Ur-Didact: Difference between revisions

==Biography==

===Early career===

Born ''Shadow-of-Sundered-Star'', the Didact was a Promethean, a member of the highest and most powerful class of [[Warrior-Servant]]s. He was trained by [[Bitterness-of-the-Vanquished]], a legendary Promethean far older than the Didact himself.<ref>'''Halo: Silentium''', ''page 246''</ref> Early in his career, the [[Confirmer]] provided Shadow a [[Forerunner mutation|brevet mutation]] to a new [[form]].<ref>'''Halo: Cryptum''', ''page 178''</ref> He gained the name "Didact" while teaching at the [[College of Strategic Defense of the Mantle]]; his students gave him the name because they found him to be a strict and demanding teacher.<ref>'''Halo: Cryptum''', ''pages 227-228''</ref> As a cadet, he apprenticed on ''[[Deep Reverence]]''.<ref>'''Halo: Cryptum''', ''page 145''</ref>

Thus the Gravemind released the Didact and left him aboard an empty spacecraft, intentionally sending the ship where the Master Builder—who had been salvaging any ships he found in his own operation to combat the Flood—would find it. Meeting with Faber, the Didact delivered him a painful message from the Gravemind, taunting the Master Builder with the suffering of his family who had been absorbed into the Flood collective. Seemingly taking pleasure in conveying the news to his old enemy, the Didact stated that Faber and his Halos were to blame for their predicament.<ref>'''Halo: Silentium''', ''String 29''</ref> Faber delivered the Didact to the core of the ecumene, where both were deposed by the Juridicals. Against his strongest objections, the Didact (now differentiated from the IsoDidact with the title "Ur-Didact") was forced to recall his encounter with the Gravemind—which he had managed to partially shunt away from his memory—as part of the interrogation, dealing further damage to his sanity.{{Ref/Reuse|string12}}

The Ur-Didact's privileges were subsequently restored, although the IsoDidact remained in command of the ecumene's military.<ref>'''Halo: Silentium''', ''page 216''</ref> Cast aside by the ecumene at large, the Ur-Didact returned to [[Requiem]], where he continued his own mission against the Flood's onslaught. Convinced that his old strategies were no longer workable now that the Gravemind had learned everything, he desperately began to devise new methods of combating the Flood—going so far as applying the philosophy of the enemy. Failing to decipher Flood immunity via other means—including an experimental procedure which left him disfigured—he acquired a [[Composer]], a machine once designed to rid Forerunners of Flood infection via [[mind transfer|converting their essences]] to digital form, but abandoned long since due to several functional defects. In full agreement, the Ur-Didact's fellow Prometheans all pledged to be composed, relieving them of biological form; the Didact did not subject himself to Composer processing, as his new form was incompatible with the device. The Ur-Didact then used the Composer to make his Prometheans completely immune to Flood infection by combining their composed essences with powerful war machines, known as "[[Promethean Knight]]s". Although these new warriors scored an isolated victory against a Flood-infested fleet, it soon became apparent that their numbers were too few to halt the parasite's continued advance, leading the Ur-Didact to consider other options to expand his army.<ref name="h4terminals">'''Halo 4''', ''[[Terminal (Halo 4)|Terminals]]''</ref>

===Betrayal and second exile===

{{Quote|No longer a Promethean. No longer a Warrior-Servant. A traitor!|The IsoDidact responding to the Ur-Didact using a Composer on [[Omega Halo]], and then deserting the Forerunners<ref>'''Halo: Silentium''', ''String 33''</ref>}}

At the greater Ark, the Ur-Didact remained on station aboard the ''Mantle's Approach'', not leaving the ship even to attend the Forerunner commanders' emergency conference. He was briefly visited by the Librarian, who was further horrified by what her husband had become.<ref>'''Halo: Silentium''', ''Strings 28-30''</ref> As the greater Ark fell under siege by the Flood and star roads, the Ur-Didact expressed no desire to partake in its defense, cryptically stating that he would leave after he had finished his task. The Ur-Didact's plan was revealed during the ensuing chaos, when he took ''Mantle's Approach''—supported by thousands of [[sentinel]]s under his control—to the nearby [[Omega Halo]] and used the [[Composer]] to [[Mind transfer|harvest]] the installation's entire human population—the bulk of what remained of the Librarian's human specimens. The Librarian attempted in vain to stop him, but [[Audacity|her ship]] was effortlessly shunted aside by a [[torsion field]] projected by ''Mantle's Approach''.<ref>'''Halo: Silentium''', ''Strings 31-32''</ref>

===Return===

====Reawakening on Requiem====

{{Quote|Time was your ally, human, but now it has abandoned you. The Forerunners... have returned.|The Ur-Didact to John-117, declaring the return of the Forerunners.{{Ref/Reuse|forerunner}}}}

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/Level|Id=requiem|H4|Requiem (level)|Requiem}}

File:Commissioning Didact Logo.png|The Ur-Didact's unbound symbol appearing as he hijacks the UNSC ''Infinity'' in ''[[The Commissioning]]'' trailer.

File:H4L - J117 facing Didact.jpg|John-117 facing the Ur-Didact in the ''[[Scanned]]'' trailer.

File:HTMCC-H4 Terminals ProtectorOfTheEcumene.png|The Didact's face in the ''Halo 4'' [[Terminal (Halo 4)|terminals]].

File:H4-Terminal-Didact-Conqueror.jpg|The Didact, guarded by Warrior-Servants, striding toward the bridge of the Lord of Admirals' flagship.

File:HTMCC-H4 Terminals Shadow.png|Close-up of the Didact's face in the ''Halo 4'' terminals.  

File:HTMCC-H4 Terminals DidactMutation.png|The Ur-Didact after [[Forerunner mutation|mutating]] in a failed attempt to gain [[Flood]] immunity.

File:H4 Ur-Didact Render.png|A render of the Ur-Didact in his combat skin.

File:H4-Didact-ArmorBack-Detail.jpg|Detail of the Ur-Didact in his newest armor, back view.

File:H4 Didact's new armor.jpg|Detail of the Ur-Didact's most recent armor.

File:Ur-Didact.png|Close-up of the Ur-Didact's face.

File:Halo4-Didact-Armor-Cutscene.jpg|The Ur-Didact's face mask.

File:H4-Didact-Masked-Finale.jpg|The Ur-Didact in the final fight aboard the ''Mantle's Approach''.

File:BrutalDidact.png|The Ur-Didact moments after slaying Black Team.