The Forerunner

Summary
The "Forerunner(s)" 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.

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

Known History
Almost nothing is known about the history of the Forerunners, save that they were an extremely advanced civilization that inhabited the galaxy many thousands of years in the past, although it is unknown when they spread around the galaxy. They achieved an extremely high level of technological advancement, and the evidence of this can be seen scattered throughout the games. The fact that the Halos are stationed all round the galaxy could be seen as evidence that their empire covered the entire galaxy.

At some point, the Forerunners came into contact with the Flood. Seeing the danger they posed to all life in the galaxy, the Forerunners attempted to contain them. They were able to study them in labs such as the one found in the gas mine on Threshold. Several hundred years after discovering the Flood, they created the Halos as weapons to be used as a last resort against the Flood, wiping out all sentient life with enough biomass to sustain them, killing the Flood through starvation. Another purpose of the Halos was to contain the Flood so the Forerunners could study them (as explained by 343 Guilty Spark in Halo 1. They also assigned Monitors to each ring with the tasks of maintaining them so that they could be used again in case of future outbreaks.

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, destroying themselves along with all other sentient life of sufficient biomass to sustain the Flood within three radii of the galactic center. However, some speculate that the Forerunners might be alive in another galaxy.

Forerunners and humans?
Both the games and novels contain content that has led to speculation that the Forerunner species is somehow linked to homo sapiens sapiens of the 26th century. This section will synopsize the material in question.

Monitor 343 Guilty Spark says to the Master Chief 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." Later, when 343 talks about activating the installation, 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." The Halo installations seen in the games and novels also appear to have the same gravity and atmosphere as Earth; it would make sense that the Forerunner would attempt to make the Halos similar to their homeworld.

Late in the first Halo game, 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 of its categorization...." Clearly another link between humans and Forerunners. Another link is that only humans can activate the rings, and only humans are Reclaimers. At the end of Halo 2, as the remaining rings are left perilously in standby after their firings are averted, Commander Miranda Keyes asks 343 Guilty Spark where one (i.e. the High Prophet of Truth) would go to remotely fire all the Halo rings. His response, full of surprise at the query, is "The Ark". The Arbiter then approaches from behind and asks "And where, Oracle, is that?". Before 343 answers his question, the cutscene transitions to show Truth's ship arriving outside Earth's orbit.

The novels also appear to offer hints about the link between humans and Forerunners. Several Spartans recognize Forerunner symbols but they can't quite place them, which suggests that they are most likely deep in the subconscious. In Halo: The Flood, the Master Chief just 'knows' how to activate the lightbridge, for some strange reason; the same appears true 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.

Halo 3 may also offer more clues or explanations. In the game's E3 announcement trailer, the vast Forerunner object the Master Chief observes resembles an earlier sketch that says "Ark" and Dervish, the early name for the Arbiter.

Combat Skin Theory
On the level Library, 343 Guilty Spark wonders why the Master Chief had brought "such ineffective weapons" to combat the Flood, and recommends that the Chief upgrades from the MJOLNIR armor, which, according to some Forerunner ranking system, the criteria of which is not gone into, is only Class 2, to a Class 12 Combat Skin, which 343 says is necessary to combat the Flood.

Here 343 is referring to Combat Skin as a type of armor where the MJOLNIR armor is Class 2. However, later 343 talks about the Flood changing the atmosphere, he says "Your Environment Suit should serve you well..." implying that the MJOLNIR armor in Forerunner terms is an Environment Suit.

The differing nomenclature suggests that the two items 343 refers to are different, i.e. your armor is what he refers to as the 'Environment Suit', and your 'Combat Skin' is the Chief's flesh and body. This may imply that all sentinent life, including Covenant and humans, were "designed" by the Forerunner species for use in combat against each other, and the Forerunners, in a direct or indirect way control the life-forms, or as they call them, "combat skins"

This brings up an interesting idea about the Forerunner. There is no evidence that speaks of any physical Forerunner form, save a Forerunner Hand print that may just be a computer pattern. Therefore the forerunner could have no body and lead a life much like a parasite. So it's possible that the Forerunner is an entity inside the Master Chief's body.

