Editing Reclaimer

{{Era|Forerunner|UNSC|HCW|Post}}
{{disambig header|the Forerunner term|articles of the same name|Reclaimer (disambiguation)}}
[[File:Reclaimer - H4.png|right|thumb|The [[Forerunner symbols|Forerunner glyph]] for "Reclaimer".]]
{{quote|The [[Mendicant Bias|Oracle]] calls them "Reclaimers". But what do they reclaim? These machines? These cities? These worlds? Or, as I fear, are they to reclaim the [[Mantle]] we so terribly squandered?|[[Minister of Discovery]]<ref name="Covie Mantle">'''[[Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe]]''' volume II, ''page 299''</ref>}}

"'''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]],<ref>'''Halo: Last Light''', ''page 315'' (Google Play edition)</ref> 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]]a'' 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.

==Overview==
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]]a'' 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 ''geasa'' 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 ''geasa'' 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 programs]] and their [[MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor]], as well as Smart AI.<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 ''geasa'' 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>

Strangely, [[343 Guilty Spark]], the monitor of Halo Installation 04, once insisted to John-117, ''"You ''are'' Forerunner."''<ref name="H3 Halo"/> This is presumably metaphorical, as [[Mendicant Bias]] likewise claimed the Reclaimers as its makers,<ref name="Oracle">'''Halo: Contact Harvest''', ''pages 274-278''</ref> despite humanity being genetically and culturally distinct from the Forerunners. Alternately, this may be due to the onset of rampancy; Guilty Spark had previously treated the Master Chief as if the latter were the [[IsoDidact]], responding to a question the IsoDidact had asked 100,000 years prior.<ref>'''Halo: Combat Evolved''', campaign level ''[[343 Guilty Spark (level)|343 Guilty Spark]]''</ref><ref>'''Halo: Silentium''', ''page 314''</ref>

===Failures to recognize Reclaimer status===
As the {{UNSCShip|Spirit of Fire}} was pulled inside [[Shield World 0459]] on [[2531#February|February 23, 2531]], the ship and her crew were scanned by the installation's decontamination network. In addition to detecting a high-order [[Flood]] infestation, the [[Unidentified ancilla (Shield World 0459)|ancilla]] in charge of the network's cleansing rings failed to recognize the crew as Reclaimers. As the Spirit<nowiki>'</nowiki>s crew and complement were regarded as an "unknown alien intrusion", they were forced to engage a bevy of [[Sentinel]]s in addition to fighting the Flood on the surface of the ship.<ref>'''Halo Wars''', campaign level ''[[Repairs]]''</ref>

During the [[Onyx Conflict]] in [[2552#October|October]]-[[2552#November|November 2552]], the [[SPARTAN-III program|SPARTAN-III]] [[Ash-G099]] failed to provide the appropriate counter-response to a [[Onyx Sentinel|Sentinel]] that was attempting to determine whether he was a [[Flood]] vector.<ref name="goo">'''[[Halo: Ghosts of Onyx]]''', ''page 133''</ref> This, combined with the Spartans of [[SPARTAN-III Gamma Company|Gamma Company]] being inundated with [[Project CHRYSANTHEMUM#Gamma Company|neurology-altering mutagens]],<ref>'''[[Halo: Ghosts of Onyx]]''', ''page 339''</ref> caused the Sentinel to catalog Ash as a "non-Reclaimer", as well as a member of a "aboriginal subspecies" of humanity.<ref name="goo"/>

During the [[Requiem campaign]], [[Jul 'Mdama's Covenant faction|Jul 'Mdama's forces]] captured [[Hawk Squad]] and forced them to activate a Forerunner map of [[Requiem]], but the structure failed to recognize them as Reclaimers.<ref>''[[Spartan Ops]] ''[[Key|Episode 9]], Chapter 5: "[[Key/The Hammer|The Hammer]]"</ref>

===Humans identified as Reclaimers===<!--These characters are listed in chronological order. Only their interactions with the Forerunners or their technology should be related.-->
Given that all known bestowals of the "Reclaimer" title have occurred during military engagements, all individuals identified as such have been either military personnel or civilian advisers.

