User:Imperial Misanthrope/High Prophet of Ire

The High Prophet of Ire was the head San ‘Shyuum of the Hierarch Triumvirate during the 7th Age of Discovery. He is well known throughout Covenant history for, aside from the Prophet of Truth, to hold more individual power than any other Hierarch in the history of the Covenant. However unlike the Prophet of Truth, his power came from virtual political invincibility via being loved by the Covenant castes. He, along with the High Prophet’s of Satisfaction and Envy, lead a primarily successful and beloved rule, a rare thing in the High Council.

Early Career
The High Prophet of Ire began his formal career as a Councilor of Concordance; it was his specific responsibility, along with around four others, to keep the Kig-yar from becoming an irritant to the other Covenant races, mainly the Sangheili. During several missions to the Kig-yar homeworld of Eayn, and the Sangheili homeworld of Sanghelios, the Prophet became well known among the Kig-yar, and the Sangheili as a true missionary of peace and cooperation.

Many say that it was this that aided him in his ascension to the Council of Masters, where he met the then Vice Chairman of Masters, who would later be known as the High Prophet of Envy. Quickly becoming acquainted, as the Vice Chairman had heard of his exploits in the Council of Concordance, the two found that they had many views in common, however it was noted that they differed on one particular thing. The Vice Chairman was one of the “Old Guard”, a group of San ‘Shyuum political idealists that were still wary of the Sangheili. Beyond this they developed a tight nit friendship that benefited them both during several scandals that involved the allocation of several Fleets to unnecessary vectors of space, leaving the Covenant borders undefended. After dealing with the issue, the two were able to prove their innocence in the matter, again dealing good feelings to the future High Prophets.

Many years later, when Ire came into his 60’s, the current Hierarch Triumvirate came under collapse as two of the members died within the same month. As such, the remaining High Prophet of Elation was forced to step down, following which were several weeks of foregone leadership and a riff-raff of political squabbling. During this time, the Vice Chairman and the future Ire came into accidental contact with another Prophet, was actually a part of a lesser known Ministry, known as the Ministry of Converse. The Prophet, known as the Minister of Converse was the Prophet in charge of distributing Covenant wealth among the citizens and the military, and had interesting information about several political rivals.

Seeing this as a manner to which they could gain power, the future Ire and Envy, now with the Minister who would later become the High Prophet of Satisfaction, set out threatening to reveal this information to several of the Prophet Councilors. Within merely a week, the new Triumvirate of Ire, Envy and Satisfaction was established, and the 7th Age of Discovery began.

7th Age of Discovery
The newly christened High Prophet of Ire, proclaimed the new age along with his fellows, Envy and Satisfaction, marking this as the time for the search of new artifacts to be located and brought to High Charity, so as a new Age of Reclamation could begin (which unknown to him, would come about just after his death, though the effort would be fruitless). All Fleets not bordering the territories or defending a planet or station was to scour the Covenant Empire, and beyond its borders to fulfill this mission.

Ten years into the new Age, several new and important Forerunner artifacts had been located, including one salvaged from the Mgalekgolo homeworld of Te. The most important of these artifacts came from an outer abandoned world, where a large and partially destroyed Forerunner structure stood teetering off the side of a large gorge. The artifact was a small ball, around about the same size as a plasma grenade, and was coated in three layers of rings that caused the artifact to indefinitely hover. After sufficient research had been done, the artifact was brought before the High Council, and the Minister of Tranquility explained that the artifact was in fact a form of Gravity manipulation device, and is dubbed “The Coactum”. It is from this device that the Covenant derives their gravity lifts and gravity thrones, and the High Prophets of Ire, Envy and Satisfaction are the first Hierarchs to sport a Gravity Throne, given to them some years later. (It should be noted that minor Prophets gain their gravity belts some 20 years after the Hierarchs when it is decided that they should be allowed to possess them.)

The High Prophet of Ire has been attacked on several separate occasions by political rivals by this time, however he, and the other High Prophets have been able to stay on top, mostly through their support from the Covenant castes, who are extremely supportive of the unusually kind and benevolent High Prophets. Upon reaching his 91st birthday, the High Prophet of Ire is once again attacked politically. However this time, the accusations had some actual backing to it, something that had never been achieved before. Several of the Minor Prophets, specifically those in the Ministry of Converse, had found out several rumours that the Prophet of Ire was in fact the child of a Prophet that was on the List for negative recessive genes. The word escaped to the public, and a public outcry seemed inevitable, however before this could happen, the Hierarch made a public announcement to the citizens of High Charity. In his speech, he explains that the rumour is indeed correct; however he asserts that he has had no children of his own, and did not plan to do so. The Prophet had been so loved during his reign, that most of the lower castes immediately took to his words, and cheered in applause. Although it took longer for the Mgalekgolo and other San ‘Shyuum to accept it, once the Sangheili overlooked the allegation, both of them followed suit.

Upon investigating the rumour, it was found by the High Prophet of Envy that the rumour had been leaked by none other than the High Prophet of Satisfaction. Ire and Envy thus confronted Satisfaction, who eventually admitted his guilt as Envy threatened him with his a plasma pistol. (Note that the newly made Gravity Thrones contained no such shield emitter, so the San ‘Shyuum was at the mercy of Envy as the Honour Guard had been dismissed from the room) Not long after, thought Ire would have preferred him not to; Envy publicly announced that it was Satisfaction who besmirched Ire’s good name, and denounced him as a slanderer and a traitor, even going so far as to excommunicate him from the Great Journey.

Death
The High Prophet of Ire died at the end of the 7th Age of Discovery. Satisfaction had been driven from the Hierarchy several years prior, and died under mysterious circumstances. Envy personally gave the public eulogy to Ire, commending his reign before stepping down himself. The High prophet of Ire is known as one of the most peaceful and benevolent Hierarchs in the history of the Covenant.