Prophet of Regret

"I shall light this holy ring, release its cleansing flame, and burn a path into the divine beyond!"

- Prophet of Regret

The High Prophet of Regret is the youngest of the three High Prophets that lead the Covenant High Council.

Twenty Third Age of Doubt
During the Age of Doubt, 2524 by the UNSC calender, the Prophet of Regret was known as the Vice Minister of Tranquility. He was unique amongst his Prophet fellows in his confrontational attitude and combative demeanor, a trait he had gained from spending a good deal of time working with Elites. He was the first to inform the future Prophet of Truth about the existence of Harvest and what they believed to be a vast reliquary of Forerunner artifacts (In reality, these "artifacts" were nothing less than the humans on the planet, or Reclaimers"). After persuading the future High Prophet to join him in a conspiracy to gain these artifacts for their own private usage, he helped Truth in his plans by pretending to sympathize for those blacklisted from reproducing due to inborn genes, which included the then Hierarch Prophet of Restraint. After pretending to be the father of an unlawful child the Prophet of Restraint had fathered, Regret forced Restraint out of power by threatening to reveal the scandal if he did not leave his position as High Prophet.

Before their coup, the Prophets visited an "Oracle" within the Forerunner Dreadnought, an ancient AI known as Mendicant Bias that had stored itself in the ship and had not spoken to anyone for several hundred years. When the Luminations of Harvest were entered into its matrix, it suddenly came to light and revealed the symbols had been misinterpreted-that humans stood as equals to the Forerunner, and the Covenant had been mistaken in their beliefs. As it tried to launch the Dreadnought from High Charity, the Prophets along with the Philologist, leader of the ascetic priests and later the Prophet of Mercy, disconnected the Oracle from the ship and decided that the humans must be eradicated once and for all, before any of the Covenant could learn of this and shatter their entire existence.

He served during the destruction of Halo Installation 04 and was one of those who publicly condemned the Sangheili Commander who was responsible for the loss of the ring. While he appeared for the trial, it was by way of hologram, as Regret was en route to Earth, searching for a method to initiate the Great Journey.

Earth
"The message just repeats, "Regret, Regret, Regret.""

- Cortana

Despite being chided by his two compatriots, The Prophet of Regret led the first attack on Earth. His fleet was small for an assault, totalling only two Assault Carriers and thirteen s. It is thought that he was directed to Earth by a Forerunner artifact, perhaps the one on Coral to search for the Ark, but he apparently had no knowledge of a human presence on Earth and that it was his enemy's home world. Nevertheless, he sent Ranger Elites and Boarding Craft to destroy the Orbital Defense Platforms Malta, Athens, and Cairo, so he could push through into the heart of Africa. Despite the Master Chief's actions, his ship made it to the ground and deployed the first full-scale invasion force of Covenant on Earth.

After landing in New Mombasa to search for the Forerunner artifact located on Earth, Regret's forces deployed numerous ground units to further search the city, including a Scarab tank and many Phantom Dropships. As Spartan-117 approached his Carrier Regret's ship initiated a Slipspace jump right in the middle of New Mombasa to escape his pursuers and regroup his attack force. The move was so surprising that only the and four Prowlers were able to follow the Carrier as it jumped and destroyed the city.

Delta Halo
"I shall light this holy ring, release its cleansing flame, and burn a path into the divine beyond!"

- Prophet of Regret

Regret's Carrier landed ground forces onto the surface of Installation 05, and the Covenant set up a presence around a "temple" in the middle of a lake, from which Regret began his religious sermons. He also transmitted an apology to the Prophet of Truth, indicating that he couldn't have known that the humans would be there or in such force. Truth responded by saying that only Mercy had spared him from "public" condemnation. Nevertheless, High Charity and the Second Fleet of Homogeneous Clarity rushed to the new Halo, and a flight of Phantoms was deployed to rescue the Hierarch.

The In Amber Clad arrived in system soon after and deployed ODST forces onto the surface of Installation 05 along with the Master Chief to locate and kill Regret. The operation was a success, but soon afterward High Charity made a jump to the ring and bombarded the temple with plasma weaponry, nearly killing the Spartan and negating any chance of rescue for the Prophet.

It isn't known how Regret's body escaped the destruction of the temple, but it was later assimilated by the newly formed Gravemind, reanimated and incorporated into the creature itself. He made a final appearance at the beginning of the next level, where he expressed annoyance with another captive of the Gravemind's, 2401 Penitent Tangent, and reacted to the presence of the Arbiter, warning the Arbiter to forego any heretical suggestions made by the Monitors and the humans and to pursue the Great Journey.

The Ark
Throughout the events of Halo 3, Regret likely remained a part of Gravemind. If this is true, then Regret was finished for good on the Ark, where the Gravemind was killed due to the activation of the replacement of Installation 04.

