San'Shyuum

San 'Shyuum (Latin Perfidia vermis ), also know as Prophets, are the leadership caste within the Covenant, and one of the more mysterious members of the Covenant.

Summary
Little to nothing is known about the Prophets, beyond the fact that they are the sole members of the leadership caste of the Covenant hierarchy. They are an integral part of the Covenant High Council, formerly sharing this responsibility with the Elites. However, the expulsion of the Elites and their replacement by the Brutes is likely to have caused a power vacuum, and it is not known if any Brute councilors exist, or if the Council still exists, with the loss of the Covenant capital city, High Charity.

Prophets appear extremely frail - either as an adaptation to a low-gravity world, or because of age, apparently, a long time ago, prior to the forming of the covenant, the prophets were on par with the elites in terms of physique and stamina, but because of the lack of physical roles once they became prophets, they might have evolved into the frail beings we know today. They have lobes of skin underneath their chin similar to a beard, and elderly Prophets have skin lobes on either side of their heads, like ears. These are covered in a thin fuzz. Prophets also have only three digits for their hands, and usually wear ornamental pieces that also double as life support mechanisms These head-pieces bear a holographic representation of Halo, but each is uniquely shaped and ornamental.

It is known that they claim to have evolved on a former colony of an ancient race called the Forerunners, which the Covenant revere as their gods, earning the species their name. According to the Prophets their world was destroyed some 3200 years ago before the events of Halo 3 (approx. -648 BC), although are reluctant to discuss the issue It is also known that they waged a fierce and bloody war against the Elites at some point, halted only by the discovery of Forerunner artifacts near the field of battle. The two races united to learn their secrets, forming a mutually beneficial arrangement that would eventually become the Covenant. The Elites would become the protectors of the Prophets, in exchange for which the Prophets would dedicate themselves to studying the Forerunners and learning the method of their "ascension".

As the representatives of the gods, the Prophets hold a great amount of power over the other races of the Covenant, earning reverential monikers such as "Holy One" and "Eminence". They are protected at all times by Legions of Honor Guards, and rarely involve themselves in combat, preferring to dedicate themselves to studying Forerunner artifacts. However, important events to the Covenant usually require a high-ranking Prophet, such as a Hierarch, to be present.

The majority of the Prophets use anti-gravity belts to support themselves. Higher ranking Prophets, such as the Hierarchs (a group of three Prophets with total control of the Covenant), use anti-gravity thrones to support themselves. These, however, are not so much for support than for personal defense - they are fitted with holographic emitters, an energy shield generator, a teleportation device, and a built-in Gravity Cannon and in the event of assassins getting past their guards they are able to defend themselves quite well with the Gravity Cannon.

Since the activation of the Halo Array, the Prophet's numbers have been dwindling, with the destruction of their original homeworld 3200 years before the events of 2552 likely contributing, and at the time of Halo 2 there were only 23,831,463 Prophets existing - after the Flood invasion of High Charity, their new "Home World," the majority of their race was consumed, leaving less than a thousand left alive, most doomed by the Elites quarantine of Delta Halo, and the rest of the Covenant Fleet.

Prophet Anatomy and Physiology
Since they bear the status of political figureheads most Prophets are physically quite frail creatures, preferring to move around via gravity belt, or anti-gravity throne in the case of the High Prophets. A life of inaction leaves most, if not all Prophets withered and weak. Since part of their ancient history concerns a long and bloody war with the Sangheili at some point the Prophets must have been physically powerful and capable warriors, or at least they must have outnumbered the Elites several times over, or have superior technology. Perhaps generations of decadence and reverence have left them as frail shadows of those earlier soldiers.

Each Prophet has distinct often furry lobes of skin hanging underneath their chin similar to a beard. Those Prophets of greater age, for example the High Prophet of Mercy have skin lobes on either side of their heads reminiscent of ears. Prophets have three digits on each hand, and are usually found wearing ornamental pieces that may also double as life support systems. These head-pieces bear a holographic representation of a Halo, but each is uniquely shaped and highly ornamental. However Prophet Councilors have been seen wearing more functional robes that lack any ornamentation what so ever. These Prophets have a lower status and as a result wear simple robes and can be found on the seating above the Council Chamber accompanying Sangheili Councilors. Prophets also seem to have parts of their brain showing through absenses of skin on their heads, while skin is still there, it may be possible that they evolved to allow their brain to grow to such a size that the skin is there simply to hold it in place.

The lifespan of a Prophet appears to be extensive, largely through the development of technologies to increase it. Such a process began 8,760,453 hours (or roughly 1,000 Years) before the events of Halo 3 (approx. starting in late 1552). Several breakthroughs have been made, ensuring that a quarter of their population are bicentarians.

Appearances
The Prophet of Regret is only Prophet that is confronted in combat by the Master Chief in the Halo series as of Halo 2. He appears at the level called Regret. The Prophets do make other appearances though, mostly in the cinematic sequences in Halo 2. In fact, in most of the cinematic sequences, there is at least one Prophet present. Also, Mercy's corpse is found at the beginning of the level called High Charity.

High Prophets

 * High Prophet of Mercy
 * High Prophet of Regret
 * High Prophet of Truth

Lesser Prophets

 * Prophet of Supposition
 * Prophet of Pity
 * Prophet of Disdain
 * Prophet of Objection

Legates

 * Minister of Etiology

Flood Prophet Form
Prophet Form is a term to describe Covenant Prophets that have been infected by the Flood. Due to their unusual nature, they are not thought of as Combat Forms in the way infected Humans and Elites are (Note that the term "Prophet Form" has not been officially used as canon to date). It is also worth noting that both "prophet forms" seen had only just been infected, and may not have been assimilated in the conventional way. Prophet of Mercy was the only prophet to be seen being taken down by an infection form and the result of his infection was never shown.

Biblical Reference
Revelation 11:5-10

5. And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed.

6. These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over the waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with plagues, as often as they will.

7. And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them.

8. And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.

9. And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves.

10. And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth.

This excerpt from Revelations bears similarities with the Flood attack on High Charity, but more importantly describes the death of two prophets (ie; Mercy and Regret), and their tyranny over their subjects before their deaths.

Trivia

 * In Halo: First Strike the Prophets (specifically Truth) appear to have telekinetic powers, although it maybe an illusion based on gravity manipulation technology.
 * The High Prophet of Mercy is named Hod Rumnt.
 * The Prophets appear to be biblical references, from Revelations 11:5-10
 * Prophet's blood is strikingly red, just like human's. This can be seen when you slay the Prophet of Regret.
 * The first part of the Prophets Covenant name is San, which could be the Spanish word for Saint, a letter in the Greek alphabet, a Japanese honorific which translate as 'Mr' and 'Mrs', the pronunciation of three in Japanese and Mandarin (there were three High Prophets), it translates as Dream in some Slavic languages and Mountain in Korean.

Related Links

 * High Prophets
 * High Council