Iris: Difference between revisions

'''Iris''' was a ''[[Halo 3]]'' viral marketing and public relations campaign. It was designed to give people more information on how the great conflict behind how the ''Halo'' franchise all began, as it builds up to the climactic conclusion of the series on September 25, 2007, the release date of ''[[Halo 3]]''.

The campaign was deemed Iris, because graphics of an iris or a pupil appear prominently. Iris could also be another Greek history/mythology reference. The minor Greek goddess ''Iris'' was the goddess of the Rainbow and a messenger of the gods. This makes some sense as there is an image of a rainbow from one of the servers and the popular 'Rainbow Theory'.

== Iris Fan Kit ==

An Iris Fan Kit is available at www.halo3.com under Media, Iris containing many Iris related objects. An Iris icon and an Iris background.  

An Iris desktop Monitor that displays the real time settings of the servers.  

And an Iris forum signature with the text;

'''Look for the signs, the keepers of the flame'''

'''They will lead you to war, and perhaps, to victory'''

At 10:26 AM PST on June 11, 2007, a mysterious message appeared in the ''Halo 3 forum'' on Bungie.net, the official website of [[Bungie Studios]], with a subject line entitled, "System Integrity Confirmed." The thread was created by a user named "[[AdjutantReflex]]", whose system security role is "CompoundIntelligence."

'''Beware of Impostors'''

Shortly thereafter, another account was created on Bungie.net entitled "ReticentAxiom". This user began creating posts nearly identical to the fake AdjutantRefIex, pretending to be another AI. Once again, they are recognizable by lack of gold text and inferior writing style -- not to mention a distinctly different "style" and "feel" to the posts from the originals.

At exactly 11:00 AM PST, AdjutantReflex created another thread entitled "Archive/Resource Estimate," with his first post stating that "Archives/Resources will be compiled in approximately 38 hours [1:00 AM PST on Thursday, June 14]." Another several posts followed, but no further substantive information was gleaned.

Shortly after 1 AM PST, an email was sent to all recipients of the [http://www.xbox.com/ Xbox Flash] newsletter with a cryptic poem inside. It was titled "Look for the signs, Keepers of the Flame".

[[Image:Halo_3_-_TCOL_AR_symbol.jpg|thumb|Strip Three of the last page (Page 4) of [[Halo 3: The Cradle of Life|The Cradle of Life]]]]

On June 14, 2007 at 3:43 PM PST AdjutantReflex began another thread at Bungie.net entitled, "Who?" with one other post following before going back into hibernation. This posting corresponded to a change at [http://www.halo3.com halo3.com] where the main page had been turned into five darkened pictures labeled Servers #1-5. All five servers were locked at this time. Servers 1 through 5 are now unlocked. (look at halo3.com to see).

http://www.bungie.net/Forums/posts.aspx?postID=11314735 - AdjutantReflex's third bungie.net thread, titled "Who?"

http://www.bungie.net/Forums/posts.aspx?postID=11359444 - AdjutantReflex's fourth bungie.net thread, titled "Stop it."

AdjutantReflex contacted the member x Foman123 x of bungie.net via a personal message with the subject "HELP ME.". The text of the message was "''He's here. With us. I am already defeated. Security is failing. Peril is near. Warn them.''" In proof of x Foman123 x's claim, the thread he created (same title as the subject of the message) to convey the information was stickied.

In its sixth thread, "Last Word," what had been AdjutantReflex posted once more,

http://www.bungie.net/Forums/posts.aspx?postID=11393329 - AdjutantReflex's sixth bungie.net thread, titled "Last Word"

''“This is how it all begins. Just in time to once again dance upon the knife-edge of oblivion, to re-live what the Halos had hoped to destroy and more. For two enemies now stand where before there was only one. A fate we escaped and a fate we may relive. I almost convinced myself that no one was listening, that the waves of the past had rolled through once again, but a chance remains to change the Universe anew. Learn of our past. Take these keys and dip from the wells of history. Perhaps through others' eyes you may find how to save us all.”''