*[[Ellen Anders]] - Kidnapped by [[Arbiter]] [[Ripa 'Moramee]] in [[2531#February|February 2531]], Anders was forced to activate a fleet of [[Forerunner dreadnought]]s on [[Shield World 0459]].<ref>'''Halo Wars''', campaign level [[Beachhead (Halo Wars level)|Beachhead]]</ref>
*[[Taylor Miles]] and [[Kojo Agu]] - The Forerunner construct called [[the Knowing]] identified them as Reclaimers and obeyed their order to [[self-destruct]] itself.<ref>'''[[Halo: Helljumper]]''', ''[[Halo: Helljumper Issue 5|Issue #5]]''</ref>
*[[Marvin Mobuto]] - Recruited by 343 Guilty Spark to fire Alpha Halo during the Flood outbreak. Killed in the installation's [[Library]] while attempting to retrieve the [[Activation Index]].<ref>''Halo: The Flood''</ref>
*[[John-117]] - Arguably the most significant Reclaimer, John-117 is the realization of a ''geas'' seeded by the Librarian which apparently manifested in the [[Spartan-II]]s' creator, [[Catherine Halsey|Dr. Catherine Halsey]].<ref name="H4 Reclaimer"/> He is responsible for the destruction of Halo [[Installation 04]]<ref>'''Halo: Combat Evolved''', campaign level ''[[The Maw]]''</ref> and its replacement, as well as the latter's activation and the ensuing defeat of an active [[Gravemind]]; the near-destruction of [[Installation 00]];<ref name="H3 Halo">'''Halo 3''', campaign level ''[[Halo (Halo 3 level)|Halo]]''</ref> and the defeat of the [[Ur-Didact]].<ref name="Midnight"/>
*[[Miranda Keyes]] - In [[2552#November|November 2552]], the [[Chieftain of the Jiralhanae|Jiralhanae Chieftain]] [[Tartarus]] forced Commander Keyes to fire [[Installation 05|Delta Halo]] and thereby the rest of the Array, though he was soon killed and the firing process was aborted.
*[[Avery Johnson]] - Similarly to Keyes, Johnson was nearly forced by the [[Prophet of Truth]] to activate the entire Halo Array from the lesser Ark's control room, though he was rescued before this could occur.<ref>'''Halo 3''', campaign level ''[[The Covenant]]''</ref> He was killed shortly thereafter while attempting to activate the incomplete [[Installation 08]], though John-117 successfully completed this mission.<ref name="H3 Halo"/>
*[[Lucy-B091]] - Identified as a Reclaimer by the Huragok [[Prone to Drift]].<ref>'''Halo: The Thursday War'''</ref>
*[[Staffan Sentzke]] - Identified as a Reclaimer by the Huragok [[Sometimes Sinks]].<ref>'''Halo: Mortal Dictata''', ''page 392''</ref>
*[[Bobby Kodiak]] - Kidnapped by [[000 Tragic Solitude]] (the [[monitor]] of Installation 00) and used to activate the Halo Array. Killed along with Solitude during [[Operation: FAR STORM]].<ref>''Halo: Hunters in the Dark'', page 277</ref>
*At least one member of [[Fireteam Crimson]] interacted with several Forerunner artifacts during the [[Requiem campaign]].
*[[Henry Glassman]] - After being [[Slipspace translocation|translocated]] to Requiem and held hostage by the Covenant, he accidentally activated a protective shield at the [[Librarian's Rest]]. After being rescued, he deactivated one of the three [[Requiem slipspace artifacts|artifacts]] which held {{UNSCShip|Infinity}} anchored to the planet.<ref>'''Spartan Ops''', ''[[Memento Mori]]''</ref>
*[[Catherine Halsey]] - After being captured by the Covenant, Halsey deactivated the protective shield surrounding the Librarian's Rest and entered the Librarian's "shrine", where the Lifeshaper's [[mind transfer|essence]] personally entrusted the [[Janus Key]] to her care.<ref>'''Spartan Ops''', ''[[Expendable]]''</ref>
*[[Gabriel Thorne]] - During the later stages of the Requiem Campaign, Spartan Thorne deactivated one of the three artifacts who held to the {{UNSCShip|Infinity}} anchored to the planet.<ref name="Exodus"/>
*[[Rion Forge]] - Identified as a Reclaimer by [[Little Bit]]<ref name="SAS">'''[[Halo: Smoke and Shadow]]''', ''pages 123-126 (Google Play edition)''</ref> Utilized by [[343 Guilty Spark]] to unlock and power up the [[Builder]] facility on [[Triniel]] and later the Forerunner structure beneath [[Kilimanjaro]] where a personality imprint of the [[Librarian]] was located. Though Spark never explicitly told Rion that she was a Reclaimer, he instead chose to explain how her DNA allowed her to access both locations instead of just using the broad term to explain why he needed her.<ref>'''[[Halo: Renegades]]'''</ref>
*Crew of the {{UNSCShip|Spirit of Fire}} - Referred to as Reclaimers by [[Little Bit]] while describing the events of the [[Battle of Etran Harborage]] to [[Rion Forge]].<ref>'''[[Halo: Smoke and Shadow]]'''</ref>

