Deltatemple

"Warp to Delta Halo and assassinate the Prophet"

deltatemple or Delta Temple was an early version of the levels Delta Halo/Regret in the September 2003 build.

Description
The player spawns with an SMG and a sniper rifle, but no enemies populate the space. The art in this level was likely created by Paul Russel. When playing, the level has a low framerate. This version of the level seems to match up with early storyboards for an early draft of this mission, and unused scripts found in the Halo 2 Mod Tools. Cut scripts indicate that this early revision of deltatemple was to have stealth mechanics such as a work-shift change for Covenant patrols and dialogue with Cortana informing the Chief that if he's not quick, the Covenant patrols may find the dead bodies of guards he has killed. Additional dialogue for if the player did choose to go loud is also present. A new type of enemy was to be used in the level, called a "Comm Grunt" which would have alerted its allies in certain situations.

Curiously, when entering the multiplayer lobby of this build, deltatemple is available for play as a multiplayer map. In the menu, the level's preview images are those of early builds of the final level Ascension.

Storyboards
The early storyboards depict an early version of deltatemple in which the In Amber Clad exits slipspace above the ring and engages in a space battle with two Covenant cruisers, before proceeding to drop Master Chief alone onto the ring. The Chief exits his drop pod armed with a pistol, though once he's sure the area is clear he switches to a sniper rifle.

Current status
A number of the level's ideas made their way into the retail version of the game. The basic idea of hunting down and killing a Prophet ended up becoming the narrative basis for the levels Delta Halo and Regret. More specific concepts such as the underwater halls made it in as well. Even entire lines like "You always bring me to such nice places." from Cortana made it wholesale into the retail version of Delta Halo.

Transcript
The following dialogue and sequence of events are transcribed from remaining files in the Halo 2 Mod Tools.

