The Forerunner

Summary
The "Forerunner" is the translated Covenant name for the race that built The Halos. It is theorized that this same race is responsible for the artifact that was found on Reach, and on Sigma Octanus IV.

The artifacts appear to have originated on different worlds, but have somehow made it onto these other planets. These artifacts are our only means of finding information about the Forerunner.

In the second game, Halo 2, 343 Guilty Spark explains that after exhausting every other strategic option in their struggle against The Flood, the Forerunners activated the Halos which destroyed themselves along with all other sentient life of suffiecient biomass to sustain the Flood within three radii of the galactic center. Some speculate that the Forerunners might be alive in another galaxy.

It is argued that the Forerunner may be connected with the Jjaro from Bungie's previous games. The similarities are apparent.

There is a lot of evidence pointing to the idea that the Forerunners were humans; 343 Guilty Spark says in Halo 1, "The installation was specifically built to study and contain the Flood. Their survival as a race was dependent upon it. I am grateful to see that some of them survived to reproduce." Also when 343 talks about activating Halo, he says, "Last time, you asked me, if it was my choice, would I do it? Having considerable time to ponder your query, my answer has not changed." At the end of Halo 2, Miranda Keyes asks 343 Guilty Spark where one (i.e. the Covenant Prophet Truth) would go to remote activate all the Halos. His response is "the Ark". The Arbiter then approaches from behind and asks "And where, Oracle, is that?". The cut scene then transitions to show Truth's ship arriving outside Earth's orbit. Also in the books, several Spartans recognize Forerunner symbols but they can't quite place them which means that they are most likely deep in the subconcious. Also in Halo 1, during a cutscene in the level, "The Maw", 343 is shown pulling data out of the Pillar of Autumn's data core while saying, "Amazing! A record of all our lost time. Oh I shall enjoy every moment it's of categorization...." Clearly another link between humans and Forerunners. Another link is that only humans can activate the rings, and only humans are Reclaimers. Something else to consider is that in the novel, Halo: The Flood, the Master Chief just 'knows' how to activate the lightbridge, for some strange reason, and also when he activates the Silent Cartographer. In Halo: First Strike, the Spartans just "know" how to operate the Wraith tanks. If the Covenant did indeed salvage technology from the Forerunners, then that might explain it. And in the halo 3 trailer it shows a piece of architecture on earth that resembles a sketch that says "ark" and dervish, the early name for the arbiter. Another connection between humans and the Forerunner is the fact that the Halo Installations have the same gravity and atmosphere as Earth; it makes sense that the Forerunner would attempt to make the Halos be similar to their homeworld.

Fortress Worlds
Installation 04
 * Control Room
 * The Silent Cartographer
 * Alpha Base
 * The Library
 * Flood Containment Facilities

Installation 05
 * Control Room
 * The Library
 * Quarantine Zone
 * Sentinel Wall
 * The Temple
 * Flood Research Facilities
 * Relay Station
 * Sentinel Production Facility

Forerunner Installations

 * The Ark


 * Gas Mine


 * Coral Facility


 * Reach Facility

Forerunner Constructs

 * Monitors - Floating AIs responsible for maintainance of Halo worlds.


 * Sentinels


 * Sentinel Majors


 * Enforcers


 * Constructors

Forerunner Artifacts and Technology
See also Technology


 * The Ship


 * The Crystal


 * Technology


 * Deep-Space Artifact
 * Forerunner Hand

Related Links

 * Reclaimer