Personality
Based on a letter written from Truth to Mercy relating to his untimely attack of Earth without realizing the significant human presence and defensive measures, Regret is considered a very rash and ambitious Prophet, immature and naive compared to the other ladder members. He developed a habit of ingesting excess alcoholic beverages, and his work as Vice Minister of Tranquility meant that his duties brought him into regular contact with the Sangheili, and had adopted some of their personal traits, such as a preoccupation with honor and personal arms. During their visit to the Oracle upon the Forerunner Dreadnought, Regret, then still a Vice Minister, first tried to threaten a Lekgolo pair with a Plasma Pistol and then almost shot the Philologist, later to become Mercy, for "tampering" with the Oracle.

Combat
Regret's anti-gravity throne is equipped with two "Gravity Beams" that are bright yellow and are equal in strength to a Hunters Fuel rod gun. The only way to defeat him is to board his throne and melee attack him. However, rockets will lock onto the throne as if it were a vehicle. Though this will not kill the Prophet, enough rockets can hurt him, reducing the number of hits he can take once you board his throne. Also a lunge with the energy sword will weaken him, though not as much as a rocket.

After a few hits, he will throw you off and teleport away, and his throne must be re-boarded to resume the assault. This pattern will repeat until either he or the Master Chief dies.

Regret is not alone, however. Throughout the battle with him, Grunts and Honor Guard Elites will attempt to aid him against the Chief.

Due to a glitch, Regret can be knocked out of his throne and shoot you with a plasma pistol that has a faster rate of fire for a few seconds. Regret will then teleport back to his chair as if nothing had happened.

Trivia

 * Like the other Prophets, his name is ironic. He never regretted his last actions before his death, which ultimately caused it. [[Image:POR.jpg|thumb|right|The Prophet]]
 * From approximately 2 minutes and 45 seconds into the cutscene at the beginning of the Gravemind level, you can hear Regret saying exactly the same words as the Gravemind, perhaps as he is assimilated by it.
 * If you look closely at the Flood-Regret, he has a human skull embedded in his body
 * Numerous holograms of Regret appear in the levels Delta Halo and Regret, as he gives his sermon, and can be lunged at with an energy sword or melee.
 * When Regret gives his sermon on Delta Halo he tells the entire history of the Covenant, as well as the Prophets' mission to begin the Great Journey.
 * On Delta Halo, the sermon Regret gives via hologram (in his native language) is read/sung in tune to the first few verses of Halo's memorable main theme.
 * If you have an Energy Sword when fighting Regret, jump on his throne, beat him twice, get off, then hit him with the sword. He should die.  It is unknown how this happens as all other attacks do not hurt him at all besides that attack mentioned above.
 * Because Regret reacts to the Arbiter as a fellow during his capture by the Gravemind, it may be that he was never involved in the orchestration of the Covenant Civil War. Also because his death was fundamental in the justification for the elite's removal, it is unlikely he knew about it, or if he did, he did not know of how it was to come about.
 * The Prophet image in the Halo 3 Manual appears to seemingly look like Regret. (Due to the young appearance and his "smaller" High Prophet front crown, as well as his stance.)
 * Regret has one of the three remaining shards of the forrunner slipspace crystal, which he uses to escape Earth.

Quotes

 * "I shall light this holy ring, release its cleansing flame, and burn a path into the divine beyond!" - Hologram, in the beginning of Regret level.
 * "In a gesture of peace and reconciliation, the Prophets promised to find the means of the Forerunner's transcendence, and to share this knowledge with the Elites. The Elites promised to defend the Prophets as they searched. A simple arrangement, that has become our binding Covenant!" - Hologram speech in the level Delta Halo.
 * "Most of those that helped us in our search were compelled to join our Union. To take part in our Grand design, one that involved Freedom for allegiance, Salvation for service! But some, like the Humans, chose to impede our progress. Block our access to Sacred Sites, damage Holy Relics! For their transgressions, the Humans shall be hunted until none remain alive!" - Hologram in the underwater facility in Regret level.
 * "Every member of the Covenant shall the walk the path. None will be left behind when our Great Journey begins! That is the Prophets' age-old promise. And it shall be fulfilled!" - Another hologram.
 * "And I am the Prophet of Regret, Councilor most high, Hierarch of the Covenant!" - As Flood form in the level Gravemind.
 * "Stay where you are! Nothing can be done until my sermon is complete!" - To 2401 Penitent Tangent.
 * "Of all the objects our Lords left behind, there are none so worthless as these Oracles! They know nothing of the Great Journey!" - To the Arbiter, as Flood form.

Combat Quotes
"This is the greatest human warrior?"

"Warriors, attack! The Demon must die!" - When he sees the Master Chief for the first time.

"Your very existence offends me, Demon!"

"Guards! Remove this vermin from my sight!"

"You dare to interrupt my sermon!?"

"Incompetents! I'll kill him myself!"

"The Great Journey will not be postponed!"

"Surely, you can do better than that!"

"Perhaps you have underestimated me, no?"

"Why anyone would fear this Demon is beyond me!"

"Are my guards to much for you, Demon?"

"Human filth! You imbue this holy place!"

Related links

 * Prophet of Mercy
 * Prophet of Truth