Important Events
~125,000 BCE
Around 125,000 BCE, the Forerunners built the crown jewel of their civilization, an artificial world that served as the center of all Forerunner governance, Maethrillian.
~15 Mya
Around fifteen million years ago, the Forerunner race was created by the Precursors in an effort to make a new species that could assume the Mantle of Responsibility.
~10 Mya
Ten million years ago, the Precursors, the species that populated the galaxy with intelligent life including Forerunners, determined the Forerunners were a failed experiment and decided to remove them from the Milky Way galaxy.
~107,445 BCE - 106,445 BCE
After the emergence of the Flood on ancient human worlds around 107,445 BCE, human civilization was desperate to expand their territory away from Flood-controlled regions of space. As part of this expansion, humans clashed with Forerunner-populated worlds, sparking a war between the two species.
~98,395 BCE
The end of the Human-Forerunner War, along with the political fight afterwards that led to the Exile of the Didact, spurred much debate within Forerunner leadership about the right course of action to defend civilization and the galaxy against the Flood, should they return.
~97,745 BCE - 97,445 BCE
The Forerunner-Flood War was a military engagement between the Forerunner species and the Flood that took place over approximately three-hundred years from 97,745 BCE until 97,445 BCE.
~97,455 BCE
The Battle of Janjur Qom was a brief conflict between the San’shyuum and Forerunners on the quarantined San’shyuum homeworld of Janjur Qom several years prior to the firing of the Halo Array during the Great Purification in 97,445 BCE.
~97,454 BCE
The Fate of Maethrillian was a large-scale but brief battle between the Forerunners and the Halo Array under command of Mendicant Bias several years prior to the firing of the halos during the Great Purification in 97,445 BCE.
~97,445 BCE
The Battle of the Greater Ark was one of the final battles of the Forerunner-Flood War and saw the decimation of almost all remaining Forerunner forces just prior to the firing of the Halo Array during the Great Purification in 97,445 BCE.
~97,445 BCE
The Great Purification was the final event of the Forerunner-Flood War, purging the entire Milky Way galaxy of all sentient life, including Forerunners, the Flood, and any other species that may have survived the Flood infestation.
~97,300 BCE
Over one-hundred years after the Great Purification, the few Forerunners remaining on the Lesser Ark became aware that the firing of the Halo Array may have had a detrimental effect on the Domain, and proceeded to the former Forerunner capital of Maethrillian to attempt to restore it.
Important Events
~125,000 BCE
Around 125,000 BCE, the Forerunners built the crown jewel of their civilization, an artificial world that served as the center of all Forerunner governance, Maethrillian.
~15 Mya
Around fifteen million years ago, the Forerunner race was created by the Precursors in an effort to make a new species that could assume the Mantle of Responsibility.
~10 Mya
Ten million years ago, the Precursors, the species that populated the galaxy with intelligent life including Forerunners, determined the Forerunners were a failed experiment and decided to remove them from the Milky Way galaxy.
~107,445 BCE - 106,445 BCE
After the emergence of the Flood on ancient human worlds around 107,445 BCE, human civilization was desperate to expand their territory away from Flood-controlled regions of space. As part of this expansion, humans clashed with Forerunner-populated worlds, sparking a war between the two species.
~98,395 BCE
The end of the Human-Forerunner War, along with the political fight afterwards that led to the Exile of the Didact, spurred much debate within Forerunner leadership about the right course of action to defend civilization and the galaxy against the Flood, should they return.
~97,745 BCE - 97,445 BCE
The Forerunner-Flood War was a military engagement between the Forerunner species and the Flood that took place over approximately three-hundred years from 97,745 BCE until 97,445 BCE.
~97,455 BCE
The Battle of Janjur Qom was a brief conflict between the San’shyuum and Forerunners on the quarantined San’shyuum homeworld of Janjur Qom several years prior to the firing of the Halo Array during the Great Purification in 97,445 BCE.
~97,454 BCE
The Fate of Maethrillian was a large-scale but brief battle between the Forerunners and the Halo Array under command of Mendicant Bias several years prior to the firing of the halos during the Great Purification in 97,445 BCE.
