Reclaimer: Difference between revisions

"'''Reclaimer'''" is a [[Forerunner]] term used to refer to a species (or a member of said species) chosen to be the inheritors of the [[Mantle]], the stewardship over all life originally held by the [[Precursor]]s. Following the activation of the [[Halo Array]] and the ensuing [[Reintroduction]], this refers to [[human]]s, whom the Forerunners (more pointedly those allied with the [[Librarian]]) regarded as their rightful successors. In particular the term is applied to humans who carry the requisite [[Lifeworker]]-created ''[[Geas|gei]]'' that allow them to activate Forerunner technology;<ref name="definition"/> indeed, a great deal of the Forerunners' abandoned technology may be activated only when used by a Reclaimer. For most of their history, however, the Forerunners considered themselves the rightful inheritors of the Mantle from the Precursors, who had originally intended to pass the Mantle down to humanity.

Generally speaking, the term "Reclaimer" refers to humans (as a species or as individuals) retaking stewardship of the Mantle. However, technically the term denotes humans who are capable of activating Forerunner technology.<ref name="Hammer"/> This is due to the presence of ''[[Geas|gei]]'' implanted by the Librarian,<ref name="definition"/> which give at least some humans an instinctive familiarity (often a feeling of déjà vu) when encountering Forerunner technology. For example, [[SPARTAN-II program|Spartan]] [[John-117]] simply "knew" how to activate a [[Holography|holographic]] control panel on [[Halo Array|Halo]] [[Installation 04]], despite it being the first piece of Forerunner technology he had ever encountered.<ref>'''Halo: The Flood''', ''page 84''</ref> This innate knowledge extends to Covenant technology as well, as Covenant technology is crudely reverse-engineered from Forerunner designs.<ref>'''Halo: First Strike''', ''page 142''</ref> In the same vein, Forerunner technology responds to human presence much as it would have done in the presence of its creators, though it will not do so for other species. Though it is unclear how commonly the ''gei'' may be found among humans, it is known that at least some are incapable of properly interfacing with Forerunner technology.<ref name="Hammer">''Spartan Ops'' - [[Key/The Hammer|Episode 9, Chapter 5]]: ''“Elites were here, trying to find Reclaimers: humans who can operate Forerunner technology."''</ref>

Along with implanting the ''gei'' necessary to utilize Forerunner relics, the Librarian planted "seeds" that led to some of humanity's most important technological achievements. Specifically, this genesong led to the creation of the [[SPARTAN-II program|SPARTAN-II supersoldiers]] and their [[MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor]], as well as the AI [[Cortana]].<ref name="H4 Reclaimer">'''Halo 4''', campaign level ''[[Reclaimer (level)|Reclaimer]]''</ref> These developments enabled humanity - primarily through the efforts of John-117 and Cortana - to defeat the [[Ur-Didact]] during his renewed campaign to [[Composer|compose]] humanity into [[Promethean Knight]]s.<ref name="Midnight">'''Halo 4''', campaign level ''[[Midnight]]''</ref> Despite this tragedy, the Librarian originally hoped that the Didact would emerge from [[Cryptum|stasis]] after millennia of meditation to guide humanity; he was to give them the [[Janus Key]], thereby providing the location of all Forerunner technology in the galaxy and securing the Reclaimers' ascendancy.<ref>'''Spartan Ops''', ''[[Key]]''</ref>

The status of Reclaimer was conferred upon humanity as an emergency directive on the authority of the remains of the [[New Council]] (namely the Librarian and the [[IsoDidact]]) during the events surrounding the firing of the [[Halo Array]]. This overrode the [[Builder]]-controlled Old Council's previous ruling from ten thousand years earlier which involved humanity's biological and technological [[Erde-Tyrene civilization|regression]] as punishment for their part in the [[human-Forerunner wars]]. However, following the enactment of this punitive measure, the Librarian had been secretly modifying humanity's ''gei'' for thousands of years to prepare them to take on the role of Reclaimers — against the direct orders of the Council.<ref name="definition">[https://forums.halowaypoint.com/yaf_postsm2969311_Catalog-Interaction.aspx#post2969311 '''Halo Waypoint''': ''Catalog Interaction'' (post 2969311)]</ref>