Forerunner
From Halopedia, the Halo wiki
| Forerunner | |
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 (From left to right) Faber, the Ur-Didact, and the Librarian | |
| Biological overview | |
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Latin name: |
Primoris prognatus[1] |
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Subspecies: |
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Diet: |
Omnivorous |
| Physical information | |
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Avg. height: |
198.1–414 cm (6 ft 6 in–13 ft 7 in)[2]
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Avg. weight: |
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Distinctions: |
Tall, humanoid, partially furred; various forms assumed by artificially-induced mutation |
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Avg. lifespan: |
Thousands of years[1] |
| Sociocultural information | |
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Homeworld: |
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Tier 1[1] | |
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Notable individuals: |
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Also known as: |
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Languages: |
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- "We are Forerunners, guardians of all that exists. The roots of the galaxy have grown deep under our careful tending. Where there is life, the wisdom of our countless generations has saturated the soil. Our strength is a luminous sun towards which all intelligence blossoms, and the impervious shelter beneath which it has prospered."
- — The Ur-Didact, giving a speech on the purpose of the Mantle.
The Forerunners (Latin Primoris prognatus, meaning "Firstborn")[1] were an ancient species of extremely technologically advanced beings whose empire—known as the ecumene—encompassed three million fertile worlds in the Milky Way Galaxy.[3] The Forerunners reigned for millennia as the ascendant civilization in the galaxy until the activation of the Halo Array, their Pyrrhic solution to halt the Flood, in 97,445 BCE. Although they themselves are essentially extinct, evidence of their existence remained, spread across the galaxy in the form of numerous creations, installations and artifacts.
The Forerunners took upon themselves the role of caretakers of the galaxy, and believed that this "Mantle" had been passed down to them by the Precursors, an even more powerful race that preceded the Forerunner civilization.[4] "Forerunner" is a literal translation of the species' name for themselves; they identified themselves as such because they believed that they held an impermanent place in the universe's Living Time, though, in time, they too would be succeeded by other, superior races.[5] Before their disappearance from the galaxy, the Forerunners would name humanity their successors, identifying them with the title "Reclaimer".
In modern history, the alien hegemony known as the Covenant mythologized the Forerunners and revered them as gods, deriving much of their own technology from Forerunner artifacts found throughout the galaxy, and held that any who defaced these relics were heretics.
History[edit]
| “ | One hundred thousand years ago, the galaxy was populated by a great variety of beings. But one species—eons beyond all the others in both technology and knowledge—achieved dominance. They ruled in peace but met opposition with quick and brutal effectiveness. They were the Forerunners—the keepers of the Mantle, the next stage of life in the Universe's Living Time. And then they vanished. | ” |
Origins[edit]
- Main article: Forerunner-Precursor war
The Forerunners were created by the Precursors, a powerful race responsible for seeding the Milky Way Galaxy with life and creating many other species, fifteen million years ago.[1] The Forerunners were seeded on the planet Ghibalb in the Orion complex from a base stock that also produced humanity.