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{{Era|Forerunner}} | {{Era|Forerunner}} | ||
[[File:H4 - Forthencho surrenders.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Forthencho|Lord of Admirals Forthencho]], commander of the prehistoric human military, accompanied by human soldiers.]] | [[File:H4 - Forthencho surrenders.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Forthencho|Lord of Admirals Forthencho]], commander of the prehistoric human military, accompanied by human soldiers.]] | ||
{{Quote|Once, we were one great race, united in power and concerted in our goals...|[[Forthencho]] | {{Quote|Once, we were one great race, united in power and concerted in our goals...|[[Forthencho]]<ref>'''Halo: Primordium''', ''page 99''</ref>}} | ||
By approximately [[150,000 BCE]], [[human|humanity]] had achieved a considerable level of technological sophistication, achieving [[Slipspace drive|interstellar travel]] and colonizing planets along the [[Orion Arm]] of the [[Milky Way|Milky Way Galaxy]] becoming a major political and military power rivaling the [[Forerunner]]s. This civilization [[Human-San 'Shyuum alliance|allied]] with an earlier civilization of the [[San 'Shyuum]] species and later [[Human-Flood war|waged war]] against the [[Flood]], only to later suffer a disastrous defeat against the [[Forerunner]]s and be subsequently regressed back into hunter-gatherers and confined to their ancient homeworld. | By approximately [[150,000 BCE]], [[human|humanity]] had achieved a considerable level of technological sophistication, achieving [[Slipspace drive|interstellar travel]] and colonizing planets along the [[Orion Arm]] of the [[Milky Way|Milky Way Galaxy]] becoming a major political and military power rivaling the [[Forerunner]]s. This civilization [[Human-San 'Shyuum alliance|allied]] with an earlier civilization of the [[San 'Shyuum]] species and later [[Human-Flood war|waged war]] against the [[Flood]], only to later suffer a disastrous defeat against the [[Forerunner]]s and be subsequently regressed back into hunter-gatherers and confined to their ancient homeworld. | ||
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[[File:H4 - Charum Hakkor.jpg|250px|thumb|left|Human ships burn in Charum Hakkor's orbit.]] | [[File:H4 - Charum Hakkor.jpg|250px|thumb|left|Human ships burn in Charum Hakkor's orbit.]] | ||
As punishment for defying the Forerunners, nearly all of humanity was wiped out and the remnants of their civilization and technology dismantled. Furthermore, the surviving humans were subjected to a process of biological devolution;<ref name="c127">'''Halo: Cryptum''', ''page 127''</ref><ref name="c25">'''Halo: Cryptum''', ''page 25''</ref> live humans were forced to consciously experience an artificially induced reversion of their evolutionary process, to the point of their bodies transforming to their ancestral forms and eventually losing intelligence.<ref>'''Halo: Silentium''', ''page 42''</ref> | As punishment for defying the Forerunners, nearly all of humanity was wiped out and the remnants of their civilization and technology dismantled. Furthermore, the surviving humans were subjected to a process of biological devolution;<ref name="c127">'''Halo: Cryptum''', ''page 127''</ref><ref name="c25">'''Halo: Cryptum''', ''page 25''</ref> live humans were forced to consciously experience an artificially induced reversion of their evolutionary process, to the point of their bodies transforming to their ancestral forms and eventually losing intelligence.<ref>'''Halo: Silentium''', ''page 42''</ref> The remnants of the human species were exiled to Earth, where they were overseen by the [[Librarian]]; while many Forerunners wanted to see humanity wiped out, the Librarian had always been considered their greatest protector.<ref>'''Halo: Cryptum''', ''page 77''</ref> In only a thousand years, the humans recovered many of their prior forms, as well as many new ones, thanks to the assistance of the Librarian and her ''[[geas]]'' but also unknown factors not even the Librarian and her Lifeworkers could explain.<ref>'''Halo: Silentium''', ''pages 45-47''</ref> Over twenty human species made recovery and formed separate populations on Earth,<ref name="c127"/> including the [[Neanderthal|k'ta''manush'']], [[B'ashamanune|b'asha''manush'']], [[Human|ha''manush'']] and [[Florian|cha''manush'']].<ref name="c25"/> This meddling was noted to have considerably distorted Earth's natural fossil records.<ref name="c127"/> | ||
The remnants of the human species were exiled to Earth, where they were overseen by the [[Librarian]]; while many Forerunners wanted to see humanity wiped out, the Librarian had always been considered their greatest protector.<ref>'''Halo: Cryptum''', ''page 77''</ref> In only a thousand years, the humans recovered many of their prior forms, as well as many new ones, thanks to the assistance of the Librarian and her ''[[geas]]'' but also unknown factors not even the Librarian and her Lifeworkers could explain.<ref>'''Halo: Silentium''', ''pages 45-47''</ref> Over twenty human species made recovery and formed separate populations on Earth,<ref name="c127"/> including the [[Neanderthal|k'ta''manush'']], [[B'ashamanune|b'asha''manush'']], [[Human|ha''manush'']] and [[Florian|cha''manush'']].<ref name="c25"/> This meddling was noted to have considerably distorted Earth's natural fossil records.<ref name="c127"/> | |||
