[b][u]The Three "Children", Broken Down:[/b][/u] Here, I will briefly tie up our preliminary discussion on why the "children" behaved as they did with a short guide before we move on to the full universe discussion: [quote][b]The Flood:[/b] [i]First "child", only "child" to actually resemble a biological baby, prompted the Forerunner's "birth" and later directly caused the "birth" of Humanity.[/i] [b]The Forerunner:[/b] [i]Left the original Precursor empire in fear of the Flood, settled in the Milky Way galaxy and renamed themselves the Forerunner, middle "child" (perhaps only coming into being shortly after the Flood's creation, or even while the Flood were still being created).[/i] [b]Humankind:[/b] [i]Final "child", spawned by the Precursor-Flood war. Made their way to the Milky Way and settled on Earth.[/i][/quote] [b][u]The Children and Their Movements:[/b][/u] [b]The Overall Picture:[/b] Assuming that this theory is correct, the three "children" spawned by the Precursor replace the original Precursor empire and function as its legacies, both good and ill. The question is, how does this hypothesis that the Flood, Forerunner, and Humanity are all "descended" from the Precursor fit into the overall picture, and why does it make more sense than just having the Flood and Humanity existing as "descendants" (or simply the Flood [i]or[/i] Humanity, or even none of them)? The answer, or at least part of it, lies in the movements of the races. In this section, I will attempt to go through my view of the [i]Halo[/i] universe, from the Precursor empire all the way up to 2553, and explain it in terms of the three children. [quote][/quote] [b]The Precursor Empire and the Fall:[/b] As was suggested earlier on, this theory assumes that the Precursor created the Flood, the Forerunner broke off and traveled to the Milky Way galaxy because of the Flood (their stemming from the Precursor in another galaxy also explains how the Forerunner knew of the Precursor without any known contact with them in the Milky Way, and why the Forerunner use the supposedly Precursor "Mantle" to protect life), and the Flood decimated the Precursor and left a bare remnant - Humanity - to flee to the Milky Way along with the Forerunner, perhaps to warn them (although we know that never ultimately happened). This is where everything begins to tie together. The Flood, according to the theory, destroyed the Precursor when the first Gravemind broke its mental restraints, became sentient, and discovered it was being used. With the massive surprise attack the Gravemind launched, and with the Flood's integration into the Precursor system, there was absolutely no way for the empire to stand a chance: it crumbled, creating the final remnant, Humanity. At this point, Humanity fled - perhaps it was at the same time the Flood were beginning to leave, perhaps it was beforehand, or perhaps Humankind followed the Flood towards the Milky Way, hoping to put up a resistance. Regardless of their motivations (and there are many of them), Humanity traveled to the Milky Way either second or last out of all of the children, with the Flood sharing that trait: the second, or last, of the children to travel to the Milky Way. - - - [b]Why the Milky Way:[/b] The question that eluded us before, however, is "why?" Why would the Flood decide to go to [i]that[/i] galaxy, [i]this[/i] galaxy, [i]our[/i] galaxy? We know for a fact that they came from an extra-galactic source, but we don't know why. Not even "The Precursor, The Flood, and the Acceleration of Evolution" hints at why. The answer to this question lies in the Forerunner, and perhaps even Humanity. If you'll notice, the terms "Precursor" and "Forerunner" are [i]extremely[/i] similar (which by itself suggests a connection), but there is one difference in their common definitions, a difference that, for most, would still make the words mean the exact same thing. But not for us. While "Precursor" means "those who [i]came[/i] before", Forerunner's definition is slightly different: "those who [i]come[/i] before". This suggests that the Forerunner, upon arriving in the Milky Way galaxy and setting up shop, so to speak, believed that something [i]would[/i] follow them, not just that they were the eldest species, as the definition for Precursor seems to suggest. What would follow them, though? Were they thinking to be besieged by the original Precursor empire for leaving, or were they preparing for the Flood? That question will likely never be answered, but the important knowledge is that the Forerunner [i]were[/i] preparing, at least for something. But why is that important, you might ask. If the Forerunner were a Precursor remnant, even if they only existed at Tier 1 and were not trans-sentient any longer, the Flood would undoubtedly be apprehensive about their continued existence. A remnant of the race that they had just destroyed, a remnant of the race that [i]created[/i] them, existing at a technological level below the Precursor but above all else? Not only would the Gravemind want to destroy all remnants of the Precursor, even the offshoot that calls itself Forerunner, it would want to ensure the Flood's dominance and continued existence. The only option is to eradicate the Forerunner before they become any more advanced, which the Flood begin to do upon arriving in the Milky Way. The Forerunner-Flood war begins. - - - [b]The Forerunner-Flood War:[/b] Not much of importance comes from the beginning of the Forerunner-Flood war - the weakened Flood smash into the Forerunner, but the Forerunner are at least somewhat prepared, and put up a fight. While the Precursor could not survive the Flood because of the surprise attack and their integration into the system, the Forerunner could resist it, even at a lower tech level, because of their preparation. The Halos are constructed, and the process of attempting to quarantine and control the Flood, rather than destroy them, begins. As we near the end of the Forerunner-Flood war, though, we come upon possibly the most significant support in the entire [i]Halo[/i] universe towards this hypothesis: the Forerunner discovery of Earth, and of Humankind. When the Forerunner stumble upon us, they are struck by the beauty of the planet, and by Humans themselves (could the beauty of the plants and animals on Earth be due to genetic manipulation that the last of the trans-sentient Precursor achieved right after the settling?). It was said in one of the terminals: [quote]The anomalous world is in a perilous location beyond the line. [u]The secrets it holds must be preserved, plans within plans within plans[/u]. [i]The inhabitants; these unique denizens, must be researched. They may hold answers to our own mysteries.[/i] What irony that we discovered this treasure, only at the end of things. [u]But what fortune that we still had time to save them. The thing we built on that world will vouchsafe their lives[/u], but perhaps one day it will be used for its intended purpose. If the plan succeeds, and they are saved, it will be a good world. [u]If the plan fails, and the adversary succeeds, it will remain an enigma forever with no one left to reclaim it.[/u][/quote] You'll noticed that I italicized and underlined specific portions of that passage. The italicized bits indicate speech that suggests that Humans are important to the Forerunner; the underlined sections indicate plans to preserve Humankind in order to "reclaim" the planet, and as we know, much more. I'll cover the italicized bit first. [u]Importance to the Forerunner:[/u] Why do the Forerunners want to research us, and why might we hold clues to their own mysteries? If we were a separate race, a race that had had no contact with them in the past, that would be completely unintelligible - why would a group of ape-looking mammals, albeit on an anomalous world, interest them? What secrets could we give? Even if we were the Precursor in an un-evolved state, how could we solve mysteries in the Forerunner's past? It doesn't add up. The answer lies in shared lineage, something that is not just hinted at in the [i]Halo[/i] universe, but something that has been said [i]outright[/i]. Humanity has a genetic memory of Forerunner (adapted Precursor) glyphs (novels, [i]Halo: CE[/i]), a special place granted by the Forerunner before their deaths (The Reclaimers), and 343 Guilty Spark even goes so far as to say, "You [i]are[/i] Forerunner!" All I propose is that Humanity are not the Forerunner's remnants, or even a race that they created themselves, or even an offshoot of the Forerunner. I propose that we are distant cousins, sharing close genetic makeup, stemming from the same source. The Forerunner and Humanity are related: we [i]are[/i] Forerunner, at the same time that the Forerunner practically [i]are[/i] Humans, at the same time that both races [i]are[/i] Precursor. This is supported even further by the recent release of [i]Origins Part 1[/i], which depicts the Forerunner as being a bipedal race that [i][b]closely[/b][/i] resembles humankind. [u]Preservation by Forerunner:[/u] Now that we've theorized that the Forerunner and Humanity are both Precursor, why did the Forerunner desire to protect us? Humankind is the remnant that remained with the Precursor empire, the remnant that advocated the Flood that were destroying the Forerunner right that moment; why did they decide to protect us? Any number of motivations could answer this question, and speculation is useless: we need only look at what happened in the end to judge the Forerunner's response to us. They granted us a portal to the Ark and named us the Reclaimers, giving us the only ability to access their technology. They clearly meant for us to reclaim something, perhaps their empire, and perhaps even the fabled Precursor empire that none now remember. [Edited on 01.02.2010 12:57 PM PST]

