Greater Ark: Difference between revisions

{{Status|Canon}}

|image=[[File:CF GreaterArk 1.jpg|300px]]<br>The Senescent Ark in orbit over a Forerunner world.

|function=Conservation installation, Lifeworker research station, Halo construction foundry

|constructed=c. [[106,445 BCE]]{{Ref/Reuse|sil45}}

The '''greater Ark''', also referred to as '''the Ark''', the '''senescent Ark''',{{Ref/Book|Id=Enc22P343|Enc22|Page=343}}{{Ref/Book|Id=Enc22P366|Enc22|Page=366}} or the '''Beginning Place''',<ref name="cryp317">'''Halo: Cryptum''', ''page 317''</ref>{{Ref/Note|Id=cryptum|Though the Ark featured in ''Halo: Cryptum'' is never identified as the greater Ark and is only referred to as "the Ark" or the "Beginning Place", its description differs considerably from that of Installation 00. ''Halo: Silentium'' further clarifies that the Librarian used the greater Ark as her base of operations before its destruction; because of its use as the Lifeshaper's main base, (combined with the secrecy of Installation 00), the greater Ark was almost universally referred to as "the Ark". As such, it is assumed the Ark described in ''Cryptum'' is the greater Ark. Additionally, it was stated in ''Halo: Silentium'' that only the Master Builder knew the location of the lesser Ark which he eventually gave to the [[IsoDidact]] before his demise in the [[Battle of the greater Ark]] which further suggests that it was the greater Ark in ''Halo: Cryptum''. Though the IsoDidact suggested briefly taking [[Installation 07]] to the lesser Ark in ''Halo: Primordium'', this was not mentioned again and it went to the greater Ark with no explanation for the discrepancy.<br>However, this also raises an apparent discrepancy regarding the lesser Ark and its secret array of six Halos. ''Halo: Cryptum'' describes a separate array of six Halo rings stationed over what is assumed to be the greater Ark for the aforementioned reasons. However, ''Halo: Silentium'' clarifies that the newer array of six Halos was manufactured by, and hidden at, the lesser Ark. This makes the rings' apparent presence at the greater Ark a contradiction, since there are no evident reasons for the six rings (the Forerunners' carefully-guarded last resort) being temporarily transported to the greater Ark. Additionally, ''Halo: Cryptum'' doesn't make it clear if these six rings are supposed to be the newer array or simply replacements for the older rings lost in the recent [[Fate of Maethrillian]] as their size is not given.}} was a [[Forerunner]] megastructure, and the first of the two [[Ark]]s used to manufacture [[Halo Array|Halo rings]]. It produced the original Halo Array, comprised of rings 30,000 kilometers in diameter as opposed to the 10,000 kilometers of the final Array, which was produced by the smaller [[Installation 00]] instead.<ref>'''Halo: Primordium''', ''page 343''</ref> Like Installation 00, the greater Ark was located [[Intergalactic space|outside]] the [[Milky Way|Milky Way galaxy]],<ref name="prim371">'''Halo: Primordium''', ''page 371''</ref> one-third of the way around the outer boundaries of the galaxy.<ref>'''Halo: Silentium''', ''page 237'' (''"Unbeknownst to most, the lesser Ark, hidden a third of the way around the outer boundaries of the galaxy..."'')</ref>

Though it shared Installation 00's flower-like shape, consisting of a series of curved arms extending from a circular central section,{{Ref/Reuse|prim371}} the greater Ark differed from the lesser Ark in a number of respects;{{Ref/NoteReuse|cryptum}} it possessed only six petals, as opposed to the eight arms of Installation 00.<ref>'''Halo: Cryptum''', ''page 329-330''</ref> Instead of an artificial sun, the greater Ark was illuminated by six shafts of plasma, each suspended over one of the petals, emanating from a tower structure in the center.<ref>'''Halo: Cryptum''', ''page 330''</ref> These plasma tubes would dim and brighten cyclically, approximating a day-night cycle.<ref>'''Halo: Cryptum''', ''page 336''</ref> Each of the greater Ark's arms possessed at least one petal station, from which Forerunner [[Lifeworker]]s operated.<ref>'''Halo: Cryptum''', ''page 332''</ref>{{Ref/NoteReuse|cryptum}}

The greater Ark possessed a sizable defensive fleet led by the [[Contender-class artificial intelligence|Contender-class]] [[Metarch-class ancilla|Metarch]] [[Offensive Bias]].{{Ref/Reuse|sil238}}<ref>'''Halo: Silentium''', ''page 208''</ref> By the end of the [[Forerunner-Flood war]], all remaining [[Forerunner fleet]]s were assimilated into this fleet.<ref>'''Halo: Silentium''', ''page 215''</ref> After the greater Ark's destruction, Offensive Bias managed to save several thousand warships—only a fraction of its original fleet—and use them to successfully fend off [[Mendicant Bias]] in the [[Battle of the Maginot Sphere]].<ref>'''Halo: Silentium''', ''page 315''</ref>