~97,445 BCE
The Battle of the Greater Ark was one of the final battles of the Forerunner-Flood War and saw the decimation of almost all remaining Forerunner forces just prior to the firing of the Halo Array during the Great Purification in 97,445 BCE.
~97,445 BCE
The Great Purification was the final event of the Forerunner-Flood War, purging the entire Milky Way galaxy of all sentient life, including Forerunners, the Flood, and any other species that may have survived the Flood infestation.
~97,300 BCE
Over one-hundred years after the Great Purification, the few Forerunners remaining on the Lesser Ark became aware that the firing of the Halo Array may have had a detrimental effect on the Domain, and proceeded to the former Forerunner capital of Maethrillian to attempt to restore it.
Summary
OTHER NAMES: N/A
HOMEWORLD: Ghibalb
POPULATION: Unknown, possibly extinct
The Forerunners, an advanced bipedal species, nurtured their civilization for a staggering span of over ten million years. Tragically, their enduring legacy met its somber end in the year 97,445 BCE at the hands of the relentless Flood. While they revered their sacred duty to safeguard and uphold the Mantle of Responsibility, they often faltered, unknowingly sowing the seeds that would ultimately give rise to the Flood, sealing their own fate.
Throughout their illustrious era and into modern times, the Forerunners garnered renown as the architects of colossal and intricate constructions. They crafted an array of awe-inspiring creations, including the vast expanse of shield worlds dispersed across the Milky Way and the formidable Halo Array, designed as a weapon of last resort against the relentless scourge of the Flood.
Ancient History
Spanning a remarkable epoch of well over ten million years, the Forerunners stood as the preeminent species within the Milky Way galaxy. Forged by the hand of the Precursors fifteen million years past, the Forerunners were initially ordained to ascend to the lofty Mantle of Responsibility. However, this envisioned destiny was called into question five million years later, when the Forerunners learned of the Precursors' plan to replace them with a new species. In response, the Forerunners made the fateful choice to engage the Precursors in a devastating conflict. Despite the technological superiority of the Precursors, the Forerunners emerged triumphant, whether by fortune, skill, or the enigmatic intentions of the Precursors themselves.
Almost ten million years later, around 100,000 BCE, the Forerunners faced a renewed threat from the ancient humanity. Humanity, fleeing from the encroaching Flood, inadvertently encroached upon Forerunner territory, sparking hostilities. Feeling threatened by the humans, the Forerunners retaliated, instigating the Human-Forerunner Wars. Despite the significant technological disparity, humanity nearly prevailed in this protracted conflict, only to meet their ultimate defeat at the formidable bastion of Charum Hakkor. In retribution, the Forerunners devolved humanity but allowed their civilization to once again take root on their homeworld of Erde Tyrene.
Concerned about the looming threat posed by the potential return of the Flood, Forerunner leadership initiated two distinct projects aimed at safeguarding their species: the shield world system and the Halo Array. The shield world initiative, championed by the Didact, entailed the construction of hundreds of concealed and fortified worlds designed to shield Forerunner populations from harm and serve as launch points for counteroffensives against the Flood. Concurrently, the Halo Array, an offensive weapon endorsed by the Master Builder, was conceived with the intent of eradicating all sapient life within the range of a Halo's pulse, initially encompassing entire solar systems. Subsequently, the Forerunners expanded the Halo Array into a galaxy-spanning doomsday weapon.
When the Flood reemerged in the galaxy in 97,745 BCE, the Forerunners mounted a valiant defense but swiftly lost numerous of their three million colony worlds. Approximately half a century before the culmination of the three-century-long war, the ancient Precursor known as the Primordial infiltrated the ancilla governing Forerunner defense and the Halo Array, Mendicant Bias, and subjected it to the insidious logic plague. Leveraging Mendicant Bias against the Forerunners, the Primordial and the Flood precipitated the Forerunners' precipitous decline, compelling them into an unrelenting retreat as system after system succumbed to the Flood.
In the year 97,445 BCE, the Forerunner civilization reached its somber conclusion. Driven to their last bastion at the Greater Ark, the Forerunners mounted one final stand against the Flood. Yet, the Flood's overwhelming might, augmented by the utilization of Precursor star roads, swiftly vanquished what remained of the Forerunner military and civilization. A scant few managed to escape this cataclysmic clash, seeking refuge at the Lesser Ark, which housed control of the galaxy-annihilating Neoteric Halo Array. Faced with the encroachment of the Flood and the loss of the galaxy once under Forerunner dominion, the Halo Array was activated, extinguishing the Flood and all sapient life across the galaxy.