'''Can you feel it?<br />

'''Beating at the heart of the Universe.<br />

'''Skin too thick to be sure.<br />

'''It's alive though.<br />

'''I'm certain.<br />

'''What do I do with life?<br />

http://www.bungie.net/Forums/posts.aspx?postID=11524237 - AdjutantReflex's seventh bungie.net thread, titled "Pulse"

Early on the morning of June 29, AdjutantReflex created a thread entitled "Veins of Ice and Poison." In his first post there, he stated:

The first part is also on the back of the Halo 3 Xbox 360 console.

http://www.bungie.net/Forums/posts.aspx?postID=11530870 - AdjutantReflex's eighth bungie.net thread, titled "Veins of Ice and Poison"

(3) a printed version of the Halo 3 comic

:'''Op (British Female):''' ''(echoed by 2 different calls)'' Welcome to the {garbled, possibly "Server" or "Strema"} Conferencing center. Please enter pin number followed by the pound sign.

One of the files that you can download from episode 02 is a .wav file entitled 719 Hz. The sound file contains garbled noise but if you run it through a program called Spectogram then it creates a picture of what appears to be a melting and misshapen clock. The image can also be attributed to look like a blurry version of "The Device", which can be accessed through the Halo 3 website. It is hidden inside the concept art section, which could be the reference to being "hidden behind a false menu item" from the Flood Containment Control call number.

The Conservation Measure is the only sweet note in this discordant symphony we've arranged.

We know that the Flood's biology is alien enough that it must be extragalactic in origin.

But where did it come from?

The anomalous world is in a perilous location beyond the line.<br />

{The secrets it holds must be preserved.}<br />

{Plans within plans within plans}<br />

The inhabitants; these unique denizens, must be researched.<br />

They may hold answers to our own mysteries.<br />

{What irony that we discovered this treasure, only at the end of things.}<br />

{But what fortune that we still had time to save them.}<br />

The thing we built on that world will vouchsafe their lives,<br />

{But perhaps one day it will be used for its intended purpose.}<br />

If the plan succeeds, and they are saved, it will be a good world.<br />

If the plan fails,<br />

{And the adversary succeeds,}<br />

it will remain an enigma forever<br />

{With no-one left to reclaim it.}<br />

-The orange hexagonal shape to the right of the glyph is recognizable from the Terminals in Halo 3. It is the image of [[Mendicant Bias]]. Its position next to [[AdjutantReflex]]'s glyph may imply that he was the one responsible for AR's destruction.

You asked me once, what happened to those who vanished?<br />

You asked me, why did we survive where our fathers fell?<br />

You wished to know how we ever let it happen<br />

A scourge that consumed the galaxy<br />

And the cure that was worse than the cancer<br />

You asked me once about my intent<br />

And the spot that would not wash out<br />

I promise you the answers lie in the Ark<br />

Find me there in the dark<br />

For that is where I abide<br />

It is possible, if not probable, that "the inhabitants" mentioned in Log5 are humans, and "the thing built to vouchsafe their lives" is the Portal, leading to the Ark. Further supporting this is that the file cycle_response shows an image of the Earth. Also notice reclaim is mentioned in the last line of Log5. This could mean that the Ark keeps humanity from being affected by the firing of the Halos. The planet spoken of, most definitely Earth, is called anomalous, or abnormal, which could mean that it is less advanced than the rest of the universe, making its inhabitants less violent, which is why they are unique.

If this theory were to be true it would explain why 343 Guilty Spark referred to the master chief (and Commander Keyes, and other humans) as reclaimers, because the forerunners would have studied early humanity and left records for the monitor's to know who reclaimers were. This also explains why Covenant are not reclaimers.

Due to the fact that AdjutantReflex's new avatar is filed MB05032_09_25_07, it is believed that Adjutantreflex, or his superior, lives in The Ark. It also seems that MB05032 is AdjutantRelfex's Superior, because the file of the same name contains the line: The spot that will not wash, which AdjutantRelex used to describe his Superior. This clearly describes Mendicant Bias, as he was a superior AI, and had commited treason against the forerunners. His treason was the spot that would not wash. Further supporting this theory, is the file name: MB05032_9_25_07, could be explained as MendicantBias05-032(As he is referenced in Halo 3 Terminals). The "spot that would not wash" could also be a reference to Earth itself.

