to combine to easily destroy two Covenant destroyers. In Halo 3, it seemed that even the Monitors had the ability to defend themselves against the Flood using focused beam similar to the Sentinel weaponry but much more powerful. 343 Guilty Spark showed this ability in Halo (Halo 3)[1]. It is also quite odd and puzzling as to why 2401 Penitent Tangent didn't use this ability against Gravemind in Halo 2. It is presumed that Gravemind is likely to have struck 2401 Penitent Tangent hard enough, disabling it's beam weaponry. It could simply be that he was not equipped with one, or that the Monitor was corrupted by the Gravemind.
Art and Architecture
Forerunner architecture is noted mainly for its large scale and geometric style. It tends to be very elaborate, with numerous extrapolations of the basic design of a construct appearing to be purely decorative. All Forerunner architecture is constructed with a special type of metal that resists deterioration, bullets, plasma bolts and fire, as evidenced by Forerunner structures standing in pristine condition 100,000-150,000 years after they were built. These structures utilize complex geometric shapes that appear to operate in dimensions higher than basic human understanding can decipher.[2] The Forerunners tend to decorate the interiors of their structures with a complex web of engraved straight lines, and apply decorative touches and designs to nearly everything that they build, from structures to weapons. Even the Sentinel robotic drones possess small holographic Forerunner script around their "eyes".
Forerunner Stellar Engineering
While the Forerunners architectural and technological prowess is legendary among the Covenant and UNSC, their genius also extended to the fields of stellar engineering. At least two Forerunner sites, the Shield World[3] Onyx, and the Ark[4], made use of suns where none should exist. the Shield World existed permanently in slipspace, where solar systems outside of a Dyson Sphere cannot exist, and the Ark was located far outside of the galaxy where galactic material would have been insufficient to form the sun that illuminates the Ark. Whether these suns are artificially engineered or simply moved from another star system by the Forerunners is unknown: either would have been an enormous technological achievement. The Ark's is confirmed to be artificial, due to its unnatural "sail" shape. It is likewise unknown if these are the only stellar engineering achievements the Forerunners made; whether the systems that the Halo Installations orbit are artificial or native to that region of space; whether other Shield Worlds exist; and how the construction or movement of such large stellar bodies was accomplished.
Fortress Worlds
- Main article: The Halos
Installation 04
Installation 05
- Control Room
- The Library
- Quarantine Zone
- Sentinel Wall
- The Temple
- Flood Research Facilities
- Relay Station
- Sentinel Production Facility
Note that Installation 04, 05 and the Ark are the only three Fortress Worlds that have been directly observed in the Halo Universe.
Other Forerunner Structures
- Installation 00 - Known as the Ark; Controls all other installations.
- Gas Mine – Houses laboratories created to study The Flood.
- Coral Facility
- Onyx - A UNSC controlled world, inhabited by sentinels.
Forerunner Constructs
- Monitors - Floating AIs responsible for maintenance of Halo worlds and to make sure that the Flood stay imprisoned.
- Enforcers - Enforce the Monitor's will. They are large, hulking machines designed to serve to contain major Flood outbreaks.
- Onyx Sentinels - Powerful, adaptive Sentinel of Onyx.
- Sentinel Majors - An upgraded, much more powerful Sentinel.
- Sentinels - Controlled by the monitors, they are responsible for guarding a Halo.
- Automated Turret - Created to be a deployable equipment for the Forerunners to defend themselves against possible Flood threats or another type of threat.
- Constructors - Small constructing devices that repair damage to any Forerunner structure they find , as they are responsible for the repair of a Halo Installation. The Sentinels will come to their aid if they are attacked,
Forerunner Artifacts and Technology
See also Technology
Forerunner Glyphs and Symbols
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Forerunner Numbers:
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Forerunner Glyphs:
File:CFsymbols.jpg Forerunner glyphs. |
Forerunner Iris Icon:
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Forerunners in Covenant Religion
The Covenant venerate the Forerunners as gods, believing that the Halo Array elevated the Forerunners to god hood instead of killing them. As such, they have appropriated much Forerunner technologies and artifacts, and dedicated a significant amount of time to the search for other "holy relics," but most of all the Halo Installations, believing that they can follow the Forerunners into god hood.
External Links
- Forerunner Symbology - An article on Forerunner symbols.
- [1] - Forerunners
Trivia
- The Forerunners are often compared to the Jjaro from the Marathon (Game)|Marathon series and the Ancients of the Stargate television series.
- The exact origins of the Forerunners are a complete mystery, and are likely intentionally so by Bungie.
- For the current photo, note that you can see the sensory tentacles of the flood on the right side of the screen.