So, the Precursors...[novel spoilers]

[E-Runner]

In Halo 4, we delved more into the Forerunners. And briefly into their war w/ Humanity and the Flood.

 

What I particularly cannot wait for is when Precursors come into the mix of games. For some time, after reading the novels, I have thought the Precursors to be the Flood, or maybe just some sort of Gravemind-like thing. But I am not entirely convinced. Perhaps the Precursor(s) is merely involved with the Flood, not one with it.

 

I recall the chapter/scene in one of the Forerunner series' novels where one of/the last Precursor is discovered and studied in this giant cage. I want to see that in a game.

 

Will Precursors become a part of Halo5, I wonder?

[Mr Kittens and Gibberish]

To my knowledge after reading all the Forerunner books, both Precursors and Flood are the same. So the Flood is just a different Race of Precursor.

 

or

 

Precursors created the flood, in vengeance for being destroyed by Forerunners.

 

or

 

Precursors are still alive, because the Forerunner drove them off this galaxy, and will come back and be the Human Races enemy.

[Is not JL]

Here are the facts.

 

A long time ago the Precursors 'created' Humanity and the Forerunners. We don't know the specific details and I doubt we will find out any time soon. The Precursors were like 'Yo Humanity you guys gonna get the mantle mmkay' and then the Forerunners were like 'But we're superior' and attacked the Precursors and nearly killed all of them.

 

The ones who survived had 3 scenarios to take; 1. they left the Milky Way galaxy 2. They hid themselves, and 3. They created a material in powder form that would break down the Precursor's body and, a long, long time later when the galaxy is ripe for the picking again, would reconstitute the body.

 

Scenario 3 bugged out; the powder mutated into something else which instead corrupted any and all sufficient biomatter it came across. 

 

This... is the Flood.

 

I guess you could say, just like how the Ur-Didact went mad and turned evil, Precursors, mad at the Forerunners and wrought with vengeance, and furthermore mutated by the powder into a parasitic form, decided to unleash itself on the universe.

 

There are potentially still Precursors out there, but as it is right now, the Flood and all the Graveminds that have been formed are all superintelligent beings who contain within them the consciousness of mad Precursors. 

[E-Runner]

Very cool, thanks Cerulean. In the novel, I recall the Precursor being described as a spider-like, terrifying thing. So you believe it was merely similar to the Gravemind we know from Halo 2 & 3? Or a Precursor in it's original state, just hiding? (or imprisoned and forgotten)

[Is not JL]

Like a Gravemind, a Precursor is also described as being able to modify their physical bodies basically at will. Perhaps this was their actual form, resembling those of crustaceans; or perhaps that was just a form it decided to take. 

There are many instances of Graveminds being able to re-arrange their body mass; the Gravemind that inhabited installation 05 then invaded High Charity and reconstituted itself there, and THEN tried to rebuild itself on Installation 04B (Which the Chief then blew the crap up). That H3 mission, Cortana? You were basically inside the Gravemind.

 

IIRC, during the ending days of the Forerunner-Flood War, the Forerunners were basically fighting against a combination of:

1. Precursor Star Roads

2. Infected ships

3. Giant balls of Flood Biomass the size of planets with slipspace capability (Graveminds)

 

I DO believe that THAT specific Precursor, the Primordial, is a Gravemind, because it's words all talk based around the existence of the flood for many, many years and with knowledge that only a gravemind should know - especially the implications given that there is no true cure for the flood, but that the Flood itself decided to retreat from the war with Humanity.

 

 

[WonderWombat]

I DO believe that THAT specific Precursor, the Primordial, is a Gravemind, because it's words all talk based around the existence of the flood for many, many years and with knowledge that only a gravemind should know - especially the implications given that there is no true cure for the flood, but that the Flood itself decided to retreat from the war with Humanity.

The Primordial was in fact a Gravemind, it is confirmed at the end of Primordium.

 

Also it was my understanding the the dust the humans found wasn't something that made precursors powder, but was actually precursors only desicated. Then just sitting there somehow made it flawed and this was sort of like a beginning of the flood. The remaining precursors who survived then turned the powder into the flood so they could use it to eradicate the forerunners.

 

I also like to think that the Precursors downfall was a combination of them not realizing that their creations could become super powerful and even attempt to overthrow them. So when the forerunner decided they wanted them dead the Precursors were so surprised and unknowing about that situation they were mostly killed.

 

I don't want them to ever appear in a game personally. I feel it would ruin the mystery about them. I would much rather have the forerunner fleshed out into a more interesting group if that is even possible.

Edited November 25, 2014 by WonderWombat

[Mr Kittens and Gibberish]

The Primordial was in fact a Gravemind, it is confirmed at the end of Primordium.

 

Also it was my understanding the the dust the humans found wasn't something that made precursors powder, but was actually precursors only desicated. Then just sitting there somehow made it flawed and this was sort of like a beginning of the flood. The remaining precursors who survived then turned the powder into the flood so they could use it to eradicate the forerunners.

 

I also like to think that the Precursors downfall was a combination of them not realizing that their creations could become super powerful and even attempt to overthrow them. So when the forerunner decided they wanted them dead the Precursors were so surprised and unknowing about that situation they were mostly killed.

 

I don't want them to ever appear in a game personally. I feel it would ruin the mystery about them. I would much rather have the forerunner fleshed out into a more interesting group if that is even possible.

 

Technically we do encounter the Precursors during all three master chief games with flood...technically the Flood are in fact Precursors. So yeah, we fought Precursors...

 

It would be really suprising if we encounter Mendicant bias, and chief actually communicates with him.

That would be so badass...

[WonderWombat]

Technically we do encounter the Precursors during all three master chief games with flood...technically the Flood are in fact Precursors. So yeah, we fought Precursors...

 

It would be really suprising if we encounter Mendicant bias, and chief actually communicates with him.

That would be so badass...

The flood is a precursor creation made from the corrupt remains of precursors.

 

I still think the owl thing in the first Halo 5 teaser could be Mendicant Bias. In the Agent Locke cutscene when you start Halo 2A you can see it on the Arbiter's screen so it must tie in somewhere.

[Is not JL]

 

Also it was my understanding the the dust the humans found wasn't something that made precursors powder, but was actually precursors only desicated. Then just sitting there somehow made it flawed and this was sort of like a beginning of the flood. The remaining precursors who survived then turned the powder into the flood so they could use it to eradicate the forerunners.

The dust is Precursor powder. It's not that they're 'dried up' though; they essentially 420 blazed it and turned into biological powder.

 

The Chief HAS been communicating with Mendicant Bias; Halo 3 Terminals. A theory that has decent likelihood is that Mendicant Bias was the one who, at the end of Halo 3, changed the co-ordinates of the slipspace portal of the ark to Requiem, since MB wanted to show his creators that he has changed. Of course, the unfortunate thing is that the one Forerunner he expected the Chief to encounter was also mad crazy.

[XI James 116]

They'll be in Halo 5, but I doubt they will play a huge role like in Halo 4