Prophet of Mercy

"Halo! Its divine wind will rush through the stars, propelling all who are
worthy along the path to salvation."
—Prophet of Mercy



The High Prophet of Mercy is one of three Hierarchs that lead the Covenant High Council. He is by far the oldest. His birth name is Hod Rumnt.



Biography
He served as the Philologist on the Forerunner Dreadnought where he lead the priests prior to his ascension to Hierarch. He became the third Hierarch after the Oracle of the Dreadnought attempted to launch the Dreadnought during which time it referred to the humans as his creators. His tenure has been marked by several tense debates with Elite High Councilors over the proper dispensation of Forerunner artifacts. Mercy is considered one of the last of the old guard of the Prophets -- a hard-liner who publicly questioned the wisdom of the Prophets' demilitarization at the close of the Prophet-Elite War.
Being one of the eldest members of the Prophet triumvirate, Mercy is well-acquainted with the Covenant's governmental systems and its history. During a meeting with the Arbiter and the Prophet of Truth, he mentions a bit of Covenant history, referencing the Grunt Rebellion and the Taming of the Hunters.
He stayed by Truth's side after the death of Regret, and seemed to be more of a follower or supporter of Truth than an equal. As the Covenant Civil War began, Mercy still supported Truth's actions, even as it seemed that Truth was unraveling the very foundations of the Covenant through his extreme actions.
He and the High Prophet of Truth were attacked by the Flood on High Charity as they prepared to depart for Earth to begin the Great Journey. A single Infection Form made it past the Honor Guard Brutes, and latched onto his neck. Even as Tartarus attempted to save him, Truth intervened and let Mercy die, saying "The Great Journey waits for no one, brother. Not even you." Before his death, he was found by the Master Chief and questioned where Truth was going. He answered, "Earth, to finish what we started. And this time, none of you will be left behind." The Chief then killed the Infection Form, which had infected the prophet and with it, its host: Mercy.



Personality
Mercy can be seen as passionate and knowledgeable, as seen in the cutscene Sacred Icon where he shows his excitement about Halo expressing hope that the Great Journey should begin very soon. It's very possible that he has a sense of levity, seeing that he talked Truth out of condemning Regret as described on the level Regret, but that doesn't mean he doesn't know right from wrong. He is perceptible and a veteran of the Forerunners and their knowledge, he can be considered the Prophet of Truth's right-hand.