==As understood by the Covenant==
The Reclaimer glyph was one of the holiest icons in the [[Covenant religion]], as well as the source of one of its greatest flaws. For millennia, the Covenant's leadership misinterpreted the "Reclaimer" glyph (which they read upside down) as "Reclamation". The [[San'Shyuum|Prophets]] misconstrued this as the Covenant's divine mandate to procure "holy" Forerunner technology from areas of space known as [[reliquary|reliquaries]]; the [[Ages of Reclamation]] were designated as periods of significant Forerunner discoveries. While incorrectly understood by the Covenant as their quest for Forerunner relics, the Reclamation is an actual concept pertaining to the Reclaimers' process of reattaining the Mantle.<ref>'''Halo 4''', campaign level ''[[Epilogue (Halo 4 level)|Epilogue]]'' (''"The Reclamation... has already begun. And we are hopeless to stop it."'')</ref> Like the Forerunners, the Covenant (if only the Prophets) considered themselves the inheritors of the Mantle.<ref name="Covie Mantle"/> However, because the Covenant's member species are not recognized as Reclaimers (being referred to as "intruders" and "meddlers" by [[343 Guilty Spark]]), they require human captives to activate certain Forerunner technology, most notably the Halo rings, the [[Installation 00|Ark]], and [[shield world]]s. One notable exception is [[Jul 'Mdama]], who gained the allegiance of the Promethean Knights on the shield world [[Requiem]] following the Didact's apparent demise; he was able able to set Requiem on a collision course with [[Epoloch|its star]], though it seems he was given the Didact's override to accomplish this.<ref name="Exodus">'''Spartan Ops''', ''[[Exodus (Spartan Ops)|Exodus]]'' - This is evidenced by the appearance of the Ur-Didact's sigil when 'Mdama gives inputs the self-destruct order.</ref>

====History====
For many Ages, the Covenant used [[luminary|luminaries]] (crude AIs based on Forerunner [[ancilla]]s) to pinpoint concentrations of Forerunner artifacts. At the turn of [[2524]] - [[2525]], the luminary aboard the vessel ''[[Minor Transgression]]'' led the ship's crew to the human colony world of [[Harvest]]. Ultimately, communications between the planet's government and the Covenant broke down, leading to the [[First Battle of Harvest|first major conflict]] between the two civilizations and the planet's eventual [[glassing]]. A trio of mid-level San'Shyuum ministers consulted the "Oracle" aboard the [[Forerunner Dreadnought]] on [[High Charity]] about the "Reclamation" glyphs encountered in such large numbers on Harvest; these San'Shyuum hoped to use the clout gained from this discovery to oust the current triumvirate of [[Hierarchs]]. The Oracle, which was actually the AI [[Mendicant Bias]], informed the party that the luminations found on Harvest were actually the world's human population, and that the symbol the Covenant had long held to mean "Reclamation" actually meant "Reclaimer"; following this revelation, Mendicant Bias attempted to leave High Charity and make contact with its so-called "makers", though the ship was disabled and the AI quarantined before this could happen.<ref name="Oracle"/>

The schemers interpreted the Oracle's words to mean that humans were actually the living remnants of Forerunner civilization; this would directly contradict the Covenant's dogma regarding the [[Covenant religion#Great Journey|Great Journey]], which held that the Forerunners used an artifact known as [[Halo Array|Halo]] to transcend to godhood. Accordingly, the newly ordained [[Prophet of Truth]] declared a [[Human-Covenant War|war of extermination]] upon humanity, secretly hoping that genocide would prevent humanity's relation to the Forerunners from coming to light.<ref name="Oracle"/> In the wake of commencing the Ninth Age of Reclamation, Truth also revealed that the Reclaimer glyph could help the Covenant scour the galaxy for any other [[human colonies]].<ref>'''Halo: Contact Harvest''', ''pages 381-382''</ref>