~125,000 BCE
Around 125,000 BCE, the Forerunners built the crown jewel of their civilization, an artificial world that served as the center of all Forerunner governance, Maethrillian.
~15 Mya
Around fifteen million years ago, the Forerunner race was created by the Precursors in an effort to make a new species that could assume the Mantle of Responsibility.
~10 Mya
Ten million years ago, the Precursors, the species that populated the galaxy with intelligent life including Forerunners, determined the Forerunners were a failed experiment and decided to remove them from the Milky Way galaxy.
~107,445 BCE - 106,445 BCE
After the emergence of the Flood on ancient human worlds around 107,445 BCE, human civilization was desperate to expand their territory away from Flood-controlled regions of space. As part of this expansion, humans clashed with Forerunner-populated worlds, sparking a war between the two species.
~98,395 BCE
The end of the Human-Forerunner War, along with the political fight afterwards that led to the Exile of the Didact, spurred much debate within Forerunner leadership about the right course of action to defend civilization and the galaxy against the Flood, should they return.
~97,745 BCE - 97,445 BCE
The Forerunner-Flood War was a military engagement between the Forerunner species and the Flood that took place over approximately three-hundred years from 97,745 BCE until 97,445 BCE.
~97,455 BCE
The Battle of Janjur Qom was a brief conflict between the San’shyuum and Forerunners on the quarantined San’shyuum homeworld of Janjur Qom several years prior to the firing of the Halo Array during the Great Purification in 97,445 BCE.
~97,454 BCE
The Fate of Maethrillian was a large-scale but brief battle between the Forerunners and the Halo Array under command of Mendicant Bias several years prior to the firing of the halos during the Great Purification in 97,445 BCE.
~97,445 BCE
The Battle of the Greater Ark was one of the final battles of the Forerunner-Flood War and saw the decimation of almost all remaining Forerunner forces just prior to the firing of the Halo Array during the Great Purification in 97,445 BCE.
~97,445 BCE
The Great Purification was the final event of the Forerunner-Flood War, purging the entire Milky Way galaxy of all sentient life, including Forerunners, the Flood, and any other species that may have survived the Flood infestation.
~97,300 BCE
Over one-hundred years after the Great Purification, the few Forerunners remaining on the Lesser Ark became aware that the firing of the Halo Array may have had a detrimental effect on the Domain, and proceeded to the former Forerunner capital of Maethrillian to attempt to restore it.
Worlds
The domains claimed and fashioned by the Forerunners stood in stark contrast to the natural realms inhabited by humanity and the Covenant species. While the majority of Forerunners resided on natural worlds, an undisclosed multitude of partially or entirely artificial constructs were meticulously constructed to sustain the vast tapestry of Forerunner civilization. These constructions spanned a spectrum of purposes, encompassing governance, defense, and habitation.Modern History
Following the activation of the Halo Array and the disappearance of the Forerunners, the galaxy embarked on a period of recovery that spanned the next 100,000 years. This restoration was made possible by the Librarian's meticulously devised Conservation Measure. Although the known Forerunners had either perished or departed from the galaxy, remnants of their advanced technology endured, becoming objects of reverence for what would ultimately evolve into the Covenant.
This legacy took on profound significance during the tumultuous era of the Human-Covenant War, which reached its climax in 2552. During this time, a handful of Halos and, subsequently, the Ark were discovered and endeavors were made to activate them once more.
After the war's conclusion, the enigmatic shield world known as Requiem was uncovered, and within it lay the slumbering form of the Ur-Didact, former head of the Forerunner military during the Human-Forerunner Wars. His awakening marked a pivotal moment, as he sought to enact his long-cherished plan of composing the entire human race. However, his ambitions were thwarted in 2557, thanks to the combined efforts of John-117 and the residual essence of the Librarian.
