Ur-Didact: Difference between revisions

|birth=[[110,225 BCE]]<ref name="waypoint didact">[https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/universe/characters/didact '''Halo Waypoint''': ''Didact'']</ref>

|death-title=[[Mind transfer|Digitized]]|death=[[2557#July|July 26, 2557]] {{c|original body}}<ref name="waypoint didact">[https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/universe/characters/didact '''Halo Waypoint''': ''Didact'']</ref>

|height={{Convert|345.4|cm|ftin|sp=us}}<ref name="H4EVG">'''[[Halo 4: The Essential Visual Guide]]''', ''page 16''</ref>

|mass={{Convert|794.9|lb|kg|disp=flip}}{{Ref/Reuse|H4EVG}}

|hair=*Dark brown, quill-like fur<ref name="h4">'''Halo 4'''</ref>

{{Quote|The Mantle of Responsibility for all things belongs to Forerunners alone.}}<ref>'''Halo 4''', ''Epilogue''</ref>

 

Originally thought to have been killed by the [[Master Builder]], [[Faber]],<ref name="c339">'''Halo: Cryptum''', ''page 339''</ref> the Didact effectively existed as two individuals during the final days of the [[Forerunner-Flood war]]; his original self, as well as his implanted consciousness within a young Forerunner known as Bornstellar Makes Eternal Lasting. To differentiate these two incarnations, the original Didact was referred to as the '''Ur-Didact''', while his other incarnation was known as the [[IsoDidact]].<ref name="amazon">[http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0765323982/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=heaprcom05-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creativeASIN=0765323982 '''Amazon.com''': ''Halo: Silentium official description'']</ref> The Ur-Didact was eventually exiled on [[Requiem]], not to be awakened until [[2557]];<ref name="true Didact">[http://www.gregbear.com/blog/display.cfm?id=6897 '''Gregbear.com:''' ''HALO 4 DIDACT'']</ref> meanwhile, the IsoDidact served until the final days of the Flood conflict and was responsible for activating the Halo Array.<ref>'''Halo: Silentium''', ''String 38''</ref>

{{Quote|My finest opponent, the Mantle accepts all who live fiercely, who defend their young, who build and struggle and grow, and even those who dominate — as humans have dominated, cruelly and without wisdom. But for all of us there is a time like this, when the [[Domain]] seeks to confirm our essences, and for you, that time is now. Know this, relentless enemy, killer of our children, Lord of Admirals: soon we will face the enemy you have faced and defeated. I can see that challenge coming to the Forerunners, and so do many others... And we are afraid.|The Didact to [[Forthencho|Forthencho, Lord of Admirals]], in the aftermath of the [[Battle of Charum Hakkor]]<ref>'''Halo 4''', [[Terminal (Halo 4)|''Terminal Four'']]</ref>}}

During the [[human-Forerunner wars]], the Didact led the Forerunner military against [[prehistoric human civilization|humanity]]. His personal command vessel, ''[[Mantle's Approach]]'', was also built during these conflicts.<ref>'''[[Halo 4: The Essential Visual Guide]]''', ''page 193''</ref> His method of carrying out campaigns in interstellar war involved a strategy referred to as "[[star-hopping]]", isolating and besieging points of strategic importance while ignoring any less significant targets.<ref name="pri187">'''Halo: Primordium''', ''page 187-188''</ref> He was also known for favoring the [[fleet spiral]] formation in space engagements.<ref>'''Halo: Silentium''', ''page 267''</ref> As they pushed back human forces in the galactic margins in the later phases of the war, the Didact's fleets came across thousands of worlds infested by the [[Flood]], which was already retreating from the galaxy. Though some Forerunner fleets were lost in the first encounters with the parasite, the Didact's forces eventually managed to sterilize all of the remaining infestations.<ref>'''Halo: Silentium''', ''page 36''</ref>

Though all of the Didact's children died in the war, the Forerunners were victorious; humanity was devolved and quarantined on their home planet of Erde-Tyrene, a fate which the Didact found to be just and fitting. After the [[Battle of Charum Hakkor|final battle of Charum Hakkor]], he and a group of Prometheans, including the [[Confirmer]], discovered a [[stasis capsule]] on Charum Hakkor which contained the [[Primordial]], the last of the [[Precursor]]s. After a brief exchange with the Primordial, the Didact sealed its [[timelock]] for nearly the next ten thousand years. He revealed what the Primordial had spoken to none, not even the Librarian.<ref>'''Halo: Silentium''', ''String 3''</ref> After the war, the Didact issued the construction of [[Monolith|several monuments]] near [[Sothra Hakkor]] to honor the fallen warriors that died during the war.<ref>'''[[Making Halo 4]]:''' ''[[Making Halo 4: Majestic Map Pack|Majestic Map Pack]]''</ref>