[b]Aftermath of the Forerunner-Flood War:[/b] After the Forerunner-Flood war and the destruction of the second child of the Precursor, only two children remain: the enigmatic baby-representation Flood, the first child, and the final remnant of the original Precursor empire, Humanity. Although in my child an­alogy Humankind and the Flood are both considered children of the Precursor, at this point it becomes more like the Precursor themselves (the Human remnant) fighting with their own ancient creation, the Flood, despite Humankind not remembering who and what they are. Not for 100,000 years after the day when the Flood forced the Forerunner to destroy themselves, though, will the new confrontation between Flood and Precursor begin. - - - [b]Human-Flood Conflict[/b]: Not much of great importance occurs at the beginning of the Human-Flood conflict, beginning in late 2552 when the [i]Pillar of Autumn[/i] crash-lands on Installation 04. The only important snippets from [i]Halo: CE[/i] and [i]Halo 2[/i] are when 343 Guilty Spark refers to Humanity's history as the Forerunner's own (support that Humanity and the Forerunner are related), and in [i]Halo 2[/i] when we discover that a Gravemind has formed (which suggests that snippets from [i]Halo 3[/i] are influenced by the race memory of the Flood). The most important details come at the latest chapters of 2552 and early 2553, during the Battle of the Ark. When Spartan-117 invades [i]High Charity[/i] an an attempt to rescue Cortana, the Gravemind says possibly the most important line linking [i]everything[/i] together: [quote]Child of my enemy, why have you come? I offer no forgiveness; a father's sins passed to his son.[/quote] This is [i]critical[/i], mainly because this theory's ebbs and flows show that the Flood, particularly the Graveminds, have been tracking [i]Precursor[/i] remnants their entire existence; they consider the Precursor to be their creators at the same time they consider them to be their chief enemies. "[b]Child of my Enemy[/b]." Child of the Precursor. There is substantial proof linking the Forerunner to Humanity, and this line suggests that the Gravemind is calling Humanity the descendants of the Precursor. If Humanity = Precursor and Forerunner = Humanity, then Forerunner = Precursor. And, with this moment of realization, everything clicks into place. Why the Forerunner came to the Milky Way, why they have the Mantle and obey it as law. Why the Flood came from an extra-galactic root to destroy the Forerunner, and why Humanity was so important. Why we know some Forerunner glyphs instinctively, why we can operate their technology, and why we were named the Reclaimers. The three main races in the [i]Halo[/i] series are all rooted in the ancient Precursor collective. - - - [b]Aftermath:[/b] At the Battle of the Ark, Humankind, led by the augmented Master Chief, activated Installation 04 (II) and effectively trapped and starved the largest Flood colony, while destroying the Gravemind at the same time. This isn't the end of it all, though; far from it. The Flood are likely held on more installations than just 04 and 05, and this is just Humankind's first punch in a long-winded effort to destroy the mistake that is the Flood and truly reclaim what they lost with their creation. [quote][/quote] [b][u]Summary:[/b][/u] In short, this theory is suggesting that the major events in the [i]Halo[/i] storyline have all been influenced by the Precursor, as the three main races in the galaxy that have motivated events are all descended from that ancient collective. The Flood, a mistake and the only "child race" to be an actual separate species, the separatist Forerunner, and the remnant Humanity. The Forerunner was swallowed up when facing the more powerful Flood, but at the sacrifice of their own empire and lives they contained the Flood and preserved Humanity, the Reclaimers, the raced destined to re-attain the power of the Forerunner and, eventually, the Precursor. This theory also suggests in a roundabout way that all of the events in the [i]Halo[/i] universe are really playing out as somewhat of a family feud. The Forerunner and the Flood are the only ones who remotely remember the beginning, but all three of the "offspring" are really warring with each other (save for the Forerunner to Humanity) in one way or another, in one time or another. [quote][/quote] [b][u]What Does This All Mean:[/b][/u] To be quite frank, alone, this theory does not mean that much whatsoever. I reveal to you no new astounding portions of the Haloverse, nothing that nobody has ever suggested before - just a modified version of a theory of my own and a theory of Wolverfrog's, tied together and shown to work, a possible answer that [i]could[/i] - and I do, indeed, stress the word [b][i]could[/b][/i] - be the explanation for how events really played out in the [i]Halo[/i] universe. I have provided a scaffold for you, to build upon as you will. I have formed the skeleton of the [i]Halo[/i] universe, explained how things could have played out, and why. It is now up to you all to build upon this and judge if a more accurate theory can be made, or even if this theory is impossible in the first place. I eagerly await your feedback. [quote][/quote] [b][u]Acknowledgments and Closing[/b][/u]: I want to thank Wolverfrog for allowing me to use his theory on the Precursor and Humanity, and for his help in editing this theory. I'm very long-winded when left to my own devices, and without him I have sincerely doubt that anyone would bother to read this at all. I also want to thank my readers, as always, the people that support me through my crazy moments of spontaneous thought and give me kind words, although I'm sure the majority secretly believe I'm crazy. Don't worry you guys; I most definitely am. Thanks again, all! [Edited on 01.02.2010 1:02 PM PST]

