Forerunner-Precursor war: Difference between revisions

Most details and even origins of this conflict remain obscure or contradictory, as any records of it had been completely lost and/or intentionally suppressed over millions of years.<ref>'''Halo: Cryptum''', ''page 342''</ref> According to some Forerunners who later learned of the event, the Precursors had decided to erase their species from existence, as they had done with many of their other creations.<ref>'''Halo: Primordium''', ''page 194'' (''"Long ago, when it became apparent that the Precursors were about to erase Forerunners, there was a war, and Forerunners erased ''them''."'')</ref> However, the [[Gravemind]] stated that the Forerunners struck against their creators completely unprovoked, enraged by the Precursors' decision to pass the [[Mantle]] on to humanity instead of the Forerunners. According to the Gravemind, the Precursors did not defend themselves and simply marveled at the sheer violence the Forerunners were capable of.<ref>'''Halo: Silentium''', ''String 24''</ref> After driving the Precursors away from the Milky Way galaxy, the Forerunners chased them down to the satellite galaxy of [[Path Kethona]], where they finished their work, driving the Precursors to near-extinction. However, the Forerunners that traveled to Path Kethona never returned to the Milky Way, being unable to bear the burden of what they had done. Those that defied their commanders and invoked the Mantle were exiled on a barren planet and would later remain as the only Forerunner survivors of the fleet that conducted the extermination campaign at Path Kethona.<ref>'''Halo: Silentium''', ''String 15''</ref>

Though all Precursors were believed to have been eradicated, the [[Primordial]], who originally claimed to be the last Precursor, later stated that a number of Precursors survived by escaping beyond the Forerunners' reach.<ref>'''Halo: Primordium''', ''page 364''</ref> A few Precursors did indeed manage to survive the Forerunners' extermination efforts. They either went into suspended animation or became dust that would regenerate into their past forms. However, over time the dust became defective and it created sickness and disease. With this new form, the earliest stages of the [[Flood]], and embittered by the conflict with the Forerunners, the Precursors vowed that none of their creations would rise against them again.<ref>'''Halo: Silentium''', ''String 13''</ref>