The level starts. The player approaches a complex. The player witnesses a guard shift change or possibly the Changing of the Guard. The player comes across some Unggoy playing Hide 'n Seek. The player sees a Prophet delivering a speech. Cortana translates the speech. While on a central platform. The player reaches a tower with an elevator in it. If the player delays calling the elevator. When the player has reached an underwater hallway. When the player reaches an underwater chamber The player reaches a second elevator. A view of the temple is seen. A dropship arrives and begins dropping off various Covenant elements. The player walks past a craft. The player enters the temple. Once the player kills the target Prophet. The player returns to the shuttlecraft they spotted earlier.
 * Cortana: "Well doesn't this feel familiar."
 * Cortana: "Our arrival hasn't gone unnoticed."
 * Cortana: "Enemy dropship on approach."
 * Cortana: "Time to make ourselves scarce, Chief."
 * Cortana: "We won't be getting any support on this one."
 * Cortana: "We're outnumbered and outgunned."
 * Cortana: "This might call for the subtle approach."
 * Cortana: "So can you tiptoe in this suit?"
 * Cortana: "Search parties ahead and behind. Be careful."
 * Cortana: "They're clearly going for containment."
 * Cortana: "Whatever is going on here, it's apparently too important..."
 * Cortana: "...for them to put on hold, even for you."
 * Cortana: "You always bring me to such nice places."
 * Cortana: "I'll bet your frontal lobe that..."
 * Cortana: "...the Prophet Hierarch is somewhere in that complex."
 * Cortana: "Probably on the other side of a few hundred of his best men."
 * Cortana: "Looks like a changing of the guard."
 * Cortana: "If they find the bodies left back there..."
 * Cortana: "I'd swear these grunts are playing..."
 * Cortana: "...some variant on hide and seek."
 * Cortana: "It's almost cute. Almost."
 * Cortana: "That's our guy."
 * Cortana: "He seems to be making some kind of speech..."
 * Cortana: "...or holding a ceremony of some sort."
 * Cortana: "I'll start working on a translation."
 * Cortana: "Interesting."
 * Cortana: "The Hierarch is performing some sort..."
 * Cortana: "...of ritual cleansing of the Halo."
 * Cortana: "Listen..."
 * Cortana: "'Just one of seven Halos'"
 * Cortana: "'Will prove awesome to behold.'"
 * Cortana: "'Imagine their collective glory,'"
 * Cortana: "'And alight our hearts, our souls!'"
 * Cortana: "'And yet we must not forget'"
 * Cortana: "'They symbolize The Journey.'"
 * Cortana: "'And so we'll mind to leave behind'"
 * Cortana: "'No traces of our yearning.'"
 * Cortana: (gasp) "The Covenant..."
 * Cortana: "I think they're planning to activate the Halo."
 * Cortana: "Another dropship on approach."
 * Cortana: "Looks like they're fortifying."
 * Cortana: "Too little, too late."
 * Cortana: "My analysis of this complex indicates..."
 * Cortana: "...that there's a submerged section connecting..."
 * Cortana: "...these towers to the far group."
 * Cortana: "Looks like we're going down."
 * Cortana: "Unless you'd prefer to swim."
 * Cortana: "That glass better be bulletproof..."
 * Cortana: "And people tell me I have a big head."
 * Cortana: "Now THAT is a big head."
 * Cortana: "He just keeps going on and on."
 * Cortana: "The triumph. The glory."
 * Cortana: "This Great Journey."
 * Cortana: "Don't these idiots realize they'll all be killed?"
 * Cortana: "We're closing in on the source of the Heirarch's[sic] broadcast."
 * Cortana: "Security is bound to get a lot stiffer."
 * Cortana: "If I was a megalomaniac - and I'm not -"
 * Cortana: "I'd probably be holed up in a place like that."
 * Cortana: "Another dropship on approach."
 * Cortana: "Looks like a few latecomers for the party."
 * Cortana: "The ones in the lead look like the same race as the Hierarch."
 * Cortana: "Get a good look."
 * Cortana: "The Hierarch's shuttle, I presume."
 * Cortana: "The big boys always get the best parking spaces."
 * Cortana: "Decision time, Chief."
 * Cortana: "One man to kill, and a hundred ways to do it."
 * Cortana: "Not to mention a hundred guards protecting him."
 * Cortana: "No pressure."
 * Cortana: "And remember, once the job is done..."
 * Cortana: "...this whole place is going to be howling for your blood."
 * Cortana: "Be ready for a quick exit."
 * Cortana: "Time to go, Chief!"
 * Cortana: "I'm calling for your ride."
 * Cortana: "Head back outside and dig in while we wait for evac."
 * Cortana: "Sergeant, we're ready for extraction."
 * Cortana: "I'm sending you coordinates now."
 * Sgt. Avery Johnson (Radio): "...trouble...wing of banshees..."
 * Johnson (Radio): "...gone to ground...on evac, Cortana..."
 * Johnson (Radio): "...repeat...negative on evac..."
 * Cortana: "Sergeant? Sergeant!"
 * Cortana: "I lost him."
 * Cortana: "Looks like we'd better make our own arrangements."
 * Cortana: "The Prophet won't be needing this anymore."
 * Cortana: "Clear out any stowaways and get us out of here!"

Other dialogue
This dialogue is considered "Misc." Given the context provided, it was likely to be used for gameplay sequences.

The player spots a "Comm Grunt".
 * Cortana: "That grunt there is a walking panic button..."
 * Cortana: "...wired directly to the Covenant Battlenet."
 * Cortana: "If he sees you, he'll alert the Prophet that you're here."
 * Cortana: "And the Hierarch will be a lot harder to kill..."
 * Cortana: "...if he knows we're coming."

When the player enters an area that is not alerted or or or or
 * Cortana: "They know you're coming, just not when you're coming."
 * Cortana: "Let's try to keep it that way."
 * Cortana: "The alert hasn't propagated this far."
 * Cortana: "I don't think they were expecting a lone wolf attack like this."
 * Cortana: "They must not realize we've come this far."
 * Cortana: "Otherwise I'd expect these guys to be a lot friskier."
 * Cortana: "This is funny."
 * Cortana: "The men in this area have no clue what's really going on."
 * Cortana: "Half of them think our entire fleet is approaching..."
 * Cortana: "...and the other half think it's all part of the show."
 * Cortana: "The Covenant appear to be a little distracted by the ceremony."
 * Cortana: "The forces in this area seem to think..."
 * Cortana: "...you're still in another zone."
 * Cortana: "Try not to prove otherwise."

When the player has been detected or or or or
 * Cortana: "Let me guess."
 * Cortana: "You'd prefer a straight fight to all this sneaking around?"
 * Cortana: "I think they know you're here."
 * Cortana: "You've been made, Chief!"
 * Cortana: "This section just went on alert."
 * Cortana: "So much for subtle."