🡀 FLOOD • SPECIES • PRECURSORS 🡂
Important Events
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.
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.
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.
