Canon Fodder: Fly Me to the Blood-Moon

Welcome back to this year’s penultimate issue of Canon Fodder—what a year it’s been, and we’re not quite done yet on the fiction front!

New multiplayer map lore for Season 5’s latest additions, new Waypoint Chronicles and Intel, a new Armory Infinitum entry, and even more await within…

Season 5 brought with it two new maps which both hint at some fascinating backstory elements from the broader Halo universe. Let’s get you acquainted with ‘em!

While ancient stone ruins have been observed on multiple Halo installations, Zeta Halo invites additional curiosity as it continues to bear features from its original configuration as Gyre 11. Lifeworker stations take many forms and house even more secrets, hidden both by and from Forerunners and the various inhabitants who once lived within these old spaces.

Since the initiation of the Zeta Halo project in 2555, several groups of human researchers and follow-up rescue teams have been listed as missing after reporting their discovery of these facilities, or unknowingly wandering into them, which are speculated to be concealed by advanced baffler and dazzler technologies. None have been recorded as having returned.

“A lone colo is prey. A drove of colos is an unstoppable force.”

“Until a pack of teroks push them over a cliff. Then they are dinner. The Banished are the teroks, Arbiter, and you will know when we are hungry. That, I promise.”

Halo: Outcasts, p. 350

Not known to make idle threats, Atriox began moving a contingent of Banished forces towards Suban, the blood-moon of Sanghelios, following his confrontation with the Arbiter on Netherop. Seeking to claim ownership of the Subanese crystal mines used for needle-based weaponry, the Jiralhanae alchemist corps aboard the dreadnought Ghost of Barolon seek to find inventive new applications for this strange, little-understood technology.

Our latest Waypoint Chronicle, Saturn Devouring His Son, went live on Halloween and brought a spooky new short story about the Flood.

The question has been asked: what exactly is the big deal about a Spartan becoming infected?

It’s certainly true that the Flood in all its varied forms—from the lowliest spore to the most terrifying of abominations—is deadly to anyone. But to infect a Spartan brings a whole other kind of danger.

Spartans are, as we well know, the master of any weapon, pilot of any vehicle, and fear no enemy. Their lethality comes in no small part from their understanding of how to effectively utilize any piece of technology on the battlefield, whether it’s a UNSC rifle or an alien vehicle. That is a significant element which differentiates Spartans from any other grunt, and that knowledge getting absorbed by the Flood, especially in the early stages of an outbreak (as told in this story), spells doom for all.

Add to that their protective and power-amplifying Mjolnir armor, as well as their knowledge of classified information, and the sheer morale-breaking spectacle of witnessing a champion of humanity transformed into a weapon to be used against them… what sweet misery this scenario brings on every level.

Speaking of Waypoint Chronicles, we are just days away from the release of our next one! Halo: Battle for the Blood-Moon releases on November 27, and it will be available in all the standard Waypoint Chronicle formats.

2560. The Banished have come to Suban, the blood-moon of Sanghelios, seeking to claim the unique natural resource within its vast mines: the beautiful but volatile Subanese crystals.

The Swords of Sanghelios and their Spartan allies face an overwhelming force on the ground, while a Sangheili shipmistress in the skies above seeks to find a weakness in the enemy’s armor that might turn the tide against these invaders.

Tying in with this upcoming Waypoint Chronicle, our latest Intel drop has provided some details about the Banished dreadnought Ghost of Barolon. Scannermaster Dibdib’s report features some run-on speculative commentary alongside her analysis that it seems her shipmistress deemed to be an unnecessary addition.

One of the newest weapons introduced in Halo Infinite was the Sicatt Workshop Volt Piercer, or “shock rifle,” which has become a favorite for landing some incredibly satisfying headshots, along with its more powerful variant: the Purging Shock Rifle. 

It just so happens that—as revealed in our latest Intel drop—the Banished dreadnought hanging in the skies of Suban, as you can see on the map Prism, is the Ghost of Barolon. What a fortuitous coincidence, given what we learned in the Halo Encyclopedia last year…

The shock rifle is the latest in a long line of experimental voltaic application devices that represent some of the only remaining vestiges of the Jiralhanae’s rich technological age, just before the dark days of the Great Immolation. Technicians from the Sicatt Workshop on board the Banished dreadnought Ghost of Barolon were able to break ground on the latest volt piercer, achieving a robust production run of the long-range Banished electrolaser that could also be charged and maintained at local armory outposts. This brutal precision-energy weapon is an extremely powerful asset, neutralizing approaching enemies even at great distances. 

Halo Encyclopedia (2022), p. 477

And so, given the current circumstances, it seemed only natural that this latest Armory Infinitum entry should provide some further insight into what the bright minds aboard the Ghost of Barolon have been working on.

SICATT WORSHOP // ALCHEMY CORPS
GHOST OF BAROLON
>>PERSONAL LOG // VULCUS

As the Banished looks to extend its reach beyond the shadowed corners of the galaxy we have remained hidden in, Atriox has expressed his desire to bring new kinds of weaponry to bear—the kind that was spoken of in the old stories across the three moons. It was for this purpose that Sicatt Workshop was born, and thus far rudimentary efforts to harness directed-energy electrolasers recovered from old vaults on Doisac have delivered… satisfactory results.

But I see this as just a template. A foundation.

The manufacturers deliver me a weapon that fires three bursts—I say, why not five? Voltaic application devices are still experimental in nature, let us see how much power they can truly offer as we explore the truth of their limits. The Gray Guards are already eager to test this new firepower on the field as Escharum seeks to convene the Legionmasters for a new operation. I want these weapons to match precision and power to take down the shields of a human strike fighter.

In time, perhaps we can even mount such a weapon onto our ships… overload enemy systems to aid in ramming and boarding maneuvers…

Let it never be said that a Jiralhanae lacks the ambition to explore what can be achieved through our minds as well as our might.

Let’s round up some of the latest Halo lore-centric endeavors from folks in the community.

Starting us off is MegMage, who recently completed her first ever playthrough of Halo: Combat Evolved—welcome to the madness, Meg!

Meg has put together a reaction video to the tragic and esoteric story of 343 Guilty Spark as told in those marvelous Combat Evolved Anniversary Terminals. It’s always a joy to see series newcomers become invested in the rich history of this universe.

Next up, the iconic HiddenXperia has put together his own awesome recap and retelling of Saturn Devouring His Son, which you should definitely check out!

And speaking of Saturn, Halo Infinite Store Customization has created a fantastic short machinima video from the perspective of the cameras across Site 22, showcasing the Flood outbreak.

To keep the running theme here, Installation00 has also created a fantastic new video about the CORRUPTER cryptonym featured in Saturn concerning a Spartan being infected by the Flood.

That’ll close us out for this month’s issue, leaving just one week before our next Waypoint Chronicle drops—our penultimate one for the year (yes, going by what we teased at Canon Fodder LIVE, there is indeed one more still to come in 2023!)

Until then, off with you! There’s a twenty-tier Combined Arms Operation Pass in Halo Infinite that demands completion and a new Halo 3-themed playlist to jump into, the perfect way to pass the time until Battle for the Blood-Moon arrives.

See you on Suban.