- Reserved Post -

- Reserved Post -

sorry about that snakie, i am going to take a break reading it right now, i am about half way through and i promise i will read all of it later tonight [Edited on 10.10.2009 3:01 PM PDT]

Great read! Loved it!

Fascinating. [Edited on 10.10.2009 3:29 PM PDT]

Is there anyway you could sum this up in about three words?/end sarcasm Pretty long read. Down to the third post so far. Will comment more after I've finished. [Edited on 10.10.2009 3:35 PM PDT]

[quote][b]Posted by:[/b] GMAN07 LSK Is there anyway you could sum this up in about three words?[/quote] No there isn't. Read the damn thing. I think that when you do your mind will be blown.

As I said earlier Snakie -- Mindblowing.

this might sound stupid, but what if mankind was not the direct son of The Precursor, what is mankind is the grandson of what came from the Precursor. Maybe the 3rd son of the Precursor is something unknown....

Fantabulous. If this was true it would make for an epic novel or game.

You and Staten should be locked in a room with a typewriter and forced to crank out Halo novels. I say that in a good way.

Could the Precursors not be gods to the Forerunners? Look at it this way: -Forerunners begin to evolve, obviously forming a religion on the way. Now, from human history, we know that pagans or polythiesm came first; could this not be the same for Forerunners? -The Forerunners call these gods "Precursors", as if they know all and were here before everything [See Christian Creationalism] -The Forerunners evolve and make images for the gods, (as Egypt, Greece, etc, have done). They also begin to evolve into more organized religion. They form the Mantle, that they must protect the Galaxy. They say it was given to them by the precursors, their gods. (Like saying "The gods bestowed it) -Back to the images of the Precursors, "their gods". They happen upon Earth after many years of evolving, never giving up religion, (As what humanity might possibly do). They travel the Galaxy and happen upon Earth. -Humans, incredibally like their paintings (Why aren't there pictures of humans/gods? I'll explain later). Okay, so they happen upon a race very much like their paintings. -This may seem to coincidental for your taste, but obviously a bipedial (sp?) is common, so therefore, in a whole galaxy, there should be something familiar. (Sorry, needed to shorten that part, running out if time) -The Forerunners believe us to be their gods, or atleast their ancestors or something of the like. EDIT- Then everything plays put, Forerunners wanting to keep their gods intact... About the pictures, if the Forerunner are like humans, they would have painted at some point. Obviously paint fades. They could have moved on to rocks, but they break. Hundreds/thousands of years later, discs, they can become scratched, broken, whatever. As you can tell, things break/rot/fade, surely after 100,000 years the weather would have gottwn the lasy of Forerunnet art. Now, I know that may have looked unprofessional, well it's because it is. I don't have much time and believe it or not, I just wrote that on my phone. Feel free to refute it. Thanks for reading! [Edited on 10.10.2009 6:41 PM PDT]