The Didact last met his wife in their family residence on [[Nomdagro]]. Forced to enter a [[Cryptum]], he was led into [[Xankara|meditative hibernation]] in a ritual overseen by an associate of [[Haruspis]]. During his last meal with the Librarian, the Didact expressed hope in her abilities of foresight and hoped the humans under her care would not disappoint her.<ref>'''Halo: Silentium''', String 4</ref>

{{Quote|All we have tried to do as inheritors of the Mantle — all that will be violated, and the galaxy will be murdered... because [[Builder|they]] do not understand. Worse, [[Flood|it]] may already be loose. Join your human friends and sing sad songs, Manipular. There is judgment, and just doom is upon us all.|The Didact to Bornstellar after his awakening.<ref>'''Halo: Cryptum''', ''Chapter 7''</ref>}}

On [[2557#July|July 21, 2557]], the wreckage of the [[UNSC]] {{Class|Charon|light frigate}} {{UNSCShip|Forward Unto Dawn}}, carrying [[SPARTAN-II program|Spartan]] [[John-117]] and his [[Smart AI|AI]] companion [[Cortana]], arrived in the orbit of Requiem, where they were intercepted by a fleet of [[Jul 'Mdama's Covenant|Covenant remnant]] warships led by the [[Sangheili]] [[Jul 'Mdama]]. Though the Covenant had been denied access to Requiem's interior for three years, an entrance portal opened after scanning the Spartan and pulled all nearby ships inside. After landing, both the Spartan and 'Mdama's Covenant forces faced fierce opposition from the occupying Promethean constructs, until eventually discovering the Ur-Didact's Cryptum on what John and Cortana originally thought to be a communications relay satellite. Even in his imprisoned and hibernating state, the Ur-Didact appeared to be in partial control of Requiem's systems, being able to manipulate {{UNSCShip|Infinity}}'s signal to lead John-117 to [[Core of Requiem|Requiem's core]] and release him,{{Ref/Reuse|forerunner}} or hinder Cortana's attempts to access a local [[Cartographer]].<ref name="requiem">'''Halo 4''', campaign level ''[[Requiem (level)|Requiem]]''</ref>

John and Cortana immediately recognized the danger posed by the Didact and after the ''Infinity'' had crash-landed on Requiem, they attempted to convince [[Captain (Navy)|Captain]] [[Andrew Del Rio|Del Rio]] of the ''Infinity'' to take more drastic action against the Forerunner before he regained his full strength. However, Del Rio instead opted that they leave Requiem as soon as possible, leaving John and an increasingly rampant Cortana facing the Didact by themselves.<ref name="shutdown">'''Halo 4''', campaign level ''[[Shutdown]]''</ref>

Between July 22 and July 24, the Didact repeatedly contacted [[Catalog]] via a node located on [[Mars]] and asked to take control of the ecumene; Catalog rejected his requests.<ref>[https://forums.halowaypoint.com/yaf_postsm2963929_Catalog-Interaction.aspx#post2963929 '''Halo Waypoint''': ''Catalog Interaction'']</ref>

Unknown to the UNSC, the Didact survived his fall into the slipspace fissure. Hurtling through the portal along with a number of his Promethean constructs, he crash-landed on [[Installation 03]] near the Composer's original location, the [[Composer's Abyss]]. Shortly after his arrival, he was discovered by Spartan [[Black Team]], all of whom he quickly and brutally slaughtered upon regaining consciousness. The Didact was soon confronted by [[859 Static Carillon]], the [[monitor]] of the [[Composer's Forge]] and the keeper of the Composers, who had arrived on the Halo to investigate the recent activation of a service [[slipspace portal|portal]] leading to its installation. The Didact asked the monitor to take him to the Composer's Forge, where he established a base in a deserted Forerunner city. He requested Static Carillon to deliver him a slightly damaged Halo installation, which he planned to repair and use as his final instrument of vengeance against humanity in spite of his earlier opposition to the Halos. In return, the Didact told the monitor he would cease his creation of Promethean Knights from composed humans and that he would not bring them to the Composer's Forge, as Static Carillon considered the constructs "abominations".<ref name="esc9">'''Halo: Escalation''', ''[[Halo: Escalation Issue 9|Issue #9]]''</ref>

