Faber-of-Will-and-Might

"The Flood cover more of our galaxy with each passing day. They feast on the essence of life itself. The only way to stop their advance is to remove that life upon which they feast."

- Faber discussing the necessity of the Halo Array with the Librarian.

Faber, more commonly known by his title as the Master Builder, was an immensely powerful Forerunner Builder. He commissioned the construction of the Halo Array, and co-created Mendicant Bias alongside the Didact.

Human-Forerunner War
When humanity first began attacking Forerunner worlds and vessels, Faber attended a meeting of the Ecumene Council to determine the proper course of action. The Didact proposed a policy of neutralization rather than extermination, intending to defeat the enemy and exile them back to their homeworld, in accordance with the tenets of the Mantle. Faber conceded that the Didact made "a fair, if uncomfortable, point", and gave the Didact his support.

Forerunner-Flood war
Sometime following the end of the Human-Forerunner War, Faber commissioned the creation of the Halos, an array of weapons capable of purging all sentient life from a star system and, if the situation became dire, the entire galaxy. The purpose of this project was two-fold: to be used as a defensive measure against the Flood were they ever to return to the galaxy, and to secure the preeminence of the Builder rate. Despite opposition from the Didact and the Prometheans, who managed to delay the construction of the Halos for thousands of years, the Ecumene Council eventually agreed to Faber's proposal, causing the Didact to go into exile. Under Faber's orders, the father of Bornstellar Makes Eternal Lasting designed the Halo Array, and twelve of the weapons were built by his guild.

However, the Librarian and the Lifeworker rate strongly opposed the construction of the Halos, viewing them as contrary to the principles of the Mantle. With the Lifeworkers threatening to go on strike if the weapons were constructed, the Council agreed to the Librarian's demands to provide a workable plan to save sentient life in the galaxy in the event the rings were ever fired. This plan, known as the Conservation Measure, involved giving the Lifeworkers biological preserves for specimens of numerous species on several of the Master Builder's installations, including the Halos and their construction foundries, known as the Arks. After the onset of the Forerunner-Flood war, Faber authorized the use of the Lifeworkers' biological specimens on the Halo installations for experimentation on the Flood in hopes of finding a cure to the parasite. Of particular interest to his researchers were humans, primarily housed on Installation 07, many of whom seemed to exhibit an immunity to the parasite - unaware that this was due to an ongoing strategy on the Flood's part. He authorized that more humans with the Librarian's special geas be brought on the installation from Earth, against the instructions of the Council and the Librarian.

Circa 100,043 BCE, Faber, with the Council's authority, tasked Mendicant Bias with conducting the first test of a Halo installation near Charum Hakkor. Installation 07, fired on a system-wide power setting, released an ancient being known as the Primordial; the entity was taken on the installation by Faber's orders afterward. As he did not trust the Lifeworker scientists who at first studied the creature, Faber soon assigned Mendicant Bias to interrogate it. Over the course of the extended conversation, the Primordial managed to encourage the Master Builder to continue the experiments on humans, and eventually convinced Mendicant Bias to turn to rampancy and defect to the Flood.

Crisis
Around 100,000 BCE, he arrived at Janjur Qom to seek information on the Flood from the San 'Shyuum leadership. Their arrival, following the Librarian's indexing of the San 'Shyuum, caused the San 'Shyuum to rebel against the Forerunners. In retaliation, the Master Builder ordered Mendicant Bias to use Installation 07 to sterilize the San 'Shyuum population. During the battle, Faber's forces intercepted the ship carrying Bornstellar and the Didact, who had also come to meet with the San 'Shyuum leadership. He placed the Didact under arrest and sent Bornstellar back to his family. When the Didact later refused to give vital information to the Master Builder, he left him to die in a Flood-infested system, with the rest of the galaxy believing him to be dead. The Didact would continue interfering in his plans, however, as his memories and personality had been transferred to Bornstellar's mind.

However, the Master Builder had overestimated his control over his allies. They believed that the Halo Array was intended as a last resort weapon, not to punish uprisings. Many of his closest allies felt he had violated the Mantle with his actions, and a political revolution occurred, with many Councilors resigning in protest. Meanwhile, many Lifeworkers and Warrior-Servants on Installation 07 violently rebelled against the Master Builder, but this revolt was mostly suppressed by Faber's loyal Builder Security forces. The Builders stripped Faber of his title, and he was put on trial before the Forerunner Council for the unsanctioned use of a Halo and other war crimes. However, the trial was interrupted by Mendicant Bias' assault on the Capital. During the battle, with the Warden's help, Faber was delivered to Sharp-by-Striking who took him to a fast frigate. Aboard the ship, Faber ordered the Builder security crew to escape the system. Before they did, Faber's personal security attacked and killed all but Sharp. Faber exiled Sharp-by-Striking along with the Ur-Didact, a Catalog, and a high ranking Builder known as Maker-of-Moons to Uthera Midgeerrd.

Final years
"Throughout my life, I sought power and profit for myself, for my rate. Now, at long last, I think I understand the meaning of a crime against the Mantle. After this, no need to seek balance. I will await my penance here."

- Faber deciding to stay and die on Omega Halo.

Although some believed Faber had been killed on Installation 07, he remained active in fighting against the Flood in a more isolated region of the ecumene for many years with Builder security and disgraced Warrior-Servants. While claiming to have overcome vast Flood forces, Faber was actually capturing small, weak Flood ships. He put the ships through inadequate decontamination before extorting them to Warrior-Servant crews. Due to the inadequate decontamination, many of the crews assigned to these ships were overwhelmed by Flood forces still onboard. In the endgame of the conflict, Faber was interviewed by Catalog as part of the Juridicals' investigation into his possible crimes against the Mantle. He eventually conferred with the surviving Forerunner leadership on the greater Ark. During this meeting he revealed that his wives and children, who were relocated to Path Kural, were infected by the Flood and now part of a Gravemind. He was killed soon after during Mendicant Bias' assault on the greater Ark, willfully remaining on Omega Halo when it was destroyed, declaring this as penance for his past crimes.

Personality and traits
"If not for your family's power, I would strip you down to a haze of burning brain cells and spread you out upon this field."

- Faber to Bornstellar Makes Eternal Lasting.

Despite his high standing in Forerunner society, Faber displayed arrogance and cruelty wholly at odds with the Forerunner ideals of peace and enlightenment. He held utter contempt for less-advanced species, as well as lower-ranking Forerunners. He also was not above using torture against those who crossed him. Regardless of his cruelty, Faber was exceptionally powerful in many ways; in addition to his political power, he was noted as being an individual of "near-infinite complexity and mental resources," equally cunning to the Didact, and possessed immense knowledge of Forerunner politics and technology.

Faber appeared to dedicate considerable attention to his personal appearance, making use of perfumes and maintaining an attitude of superiority in all encounters.

Trivia
"Faber", (the root of the word "fabricate"), is Latin for "artisan" or "smith", which clearly echoes his role as the Master Builder. However, it is noted at the beginning of Halo: Cryptum that all names and other terms are translated to analogues that are intelligible to the reader, as in Halo 3's terminals, so "Faber" was certainly not his real name.

List of appearances

 * Halo: Cryptum
 * Halo: Primordium
 * Halo: The Thursday War
 * Halo 4
 * Halo: Silentium