Mausoleum of the Arbiter: Difference between revisions

{{Ratings}}

{{Era|H2|H3}}

[[Image:Homeofarbiter.jpg|thumb|250px|Exterior view of the Mausoleum.]]

{{Quote|Here rests the vanguard of the [[Great Journey]]. Every [[Arbiter (rank)|Arbiter]], from first to last. Each one created and consumed in times of extraordinary crisis.|[[Prophet of Truth]]}}

The '''Mausoleum of the Arbiter''' was a massive room within the [[Covenant Empire|Covenant]] holy city of ''[[High Charity (Structure)|High Charity]]'' which housed the remains of the previous [[Arbiter (Title)|Arbiters]].

==Summary==

A large suspended sarcophagus held the special Arbiter armor until it was needed again. It is unknown if it's the same armor each time, as all Elites would (in reality) be different sizes. This is very noticeable between past Arbiter [[Ripa 'Moramee]] and current Arbiter, [[Thel 'Vadam]], making it likely a sham by the Prophets, who keep the armor less advanced for religious reasons. Another contributing factor to this theory is the destruction of Ripa 'Moramee's corpse at the Apex, meaning that the original armor of the Arbiter was not shared by all Arbiters. Additionally, should the prophets' order to kill Thel 'Vadam have succeeded his armor would not have been salvaged.

The Mausoleum of the Arbiter also contained the (recoverable) remains of every [[Elite]] that has ever been designated as the Arbiter. A total of 182 caskets are present spreading far up into the ceiling. Arbiters are only appointed in times of dire need, such as the [[Taming of the Hunters]], the [[Grunt Rebellion]], the [[Third Battle of Harvest]] and the [[Battle of the Gas Mine]].

[[Image:Mausoleum Interior.jpg|thumb|An interior shot.]]The Mausoleum of the Arbiter initially appeared in the cutscene before [[The Arbiter (Level)|The Arbiter]]. Where [[Thel Vadamee]] was taken there by [[Tartarus]] and his two [[Brute]] ushers. [[High Prophet of Truth|Truth]] and [[High Prophet of Mercy|Mercy]] ordered Tartarus to release the future Arbiter and leave. They started to converse with him about the [[Heretic Leader]], the past Arbiters, and gave him the ornate armor of the Arbiter there.

It was next seen some time later, near the end of [[Gravemind (Level)|Gravemind]]. Here the [[Master Chief]] had to engage in a large-scale battle in order to go further into ''[[High Charity]]'' and find the platform with the [[Phantom|Phantoms]] that were used to transport Truth, Mercy, Tartarus, [[Commander Miranda Keyes|Miranda Keyes]] and [[Sergeant Johnson]] to their respective locations.

The Mausoleum was the location in which [[Breaking Benjamin]]'s [[Blow Me Away]] is played in-game during the fight between [[Covenant Loyalists]] and [[Covenant Separatists]]. It sounded like an instrumental version but was in-fact actually the real song: if you listen closely, you will notice that the vocals volume has been greatly lowered.

After that, it was seen for the last time in ''[[Halo 2]]'' on the level [[High Charity]]. Upon reaching the huge tower and looking down, the player could see it surrounded by a layer of clouds and a storm. Above it, hangs the [[Step of Silence]].

 

== Trivia ==

*In the early version of the level [[Cortana (level)|Cortana]], [[Master Chief]] would have passed through the Mausoleum, encountering an army of Flood-infected Arbiters. This idea was scrapped however, when both Flood levels were redesigned, possibly because the Arbiters would have been armorless. Another reason could be that over time, the Arbiter bodies could have decomposed like normal bodies after being in the caskets for so long. Though it is possible that some method of preservation is used in the caskets, but due to the fact that most Arbiters are only respected because of their title, it is unlikely.<ref>http://www.bungie.net/News/content.aspx?type=news&cid=13849, in the power point</ref>

 

 

== Sources ==