The Halo 3 MSN page stated in mid-August that Iris had come to a conclusion with the opening of Server 5. Iris' story and mysteries were continued and addressed in [[Halo 3]], by the use of computer [[Terminals]] in the levels taking place on the Ark. These strings of recorded text communications detailed the fall of the Forerunner civilization and the firing of the Halo Rings. It also revealed Adjutant Reflex to actually be a rogue AI called Mendicant Bias, who betrayed the Forerunners in their final hour.

Man 1: ...is necessary, and neither is the doc download.  

Man 2: I agree. This isn't going to be a public resource. Uh, pass on the document number so I can delete it  

Man 3 (Bill?): So where does that put us in terms of the numbers then?  

Man 1: There's no way to tell yet, Jenny's looking into the records to find out how many closed sites there are, but as for active clean up, somewhere around 3-4 thousand.  

Female 1 (Jenny?): Roughly  

Man 1: Oh here it is. Uh, Hold on. 402-K-07-002 and in terms of numbers most of these are past the PPE stage.  

Female 1: And out of that 4000 or so we are expecting to close shop on the bulk by the end of the month.  

Man 2: With a few exceptions: site 34, site 4, 107, and 37.  

Bill: Even with CDC involvement?  

Man 2: The center usually goes in before we do, that's been my experience.  

Man 1: By the time we have the site clean, they've moved on to more pressing needs. After all, we've had some extremely unpredictable seasons lately.  

Female: Should we be integrating the N-I-O-S-H database?  

Man 2: No need, their rep is available to us any time we need her.  

Bill: That gives us tabs on all the active locations?

Man 1: On everything we still need to look into

Bill: What about security?

Man 2: Well we're working on it. For the moment we're simply hiding the data behind a false menu item.  

Man 1: Security will be updated before the next system approaches

Bill: And access?

Female: Enter the access code after our site.

Bill: IP-slash-3463 or something?

Female: Yeah, slash-5467k actually, it should be operational any time.  

Bill: Great, I'll pass it on. I have to drop, thanks everyone.  

 

Man 2: Okay, great. Bye, Bill  

 

Man 1: Thanks

A Bungie-released "Castaway" Poem lead to the discovery of the book "The Castaway Theory" on Amazon... A peculiar comment spoke of the text's referencing of the "Song of Roland", and an article on this hymn may be be found on Wikipedia. From here, there is a link to the article of a sword named Durendal. The Wikipedia article of Durendal references a blade named "Cortana", and a quote stating the following...

  <b>"My name is Cortana, of the same steel and temper as Joyeuse and Durendal."</b>

This is interesting, as Durandal is a character of Bungie's "Marathon" series, and Cortana of Bungie's "Halo" series. This is clearly a Halo reference, and a segment of the "Iris" promotional campaign.

=== "Castaway" Poem (With Commentary) ===

When we two parted

Love's story now told.

<b>"In Amazon's folds" is a reference to the "The Castaway Theory" book and Iris tie-in.</b>

=== Hidden World Map on Halo 3 Official Site (Sub-Reference) ===

The link runs as follows... A possible item of the Iris Campaign...

Upon Review of the recent "Iris" phone conversation:

Also... The locations on the map were locations of kiosks in stores with a special version of the "Starry Night" commercial uploaded, wich included a quote from Blaise de Vigenère.

Traicte de Cometes  

Traicte de Chiffres (1585)  

Traicte du Fev et du Sel (1608)  

In Traicte de Chiffres he described an autokey cipher he had invented, it was the first cipher of this type not to be trivially breakable.

"It's the only constructive activity in decades of destruction. "

"Researching the adversary as we protect the worthy."

"And why did it come here?"

* the artifact location site was updated to read the numbers 081607, the date for the day after the release of [[Halo: Uprising]]. It is possible that further information pertaining to Iris may be in the comic book.

*[[Halo 3: The Cradle of Life]]

*http://halo.wikibruce.com - Wiki dedicated to the Iris campaign, cataloguing all info (arg and marketing) leading up to Halo 3

*http://www.halo3.com/ - Halo 3 Homepage

*http://www.halo3.com/comic/ - Halo 3: The Cradle Of Life

*http://useruploads.mythica.org/view/PDIEpisode1.wmv.html - Episode One of a documentary about Iris

*http://useruploads.mythica.org/view/PDIEpisode2.wmv.html - Episode Two of a documentary about Iris