Editing Reclaimer

{{Era|Forerunner|UNSC|HCW|Post}}

[[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/Novel|Id=Covie Mantle|Evo|Page=299}}}}

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/Reuse|Hammer}} This is due to the presence of ''[[geas]]'' implanted by the Librarian,{{Ref/Reuse|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/Novel|TF|Page=84}} This innate knowledge extends to Covenant technology as well, as Covenant technology is crudely reverse-engineered from Forerunner designs.{{Ref/Novel|FS|Page=142}} 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 ''geas'' 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|S109 The Hammer]]: ''"Elites were here, trying to find Reclaimers: humans who can operate Forerunner technology."''</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 ''geas'' 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/Reuse|H3 Halo}} This is presumably metaphorical, as [[Mendicant Bias]] likewise claimed the Reclaimers as its makers,{{Ref/Novel|Id=Oracle|CH|Page=274-278}} 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/Level|CE|[[343 Guilty Spark (level)|343 Guilty Spark]]}}{{Ref/Novel|Sil|Page=314}}

As the {{UNSCShip|Spirit of Fire}} was pulled inside of the [[Etran Harborage]] 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 of Fire'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/Level|HW|Repairs}}

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/Novel|Id=goo|GoO|Page=133}} This, combined with the Spartans of [[SPARTAN-III Gamma Company|Gamma Company]] being inundated with [[Project CHRYSANTHEMUM#Gamma Company|neurology-altering mutagens]],{{Ref/Novel|GoO|Page=339}} caused the Sentinel to catalog Ash as a "non-Reclaimer", as well as a member of a "aboriginal subspecies" of humanity.{{Ref/Reuse|goo}}

During the [[Requiem Campaign]], [[Jul 'Mdama's Covenant|Jul 'Mdama's forces]] captured [[Hawk Squad]] and forced them to activate a Forerunner map of [[Requiem]] at "[[Lockup]]," but the structure failed to recognize them as Reclaimers.<ref name="Hammer2">''Spartan Ops'', [[Key/The Hammer|S109 The Hammer]]</ref>

*[[Ellen Anders]] - Activated the [[Relic]] on [[Harvest]] in [[2531#February|February 2531]] with her touch.{{Ref/Level|HW|Relic Interior}} Kidnapped by [[Arbiter]] [[Ripa 'Moramee]], Anders was later forced to activate a fleet of {{Class|Sojourner|dreadnought}}s on the [[Etran Harborage]] [[shield world]].{{Ref/Level|HW|[[Beachhead (Halo Wars level)|Beachhead]]}}

*[[Taylor Miles]] and [[Kojo Agu]] - The Forerunner construct called [[the Knowing]] identified them as Reclaimers and obeyed their order to [[self-destruct]].{{Ref/Comic|HHj|Detail=[[Halo: Helljumper Issue 5|Issue 5]]}}

*[[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 the Jiralhanae was soon killed and the firing process was aborted.

*[[Avery Johnson]] - Similar 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/Level|H3|The Covenant}} He was killed shortly thereafter while attempting to activate the incomplete [[Installation 08]], though John-117 successfully completed this mission.{{Ref/Reuse|H3 Halo}}

*At least one member of [[Fireteam Crimson]] interacted with several Forerunner artifacts during the [[Requiem Campaign]].<ref>''[[Spartan Ops]]''</ref>

*[[Henry Glassman]] - While studying one of the [[Requiem slipspace artifacts]], he accidentally activated it<ref>''Spartan Ops'', [[Artifact (Spartan Ops)|S102 Artifact]]</ref> and was [[Slipspace translocation|translocated]] to Requiem and held hostage by the Covenant<ref>''Spartan Ops'', [[Catherine|S103 Catherine]]</ref> he accidentally activated a protective shield at "[[Librarian's Rest]]."<ref>''Spartan Ops'', [[Scattered|S106 Scattered]]</ref> After being rescued, he deactivated one of the three [[Requiem slipspace artifacts|artifacts]] which held {{UNSCShip|Infinity}} anchored to the planet.<ref name="Exodus2">''Spartan Ops'', [[Exodus (Spartan Ops)|S1010 Exodus]]</ref>

