Marontik

Marontik was a community established by Earth's human civilization thousands of years after the human-Forerunner wars. It was the largest city on Earth in approximately 100,000 BCE, having grown significantly during the preceding two centuries. Located deep inland at the confluence of two great rivers, it was surrounded by expansive grasslands.

Marontik spread over dozens of square kilometers, and mostly consisted of wooden shacks and mud huts, some three or four stories tall. They were arranged on either side of alleys branching into other alleys, winding in no particular direction. Fights often took place on these alleys between the city's residents. One major area of Marontik was its Old City, the western part of which was home to a temple dedicated to worship of the Librarian, the Forerunner Lifeshaper who watched over Earth. A structure known as the Moon Gate was located near the temple. Marontik was also home to a number of power stations constructed by the Forerunners. The local humans used various types of primitive balloons and airships for transport across the city and its immediate area.

The city had an extensive network of underground catacombs. Local guides offered tours of these catacombs for visitors. A collective of guides, led by a matriarch, employed Chakas and Riser. When the Forerunner Manipular Bornstellar Makes Eternal Lasting first arrived on Earth, he hired Chakas and Riser as his guides in Marontik. The trio soon departed for the nearby Djamonkin Crater in search of Precursor relics.

The prairies around Marontik housed a number of farms, among them one owned by Chakas' family. The water supply in this area was controlled by criminal water barons with underlings to enforce their will. Chakas' father was killed in a fight with thugs in the employ of a water baron. The "sacred caves" where local males would undergo a rite of passage were located a day's journey from Marontik.

Location
The Forerunner Saga gives several vague suggestions as to Marontik's location on Earth. In Halo: Primordium, the city is stated to be located deep inland and surrounded by grasslands. Mara's species are stated to have lived in highlands some distance north of the city. Fossils of Gigantopithecus have been found across South and Southeast Asia, suggesting that Marontik may have been located somewhere in or near this region. The "two great rivers" between which Marontik lay may have been the Tigris and the Euphrates, which would place the city in prehistoric Mesopotamia. Though humanity is theorized to have originated in ancient Kenya, Mesopotamia is considered to be a cradle of civilization. The biblical Garden of Eden, where God created mankind, is often suspected to have been situated at the headwaters of these rivers. However, in Halo: Rebirth it is stated that the Portal at Voi, located in modern-day Kenya, was "not far" from Marontik's location; however, the ambiguity of the wording would this allow the city to be reasonably placed in Mesopotamia.

List of appearances

 * Halo: Cryptum
 * Halo: Silentium
 * Halo: Rebirth