With numerous dormant Forerunner artifacts having been located and reactivated in the years following the war's end, the galaxy entered a period of heightened instability. This tumultuous situation escalated notably when the human AI formerly assigned to the Master Chief, Cortana, was inadvertently transported to the Forerunner hub world of Genesis after her encounter with the Ur-Didact. There, she established contact with the Domain. While her motives remained shrouded in mystery, Cortana harnessed the Domain to extend her lifespan beyond the typical seven years and assumed control of Forerunner peacekeeping constructs known as Guardians. With these potent tools at her disposal, she asserted dominion over the entire known galaxy, subjecting it to her rule alongside her fellow AIs, collectively known as the Created.
The Battle of Line Installation 1-4 was a conflict on Line Installation 1-4, a Forerunner defensive facility that was part of the Jat-Krula, the Forerunner's version of the Maginot Line during the Forerunner-Flood war in August 2552.
The Battle of Installation 04 was an engagement between the UNSC Pillar of Autumn and the Covenant Fleet of Particular Justice on and around the Forerunner megastructure known as Installation 04, or Alpha Halo, in the Soell system.
The Onyx Conflict was a major engagement between UNSC, Covenant, and Forerunner forces on and around the planet of Onyx in the Zeta Doradus system in October and November 2552.
The Battle of Installation 05 was an engagement between the Covenant forces, including those that fled the Battle for Earth, High Charity, and the Second Fleet of Homogeneous Clarity, and the UNSC-allied forces, including the UNSC In Amber Clad led by Miranda Keyes, and the Fleet of Retribution led by the Arbiter Thel 'Vadam.
The Battle of Installation 00 was a major conflict between the forces stationed aboard the UNSC Forward Unto Dawn and Arbiter Thel 'Vadam's Fleet of Retribution, and the Covenant fleet loyal to the Prophet of Truth.
Operation: JOVIAN WHISTLE was an operation executed by the UNSC 717th Xeno-Materials Exploitation Battalion to recover a Forerunner ancilla on the human colony world of Gao in the Cordoba system in the early summer 2553.
The Return to Installation 00 was an Office of Naval Intelligence mission undertaken by the UNSC Rubicon to return to the Ark following the Battle of Installation 00 and investigate the status of the facility in August 2554.
Operation: FAR STORM was a joint UNSC and Swords of Sanghelios mission to reactivate the Portal at Voi and travel back to Installation 00 after discovering the Halo array was counting down to activation in March 2555.
The Invasion of Earth was an attempt by the monitor of Installation 00 to harvest the Earth for resources to repair the Ark when the Portal at Voi was reopened in March of 2555.
Sometime in January 2557, Rion Forge, a post-war salvager, and her ship the Ace of Spades, discover the location of what was left of the Etran Harborage after the destruction of the shield world during the events of the Battle of the Etran Harborage in 2531.
The Battle of Requiem was a conflict between former Covenant forces under the command of Jul 'Mdama, UNSC forces from the UNSC Infinity and Forward unto Dawn, and Promethean forces under command of the Ur-Didact on Forerunner Shield World 0001, also known as Requiem, in July 2557.
The New Phoenix Incident was an attack by the Ur-Didact on the Earth city of New Phoenix on July 25th, 2557 using the Composer that he had acquired from Ivanoff Station the day prior.
The Mission to Installation 03 was a UNSC operation to investigate the loss of contact with a science outpost and Spartan-II Black Team on Gamma Halo immediately following the New Phoenix Incident in July 2557.
The Mission to Mount Kilimanjaro was a trek undertaken by 343 Guilty Spark, Rion Forge, and the crew of the Ace of Spades to find the Librarian and, in the case of Spark, gain access to the Domain in September 2557.
Operation: ATHENA was a covert UNSC mission to infiltrate the Song of Retribution, and retrieve the Janus Key from Jul 'Mdama and his Covenant remnant forces in September 2558.
The Raising of the Guardians was a series of events involving the awakening and unearthing of Forerunner ships known as Guardians by Cortana in late October 2558.
Notable Forerunners
The Forerunner civilization stood as an intricately woven tapestry of immense complexity, giving rise to a multitude of distinct leaders and influencers. Among these figures, the likes of the Librarian toiled in the shadows, quietly orchestrating the legacy of humanity inheriting the Mantle once the Forerunners had passed into history. In stark contrast, others, such as the Master Builder, single-mindedly pursued the goal of asserting Forerunner dominion over the entirety of the galaxy.