The following day, on July 26, Static Carillon informed the Didact that a [[Blue Team|Spartan team]] led by John-117 had arrived at the Composer's Abyss and had crossed the portal. However, the Didact considered the Spartans' actions inconsequential and decided that he would welcome them to "his world".<ref>'''Halo: Escalation''', ''[[Halo: Escalation Issue 8|Issue #8]]''</ref> After Blue Team arrived at the Composer's Forge, the Didact confronted the Spartans, who opened fire, to no avail; the Didact stomped the ground, generating a shockwave that caused the Spartans to stumble and fall to the ground. The Didact then summoned an army of newly-created Promethean constructs to battle the Spartans. While Static Carillon fulfilled its end of the bargain, transitioning Installation 03 over the Composer's Forge, it also turned on the Didact as he had violated his side of the bargain by bringing Prometheans to its installation. The Didact departed for the portal, planning to repair the Halo and use it against Earth; he also took one of the Composers from the Forge and transported it to the Halo. The Spartans followed in close pursuit, assisted by the betrayed monitor.{{Ref/Reuse|esc9}}

Back on the surface of Installation 03, the Didact confronted Blue Team again, intending to kill them once and for all. However, John-117 managed to stab him in the eye with a [[combat knife]] in a surprise attack. Bemoaning his refusal to kill the Spartan when he had the chance before, the Didact lifted the Master Chief off the ground in retaliation and crushed his helmet.{{Ref/Reuse|esc9}} The Promethean quickly halted the other Spartans' efforts to save their comrade and knocked them all to the ground. Before he could finish them off, however, Static Carillon attacked the Didact from behind and teleported him to the Halo's [[Control Room (Installation 03)|Control Room]].<ref name="HE10">'''Halo: Escalation''', ''[[Halo: Escalation Issue 10|Issue #10]]''</ref>

John-117 soon arrived in the Control Room with the ring's [[Activation Index]] and confronted the Didact; the Spartan explained that because the Didact could not be killed by conventional means a different approach must be taken. The Didact became puzzled when John inserted the Index into [[the Core]]; he asked why the Spartan would fire the ring just to eliminate him. John informed the Didact that he did not activate the ring's weapon, but instead disabled its safety protocols; this allowed the monitor to eject a large section of the ring containing the Control Room toward the Composer's Forge. The monitor rescued the Spartan while the Didact was subjected to the Composers' effects, disintegrating his body but storing his essence in digital form;{{Ref/Reuse|waypoint didact}} John later told [[Terrence Hood|Fleet Admiral Terrence Hood]] that he believed the Forerunner was merely "contained", not dead.{{Ref/Reuse|HE10}}{{Ref/Note|In ''Halo 4''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s Terminal Five, the Didact claims the Composer would not work on his new form, and in the level [[Midnight]] is seen levitating himself within the Composer's active beam. It is possible that the Didact was merely resistant to the effects of the Composer, rather than completely immune, as the energy released by the overlapping pulses of five Composers would be orders of magnitude greater than the energy released by a single pulse. In the Library Edition of ''Halo: Escalation'', however, it's stated by Brian Reed that the Ur-Didact wasn't composed but the explosion did do something to him.}} By [[2558]], the Office of Naval Intelligence was still vigilant about any sightings of the Didact, advising that any sighting of him must be reported to ONI immediately.<ref>'''[[Halo: Official Spartan Field Manual]]'''. ''page 164''</ref>

In July, 2557, [[343 Guilty Spark]], formerly the human [[Chakas]] who once helped release the Didact from his first exile, learned from [[Catalog]] that the Didact had tried to access the [[Domain]], but had been denied access by the ancilla.<ref>'''[[Halo: Renegades]]''', ''Chapter 31''</ref> On September 1, Spark [[Mission to Mount Kilimanjaro|met with]] a personality imprint of the [[Librarian]] beneath [[Mount Kilimanjaro]]. The Librarian told Spark of the awakening of herself and the Didact on Requiem, but did not go into detail. Spark asked if the Didact was alive, only to have the Librarian's expression grow forlorn. Though the Librarian did not verbally respond, Spark deduced that the threat from the Didact was "not worrisome." Before they parted ways, Spark recognized that the Librarian's deepest desire was still for the Didact to find peace and asked her if it was possible. With great sorrow, the Librarian told Spark that she feared that her husband was beyond redemption.<ref>'''[[Halo: Renegades]]''', ''Chapter 48''</ref> Sometime after his defeat by John, the Didact was imprisoned in the Domain,<ref name="Doll">'''Halo 5: Guardians''' [[Forge]] [[Hidden toy|Didact toy]] description: ''Not all visitors to the Domain are strangers.''</ref> reflecting on memories of his wife.<ref>'''[[Halo: Adult Coloring Book]]''', Page 41 ''After his defeat by the Master Chief and imprisonment in the Domain, the Didact reflects on memories of his wife, the Librarian.''</ref>