So I noticed something weird about the timeline of recent installments in the franchise that I’m confused about.
First off Frank said that Cortana is 7 years old in Halo 4. This places the game in the year 2556 or 2557, sometime after Origins.
In Halo: Glasslands, we see that the Elites are somewhat in a state of civil war. This all takes place in 2553, shortly after Halo 3.
In The Return, we see that the Elites are commencing an all out genocide against the Brutes. The Return takes place in 2559.
If I remember correctly, the Elite ships are starting to break down as they have no engineers and they have no knowledge of how to repair them. This is talked about in Glasslands and mentioned in The Return.
Now from what I can guess, the Arbiter would not want to go to war against the Brutes while they have no way of repairing their ships.
This has led me to the following conclusion.
The Return takes place after Halo 4. The Arbiter is killed and the Elite extremists decide to go on an all out war against the Brutes. This is supported by the fact that the Shipmaster still refers to a Monitor as an oracle. You’d think after learning the truth that the Elites would know that they’re not oracles, unless they’re the crazy religious type. Also the Arbiter’s place is attacked in Glasslands, we can assume that he might have been killed in the attack.
If the events of The Return truly take place after Halo 4. Any events that take place in Halo 4 must be a localized event that at first doesn’t have a significant impact on the major factions of the Haloverse. Halo 5 is said to be the darkest of the new trilogy so it can be assumed that the Elites then loose most of their technology since they’re not repairing their ships.
Also this means that there must be a gap of 2 years or so after Halo 4 until Halo 5. I doubt that the Elites would have still been the same after the new trilogy if the new trilogy took place within a year or a few months.
Spoiler tags added by Mod
Interesting stuff there.
I hate to just point this one thing out, but where did they say that Halo 5 would be the darkest?
> Interesting stuff there.
>
> I hate to just point this one thing out, but where did they say that Halo 5 would be the darkest?
I THINK it might be the Halo A-Z, but I’m not quite sure. I just remember reading/hearing somewhere (official) that Halo 5 would be the darkest. I think it was an article, I’ll try to look for it.
> Halo 5 is said to be the darkest of the new trilogy
Define “darkest”.
I’d offer a more compelling conversation if I had actually read the books.
I’m a little behind on Halo 
> > Halo 5 is said to be the darkest of the new trilogy
>
> Define “darkest”.
Master Chief’s flashlight breaks.
OT: Frankie said something about their being pockets of Covenant and Elites that have lost contact with the main groups and are behind on the information, We know that the Shipmaster took part in the Great Schism. What we don’t know is whether or not he is still in contact with the rest of the Elites. His is an isolated story and we don’t know how or if it will resonate with the rest of the Halo universe.
It has already been stated that Halo 4 takes place in 2553.
The Only problem here is that you are assuming Glasslands has anything remotely relevant to do with halo 4, When it was stated several times that the forerunner Saga is the backbone of the Trilogy and only bits of Post-War novels will be incorporated.
Thanks for the spoiler alert. You ruined Glasslands for me.
> Thanks for the spoiler alert. You ruined Glasslands for me.
Watch your mouth young man or so help me I’ll have my buddy God put you in time out.
I have to beg to differ. I could see the Arbiter supporting a war with the Brutes, especially when, in all likelihood, they would have no choice. In the case of Humanity, they do have a choice, but most likely, the Brutes would attack with no warning, forcing the Elites back into a conflict. And the way the Shipmaster from “The Return” talks, it seems, at least to me, that the Arbiter is still alive by 2559.
It is still possible that Halo 4 takes place before “The Return”, but I think we’ll see the Elites and Brutes start fighting by the next post-war novel.
> Thanks for the spoiler alert. You ruined Glasslands for me. Your an -Yoink!-
Who cares? The Thread says post halo 4 if you know Glasslands is a post war novel and haven’t read it then you shouldn’t have even clicked the thread. Not to mention the OP talks about Glasslands (Which came out october last year). If you cannot get 10 dollars to buy the book then that isn’t my fault, try staying off the forums until you are updated.
> I have to beg to differ. I could see the Arbiter supporting a war with the Brutes, especially when, in all likelihood, they would have no choice. In the case of Humanity, they do have a choice, but most likely, the Brutes would attack with no warning, forcing the Elites back into a conflict. And the way the Shipmaster from “The Return” talks, it seems, at least to me, that the Arbiter is still alive by 2559.
>
> It is still possible that Halo 4 takes place before “The Return”, but I think we’ll see the Elites and Brutes start fighting by the next post-war novel.
Oh hell yes the Arbiter would support fighting the brutes, though Strategically that would be a waste of resources.
For your information im reading the books in a specific order. I’ve read The Fall of Reach and First Strike. I ordered Ghosts of Onyx and when im finished it, i’ll buy Glasslands. Regardless of release date, the spoiler feature is intended for situations just like this one. He should have used it. I have every right to stay on the forums no matter what books I read. Half the people here havent read a single one, im making an effort to read them before the release of Halo 4.
> For your information im reading the books in a specific order. I’ve read The Fall of Reach and First Strike. I ordered Ghosts of Onyx and when im finished it, i’ll buy Glasslands. Regardless of release date, the spoiler feature is intended for situations just like this one. He should have used it. I have every right to stay on the forums no matter what books I read. Half the people here havent read a single one, im making an effort to read them before the release of Halo 4.
You Don’t need to read any of that for Glasslands just Read GoO. Um the title clearly says Post halo 4 that right there tells you not to click it. Not to mention if you hover over a thread you can see what it has in it.
So regardless of the lack of spoilers warnings for a book that has been out for five whole months, you still have plenty of other ways to deduce if you should have clicked it or not.
Spoiler warnings are for lazy people and those who just can’t use common sense. Do we need to post spoiler warnings for the other books since you haven’t read them also? You might as well stay off the forum until you are done if you can honestly feel “spoiled” without having context or build up.
Hey, I post in blue. Stop it. >:(
They would never kill Arby off in the books…
> Thanks for the spoiler alert. You ruined Glasslands for me. Your an -Yoink!-
Don’t expect a huge fight scene.
> It has already been stated that Halo 4 takes place in 2553.
It’s been stated in OXM, who honestly have no idea what they’re talking about. Frankie himself stated that there’s a few years that have passed between Halo 3 and Halo 4.
Then again, OXM is obviously a more reliable source than Frankie himself, right?
I embrace this potential news with absolute sorrow and excitement. RIP Arby.
First Miranda. Then Johnson. Then Arby. Possibly Lord Hood. Finally Cortana (probable). When will the madness end?!! I’m seeing a lot of potential in developing Chief’s personality.
> > It has already been stated that Halo 4 takes place in 2553.
>
> It’s been stated in OXM, who honestly have no idea what they’re talking about. Frankie himself stated that there’s a few years that have passed between Halo 3 and Halo 4.
>
> Then again, OXM is obviously a more reliable source than Frankie himself, right?
OXM is the magazine version of halopedia. They said we were going to fly pelicans and other garbage in halo 3.