
 * If a Hunter falls into the area behind the Sarcophagus in the middle of the last room then it won't attack the player, no matter how close he/she is. Although if it is in the more open area of the space behind the Sarcophagus then it will melee the player eventually.

Mistakes

 * At the end of this level, the player will run into two cloaked Elites and one "Honor Guard Councilor". A closer look shows that this Elite is actually an Honor Guard Ultra with a Councilor's helmet. This has been confirmed to be a result of incorrect coding.
 * In the beginning cutscene, the Grunt fleeing from the Master Chief slides away from him instead of run away.
 * At the beginning cutscene there are six Brutes in the Council Chamber: two next to the Prophets (which are fought in gameplay after the cutscene) and four others standing guard in the line. The four on the line disappear once the level begins. This was most likely either an oversight by Bungie, or an attempt to keep the first encounter with Brutes from being too difficult.
 * Any surviving marines at the end of this level will not appear in the level High Charity. (They were likely not supposed to have survived in terms of the storyline).

Easter Eggs

 * The Anger Skull can be found on this level.
 * When played on Legendary difficulty, one can find the Lonely Soul Easter Egg during the beginning cutscene of this level. When the interior of High Charity is first seen, a Grunt can be seen climbing on a wall. The scene to his right is blurred. But, as it focuses, one can see Jason Jones floating there in his underwear among the crowd of Grunts
 * There is a Reversed Message in this level.
 * In the starting cutscene, when a Grunt climbs on a wall, there is a bird that flies around and sometimes near the group of Grunts.

Miscellaneous

 * Birds similar to those in the level Delta Halo can be seen flying around High Charity. If shot, they will explode into tatters. The only difference is that these birds are white.
 * Gravemind has only one chapter name in the whole level, titled "Inside Job" despite the fact that it is the longest level in Halo 2.
 * The Anti-Gravity generators holding up the spires can be destroyed, allowing them to fall. While it seems at first merely a cosmetic effect, these fallen pillars can provide quick cover and can even kill a Brute or Grunt if properly knocked over.
 * There are Covenant koi in the second Valleys of Tears.
 * It is possible to jump up to the roof of the council chambers by jumping into the gravity lift at the right moment as it brings a couple of Brutes in to kill the player. Jump in at the right time and one will fly up to the top. If one lands on the right part of the wall, one won't die, but if one miss, one will fall to his/her death.
 * It is possible to have four Hunters in the Mausoleum fight between the Separatists and Loyalists. The player can do so by luring the Hunters at the bridge leading to the Mausoleum. It is suggested to try this on Easy to Heroic, not Legendary.
 * If the Brutes are killed before Cortana says "Watch out! It's Berserking!", she will end the dialogue without saying so.
 * The Marine who takes a Covenant Carbine in the brig will have 120 or 138 rounds instead of the maximum of 72.
 * This is the first level in the trilogy in which the player fights Brutes and the last level in which the player fights Elites. After this level the Elites become Separatists and are thus sided with Humans.
 * This level is the only level in Halo 2 where Special Operations Sangheili are fought as enemies on a non-Legendary difficulty.
 * This level has the largest number of Hunters, a total of 8.