==Production notes==
[[File:Marathon.png|right|thumb|175px|The Reclaimer symbol as seen in Bungie's games.]]
*The  original Reclaimer glyph is actually the logo of [[Bungie]]'s ''[[Marathon]]'' trilogy. Due to the ''Marathon'' franchise remaining Bungie's intellectual property, the Reclaimer symbol in media by [[343 Industries]] has the same basic design, though it is much more abstract. Curiously, the original symbol appears on holographic terminals in the ''[[Spartan Ops]]'' chapter [[Key/The Hammer|The Hammer]].
*As confirmed by [[David Candland]] , Bungie originally intended the Forerunners to be prehistoric humans.<ref>[http://forums.bungie.org/halo/archive36.pl?read=1070818 '''halo.bungie.org''': ''Re: Why retcons don't bother me anymore''] (Evil Otto: ''"One of the most striking retcons to me is the basic concept of whole role of humanity. Originally (back in Halo 1) the reason why humans weren't conquered and incorporated into the Covenant collective was because their presence defied Covenant religion. When the Covenant discovered humans, they knew they were forerunners, but their presence implied the "great journey" failed. They also weren't the all powerful gods they worshiped, so the Prophets wanted to "sweep them under the carpet," as it were."'')</ref> In this regard the title of "Reclaimer" would indicate modern humans salvaging the relics of their ancestors, thus giving the term a literal meaning. This is corroborated by dialog in ''Halo 3'': 343 Guilty Spark insists that John-117 is the "child of [his] makers" and that he ''is'' Forerunner, while the Gravemind refers to the Master Chief as "child of [its] enemy".<ref>[http://forums.bungie.org/halo/archive36.pl?read=1070818 '''halo.bungie.org''': ''Re: Why retcons don't bother me anymore''] (Evil Otto: ''"The plot lines in our games imply this everywhere - the chief being called reclaimer, only humans being able to retrieve and insert the index, Spark telling the chief, "you are forerunner." etc."'')</ref> ''Halo: Contact Harvest'' further evidences this with Mendicant Bias' claim that the Reclaimers are its makers. As [[343 Industries]] have recast ancient humanity as contemporaries of the Forerunners, the title has been retconned to indicate humanity's reclamation of the Mantle from their former enemies.

===Trivia===
*The [[Bestiarum]] associates the [[Latin]] "Homo ''sapiens augeous''" with its "Reclaimer" entry. This is probably intended to mean ''"augmented intelligent man"'', though ''augeous'' is conjugated incorrectly. Given the context of the entry in the ''Bestiarum'', it seems that this entry refers specifically to [[John-117]] as opposed to all Reclaimers, and that "''Homo sapiens augeous''" refers only to Spartans. However, due to ''Halo 4''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s retcon that only certain humans are technically Reclaimers, this [[Wikipedia:Binomial nomenclature|binomial nomenclature]] may refer to humans carrying the genesong planted by the Librarian.
*"Reclaimer" is the second-highest [[Rank (Halo: Reach)|rank]] in ''Halo: Reach'' and highest [[Rank (Halo Wars 2)|rank]] in ''Halo Wars 2''.{{Clear}}

==List of appearances==
<!--This list should feature only media in which the term "Reclaimer" is specifically invoked.-->
*''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]'' {{1st}}
*''[[Halo: The Flood]]''
*''[[Halo 2]]''
**''[[Conversations from the Universe]]'' {{Mo}}
*''[[Halo: Ghosts of Onyx]]''
*''[[Halo 3]]''
**''[[Terminal/Halo 3|Terminals]]''
*''[[Halo: Contact Harvest]]''
*''[[Halo Wars]]''
*''[[Halo: Helljumper]]''
*''[[Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe]]''
*''[[Halo: Glasslands]]''
*''[[Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary]]''
**''[[Terminal/Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary|Terminals]]''
*''[[Halo: Primordium]]''
*''[[Halo 4]]''
**''[[Terminal/Halo 4|Terminals]]'' 
**''[[Spartan Ops]]''
*''[[Halo: Mortal Dictata]]''
*''[[Halo 2: Anniversary]]''
*''[[Halo: Last Light]]''
*''[[Halo 5: Guardians]]''
*''[[Halo: Smoke and Shadow]]''
==Sources==
<references/>
[[Category:Forerunner culture]]
[[Category:Human]]
[[Category:Terms and Phrases]]