*[[Catherine Halsey]] - After being captured by the Covenant, Halsey deactivated the protective shield surrounding the shrine at "Librarian's Rest" and entered where the Lifeshaper's [[mind transfer|essence]] personally entrusted the [[Janus Key]] to her care.<ref>''Spartan Ops'', [[Expendable|S108 Expendable]]</ref><ref name="Key">''Spartan Ops'', [[Key|S109 Key]]</ref>

*[[Gabriel Thorne]] - During the later stages of the Requiem Campaign, Thorne deactivated one of [[Requiem slipspace artifacts|the three artifacts]] that held to the {{UNSCShip|Infinity}} anchored to the planet.{{Ref/Reuse|Exodus2}}

*[[Rion Forge]] - Identified as a Reclaimer by [[Little Bit]]{{Ref/Novel|Id=SAS|SaS|Page=123-126}} 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/Novel|Ren}} Later helped [[Keeper-of-Tools]] to activate the ''[[Eden (ship)|Eden]]'' on [[Bastion]].{{Ref/Novel|HPoL}}

*Crew of the {{UNSCShip|Spirit of Fire}} - Referred to as Reclaimers by [[Little Bit]] while describing the events of the [[Battle of the Etran Harborage]] to [[Rion Forge]].{{Ref/Novel|SAS}}

*[[Veta Lopis]] - Utilized as a Reclaimer by the [[Keepers of the One Freedom]], [[Intrepid Eye]] and the [[Covenant loyalists]] to activate one of the Ark's Cartographers and they attempted to use her to activate the Halo Array from [[Epsilon Clarion]].{{Ref/Novel|Id=DW|DW}}

*[[Lucas Browning]] - Utilized as a Reclaimer by the [[Banished]] in order to release [[the Harbinger]] from her [[cylix]] on [[Installation 07]].{{Ref/Game|Id=tp3|Hi|Audio log (Halo Infinite)#The Prisoner 2|UNSC Audio log|Detail=The Prisoner #03 - She was Smiling}}

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/Level|H4|[[Epilogue (Halo 4 level)|Epilogue]] (''"The Reclamation... has already begun. And we are hopeless to stop it."'')}} Like the Forerunners, the Covenant (if only the Prophets) considered themselves the inheritors of the Mantle.{{Ref/Reuse|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 system|its star]], though it seems he was given the Didact's override to accomplish this.<ref name="Exodus">''Spartan Ops'', [[Exodus (Spartan Ops)|S1010 Exodus]] - This is evidenced by the appearance of the Ur-Didact's sigil when 'Mdama gives inputs the [[self-destruct]] order.</ref> While the [[Banished]] [[War Chief]] [[Escharum]] scorned [[Castor]] for using humans to activate the [[Menachite portal complex]] in [[2559#October|October 2559]], the old [[Dokab]] was well-aware of the human affinity for Forerunner technology, having witnessed humans activate devices that [[Kig-Yar]] scavengers and [[Sangheili]] priests had proclaimed to be worthless.{{Ref/Novel|Id=Chapter 21|SoR|Chapter=21}}

[[File:Marathon Logo.svg|175px|thumb|right|The Reclaimer symbol as seen in Bungie's games.]]

*According to [[Bungie]] employee [[David Candland]],<ref name="blam">[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> Bungie's original intention for the connection between humanity and Forerunners was that they were one and the same; this was hinted repeatedly throughout the ''Halo'' Trilogy<ref name="blam2">[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> and potentially alluded to in [[Joseph Staten]]'s novel ''[[Halo: Contact Harvest]]''. In this regard the title of "Reclaimer" would indicate modern humans salvaging the relics of their ancestors, thus giving the term a literal meaning. During the development of ''[[Halo 3]]'', this changed so that humans and Forerunners were distinct from one another, as is evident in material released as part of the game's marketing campaign and in the [[terminal]]s found within the game itself. The books of ''[[The Forerunner Saga]]'' released by [[343 Industries]] expanded greatly on the similarities and difference between both peoples, establishing that the two species were indeed related but distinct and that the actual connection goes far further back than the events in the books, to the time when both species had been created by the Precursors.