The greater Ark was commissioned by [[Master Builder]] [[Faber]] shortly following the end of the [[human-Forerunner wars]] in [[106,445 BCE]], and constructed soon after with the Old Council's approval.<ref name="sil45">'''Halo: Silentium''', ''page 45''</ref> Twelve 30,000 kilometer-wide Halos were produced by its [[Foundry (location)|Foundry]]. Over the following millennia, the [[Builder]]s continued to refine the design of the Halos and soon discovered a number of flaws with the original rings - most notably, their enormous size which made them unwieldy to transport. These plans led to the commissioning of a smaller array of Halos as well as a new Ark to produce them, as the greater Ark was incapable of building smaller installations.<ref>'''Halo: Silentium''', ''page 91''</ref> However, the construction of the second Ark was delayed by the Council for several thousand years, until the Master Builder gained complete control over it circa [[98,445 BCE]].{{Ref/Reuse|sil45}}

 

While the greater Ark stopped producing Halos after the original twelve, the installation remained as the most significant repository of the [[Conservation Measure]], the [[Lifeworker]]'s effort to index and preserve as many sentient species as possible in the event of Halo activation.<ref>'''Halo: Silentium''', ''page 234''</ref> As a part of the Librarian's pact with the Master Builder, the greater Ark - like its successor - had been constructed to possess a surface capable of supporting various biospheres to house the Lifeworkers' specimens. While the greater Ark served as the primary facility of this enormous undertaking, the lesser Ark remained secret to all but a few in order to ensure it would not fall in the hands of the [[Flood]].<ref>'''Halo: Silentium''', ''pages 250-251''</ref> At some point in time, the Forerunners placed a [[Purifying Vision of the Holy Path|holographic projector]] capable of displaying a Halo from the greater Ark in a [[grotto of the Great Transition|repository]] on [[Janjur Qom]] along with a [[Luminary]].<ref>'''Halo: Broken Circle''', ''Page 123''</ref>

 

===Fall to the Flood===

Around [[97,445 BCE]], strategic command of the [[ecumene]] was placed at the greater Ark, as the [[Capital]] system was almost completely conquered by the Flood.<ref>'''Halo: Silentium''', ''String 25''</ref> The greater Ark served as the final refuge for most of the surviving Forerunner population, while the Lifeworkers' specimens formerly stored there were relocated on the nearby [[Omega Halo]], the last surviving ring of the original twelve-strong array (excluding the repurposed [[Installation 07]]). The specimens included the Librarian's largest population of [[human]]s, which would later be destroyed when the [[Ur-Didact]] harvested their essences with the [[Composer]]. Shortly after this, the Flood [[Battle of the greater Ark|attacked]] the greater Ark and destroyed it using the [[Precursor]]s' [[star road]]s, leaving the lesser Ark and its new Array of rings as the Forerunners' last resort. The destruction of the greater Ark also led to the death of the majority of the remaining Forerunners, with only a handful escaping to the lesser Ark to carry out their final mission.<ref>'''Halo: Silentium''', ''String 34''</ref>

The Greater Ark was first visually depicted in two illustrations by [[:Category:Images by Chase Toole|Chase Toole]] done for ''[[Halo Mythos: A Guide to the Story of Halo]]'' in [[2016]]. In the two art pieces done by Toole, the megastructure was depicted as almost visually identical to Installation 00 as depicted in ''[[Halo 3]]'' - aside from the scale differences. In February [[2024]], a series of updated images of the Greater Ark by [[:Category:Images by Espen Olsen Sætervik|Espen Olsen Sætervik]] were released to celebrate the 150th issue of the [[Canon Fodder]] blog. Sætervik's depiction of the Greater Ark takes more significant liberties with the design, with notably larger arms than the Toole artwork. The Canon Fodder also featured a concise summary of the Greater Ark's story.{{Ref/Site|Id=CFLore|URL=https://www.halowaypoint.com/news/canon-fodder-give-em-lore|Site=Halo Waypoint|Page=Canon Fodder - If They Want Lore, We'll Give 'Em Lore|D=22|M=02|Y=2024}}

<gallery>

File:HM_Ark_destruction.png|The Greater Ark's destruction.

File:CF GreaterArk 2.jpg|One of the original Senescent array Halos alongside the Greater Ark.

File:CF GreaterArk 3.jpg|One of the original Senescent array Halos alongside the Greater Ark.

File:CF GreaterArk 4.jpg|One of the original Senescent array Halos alongside the Greater Ark.

</gallery>

 

|fr={{Tooltip|''L'Arche''|The Ark}} in the ''Forerunner Saga''.<br>

{{Tooltip|''La grande Arche''|The great Ark}} in ''Halo: Primordium'' and ''Halo: Silentium''.

*''[[Rebirth]]'' {{Mo}}

*''[[Halo Mythos: A Guide to the Story of Halo]]''

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