Chief certainly seems to know how to use Forerunner technology even though he's not supposed to have come across it before, and when 343 Guilty Spark first sees Master Chief he seemed to recognize him. Perhaps 343 didn't recognize the Chief's physical form but something IN the Chief.

This theory brings up other possibilities that maybe the Flood are a type of Forerunner either a branch on the evolutionary tree or some kind of genetic enhancement of the original Forerunner. This could go the other way of course; maybe the Forerunner is the spawn of the Flood, a weapons program gone wrong.

It could also explain why all the doors on Halo are different sizes, because depending on which being the Forerunners were inhabiting, different sized portals may have been necessary. The idea that 343 Guilty Spark isn't actually talking to the Chief could account for the perception that Guilty Spark thinks the Chief has set off Halo before - he doesn't think the Chief has at all, as he is actually addressing the Forerunner in John-117's head, who have/has set Halo off before, and having done so were forced to inhabit the forms of the very creatures they sought to contain. This is backed by the fact that 343 Guilty Spark says when they are ready to set off halo ''"last time you asked me, if it was my choice would I do it?”

This speculation could also explain why the Covenant seem to refer to the Forerunner as gods, perhaps Forerunner are fighting a war amongst themselves, using the sentient life in the galaxy as weapons. A civil war within the Forerunner. This would explain how the Covenant and the Master Chief know how to use certain technology. Perhaps by destroying the sentient the Forerunner inhabits, the Forerunner dies along with the host.

Time Theory
Another theory of the same origin as the Combat Skin Theory is the Time Theory. 343 Guilty Spark says in the level Library, "Why are you hesitating to do what you have already done before?" Which it is inferred that he is talking about setting off halo. Also the quote, "last time you asked me, if it was my choice would I do it?" shows that there may be a connection between Master Chief and 343. Both of these quotes illustrate that Master Chief has met 343 before. Through some Forerunner technology, Master Chief may soon be transported back in time to set off the halos in the Forerunner period.

Whether it had been after the Flood consumed all of the Forerunner, or that the Gravemind was protecting the Ark so that no one could set off the halos, Master Chief may be needed to do the deed. This can also explain why 343 seems to know Master Chief, and addresses him as if he knows about his kind.

The Time Theory digs up other possibilities. 343 seems to talk about humans and humans only as reclaimers. Unless the Forerunner knew about the Humans, then 343 wouldn't know about the reclaimers. If Master Chief did go back in time, 343 would most definitely ask questions, one of which being... What are you? Master Chief already had been called a Reclaimer by 343 so it is possible for him to tell 343 that he is a Reclaimer.

Forerunner Weaponry
Forerunner constructs use a wide variety of weapons. The Sentinels wield energy beams, used mainly for fighting the Flood. Sentinel Majors have a more powerful and accurate version of the beam. Meanwhile, Enforcers are equipped with explosives launched over the top of their shield as well as weapons similar to Needlers, which fire smaller red crystals at a faster rate, used mainly against infantry at close range.

Forerunner Art and Architecture
Forerunner architecture is noted mainly for its geometric style and vast scale. It tends to be very elaborate, with numerous extrapolations of the basic design of a structure, all purely decorative. They use complex geometric shapes and hardly ever use anything but straight lines in their design.

The Forerunners tend to decorate the interiors of their structures with a complex web of engraved straight lines.

The fact that the Forerunners were able to build such giant structures as the Control Rooms, Libraries,the Temple, the Sentinel Wall shows that they likely had a very sophisticated methods of building.

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



Installation 04, and 05 are the only two Fortress World's yet discovered in the Halo Universe but when we look at the Monitor naming scheme, they offer a clue as to the existance of other Halo's.

Looking at the number in 343 Guilty Spark, 343 is seven to the third power. Seven being a number seen frequently in Bungie games and mythology. The number "2401", from 2401 Penitent Tangent, is seven to the fourth power.

When the numbers of each Monitor are examined, a pattern emerges: each seems to be seven raised to the power of the installation number minus one; therefore this table to the right can be established.

Note that the first three digits of the monitor of Installation 07 is 117, Master Chief's service number.

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
 * Forerunner Body Armor

Related Links
Internal
 * Reclaimer

External
 * ForeRunner Symbology - An article on Forerunner symbols.