[quote][b]Posted by:[/b] SociallyPsyco[/quote] Now that you mention it, that does actually make a fair bit of sense. The Forerunner were trying to drop the Mantle at the end of their existence - atheism creeping into the ranks. The Precursor are classified as Trans-Sentient, and nothing points to actual contact between them and the Forerunner. Although I never assumed that the Precursor were anything but a real race, I suppose it [i]is[/i] possible. That still doesn't explain Humanity, though, unless something as random as what you suggest happened, which I doubt. For the moment, I'm going to file this under the, "Interesting but Improbable" category.

[quote][b]Posted by:[/b] TASK You and Staten should be locked in a room with a typewriter and forced to crank out Halo novels. I say that in a good way. [/quote]Great idea. That was one of the longest things I've read in a long time, but I am truly 100% impressed. This is a great theory. Hats off to you and Wolverfrog. [Edited on 10.10.2009 6:51 PM PDT]

Snakie, I love you and your ridiculously amazing theories. You make the conflicts of the Flood, Forerunner, and Humanity as a "family feud" of sorts. Amazing

Amazing. Truly. It is amazing that what on the surface is just another sci-fi shooter, has one the most complicated, but also logical and well thought out historys behind it. I cant wait to see more.

Wait, another one? Not to be brash, but this could have been incorporated into your previous thread, which is similar to this post.

That is an excellent theory, I just wish so much that this could be extended. So much more that I want to know.

I can but imagine how amazing a Lord Snakie Halo fan fiction would be... [quote][b]Posted by[/b]: Reptilian Rob Wait, another one? Not to be brash, but this could have been incorporated into your previous thread, which is similar to this post.[/quote] I don't really think that. [Edited on 10.11.2009 3:55 AM PDT]

[quote][b]Posted by:[/b] Reptilian Rob Wait, another one?[/quote] Another one [i]involving[/i] the Precursor, yes. [quote]Not to be brash, but this could have been incorporated into your previous thread, which is similar to this post.[/quote] Well, let's look at the facts. There's a little over 27,000 characters to this thread's OPs (so far), which constitutes about 2.7 OPs, which still equals three OPs. I [i]could[/i] put this in the other thread, yes, but it would be in the back, people would have to read it via link in the front, and who is seriously going to read 2.7 OPs-worth of information in the back of a thread that they think is mere expansion? This, however, is [i]not[/i] just mere expansion on that theory. One of the core concepts comes from my theory, one comes from Wolverfrog's theory, and the Forerunner concept was taken slightly from both theories and attached within my own mind. Only about 1.5/3 of the core concepts for this theory comes from the original, and it is pointless to assume that this would receive any attention if it were not put in a separate thread. Which, in fact, it quite easily warrants.

Please don't tell me you typed all that yourself. My mind is on the verge of imploding as it is.

