The Arbiter
In times of crisis, an Elite warrior is chosen to don the ancient armour, and assume the role of the Arbiter, "The Will of the Prophets". The nature of the Arbiter's challenges (to quell threats and insurrections) guarantee his death, but also his internment in the hallowed Mausoleum to sleep with the other Blessed.
And so, the Fleet Commander of the armada at Halo 04 was condemned to death for heresy, having failed at his charge and allowing the Sacred Ring to be destroyed. His appeals on the grounds of the unpredictable nature of "The Demon" (Master Chief) and of the struggles encountered with the release of the parasite (The Flood) were ignored. Following his public torture, he was brought before Truth and Mercy and allowed the chance to redeem himself in concert with his execution. He would become the Arbiter in order to quell a band of Heretics, but he would surely die in the process; the Council would have their corpse. And yet, he survived time and time again.
Following the betrayal of the Elites, the Arbiter remained in shock and disbelief that the Prophets would turn on them and that the Great Journey was a lie. Even his introduction to the Master Chief in the presence of Gravemind was not enough. But as he continueed his quest for revenge, the pieces fell into place. In the end, only an alliance with Johnson and Miranda allowed him the opportunity both to "stop the key from turning" and avenge his murdered comrades.
Wade Yamauchi (wyamauchi@msn.com) writes:
In the book Halo: The Flood, an Elite named Isna 'Nosolee, an "Ossoona," or Eye of the Prophet, was aboard the POA on a stealth mission to capture the ship's AI. So what if he or another cloaked Elite like him got infected by the Flood during the course of Halo?
First, let's look at Private Jenkins and how he was incompletely infected. In Halo: The Flood, page 176, Private Jenkins is infected by a Flood parasite form. However, the mind that invaded his body had weakened through time and so although it controlled his body, Jenkins still retained some awareness and control of some of his motor functions.
Jenkins may not have been the only being to be infected and still retained some awareness. So perhaps there is once again meaning to the "Warning: Hitchhikers may be escaping convicts" (one of the section titles in Halo's MAW level).
First, it is clear from 343 GS in the book that the Flood were prisoners on Halo. Second, we know that a Longsword fighter escaped Halo's destruction because the Master Chief piloted it to safety at the end of the game. And third, we know that cloaked Elites/Flood are not detected easily so one or more could have been aboard the Longsword and not have been noticed. We also see evidence of cloaked Flood warriors in the MAW level of Halo (the game) in the POA's armory.
So, what happened to the Elite named Isna 'Nosolee, an "Ossoona," or Eye of the Prophet? What do you think of a speculation that 'Nosolee or some other "Ossoona" is aboard that Longsword and the possiblity that he is infected by the Flood?
He could be infected enough that he has no motor controls over his body, but still remains semi-aware of his self and surroundings (like Jenkins). The motive for the Flood inside him to stay hidden on the Longsword could be simply survival. The Elite mind may not have known how to fly the Longsword and thus the Flood infection within would also not know. By staying hidden, the Flood escapes the destruction of Halo.
What's more, perhaps the UNSC captures this infected Elite after the Master Chief gets rescued and finds a way to surgically remove the Flood parasite. Since the Elite retained some awareness, he could serve as a valuable source of information in Halo 2. I even see the possibility of infected Prophets and the UNSC medical teams saving them from the Flood parasites that are trying to control them.The idea of an infected Elite hiding on board the Longsword would be a little too similar to events in another popular cultural icon. However, it's also not hard to see that the Flood are so relentless, so insidious, that you just know they're going to find some way to worm themselves into future plotlines. Hey, don't I remember a certain Master Chief getting tangled up with the little tentacled buggers at one point? Hmmm...
Now we know who the previous Arbiter was, eh? ;-)
-mnemesis
Who is that fine, squid-faced gentleman (aka. The Arbiter)? Well, v2 thinks it might just be Orna 'Fulsamee. Whether you agree or not, his argument is compelling and logical. Go see for yourself
writes:
-Jillybean
Some discussion and link-age on the Arbiter's working title (Dervish).
And remember, when posterity's at stake, posting old items holds no shame ;)
-Finn