The Forerunner victory proved disastrous for the galaxy, as the humans destroyed all their research data and physical evidence concerning the Flood, including their supposed "cure." [[Bornstellar Makes Eternal Lasting]] speculated it may have been humanity's last act of revenge to leave the Forerunners unprepared to face the incoming threat that led to the firing of the [[Halo Array]]. The last human survivors on Charum Hakkor were subjected to thorough analysis and experimentation in order to discover their supposed Flood immunity; eventually, their patterns were extracted by [[Composer]]s and archived in machine storage, where the human essences would be incessantly scoured for a cure for thousands of years.<ref>'''Halo: Silentium''', ''page 43''</ref> | The Forerunner victory proved disastrous for the galaxy, as the humans destroyed all their research data and physical evidence concerning the Flood, including their supposed "cure." [[Bornstellar Makes Eternal Lasting]] speculated it may have been humanity's last act of revenge to leave the Forerunners unprepared to face the incoming threat that led to the firing of the [[Halo Array]]. The last human survivors on Charum Hakkor were subjected to thorough analysis and experimentation in order to discover their supposed Flood immunity; eventually, their patterns were extracted by [[Composer]]s and archived in machine storage, where the human essences would be incessantly scoured for a cure for thousands of years.<ref>'''Halo: Silentium''', ''page 43''</ref> | ||
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==Technology== | ==Technology== | ||
[[File:H4-Terminal-Forthencho-Fleet.jpg|thumb|250px|A prehistoric human space fleet preparing to sterilize a Forerunner planet during the [[Human-Flood war|initial Flood conflict]].]] | [[File:H4-Terminal-Forthencho-Fleet.jpg|thumb|250px|A prehistoric human space fleet preparing to sterilize a Forerunner planet during the [[Human-Flood war|initial Flood conflict]].]] | ||
Prior to the dismantling of their civilization, | Prior to the dismantling of their civilization, humans were technological equals of the Forerunners in many areas, likely placing them on Tier 1 on the Forerunner [[Technological Achievement Tiers|technological achievement scale]]. This was largely thanks to the efforts of Yprin Yprikushma, who encouraged humanity to study Forerunner technologies they had encountered in their early conflicts with Forerunners.<ref name="prim237"/> Despite this, humanity's understanding of [[Slipstream space|slipspace]] technology, particularly in the area of causal reconciliation, was inferior to that of the Forerunners who were able to use their superior understanding of slipspace to an advantage by clogging the humans' slipspace channels and slowing down their interstellar travel.<ref name="prim240">'''Halo: Primordium''', ''page 240''</ref> However, the Didact indicated at one point, humanity with the help of the San 'Shyuum had developed offensive military technologies that Didact's warriors had no effective defense against and enabled them to compensate against the overwhelming numbers of the Forerunner military.<ref>'''Halo: Cryptum''', ''page 112''</ref> | ||
It is known that humans of this time used [[artificial intelligence]] constructs.<ref name="prim237"/> On Charum Hakkor, the humans built vast constructs supported by the Precursor structures; cities stretching to orbit along [[orbital arch]]es, described by [[Bornstellar Makes Eternal Lasting]] as resembling ivy growing on great trees. In addition, they built energy towers and defense platforms operating at [[geosynchronous orbit]] and equigravitation,<ref>'''Halo: Cryptum''', ''page 164''</ref> linked by virtually unbreakable Precursor [[unbending filament]]s.<ref>'''Halo: Cryptum''', ''page 118''</ref> | It is known that humans of this time used [[artificial intelligence]] constructs.<ref name="prim237"/> On Charum Hakkor, the humans built vast constructs supported by the Precursor structures; cities stretching to orbit along [[orbital arch]]es, described by [[Bornstellar Makes Eternal Lasting]] as resembling ivy growing on great trees. In addition, they built energy towers and defense platforms operating at [[geosynchronous orbit]] and equigravitation,<ref>'''Halo: Cryptum''', ''page 164''</ref> linked by virtually unbreakable Precursor [[unbending filament]]s.<ref>'''Halo: Cryptum''', ''page 118''</ref> | ||
Human and Forerunner infantry shared many similar military technologies, including advanced battle armor and energy-based weapons. Human warships were capable of high intensity energy streams capable of destroying large shielded Forerunner ships in single hits and also sterilizing entire Flood infected worlds.<ref name="h4terminals"/> | Human and Forerunner infantry shared many similar military technologies, including advanced battle armor and energy-based weapons. Human warships were capable of high intensity energy streams capable of destroying large shielded Forerunner ships in single hits and also sterilizing entire Flood-infected worlds.<ref name="h4terminals"/> | ||
==Sphere of influence== | ==Sphere of influence== | ||
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==Gallery== | ==Gallery== | ||
<gallery> | <gallery> | ||
File:H4-Terminal-HumanShip-Bridge.jpg|The bridge of a human ship in orbit over a Forerunner world. | |||
File:H4-Terminal-PreHuman-Death.jpg|A human warrior falls in battle. | |||
File:H4-Concept-PreHuman-Armor.jpg|Designs of an ancient human battle armor suit. | File:H4-Concept-PreHuman-Armor.jpg|Designs of an ancient human battle armor suit. | ||
File:H4-Terminal-Human-ShipDesigns.jpg|Designs of ancient human battleships. | File:H4-Terminal-Human-ShipDesigns.jpg|Designs of ancient human battleships. | ||