[quote][b]Posted by:[/b] napster851 Please don't tell me you typed all that yourself. My mind is on the verge of imploding as it is.[/quote] It took me six or seven hours over about three days, so really it was about 30 minutes day one, an hour and a half day two, and four to five hours yesterday. But yes, I did type that all out myself, save for quotes from one or two characters in the series that I copy-pasted.

Typo, its "Child of my enemy, [i]why have[/i] you come?" And I have a few inferences I would like to make. That the Precursor had more "children". It comes down to my Halo 4 thread. We only know whats going on in [i]our[/i] galaxy. There may very well be other surviving cultures in other galaxys. Now what I imagined what would have happened: The flood escapes, or is unleashed. Many systems fall, even whole galaxies. Refugees flee to far reaches of space. Traveling for possibly years before finding a suitable system. Some may have crash landed, but survived. Explaining how humans "forgot" there technology. While other cultures ma have retained some. But theres another possibility. The Precursors when waging there war could have created a fail safe, sending themselves to distant planets, and purposely sabotage all there technology. This way they couldn't be tracked by the flood. This could be done by devices similar to what the Covenant posses, that could locate "artifacts". So if all tech was destroyed, they would be safe. I always believed that there are other civilizations out there in the Halo universe, a larger conflict than the milky way. Iris holds proof of this. [quote]HISTORY CIRCLING BACK UPON US. The gears of the Universe spin further and further apart. Ever greater grows the gulf between souls, And distance gives false hope of safety But for the grim tidings this messenger bears The enemy is almost upon us Closing in from all sides, Moving faster than the light it snuffs with its passage, Time echoes with the news of destruction. History winding back upon itself. Waves of an army march this way in unison, Suffering and corruption are its battle cries. For I have known this darkness and felt its embrace once before- Horror best laid to rest Yet a Journey must commence Look for the signs, the keepers of the flame. They will lead you to war, and perhaps, to victory[/quote] The "gears" of the universe are galaxies. They are flying apart, we know this. And it gives "false hope of safety", from what? If you can't answer this on your won you = fail. Its like a sort of quarantine, perhaps even triggered by the Precursors themselves? History is when the Precursor empire fragmented. The flood is almost upon us, closing in from multiple galaxies, as it hunts its only food source like a pack of panthers hunt deer. Yet what is this journey? (See Halo 4 in plain sight). I think humans are the last [i]direct[/i] link in the [i]universe[/i] to Precursors. This is why the Forerunner saved us, they knew this. They gave us the keys to there kingdom, and laid down for us the beginning of a path to victory. [i]The Keepers of the Flame[/i], the guardians entrusted with a mantle. [i]Entrusted to lead us to victory[/i] [quote]Ghost of Onyx pg. 337 That which must be protected... behind the sharpened edge of the shield... beyond the reach of the swords.... for the reclaimers.[/quote] [quote]The anomalous world is in a perilous location beyond the line. The secrets it holds must be preserved, plans within plans within plans. The inhabitants; these unique denizens, must be researched. They may hold answers to our own mysteries. What irony that we discovered this treasure, only at the end of things. But what fortune that we still had time to save them. The thing we built on that world will vouchsafe their lives, but perhaps [u]one day it will be used for its intended purpose.[/u] If the plan succeeds, and they are saved, it will be a good world. If the plan fails, and the adversary succeeds, it will remain an enigma forever with no one left to [u]reclaim it[/u].[/quote] [quote]The Mantle has not failed! I've already razed scores of worlds - sterilized systems, routed and [disintegrated] the parasite! We're learning its tricks and strategies. We can halt this thing! [u]And we can follow in [i]Their[/i] footsteps[/u]! There are no unstoppable forces in this universe. There are no immovable objects. Everything gives if you push hard enough.[/quote] [quote]The path ahead is fraught with peril. But I will do all I can to keep it stable - keep you safe.[/quote] [quote]But I would have my masters know that I have changed. And you shall be my example.[/quote]

I like it.